A thing of beauty springing out of life's ashes...
The only real job I've ever had was working for my dad and our family business right out of high school. My dad started a custom cabinet business nearly 40 years ago. I graduated high school in 2000 and jumped right in. It was the absolutely perfect situation for me. I had the privilege of working with my dad and closest friend every day, and I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from him. I was able to provide for my family and spend every day working with family. It was some of the greatest years in my life that carry with them some of my most cherished memories!
Our business was highly successful during the housing boom of the 90s and then again in the mid 2000s. Through tremendous hard work and long hours, we employed 40+ incredible men and woman who were apart of Team Howells, and we all enjoyed the great benefits of the roaring house market in 2004, 5 and 6. And just as many others did, we suffered when the housing market came to an abrupt halt in 2007. Our business suffered, our family and the families of those we employed suffered as we had no choice but to lay off nearly every employee who worked for us.
On the afternoon of August 21, 2011 the unimaginable happened that changed the lives of me and my family forever...under tremendous stress caused by the business and failing investments, and other hardships that our family was going through, my dad - clearly not in his right mind - became convinced that he was worth more dead than alive to his family, and he took his own life. Consequently, not only did I lose my dad and closest friend, I lost my job of 11 years as our business was soon after closed down.
Having a great need to continue providing for my family and realizing that my skill sets were not worth nearly as much as they once were, I took a simple side hobby of making toy building blocks from shop scraps, and over the next several months launched my business, Howells Products LLC. What started out as kind of a therapy to help me through a season of tremendous loss and pain has shaped and grown into a thriving business that brings joy and smiles to children and families all across the country! In recent years I have discovered the world of soap making and have met some amazing people along the way. I am now making wood soap dishes by the tens of thousands and supply hundreds of soap making businesses and boutique stores nationwide, helping hundreds of other entrepreneurial minded individuals realize their dreams of providing for their families just as I have been so blessed to be able to do for mine.
Today I am so blessed to be surrounded and supported by my most amazing family. My wife Lizzy has always believed in my crazy business ideas, and she has always encouraged me to "go for it". She will even occasionally help me assemble soap dishes when large orders comes through. Lizzy is the smart one in the family. She is a part-time OR nurse at a local children's hospital. She works one day a week helping sick kids who are going into surgery, and the rest of the week she is mommy to our two children. My 9 year old son is already beginning to help in the business by assembling soap dishes. He has made over 2,500 and counting, and he now does a better job than I do. He'll be running the entire business by the time he is 12! Our beautiful 3 year old daughter Emma has brought such tremendous joy and life into our family! We adopted Emma as a newborn in June of 2014...she truly is God's little miracle gift to us...another story your wouldn't believe...a baby girl who had more than enough drugs in her system at birth that she shouldn't be alive...but through the countless prayers of loved ones around the country and world, she miraculously pulled through with ZERO effects...and a now perfectly healthy vibrant 3 year old loving life!
In one word, my family is "BLESSED"...so tremendously blessed!! And I am so humbled and honored each time someone chooses to purchase a product from me and support this family's little "American Dream". Please know that when you purchase from me, you are not only supporting my family, but as a family we are helping to financially support friends of ours who are doing the Lord's work on SE Asia. Your purchase from me is helping to teach English classes and job skills to locals in a third world nation...young men and women are learning life skills and breaking out of poverty and starting their own businesses and doing unbelievable things...know that your purchase is sending money around the world to help those truly in need.
...and for what it's worth...as if I am not busy enough...I now have a second hobby turned business - coffee roasting/bean distribution. You can visit my other Etsy store at www.HowellsFiredCoffee.etsy.com
Thank you for visiting, and come back again soon!
Blessings!!
Chris Howells
