Woodworking wonder: Brainerd teen turns hobby into business
Brandon Eberts began woodworking with his grandpa and now at 16 runs his own business, Lakeland Woodsmith.
We are part of The Trust Project.BRAINERD — There are barely enough hours in the day and days in the week for Brandon Eberts to keep up with all of his responsibilities and activities.
A sophomore at Brainerd High School, Brandon works at Great River Door Co. after school on days he isn’t sailing and devotes his weekends to Lakeland Woodsmith. The unique part about the last venture is that Brandon can call it his own. Last summer, at just 14 years old, the teen started his own woodworking business.
“It does get a little overwhelming sometimes,” Brandon said during an interview Sept. 30. “But I can handle it usually.”
Now, after just turning 16 last week, Brandon is busier than ever, creating custom cutting boards, signs, cribbage boards and other items for his customers.
As he acquires more tools to add to his store of saws, laser engraver, lathe, joiner, planer and sanding equipment, he hopes to increase his product offerings.
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“I would love to do bigger custom orders, like tables — coffee tables, dining tables, side tables — all that sort of basic furniture, but then kind of put a twist on it and make it unique,” he said.
After winning money at a recent statewide business competition, Brandon is on track to do just that.
The MN Cup, hosted by the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, is a community-led, public-private partnership supporting entrepreneurs. An annual competition connects those starting their own businesses with educational opportunities, mentors and support to launch and further develop their ventures.
Brandon entered the youth division of the MN Cup this past summer and found himself presenting business plans and pitch decks, creating videos and getting the word out about his brand. After months of work and presentations, the teen came out in second place, earning $5,000 to invest in Lakeland Woodsmith.
“It’s really gonna allow me to grow from it,” Brandon said, as his busy schedule with school, work and extracurriculars makes it tough to invest as much time and money into his business as he would like.
But his job at Great River Door in Brainerd, along with other community connections, is also part of what makes Lakeland Woodsmith possible.
Advice on things like pricing and marketing came from Brent Manley, owner of Great River Door, while Chris Smith at Minnesota Makerspace in Brainerd has been a fountain of knowledge in areas like laser engraving. The businesses also provide him with more space to work and equipment to use when he needs it.
“He just has that interest and desire to create things,” Manley said. “He’s always looking for new ideas.”
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But Brandon’s first mentor was someone much closer to home.
“I started with my grandpa,” he said. “He bought me a set of tools, and we started building things together — deer stands, signs, little shelves, basic stuff.”
Then in middle school, he discovered STEM classes and developed an aptitude for the science, technology, engineering and math fields. One specific class really piqued his interest as he learned how to use a laser engraver and computer numeric control machine while working with wood.
“After that, I realized it could be profitable because we made a sign — a Minnesota sign — and some people offered me a few hundred bucks for it,” Brandon said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, I could start doing this to make money.’”
It was a move that made his parents a little hesitant at first, but now Matt and Deb Eberts couldn’t be prouder of their son.
“Once he puts his mind to something, he’s off to the races,” Matt said. “And I’ve really lucked out that he’s chosen to put his mind to positive things.”
His son has always been a kid with big ideas, incapable of thinking small. So once the teen came up with his business idea, it was on him to do all the work.
“I said, ‘Look, if you want to pursue this, that’s awesome. You know, we’re going to offer what support we can, but this is you. This is your thing, and you’re going to have to study it. You’re going to have to research it. You’re going to have to do the work if you ever intend to sell things,’” Matt said.
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And Brandon did just that.
Reaching out to local business owners, finding inspiration from former teachers, leaning on his grandpa’s wealth of knowledge and his parents’ support, Brandon cultivated an enterprise all his own.
“People have been so amazingly generous with recognizing his excitement and seeding it in a healthy way,” Matt said.
Brandon is grateful for support, too, knowing his success wouldn’t be possible without it, and encouraging other kids with big ideas to follow the same path.
“You’ve got to find someone who knows what they’re doing — some mentor or some business owner, family member — someone who’s had experience in that and just talk to them,” Brandon said.
Brandon’s Lakeland Woodsmith website is a testament to that kind of mentorship, complete with photos of his completed and customized cutting boards, serving boards, charcuterie boards, signs and luggage tags, all made with the care and precision customers can expect from a professional.
And if a product doesn’t come out exactly how Brandon envisioned, there’s a good chance it will end up in his parents’ or grandparents’ house, a shining reminder of what hard work, a determined mind and a little encouragement can accomplish.
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
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