I had the pleasure of chatting with Matthew McDonald, the creative mind behind Fox and Gerlock, a woodworking business that offers beautifully crafted cutting boards and coasters. Inspired by his dad’s tools and a stash of free wood, Matthew turned a simple idea into a polished, profitable venture. With a focus on quality and a growing product line, he’s carving out a name for himself—one board at a time.
CEM: Tell us about your business. How did you first get the idea?
M: My dad’s always done a lot of woodworking, so he’s got a bunch of tools… A friend of his had a bunch of extra wood in his backyard that he wasn’t doing anything with, so he said, “Hey, if you want some wood, it’s free.” At that point it was 100 percent profit margins, so I started making some cutting boards. And then recently, I moved into coasters. I’m trying to have high quality items for what I think are reasonable prices.
CEM: What supplies and resources did you need to get going, and how did you get ahold of them?
M: Well like I said, my dad’s friends just had a bunch of extra wood, I didn’t really need much other than some basic tools to get started, like a saw, planer, and I have a laser engraver to put custom stuff on there.
CEM: What are some challenges you’ve faced in this business, and how have you overcome them?
M: What I’ve noticed is that at some of the events, there’s not always the best foot traffic, and even if there is, it’s a lot more about impulse buys, so having a higher price item is harder to sell because people aren’t always expecting to pay that much money at a kids’ fair… That’s why I also moved into trying to make coasters.
CEM: Do you have any advice for other aspiring kid entrepreneurs?
M: Start when you’re young because then the money seems like way more. Once you get older, you want more money for bigger things.
CEM: How can potential customers get in touch with you?
M: I ran out of business cards, and I’m not very active on the Facebook page. They can find me at the next kids’ market with my company, Fox and Gerlock.