About the Owl
We wish everyone could do what they love for a living.
I have not always had the privilege to do this everyday for a living. In previous lives I would spend hours driving to and from work and punch the proverbial clock. However, one day I was presented with the opportunity to turn a hobby, my passion, my escape into a thriving business. When this door was opened, my wife, Jessica, and I made certain to push it wide open and embraced the gift. We have not looked back since, and have never been happier. We get the opportunity, the honor, of taking lumber, metal, acrylic, or even a cast aside tree stump, and transform it into a functional adornment for someone’s home or workplace. Whether we are putting together a design concept, refinishing furniture pieces, or creating more novelty type items, we enjoy the entire process.
I personally have even enjoyed the business side of the process. I have gotten to use my creativity in creating our logo, as well as creating the name of the company. As a matter of fact, I often get asked about the name of the company and how I selected Wise Old Owl Designs. I would love to say it is a derivative of the English nursery rhyme first recorded in 1875:
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
However, this is not the case. In fact, it all comes down to a couple major (yet minor) influences. The first influence which is ever unflappable, is from my loving and supportive wife. She has a certain affection for these nocturnal birds, and it naturally seemed to be a good starting point since this career and my wife are the primary focal points in my life. The second influence is a little more straight forward. Plain and simple, the first letters of the name spell WOOD. It is not a fancy answer based in great history, but rather it is the truth.
At the end of 2018, we purchased a Cricut to make custom router templates and expand in our wood designing capabilities. Little did I know that this would spark a creative side in my wife which would allow her to embrace her own passions. While I focus on the molding of wood and metal, she concentrates on crafting customized t-shirts and tumblers. 2021 was a big year for the OWL – a laser cutter and engraving machine joined the WOOD tool family; and our sister company, She Shirts and More, was formed between two friends with a passion for all things crafty, and a propensity for an unconventional sort of humor. The sky's the limit from here. Every day, new doors open... this is just the beginning. We are beyond excited to see where this journey will take us.
- Ryan Sartor, Wise Old Owl Designs, Inc.
