Conversations with Lenny and Leanne Reed

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lenny and Leanne Reed.

Hi Lenny and Leanne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have always been building or making something; from built-in bookcases to a mahogany table to websites, I just love making stuff. After college, my wife Leanne & I moved to the mid-Atlantic where I started my career as a software engineer. Eventually, we moved into our first home, a “fixed upper” rowhouse in the downtown Baltimore inner harbor area.

This was the beginning of the DIY craze in the early 2000s, and it didn’t take long before we started remodeling. It was a big job refinishing the floors, installing new drywall, and even raising the ceilings! For a while, we even had a table saw in the dining room. When guests came over, we would put a tablecloth and a vase full of flowers on it. That was just the beginning…

After a few years, we returned to Florida. Many people love outdoor activities in the sunshine state however, it has always been the mountains that have had my eye… So, in 2010 when a job opportunity popped up in Colorado, we couldn’t get here fast enough, the sheer beauty of this state made it a “no brainer”. Whenever I need inspiration, I just look west, seeing nature and all its grandeur always puts things into perspective.

After working in Tech for almost 23 years, I wanted a change… I wanted to see if I could run a successful business and become my own boss. I considered so many different options but always came back to my love of woodworking. I already had a lot of the required equipment in the shop plus over 20 years of experience. My thought was, even though the chance of creating a successful woodworking business wasn’t that great, it was what I loved to do and that had to count for something.

Around this time Leanne decided to try her hand at the workshop.  She started making a few of her own products.  She called her first big success “the Postcard”.  We still make it today; it is a small rustic wooden sign with a mountain on it and a nice saying like “I Love You to the Mountains and Back” or “The Mountains are calling and I must Go”. Together we have made and sold hundreds in stores, markets, and online.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
That’s a great question, we think if you had asked us a few months ago we wouldn’t have exactly described it as “a smooth road”. When we first started doing these multi-layered 3D animals, they were so incredibly popular that we didn’t understand the volume that we would need to make. We learned about tracking inventory, developing relationships with suppliers, and how to find new sales outlets.

All that along with the fact we were still developing processes needed to produce a consistently high-quality product while still keeping the art in it. We made so many mistakes…. Once we had to throw away almost a whole week’s work due to a flaw introduced by some bad glue. Still, our customers stood with us lining up each week to get the newest animal we made. Oh, and did I mention that we both still work full-time jobs? Looking back, we would say, if the road had been any smoother, we would not be where we are today…

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are a craft company at heart. That is why we are Solterra Workshop, not Solterra Woodworks or something like that. We combine traditional woodworking with tech like lasers, vinyl cutters, and CAD. Our style is casual, rustic, and outdoorsy. Our most popular products are our 3D Multi-Layered Animals. They are made up of 6+ laser-cut layers, they are hand sanded, stained, and glued together for a truly remarkable presentation.

Currently, we make Moose, Elk, Bears, Wolves, Trout, Bison, Deer, Mountain Lion, Crappie, and even a Hiking Boot. I have found that living here in such a beautiful state, it is hard not to get inspired every time we go on a hike, drive, or just look out from our deck. I think that is why all the critters we make (so far) can be found right here in Colorado. Our customers are also a good source of ideas. More times than I can count a customer has asked if we can change some small detail. Usually, when we do, we like it so much that it leads to a permanent design change.

Whenever we can, we like to add a personal touch and make each product have some sort of local relevance. A great example of this is the latest version of our Bison. One of the layers features the front range as seen from our deck. I free-handed it, including Pikes Peak, Mt Baldy, Mt Rosa, and Cheyenne. I then converted it to a digital format so the laser could replicate it. Currently, my favorite piece that we’ve created is a 15” chili pepper we made as a gift for our friends over at Moon Peppers. Getting to know them, makes it possible for so many personal touches to be part of their piece.

How do you define success?
I think the part we love most, is that whenever we make something for friends, family, or a customer… that piece becomes a part of their lives, their stories and that just means so much to us. That is our definition of success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.solterraworkshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solterraworkshop/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SolterraWorkshop