Meet Evan Patterson | Woodworker & Risk Taker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Patterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evan, how do you think about risk?
Today’s the day! That’s the phrase I start my day with everyday. And this post is actually a letter that I wrote for my wife (and myself) that I read daily as a reminder to myself and I hope it inspires you just as much as it does us.

An average lifetime is equal to roughly 28,600 days. And of those days, there are only a few that are truly life changing. A point in time in which your entire destiny is shifted. And often times it’s a result of a single decision/action. A decision to start, a decision to stop, or a decision to keep going. Often times it’s all three. A day that you will look back on and see that this day was the day that started it all. Not only a day in which you made the difficult decision to stop something, but to also take action and start something new and exciting. You have to take the risks necessary to follow your dreams. It’s not going to be easy. Nothing in life that’s worth doing or having will ever come easy. In fact, taking a risk and failing is almost certain along the way. But that shouldn’t stop you. In fact, it should propel you forward.

Don’t be afraid to take risks, to fail or to make mistakes. They are the greatest teachers you will ever have. And out of them comes the greatest lessons you could ever learn. Perhaps the greatest thing about taking risks/failure is the fact that it always gives you a choice, a way out. You can choose to let failure define you, or refine you.

The journey that you’re embarking on is not just something you’ve chosen to do. It’s something that you have been chosen to do. For some, you’ve already taken the first step and made the difficult decision to take a risk and stop something that’s familiar, something that’s comfortable, and to start something new, something that’s somewhat unknown. That’s no small feat. This first step takes immense courage and strength. But know that the journey won’t be easy. And what comes next requires even more strength and courage. It requires the courage to keep going, to continue to take risks when things seem uncertain, when it feels like you’re running in place. And it requires the strength to pick yourself back up when you stumble and fall.

The decision you’ve made to embark on this journey was yours alone to make. But know that you’re not on this journey alone. You have family, friends, mentors, and most importantly God all mighty by your side every step of the way. I know you’re nervous, at times you may even feel scared. That’s almost a certainty when taking risks.

And like a child that’s afraid of the dark, it isn’t the darkness that frightens them, it’s what could be lurking in the dark that they cannot see, that frightens them. The same applies to this journey and life as a whole. It isn’t the journey or life that scares us, it’s the unknown, the things which we cannot see and often times have no control over.

But this is where the most important, the most crucial element comes into play.
It’s more important than courage, strength, patience, and even perseverance. And that one thing is faith. And it’s not only faith in the process, or faith in the journey, but it’s faith in yourself and your ability to keep going, to know that you have what it takes to see this through. And lastly, it’s faith in our Heavenly Father and His plan for your life. You didn’t arrive at this moment by chance. Everything in your life, good, bad, and in between has brought you to this moment. And it’s in this moment that your journey begins.

Your journey to becoming the person the universe has destined you to be.

If there’s a risk/first step that you’ve yet to take, know that if you have a passion in your heart, the only way to let it out is to take that first step. Take that risk. It’s scary no doubt. But I encourage you to not let fear stop you. Let it pull you forward. And lastly don’t follow your passions, follow your fears and then conquer those fears with your passion. Because it’s not our passion that blocks us or stands in our way, it’s our fear. And if you don’t risk anything, you’re actually risking everything.

I’ll leave you with a quote by Nick Vujicic, “Risk, then, is not just part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place. It’s the high-anxiety zone, but it’s also where you discover who you are.” Todays the day!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Christiani Modern Wood Designs, we create handmade, custom furniture for the everyday home and business owner. But what sets us apart is that we do not simply create furniture for clients, we create experiences and build connections. I’ve committed myself to the mission of leaving this world a better place than I found it, and that’s why a portion of all proceeds go toward cancer research in honor of one of my dear friends, as well as my father in law, and my step father, and all those that have fought this battle. We also partner with One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every item sold.

This journey is not easy. There were many challenges that could’ve ended everything. But with a strong support system and even stronger faith, we’re able to continue on. I’ve learned so much already. One of the most important things is that failure is inevitable, because if you never fail at anything, that’s a good indication that your goals aren’t big enough!

At the end of the day what I want people to know about me and my brand, Christiani, and to always remember for themselves is that we believe that life is about people and we all have a chance to impact and change someone’s life every single day. And together we can truly make a difference and leave our mark on the world. And doing so is the opportunity that I’m most excited about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I’m being completely honest, I’m not much of a city/nightlife person. Lol And I’m lucky enough that my best friend and his family live here in Atlanta already. I’m a pretty simple guy. You give me a grill, good food, beer/a nice strong drink, and good company and conversation, I’m as happy as can be. But of course, no outing would be complete without a trip to the gun range.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
No success in life is ever achieved alone. And my journey is no exception to that rule. I dedicate this shoutout to everyone that’s ever supported and encouraged me alone the way. To the friends and family that supported me in the beginning and continuously, thank you. To the countless strangers all over the world that have supported my business, thank you. To my beautiful wife who pushed me into starting my business and sacrificed so much in order for me to continue on this journey, thank you. And most importantly to my Heavenly Father who placed this passion in my heart and blessed me with every opportunity and every person mentioned above, thank you!

Website: www.CMWoodDesigns.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/ChristianiDesigns