Meet Bobbie Fitzek | Custom woodworker & designer

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

Hi Bobbie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have been my own boss for over 15 years & my love of woodworking started when I was 14. It wasnt til I was in my 30’s that I realized I could turn my love of building & art into a business. So I started my custom building business in 2015 with existing clientele from my other career in beauty world & it grew over the following years into a full time job. The more I created & produced beautiful end results for people whether landscape work or custom building a piece of furniture for them, I was hooked! I now have a business partner & life partner who joined my vision & business over a year ago & she has helped add not only her skills in photography, but also in her skills in carpentry as well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Funny, when I was a kid & winning those art awards, I didnt think much about those awards at the time. I was proud of them, but in my mind, I couldn’t pay my bills with art for a future. When I reached my late 20’s though I saw that I could combine my building skills with my artistic ability & think outside the box on my designs. I took countless workshop classes including blacksmithing, welding, plasma cutting, & woodturning which opened my eyes to more design concepts & skill enhancements. I loved taking those classes & always want to learn more. I will say it wasn’t always fun since I was usually the only female in the setting or in a construction company & constantly being questioned by the Male mentality. I always had to prove myself that I could “swing” a hammer like a guy. I survived all these judgements through the years & started my business with the mindset that if any female wanted to learn how to build, learn a tool, or just feel comfortable asking questions about design that I would be happy to help. I am in the midst of building my brand of building unique home decor, custom furniture, or flip/remodel a house while trying to have a workshop big enough to hold workshops/classes for females to learn how to use tools & create stuff or learn a skill. I know there are other female entrepreneurs across the country who are doing the same & helping other females learn a new skill or trade & I just want to add my set of skills as well & provide an environment where everyone feels comfortable & safe. I also want to add workshops for children as well & even after school programs eventually. It’s a big vision, but definitely worth the hard work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have only been in the Atlanta area for less than a year & building my business clientele up since being here so I can’t say I have seen everything Atlanta has to offer, but I definitely have a few spots that I would take my best friend too. Some of those places would include the Illuminarium for cool 3D reality experience, Laughing Skull Lounge for standup comedy, Mall of Georgia for shopping, ColorSling for fun art paint throwing, & Lake Lanier for waterfront, hiking, & hangouts. For some food experience, I would recommend Anatolia Cafe & Hookah for Mediterranean cuisine & Johnny’s Hideaway for dancing & fun. I would also see about festivals that may be happening in the area since there are always festivals going on constantly here in Atlanta area

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would have to say & give shoutout to my high school’s PE teacher’s husband Bob London. He is a retired carpenter craftsman now, but he took me into his wood workshop at 14 & has pretty much taught me the majority of what building was all about. I fell in love with it all at that point. Over the years, I would work with him on building projects & construction work. I won some awards in high school for art & as the years went on, I combined my artistry with my carpentry skills to become who I am today. I still call Bob up & we talk about my projects & get his advice when needed. If it wasnt for his kindness to teach me as a teenager, I dont know where I would be today. I do also want to give a shoutout to Kristina for her faith, love, & support in my skills as well. Sometimes in life, you dont always have a huge support system in whatever goals or dreams you may have, but I can say that I have a select few friends who have been very supportive throughout the majority of my life & for that I am very appreciative for them.

Website: Www.JaiLeeDezignz.com

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Image Credits
Bobbie Fitzek Kristina Graff Jai Lee Dezignz K. Lee Photography