A DESIRE for professional fulfilment has led to a Bangor woodworker carving out a new career for himself as a craftsman.
Mark Justin had a successful career in IT but it left him feeling dissatisfied. Indeed, he came to see it as a ‘mental trap’, where, despite being physically fit and financially secure, he struggled with a growing sense of unease and panic.
It was a far cry from the sense of peace he felt as a child helping his woodworker grandfather in his workshop.
Iniitally he returned to his passion for woodwork as a hobby, working out of a small shed and taking part in local craft fairs.
Then, when redundancy loomed in 2018 and a job move to England was on the table, he made the bold decision on January 1st, 2019 to go full-time with his craft.
The result is Justin Wood NI which has become a sought after workshop for beautifully handcrafted furniture and woodworking classes.
“There’s a saying, ‘You have two lives. One life, and then the life you start living when you realise you only have one.’ That really hit home for me,” said Mark.
While he found joy in the tools, the process and the creativity, the business side felt overwhelming.
“I love everything about the craft – from the hard work and the tools to the design – but I was winging it when it came to running a business,” he said.
“I started to realise that you could be the best craftsperson in the world and not be able to pay your mortgage. Or you could be a terrible craftsperson but a great salesman and become a millionaire.
“That’s when it hit that I needed to become as much of a businessman as a craftsman if I was going to make this into a sustainable career which is when I decided to reach out to Go Succeed.”
Through the Go Succeed support service, Mark received 15 hours of tailored mentoring, which he says transformed his mindset.
He was able to choose areas he wanted to focus on – from marketing to business strategy – and dive deeper with expert guidance.
“The biggest thing was the mindset shift. It helped me stop treating it like a hobby and start running it like a real business,” he said. “I have an IT background, but the mentoring helped me apply that knowledge practically – especially with SEO and Google My Business. I owe a lot of my clients to that visibility.”
His woodworking classes, which range from beginner to advanced, are proving hugely popular. Mark has welcomed students from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and recently, a student who flew in from Canada just to learn from him.
Looking ahead, Mark hopes to devote even more time to creating beautiful pieces and developing the business further.
“Go Succeed helped me realise that doing what you love isn’t enough – you have to structure it, promote it, and be smart with it. That support made a huge difference.”
Go Succeed services are delivered completely free of charge via each of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils and offer support for entrepreneurs just starting out, as well as established businesses looking to grow.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Gillian McCollum, said Mark’s story is a powerful example of how people can transform a passion into a thriving business with the right support.
“We’re incredibly proud to see how Go Succeed has helped Mark turn Justin Wood NI into a sustainable, growing brand and an inspiring part of the local creative economy,” she said.
Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support including mentoring, peer networks, access to grant funding and a business plan, at every stage of their growth journey. Participants also have exclusive access to the Go Succeed Members Area which provides business templates, bitesize business tutorials, and more.
