Meet James. He’s a Salisbury resident and the owner of Wise Earth & Iron, specializing in designing unique metal art, fabricating and powder coating. If you ask him how he arrived there, his eyes will light up because he now looks back on the journey recognizing how each step, regardless of how it felt at the time, was leading him right to where he stands today.
In 2013, James obtained a degree in Industrial Systems Technology and got to work in manufacturing as a maintenance tech. Unfortunately, he found himself working all hours of the week, leaving zero margin for his family. He hit a breaking point where he just had to find something else. Through crazy circumstances, he was hired on the spot for a company doing welding and metal fabrication in the automotive industry.
While he wasn’t very happy in this line of work, he didn’t feel like he was supposed to leave that job, so he pushed through until a role opened at his company to work at the CNC plasma table. This is a machine that carries a plasma torch and can move that torch in a path directed by a computer. The term “CNC” refers to “Computer Numerical Control”, which means that a computer is used to direct the machine’s motion based on numerical codes in a program.
He took a risk even asking for the job, because he had never worked with that equipment professionally. To his surprise, they offered him the position and he quite literally taught himself how to do it as he went. Even more to his surprise, he was pretty darn good at it.
One day, a customer asked if he could fix a couple of pieces of their vintage weathervane. Not at all in the realm of automotive work, the challenge excited him and the results thrilled the customer. It went so well, his company allowed him to essentially open up a whole new line of business for them. It wasn’t long before James had the desire to start taking on projects for himself.
It was then that James, with the full support of his family, took a giant leap of faith and invested thousands into buying a CNC plasma table to start his own business on the side. As his side business grew into Wise Earth & Iron, James kept going in his full-time job until Fall of 2022 when he took the leap into full time entrepreneurship.
While he felt successful in his work, he recognized he didn’t know how to run a business. That’s when his wife saw an article about the Retail Lab program, operated by the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center and Flywheel Foundation at the Cabarrus Center.
The 6 week intensive bootcamp offered twice yearly, at no cost to accepted applicants, teaches early stage retail business owners everything from funding, to finances, to pricing, to inventory, to marketing and even real estate.
James is so grateful for the Retail Lab bootcamp. He said, “It was the perfect place to come and learn in a smaller group environment. It was interactive. The instructors were specialized in each area.”
Near the end of the bootcamp, James took the opportunity to pitch for a grant. “Coming up with a business pitch was scary and a lot of work but it was awesome,” said James. “It helped me be able to put myself out there and not be scared to get in front of people and talk about my business.” He got the grant!
So, what’s coming up for James and Wise Earth & Iron? Well, he’s expanded his services and now offers powder coating. He expects that to continue to grow over the summer months with car shows happening. James is continuing to grow his social media accounts and is excited to start selling products at local events in the near future.
James admits he spends some nights awake at 3a.m. trying to figure out creative solutions for the projects clients bring him, but is so thankful for the growth his business is experiencing and hopes to get to hire his first employee this year.
You can find Wise Earth & Iron products at the Retail Lab Pop Up Store in Downtown Concord or online at www.retaillabstore.com. Be sure to connect with James on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wiseearthandiron and Instagram at @wiseearthandiron.
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