From Design Nerd to CNC Advocate
If you had told my Grade 9 woodshop teacher that one day I’d be part of a company that builds CNC machines, he would have probably laughed.
Back then, I wasn’t exactly what you’d call hands-on (let’s be honest, I’m still not). I took woodshop because I thought it would be easy. On my very first attempt to use a table saw, I launched a piece of wood 50 feet across the room. The entire room fell silent, and everyone stared at me. Awesome.
The entire purpose of the class was to finish the semester with a bedside table; I didn’t even make one! My teacher gave me a 50% grade, likely hoping he’d never see me again.
I wonder if he needs a new CNC machine soon…
…and I still have a healthy fear of table saws.
A Website, a Side Gig, and a Lot of Coffee
When I say that I’m not exactly hands-on, that’s an understatement. I am a self-professed nerd. I enjoyed bragging about my words-per-minute typing speed in high school. I always trying to jailbreak my iPhones. I own a twitter account based entirely around my love for sports stats. I have a newfound appreciation for the stock market.
Read: Nerd.
Naturally, my first involvement in the CNC industry was as a nerd, attempting to build a website for Gorilla CNC, a company owned by my father and his neighbour.
When Steve was hired to create General CNC, I picked up side gigs doing technical support and web design for their team. I was able to maneuver my way through the industry without any real knowledge or understanding of woodworking, mostly thanks to Google. I was always safe in the comfort of my desk behind a keyboard, but try and call me on the phone? Good luck.
At the time, I was working full-time at Tim Hortons to pay the bills, while slowly trying to grow our small CNC business on the side.
For years, my life was a blur of customer emails, troubleshooting calls, 6am coffee shifts, and late-night conversations with Taiwan. I also got married to my wife Amy, and we had two children, Adeline & Elliott. Needless to say, I did not have a lot of free time.
Taking the Leap
At 30 years old, I made the scariest decision of my life: I quit my job and went all in. Together, Steve and I formed ICONIC CNC in partnership with a manufacturer named GeeTech.
Looking back, I realize I was more enamored with the idea of entrepreneurship than I was prepared for the reality of it. I loved building a brand, seeing our logo on machines and shirts, and the recognition that came with it. The money was a little better than slinging coffee, too. But I didn’t yet understand the weight of owning a business – the pressure, the responsibility, and the constant anxiety.
We hit the road doing trade shows and tech ed conferences. Turns out those are a nightmare situation for an introverted personality like mine. A fear of not knowing enough about my own products, and an exhaustion of manufacturing conversations all day. My lack of knowledge about woodworking would be exposed. A humbling experience, to say the least.
During that season of life, it was as though I had unlocked a new section of my brain, which is full of endless ideas, but it also wired to see the worst-case scenario in every situation. My therapist calls it being a Catastrophizer. And there’s no ON/OFF switch. It just. keeps. going.
While that can be a curse, it can also be a blessing when honed in properly (I’m still working on that, and thank goodness for medication). Paired with Steve’s ability to dream big + see potential, I can see the possible issues. He’s the gas, and I’m the brakes.
Why CNC Became More Than Just Machines
As ICONIC CNC grew, I started to see CNC technology and the woodworking industry a little differently. It wasn’t just about selling machines to pay bills – it was about impact.
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Small businesses were using CNC to expand their capabilities and grow their shops. Some were even able to quit their 9-5 and begin living their dream.
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Schools were teaching CAD and CNC to students, equipping them with real-world, employable skills.
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Entire classrooms were reigniting excitement about the trades, something our culture desperately needs right now.
Our little business wasn’t just glamour (trust me, that went away quickly), it had the potential to improve people’s lives.
A Fresh Start with Simply Technologies
When we sold the ICONIC CNC brand to Axiom Precision, it felt like the end of a chapter. Within 6 months, COVID would hit, and everything that could be shaken in our lives, was. We all learned a lot in that season: who we really are, what we value, and perhaps the legacy that we want to leave behind one day.
Now, with Simply Technologies, we have the opportunity to start fresh. To take everything we’ve learned – the mistakes, the victories, the sleepless nights – and build something better.
We’re not perfect. We still make plenty of mistakes. But every machine we design, every school we equip, and every customer we support is a chance to build a future we can be proud of.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Today, I am 40 years old. Some fellow sports fans may hear Coach Mike Gundy in their head when they read that. My journey has been anything but straightforward. It’s been messy, humbling, and full of lessons I couldn’t have learned any other way. We can try to plot out our course, but ultimately God directs our path (it’s better that way, anyways).
If there’s one thing I’ve realized in this job, it’s this: CNC isn’t about machines. It’s about people.
It’s about giving small shops the tools to grow, giving students the skills to succeed, and giving educators the resources to inspire the next generation of makers.