Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay Campbell.
Clay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am the owner and creative mind behind the surf-inspired brand, Timber Wave. I pretty much started out as a young man looking for a creative way to express my love for the ocean and surfing. I spent most of my younger days at the beach, playing music, making art, and working odd jobs to make ends meet and not having much of a direction in life. One of those odd jobs was working at my grandmother’s souvenir shop on the Santa Monica Pier. Her store opened my eyes to the retail world. I didn’t understand it at the time, or ever imagine I would someday start my own business, but having that experience was the foundation for what would launch me into the possibility of making my own products. I knew I had potential as a creative person to make something beautiful, but realizing the potential to sell my work or to have a legitimate business was a slow process.
The inspiration for a surfboard clock came from another similar product that was being sold at my grandmother’s shop. As these items were flying off the shelf, I would always think to myself, I could make something like this and put my own creative twist on it. I could make it my own by adding my artwork to the designs and figure out the rest later. Looking back on it now, I was very confident my surfboard clocks would be a hit, but extremely naïve when it came to the know-how of running a business. I had no formal business schooling, no experience with finances, bookkeeping, accounting, marketing, and very little experience in sales. So once my grandmother agreed to give my product a shot in her shop, the journey began.
One thing I did learn early on in the process of starting a business is that time equals money. I quickly realized that the amount of time I spent creating my pieces did not correlate with the small amount of profit made. Increasing my production without decreasing my value was going to make or break me, so instead of hand painting each clock one by one, I decided I would teach myself how to screenprint. I knew that if I could figure out screen-printing, I could put my designs on the clocks at a much faster pace and increase my profits. Well, that’s exactly what I did. I converted my garage into a workspace and for the next five years, went from hand painting 50 clocks per month to screen-printing 50 clocks per week.
This model worked out great for a while, but as time went on I began to come up with new product ideas and began to sell to a handful of different retailers. This naturally inspired me to explore other ways to increase production and fine-tune the value of my products. My business was growing slowly but organically, which is how I wanted it. Besides, I still had a lot to learn.
2015 was a pivotal year for Timber Wave. I discovered a form of printing technology that greatly increased the production rate, quality, and value of my products while allowing me to focus on the design and aesthetic of the products. Having this resource opened doors of opportunity to collaborate with other artist and ocean lovers by printing any piece of artwork or photograph onto the wood surface of a clock. Currently, my surfboard clocks feature over 30 different designs from 12 different photographers from 6 different countries. Additionally, in the past five years I’ve been able to launch a variety of new products, such as a surfboard table clock, surfboard plant holder, DIY surfboard clock kit, and a surfboard birdhouse. From here, I look forward to further expanding my Timber Wave line as my vision for it evolves.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been countless obstacles I’ve faced along the way but, some of the biggest personal challenges I’ve faced as a business owner are managing my time and finances. I’ve learned a lot in the past five years about setting realistic goals and having a plan in place to achieve those goals. Additionally, I’ve learned the importance of seeking guidance from others, realizing my weaknesses, and delegating those tasks to help achieve my goals.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Timber Wave story. Tell us more about the business.
Timber Wave is more than just a product. We are a family-owned and operated business. We are a grassroots, surf-inspired, home and garden décor brand growing one ocean lover at a time. In a world where mass-produced, factory made products are the norm, each one of our products tells a story and has a personal touch. We pride ourselves on using eco-friendly production methods and using only the best, locally sourced materials. Everything we create is an extension of our life long passion for the ocean and our desire to share its beauty with others. Our hope is that our products will not only inspire others with love and gratitude for the ocean but act as a reminder that the time to protect our beaches and oceans is NOW! We believe that together it is possible to make a difference in the world by raising awareness for ocean conservation and by donating a portion of our proceeds to nonprofit organizations with the mission to protect our planet.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In recent years, I have began to see a trend towards eco-conscious, locally sourced, handmade businesses in the US, and my hope is that this shift would continue to expand so that there will be greater positive environmental impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: etsy.com/shop/timberwave
- Email: shoptimberwave@gmail.com
- Instagram: @timberwave
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoptimberwave
Image Credit:
Mike Parkyn, Filippo Maffei, Derek Delacroix, Aubrey Lao
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