Today we’d like to introduce you to April Denison.
Hi April, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is April Denison, and I’m the owner/welder/fabricator of Denizen Designs since 2017. I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and now happily call Chattanooga home—just a little closer to the mountains and the outdoor lifestyle I love. I still travel back and forth to Nashville for work and to visit my mom and long time friends. I’m grateful to remain connected to my hometown and the community that shaped me.
Growing up in Nashville, I always felt at home, but I was also constantly curious about what existed beyond it. From an early age, I had a sense that there was a much bigger world waiting to be explored, and that we are all denizens of this beautiful planet.
There have been many moments that shaped who I am, but two chapters in particular changed the course of my life: the Nashville flood of 2010 and my decision to move to Ecuador.
For those of us who witnessed the Nashville flood firsthand, the impact is something we will never forget. I lost my childhood home and everything in it—irreplaceable photographs, family records, books, and countless things that could never be replaced. Not long after, I learned that my job downtown at Big River had flooded as well.
So at 20 years old, I learned a difficult lesson: nothing is permanent and life can change in an instant.
I found myself at a crossroads. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, what career path I wanted to follow, or even who I was becoming. After losing nearly everything I owned, I figured I had very little left to lose. So I took a chance and moved to Milan, Italy, where I lived for a year.
That year opened up my world. I traveled throughout Europe, including Málaga, Spain, and London, England. I experienced different cultures, historic architecture, and centuries of artistic craftsmanship. Seeing how people around the world lived and created things broadened my perspective in ways I never could have imagined.
When my visa expired, I returned to Nashville to help my mom find a new home. I came back to my hometown with a completely different perspective, but I was still searching for direction. I went back to serving tables for tourists downtown and took a few semesters at MTSU, but ultimately decided not to continue. I was afraid of taking on more debt for a career I wasn’t sure I wanted.
As a dual citizen of Ecuador, I had also spent much of my life traveling there to visit family and experience the contrast between my two home countries. I’m thankful for my mother working so hard to save up money for me to travel and have a relationship with my family there. I would come back from summer vacations and tell stories of my time spent in the Amazon rainforest helping my father lead tours. It was an unconventional upbringing to say the least, but it gave me an early appreciation for travel, adventure, and seeing the world from different perspectives.
So at 25, I decided to take another leap and move to Ecuador to see what life would look like as an adult living there full-time. I rented an apartment high in the Andes Mountains, and whenever I needed a break from the cold, I would head to the coast, where I worked and lived at a surf hostel. That year changed my life. It gave me confidence, independence, perspective and the realization that I was capable of far more than I had imagined.
With this new outlook on life, knowing I really can do whatever I put my mind to, I felt ready to come back and try new things that might’ve intimidated me in the past. When I returned to Nashville, I knew I wanted to learn a new skill. I remembered helping a friend build a “freak bike” in high school—my first real exposure to welding—and decided to explore it further. I discovered that I could attend welding school at TCAT on White Bridge Road for FREE(?!) and the rest is history. What began as something I simply wanted to learn for fun quickly became a career, a craft, and ultimately a huge part of who I am. I founded Denizen Designs in 2017, and nine years later, I still can’t imagine ever stopping.
What I love most about welding is the ability to take an idea that exists only in someone’s head and turn it into something real. Every project presents a new challenge, and there is something incredibly satisfying about working with my hands and watching an idea take shape. I’ve also found just as much joy in sharing what I know with the next generation through welding classes and hands on projects. It’s a part of my career I never expected to love as much as I do.
Looking back, I’m grateful for the unexpected turns my life has taken. The flood taught me that nothing is guaranteed. Traveling taught me to be curious. Moving to Ecuador taught me to take chances. And welding taught me that sometimes the thing you’re looking for finds you when you least expect it.
I firmly believe that things happen for a reason—even when they really suck at the time. Sometimes it takes years before you can look back and understand why a particular door closed or why you were pushed in a different direction. So I try to live by a few simple principles: push through the hard moments, say yes to new experiences, stay curious, and never convince yourself that it’s too late to try something new. You never know where one unexpected decision might lead you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is never a smooth road-the bumps and detours are what makes the adventure interesting!
Of course we would all like things to go smoothly but it takes time to sand off the grit.
When I started out, I had no tools, no work table, and most importantly, no welder. When I graduated from welding school, I received an unexpected graduation gift: a Millermatic 211. It was my very first welder and I still have it to this day. That little machine has brought me more work than I could have imagined, has proven incredibly reliable, and will always be my baby.
Next on the list were tools and a workspace. I made myself a promise: whenever I landed a job, I would put a portion of the profit toward one new tool. I stuck with that rule, job after job, and slowly built a collection I never could have imagined owning when I was starting out. There’s something incredibly rewarding about looking around my shop now and seeing just how far I’ve come.
Throughout my welding career, I’ve had the opportunity to work both for myself and for corporate companies. One of the hardest parts has been learning to trust the process and have complete confidence in my own business—to take that leap and leave the security of corporate work to pursue Denizen full time. Looking back, I honestly wish I had done it sooner. It’s been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made.
Like any new business, one of the biggest challenges is wondering whether it will ever become financially stable. But thanks to my community, my clients, and a willingness to say yes to new opportunities, things have continued to fall into place. It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but looking back, I wouldn’t change the bumps, detours, or grit that got me here.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Denizen Designs?
The name Denizen is a play on my last name, but its meaning resonates with me on a much deeper level. A denizen is an inhabitant, occupant, or frequent visitor of a particular place. It refers to those who belong to an environment and become part of its story. I didn’t want to put my business in one category of specialty, so Denizen Designs it is.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to create all kinds of things—from furniture, handrails, and artwork to custom motorcycle parts, restaurant grills, repairs, and so much more. I love hearing the ideas my clients bring to me and being part of the process of turning those ideas into something real. I’m always excited to take on a new challenge, learn something along the way, and see where the next project takes me.
I have a MIG and TIG welder, allowing me to work with a wide range of materials including steel, stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum. My oxy-acetylene setup gives me the ability to heat, bend, and shape metal for more artistic and one-of-a-kind projects. I also love putting my plasma cutter to work—whether that means cutting custom designs into sheet metal or making precise cuts for a repair job. With the tools I’ve collected and the skills I’ve developed over the years, I’m able to take on a wide variety of projects.
If you have an idea you’ve been wanting to bring to life, reach out! I’d love to hear what you have in mind and see what we can create together.
What makes you happy?
Life makes me happy—all of it. The ups, the downs, the unexpected turns, and everything in between.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and ability to travel the world and experience all that life has to offer. I’m grateful for my amazing boyfriend, the community I’ve built and the friends I’ve made all over the world who continue to support, encourage, and inspire me. Most importantly, I’m grateful for my mother who has worked incredibly hard so that I could have a better life than she was able to have. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without all the support she’s given me. Te amo Mama!
More than anything, I’m just grateful to be here—to be learning, growing, exploring, creating, and thriving in this wild little thing we call life.
“Si te caes siete veces, levántate ocho.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://denizen-designs.com
- Instagram: @denizendesigns
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/DenizenDesigns
