Daily Inspiration: Meet Dalton Higdon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalton Higdon.

Hi Dalton, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2020 I had graduated highschool and was attending classes at Northwest Community College. I was working a lot of odd jobs at the time doing anything from construction work to landscaping. It was a lot of hours of strenuous work that would wear you out that’s for sure.

After graduating your faced with the biggest question you’ll probably ever be asked in your journey on this Earth which is, what you want to do for the rest of you life? I was told like so many others, spend four years in school paying thousands a semester then get a nice easy job. Play it safe. The only problem is that I really wasn’t feeling that. I like working with my hands. Being creative, outdoors, active, and the list goes on.

Feeling lost with no real direction working dead end jobs I was at an all time low in my life. I had my son, Bray at the age of 17, I was a teen parent and felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Being from a small town everybody judges you. As soon as the word got out I was going to be a parent, a teen parent at that, nobody gave me a fighting chance. So with that in the back of my mind always I felt like I had to do something and fast. I felt like a bumb most of the time. I’m not by any means but it’s just how you feel when people make assumptions about you.anyways I had to pick a career it’s not a big deal it’s only the rest of your life. Not a big decision at all right?

Like I said at an all time low in my life at that point from the simple fact I didn’t know what I wanted to do and felt so rushed to make a decision I just said a prayer. I asked God to show me the direction I needed to go. To show me what he wanted me to do with my life. After all I’m supposed to be serving him. I’m a vessel for him on this Earth so I just said Father show me the door you want me to walk through and lead me down that path.

About three days after saying that short but sweet prayer I got a message through Facebook. I meet a guy once that owned a small woodworking business called, McDaniel Made. I went and picked up a piece of furniture for one of my previous employers that they had built and I meet the guy that owned the business. We talked for a minute shook hands and that was it. After saying that prayer I got a message from him saying he had a job opportunity to work alongside him in his shop. Reading his message I remembered my prayer a few days earlier and took the opportunity no questions asked.

I worked there for a year learning the basics of woodworking. We made a lot of farmhouse furniture and I was all for it. I loved seeing the end results of a project and it was just beyond rewarding to take rough cut lumber and turn it into a beautiful piece of furniture. I started learning as much as I could from YouTube, books, other craftsman. Just anything and everything I could about woodworking. I realized there was a whole different path into fine quality furniture. True woodworking. After a year of working at McDaniel Made I left and went out on my own.

I started my own business hence Apache Woodworking was born. Not knowing anything about running one but what the heck I thought. I’ll learn as I go. Baptism by fire I guess. It was the scariest decision I ever made. Not knowing where your next paycheck would come from it’s a scary thought but why not live a little. I’ve seen so many people that play it safe and don’t follow there dreams. It’s sad because they look so unhappy with there jobs, how much money they make, there house, car, clothes, the list goes on and on.

I wasn’t about to live my life like that. Having a son I wasn’t going to look into his eyes one day and say hey buddy follow your dreams. Knowing in the back of my mind I played it safe because I was too scared to follow my own. So I wanted to do what I love and follow my dreams. I want to be an example to my kids that you can do anything you set your mind to. Don’t be afraid to take risk. Trust God Almighty listen to him. Open your eyes and ear. Those crazy dreams in your head that you wish would come true. There not nonsense. There visions of what God has in store for you. Just have a little faith and take the leap. I know I did.

I’m 3 years into my journey running my own business now. I’ve got a big chip on my shoulder it feels like. Everyday I feel like I don’t do enough. I honestly think that’s just the curse of a driven person. You always want to do more.

The one thing I do know for sure is that when I have any doubt of, is this business really going to work? What if it doesn’t? All I do is take a step back and look at how far my little business has grown over 3 years. It’s insane to even comprehend in my mind. It’s always viewing and I can’t wait to see where it’ll be in a decade. I won’t give up. I can’t. It’s not really an option. I just thank God for the ups and downs the lessons learned and count my blessings. I’m proud of where I’m at today that’s for sure. That’s just a brief look into my story I’d love to give you all the details but we’d be here for awhile. I just want to encourage others to do what they love. You only live once. Don’t waste it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of my biggest struggles were hard lessons learned in the middle of making projects.

Knowing how to price my work. Knowing how to realize that I myself need to know my own worth. I put serval hours into tho nag a I make. If someone doesn’t appreciate that don’t take it personal. Especially don’t lower you price because they don’t see the quality of work. KNOW WHAT YOUR WORTH.

Being a teen parent was super hard in the middle of everything. You’re always going to be labeled as that and it’s a stigma for sure but to be honest it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It kept my head on straight it gave me a drive and a motivation to stay disciplined and work hard.

Some days when you first start and you’re not making any money it’s hard. It’s hard when you see so many people on the top when you’re at the bottom because you’re just starting out. You have to grow you can’t just start out on top that’s not how it works. It gets bitter at times because you see others success and you go well why not me why can’t I have success. Let me tell you. Just take a step back and look at how far you’ve come. You’ve constantly grown and that’s what business is all about. Learning to deal with that was hard and still is but if you use it the right way it can better you as a person.

Also just being patient. Don’t try to rush the journey. The journey is what makes you who you’ll become in the future. Don’t rush and don’t blink. It’ll go by so fast. Enjoy every minute of the struggle trying to come up, building your business. That’s the most important part.

That’s some of my main struggles I’ve had for sure.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Woodworker plain and simple through and through.

I make one of a kind heirloom quality furniture of all sorts. My big saying is that if you can dream it I can build it!

I do custom work and I love that because it’s always something different and it keeps my mind busy trying to figure out how to get the job done.

I’m proud of the work I have done and the work I will do. I’ve done some pretty cool pieces over the years and I can’t wait to see what I’ll be doing in the future.

The most important thing to me is always getting better at my craft and learning something new everyday. Also just giving back with the talent I have.

God gives everybody a talent use it to help others. Mines woodworking and I can talk to just about anybody. So I use that to help others as much as I can!

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Helping others. I just want to be a person that encourages others to go after there dreams.

I want my kids to see that anything is possible with God by your side and to follow what he puts in your heart.

Use your talents to help others. Mines woodworking what’s yours? Find it and use it even if it’s just making someone smile. That means more than you know.

I don’t want people to fall under the influence that they have to play it safe and they have to do what society tells them. Go to school, get a normal 9-5 be miserable all day that’s just work get over it.

No that’s not it at all do what you love to do and don’t look back. Enjoy the journey don’t rush it. Be happy and live the life you want to live but help others along the way. It doesn’t matter where you come from or your past. You can do anything with the help of God Almighty, a little faith, and a lot of hard work.

Pricing:

• All my pricing just depends on the piece there all different so it’s hard to give out exact amounts on custom work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://apachewoodworking.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apache_woodworking?igsh=MXR2ZjkzeHZnMWt4cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/194UVNT788/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@apachewoodworking?si=Oy8v5NMWxpVOpUhs