Exploring Life & Business with Ryan Sobb of S & S Custom Framing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Sobb. 

Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Maxwell and I were working at a high-volume frame shop on the west side of town for about 4 years. Throughout the pandemic we realized a few things: 1) we were capable of maintaining traffic through the door and we’re able to complete projects just the two of us 2) we wanted to run our own custom frame shop 3) we loved what we do… At the start of 2022, we opened our own spot, S & S Custom Framing, off of Trousdale and have been so thankful for the response to our opening. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have certainly been bumps along the road. We did not have the sort of capital some start-up businesses have and the years spent learning the trade can’t prepare you for the sort of stress that owning a business creates. But it’s stress we are thankful for. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are custom frame shop located off of Trousdale Drive in the Crieve Hall Neighborhood, Nashville, Tennessee. We specialize in matting, framing, mounting, really any of your custom framing needs. We seem to really shine with customers who don’t have any idea of what they want to do with their art, where we can kind of toss around ideas and run with it. Doing multiple mats and openings for concert posters and ticket stubs are some of our personal favorites over the years. It’s two people, who care about what they do, doing what they do at a reasonable cost. We are a true small business. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Pema Chödron! We listen to a lot of punk music at the shop. The Damned, Bad Brains and Stereolab have been getting a lot of spins. The Overdrive app is great and I have a library card for the Inglewood Library that allows me to download audiobooks and kindle books for free. Also, shoutout to The Framer’s Grumble, a forum that is super helpful for custom frame shops. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: sandscustomframing.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sandsframing?utm_medium=copy_link