Know your lane!

 Know Your Lane

Picking a lane and sticking to it can feel a lot like merging onto the highway for the first time—it’s awkward, slow, and uncertain. You start in the slow lane, ease into the middle, and eventually find your way to the fast lane.

As your skills and confidence grow, so does the scope of the work you take on.

But there’s a tipping point. Taking on too much across too many trades can swallow you whole. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by tools, supplies, and half-finished projects—starting to look more like a hoarder than a craftsman.

That was me. Not quite Sanford & Son, but the volume alone could be overwhelming.

Today, the mentality is to “stay in your lane” and become a master of one craft. The problem is, then you’re constantly hustling to find that exact type of work.

Or—like I did—you become a one-stop shop:

Furniture making to furniture repair.

Cabinets and built-ins to custom moulding and millwork.

Fabrication to installation.

Raw wood prep to final finish.

Then carpentry: framing, finish work, doors, windows, flooring, cabinets, demo, repeat.

My mindset was always: Why wait for someone else when you can just do it yourself?

There’s a saying: “Jack of all trades, master of none,” but the full version goes: “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”

Looking back, I’m grateful I took on all that work. That range of experience let me remodel my home, build my shop, and take on projects with real confidence.

Still, my best advice? Pick a lane.

Master it.

Buy only the tools you really need.

Then grow intentionally from there.

Happy building.