How A Farmington Maker Built A One Of A Kind Engraving Shop

A lot of people think custom engraving is just pushing a button on a laser. Then you meet Bonnie Cummings, owner of Third Axis Custom Engraving in Farmington, New Mexico, and you realize the real craft is equal parts creativity, technical mastery, and staying power when life gets heavy. She shares how she starts with crystal engraving that creates 2D and 3D images inside blank crystals, then steadily expands into laser engraving on all kinds of materials, metal engraving, and full-color sublimation printing. 

We dig into what it takes to grow a home-based small business in the Four Corners area: multiple moves, the overhead squeeze, and the double shock of construction plus COVID. Bonnie explains why cutting fixed costs can be the difference between closing and continuing, and how she builds a customer-first approach that turns first-time buyers into people who call back years later because they remember how she made them feel. 

You’ll also hear the unglamorous truth behind personalized gifts and one-of-a-kind awards: pixelated logos, rushed deadlines, hours of image editing, and the importance of deposits and pricing your time. Bonnie breaks down why you’re not selling “materials” as much as you’re selling experience, design judgment, and the ability to run expensive equipment reliably. We wrap with her advice to other entrepreneurs: keep going one step at a time, learn something new every day, and let systems free you up to focus on the people and the meaning behind the work. 

If you enjoy stories about local business, customer service, laser engraving, crystal engraving, sublimation, and real-world entrepreneurship, subscribe, share this with a creative friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I'm here with Bonnie Cummings, the owner of Third Access Custom Engraving. Tell us a little about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Well, I have been around the Farmington area for 45 years. I've been doing this business since the end of 2011 and just opened it with the crystal engraving that does 2D and 3D inside blank crystals. I've expanded over the past 15 years to include engraving on all kinds of materials as well as metal, doing sublimation, and just recently bought a cricket to add to the collection. Nice. So that's what I've been building it up to for the past 15 years.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Yeah, I mean you can kind of engrave on just about anything, huh?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Yes, it's easier to say what I can't engrave on than what can you engrave on. Okay, well then here's a test.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

So um if I had really tough skin, would you be able to basically tattoo

What Third Axis Actually Makes

SPEAKER_01 1:05

me with laser engraving?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Well, if you're willing to endure that pain in a laser machine, it's probably a bad idea.

SPEAKER_06 1:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

You'd have to sign a waiver.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

So you said you uh started in 2011. So um when prior to that or even after, um when did the when did the business stop being an idea for you and start becoming real?

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Well, the moment I guess opened it up in the mall in 20, no November of 2011. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Um Yeah, we start involving real estate, it becomes real.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Yes, yes. And you know, in the mall I only stayed there for three months. Um, so it was during Christmas in 2011. Moved it over to Maine and 30th, stayed there for almost a year. Uh I've endured uh like I think I counted five or six moves the other day and have it back here at my home now, which is great because I don't have to pay all that extra and I can keep the prices down for my customers.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Exactly. Yes. And you've got like equipment everywhere in here. Yes, amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

I use part of my living room for display, my dining room for display and machines, my patio for machines.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

You know, it's it's all over the place here.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Yeah, you know, when you do that square footage for tax purposes for a home-based business, um, yours has got to be like 50%.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yes. I've I've got one whole bedroom that's devoted to storage, plus one whole shed and patio space. And yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

It's all over the place. Um, so again, either before or after you started, where's was there that like that clarifying moment where I guess when the nerves settle and you think this might actually work?

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Well it was it was several years because of the situation that I was left in with the business in 2012. Um I debated on whether to keep it going because it was a reminder every day of this bad situation I was left in. But I kept going and kept going because that's the type of person I am. I don't quit. And so probably um let's see, I moved downtown in 2017. So I would say 2015, it was like okay. I I have made a lot of stride in getting some of the uh bills down from the business. And um unfortunately when COVID hit and and uh construction downtown hit, I was pretty much forced to move it back home. Sure. To be able to keep going. And so that was another wake-up call. And it was probably it was it was a godsend, it was definitely the right thing to do.

SPEAKER_06 4:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Because I don't have to worry about all that excess money going out the door.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

All the overhead. Yes. Yeah. So yeah, that is a a really good benefit of having a

Moves Overhead And Going Home Based

SPEAKER_01 4:45

home-based business is is your overhead is drastically lower, if not just flat out nothing. Yes. Yeah. As far as real estate goes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Not paying a mortgage and rent and double utilities and double internet and double gas. So yeah. It only makes sense, especially in February of 2020. Yeah. And March.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Yeah. So yeah, it was crazy times.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Well, between construction and COVID, yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah. Was there a person like if if if so, who was the first person that that really believed in what you were doing besides you? Did you have that person, that kind of support structure?

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Not really. Yeah. Um I was pretty much on my own, especially after somebody walked out on it. And um I kind of had to figure it all out by myself.

SPEAKER_06 5:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

I had to figure out the software to one of the newer machines I had in 2012, and any machine since, you know, after that that I've purchased. And uh, but I'm used to that. I'm used to doing it on my own.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

I find that's probably um really useful traits for business owners just in general, just that grit and tenacity.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Yes. And I gotta keep going, I gotta keep going, because nobody else is gonna do it for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Right. So if you don't do

Learning Alone And Earning Loyalty

SPEAKER_01 6:21

it, it ain't getting done.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

I mean, yes, there's you know, West helped me out at the college. Um, Chris Hunter was a big part of that. I did classes with him, and and the the thing that has stuck with me since taking those classes with him was that what was it? Um under no underpromise and over-deliver.

SPEAKER_06 6:53

There you go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

I'm like, you know what? That is a good model.

unknown 6:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

Yeah, the basic concept behind that is is to delight, delight your customers. So when they at least believe that they're getting more than what they should have gotten, um, that breeds loyalty and return business and just the whole bit. That's just a good place to be in.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

And you tell them, well, they'll be ready in maybe three or four days and you have it done in one or two.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Yeah.

unknown 7:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

And they're like, wow.

SPEAKER_06 7:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Or I'll sit down with them right then and there, and let's create this.

SPEAKER_06 7:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

So they have a part in it. Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

So yeah, because most people don't really understand the process. Yeah. And and so then they get uh like a behind they get the peek behind the curtain. Exactly. See, see, ooh, that's how that works. Right. It's not completely magic. There's some magic involved.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

Yes, yes, yes. And people used to ask me, especially with the crystal and the 3D, how do you do that? Right. And I said, it's an ancient Chinese secret, because that China that machine came from China. I say, Well, do you cut the block in half and put the image in there? I said, nope. And then I'll explain how they how the the technology works. I just wish it into being. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Is there is there a part of your work that feels more meaningful to you, like the most meaningful even on hard days?

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Yes, it's the customer satisfaction.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

And that that they will remember me years later and call me.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

And say, you did this for me years ago. And I'm like, yep, I remember you.

SPEAKER_06 8:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

And um just being able to work with them to make sure that whatever model or design I create and send it to them for approval, they're like, Yeah. Or can you change that? Yeah, no problem.

SPEAKER_06 8:52

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

So their satisfaction and their a lot of times tears because it's memories I'm creating.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Of maybe somebody that's passed away or one of their their doggies or for babies.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

And you just made it real and tangible and sometimes as overwhelming, especially in situations like that.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

So, you know, I I have a tendency to be a crier, so I'll sit down and cry with them.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Yeah. That's I would just want to point out because uh um a

Making Memories That Make People Cry

SPEAKER_01 9:23

a lot of people that are doing the right things, they just inherently do the right things, and so they gloss over it. So I want to point out that's the second time now that you have a customer-centric philosophy about doing business, about uh over over delivering and um and the most meaningful part of your day in any given day is is that reaction from your customers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

So yeah, that's the utmost importance and that their satisfaction is. And if if I don't feel like I've done a good enough job that I would accept that, and I'm kind of a perfectionist, then I don't expect my customers to, and I will go above and beyond to make sure they're they're pleased with it. Right.

SPEAKER_06 10:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

So sometimes that means I use their my mess up for a for a display. Sure. Right?

SPEAKER_01 10:18

It works. Then you don't have a direct cost for display items.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Happy little accidents. Yeah. Right. That's amazing. Um, is there something that the business gave you that you didn't expect?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

I would say with everything that I can do now, I can I can help customers in such a huge in vast array of items and what I can do on the programs um to make them, you know, keep get them satisfied with what they they are wanting their project to be. And um, so I guess it's the creativity. Yeah. Because I am a very creative person. I'm I'm and then this is allows me to let those juices flow.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Yeah. So you kind of get to sit in it for a long period of time.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Just being creative.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

You know, people tell me what they want, and I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

We'll design it and figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Very cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Awesome. Um now, so you you identify as a creative person. Is there any way that the business has changed you as a person?

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Yes. I've been in retail a lot of my life, and I wasn't always focused on the customers being the priority.

SPEAKER_06 11:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

And since I've started this business, I've realized how important that is.

SPEAKER_06 12:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

That customers are the main reason I'm in operation.

SPEAKER_06 12:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

And I need to treat those people right. Um, with I need to treat them with respect and work with them. So you know, that's just that's how you become somebody that they'll come back to.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Yeah. I mean, just on a on a um on a real no touchy-feely level, um, your customers are the one paying your bills. Exactly. So, I mean, you kind of need to nurture that relationship. Yes, yes. And uh, I mean, yeah. Happy customers tell other people, they come back, they remember you, all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, that's and in retail, I mean, yeah, uh you tend to learn things like merchandising and um, but it's a lot of um depending on the environment, it's a lot of quotas and you know, there's a lot of numbers that you're you're reaching for, those numbers. And so um the weird thing is if you stop concentrating so much on the numbers and start concentrating on the customers, you'll most likely reach those numbers, but that's not where the focus is. The focus is on the numbers, and then hopefully you make the customer feel better, you know, good about that in the meantime, but it's it's number-centric, not customer-centric, and yeah, that is a difference. So that's a good delimination between retail and coming in doing this, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

So, yeah, I think it's just um you learn a lot when you own your own business.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yeah, a lot, a lot that you never even thought to plan for.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Oh no, oh no. So I gotta import from China. How do I do that? Right. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Yeah. Is there a small decision that you've made in the business that's that ended up having a big impact?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Um I do a lot of smaller customer orders, you know, but I realize the importance of getting out there and getting more commercial orders too. You know, creating that balance so that I can hit both markets.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

And that helps revenue.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

And it's kind of like with one of the schools here. I used to just do you know, a few plaques here and there, and they have started hosting district tournaments. Well, now I have all of their sports awards.

SPEAKER_06 14:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

And so that's a huge increase, yes.

SPEAKER_06 14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

And uh, I mean, it can be time consuming as designing, but the outcome and and and everything, they like it, so they're gonna stick with it. And they're gonna stay with me, and that's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

That's I mean, on an equivalency, that's you know,

Balancing Small Jobs With Big Orders

SPEAKER_01 15:12

uh 50 hundred customers walking in your door and all placing order on the same day within the same hour. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Exactly. Yeah. And your stressometer goes whoop. Yeah, then it comes back down going, okay, I can do this.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Now, thankfully, all 50 or 100 or whatever it is of those customers all are all placing the same order.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Well, yeah, yeah, kind of, but you know, it might be different designs here and there, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

So it's it's all good.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Um, is there something that people assume is easy, but definitely isn't in the business.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Well, I think sometimes when they'll call and they'll ask for something and I'll say, when do you need it? Tomorrow. But you know, they'll send me an image that is pixelated and blurry, and you're like, eh, I I I how am I gonna work with this? So I will spend time on the internet trying to find an image that is much clearer or logo. And for example, these people from Albuquerque wanted me to do to engrave a handprint on a glass, and they sent me this image, and it's like, oh my gosh. So a lot of time spent on editing and getting that image right so that it would engrave well. Right. And uh yeah, it was uh needless to say, a non-productive cell, unfortunately. So things like that, yeah, those can be difficult.

SPEAKER_01 16:53

So spend six hours on one project just to have it. So you can use it.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Uh-huh.

Blurry Logos Rush Deadlines Real Work

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Exactly. Yeah. And uh I'm I'm I'm a very trusting individual, so uh I I'm learning to get money up front.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

Sure. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Deposits of some sort. So that was another lesson. Yeah. Well learned.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

Yeah. I mean, because you're not you hope that all of your customers are just delighted, but you're not doing it out of the goodness of your heart. You you have bills to pay. And so yeah, I mean, yeah, you need to focus on revenue as well.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

So yeah, and I've realized my time is worth something.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yeah, it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

And it should be worth something, and people hopefully will understand that.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Yeah. Um several I don't I don't have numbers on this, but there are a lot of solepreneurs that that um get stuck in that conundrum of um it's just them, and they don't understand yet to place value on their time and and their knowledge and their experience and their ability and all that kind of stuff. Um, I use I like to use this example. I was working with a lot of artists, and some of them were working with clay, and um came across this lady, she was making beautiful clay mugs and pots and platters and all kinds of stuff. And um, she was barely charging anything for them. So I asked her, What why aren't you charging for these? And she's like, Well, I mean, the clay only costs me. That's all she was using, is what the clay costs her. Um, she wasn't factoring in the fact that I can't do what she does. If I want that, I have to go to her to get it done because I can't do it on my own. I can't just go buy a hunk of clay and come up with that beautiful thing. So there's value and time and experience and knowledge and ability and skill and all that kind of stuff. All those have to be priced in.

SPEAKER_00 19:09

Exactly. And I guess that going back to that question about what have I learned? That's a big lesson I've learned.

SPEAKER_02 19:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

You know, to value my own time and creativity

Pricing Your Time Skill And Equipment

SPEAKER_00 19:18

and design into what I'm making for them.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

So yeah. That's a big, big, big thing.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Some other industries have figured that out. That's why you get like hourly charges or minimum hourly charges for say a plumber showing up or you know, mechanic working on your car or something like that. Yes. Because they understand that concept already. Right. That sure there are some instances where people could go out and maybe buy a part and do it themselves, but it's gonna be way more involved, way more time, and it's easier to pay these people who can do it much quicker and easier and faster and better. So, um, but they get it to charge for the time, for the knowledge and the experience, not just the parts, right? A markup on parts, they're not a parts reseller. So and you're not selling blocks of wood and leather and right crystals, and you're selling the thing that you do. Yeah. And the other is just the material you're using to do it. So that's a good that's a good um well and another factor that goes into that, like with a crystal.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yeah, they can see a crystal block and it's blank, but the technology behind it, those machines are thousands of dollars.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Yeah, it's massively expensive equipment.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

And so, you know, another factor to throw in there is is you know, when you pay $37,000 for a laser machine, you gotta factor that in. Well, see there, Bonnie, if you would just use more magic and less technology. I know. My my wand is broke. And China won't replace it.

unknown 21:01

Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Oh man. Is there um is there a part of the business that finally just clicked after a long period of trial and error, like the one day the light bulb just came on?

SPEAKER_00 21:16

As far as in sales or programs?

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Any aspect at all.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Well, the one epilogue that I use for a lot of the engraving, I had to learn that program by myself. It wasn't until a couple years later that I actually got a an actual lesson in it on how to use the program. But yeah, I mean, over the years, through trial and error, I have learned a lot of little tricks.

SPEAKER_06 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

And it helps in time.

SPEAKER_06 21:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

It helps with, you know, not making as many mistakes. It's like, oh yeah, we we can do this little thing and tweak it here and tweak it there to make the image come out right. Right. Um what was the beginning?

SPEAKER_01 22:04

What was the original question? Um something that just kind of finally clicked after a bunch of trial and error. Um and you probably had a million of those moments just with software and equipment.

SPEAKER_00 22:16

Oh yeah, especially with that lay the crystal laser machine, because like I say, it came from China.

Trial And Error With Machines

SPEAKER_00 22:21

And so having to communicate with China would have to be at 10 o'clock at night or later.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

And um I don't speak Chinese. Right. And a lot of them they do have pretty good knowledge of English, but anybody that knows Chinese English knows what I'm talking about. Right. Um, so they would just go in and take over the machine because I had heck with my new one that I had to get in 2019. The original one was bought in 2011, it quit working. Um, I had to get a new one in 2019, and it was probably almost six months to a year before I could really rely on that machine to make a good crystal.

SPEAKER_03 23:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

So when it did, it's like, oh, now I can move on to okay, how do I go in and and uh you know pull this image and pull that image and and size it and whatever. So all of that made the operation of the machine made everything so much better.

SPEAKER_06 23:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

I mean, yeah, once you figure out the basics of how the thing works and the nuances of what it needs, then you can branch out into creativity from there. And just trying to figure out this goofy machine.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Yes, and this program that's so different from the other program had to do.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Yeah. It's the magic.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

That's I mean, that's an ancient tiny secret. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

Is there a lesson? Like, what's the hardest lesson the business taught you that now you're grateful for?

SPEAKER_00 24:10

How to work with difficult customers.

SPEAKER_06 24:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

I hate to say that, but you know, I've been a difficult customer myself. And um so when I am not in agreement with somebody I'm dealing with as far as another business, I'm like, hey, take it easy. You know, I I've had those customers. Yeah, you know, they're just looking to have some resolve to a problem.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Let's figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

So yeah, that's probably it.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

Yeah, it helps to remove ego from that equation.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

And that allows you to look through their eyes, going, maybe they're just having a bad day. Exactly. Maybe they're having this issue that they've been dealing with for a year before they ever met you, and they're just over the top aggravated about it. And you know, there's so many things it could be.

Handling Difficult Customers Without Ego

SPEAKER_01 25:07

It doesn't necessarily equate to you, a problem with you. It's just you're the one catching it right now.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Yeah. So that's helpful. Um, is there an obstacle that you didn't expect to face over the past year?

SPEAKER_04 25:22

Over the past year. Yeah. Not really. No. No. Cool. No.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

I mean by this time you've you've got everything kind of dialed in.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

The only thing I could say would be it's it's because I do this solely, operate everything with the business solely. And at times there's I wish I had a helper. But when you're doing it as a home business, it's kind of hard to say, okay, here's your hours, come in such and such time. Um we'd be getting in each other's way.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

So you can't really with what you do, you can't really I mean a rope remote worker isn't gonna help you.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. So you know, you just like, okay, buckle up and do it.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Yeah. Is there what's what's one thing that you thought would be a problem, but it turned out not to be I guess again like Christmas, this past Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

Um with being so busy based on the previous year's Christmas, so the Christmas of twenty three um or twenty-four. Getting all the orders done.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Um, but last this past Christmas, it wasn't too bad.

SPEAKER_03 27:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

Just stayed slow and steady.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

And I noticed that like when I worked at the hospital, there was one of the nurses there, and she was one of those that was just slow and steady. Yeah. Just kept at it.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

And that stuck with me, and it's like, okay, just be slow and steady and keep going.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

And it works.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

What's that old saying, uh, journey of a thousand miles starts with one step?

SPEAKER_00 27:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

I mean, all you have to do is just take the first step and then the next one, and the next one, and the next one. It's easier sometimes to look at the the entirety of the weight that you're carrying and just chip away little pieces of it so until it's not there anymore. Yep. That's exactly yeah. So awesome. Is there a place where you feel stretched the thinnest right now?

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Um, that only comes in spurts when I have huge orders.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Yeah. It's a time factor again, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

It is. Um, one of my customers, it's a very good customer, and and they've learned to give me a little more time. Sure. And which is much appreciated. Um, but doing this business full time and I do nursing part-time still, uh, it can be a challenge, yeah, time-wise, and having any time for much else.

SPEAKER_06 28:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Yeah. Um, you know, taking care of a home and yards and and everything.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Puppies. Yeah, two dogs. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

Got one dog, my last one. Oh. Just last Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

So I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

Yeah, that's her puppin. I'm working on her urn.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Poor baby. Yeah. I was wondering where the other one was. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

She passed away peacefully. That's good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Yeah. Just old.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Yeah. Her her hind legs gave out on her. She was a golden lab. Yeah. And uh thank goodness she was

Time Pressure Nursing And Life Load

SPEAKER_00 29:04

able to pass peacefully when she did, because otherwise I would have had to take her in, and my heart can't take that again.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Oh goodness, yeah. So I've had to do that before. That's it rips your soul out. It does. It does. Oh man. Yep. That one's tough. So um, is there something in the business that you're working on now that that customers will notice later?

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Um, well, like I said, I've been doing sublimation, which is the newest process for me, and that's sublimating color images onto a vast variety of items.

SPEAKER_02 29:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Um I'm showing Ken a glass plaque.

SPEAKER_06 29:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

And I'm I I was just learning how to do these. And um, so you print the image you're gonna do once you design it on a special paper. You heat press it onto a sublimated item. Well, in these plaques, I was doing it on the wrong side. I'm like, why is this not coming out? Okay, I'll read the directions. And oh wow. I like I said, I was doing it on the wrong side. It's like, so I did it on the right side. I'm like, dang, those turn out awesome.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

That's really pretty. So yeah, so we've got a a ship rock at like sunset, and I almost

Sublimation Color Work And The Cricut

SPEAKER_01 30:37

said sunrise, but I realize it. I think that's actually looking west from how that works, but I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Oh man. The vibrant colors that you can create. Yes. So I think that's the the newest thing that you know I'm really loving doing because people's pictures can go on things and in color before it used to be, you know, well, uh, we're just gonna engrave this on a cup or a mug or whatever, and it's gonna be the color of the material underneath whatever covering and coating is there. So now it's like this is all full color.

SPEAKER_06 31:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Um, and uh, it gives it even more personalization.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Yeah, you know, we've we've progressed from like CMYK for print stuff, and you know, we've got four colors you can work with, and you can combine some of those colors to make other colors or whatever, but um, it's kind of like layer layering colors onto each other, and this is just appropriate for modern times. I mean, it's full color. There, there is no limit to the color. Exactly. Full color, high resolution, whatever image you want. And they turn out beautifully with clouds that fade away into sky, and I mean every detail.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Yeah, every detail.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Yep. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

So I'm hoping to do more things too with the cricket.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:05

Um, I got that because I was having to outsource decals to put on front of metals for one of the schools I do.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

And like, I'll make the design on the computer. And um, you know, outsourcing them to be cut out. Like, why am I doing this? So I check in on a cricket and I'm like, I can do this myself. Again, I can do it myself. And it took me a bit to learn the cricket, but you know, um, it was successful. I'm glad. So now I can move on to other kind of decals and all kinds of stuff. So yeah, expanding it even more.

SPEAKER_01 32:45

That is one of those where it's almost limited by your imagination.

SPEAKER_00 32:50

Yeah. You know? So that versus that.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

And sometimes that imagination might push the limits of that technology a little bit, but that's where you come in and just work with it and work with it and work with it to come up with something that people just generally can't do.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

And and what's nice is too the the combination I can use maybe the sublimation to do part of a project, and then I can use the epilogue that is the other laser to do part of it. Yeah. And then the metal machine, the metal engraving machine to do another part of it. You know, I mean, so yeah.

unknown 33:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

And toss a crystal on there too. I mean, I know. Well, yeah. It needs a it needs a nameplate, so we'll put this nameplate on there. Oh, wait a minute, I can engrave that with the epilogue. Oh, wait a minute. No, let's just do it inside the crystal. Sometimes it gets too overwhelming when I try to tell customers what all I can do and what their choices are. Yeah. So I've kind of learned, okay, let's target what they're wanting.

SPEAKER_03 33:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

And just give them the options that maybe apply to that.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

You know, that's a good point to make. I've I've done that and had to learn that lesson myself where I'm a detail person. And um, and so my brain gets really extraordinarily happy and satisfied when I get to swim around in all the details. I love that. But people in general don't. And so I had to learn not to just spew details all over people because it's really overwhelming. It makes them feel uncomfortable and and all that. So um I'm somewhere in the middle now. I went from that to, yeah, absolutely, I can do that. And then they wanted to know information. And now I'm now it's gonna engage my brain, and I'm gonna start spewing details at them again. And so I've learned to land somewhere, somewhere in the middle there to where just enough details where they can understand the concept of what's gonna happen and and uh not just spew it all out there because people's eyes glaze over, and I don't know what's notice that's happening.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

When did I lose them?

SPEAKER_01 35:13

I'm just giving my two-hour dissertation and all the details involved in this thing. They're going, what is this guy, man? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so well, that's good though.

SPEAKER_00 35:22

I mean, detail people you need it in a lot of instances, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

So so thinking back to when you first started, a lot of nerves going on, right? That's kind of the normal thing, and um, you're taking this big leap. So you may have had a view of success back then. So how what does success look like for you now and how has that changed over over time?

SPEAKER_00 35:57

Since only starting with the crystal laser in the beginning, um I think the the measurement of success was okay, we got the program, I got the program down, I got the measurements, I got you know, all the details of how to make this work once you put it in the machine and it starts engraving. Um and then as I added the different machines, I guess mastering those programs and how the details of

Redefining Success As Systems Mastery

SPEAKER_00 36:33

how to work those machines in certain situations, like one material is gonna require different settings than another material, or they're gonna require you have to do a manual focus versus an autofocus to get the the pinpoint of the laser at the correct place for it to engrave that material. Um and so I guess just mastering the programs and the machines that way I can focus on the creativity and the customers more.

SPEAKER_06 37:13

Right.

unknown 37:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

And being mindful of there's so many steps sometimes when you're doing something. Yeah. There's so many little steps that you have to pay attention to. And just having those become automatic. Okay, I'm gonna check for the placement of this, I'm gonna check for that. Okay, I need to measure and do a dry run and and make sure this is in the correct place.

SPEAKER_06 37:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:37

You know, before engraving, especially if it's something that a customer has brought in.

SPEAKER_01 37:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

Because you only get one shot.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

Yeah. So your level of success is within systems and processes, and that allows you to level up as time and knowledge and experience um just loaded in the basket. So you had a level of success and then you've achieved that. So it's time for the next better, more efficient thing that you learn and and move on until you're getting out of systems and processes, and now you can focus more on people's emotions and how they feel about this thing and what's going to delight them and all that kind of thing. That's that's kind of a neat deal.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Thanks. Yeah. Well, you said it very well, much better than I did. Your reflective listening skills are amazing. I should start a podcast. You should. My gosh. How do you do that?

SPEAKER_01 38:39

Oh man. Is there one thing um that you would hope your business is known for years from now?

SPEAKER_00 38:52

The quality of work.

SPEAKER_05 38:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:55

And the and then in the attention to what the customer wants and the attention to detail.

SPEAKER_06 39:01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

So I think those are a of utmost importance. Customers gotta feel like, oh, she thinks I'm important.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:13

Or she goes extra above and beyond.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

Yeah. I mean, in in in it kind of affects a lot of industries and in um this world of mass production, yes, um, everything gets systematized for the purposes of mass production, not customization. And so I I think we've become too accustomed to just the thing that everyone has or can get. And um uh there are still plenty of people that don't want that, they want the special thing, right? And um, but the people

Quality Custom Work In A Mass World

SPEAKER_01 39:57

who provide the special thing have whittled down, it seems like. Do you find that? That there are less people doing one-off type of work to where you can't find this anywhere else. Um, because it's easier to mass produce things, you know, and just kick a bunch of things out. Yeah, you know? Yeah. Like you could come up with a crystal design that's that you really like and think that you think people would like, and then print 200 of them out and go try and sell those. Yes. You know, that would be a thing that people do. Um, but that's not what you're doing. Right. And so um yeah, I think I think that's that's um a good thing to be known for because that is a it seems to be like a dying breed in the world of definitely business.

SPEAKER_00 40:48

Yes, and that's why it was important for me to put custom in the name of the business, third axis custom engraving. Right. So people know that this isn't gonna re rep be replicated. Yeah, what we create for you is gonna be one of a kind.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So and that really is what it is. It is. I mean, no one else has it.

SPEAKER_00 41:10

I may be able to do more of those for that person, but they're only one of a it's only one of a kind.

SPEAKER_01 41:16

So that's exactly right. Yeah, that's a good thing to be known for. Um, how do you help your business makes life better in the four corners?

SPEAKER_00 41:29

That um in a way that they know that they can come to a place in the four corners and even beyond, where they're gonna find this service that incorporates so many different types of engraving and the sublimation in one place.

SPEAKER_03 41:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

Because when I started this business in 2011, I did research through the help of Chris Hunter with West, and I researched how many crystal engraving businesses there were nearby. There was not any open stores, you had to go to the East Coast or the West Coast.

SPEAKER_06 42:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Now there were online stores, sure, but this was gonna be the place in there's one right here in Farmington, local, yeah, that does the crystal engraving. Yeah, you're not gonna find that anywhere else

Serving Four Corners Through Relationships

SPEAKER_00 42:25

close.

SPEAKER_06 42:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

Since then, you know, yes, there's more. Um, there's some in Denver, but I mean, you can still come right here to Farmington.

SPEAKER_06 42:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:35

And I can make it, I can ship it, yeah, I can deliver it. I mean, and and you're gonna get a lot of different services in one area.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

Yeah. You know, and Farmington is a kind of a relationship-based community. Um, that's been a hard lesson for me to learn because I've been everywhere else, and this place is very different. And um elsewhere I can do business very regularly over things like email. And we don't really have much face-to-face or website orders or things like that, where there's a level of separation, but Farmiton is very in the in the Farrington area, the Four Corners area is is very relationship driven. So they um people might not choose to do business with you if they can't do business with you face to face and see you and get a reaction from you, and you deal with their reaction and the whole thing. So um, so yeah, well, you might be able to find some of the things that you do in a custom way in scattered places on the internet. Um, having someone here that they can come and sit right in front of you face to face and work out the nuance of this generalized idea that they have, and then you help them whittle into something that's real and Tangible. Yes. And then you get to hand it to them and see the look in their eye. And now a r a bond has just been formed.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

And yeah, that's well, an example of that is uh some people contacted me and come to find out they were from Teharras, New Mexico. Um, they wanted a rifle engraved. Since I have the metal machine that can do that, yeah. Um, they wanted that done on the brass plate of the rifle. And it was an expensive tie in a French rifle. So they drove it all the way here to Farmington.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

Yeah. Not going to ship that thing.

unknown 44:31

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

No, I did it. They came and picked it up. They were very happy.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 44:36

And so um, you know, it's stories like that, you know, all the way from Tiharos, you bring, you drive that rifle up here. Right. I feel special.

unknown 44:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:47

So well, and you made them feel special.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Yeah.

unknown 44:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Reciprocal relationship there.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 44:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:54

Is there something that the community's done for you that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_00 45:04

Um. We had the red ribbon cutting when I moved over to 30th in Maine. And that was nice. Yeah. You know, they come, the the people from Chamber of Commerce, I guess, come and we did the ribbon cutting and they put it out there. Yeah. And so just the fact that I I get repeat calls, and like I said before, people that I haven't heard from for years, and they're like, oh, I finally found you. I I I was trying to remember what the name of the business was. And you know, I looked up on Google engraving near me, and your name popped up first. I'm like, yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:46

Glad you found me again. Where is she?

SPEAKER_02 45:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:56

Oh, it's amazing. Um, if your person, this is kind of a weird question. If your if your business were a person, um, how would you describe its personality?

Community Support And Being Found Again

SPEAKER_00 46:13

I would say a very creative creature who loves doing this. Um who really enjoys doing it, working with the people that I'm doing it for, and I want to be a standout in this community.

SPEAKER_02 46:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

Yeah. For that creative design and that personalization and and making them feel special.

SPEAKER_01 46:57

Yeah. So I just had this, I get weird ideas that flash into my head. And and so I thought, well, no, that's not a person. That's not the question I asked. But yeah, a unicorn. A unicorn with a magical horn.

SPEAKER_00 47:13

Yeah, I can put those in in a crystal.

unknown 47:15

Right?

SPEAKER_01 47:16

With a magical horn that can engrave on anything.

SPEAKER_00 47:20

Even inside crystals. Maybe I better throw the wand out and go with the horn. A little bit of magic in there.

SPEAKER_01 47:28

Oh man. So um we're wrapping up, but is there is there anything that you would want with with what you've learned through this journey? Is there something that you would want other business owners to to hear today?

SPEAKER_00 47:47

You have a dream, you have an idea, you follow that idea, and there's people that help you along the way, but you stick with it, you keep going.

SPEAKER_02 48:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:01

And you know, there were several times when I thought about, since I was left in a position I was financially early on in the business, about giving it up, throwing in the towel, filing bankruptcy.

SPEAKER_06 48:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

That's against my my morals.

SPEAKER_06 48:20

Right.

SPEAKER_00 48:21

I'm like, uh-uh, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna keep going.

SPEAKER_06 48:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:25

And I'm not one to admit defeat, maybe to a fault, but um just know that there's

Advice For Owners Keep Going

SPEAKER_00 48:34

gonna be a lot of challenges.

SPEAKER_03 48:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:36

And you can find people that help you work through those challenges. And you keep one step at a time, yeah, and keep going.

SPEAKER_01 48:49

I just I just realized what what you just described, business ownership is kind of like the hero's journey. You have a dream, a goal, a mission, a quest, and um you set out on it, and along the way you pick up helpers and you run across people that are trying to stop you, and and you just gotta power through and get it. And yeah. That's amazing. Yep. I have to I'll have to really flesh that out. Business ownership as the hero's journey.

SPEAKER_00 49:25

Yeah. That'd be interesting. That'd be a great plaque to make. Right.

SPEAKER_01 49:32

Is there something that you're celebrating right now, big or small?

SPEAKER_00 49:37

Just the fact that it's like 15 years going on 15 years of doing this. Yeah. Well, it'll be November, 15 years. Yeah. But uh yeah, I have to say I'm pretty proud of the progress I made. Yeah. Considering the situation I was left in.

SPEAKER_01 49:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:52

In 2012.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 49:55

So it was a hard journey.

SPEAKER_03 49:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:59

Very hard.

SPEAKER_03 50:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:01

And uh that's why, you know, in the beginning I I kept on doing nursing too, full time.

SPEAKER_03 50:07

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 50:08

So many nights staying up at 10, 11, 12, 1 o'clock in the morning doing all of this.

SPEAKER_03 50:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

Or communicating with China to fix the machine.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

I don't know if you even need to hear this or if it'll carry any weight, but I I've been working with you and I'm proud of you. I mean, yeah. All that you've gone through and and that you're doing and have accomplished and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

So yeah,

Celebrating 15 Years Of Progress

SPEAKER_00 50:37

that that's always nice to hear. Yeah. You know, I mean, people would probably be going, oh my God, and you're still going after if they knew everything that was going on. But uh kind of like what my mom was, she said she was like a weeble, uh she wobbled, but she didn't fall down. Yeah. A weeble. Weeble wobble. Yeah. Yeah. So she wobbled, but she didn't fall down. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:08

Some younger people out there won't understand what you're even talking about.

SPEAKER_00 51:12

That's no joke. Sorry, no offense, people, but you know, uh, that's the truth.

SPEAKER_05 51:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

These times are a lot harder in some ways than what we had growing up, but in a lot of ways they're a lot easier.

SPEAKER_01 51:27

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's all about perspective, actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

So to the younger generation, keep going. Keep trying. Yeah. Learn new stuff every day. If you don't learn something new every day, you might as well say, I'll kick the bucket.

SPEAKER_01 51:45

Yeah. I try to spread that word. Education never stops. Never. Schooling, that's a different thing, but education for the sake of learning things that never ends. So it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 51:57

One of the when I went to work nursing school here in Farmington, one of my mottos was the more I learned, the dumber I feel.

SPEAKER_01 52:06

That's how it works. Yes. Because the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. It's crazy. Yes. Yeah. So yeah. And for an obsessive person like me, I just keep reaching for it and reaching for it. And it just the pool keeps getting bigger.

SPEAKER_00 52:23

I know. And my brain just is like, no, I'm not remembering anything else right now.

SPEAKER_01 52:29

I'm done. Going on vacation.

unknown 52:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Even when I plug one ear, it does still doesn't, you know. I still don't retain it.

SPEAKER_06 52:37

So oh man.

SPEAKER_00 52:39

Just certain things. Well, I appreciate your doing this today. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

How do people um find you?

SPEAKER_00 52:48

Well, Google.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:50

Look up engraving near me, third axis, L L C, or I like to say third axis custom engraving. Um, so there's that. There's a website, the third access.biz. Right. Email me the third access at gmail.com. Or you can call me 505-402-3907. There it is. And I'd be glad to help you. Perfect. Thank you much.

SPEAKER_01 53:17

Yeah, you gotta come see Bonnie.

SPEAKER_00 53:18

Yeah, come see me. You come. Call me. Thank you, Bonnie. Thanks, Ken.