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Most of his woodworking projects take Markham about three days to complete, including prep, building, sanding and finishing

30+

Tables Markham has constructed

10

Barn doors he has erected

5

Years he’s spent renovating his current house

KNOCK ON WOOD

The act of creation is a source of great fulfillment for mortgage industry veteran Joseph Markham

JOSEPH MARKHAM’S longtime woodworking hobby took root in his childhood. “I always said that when I owned my own house and had a family of my own, I would have a big old farmhouse-style table for my family to sit at and enjoy dinners and conversations together,” says Markham, the principal broker at Edison Financial. “I grew up around fairly handy people and, from an early age, was taught the basics of tool use. I bought my first house in 2010, and what started off as adding in a closet led to me gutting the entire house.”

That project eventually inspired him to pursue his childhood dream. “I spent hours on YouTube and Google researching how to build a farmhouse table,” he says. “I bought the materials and the tools I didn’t already have and went to work. Three days later, I had built an eight-foot table.”

At that point, Markham’s entrepreneurial spirit took over. He eventually built more than 30 tables, selling them on Kijiji. He also purchased and renovated two more houses, driven by the fulfillment that comes from creating something new.

“Starting with an old, outdated room or a raw piece of wood and turning it into something that looks like new, or bringing out all the character and perfectly imperfect flaws in the material, is so satisfying,” he says. “Learning a new skill or trying something that I have never done before honestly brings a smile to my face, especially when it all comes together.”

The hobby has also given him valuable perspective on business and life. “Every new project that I attempt to tackle, I respect the work and effort that it will take to complete it,” he says. “I also realize that I am in no way an expert, but if I put in the time and effort, I will have learned something new and built on my existing knowledge base. I will make mistakes, but that’s part of the journey.”