‘What WOOD It Be’

Daniel Island resident Caden Scott is among the more than 1.2 million people who launched a new business in the first half of 2018 in the United States (www.census.gov).

He’s got a lot in common with his counterparts. Caden is a hard worker who has invested plenty of sweat equity into his venture. He loves creating a product and delivering it to grateful clients – and his work is already in high demand. But there is at least one factor that sets him apart from others in the start-up crowd. He’s only 11-years-old.

Caden, a student at Daniel Island School, created “What WOOD it be” this past January with help from his mom, Kerrie Scott, and his aunt, Kelly Lenz. He takes reclaimed wood and repurposes it into unique and personalized signs and other gifts.

“It all started when we had construction going on in our house and were doing remodeling,” said Caden, from the dining room table he has commandeered for his workshop. “They had some shiplap and beadboard and we saved a lot of that because they threw it out in the dumpster.”

Not wanting to see the wood go to waste, Caden decided to do a bit of “dumpster diving” to retrieve the discarded pieces.

“Once I got them out, we basically stained them and painted them and distressed them,” he said.

“It’s reclaiming it for a purpose,” added his mom, Kerrie.

Caden’s Aunt Kelly is most certainly a driving force behind the business. Although she lives in Tennessee, she comes down to Daniel Island every three weeks to help cut and assemble the wood for Caden.

“She’s a machine!” said Kerrie. “She’s only here for two days, so we crank it out!”

“When Kelly is here, it’s an all-nighter!” added Caden. “…She helped me know how to put down the templates – and I learned it from there.”

It’s a multi-step process, explained the young entrepreneur. He starts with regular wood, then stains it, paints it,distresses it, and adds a template. The next steps are to coat the surface with mod podge, then paint it again, pull the template off and add a layer of polyurethane. Lastly, hooks and bolts are added – and of course, Caden’s signature.

“When it’s just a regular board, then you see what the final piece looks like, it’s kind of like – this is good!” noted Caden.

The wood signs are personalized with a variety of messages. Some promote Daniel Island, Charleston, or even a favorite sports team. Others are customized with personal messages of encouragement or support, like the one he made for a family member battling cancer. But his favorites are “the funny ones,” said Caden. He made one for his dad’s office that reads “Hey, train wreck, this isn’t your station.” Another one reads “I love you more than coffee, but please don’t make me prove it.”

Already, his business has established quite a following. He has his own Facebook page to promote it, and his work is on display and available for purchase at the Daniel Island Real Estate Sales Center. His first show – a pop up art show for professional and emerging artists – was held in August at an open house for a new home on Bellona Street on Daniel Island. He sold 21 pieces!

“It was kind of fun to see what these shows are all about and it really showed me that I am doing this for a reason!” exclaimed Caden.

He is currently in the process of finishing up his biggest order yet – a 50 piece commission for a Mount Pleasant builder who wants to give the signs to his clients as gifts. Each will have the home’s street address on it, as well as the location’s longitude and latitude coordinates.

The experience has also taught Caden a great deal about what it takes to start a business. He had to get an official business license from the City of Charleston, as well as a retail license. And he has used his proceeds to purchase new equipment to enhance his products, such as laser printer for templates and drill press. But the most valuable part of the job has been a rather unexpected gift.

“The best part is being with family, basically,” said Caden. “It brings us together. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to do this. We talk…and then we work!”

“I love it and I love seeing him learn the business and work ethic,” added Kerrie. “I like seeing him use that creativity, whether it’s designing a template or painting…I think that one on one time and being intentional with your kids.”

Next up for the budding entrepreneur? Caden and his “What WOOD It Be” creations will be at the upcoming Daniel Island Holiday Festival on December 1. Those interested in purchasing gifts beforehand can get in touch with him via his Facebook page (“What WOOD It Be”) or email him at whatwooditbecreations@gmail.com.

Down the road, Caden hopes to possibly have his own mobile shop that can travel to a variety of locations to offer pop-up sales. He also is exploring the idea of donating a portion of his proceeds to a worthy cause, such as the Best Friend Animal Sanctuary in Arizona. While he does enjoy hanging out with his friends and playing video games, working on a new wood creation is hard to pass up.

“I love it so much,” he said, sitting at his work table, surrounded by paints, templates and other supplies. “It’s so much fun!”