DIY 1 source Jun 12, 9:54 AM EDT Updated 2h ago 0 views

It’s hard to open doors if you are not willing to knock

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It’s hard to open doors if you are not willing to knock June 12, 2026 | 8:54 am CDT googletag.cmd.push(function() { // Start by defining breakpoints for this ad. var mapping = googletag.sizeMapping() .addSize([768, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([480, 0], [320,…

It’s hard to open doors if you are not willing to knock June 12, 2026 | 8:54 am CDT

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#YoungWoodPro

It’s hard to open doors if you are not willing to knock

Matt Buell

June 12, 2026 | 8:54 am CDT

Matt Buell says contests like the Young Wood Pro competition can open doors for woodworkers.

This article is for those viewers out there sitting on the fence about whether it’s worth it to enter the Young Wood Pro contest or if you should do it. I can assure you, I understand your hesitation. I’m personally not a big fan of entering things or doing hardly anything outside of home or the shop. That’s right I’m reclusive by nature. 

However, us reclusive folks have to join the world at some point. It’s pretty hard to make a living building things for people if you are not ever willing to be vulnerable enough to be around people or willing to put your work out there on the Internet. It is also hard to run a successful business if you are not willing to promote your work or put it in front of someone knowing it could possibly fail expectations.

I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson about 10 years ago in a way that was quite fortuitous. Funny enough, I did not take the initiative to enter myself into anything but apparently some people did take the initiative to recognize my work, submitting it to the Woodworking Industry 40 under 40 inaugural class competition. 

Because of this I was one of the people awarded and named to the first class. Even though that is a different award than the Young Wood Pro contest I’m encouraging you to submit for today, the experience I had translates well help my case to encourage you. 

I wasn’t woodworking at an age when the Young Wood Pro would’ve applied to me being young. However, in hindsight, looking back on what winning the 40 Under 40 award did for my career, I can only imagine the positive influences winning Young Wood Pro could have had for me aa a young aspiring wood professional. Knowing now about what kind of doors these honors can open, I would absolutely submit my work if I could go back in time.

I was fortunate enough that other people felt so compelled to nominate my work, but you don’t have to sit around and wait for people to do that for you. 

You have the benefit of entering your own piece based on your own standards and have complete control of the process including piece selection, writing up a cool description, overseeing the quality of the photography and submitting the entry yourself. 

In my opinion as a business owner that type of control over what is viewed is wonderful and could also be a great experience for young wood pros to improve on the needed elements of showcasing their work in digital format.

My experience with winning the award for the inaugural 40 Under 40 was incredibly positive, career changing, and opened a lot of doors for me. One of the most important aspects was my résumé got padded with some serious credibility and absolutely helped bring in work. 

Being named to a national award adds leverage to your work that is hard for others to compare to, and it helps as a massive selling point. People like to brag that an award-winning professional made their piece. 

Another huge aspect was going to IWF (massive tradeshow) to accept the award. It was unbelievably important because it got me around peers in my industry and contacts that have endlessly supplied solutions whenever I’m in a tough spot needing someone to bounce solutions off of or even just to vent about work stuff to someone that understands. 

The last big piece that opened up a lot of doors for me after winning an award was going to trade shows to accept it and being invited back many times since (I’ve lost count as to how many I have now attended at this point). I have formed a lot of great relationships with power tool companies and machinery companies that have yielded lots of benefits since. Those benefits include free machines, getting parts quickly because I know somebody at the company, and in turn being seen within the woodworking industry as an expert in my craft because of these relationships and my ability to come through on my end of things with knowledgeable experience. 

These are just some examples of the doors that can open if you’re just willing to try, and obviously it doesn’t hurt to win. Winning is always the most help. I have also been the recipient of getting to meet some incredible people, forging some lifelong friendships and relationships that I genuinely cherish. None of this would be possible if I hadn’t been nominated for that award over 10 years ago. I am sure that if you’ve got the right quality of work and the right mojo to pair with it, doors can open for you with this opportunity as well.

Last thing I’ll mention: If I could have entered a contest when I was younger, I would’ve done it even if my work was not that great. It would have been a better head start at getting my name out there and getting my work in front of people with eyes and connections. 

Old me would insist that young me should enter the contest if it were possible (I don’t have a time machine). Even if you don’t win, you’re not really losing here. It never hurts to get work in front of people’s eyes, and the Internet is a strange place where you really just never know where a pic getting posted can grab the right momentum. 

It doesn’t cost much to try, and the rewards of doing well outweigh the cost significantly. You have nothing to lose by trying and that’s the enduring spirit of most successful business owners I’ve known. Maybe it’s time you join the club and give it a shot.

Deadline for entries for the 2026 Young Wood Pro contest have been extended to June 26. The contest is sponsored by Castle. Learn more at woodworkingnetwork.com/ywp.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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About the author

Matt Buell

| President/Owner/C-Level

Matt Buell of M. Buell Studio the host of the 2025 #YoungWoodPro contest and lead coach for the people who make up the Young Wood Pro audience. Buell has achieved national acclaim for his custom furniture and was honored as a member of the Woodworking Network 40 Under 40 Class of 2016.

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