Ep. 6 - Scott Hendler - Scotty Wonders

My first business was District 44, a private personal training studio specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, and athletic performance training. When I built my studio I built it with my own two hands, including the brick and reclaimed wood walls and the furniture within. Before long, I was crafting furniture pieces for my customers. After about a year, I was introduced to Zak The Baker. At the time he was building his flagship bakery in the then-little-known area of Wynwood. This was a turning point for the business and that was when Scotty Wonders was born. I handcrafted the finishing work and furnishings within the entire restaurant; including all of his tables, bars, shelving, etc. After that, the rest was history. I'm grateful to him for that opportunity and since then we have been working in collaboration with other local budding and seasoned business owners all with the goal of elevating locally made craft in Miami.

Scotty Wonders is a local small business built with love. Our company literally grew out of our backyard under the shade of our mango and avocado trees. In 2016, we moved into a warehouse and brought on some amazingly talented craftspeople and here we are today working on projects ranging from woodwork to metal fabrication and furniture design.

Miami loves its locals, but being a thriving small business owner is no easy feat. Our biggest struggle has been scaling the business while finding ways to elevate our brand and project level. Everyone wants to wheel and deal in Miami. They are often willing to choose price over quality. Finding the right balance and project pricing is key.

Regarding all things business, success is measured by the quality of work, making our customers happy, and somehow turning a profit. With that said, at the end of the day the most important and rewarding things are the relationships made with our customers and the days spent with our team brainstorming, laughing, and crafting. I enjoy going to work every day and it feels great to go home to my family at the end of a long, taxing day with a feeling of accomplishment and pride of the work that the Scotty Wonders family has done.