Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Dennehey. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Dennehey Design started out as a creative outlet for Shane—it was a way to make his woodworking hobby pay for itself. The business has been around in some shape or form for over 20 years now—selling on eBay, Etsy, etc., but it didn’t really take off until about three years ago—that’s when our sales started to increase and we began thinking about doing this full time.
While Dennehey Design was a side hustle, Shane was busy building a career as a creative director and marketing manager for several agencies, churches, and non-profit organizations. Meanwhile, Bonnie was working in logistics, project management, and customer service. By the time the pandemic hit in 2020, we both felt like we were uniquely positioned and skilled to go all-in and pursue Dennehey Design full-time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our first major challenge when we went full-time was keeping up with demand. We were overly ambitious and took on too much at once—this led to our production times extending weeks, then months into the future. Everyone would say “that’s a good problem to have”, but we felt overwhelmed and weighed down—we felt a responsibility to do better for our customers. So, at the beginning of last year, we began staffing up. We needed to grow to handle customer demand, so we expanded from a team of two working from home to a dozen people in two Keller locations. We thought adding people would immediately solve our production lag time, but it ended up taking a few months to get back on track. Thankfully, we now offer same-day shipping, and our made-to-order products have much more reasonable production timelines.
Now that we’ve expanded the team and facilities without outside investment, our struggle today is cash flow—we’re on track to succeed, but there are ups and downs. We continue to focus on making our customers happy and sometimes that means we make a little less. Our prices are affordable for handmade products, and we always go the extra mile to wow our customers, we offer things like free UPS shipping, free returns, and free exchanges for any reason—while these things aren’t cheap, we believe they make a difference in the lives of our customers—and they are always raving about our customer care team!
The other obstacle we face has always been a struggle for us and it is a big one—finding balance. We’re married, raising a family, serving customers, managing a team, and building a business. That’s a lot of strain on our relationship, and we’re always striving to put each other first! We’re in a season of focusing on this new business, but we don’t want to neglect the other aspects of our lives. We’re trying to enjoy the journey together!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We like to think of Dennehey Design as part artist’s studio and part woodshop. We’re committed to creating beautiful handmade products—right here in Texas. We do it because we love bringing new things into the world. We make meaningful decor that inspires people to share love, hope, and joy. Local reclaimed wood is the source of nearly everything we make. We love using reclaimed wood because we want to do good for our planet, and we hate to see furniture go to waste! We also see beauty in imperfection—and antique reclaimed wood has an allure that only comes with age.
Reclaimed wood also tells a story—a metaphor for our own lives. We’re crafting new things from worn-out and neglected furniture, using wood with scars, marks, patina, and character from years of use. Like the wood we reclaim, we’re all marked by the events of our past. Yesterday’s challenges are what made us who we are today—They gave us character. And every day, we’re being made new—crafted into beautifully imperfect people.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Both Bonnie and I love the book Start with Why, by Simon Sinek—Our why is spreading joy, and it has kept us focused as we grow. Stretch, by Scott Sonenshein is another book we love—it’s about being resourceful and using what you have, instead of chasing after the perfect solution—we’re reading it as a team this year and working to apply its principles.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: denneheydesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denneheydesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DenneheyDesign
