Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Kostka.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We got our start quite expectedly! After seven years of moving all over the country, we finally decided to settle here in the Dallas area, and after seven years, we decided to plant roots and build a home in the burbs just north of Dallas. To celebrate, Tim was building me the farmhouse table of my dreams in the driveway. A sweet neighbor took notice and started inquiring if he sold these tables.
At the time, Tim was working in retail operations and jokingly shrugged it off, quietly thinking to himself that no one would want to buy tables from us, and to top it off, his travel and work schedule didn’t really permit him the time he needed to build for a paying customer. BUT that conversation lit something afire that today… the hope and dream of one day working for ourselves – doing what we loved.
If you rewind our story just by 60-90 days from that conversation, it would be riddled with broken dreams and loss. 45 days before the scheduled closing on our home, Tim unexpectedly lost his job. He had been with his company for almost ten years, and it was company where he had climbed the ladder at an exciting rate, the company where his career took us to three different states, four different cities in just seven short years, the company where he envisioned the rest of his career.
He had been committed to this organization and was devastated and shocked when he was let go. We both were. I had the honor of becoming a stay-at-home mom. My day was filled with play dates, museum visits, and quality time with our daughter. It was everything my heart wanted, and I was so thankful for this life that my husband worked so hard to provide for us.
But when he lost his job, something shifted for the both of us- it was the realization that to provide long-lasting stability for our family, stability not subject to downsizing or corporate politics, we would have to find a way to work for ourselves. So, when this neighbor inquired about our table, we started to ask ourselves, “could this be our opportunity??” After weeks of deliberation, we decided to take the leap of faith.
We opened a shop on Facebook, and the rest is history! In March of 2019, I left my full-time job, and in October 2019, Tim left him to pursue Kasa de Kostka full-time. It has been a blessing!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely had its hills and valleys! Starting a business with your spouse can be so complex!
First, there is the marital/relational component of how to work with your spouse and to navigate your business roles in such a way that it doesn’t negatively impact your marriage. Second, there is the massive learning curve of starting a business from the ground up, and sometimes, the only way to learn is by failure. Third, there is the continual need to evolve, to discover what is working and what’s not, to unearth what facets of the business excite you and what overwhelm you. Just those three components alone are enough to make running a business feel like a continual rollercoaster ride!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our business is called Kasa de Kostka, when translated it means “House of Kostka.” We build custom furniture, and almost anything a client can dream, we can build. We are known for working alongside our clients to develop something special and unique. With Tim’s carpentry skills and my love for design, we have built some pretty amazing pieces! We love the creative process and researching ideas and inspiration! At the end of each build, we take pride in the fact that we were able to make dreams a reality.
We believe in quality products and devoted customer service – that is at the heart of what we do. We truly see our business as an opportunity to serve our community by using our gifts and our talents. We are conscious of the fact that these pieces of furniture are MORE than just furniture – it’s where families will gather around for dinner, it’s where they will sit and share a laugh, it’s where they will display keepsakes and family photos. What we build for these families will be part of their history – and that’s an honor we do not take lightly.
I think that’s what sets us apart as a business. We take pride and honor in what we build for these families, and while we are working on their pieces, we hope that we infuse happiness and positivity in the work we provide for them. We hope that our time with us is filled with excellence and joy. Not only do we provide them with a beautiful piece, but we hope they walk away knowing that each piece was made with love, especially for them.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
I think starting a business and leaving the corporate world is a monumental risk! The thought of leaving a steady paycheck and leaving a steady means of employment is something that most people would not want to entertain, and at one point, we would have been among that crowd.
BUT somewhere down the line, we just knew we wanted more for our lives, and we just believed that if we worked hard enough, we could make something BIG happen. Five years later, here we are, and we couldn’t be more grateful that we took the risk!
Contact Info:
- Website: kdkfurniture.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kasadekostka/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kasadekostka/
