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Laura Zahn
Laura Zahn
01:16

Laura Zahn

Allied Woodshop

Los Angeles, CA USA

"Get some real world experience...I ultimately would have gotten so much more out of my time in school if I had known what I wanted to do and applied my education directly to [my passion]."

Career Roadmap

Laura's work combines: Art, Business, and Learning / Being Challenged

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Day In The Life

Founder

I run a community woodshop that offers classes and a collective shop space for LA woodworkers.

02:55

Day In The Life Of A Woodshop Owner

My Day to Day

The morning starts by answering emails and interacting with students and clients. I visit the shop to make sure everything is running smoothly. I might empty the dust collectors, purchase sandpaper, prep for an upcoming workshop, or handling shop visits from people who are interested in what we're doing. In addition to the daily work, running my own small business means that there's always a business, legal, or financial matters to deal with. I love the constant challenge.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

Know your strengths and weaknesses. Assess what you've liked and disliked about your past jobs. Be honest with yourself. Be very, brutally honest with yourself. Then consider what path you'd like to pursue, and make sure that it's aligned with your strengths and passions. Surround yourself with people who will complement your strengths and weaknesses. Seek input from people with experience in your desired field. Be prepared to work very hard.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Human Biology

    College of William and Mary

  • Certification

    Furniture Design and Manufacturing

    College of the Redwoods

  • Graduate Degree

    City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning

    University of California-Los Angeles

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    She comes from a family where everyone had a talent for making things with their hands—her father was a hobbyist furniture maker and grew up learning from him.

  • 2.

    Attended The College of William & Mary, where she received a bachelor’s degree in human biology, and later attended UCLA, where she earned a master’s degree in urban planning.

  • 3.

    Early in her career, she worked in climate change policy and as an environmental organizer but ultimately found herself unsatisfied by the work.

  • 4.

    Decided to take a year off and attend the College of the Redwoods’ Fine Furniture program in Northern California.

  • 5.

    After moving back to Los Angeles, she wanted to find a woodshop collective that would give her access to machines and help her improve her skills.

  • 6.

    When she was unable to find a place that met her needs, she decided to open a woodshop of her own.

  • 7.

    She continued working her full time job in order to fund this business venture—gradually she made the career transition and launched Allied Woodshop in 2014.

  • 8.

    She also teaches woodworking and furniture making classes at California State University, Long Beach.

Defining Moments

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I started out working in climate change policy but was unfulfilled in that line of work. I eventually started making the gradual transition towards opening Allied Woodshop. I was still balancing my full-time job while trying to get the shop started.

  • I've heard comments like I am not capable of doing this kind of work because I am a woman or how can a woman know how to use tools. I've never really let this kind of negativity bother me.

  • I've always loved to learn and be in the classroom. As a result of all of my schooling, I have a lot of student debt. I've always had to have a job in order to pay the bills, which was a challenge when trying to start Allied Woodshop.