We all carry traits from our parents, things that make us who we are and link us to our past. We learn things from them and take them with us as we go. For Jesse Stinson, his trade is rooted in family, tradition, and the natural environment he grew up in.

If you have ever driven down the beautiful, winding roads of Tamworth, Ontario, you may have even passed right by the Stinson Studios workshop and not even known it. This family-run business is part family home, part workshop, and is a testament to work-life and home-life blending together seamlessly.

“Work integrated into your life, not your life revolving around work.” That’s the key, said Jesse.

The family-run operation was started by Jesse’s father, who began turning wooden bowls in his parent’s garage. Once Jesse returned from university in Montreal he and his father discussed taking woodturning from a passion project to a full-fledged business:

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“Can we take this business, where you make products people love, and scale it up, That’s where Stinson Studios came about.”

It was born out of the desire to live rurally, create products out of passion, and not be limited by geography to reach international markets.

“We make a product out of local materials that are sought after in much further away markets. With the rise in technological processes, you can make something here in Lennox and Addington and ship anywhere in the world. We don’t have to carry the overhead costs of working in a studio in Toronto.”, said Jesse.

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"You can have work this is a part of your life or your lifestyle. It's not just a job. Its a way to live."

When it came to the support Lennox and Addington County has provided Stinson Studios, Jesse said they have been a constant sounding board and watchdog for their business. The team at Lennox and Addington County has assisted in facilitating funding opportunities, business networking connections, and helped the business grow to the scale it is today.

“You can have work that is a part of your life or your lifestyle. It’s not just a job. It’s a way to live. Work becomes integrated into your life. It’s not, ‘this is work’ and ‘this is my life’. It’s all one and it ebbs and flows between them as you require different balances one way or the other.”

For Jesse, his family, and his team, they have found the elusive work-life balance in a quiet corner of Lennox and Addington.

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