Where the hands meet the heart is where you'll find Tony Smith, a man who found a way to combine his love of water with his passion for woodworking.
“For me, paddle boarding is kind of my alone time I can turn my phone off and get on the water. I can shut it down,” said Smith. “I just wanted to build a board for myself. Fast forward four or five years, and here I am.”
His hobby captured the attention of friends. He became so busy building boards he decided to give up his finance career.
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"Next thing you know, you're building paddle boards for a living," he said.
Opting out of his days in the boardroom, choosing to instead spend his time in the building room, launching a company called Jarvis Boards. The name, based on his middle name, is as sleek as the paddle boards he builds.
PHOTOS: Hand-crafted paddle boards in Austin
Shipping around the globe
The move has paid off in ways Smith never imagined. Jarvis Boards are so popular they ship across the globe.
“This week we're shipping one to Australia. We got an order to Austria. We shipped one to Sweden a couple weeks ago,” he said.
“It's the coolest thing. You'll see someone post a picture on Instagram, and they’re paddling in some city that you can't pronounce or some other country, and it’s like wow. We made that,” said Smith.
Customization Creates Stories
Because the boards are handmade they can be customized for special occasions. Smith has made them for wedding proposals and graduations. There’s even one in the Google office in Austin.
“Bruce Bowen, an NBA Spurs three-time champ, came up a couple weeks ago and I had the privilege of taking him out and teaching him how to paddleboard. He had never been on a paddleboard,” said Smith.
Everyone has a story
“I’ve got fake teeth and I got a fake leg,” said Charlie Hardy laughing.
A surfer since he was 14, Hardy thought his days on the water were over.
“It's been a year and a half now since I've had a prosthetic,” he said.
He recently received a new waterproof foot. Smith worked with his prosthetist Chase Brown to try to get Hardy back on a board – only this time a paddleboard.
Getting back on the board
He surprised him at a lunch on Lake Austin.
“That's a pretty board,” commented Hardy as Smith walks up with a new Jarvis board.
“Well she's all yours,” Smith said to Hardy.
“No way,” said Hardy.
Life is filled with unexpected surprises.
“Wow that's amazing,” said Hardy.
It's where passion meets purpose we find life's greatest rewards.
“Just to be part of these life stories and these life events. It’s just why we keep going now,” said Smith.
To learn more about Jarvis Boards go here.