I came to Launch Camp well rested and determined to fill the Happy Nails and Spa sign. Quickly after the morning stand up, I signed onto a laptop and started collaborating with my mom for the design of her sign. After a design was established, I used Google Drawings to finalize the design. Afterwards, I made many measurements to find a good size for the sign. Finally I was able to laser cut the design onto wood, but it wasn't over. The hardest part was making the stands for the sign. I drew out multiple designs before finding one that I thought was appropriate (shown on the left).
After lunch, a guest speaker came in. He was the CEO of Flight Car, a very successful start up company, which continues to grow and expand today. He told his about his experience starting the company, the obstacles they ran in, and how it has changed his life dramatically. He was one of my favorite speakers because I could relate to his story and challenges. He was also very open, and he answered our questions in a way that was both meaningful and concise.
After I was done designing, I grabbed some wood, and with Jess's help, I learned how to operate a saw machine. As any reasonable newbie and overachieving perfectionist, I grabbed some scrap wood to practice. I was very happy to make this decision after I found out that the saw was a bit old and tended to bend as it was cutting. I slowly got the hang of it, and it wasn't long before the hypotenuse on my triangles started to get straighter. Practice makes progress. (Practice triangles are displayed on the left).
Finally, I was ready. I grabbed the actual wood that would become the sign stands and slowly cut them out into triangles. I cut them a few millimeters away from the line I had drawn because I had planned to sand paper the sides to get a precise line. After approximately 90 minutes of sawing and sanding, I finished the stands. Using wood glue, I glued the stands on the back of the sign, and I left them overnight to dry. I finished the day feeling accomplished. I'm not the type of person to indulge themselves in manual labor, but this was a great way for me to get out of my comfort zone. I've learned a lot from this hands on experience, unlike one I could have had in a classroom with my head in a book. Plus, I think being a woman who knows how to use tools is pretty cool and empowering.