Graham Hayes

Graham Hayes

@handymangraham in his Toronto workshop.

What was your journey to where you find yourself today?

Up until Covid, I was working in specialty coffee for a high end international hospitality company and I absolutely loved it! I loved the craft, the culture, the equipment, and being able to nerd out with others behind the bar. However, when everything shut down in 2020, it gave me an opportunity to reconsider what my path was in life. I fell back on the skills I already knew through years of DIY home renovations and started working small jobs through Task Rabbit, eventually making my way into the film industry, working in the Grip department. But it was through Task Rabbit that I met Alexandra Gater, who was looking for a handyman to help her with her rental friendly home makeover Youtube Channel and the rest is history!

How is it being on Youtube sharing your process?

I think operating a youtube channel that bares my name and showcases my work is incredibly rewarding. I love to see how people respond to my work, which lets me know if I'm going in the right direction with my projects or not! Sometimes I knock a project out of the park and sometimes... it can be incredibly humbling, but the important thing is learning from my mistakes and getting better because of it. I just try to be honest with myself and with my projects - I think thats the most important thing I can do.

What inspired you and what continues to inspire you?

I get my inspiration for a lot of different places. Predominantly, I think I get a lot of inspiration from my boss, Alexandra, who constantly pushes me to build new and exciting projects for her Youtube channel. She'll ask me, "we're thinking about doing this or that for this makeover, what do you think?" and without hesitation, I always say, "yes", and then figure out how to make it happen during the process of actually making it. While often times, there aren't any instructions on how to make a lot of things I make, there are always a ton of resources online to help me figure things out along the way, such as other YouTubers, the Woodworking Subreddit, pinterest, and other creators I come across on social media.

I think what inspires me the most is my own personal growth. Woodworking is a process, and I'm constantly learning new things everyday, and surprising myself. There isn't a limit to the things you can learn in woodworking, and it's always fun to share new things you learn with other people as well!

What was a major struggle and how did you persevere?

A major struggle for me (and will probably always be a struggle), is doing projects with the limited tools that I have. I mean, I have a TON of tools, but theres always another tool that you can buy to make the project faster, better, and easier. Every tool that I buy and add to my collection is an instant upgrade to my abilities. Whether it be a new router bit, or a clamp, or a chisel sharpening kit, I'm constantly weighing it's monetary worth versus how much time and energy I'll save on a project. The struggle is: when is it enough? Woodworking can get expensive pretty quickly if you don't make use of the tools you already have on hand.

What is something that is unique to your approach?

Something that is unique to my approach is that I love upcycling old furniture or lumber that I find in the trash or on the sidewalk and see what I can make with it! I love the challenge of using old materials, because not only does it make for an incredible transformation, but it gives each piece its own unique story. Some people may call me cheap or frugal, but I think i have an unique ability to see the potenial in everyday objects that often times get overlooked.

3 words to describe yourself and How do these shape your approach to your business?

Resourceful, kindhearted, eccentric.

Being resourceful is at the core of my ethos. I think reusing, repurposing, thrifting, upcycling, using fewer new materials, fixing up old things, etc. is so important to me because I think the world today is incredibly wasteful and environmentally unresponsible, that the abosolute least I can do is find and fix up old stuff and make it new again. I'm always aware of my environmental impact, and try to minimize it whenever I can. Lastly, being eccentric adds a whole other layer to my projects, by making them entertaining, interesting, and unique!

What is your favourite thing to do outside of the workshop?

My absolute favourite thing to do outside the workshop would have to be running! I'm an avid runner and am always training for that next big run! Nothing beats the feeling of being locked in on a long run! Strava or it didn't happen.

What do you look forward to most in the future?

I look forward to the next project! Every project is different and exciting in its own way! I look forward to the challenges and to the personal growth that each project brings.

I also look forward to lower grocery prices and the fall of fascism!