Many of our students come to us having first worked in different professions, and then realising that they wanted a more creative and practical career.

However, many Chippendale students also have backgrounds that can provide a real advantage when they eventually make that transition into professional woodworking.

That certainly applies to John Grillo from Denver, Colorado who spent seven years working as a business intelligence analyst.

It’s a business discipline that gathers a company’s data, compares it with data from competitor companies, and then sets all of that against industry trends to show where that company stands in the market, what they can do better and how they can reduce costs.

John has a degree in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University in New York State and a post-graduate qualification in business intelligence from The University of Denver in Colorado.

However, the twin ambitions of working with his hands and being his own boss led him away from corporate life to an immersive 30-week course at the Chippendale school.

Woodworking has long been a hobby for him and his intention is to return to Denver and specialise in custom furniture and antique restoration.

His business background and experience in understanding dynamic markets will certainly stand him in good stead.