About Us

First and foremost, thank you for visiting our page! We are beyond grateful for all the support and encouragement we have received from family, friends, and our community. Our name, Grounded Woodworks, is packed with so much personal meaning. Read on to discover the how the company was named and to learn more about us, the Ramsey family.

Photo by Murphy of Red Photographic 

Hello, this is Donnie. My path to becoming a woodworker has not been linear. Like many, high school ended and college started. I struggled, and after several colleges decided to stop pursuing the almighty bachelor’s degree. I took a hiatus from Ohio, and cleared my head in South Carolina. There, I realized my strength of using tools to build and repair and my passion for aviation could blend together and turn into a career. I headed back north, graduated from Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, and returned to Cleveland to work as an Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic at Constant Aviation. My favorite days as a mechanic were spent out of the hangar, flying in the planes being serviced both during the “fix it” phase and once maintenance was completed. Being in the sky, for me, is my happy place.

Fast-forward to June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I became permanently laid off from a job I loved and thrived in. Three months prior, my wife became pregnant with our first child, and life was changing drastically. I spent the months leading up to the birth of our first daughter, Marlowe, turning our fixer upper house into a home and prepping the nursery. My wife, Erin, knew how much I enjoyed woodworking and tasked me with building a heirloom changing table. Little did I know, this project would turn my hobby-level interest in woodworking into a passionate small business. At first, being laid off was challenging, I felt “grounded” from the sky but was given the opportunity to grow and figure out how to stay “grounded” in my beliefs and values as a husband and father. Having the opportunity to be a stay at home dad and build a small business has been truly amazing. It is my hope that growing this business will allow me to take flight again, by becoming a small engine pilot, and empower my daughters to follow their passions while staying grounded in their core values.

 

Photos by Murphy of Red Photographic 

Hi! This is Erin. My company role includes building our brand and developing new product ideas. I occasionally dabble in learning how to use the power and hand tools, but steer far away from sanding (the texture of sandpaper makes me cringe!). Donnie and I have been a couple since 2016, and it has been so rewarding to grow, change, and learn together as parents, husband and wife, and business owners. I absolutely love being a mother - Marlowe and Julianne, you are my pride and joy - and work full time as a pediatric occupational therapist. Since becoming a family of four, creating memories and traditions has been a huge focus of mine. My vision for Grounded Woodworks is to produce tangible goods that help others build memories and traditions. We have a lot of ideas that fit that vision, and are looking forward to sharing those with you as the business grows and unfolds! Business aside, I love all things lemon, baking, flowers, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. 

Photo by Murphy of Red Photographic