Chris Williams, Founder & Owner of Williams Knife Company (Williams) believes that if you live a life doing what you love, you will never work a day in your life. This second-generation knife maker says that even though he was educated in business, he was meant to make knives. After a career working as an investment banker and managing people’s wealth, he realized that even though he was having a good time and making a great living, something was missing. As he would retire to his knife shop on the weekends, he realized that his calling was to build great knives. Chris shares how taking off the suit and going door to door to sell knives was a humbling experience, but a necessary one to get traction in a business he believed in. After years of knocking on doors, a popular outdoor magazine recognized the quality and unique craftsmanship in one of Chris’ knives, The Edisto Oyster Knife. After winning the top award, this put Chris and his company on a rocket ship. He shares that the journey of a founder and how “letting go” and knowing that his Team will take care of the baby, was the thing that helped his company grow. It's not an easy thing to release control over something with your namesake on it (literally) but finding the right people who share the dream can help create the impossible. As Chris and his Team continue to grow, they make sure they never forget where they came from. Advice from his father taught Williams to make sure you prioritize the customers you have, not just find new ones. Loyalty & Quality are a two-way street and the Williams Team continues to uphold that promise.

Follow Chris and The Williams Team at www.williamsknife.com and @williamsknifeco

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EP. 69 Chasing Passion: A Journey From Investment Banking to Knife-Making