Hello! I'm Gary. I’m the guy in nearly every Stripwell video, but I'm also the founder of Stripwell. The story and heart of Stripwell lies in my personal journey. From the age of six, I started refinishing furniture alongside my father. His name was Norm. Our family's furniture refinishing venture took root in 1986 in our garage. Observing my dad strip, repair, sand, and finish furniture filled me with a sense of wonder – it was like being the son of a magician. Witnessing the delight on customers' faces when they collected their beautifully restored pieces was truly rewarding and filled me with enormous pride to call him my dad.
Growing up around furniture refinishing and restoration, I never imagined continuing to refinish furniture beyond my high school days. Back then, I only wanted to earn money to gas up my first car - a 1988 Ford Thunderbird. However, in 2010, I took over the family business and started transforming it to reflect my vision and personality more accurately. This change resulted in consistently having a year-long waiting list at my studio as I began specializing in mid century modern furniture.
In 2021, a significant transformation took place within me. Perhaps it was due to my growing family or the global pandemic, but after more than two decades of dedicating myself to furniture refinishing as a career, a major change occurred. I realized it was time to pivot. Leveraging my years of experience, both in successes and failures, I chose to channel this passion and expertise to help others. One aspect of furniture refinishing that always troubled me was the exposure to harmful chemicals. Why should our health be at risk while restoring furniture? Particularly, furniture stripping raised concerns. For years, methylene chloride or NMP-based strippers were the industry standard. Sadly, they still are because they are cheap to purchase and work fast which is all that matters to many furniture refinishers. I questioned the lack of innovation to make this hazardous part of refinishing safer for everyone. This led to the conception of Stripwell, a vision to take this issue head on.
By the conclusion of 2021, following extensive testing, I landed on a formula that met all my criteria. The focus was on safety and user-friendliness rather than speed. The priority was to ensure the safety of the user, their projects, and the environment. Eliminating methylene chloride, NMP, and the trend of DIYers stripping furniture with oven cleaner was essential. This marked the beginning of the Stripwell story.
I recall sharing with my wife, Lisa, my goal to simply sell 20 bottles of QCS Finish Remover daily so she could be a stay at home mom and so we could both use our time differently. This didn't happen immediately. Initially, I distributed ten complimentary bottles of QCS Finish Remover to ten beta testers from across the country for feedback. Despite encountering leaking bottles and faulty triggers, these testers validated QCS as being a “game-changer” for the professional as well as the novice, motivating me to persist.
To kickstart production without sufficient funds, I conducted a presale, which sold out within days. This was about 200 bottles. Subsequently, I focused on creating simple videos that focused on substance and not just hype. I remember recording videos in my refinishing studio for Stripwell's initial 150 Instagram followers. While it felt somewhat trivial at the time, I was determined to persevere and not allow the lack of followers to sway me. I knew I needed to grow Stripwell’s social media presence so we could directly interact with our customers and grow WITH them. So, I began to actively build relationships with individuals with a wider audience, offering them a bottle of QCS in exchange for a honest review which they would share with their followers. These early supporters significantly contributed to establishing Stripwell's credibility during the early days. I could never thank them enough, but if any of you are reading this - THANK YOU.
Since our official brand launch in early 2022, we achieved a significant milestone by selling 100 bottles per day after only four months in business. This blew my mind! Since then, we have done approximately $1.2 million in gross sales. Not too bad for the son of a furniture refinisher, eh? However, I want to emphasize that this journey was not a solo effort. I am so grateful for my small but dedicated team at Stripwell, whose contributions have been indispensable in shaping the company. Each member plays a crucial role in making Stripwell what it is today, and I appreciate them wholeheartedly.
I hope that this glimpse into my journey serves a few purposes. Primarily, I aim for you to gain a deeper understanding of who I am. Stripwell is not just a faceless corporation focused on profit; we are genuinely committed to advancing this craft of furniture refinishing and restoration for you and future generations, prioritizing health and wellness above all else. Our foundation is the same passion that drives you forward. You are the hero in your story, and our mission is to bolster your success as you shape your narrative. The products we create are ones that I wished for during my time as a full-time furniture restorer. Well, sometimes we have to stop waiting for someone else to do what we are actually meant to do.
I share my story because I believe that everyone harbors a unique brilliance within them. EVERYONE. This brilliance often surfaces in the face of challenges, whether by choice or circumstance. While many perceive having more resources, especially money, as pivotal in achieving their aspirations, I started Stripwell with nothing - Zero Dollars. I firmly believe that one's reputation is established first, and it, in turn, shapes the individual and their story. Creativity and passion are priceless and demand only dedication and perseverance to lead you forward. Embrace your authenticity, and let your passion inspire others in everything you do.
Your interest in learning about me and supporting Stripwell is deeply appreciated. I am indebted to your unwavering support of our products, but more importantly, our brand.
Sincerely,
Gary LeClerc
Founder & CEO of Stripwell
Some additional facts about me:
Growing up around furniture refinishing and restoration, I never imagined continuing to refinish furniture beyond my high school days. Back then, I only wanted to earn money to gas up my first car - a 1988 Ford Thunderbird. However, in 2010, I took over the family business and started transforming it to reflect my vision and personality more accurately. This change resulted in consistently having a year-long waiting list at my studio as I began specializing in mid century modern furniture.
In 2021, a significant transformation took place within me. Perhaps it was due to my growing family or the global pandemic, but after more than two decades of dedicating myself to furniture refinishing as a career, a major change occurred. I realized it was time to pivot. Leveraging my years of experience, both in successes and failures, I chose to channel this passion and expertise to help others. One aspect of furniture refinishing that always troubled me was the exposure to harmful chemicals. Why should our health be at risk while restoring furniture? Particularly, furniture stripping raised concerns. For years, methylene chloride or NMP-based strippers were the industry standard. Sadly, they still are because they are cheap to purchase and work fast which is all that matters to many furniture refinishers. I questioned the lack of innovation to make this hazardous part of refinishing safer for everyone. This led to the conception of Stripwell, a vision to take this issue head on.
By the conclusion of 2021, following extensive testing, I landed on a formula that met all my criteria. The focus was on safety and user-friendliness rather than speed. The priority was to ensure the safety of the user, their projects, and the environment. Eliminating methylene chloride, NMP, and the trend of DIYers stripping furniture with oven cleaner was essential. This marked the beginning of the Stripwell story.
I recall sharing with my wife, Lisa, my goal to simply sell 20 bottles of QCS Finish Remover daily so she could be a stay at home mom and so we could both use our time differently. This didn't happen immediately. Initially, I distributed ten complimentary bottles of QCS Finish Remover to ten beta testers from across the country for feedback. Despite encountering leaking bottles and faulty triggers, these testers validated QCS as being a “game-changer” for the professional as well as the novice, motivating me to persist.
To kickstart production without sufficient funds, I conducted a presale, which sold out within days. This was about 200 bottles. Subsequently, I focused on creating simple videos that focused on substance and not just hype. I remember recording videos in my refinishing studio for Stripwell's initial 150 Instagram followers. While it felt somewhat trivial at the time, I was determined to persevere and not allow the lack of followers to sway me. I knew I needed to grow Stripwell’s social media presence so we could directly interact with our customers and grow WITH them. So, I began to actively build relationships with individuals with a wider audience, offering them a bottle of QCS in exchange for a honest review which they would share with their followers. These early supporters significantly contributed to establishing Stripwell's credibility during the early days. I could never thank them enough, but if any of you are reading this - THANK YOU.
Since our official brand launch in early 2022, we achieved a significant milestone by selling 100 bottles per day after only four months in business. This blew my mind! Since then, we have done approximately $1.2 million in gross sales. Not too bad for the son of a furniture refinisher, eh? However, I want to emphasize that this journey was not a solo effort. I am so grateful for my small but dedicated team at Stripwell, whose contributions have been indispensable in shaping the company. Each member plays a crucial role in making Stripwell what it is today, and I appreciate them wholeheartedly.
I hope that this glimpse into my journey serves a few purposes. Primarily, I aim for you to gain a deeper understanding of who I am. Stripwell is not just a faceless corporation focused on profit; we are genuinely committed to advancing this craft of furniture refinishing and restoration for you and future generations, prioritizing health and wellness above all else. Our foundation is the same passion that drives you forward. You are the hero in your story, and our mission is to bolster your success as you shape your narrative. The products we create are ones that I wished for during my time as a full-time furniture restorer. Well, sometimes we have to stop waiting for someone else to do what we are actually meant to do.
I share my story because I believe that everyone harbors a unique brilliance within them. EVERYONE. This brilliance often surfaces in the face of challenges, whether by choice or circumstance. While many perceive having more resources, especially money, as pivotal in achieving their aspirations, I started Stripwell with nothing - Zero Dollars. I firmly believe that one's reputation is established first, and it, in turn, shapes the individual and their story. Creativity and passion are priceless and demand only dedication and perseverance to lead you forward. Embrace your authenticity, and let your passion inspire others in everything you do.
Your interest in learning about me and supporting Stripwell is deeply appreciated. I am indebted to your unwavering support of our products, but more importantly, our brand.
Sincerely,
Gary LeClerc
Founder & CEO of Stripwell
Some additional facts about me:
- I am married to Lisa. She is beautiful inside and out. She is a talented artist, an amazing mother, and a lover of all things Disney.
- I am the father of Via (7), Lucas (6), and Aida (1).
- I love going to Disney to have care-free fun with my family.
- I am a Christian. My faith is my compass.
- I am constantly looking for a great audiobook to listen to or a documentary to watch.
- I love playing board games with friends and going to the movies.
- I love playing the drums whenever I can.
- I'm more indoorsy. Lisa is more outdoorsy.
- We have two tuxedo cats - Eames and Calder.
- I drink far too much coffee.
- Chinese food and Sushi. They're my jam.