I was raised in a blue-collar home in Detroit in the 1970s. Hard work and righteousness shaped my upbringing. 

These two themes would guide me through many trials and tribulations over the next twenty-five years.

In the early 20th century, Detroit was the world’s automotive capital with a thriving middle class, and my father was part of this Black blue-collar reality.

My father was a millwright at Chevrolet and maintained the machines stamping the automobile parts. Growing up, he often preached, “Son, I don’t want you to take a job; I want you to create a job.”

When I graduated in 1992, there were only about 1000 car designers globally, and fewer than ten of these designers were Black. So, I was blessed to be offered an elite position as a concept car designer at Ford. I received a considerable salary and all the perks, but I left after four years because I did not have gasoline in my blood. I was only interested in the aesthetic aspect of automobiles. Something was still missing from my life.

“My father often said, “I don’t want you to grow up to take a job. I want you to grow up to create a job.” Throughout my formative years, my father’s words remained tucked away in the back of my mind.”

While at Ford, I attended a lecture in which the speaker urged Black men to take responsibility for their communities’ mental, physical, spiritual, and economic health. The speaker asked us to consider that the vast majority of well-educated Blacks were enticed away from their communities into the suburban corporate melting pot.

Inevitably, this brain drain left ailing, impoverished neighborhoods in its wake. As one who had benefited from the civil rights advancements of my parent’s generation, I felt obligated to carry that baton further. I decided then and there to dedicate my life and talents to creating employment opportunities for others.

“My father’s words, combined with the lecture, formed a potent mix in my soul. Within days, I quit my job at Ford.”

California Dreaming

Seeking a warmer climate to fulfill my father’s assignment, my wife of 5 months, Renee, and I moved to Los Angeles, California. I quickly found that many of the teachings poured into me in suburban Michigan were not transferable to the City of Lost Angels.

In a risky business deal, I lost all of our nearly six figures of savings within four months of arriving in LA. We spent the next seven years reeling.

Just after our son was born, I remember going to the grocery store with a Ziploc bag full of pennies, nickels, and dimes; this is how low we had fallen.

“Despite the suffering, I was determined not to turn back.”

“Not having money opens the door to greater creativity.”

Furniture chose me

After Walgreens, I began designing for California Closets, a national custom closet manufacturer. There I learned how to sell and their manufacturing and installation process. During this period, Phoenix was experiencing a housing boom such that I could begin to see my path to creating a job for myself. I would design and make custom furniture as art using all that I learned at California Closets and Ford. A great idea with only one drawback: I didn’t know how to make furniture, so I needed to find someone who did.

Since Detroit had an industrial district, I assumed Phoenix also had one. I got on the freeway. Once in the city, I picked the first exit and found an industrial park where I came across some men making furniture and speaking Spanish. Once again, this was a great find with one challenge; I needed to speak more Spanish.

“each of us is born as a divine answer to a problem.” 

About four years into working for California Closets, I was assigned a wealthy client who wanted more than a functional closet. They wanted something sculptural and elaborate and I designed that for them. During the second phase of the sales process, the client learned the California Closet product was made using particle board. I lost the deal because the client’s quality expectations were unmet.

On my way out the door, I nervously turned and faced the client, informing them that I had recently opened my shop and could build the product from solid wood. The client, invested in my design skills, offered me a 50k contract.

I employed the original Spanish-speaking crew I had found in West Phoenix to build and install the job. We struggled to pull off this job because neither they nor I understood the language of high-end woodworking that signaled luxury.

During the installation, I would have a chance encounter with a Mexican immigrant with basic woodworking skills. When he told me his name was Rene, I knew this was no coincidence since my ex-wife’s name was also Renee. I began to feel that my journey was guided.

Ten years in the desert

After this first job, we struggled for ten more years before mastering the craft of transforming raw materials into a spiritual rendering of our client’s personality and style. We were on our way. Our design philosophy was beginning to separate our work from the competition. Today, Paul Rene is the recipient of numerous design awards and editorials.