Living with Intention Through Craft and Ritual
Craig Pearce and Kendra Patton didn’t transition out of the rapidity of city congestion and urban living only to repeat the pace and craziness of that life in their newfound remote setting amongst the wilds of Bowen Island off the coast of Vancouver BC. “We wanted to get out of the rate race, get away from the traffic and move out…..We decided one day, let’s get the hell out of the city and go live in the woods for a while” says Craig. “Having the space and freedom to spilt wood, have a garden, all those things we wanted to do that we just couldn’t really do in the city or we didn’t feel we could do the way we wanted to. That was the origin of what spawned us into taking that time to engage with nature. We wanted to switch our whole lifestyle to be with that essentially.”
"A slow life, an intentional life, having those tactile analogue experiences, that is what we think of as luxury."
What Craig and Kendra found in their more rural reality was the epitome of luxury: time. “A slow life, an intentional life, having those tactile analogue experiences, that is what we think of as luxury. That is the treat, that is the goal I have for my life is to spend more time doing those things.” Back in Vancouver Craig ran a furniture making company called Union Wood Co. for over twelve years. “I’ve got a background in furniture design. I’ve always been a creative person. As a young guy I was trying to find a way to express my creativity. I started working with this construction company. I learned you could be creative and have this physical product in the end that someone actually uses.” Meanwhile Kendra worked as an interior designer applying her impeccable taste to projects throughout the city. Both Craig and Kendra valued the newfound time they had on their hands, but they still had ambitions of being creative and productive. With a young family, pursuing something that kept them close to home and immersed in nature was a priority. What if they could share a little of the magic their slower life afforded them by creating something that reminds people to take time and enjoy the outdoors with some chosen rituals that connect you with nature.
“I’m an ambitious person. I wanted to do something productive. Living in nature means engaging with nature. We are always interacting with the environment living out here” explains Craig. “COVID was my pause that cracked the door open to Goodland. Share the message of pause and enjoyment outside, engagement.” Turns out Kendra had similar thoughts and together they brought Goodland to life. “My wife Kendra, who is co-owner of Goodland, and I, we spawned this thing together.” “It is a being in nature kind of thing, but we talk about the practice you guys have, bonsai, or splitting firewood, or all these things we do outside. They are in nature but you are participating in them. You are fully engaged, you’re not half thinking about something else, you’re not on your phone. It’s actually that part, it’s participating in nature and being fully present.”
It started with their wood-fired hot-tub. “The ritual of our hot tub is its value. It’s the anticipation of it. It’s the building of it that creates the ritual. You’re putting in the effort and it makes the reward that much sweeter in the end.” Craig and Kendra’s fusion of lounge-style soaking with wood-fired heat put Goodland on the map. “We are more committed to make good products and have people keep that and have it be part of their daily life than we are trying to crack a billion dollars in sales. We sell enough product to put food on the table. Our ambitions are on making good product, not on generating the most revenue.” The success of Goodland’s ambitious launch immediately established their reputation as a company intent on making lasting items that improve their customer’s quality of life. What would be next? Craig didn’t need to look far for ideas.
"How can we build the best hose?"
“We had our hot tubs out there and those are made to last forever. I was filling it with a hose that I had duct taped back together twice and I just thought ‘we’ve got to make something better.’ We took all our engineering capabilities and design capabilities and asked, ‘what would be the best materials? How can we build the best hose?’” Goodland embarked on a material and design exploration to build the most durable hose possible whose beauty added to customers’ homes, gardens, and lifestyles, instead of being a functional necessity but visual sore. “I’ve always had a passion for creating new things I want for myself and I’m pretty sure at least ten other people might be interested in. This is the same way all our products have started. If someone doesn’t have the exact one I want I get fixated on making it.”
Goodland doubled down on their commitment to lasting quality when they introduced Goodland hoses with a lifetime guarantee. If the hose fails, Goodland will replace it. “All of our equipment is made with replaceable parts. Having products outside, things get wear and tear. The heat, the snow, the wind, all plays into what we are doing here. The environment is hard on things. Making sure they are as strong and as tough as they can be and anything that can go wrong we have a plan to fix that or easily replace that without having to throw your hose in the trash just to sit in the landfill forever.” If experience is the greatest teacher Goodland’s track record in their first five years of hose production are proof that the effort Craig and Kendra put in up front truly has created something better. Hose replacement are a rarity and customers who buy one hose are the company’s biggest return client to buy….you guessed it, another hose. “You use the garden hose when you’re watering and doing bonsai, growing tomato plants, but you also do it as a part of interacting with everyday life. We wanted to make that experience more enjoyable. You are doing chores but let’s make the best of it. Let’s make a product with intention, let’s focus on the details, let’s try to get this right.”
“The best style of product is one that just quietly disappears into your life."
Goodland’s continued evolution has stayed close to home. “The best style of product is one that just quietly disappears into your life. It becomes part of your use, but id doesn’t need your attention every second. It’s just dependable, it’s there when you need it.” They followed their hoses with beautiful brass nozzles and valves. Goodland designed a firewood splitter and built out their hose offerings with a brass outdoor faucet and hose hanger. The faucet has been the most pleasant surprise creating an outdoor filling station that attaches by hose makes it durable and versatile. “Brass and aluminum are the best for outdoor uses, they last forever. We use nautical grade brass. It’s something that has been part of ship building for thousands of years. What we love about that is the patina it gets over time. Good things have that patina and those marks and wears of time and use.” Growing slowly with intention is allowing Goodland to focus on the details and keep the company grounded. Replacement parts for every major product they sell are front and center, sharing the same space as Craig and Kendra’s most significant products. Visiting their site it’s clear they truly are committed to buying something of quality once, and using it for life.
“When I die, I hope people look at this collection of things I cared about that were part of my daily life and think ‘Wow, look how much he used this thing.’ That’s a good goal to strive for” and a good life.
Thank you Craig and Kendra
