Here is my story

I had no idea what I was going to do with my life after school.

Graduated in 2015 and everyone had the same question. "So what are you going to do now?”

"Ummm, I have no idea, keep doing chores at home and not school."

Needless to say I really started to hate that question. There is this pressure that is put on you to find out or know what you are going to do next in life. But what if you have absolutely no idea? That was where I found myself. Stuck, not knowing what direction to go in life.

Let’s take you back some years to help you understand why I would start this page off like this.

A few years before graduating Mom had sandblasted cups with “50th” on them for my grandparents 50th anniversary in 2011. This was the first time ever being introduced to or hearing about sandblasting. I got to help her get the cups ready for blasting, but never saw how the sandblasting process worked which left me always wondering how it was done.

In 2014 Dad gave my siblings and me the opportunity to learn something in the machine shop he owns. I knew right away I wanted to learn how to sandblast. Started off with a few rectangle glass pieces Dad had and he showed me how to use the sandblasting set up which was a bucket full of sand with a sandblasting gun that connects to an air hose.

To stay protected from the flying sand I would wear a pair of gardening gloves, a welding helmet to protect my eyes, and a coat with a hood to keep the sand out of my hair. It was not the nicest outfit, but it worked great!

After that started a time of collecting anything that was glass. Not all of the piece of glass were good for anything, but I was having so much fun sandblasting.

Remember how after graduating in 2015 I had no idea what I was going to do? Well to tell you the truth, I have never really had an idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Sandblasting was more like a hobby. I kept learning more about sandblasting, but never had the thought of making it into a business.

It was difficult to get projects done because I had to go to Dad's shop to sandblast. Then for my birthday that year (2015) Dad and Mom got me a sandblasting cabinet. Sandblasting at home gave me the ability to get projects done faster and not have to wear all the protective gear. The cabinet is just what it sounds like: a box with holes for your hands on one side, a door so you can put projects inside, and a window to see inside. But the best part is it keeps all the sand contained in one place.

Slowly over time I have began trying to blast on different materials. Ceramic, glass pans, stone, metal, wood and plastic. Family and friends started to suggest ideas and even gave things to blast on. Around this time and the years to follow, sandblasting started to become more of a business idea.

For Christmas in 2017 I received a Silhouette Cameo 3 to cut out the stencils. I had been using masking tape and an exacto knife to make stencils. All you had to do with the Silhouette was program a design and then the machine cut out the design out into your vinyl stencil.

Dad upgraded his air compressor at home which made sandblasting go so much faster. The one before had a small hole which made sandblasting take five times longer. Having the new air compressor has been a game changer.

Sure the set up now is not perfect but it works great. Hopefully it will keep improving as the business grows and I learn new ways to fix problems that I run into. Yes, there has been blood sweat and tears. Okay, mostly tears. But if you don't mess up and run into problems you will never learn or need the help of others. Growing slowly is not always fun but we just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Now when you ask what I'm doing with my time I will probably tell you, "I'm using my time to grow a sandblasting business and doing my chores at home. It is hard to balance things but I believe this is where God has me and what He has given me to do."

As this business continues to grow, I want to glorify the Lord through my work, bless you with the skills God has given me, and point you to Christ.

~Margaret Zumstein~

P.S. If you don't know what you want to do with your life now, just know your are not the only one to have this struggle. Start were your are and look at the abilities God has given you as well as the things you are good at. You may find yourself already working on what you are supposed to be doing in life. Don't give up and seek God in your endeavors.