From middle school teacher to furniture restoration, meet Tonya Cassidy

Episode notes

Tonya Cassidy has been a middle school teacher near Piedmont, North Carolina, for her whole career — and she loves her students. But on the side? She’s been running Appaloosa Artisans, her furniture restoration business, creating seriously gorgeous pieces for her clients. And now, with retirement on the horizon, Tonya’s getting ready to take her furniture business full-time — which is kind of wild considering how unexpected this whole path was. But if you’ve seen her work on Instagram, you’d swear this was always the plan. What you'll get from this episode: How Tonya went from teaching to furniture flipping (and why that first orbital sander moment was life-changing). What it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated industry — and how Tonya navigates it with confidence. Why setting phone boundaries and building genuine connections with clients and fellow flippers is at the heart of her success. Tonya was actually one of the first flippers I followed after getting laid off, and honestly, she gave me so much hope when I was trying to figure out my next step. I think you’re going to love this one. Hit play and let’s dive in! ️