Our Story
GINNY BINS, LLC is woman owned, operated and built Handcrafted Custom Creations & Pet Furniture. Each item is custom designed with individual flair, incorporating reclaimed and vintage accents. GinnyBins specializes in both function and design by eliminating the need for those ugly wire dog crates and replacing them with true works of art, furniture pieces. These dual purpose products, not only create a custom and safe place for your pet, but they are also the perfect furniture piece for your space often replacing your end tables, media cabinets, sideboard, or sofa tables. In addition this woman artisan offers custom reclaimed farmhouse tables, barn doors, raised pet dining tables, and custom built pet daybeds in all sizes. You can reach GinnyBins online -www.ginnybins.com, Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/ginnybins1/ and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ginnybins1/
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👋 Say hi to my fellow woodworking gals, Ginny Bins and The Rustic Texan Woodshop ! This is what #communityovercompetition looks like. This is what #womensupportingwomen looks like. This is what it looks like when three #femalewoodworkers and #smallbusinessowners (from the same area!) get together to lift up one another. This is where we share knowledge, tips, and tricks. This is where we ask for help and advice- and freely give it! This is what it looks like to truly support one another and build relationships. You can't do it all on your own, and there's enough work to go around to get hung up on competing with those who could help you the most. Love these girls 💕
#SparrowsHouse
#supporting
#woodshop
#loudouncounty
#northernvirginia
#LoCoVA
Honestly, I never gave #womensday much thought before this year. But now that I work in a male-dominated industry, I appreciate it more than ever. I'm so thankful for the community of #womenwoodworkers and #womenbusinessowners I have found so that we can build each other up (no pun intended!) and show the world chicks use tools, women build businesses, and real ladies support and empower each other! 👊🏼 Check out a few of my girlfriends who are crushing it in their businesses:
I Heart Cheesecake
Enamor Film
Two Jaynes
Gina Rock Ceramics
Ginny Bins
The Rustic Texan Woodshop
Rugged Ridge Farm & Home
Here's my story and its a long one!
Back in February2017 my wife Virginia Wallen was laid off from her job she had been at for 14 years. It was heartbreaking for her and caused a lot of mental distress due to the reasoning behind it. If you know my wife, you know she doesn't do anything less than 110%, so it was no fault of hers, but poor management and lack of leadership were factors. We knew we might have to alter a lifestyle change, such as eating out less and putting an end to frivolous buying (Amazon lost a few bucks from us), however as I was still employed we could still survive until things came about for her.
She took a month or two off from work and did some soul searching. When she finally decided to start applying again it was getting close to fiscal year end for most companies so hiring was not on their plans and wouldn't be until early fall when they received their budgets and headcount. We talked about things and prayed that we could get some guidance on where we were to go and what we were to do. She had seen someone build a dog crate out of wood for their dogs and asked if we could make one too. We built one for ourselves and people started asking her where she got it from. She started telling people that we made it, and there was a surge of demand in people asking for one as well. This is how her wildly successful Ginny Bins came about.
I myself was laid off in August of the same year due to a restructuring where my role was rolled into another group. We had minimal savings at the time, but knew we could be OK for a month or so. I kept applying for job after job as well as filing for unemployment which helped out but wasn't enough to keep us afloat. Virginia needed an emergency appendectomy in August as well. She woke up the day after a winery visit and felt pain but attributed it to too much wine!! When they took it out and checked things over they found out there was a very rare cancerous growth on the base of her appendix. Both of us laid off and then a cancer diagnosis was the icing on the cake! They redid the surgery to make sure he got all of the tumor, but to this day she still needs to go in once a year for a checkup. It was after this point that Virginia decided that we would need to tap into our retirement savings in order to stay in our home and pay our bills. During all of this hectic past 5 months, I was surprisingly calm. I dove deep into prayer and reading the bible. I read devotionals and searched out verses for difficult times. Not one time during the period of distress did I panic. I had an inexplicable calm about myself and kept telling Virginia, not to worry, God has a plan. We had to have a dollar store and Five Below Christmas that year.
We both continued to pray every day and when we finally got to a dire point we determined we needed to sell our house. We listed it on a Friday and by Sunday we had multiple offers. We accepted the offer from a young couple with kids, who asked for nothing from our end during the inspection and closing process. This meant they were buying the house as-is and we needed to come out of pocket for nothing in order to sell. We made a great investment when we bought that house as it afforded us to pay off all our debts and still buy something new. Virginia finally applied back to her company and got a new job shortly after the new year. I received a job offer in February of 2018 and things were back on the up an up! The day we closed on our new house I was unfortunately let go again. We both oddly laughed it off as it as just another bump in the road. I reached out to some contacts and within a month I had multiple offers for jobs. I took a job that had me working 12 hour shift rotating weeks from night shift to day shift. This was a big strain on the family as I was either sleeping when they were home or I was at work. I worked that job for 4 months before my dream job called and offered me a position. I started my new job in October of 2018 and God blessed me with a promotion less than a year into it and we have been unbelievably blessed since then.
I know you may think this is just a regular story that could've happened to anyone and you don't see anything that stands out. For me, I have never dove so deep into prayer and bible study as I had at that time. I grew up Catholic, and still never prayed as hard as I did then. Between her getting laid off, a business flourishing in the midst of chaos, me getting laid off, her getting an appendectomy and a cancer diagnosis, me remaining incredibly calm, having to tap into retirement, having to sell our beloved house, getting the perfect offer on that house, Virginia getting back to work, buying a new house, me getting laid off again, me getting multiple offers and then getting my dream job offer......things don't happen like that to everyone. I have no doubt God had a hand in our life during that time. It was a test of our Faith, a trial by fire but He guided us through.
We had plans for sure but His plans were greater.
As Proverbs 16:9 says:
A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
“She believed she could, so she did” x3 right here at this table.
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I’ve met so many amazing people along this journey, but when you get to met others who share the same passion as you....ayyyyy....it fills your heart up even more. An evening about woodworking, how to run a small business, advice on our successes and failures, and gosh all the things I just love to talk about. So who are these amazing ladies, I’m glad you asked!
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Ginny Bins - gosh what does this woman not do, that’s the real question. She built her business from the ground up making custom designed dog crates, she is is co-owner of @bsocialnova which is a social media management company helping other businesses with anything and everything, and she holds a full time somewhere in there. Our paths crossed when I first started woodworking and she has been helping me along the way every since. Where would I be with her, nowhere, that’s where.
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Sparrow's House - is crazy talented and has recently picked up scrolling. I know....another scroller local to me- can you feel my excitement. She also builds furniture....I mean I hit the jackpot meeting her. Our paths crossed on Instagram and I just had to meet her in person. Her work is amazing.
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I am blessed to be around so many amazing strong headed, independent woman, knowledgeable women, who love to get just as dirty in the shop as me.
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#womanbusinessowners #westartedfromthebottomnowwehere #takingoveroneprojectatatime
Merry Christmas to our favorite carpenter!
Check out another batch of local women-owned small businesses in LoCo! #supportwomen
Magnetic Lashes:
www.LoveItLashes.com
Money Matters DMM organizer and translator. Money Matters DMM -- to organize your personal or business financial data
Food Loop Compost Food waste pick-up service allows you to get back some of the compost you have helped create!
http://foodloopcompost.com/
Ginny Bins Custom Carpentry specializing in pet furniture!
http://www.ginnybins.com/
Emily Ledford Fitness & Nutrition, LLC - nutrition and health coach as well as Level II Russian Kettlebell Instructor!
http://www.emilyledfordfitness.com/
Your local Tupperware lady! Tupperware by Anneliese
7Company Weight Loss & Wellness Center -- Weight Loss Clinic
Www.7Company.com
Temple Training -- fitness training!
http://www.templetraining.net/
Altered Edge Graphic Design Logos, printing, print and digital design
http://www.altered-edge.com/
Project Horse Empowerment Center A local non-profit!
Www.projecthorse.org -- a non-riding, group wellness program designed to help reduce stress and anxiety related to the prolonged pandemic.
Novel Boutique -- an online boutique who specializes in women’s jewelry and accessories that are handmade. Jewelry is semi fine and comes from all over the world.
https://www.instagram.com/novelboutiqueco
Hi Virginia! I am sitting here in Dover, NH with your wonderful mother-in-law! My hubby and I have had the best week showing them our beautiful New England...she told us all about you and the awesome things that you create! We "liked" you here on FB, so we will be able to see more!
Have you added a new furry family member to the family over the last several months? If you are starting to think about “When I go back to work & the kiddos go back to school, where will our new puppy be hanging out all day?” then you are ahead of the game (great job doggie mom & dad). Your pup’s kennel can be a beautiful piece of functional furniture, not just the metal box shoved in the corner. Check out the beautiful work of a Loudoun County Woman Owned Small Business Ginny Bins for custom kennel options. She is also the creator of our famous biscuit bar at our salon 😉
