The Craft with May Globus

There is a deep kindness that emanates from Craig Pearce that you feel the moment you meet him. The founder of beloved custom furniture company Union Wood Co. also recently launched a new product brand Goodland, which are objects for a slow, considered life.

His family moved from Toronto to Vancouver when he was five-years-old - his father was in banking and was relocated. As a kid, Craig grew up in West Vancouver skateboarding and snowboarding - and he was creative even back then, a trait he inherited from his mom. Craig began his road to becoming a firefighter after a pivotal moment on a trip to New Zealand in his early 20s - something he still does full-time. Founding Union Wood Co. in 2009 came by organically, after a stint living in Big White, Kelowna, as a volunteer firefighter, while doing carpentry on the side.

In this conversation, we discuss how he expressed his creativity through drawing as a kid; his journey to becoming a firefighter for the past 16-plus years and his love for his second family at the firehall; why he loves building things with his hands and how he’s entirely self-taught; the ins and outs of scaling his businesses; the immersive design & production process of his team at Union Wood Co.; how the slow down of the pandemic sparked the idea for Goodland and the product launching soon (a wood fired hot tub); what he loves about his wife Kendra; why moving half as fast means you notice twice as much; and more.

Show Notes

There is a deep kindness that emanates from Craig Pearce that you feel the moment you meet him. The founder of beloved custom furniture company Union Wood Co. also recently launched a new product brand Goodland, which are objects for a slow, considered life. 

His family moved from Toronto to Vancouver when he was five-years-old - his father was in banking and was relocated. As a kid, Craig grew up in West Vancouver skateboarding and snowboarding - and he was creative even back then, a trait he inherited from his mom. Craig began his road to becoming a firefighter after a pivotal moment on a trip to New Zealand in his early 20s - something he still does full-time. Founding Union Wood Co. in 2009 came by organically, after a stint living in Big White, Kelowna, as a volunteer firefighter, while doing carpentry on the side.       

In this conversation, we discuss how he expressed his creativity through drawing as a kid; his journey to becoming a firefighter for the past 16-plus years and his love for his second family at the firehall; why he loves building things with his hands and how he’s entirely self-taught; the ins and outs of scaling his businesses; the immersive design & production process of his team at Union Wood Co.; how the slow down of the pandemic sparked the idea for Goodland and the product launching soon (a wood fired hot tub); what he loves about his wife Kendra; why moving half as fast means you notice twice as much; and more.

What is The Craft with May Globus?

The Craft is an audio-visual collection of intimate conversations with creatives, entrepreneurs, and pioneers across disciplines. Each episode weaves through their personal backstory, creative process, and way of living—an exploration of the humanity that connects us all.

Alongside the conversations, the show’s visual storytelling—through editorial-style photography—offers another way in. Like a modern-day magazine editorial, each image is a quiet window into the spirit of the guest and the world they’re shaping.