Posted by Lacey Wilcox on July 15, 2014
Tim Paslay is the co-owner and designer of Two Guys Bow Ties. Below he shares with us a little about his background for woodwork and design, how Two Guys all began, his interests, and his future goals.
2GBT: Tell us a little about your background: what led to you being such a talented craftsman and designer?
TP: My background is pretty interesting. I went to college wanting to be a doctor, but after my sophomore year I realized the money I would make wouldn’t be worth the lifestyle working in medicine required. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do yet, but I didn’t think I would figure it out taking classes. I decided to finish my biochemistry degree and start working construction. I loved working with my hands and liked construction at first because I was learning lots of new skills. Once I was familiar with those skills, however, I got tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. I started working with some guys who built sets and themed environments and liked it. Every job was different and required learning new things and finding unique solutions. All of my skills have been developed on the job and in the shop and I have tried to refine my design skills over time with classes and workshops.
2GBT: What are your other interests besides woodwork/design?
TP: The majority of my time is spent working and building things, but one of the few things I make time for is NBA basketball. We have had some success gaining traction among athletes and part of that is because it is something I love so much. It has also made our work that much more fun and rewarding.
2GBT: What was the beginning of Two Guys?
TP: I was working late one night in my shop on a set and the idea just popped into my head. I started searching wooden bow ties online and saw there were a couple of guys making wooden bow ties, but not like I pictured in my head. Adam and I would meet with one other friend about once a month to discuss business ideas and I mentioned it to them at one of our lunches. It piqued Adam’s interest, so he started running numbers and doing some other research. He came back and felt like it would work so we started making prototypes.
2GBT: Do you enjoy fashion, or was the bow tie just a stroke of genius?
TP: I’ve always liked fashion and style, but I’m also too cheap to dress how I really wanted. In the past I haven’t had many opportunities or reasons to devote a lot of time and energy into my wardrobe. Believe it or not, most guys on construction sites and wood shops don’t care if your jeans are American-made raw denim.
I don’t get too wrapped up in what designers or brands someone is wearing, but I do think that what you wear is important, because it tells people a lot about you.
2GBT: How would you describe your personal style?
TP: I would describe my style in the same way I would describe our bow ties: timeless or classic with a bit of a twist to make it interesting. The majority of my closet is made up of classic staple pieces, but I love to find vintage or unique pieces that catch people’s eye and set me a bit apart. I am not afraid to take chances or step outside the box, but I try not to over do it.
2GBT: Any future plans you want to share?
TP: As far as Two Guys goes, I hope we keep expanding our product lines in a way that is interesting and authentic, and continue to put our unique stamp on men’s accessories. We also have talked to some people about some possible collaborations that we would love to have happen.
Personally, my wife, Kara, and I are developing a home design show and are currently pitching it to a few networks. It has been fun to see how it has developed and matured as my skill set and confidence have grown with Two Guys. I would love to get to work with Kara more. This past year and a half has been so busy with bow ties that I haven’t gotten to work with her as much as I had grown used to and I really miss that. She is a lot prettier than Adam and I always enjoy getting to create with her.
To learn more about Tim’s latest design endeavors, woodworking projects, and stunt reel capabilities, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.