In The Raw Q+A Series, Issue No.2: Duston Stanczyk—A Modern-Day Craftsman With An Eye For Design
Issue No.2 // DUSTON STANCZYK
Nothing is more nourishing for the body than raw, whole foods. In The Raw takes that same idea and applies it to people. Through telling stories, imparting wisdom, offering advice, and sharing experiences, we are able to inspire and be inspired—our souls are fed. Humanity is all about connection. We are all ONE! There's nothing processed or packaged about that! It's Raw!
For those of you who may not have seen my very first blog post, In the Raw is a Q+A series where I interview friends, family, coworkers, local business owners, and just plain interesting individuals—real people! Sometimes when you read a celebrity interview, you have to wonder how much of what they are saying is paid advertising (i.e. I use insert well-known product for my soft, supple skin! $Cha-Ching!). None of that here! Just real, raw people that you may know, pass by and wonder about, or just might be able to learn a thing or two from!
For Issue No.2, I thought I would interview my main squeeze, my knight in shining armor, my partner in crime, my loving husband, Dusty Stanczyk. I truly wouldn't be where I am today without him by my side.
After interviewing Dusty, (and having been married to him for nearly 2 years, and been together for nearly 7), I think it's safe to say I knew how it would go down! He likes to say things how they are. One. Word. Answers. But after some prying, I think we got to the core of things!
Words that come to mind when I think of Dusty are, chivalrous—a classic gentleman, humble—he does not like to talk about himself or what he does, he just likes to get things done—which brings me to another quality—hard-working! He's always juggling a handful of different projects at work and at home, and somehow sees them all through to completion. There are never loose ends for long! At first glance, he may seem like a contradiction, from his broken-in boots with a button-down shirt that gives off that rugged, effortless look, while still managing to pull it all together in a "I think I've seen you on Pinterest" kind of way! (He'll hate that I said that)!
Dusty is a craftsman, he works with his hands, whether it's creating a new desk for his office space, landscaping a yard, or remodeling a home. He has an eye for design and style, and paints an incredible picture for where he sees himself going with his passions, hobbies, and career in the future.
So let's jump right in...
How I Like To Start My Day: The first thing I do is splash my face with water—usually cold! Something my grandpa taught me to do when I was a kid. It wakes me up and gives me energy. Then I do 20 minutes of oil-pulling with coconut oil while making the bed and doing some quick reading. (Watch for Erin's post on the benefits of oil-pulling, coming soon!)
Favorite Tech Gadget: iPhone, duh... But besides that probably the WiFi-controlled light switches we have in the house—I'm a total nerd about home automation.
Can’t Live Without My: iPhone, duh...but actually, yes, that. I rely on it for everything from lists for Home Depot (I'm there like 3 times a day) to my calendar keeping me on schedule and letting me know where I need to be. Also, a broken-in pair of Levis (I'm wearing them now)!—Not paid advertising! Classic and comfortable.
The Last Picture I Took On My Phone: Of the guy sucking the sewage out of the septic tank at our acreage (Avalon Event Paradise). We have a full summer of weddings and it was crucial that we get it drained. Glamorous, I know, lol. I was picturing Cousin Eddy...
Favorite Workout: 10-15 minutes on the treadmill, 10-15 minutes on the heavy/speed bag, 20 minutes pushups, dips, pull-ups, curls, PUMP! Then stretch for like a day.
The Movie Title That Describes My Life: "It's Complicated" or "It's Kind of a Funny Story." Haha, actually probably Michael Keaton in "Multiplicity." On any given day I have a thousand tasks to complete and often wish I could multiply myself, but, I love it!
Once A Week For My Health: A green juice (kale, celery, cucumber, ginger, lemon, green apple, etc). It's a good detoxifier and gives me a boost of energy. Sometimes a salt bath for sore muscles and sweating out.
Favorite Recipe We Cook: Erin's protein-packed Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Indian Spices! (Erin be posting the recipe!)
Best Fast Food Option: Chipotle! I could eat there every day—even though our at-home lunches are almost the same, they're not the same…Sofritas, mmm.
When I Need To Reset, I: Sweat, stretch, sleep! No phone, no reading, just find quiet comfort at home.
Must-Reads: The Bible—10-20 minutes every morning. Also, The Great Gatsby and Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter.
Words To Live By: Let Go and Let God.
Someone Who I Looked Up To As A Kid: My dad. And my grandpa Ernie (the face-washer). He was a big, hard-working Polish man with an even bigger heart. He taught me a lot. The older I get, the more I look up to my mom's dad, my grandpa Larry, too. He used to scare me growing up. We talked for an hour the other night about fishing, woodworking, and Faith, and it was great!
Health Hero: Rich Roll, right now—addict turned ultra-endurance athlete. I just finished his autobiography, ordered his cookbook, a t-shirt, and listen to his podcast daily. Wow, lol, I'm obsessed. My little brother is in the process of a pretty cool transformation, too. Proud & inspired by him! Check out DevonStanczyk.com.
The Ideal Home I Want To Design/Build Would Be: I don't want to give away any secrets lol. But right now, I like the idea of a modern, open, somewhat sterile feel. Bringing in natural wood, mixed with concrete and other eco-friendly materials like our quartz countertops, raw metals with natural patina, and then decorate and landscape for a Tuscan, almost Bohemian vibe. Traveled rugs over the the floors, 19th century French Revolution style furniture, clay pots. Eco-friendly everything. Complete home automation, from lights, temperature, to even controlling the blinds from my iPhone. It sounds contradictory, but we do it in a way that the two styles meld into one unique blend of high-tech function and old-fashioned comfort.
Crazy Health Idea That Actually Works: Essential oils. Most recently, as recommended by my doc, I was using a hydrocortisone cream to clear up these weird bumps below my eyes. After a couple of weeks nothing changed. I went for the Melaleuca (tea tree oil), as per my wife's request, BOOM!, cleared right up.
My Food Philosophy In One Sentence: No label, but mostly plant-based. Eat clean, whole, raw, organic foods as close to their natural state as possible!
Non-Negotiable: Dark chocolate. Specifically the sea salt dark chocolate almonds from Trader Joe's. Mmm mmm! On a serious note, highly pampered feet. Quality boots and shoes. Orthotics. The routine personal pedi and foot scrub, rub, and oil.
Simplest Way To Improve Health: Clean up your diet. Baby Steps…think "What About Bob." Replace one bad with one good. Upgrade gradually.
City That Inspires Me The Most: Rome. It's better than what you see in the movies. I can appreciate it all, from the religious implications to the architectural feats, wandering in and out of churches and eating gelato. A place that has me always looking up and outward.
Favorite Getaway: So far, Europe, obviously. But that's more of a trip than a getaway. Honestly, if we aren't planning like a trip, I like to be at home. The getaways have kind of stopped since buying a house and getting a dog... I would probably say Colorado, though. I love the mountains.
If I Could Travel Anywhere In The World It Would Be: All over Italy—the Mediterranean in general, but mostly Italy—there's something about it for me.
My Current Mantra: Hmmm…that's a tough one. I'm really focusing on building a business and a path right now that will serve us later. I'm always envisioning what I want, while asking God what He wants, and supposing that the sum of the two will lead to my purpose. My mantra is probably something like:
My Go-To Juice And/Or Smoothie: Moring smoothie: Whole banana, handful of spinach, half coconut water half coconut milk, dash of (prob tablespoon), ok get ready for this: a dash of ground flax, a dash of chia seed, a dash of hemp seed, a dash of maca, dash of pepitas, sometimes almonds, sometimes almond butter, a scoop of protein, and depending on what I think, either a dash of spirulina powder or wheatgrass powder but 9 times out of ten it's the spirulina. Chug.
Aha Moment(s): Today? When I found the underground septic tank haha. I have aha moments all the time with so many little things. In a podcast the other day, I heard a guy talk about how "inspiration" is cheap and easy. We claim to find it in the form of an Instagram picture with an "inspiring" quote superimposed on top. We are inspired and then move on to the next post. I find inspiration in real things like being outdoors, relationships, or in the form of art and actual creation. I say translate inspiration into action. I had an "Aha" the other day in the garage. While tirelessly searching for new bands on Pandora, I rediscovered my two favorite bands, Blink-182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I played through all of their albums all day while cleaning the attic. It was like I had forgotten who they were...
If Retirement Wasn't An Option: Erin and I are working towards a simplified and more sustainable lifestyle that will serve us well now, and on into "retirement." I want to continue doing what I do now, everyday until the end, I would be fine with that. It's all about sustainability and creating a heathy lifestyle now. Starting healthy habits, hobbies, and even exercises now that I can carry with me through life to old age. The idea of the deferred life sounds really crappy for this stage of my life. I'm supposed to save everything I have to someday travel the world when I'm 64 1/2? No offense, but that sounds lame! I want to live while I'm alive, be that 28 or 88. I think the key is to strive for consistency and longevity. I say travel now and later, treat your body good now and feel better later, take a day off every once and a while... It's all really good! The idea is to create a lifestyle and/or career that I never want to retire from.
For those of you who haven't already, check out my man's website and blog at DustonStanczyk.com and be sure to follow him on Instagram @dbstanczyk to keep up with all of his latest projects. You will find information on all-things Home + Land Design, as well as Lifestyle Design, or as he puts it—healthy.modern.living.
Designed For Your Lifestyle,
Erin
