Zolo Creations Woodworking

05/18/2026

I’m feeling this black with the brass rods on a custom Spice Rack I made last Christmas. I have a few more ideas for furniture and other items similar in style.

04/30/2026

Help needed in Caddo, Ok.

With summer approaching, I’m excited to announce a summer shop hand position available for Choctaw youth, through the Choctaw 477 Program! This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a creative woodworking shop that makes both commercial bulk order items, as well as commercial and residential furniture and decor. As a shop hand, you’ll assist with various tasks—keeping the workspace organized, prepping materials, sanding, and learning to run various machinery such as CNCs and Laser Engravers. With that said, safety is a top priority for me. No table saws or dangerous equipment will be involved, so parents can rest easy. All PPE will be provided.

For me, hiring my first employee through this program is especially meaningful, as I got my first job through the Choctaw Youth Program years ago, and I want to help the next generation grow. After the program, I’m looking to offer the right person a part-time or full-time role in my shop—so if you’re hardworking, reliable, and ready to grow, I want to hear from you. My shop is located just outside of Caddo Oklahoma for any youth in the area looking to apply.

Apply now through the Choctaw Youth Program. I will post the link in the comments to apply for those that aren’t already signed up for the program.

Also, if you have any questions please feel free to message and ask. I will try to help you through the process.

03/20/2026

My kids love being in the shop when I have them and I have some things to get done out there. Yesterday we got to do a full (small, simple) project together and they loved getting to be a part of the process. It makes it mean more. They got to pick out the designs, sand them, run the laser, and finish them. And of course, pick the flowers.

It got me thinking… maybe there’s space for more of this. A place where parents and kids can slow down, build something real, and leave with more than just what they made. I’ve always enjoyed teaching/coaching. I also know there are others doing classes but are there any local and would it be something I would have attendance to?

And maybe it’s just something meant to stay small.

Either way, I’d love to hear what you think?

03/16/2026

Send help! I have accumulated so many scraps over the last couple of years doing larger bulk orders as well as from my need to stockpile lumber to start expanding my skills. And I need help with ideas to give me back the shop space I’ve been losing to these scraps and slabs. In the process, I’m hoping to work my way back into the furniture business where it all began, but with a little different style of furniture. A more artistic approach with a newfound love for texturing wood. As I expand my business in a new direction, not dismissing my current business, I am needing ideas for items that you would love to see my personal twist on. I’m open to all ideas but hoping to find some that align with my style/vision, towards a possible order from the person, or to sell as a product on my website. And while I typically veer towards modern minimalist, rustic, boho, industrial, I am still figuring out what style I want to venture into when I’m in the process of learning to design and build furniture and decor. I have a long way to go but excited to get back to the reason I fell in love with woodworking. Furniture. So any ideas for just about every size of scrap is appreciated. Something you’ve seen that you liked, or one you bought and like. And I’m excited to show another project I’m starting on soon. It’s a start in the new direction to an extent. It’s not another bulk orders.

02/18/2026

Engraving for Coyote Granite Countertops

01/20/2026

So, I’ve been looking back at some builds from when I first found my passion for woodworking and I can’t believe the size and complexity of some of the builds I took on right after starting. I had no idea if I could do it but I found a way. I’m looking forward to picking up where I left off and continuing to grow my skills as a woodworker and furniture builder as I venture back into the bigger builds with a better knowledge and understanding of the craft as well as eagerness to grow. I have enjoyed aspects of the larger production orders I have done over the last couple of years and appreciate the relationships I have built and will continue to build, but I have missed the journey and challenges that a bigger project brings as well as the growth. I say that but I do still enjoy the smaller builds and have lots of smaller projects and partnerships to show in the future. There is something so rewarding about finishing a build of this size that I miss! I’m also still working on being more consistent with posting so stay with me, I’ll get there. I find myself getting so caught up in the process of building, life, kids, and did I mention life, that it’s easy to just want to get the work done and I know I need to show what I’m doing. I hope to grow in that area in 2026. Until then, check out this massive knotty alder King size bed I built 3 years ago.

12/24/2025

The Timber Testament Series (Part 1)

The Heritage Box

This was a fun build. I’ve had this on my project list for a while now and just got caught up in other orders longer than I planned. I finally got around to making it! It felt good to cross it off of my list and the design for this box changed atleast 7 times since I had planned on doing it. I chose the top and two parts of the base from a piece of beautiful figured walnut that I don’t see often enough. This slab caught my eye and I had to grab it when I was at the hardwood dealer one day a couple of years ago now. It wasn’t thick enough to turn into a table top or I would have done that but it had the really cool figure to it and was about 21” wide which is pretty wide for what I usually see so yeah, of course I had to have it. Anyway, I decided to do a bookmatch top because I’ve always thought that the symmetry in a bookmatched wooden item was really eye catching. For the sides I went with a curly maple that I had put aside from orders over the last couple of years. I periodically get a board that has a more attractive grain pattern and if I’m not tight on lumber to keep the order going that Im working on at the time, I’ll set it aside for items like this where it can help it stand out. I did question whether I had too much going on with the bookmatch top and figured maple though. More on that in the next part.

A little about me:
I am constantly striving to be a better Christian, father, entrepreneur.. and the list goes on. I’m far from perfect and struggle at times like we all do and one struggle I have is posting consistently! I know how to work hard work and get my hands dirty but I tend to focus more on that side and not enough on the rest. And as I tell my story and the story of my builds, I’m also working on that at the same time and learning as I go, so have a little grace. I’m trying. But I do love what I do and want to share that passion more so I might not care and still post it. We shall see.

I’ll try to post the next part again soon and tell the rest of the story about the Heritage Box and why I named it that. And more about my journey.

07/25/2025

I had the privilege of making this years Chahtapreneur of the Year Award for the 10 year Anniversary!! I’m thankful for everything the Choctaw Nation has done for myself and many other small businesses and couldn’t be more proud to have had that opportunity. I know it’s a little late but they have kept me busy. Congratulations to all of those who won this year! (I didn’t make the metal part)

10/03/2024

05/02/2024

A big thank you to every person who has ever bought anything from me. This has been such a rewarding journey already and I feel like I’m just getting started.

And to other small business owners who know the hard work it takes to keep a business going especially in today’s crazy times, keep it up! Let’s build each other up and support each other. There is no other person that understands the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into owning a business. With that, If anyone would like to collaborate on anything, send me a message. I am always up for helping a fellow business owner and growing together!

Also, if you saw my picture in the post, then you saw the reason for Zolo Creations Woodworking. My kids. When I started this new journey in woodworking, I transitioned from something I had done for almost 12 years, personal training. My decision to do that was to pursue something that would allow me to have a more flexible schedule to have time with my family, which is my reason for everything I do. When I decided to pursue this path, the name I chose had to mean something and couldn’t just be another catchy woodworking business name. Thats when ZOLO Creations was born and named after my kids, Zaiden Oller Lynnlee Oller. Z-O-L-O. My reason.

And lastly, a big thank you to my parents, Don Oller, Deborah Hill-Oller, for all the support through this rollercoaster of a year, to my amazing advisor, Valerie James, who gets to put up with me every week, to the entire staff at the Choctaw Nation Small Business Development Department, for making so many things possible for small businesses, and of course my kids, for the days I have to work a little later to make a deadline.

If I didn’t have just one of you on this journey, I wouldn’t be where I am today! So thank you!