For years, I prayed and hoped for some kind of business that was creative and let me work with my hands. There were plenty of ideas that didn’t work out, but I kept bothering St. Joseph for one that would. And then one day during prayer, the idea for CORDA was born. The name means “hearts” and comes from the Mass when the priest says, “Lift up your hearts.” In Latin, that’s “sursum corda” and literally it means “Hearts up!” I love, too, how the heart is a source of strength and courage. The name also gives a nod to how I proudly make everything by hand in the heartland, where I was born and raised.