Rising Stars: Meet Dina Koebbeman of Holly Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Koebbeman.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Bored by Board was born from a very dark time in my life. The struggle to survive everyday was challenging but it gave me strength to fight and persevere. In 2016 my marriage of 15 years came to an end. I had 4 kids and I was a stay at home mom. Being home allowed my husband to advance up the corporate ladder and become someone of status in the financial world. Unfortunately for me, being home didn’t allow me to grow and become who I wanted to be. Our marriage suffered, as well as my emotional well being, and I decided to walk away and rebuild myself and become the woman I always wanted to be.
The first year of our divorce was hard. I had no job, no sense of direction. I was emotionally torn apart and trying to raise 4 kids on my own seemed like such an obstacle to achieve. I swore to myself I was going to make my children proud of me. I didn’t know how it was going to happen, but I knew I had the fight in me and I was ready to do just that.
I remember my friends telling me, “do what you love”. I would play those words over and over again in my head and wait for some sign to point me in the right direction. I was on food stamps, barely surviving, but the power of art gave me what I needed to get on my feet.
One day my friend asked me to paint a picture for her daughter. It was a beautiful unicorn on a giant canvas and I posted it to Facebook. I started brainstorming names for a business, although at this time, I still had no idea which direction I wanted to go in. I thought if I at least get my name out there, people will start looking at my work and maybe they would hire me. Bored by Board was created out of pure magic. The name appeared in my head just like rainbows suddenly appear out of nowhere on rainy days. Days went by and each day I would see more people following my page and asking me if I can make them shelves, or help renovate their laundry room. My answer was always YES!
Days turned into months and suddenly I was using a drill and chop saw and teaching myself how to cut miter angles. YouTube was my best friend at that time and I watched all different kinds of tutorials to learn how to do what the customer requested. I remember someone reached out to me on Facebook and asked if I can spray their kitchen cabinets. The word “no” was not in my vocabulary, so of course I accepted the challenge. I had a spray booth built, purchased a spray gun, watched videos, talked to paint distributors and taught myself how to professionally spray cabinets. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would evolve into a full time, lucrative business. I can’t even begin to express the joy I feel at every single job and the overwhelming sense of gratitude I experience when I look back and know that I have earned the trust of so many customers. There is no price tag or dollar amount you can put on that kind of accomplishment.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe anything that comes too easy wasn’t really worth it. Building Bored by Board was a labor of love. The long hours learning the process and watching videos to educate myself only helped me get stronger and smarter. My kids were still small and they still needed their mom. I was taking them to school every day, doctors appointments, and after school activities, along with building a business and finding the time to learn it all. I was not going to be a failure, especially to them, and I did anything it took to get me to where I am today. I worked long hours, days and nights. After I put the kids to bed, I was back at it spraying and cleaning cabinets in my garage. It taught me that I was stronger than I thought I was, and my will to persevere was powerful.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Art has always been my passion. Even as a child, I would sit in my room and surround myself with construction paper, glue and scissors and I would create. As I got older, I dabbled into photography, graphic design, pottery, mixed media art, and watercolors.
In 2009 I started an art class out of my home. I invited the neighborhood kids to come join. It started with one class on a Saturday morning and grew and grew and grew. Within just a few months, I was teaching classes every day after school, offering track out camps, and even parents night out events. I moved my art studio to a brick and mortar space in Cary and called it Time for Art Kids.
During my art class venture, I taught myself how to professionally facepaint and was being hired for birthday parties and corporate events all over the triangle. I was proud that I was a familiar name, a familiar face, people wanted me to be the one who came to their home and interact with their children.
Now, I have evolved into more of a home improvement business. I specialize in refinishing kitchen and bathroom cabinets but also install wallpaper, design and create decorative walls using board and batten, and love laundry makeovers. I think what I’m the most proud of is how I built a business from the ground up. When I was told I will never be anything, that person gave me the strength I needed to prove them wrong.
I don’t give up nor will I ever give up. Everyday is another day to learn and become better and do what you love. I never take that for granted.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success isn’t defined by how much money you make or how big your house is. Success is something you feel. Success is different for everyone. To know that I have achieved so many great things by teaching myself, that to me is success. To be able to provide for my children and give them the life I didn’t have, that to me is success. To be able to wake up every morning and LOVE going to work, that to me is success. The biggest sense of success to me is when my children look back at their mom in years to come and can be proud of who I was and how hard I worked to achieve it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.boredbyboard.com
• Instagram: boredbyboard
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boredbyboard