What started out as a hobby for Rocklin Broad has, almost magically, turned into a business success story overnight.
The 11-year-old from Lake Country is an avid Harry Potter fan.
“I’ve read all the books, watched all the movies, and made all the wands.”
Broad has spent the last year or two turning the sticks he finds in his backyard into hand-carved wands, crafted in the style seen in the Harry Potter franchise.
“My dad bought me a pocket knife and showed me how to carve, and so I was carving one day and I thought ‘oh, this kind of looks like a wand.’ So I started making them,” he explained.
From there, he started honeying his craft. He now cuts the sticks down to 14 inches, using his knife to whittle them into the right shape and add detail to the handles, and wood-burning or staining the wand as a final touch.
Broad then decided to sell the wands along with the walking sticks and letter openers he also crafts.
On Thursday, his mother Carla made a post on a local Facebook buy-and-sell page, advertising the wands he was selling for a mere $10 apiece.
The post was immediately met with an overwhelming response. Now, Broad will have his work cut out for him this summer: he currently has orders for four walking sticks, four letter openers and 51 wands.
“It’s been quite a wild ride,” he said.
Some of his wands could even end up appearing on the big screen. A film industry worker reached out and ordered two wands, saying he planned to bring them to New Zealand for the filming of the upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series (production has since been moved to the UK).
“He’s taking them to the prop master there, and if they were used he would be in touch and pay (Rocklin) to have them in the movie,” Carla said.
“He’s just had so many interesting people reach out,” she added, explaining he’s had people offer to help him build an online store, or invite him to attend markets for free.
Many people have insisted on paying more than $10 for one of Broad’s wands, which take him about an hour and a half to make. But he isn’t in it for the money.
“It’s just a hobby that I wanted to turn into something.”
That said, he does hope to put the money he earns towards buying his first truck.
“He’s an old soul by nature and he is saving for a 1950s Ford,” Carla said. “He’s hoping to buy the body sooner than later.”
At this rate, he’ll have the truck long before he’s of legal driving age.
“My phone’s been dinging this whole time we’ve been talking,” Carla said, fielding wand requests while speaking to the Calendar.
Creativity runs in the family — a fact that’s reflected in the name of the family’s business, Creative Lineage Co., through which they primarily sell custom-made surfboard racks.
“(Rocklin) helped us build that business, packing our orders and getting stuff ready, and then he tried to figure out what he could do that could add to his creative outlet,” Carla said.
The venture has taught young Broad some of the ins and outs of creating a business while proving that when hard work meets creativity, the results can be magical.
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Brendan Shykora
Business Young Canadians
