This is the first part of a series in which we follow the journey that brought Playwell Bricks’ own Jason Pyett from a stay-at-home-Dad to bespoke models designer to the CEO of an international design company. To begin, we’ll have to travel back in time to 2015.

In those days, Playwell Bricks CEO Jason Pyett’s creative outlet was woodworking. He was working on a life size Hobbit hole when what he calls “a stupid mistake” almost cost him a finger. When his fellow woodworkers nodded their heads and mentioned that the first accident always jarred the worst, he was astounded. “The first!” he says, shaking his head. He decided then and there that he wasn’t going to wait around for the second.

THE TRIP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

For a time, Pyett’s creativity went without a regular outlet. His childrens’ birthdays were coming up, so he threw himself into planning a surprise trip to Disney World for them. “We had my in-laws take our luggage in their car and told the girls we were just going to have dinner at the airport.” At one point, his daughter Danaan spoke up and said “I bet we’re going on an airplane.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “It’s the only time I’ve ever lied to them, and she never lets me forget it! I said no, we’re just going to have dinner. Then she pipes up with ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we were going to Disney?’” He gapes in disbelief, even now, at her prescience. “When I finally showed the kids the tickets, they just stared at them for a long time, in awe.”

On the trip home from this adventure, the Pyett family spent a few days in New York to visit an old friend. While they were there, they went to the Rockefeller Center and found the LEGO® Store. Pyett was amazed by all the LEGO® he saw, but one set in particular, the Slave One ship from the Star Wars universe (Boba Fett’s ship), caught his attention. He kept circling back to look at the set. Something about it tugged at his idle creativity. “I didn’t buy it!” he says. “I felt the pull, but I didn’t buy it.”

A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

Sometimes our spouses know us better than ourselves. Pyett’s wife Davida noted his interest and gifted him with the Slave One LEGO® set for Christmas weeks later. Pyett began the build immediately and was soon engrossed. Sixteen hours later, the ship was constructed and a new obsession was born.

Wondering how Pyett went from this loving Christmas gift to designing custom sets from genuine LEGO® bricks? Stay tuned for Part Two of the Playwell Journey, coming soon to this space!