remodeling

Joyful Pause Studio: Bad News and Good News

Posted by Barbara Techel

Joyful Pause Studio: Bad News and Good News

Bad News: returning home from vacation in November I discovered we had a water issue in the lower level of our house. Magazines stacked on the carpet against the wall, used for the SoulCollage workshops I offer in my studio, I came to discover when moving them that the bottom magazines were wet.

Nothing like a water problem to make your stomach drop to your feet. We pinned the problem to a chimney leak we had late August, which John had fixed not realizing the water had dripped down between the walls.

It had been a hope of mine that we could replace the carpet downstairs with something else eventually. Well, now is the time. At least for the one room.

Good News:  Today John is installing a luxury vinyl flooring that clicks and snaps together (not really as easy as it sounds, as it is a bit more challenging than he anticipated).  But it is backed by 5/8 inch cork board and perfect for basements. It also looks like wood flooring, which I love.

Of course now I wish we could do the whole lower level plus the stairs — but that will have to wait. It will also take much longer to do that amount of space which is about 800 square feet.

The other good news is I painted the room also to match the rest of downstairs – I just love that green!!  Very “zen”  I think for my workshops.

I keep telling John that the nicer he makes our house, the more I won’t want to leave it for a warmer climate which we’d like to do someday. Though honestly, I don’t know if I can ever leave completely, but would like to head to warmer temps just for the winter months.

I’m so excited about 2017 and the workshops I’m going to be facilitating on my own, plus workshops I’m collaborating on with friend Rachel, of LaValley Equine Sanctuary. We both have a fire inside us about offering workshops and it feels so good to have this new passion.

My vision of encouraging women to…

Going down the stairs to Joyful Pause Studio (and yes, John needs to reinstall trim here – always something to do!)

is coming true and that makes my heart feel much joy…which is good, good, news.

Even for women who aren’t local to my area and can’t attend my workshops in person, I’m giving lots of thought to offering workshops online, videos, tele-classes, etc. which I want to record and facilitate from my Joyful Pause Studio…so stay tuned!

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Bigger isn’t Always Better. The Joy of Returning to Small.

Posted by Barbara Techel
Bigger isn't Always Better. The Joy of Returning to Small.
John of JT Construction. Photo credit: Katherine Blanke

How do you build a house, you ask? One 2×4 at a time. -John Techel

It was his dream. To have his own business which he started almost 22 years ago.

He loves to work with his hands. And he thrives on the smiles and gratitude of happy clients.

But then ten years into his business it was suggested to go bigger. You can’t make a living without a crew they said.

He went from one to three full time employees and brought in seasonal help for the summer.

While the crew expanded, the stress and challenges did too.

He was so torn. His heart born to be an entrepreneur and his spirit alive in believing in young men coming into the trade and giving them a chance to make something of themselves.

But the economy and bureaucracy started to drain the spirit right out of his very soul.

His work no longer gratifying in the way it used to be. Chasing jobs to keep three full time guys busy. Some had families to support and this weighed heavily on him, not wanting to let them down.

As the light went out inside him, my heart grew heavy, too. I wanted more than anything for that spark to return for him again.

And as sometimes happens, life has a way of supporting you if you open to it. He never had the heart to let anyone go, but knew if one of the guys left he wouldn’t replace them.

Soon enough he was on his own again and a decision to make. While it would have seemed easy, he worried that at mid-life his body may not hold out. But he wanted more than anything to keep going.

You see, this carpenter husband of mine has this driving force in him that is quite magical to be witness to.

His passion for remodeling and building is evident in how he talks with clients and how he pays close attention to detail. But more than that, it’s about giving people a home or a new, updated space within their existing home they can be proud of. A place where they feel joy and security, and can relax after a long day.

This carpenter with rough working hands, dirt under his nails, aches in his fingers and shoulders, forges forward for the reward of knowing he brings joy to home owners.

And when a client pays him a compliment I swear I see his heart grow ten times its size.

And the best? The joy and spark that this carpenter’s wife sees in her carpenter husbands eyes is what makes my heart swell with pride — and brings joy to me to see a man who is happy and content in what he does.

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Twenty Years – What a Ride! So Proud of Mr. Techel.

Posted by Barbara Techel

jt first truck0001John’s first business truck and trailer

This month John celebrates 20 years owning and operating his business, JT Construction. It certainly hasn’t been easy. But boy-oh-boy, have we both grown along the way.

Running a business isn’t for everyone. We have questioned many times if it was for us. While many will think there isn’t security in having your own business, the fact is that there is no security or guarantee in working for a company either.

John has wanted to throw the towel in many times, especially after one very trying client, 9/11, and when things fell apart with the economy in 2008. Those were certainly the most scariest of times hoping we would survive.  But John is an entrepreneur at heart and  believes strongly in small businesses…and most importantly, he loves what he does.

Just like anything in life, there are disadvantages and advantages. At the time he began his business, I had left a job I had been at for 12 years. Though I liked the work I did as Sales Coordinator at a local resort which was my new job close to home, the plan was for me to join John at some point to help with office administration duties. That became a reality four years later.

I wanted to work from home and was tired of the corporate world. But little did I realize that working side-by-side with my husband would cause a big test in our marriage. I don’t regret one single moment of working in our home office, because I grew in ways I could have never predicted. But the honest truth is, it wasn’t what my heart truly wanted. And more than that, I didn’t want our marriage to suffer because of the differences we had in running a business together.

Walking away from the business was one of the hardest and easiest things I ever did. I wasn’t giving up on John, but was making our marriage stronger, as well as making myself stronger, and John. He has simply amazed me with how he now handles (for the most part), all aspects of his construction business. I still lend my marketing expertise and lend my ear in times of frustration.

I’d have to say that 2008 through 2012 were the most challenging of years in business and we’ve had to make some tough choices – just like many others did, too. But it has made us who we are today. We are so much aware of what matters most to us, what choices we want to make, and how we want to live our lives. That to me, says so much.

I’m so very proud of John, his work ethic and how he provides for me and the dogs. Though I’m not in the office doing the bookwork any longer, I’m still part of the team lending my support in the best way that I know how by being who I am meant to be.