We recently had the chance to connect with Jen & Bryan Paul and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Jen & Bryan, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
We have been super fortunate to have so many amazing clients over the years. Bryan and I were just discussing the other day how we really enjoy that we’re often a direct to consumer business. We love partnering with residential and commercial designers and contractors, but a lot of times we’re working with the home owners. That adds a personal layer to our work that we enjoy. Really what’s surprised me is how much we get to know our clients and their families based on why they want the cabinetry they want. We work with many folks that are expanding their family and desperately need higher performing spaces. Others just bought or built a new home and are looking to finish it off with a home office, library, or entertainment area. Many are looking for ways to display their beloved vinyl or book collections that they’ve built up over the years. I remember another had a musician in the family and needed to store a particular drum set. Knowing, in our own way, that we’re supporting folks in their interests, new life chapters, and simply elevating their day-today-home experience is pretty awesome.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure and thanks for the opportunity. We (I’m Jen and my husband Bryan) are co-founders and owners of our cabinetry business Sunshine Built In. We primarily focus on high end, fully custom pre-finished built-ins. So projects like entertainment/living areas, offices, libraries/ bookshelves, bars, mud/ entryways, banquets, all kinds of nooks that need some help, and everything in between is where we shine. Transforming under performing spaces into high performing statement pieces (and having a lot of fun doing it) is really what we’re all about. Typically folks are wanting built-ins for a very specific purpose so we get to partner with them to create a beautiful piece that perfectly serves their space and stands the test of time.
In terms of our story, after having our first child we realized we wanted to reevaluate how we were “doing life” and try to create a more family friendly life schedule. We always wanted to work together and with over 25 years of experience in the woodworking and building industries, decided to launch our “built in experiment.” Being in many clients’ homes over time, Bryan noticed a need for truly well built and finished out cabinetry systems that elevated underused spaces and withstood the demands of the home (or workplace) for many years to come. To our delight (and with a whole lot of gratitude, thank you Sunshine clients!…), the inquiries started coming in.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Growing up I (Jen) was fortunate to be surrounded by teachers and peers that really demonstrated the value of putting hard work in to achieve something meaningful. My dad and grandfather are entrepreneurs so learning from them has been invaluable. I remember Dad telling me and my siblings something like “Time is the only thing you can’t buy back.” That impacted me as a young person. It’s been a thread throughout my life reminding me to regularly take a good hard look at where my time is going and to be sure that it aligns with my values – in work and life as a whole.
In mid life my (Bryan’s) father quit the security of his corporate job to start his own residential contracting company so that he could have more time with his kids. I grew up watching him build a business and make very intentional decisions around work to create not just a healthy company but a healthy family. Now with three young kids of our own, I find myself modeling his example.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
You betcha. As most entrepreneurs know, building something from the ground up is not an easy thing. Sometimes when you think everything is starting to “click,” something completely out of the blue and perhaps out of your control, hits you hard. Early on when we were working out of our garage with two kids under four and other on the way, every part of the business just felt HARD. Daily we thought to ourselves “Should we even be doing this? Are we crazy?” What we’ve learned over time is that…well, the “hard” is just life sometimes, especially when you’re going for something unconventional. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to give up. A regular prayer of ours is for wisdom and discernment in all our decisions as business owners. Pressing into that and having the good fortune of a supportive family, church, and friends has been priceless along the way.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
One of our values is “Integrity.” We hold our business to the same standard we hold our family – the Golden Rule. Our quality control and client relations policies are pretty simple: “Is this piece ready for my mother’s house? Are we stewarding the client’s experience as if he is my own father?” We’re going to take the time needed to close out a project well because that is the right thing to do.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
Really I think it’s the relationships and trust we’ve built with them. The biggest compliment we get is when past clients come back asking for more work or refer us to a loved one. Yes, we provide an exceptional product but we do it because we care about our clients and why they’re needing it in the first place. I think that comes through as we partner with and get to know them throughout the project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunshinebuiltin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinebuiltin/?hl=en
- Other: Email: hello@sunshinebuiltin.com
Call/Text: 512-333-0088
Image Credits
All photos were taken by Sunshine Built In
