Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Holly.
Hi Kristin , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up a daddy’s girl, I was always helping him with something. From helping with the chickens and animals to being his gopher getting tools, I was always there beside him when I could. When I was young, he had his own business installing canopies over filling station pumps and would travel mostly in the Midwest building them. From ages 8-12, I spent my summers on the road with him working. Hooking deck pans, tightening bolts, cutting and assembling gutters, whatever was necessary. When I was 9, I started running the 1-ton crane to set the steel columns and beams for the structure. In the down time, it was my swing with a strap hanging on the hook. My dad taught me how to use more tools as a kid than many adults know how to use. Most importantly though, he taught me the value of hard work, good work ethics, and the value of a dollar.
When I was in high school, I loved math and science, and knew I wanted to go into engineering. Aerospace industry is dying a guy told me, you won’t be able to find a job by the time you get out. I’m not so sure about that now, but that’s not what a motivated teenager wants to hear. I loved chemistry though and was the lab assistant my senior year. At that point, I changed my focus to Chemical Engineering.
I started college in 2nd semester calculus and pre-engineering classes, working part time jobs to put my way through school with minimal loans. Then I learned that chemical engineering had a required summer class that required 6 days a week, 15-18 hours a day at the engineering building. I’m not a quiter, but how was it going to keep paying for college if I didn’t work a summer? So I really had to think about what made me happiest and I kept coming back to running a crane and working construction with my dad. Now granted, you don’t go to college to be a crane operator… That’s when I discovered Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). UW-Madison didn’t have minors, but they had an emphasis in Construction Engineering and Management (CEM). And so it began, continuing to learn about what I loved.
Each summer I’d apply for internships to help pay for my education besides my little part time stuff during the school year. I did a coop one summer/semester with the DOT, but my heart wasn’t in that part. I wanted buildings, all the different aspects of construction, how things fit together. I graduated college and went to work for a national general contractor in the DC area, starting as a field engineer, then an office engineer and project engineer, and working my way up to Safety Manager, Area Superintendent, QC Manager, and even a year in estimating. I wanted to learn every process and aspect, but I also wanted to understand the work going into it, be in the field, and work with my hands. I worked on a variety of jobs, many high profile and each with there own specialty things to learn. I knew the basics of MEP, dad had taught me drywall young and I learned tricks from the craftsman, I learned carpentry skills and many other things just by observing and talking with the guys I supervised. Many were willing to let me help on things to further my understanding and also appreciation of what they did and the difficulty.
Due to some family issues, I ended up leaving and moving to Texas with my husband. We started a business doing small contracting jobs, but after a while I knew he wasn’t the business partner I needed. After my daughter was born, I returned to work for someone else to ensure bills were paid and she had insurance. Things didn’t work out with my husband and we got divorced, but I had my daughter to provide for. I continued working and growing, but eventually I was working so much and my daughter was in school and I wasn’t around. I had someone else getting her on and off the bus. After a couple years it was necessary to re-evaluate what was important. I started my own Handyman business and traded the 80 hours weeks for the flexibility of being there for my daughter and being involved in her school.
After a couple months I added a business partner, someone I knew with knowledge and a solid work ethic like myself. I had started with a couple ads on Craigslist. After a few months I became associated with Angi Ads to get more work. KW Handyman and Home Repair Services has earned the Super Service Award from Angi 4 years in a row, and this year we also became BBB accredited. We also have a website and a facebook page, though I’m sure the content needs to be updated. We pride ourselves on a quality job, good communication and price, and treating our customers right and with respect. We have many repeat customers, primarily because of the job we do and how we treat them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been anything but smooth, but we’re getting there. When I first started, I had a couple customers tell me they needed a man, I couldn’t do the job. No amount of explaining was going to change their mind.
Sometimes when I have an Angi lead and I don’t call, we only exchange text messages, I’ll show up for the job and be told I wasn’t what they were expecting. They are pleasantly surprised and when the job is finished usually ask if they can keep my number for future work without going through Angi. That’s a win.
There are still some ups and downs with weather and the economy and other things that impact the fluidity of business. We definitely have the time and ability to take on more work.
But I also have the flexibility to be able to attend school things for my daughter. She started in Cub Scouts in 2nd grade. I’ve been a Den Leader for a couple years and am currently the Cubmaster as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We do everything from tv mounting, to fence building and repairs, to changing plumbing and elctrucsl fuxtures, to full bathroom remodels. We treat each job with the same respect. We discuss possibilities and options, and make sure we get a vision of what the customer is looking for. We don’t try to sell them on something that’s not needed, but we make sure they understand what will be best in their situation.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Please refer to the very long first question response
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.kwhandymanandhomerepair.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568539583696
