Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen & Bryan Paul
Hi Jen & Bryan , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi and thanks for the opportunity to share our story! Looking back, there were several factors that got us to where we are today with Sunshine Built In. Early in my career I (Jen) was actually in nursing and healthcare quality. During that time I chipped away at my business degree in the evenings not fulling knowing how I’d use it but loving the idea of my husband Bryan and I “maybe” starting a business together one day.
Later on when I was project managing for a healthcare company here in Austin, we found out we were expecting our first child. We were ecstatic. After the baby was born, we had some hard and exciting conversations about creating a more flexible family schedule by “shaking life up” and finally being our own bosses. I stepped out of the corporate world and over the next several years we went through a series of odd jobs and failed business attempts. The pandemic and other unexpected turn of events where a hard hit. We often wondered if it was time to give up on our entrepreneurial ambitions.
So we went back to the drawing board. Bryan grew up in the building industry and over the years had been in commercial and residential contracting and high end cabinetry. Once again, over many hard and exciting conversations he wanted to further explore his woodworking roots. Working with many clients and spaces over the years, he recognized a need for fine, fully custom cabinet built-ins that would truly stand the test of time and look amazing. That niche is where we shine and what we wanted to offer to our community. We’ve seen how underutilized walls can be transformed into smart and beautiful work and living spaces without the need for major renovations. We understood firsthand how thoughtful, design-forward storage and displays are a game changer in the home.
Calling it “our experiment” we launched Sunshine and were thrilled to see inquiries steadily come in. The first year we worked out of our home garage and ultimately moved into our commercial shop. We are so grateful for our amazing clients and team that are such a pleasure to work with and allow us to “keep on keeping on” with this adventure together in a town we love.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Can you hear me laughing? Smooth? Nope, but every challenge we work through helps us do our job even better the next time around. An initial struggle was determining when and how much to grow the business. When we started to get booked a ways out, we knew the proof of concept was there but had to really evaluate what the next steps needed to be to have a healthy business. Should we upgrade our equipment and tools? What size shop and team would work best? How would those changes impact production and the client experience? It was a bit of a grind and dance. Another struggle has probably been simply learning how to work together as husband and wife with now 3 young kids. As Sunshine grows, we’re regularly reevaluating how our individual roles need to evolve. It’s taken some trial and error, but in time we’ve learned how to recognize our individual strengths and diligently stay in our professional lanes which ultimately best serves our clients and business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sunshine Built In ?
We’re a small family owned and operated cabinetry business with a focus on fine, fully custom built-ins. Our mission is to #1: Take underutilized walls and reinvent them into amazing statement pieces #2 Craft high end, unique pieces that our clients love and will be able to enjoy for a very long time #3: As our namesake reflects, offer a positive and rewarding experience. That’s our wheelhouse and what we’re known for. Many folks here in Austin move into stunning, newly built homes but are desperate for more room to display and store their belongings. Others have been in their house for years and want to make it feel more like home with purposeful custom work. Popular requests we get are for home offices, TV/art surround units, libraries, bars, mud/entryway units, and a whole range of nooks that just “need something.” We work with everyone from architects and contractors to designers and homeowners. If we sound like a good fit for your vision, we’d love to hear from you!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Really the first thing that comes to mind is surround yourself with a community that roots for you, offers wise council, and has your back come what may (whatever that looks like). The entrepreneurial lifestyle is not for the faint of heart and those that have experienced any form of success very likely had folks that spoke into their lives and met them where they were when things got rough. That was certainly our case through dear friends, family, church, other business owners, and a whole lot of prayer. Don’t go at it a lone. The right community can be the best teacher you’ve ever had. If you don’t have that quite yet, reading about and learning from the success of others is a great start.
Lastly, roughly quoting advice Robert Herjavec offered on a Shark Tank episode, “Don’t look at what you don’t have. Look at what you do have and create value out of it.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunshinebuiltin.com/
- Email: hello@sunshinebuiltin.com
- Phone: 512-333-0088 (Call or text)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinebuiltin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunshineBuiltIn/
Image Credits
Photos taken by Sunshine Built In LLC (of our products/ projects and shop).Thanks
