Jon and Hanna Shiplett
Loving what you do – helping realize other people’s dreams as well as your own – that’s what a good design/build team does.
On this episode of the Uncommon Life Project Podcast, hosts Phillip and Bryan talk with Jon and Hanna Shiplett. Together, Jon and Hanna own and operate Eden + Gray Design/Build.
Jon is a professionally licensed General Contractor with a background in welding, framing, trim carpentry, and property management.
Hanna is an Iowa State University graduate with a BFA in Interior Design. She worked as a project manager and commercial interior designer for 4 years before becoming her own boss. She is an NCIDQ (licensed) interior designer and before graduation received her LEED ID+C accredited professional a.k.a. professional tree hugger.
Jon + Hanna have a gaggle of children, and enjoy long drives with coffee. Hanna sneaks away from her design desk occasionally to take a ballet class, and Jon relaxes with a good book.
What you’ll learn
- How working with your spouse can work!
- Gaining skills to support your career
- How to pitch the value of creative services
- Augmenting income with real estate investments
- Keeping priorities straight and having life/work fit together (we didn’t say balance)
- Giving clients all the fine-grain details they need to make informed decisions
- How to create efficiencies so “killing it” is not killing you
- Making lifestyle choices to support your entrepreneurial drive
- How through building and design, your work becomes a part of people’s lives for years to come
Golden Nuggets
[bctt tweet=”“I would design my hamster’s cages when I was young – so there were some signs that design was in my future.” – Hanna Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“A lot of times designers and contractors don’t get along. Being married, we have to get along. It’s been working so far!” – Jon and Hanna Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“We do make sacrifices. But I haven’t sacrificed one drop of coffee!” – Hanna Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“There’s a balance. You can design a home that’s too unique, and then it’s not sellable.” – Jon Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“I get a little misty eyed when I think about projects where there are real families that meet. They’re having birthday parties and anniversaries. It’s really special.” Hanna Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“It’s fun to find something that is not cool at all, fix it, repurpose it and make it safer, more comfortable, more beautiful.” – Jon Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“I don’t want to do a trend just because it is trending. I want to be on the leading edge.” – Hanna Shiplett”]
[bctt tweet=”“We have a passion for taking space and making it special for the people who live there.” – Jon Shiplett”]