We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelley Irwin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kelley, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
My husband, Jeremy, and I launched our residential remodeling company in 2014 when our oldest son was two years old. I had just transitioned out of a teaching position in higher education and was looking for a mostly home-based part time role in our company. Our company grew quickly, and by the time our second son arrived in 2016 I was working more hours than I could effectively juggle with a newborn and four year-old at home. For some reason, I thought a week off after his birth would be sufficient. I was so laughably off base! That next year was one of the most challenging for me. Jeremy and I would work late into the night nearly every night to get caught up on work, only for me to be up with a baby for the rest of the night and chase a toddler during the day. I was exhausted and we let so many balls drop that year from sheer overwhelm.
We finally hit a wall and took steps to bring on extra help for our company, and we both had to learn how to delegate tasks to others. We scaled back what work we chose to take on in order to put some guidelines in place to protect our family time (and sleep!). After nearly two years of intentional habit retraining, rhythm adjustment, and selective decision-making, we achieved a peaceful and sustainable state, marking a significant transformation in our quality of life.
Overcoming burnout as a working mom with young kids not an easy task, but that experience has given me the guardrails I have now to hopefully keep my work life and family life in balance.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the principal designer and co-owner of Irwin Construction, a boutique design and construction firm in Argyle, Texas. We specialize in residential remodeling, and pride ourselves in attention to detail in both the design of a space and the technical execution of the remodel. My favorite part of this job is working alongside my husband Jeremy every day. While we share many of the same strengths, we also see things very differently. Jeremy has an eye for rearranging small or awkward spaces to dramatically increase their functionality. On more occasions than we can count, clients have cited his innovative ideas as the reason they chose our company over other contractors they interviewed. Brand-wise, we are proud that our company bears our name and that our boys are already taking ownership in the family business. We always have exciting new projects underway! If you love a good before and after story, make sure to follow us on Instagram (@irwin.construction)!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the top three qualities that have helped me are self-discipline, a desire to work hard to learn new things, and resilience.
I’m highly determined and prioritize self-discipline, especially in managing my time effectively to fulfill tasks while maintaining a healthy balance for my family.
Despite my post-secondary degrees being unrelated to construction and design, I have invested significant time and effort into self-learning to excel in these fields without formal education. Over the past nine years, I have acquired new industry knowledge and skills independently.
Resilience has been crucial to our business success, enabling us to bounce back from setbacks and stay motivated despite discouragement.
For folks just starting on their journey – find a mentor! Seek out someone who can encourage you and provide wise counsel when you hit snags.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
In our business, the number one obstacle we’re facing is skilled labor shortage. We’re constantly seeking workers and tradesmen who are willing and able to provide top-quality service within our company, but they’re hard to find. Networking in our community has brought us the most success in finding workers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.irwinbuilds.com
- Instagram: @irwin.construction
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irwin.construction.denton
- Other: Pinterest – @irwinconstruct
Image Credits
Darby Kate Photography and Lumen Media Group
