Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Carlson.
Hi Kara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Tony and I grew up very differently, but we landed in the same small town in northern Minnesota. We met in middle school, dated for a short time, and then went our separate ways in life after high school. After college we reconnected through a mutual friend. I think our history of knowing each other from a younger age gave us a foundation of trust for a lot of things that happened after that: marriage, kids, and starting our business.
When we first got married and bought our first home together, I used to blog about Tony’s house projects. It wasn’t until we went through a kitchen renovation together that I really recognized how talented he was. Neighbors would hire him to help with small house projects and I remember thinking how great it would be if one day he could leave his job to start his own renovation company.
Neither one of us started out adulthood with a desire or dream to be an entrepreneur. Life and work experiences along the way contributed to each of our own separate skills and abilities; it was a natural progression. I had a background in marketing and business management, and he had a passion and skillset for construction and home improvement projects.
We both had full time jobs before we started our business with decent benefits and a predictable incomes. After two kids, we spent more time talking and dreaming about starting a business. We made the decision for Tony to start full time first as the general contractor while I stayed on at my full time job but supported our business in my spare time.
The plan was to focus on residential home remodeling projects. We didn’t know what to expect; what types of projects we would get or what types of customers but we went for it! Tony is the type of person that if he doesn’t know how to do something, he can teach himself how. I was so confident in his abilities and willingness to learn new skills if and when it was needed.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Leading up to Tony leaving his job, we saved some money to help fund the inevitable gap/pause from his income. January 1, 2020, he was a full-time business owner. Things started out good and we had projects scheduled for the first few months of 2020. But as much as we planned and prepared, we could not have planned for a pandemic. All projects we had scheduled got cancelled or put on hold due to stay at home orders. We had to pivot. Tony took on any work that was available. He made custom outdoor furniture for a few people and even made plexiglass dividers for a local business that needed additional covid protection.
In June of 2020, we were finally able to start projects again and since then, business has been nonstop. Our company consists of just Tony and I, no employees. We work with various subcontractors and designers when needed. By 2021, I was spending most of evenings and weekends to try to keep up with the needs of our company. While Tony was on each job site executing and managing each project, I was behind the scenes keeping in communication with clients and potential clients, writing estimates, sourcing, and ordering materials, and scheduling sub-contractor work. 2021 was a successful year but it also stretched us so thin. I got to the point where I felt I was just mediocre at all things; being a wife, a mom, an employee, and a business owner. I wasn’t great at any of them because I didn’t have enough time. We knew something needed to change and decided to make the jump for me to leave my fulltime job in November of 2021. We’re still navigating our new routine and budget, but this change has allowed me to spend more time with my family and spend less night/weekend hours on hour business. Some days the bank account is low, but our spirits are so high!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Carlson Trades Company?
Carlson Trades Company is family owned and operated, providing custom home remodeling and construction services to the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs. We specialize in interior and exterior construction, remodeling, and finishing work. Licensed and insured, we work with residential homeowners to improve the livability of their homes. As a general contractor, we provide the materials, labor, and equipment needed to complete each project.
We take pride the quality of our work and dedication that goes into each project. If it’s not done right, we fix it. Trust and communication with our customers are also our top priorities. In our industry, it’s not uncommon for homeowners have bad experiences with companies due to their lack of communication and transparency. We make a point to never leave our customers in the dark at any point in the process!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
God, our marriage, and our children –in that order. No matter what challenges the business (or life in general) presents, we make it a priority to not let up the amount of time and energy we dedicate to our faith and our family. Without out that strong foundation, everything will crumble eventually no matter how much money the business makes. There are absolutely times when these priorities fall out of place but the important thing is that both Tony and I can recognize when it happens and know we need to shift our focus.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.carlsontrades.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsthecarlsons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlsontradesco
