Paul and I are the same age, 47. We’re old.  Oh, and I almost forgot, we have five kids. I feel I must stress this for the throngs of people who still, unbelievably, ask me, “Are you two going to have a baby together? That would be so cute. Just like the movie with Fred Mac Murray and Lucille Ball.” As if somehow our having a baby would be entertainment for them. Sorry to disappoint, but no, we are not. Paul and I  discussed this the first time we talked on the phone, before we had ever met. He asked me if I wanted anymore kids. I don’t remember my exact answer, but  he claims  I laughed uncontrollably for five minutes. When I caught my breath I said, “Hell no!”

Instead of having a baby together, we decided to give birth to something else that would cost us a fortune, cause us many sleepless nights and would be more work than we ever dreamed possible. We decided to start a business. It wasn’t enough that we were planning our wedding, blending our families and remodeling our house. No, we needed to throw in some added stress, financial instability and general uncertainty. What the heck.

When I met Paul he was a consulting mechanical engineer designing solar thermal radiant hydronic heating systems. Radiant heat, particularly if is solar integrated,  is the most energy efficient and healthiest form of heating. Although radiant heat has been around since the Romans, it is just now really catching on in the US and he wanted to be a part of this cutting edge and innovative technology.  He read up on the subject, consulted trade organizations, and what he couldn’t learn from someone else, he figured out on his own. In his words, “It was a painful learning curve”, but he persisted and is now highly regarded by many as the industry expert in his field.

In spite of radiant heat’s growing popularity, it is still challenging to find qualified radiant heating installers. The construction industry is slow to react to change and Paul was getting increasingly frustrated because he couldn’t find trained technicians to implement his designs. He needed to figure what direction he wanted take with his consulting business, so he took a little surfing vacation in Mexico to clear his head and decide what to do.  While he was there, he  met George, our business partner. George is a master plumber who at the time was at a cross roads in his life too. Bored with being a union plumber, he was searching for more challenging work that incorporated state of the art technology.  The two of them hit it off  when they both realized they each had something to offer that would benefit the other.  Excited, they started talks exploring joining forces and starting a business together. Our design, build construction business was born on that surf trip in Mexico and from then on the term “board meeting” took on a whole new meaning. When Paul returned  he was so excited. I knew that he was on to something big and I supported him. I also knew he would never be happy or satisfied if he did not take his business in this direction.

There was, of course,  the issue of capital. They would need money for start up costs to set up an office, buy equipment and cover salaries until the business started making money. I told Paul that I would be his first investor and gave him some seed money from the sale of my house to help him get started. It was the beginning of an amazing,  frustrating, scary, exhausting and ultimately rewarding experience.

It has been two and a half years since we embarked on this adventure. Like many aspects of our lives together,  we survived because we stuck together, gave each other unyielding support and vented our frustrations by screaming at each other when we got really pissed off. We have had our rough patches and I am happy to say the worst is over, not because the stress in our lives is reduced, but because we have learned to deal with it better. After three years of marriage, we have a better understanding of each other’s moods and temperaments. Above all, we have faith in each other. When one of us is faltering, the other is there for support.

Our business in really taking off and is now making money.  In spite of the dismal economy, our business is growing and we are hiring. Recent tax credits have made our products and services much more affordable. We are starting to get work all over the country and even in Europe.