How to Build a Luxury Design Business With Your Spouse with Paul + Jo Studios

They create some of the most recognizable homes in Columbus, Ohio. But behind the aesthetic is pressure, conflict, obsession, and nonstop work.

This conversation with Stacy and Tracy from Paul + Jo Studios gets into what it actually takes to build a design business as a married couple while raising kids, renovating homes, running projects, and trying not to lose yourselves in the process.

We talk about creativity vs. practicality, entrepreneurship, farm life, parenting teenagers, and why Tracy and Stacy still believe beautiful spaces can change how people feel.

Also, we chat about Brene Brown, meditation, sheep trauma, and why silence feels like luxury once you become parents.

Transcript

Sponsor Messages

Keri Croft 0:00

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Staci 2:26

She can be pretty tough.

Traci 2:27

Yeah. You have to.

Staci 2:28

Yeah, I'm sure. What'd you have for breakfast? Same thing I have every morning. Which is what why I asked? Bruke yogurt, chia seeds, cup of blueberries, flax meal, pistachios, what's those things? Papitas and granola and honey.

Keri Croft 2:44

Because you said I've eaten the same thing for breakfast since like the 70s.

Staci 2:49

Yeah. I saw David Lynch like a couple years ago. He's like, I have raw tuna and broccoli every day for lunch. And I'm like, wow, dude, that is whack. But it's so brilliant because it's just fucking easy. Well, I think it's good and it's good for you, and you don't have to think about it.

Keri Croft 3:05

I'm a creature of habit and I'm someone who I want food taken off my plate. I don't want to have to think about it. So I'm with you. Yeah. What about you? Did you have breakfast? You don't eat breakfast. You're a nibbler.

Traci 3:16

I'm a nibbler. I have too much going on until about one o'clock, two o'clock, and that's when I usually eat. But I am a nibbler.

Keri Croft 3:25

But you now you're intermittent fasting nibbler.

Traci 3:27

No, I just have always I've never eaten breakfast ever since I was little. Never. My daughter doesn't, Billy doesn't eat it either. It's just, you know, I'm sure it's like low cortisol or some bullshit like that.

Staci 3:38

I think I've read some people eat like morning eaters. So if you know you want to do the eight-hour eats, eat a day and not the rest 16, then you know, but some people eat the morning eating.

The All Women Event Takeaways

Traci 3:48

Yeah, I drink my Joey, I have water, and then and then I don't really get hungry.

Keri Croft 3:55

So Tracy, you were a part of this in real life event the other night. So now people are going to be seeing you on this. Like, oh my gosh, I recognize her. She was one of the seven baddies. You had a good experience. You had a good time.

Traci 4:05

It was amazing. I mean, you killed it. It was the most inspirational, I mean, thing that I have been to, and I'd probably ever. Um, I have never been in a room that was all females, and everybody was open, and it was just, I was just inspired, you know. I I would say this you don't judge a book by its cover. These women, I mean, I cry, I like had tears in some of the, you know, when somebody was speaking. I I think that everybody brings something to the table. And I think that you curated these p women and this event so seamlessly. And I was, I mean, I can't stop talking about it to people. Everybody I talk to about it, if they ask me, I, you know, and back to you and, you know, just badass.

Keri Croft 4:55

I'm so happy to hear that that it hit because when I was creating it, in my head, I'm like, I there's just all these different flavors of badass. Like I almost got offended where I'm like, you know, people don't understand when I say badass. They think I'm talking about like tough and you know, it's like, no, your badass is like your essence. Who you are, like your kindness and your ability to like really truly want to surprise and delight. Yeah, that is badass. Like one of your, like, you know, yeah. And so all the different women, yeah, you know, some were like kind of goth, some were kind of like, you know, gingham. Some were like, I mean, it's like I wanted everyone to just bring it. It was awesome.

Traci 5:33

It was very real. And and I loved how you curated and kind of surprised everybody with uh questions. And I think everybody was engaged. We'll be ready for the next lifting for sure. I appreciate that.

Founding Paul And Joe Studio

Keri Croft 5:45

I cannot wait to the next no, it's gonna be really good. Yeah, so let's talk about Paul and Joe Studio. Okay. Um, and I I mentioned this briefly the other night, but I am gonna talk about it again because it this is just this just is a testament to how extremely talented you are, and the two of you together. I mean, you'll admit you're the financial side and you are the fix it guy. You're not necessarily like doing all the, you're the creative, right? You're the one that's like putting the so I am very finicky about my home and design, and it's always been very challenging for me to find someone to help me. I like this part of what they do or that part of what they do. And I always just felt like it's just never gonna be a thing that I find a soulmate. Dorchester.

Traci 6:29

Yes.

Keri Croft 6:29

You do this house. Yes. I somehow see it. Yes. I start looking through these rooms and I'm like, I need to know who did this house. And it was hard to find you. You had a PO, but I looked up Franklin County Otter. I was stalking there. I stalked you for six months, I couldn't find you for six months. I had no idea how to find you. And then someone who I know for some other random reason showed me this house. I'm like, you know this, you know this person. I have to know who is behind this. And it was Paul and Joe Studio, and then the rest is history.

Traci 7:02

Yeah. We we pretty much launched Paul and Joe. We we were, you know, uh another LLC, STR, LLC just to, you know, start our business, but it wasn't really a thoughtful. And um Dorchester was kind of our baby to kind of show the world, you know, what we were about. And um, and we kind of in tandem launched it right when we did um launched our brand, you know, our website. You know, I started Instagram and really, really hit it hard um for that. So it was all that's why we it was wasn't really like we weren't really out there until uh Dorchester. So And then you were out there.

Keri Croft 7:45

And Dorchester was like, I mean, that was like Yeah.

City Style Meets Farm Life

Traci 7:49

It was a spec home, you know, he can talk more about it. So it was something, you know, the price point was probably higher than than Columbus was ready for in that area. Um, but it was fully designed from head to toe, you know, very thoughtful design. You know, I spent a lot of money, probably too much money, he'll say, on like the lighting package or the materials that was very important to me to represent who we were, especially coming out of the gate launching. So it was, you know, very indicative of what we were about, you know, high-end luxury homes. Tell people why you named it Paul and Joe Studio. Well, it would not be delicious Tracy and Stacy design studio. Really vomit. So um uh I am um uh second generation Joe. So my mother Mary Joe, Tracy Joe, my daughter Billy Joe, Jay uh Stacy is third generation. His grandfather was actually Paul, then Gary Paul, his father, then Stacy Paul, and our son is Jacob Paul. So it just sounded and it was a little bit what, country, a little bit city, very us, I think. I came up with it.

Keri Croft 9:06

Well, speaking of that, let's talk about the juxtaposition sitting here. This this is so fascinating. And anyone who knows you guys, I mean, everyone I talk to says the same thing when they meet him. They're like, oh my God, he's so cute. And he's a farmer too, and he's a city guy. Like what they want to understand, like they want to peel it back because it really isn't what you would get in one package most of the time. So you're this you look very urban and metro on the surface, but you're a farmer and you have a a farm close to Lima, and you would probably rather be there than anywhere, right? Correct. So, like tell us what you do there, like besides almost light the whole thing on fire, like the one time I we had a little field fire that day.

Traci 9:50

Here, come and visit.

Staci 9:51

I'll never forget it. What do we do? Well, we grow uh corn and soybeans, and we've been starting to do some cover crops for sustainability and weed control and making the earth better. But that's what we do spring and the fall mostly. Um, and then we also have a a big grain elevator that we bought in 2019, end of 2019. And we haul our grain too, sorry, and uh and we buy other local farmers' grain, who brings it to us. So, and that provides a 10-month another job for brothers and us, me and my nephews. But you'd rather be there than anywhere, right? Uh um most days, yeah. I mean, I grew up there and and not yeah, there's just something when you work in the when you work with the land and you work with Mother Nature and there's no uh people barking at you and there's no people having expectations, it's just you and the earth. And it's wacko and it's crazy because it's super you know, you plant in the spring and you hope you get rain and you hope you get sun, and you get all of it, you just may not get the timing that you want. So it's uh it's a gamble every spring financially, and you know, normally we do all right.

Keri Croft 11:15

So well, you said something in your intake form. You said we're in a di you said a digital world when the the trees and plants are waving at you every day. I thought that was a really cool way of saying it. Like, why are we all on our phones when there's trees and plants just waving hello every day? You know, you're right.

Evolving Beyond Client Design Work

Staci 11:32

Well, it's soothing. It's soothing. I mean, even you know, I try to walk several times a you know, uh a week in the morning, and I don't like walking through the houses, but I, you know, that's what's there is the sky and there and the and the trees, and that's that's calming to me, and a little music, of course, but it's busy. It's not busy out in the out in the nature, you know. It's busy for the critters, but yeah, it's it's calming for the critters.

Keri Croft 11:57

Listen, like the way you talk is like it's so good. I fucking love it. So with Paul and Joe, I feel like you guys have gotten so busy and your business has evolved into now you're doing Airbnbs and all kinds of stuff, right? So somebody really couldn't even they could hire you if they wanted to just to do like design, but how are you evolved now from where you were three years ago? What is your main, like what do you want to be doing most?

Traci 12:28

Me. Um well, um I will probably want to design until the day I die, in some way, shape, or form. Um, I think we are best together as starting something on our own. So buying a house and reimagining it, like the Ravine project. I think that's kind of where we both would rather be versus working with clients. There's just so many stresses that come with that. You know, for them, people are putting money into something. So financially it's a stress on them. Usually they're moving as well into this new home. So there's another layer of stress. Um, and, you know, you're at the mercy of other people, you know, you can't control everything, right? So if someone, a trade person fails, then everything behind it also, you know, gets, you know, pushed back. So that uncertainty and that stress is something that, you know, I don't think he loves anymore. And and I think for me, I just really want to create. So, you know, I'll take some projects that a whole house that I can affect the whole environment. It's hard to come in and just do a room. I really, you know, although I love to do it, I just it's it's just not worth my time right now. I think it's not my passion anymore. I want to be able to affect everything, you know, a whole environment.

Keri Croft 13:56

Speaking of the ravine project, yes, I had the opportunity to go look at it a couple weeks ago. And I mean, just like I and I could tell the love and the everything you guys had put into that. That's like a really special one. It's it was unbelievable.

Traci 14:11

Absolutely the most special architectural home that we've ever touched. Um, it just has so much story behind it, and it's on this plot of land that is just mind-blowing, you know, seven acres and on a ravine. It's like, you know, I mean, he we would be living there probably if if our kids weren't in school in Upper Arlington. But, you know, the nature is all around you and 25-foot ceilings, floating stairs. I mean, just it, it just, you know, continues to amaze you when you're in the space. So it was really exciting to create something that had such an incredible bones.

Keri Croft 14:53

And you knew from a very young age that you wanted to create, right? You were watching a movie with your mom. Yes. What a way to go. Yes, my very favorite. Shirley McLean. Oh, and I mean, come on.

Traci 15:04

Like anything she's in, I'm like, I just and this she was like young, and she it's it's basically her, and she marries five or six different men. You know, everybody's in there. Paul Newman, Robert Mitchin, um, Dick Van Dyke, Tony Curtis, everybody. And it's it is like a mini-movie within each one of her marriages, it has a mini-movie in it. And it is, I remember, I think I've seen it 150 times, probably. And the set designs were so like she was married to Gene Kelly. That's how it opens up. And he was a singer, and his favorite color, his name was Pinky. And so the whole entire thing was color drenched, our favorite. Right. And it was all pink, right? That's how the opening scene is. And she's in this amazing, full-blown bikini walking around with a bitch stick in her hand, you know, just full tilt, right? And ever since then, I was just like, that's it. Uh I need to be able to create something like that, right? And it just changed. Each scene would change, and it was her her outfits and her jewelry, and it was just amazing, head to toe. So that's probably what did it for me.

Keri Croft 16:20

I love that.

Traci 16:21

Yeah.

Keri Croft 16:22

I have a couple questions for you. So you were a shy kid. Were you shy?

Staci 16:27

Yeah, yeah.

Keri Croft 16:27

Were you cripplingly shy?

Staci 16:29

Probably.

Keri Croft 16:30

Just was that just by nature? Probably. Just where yeah, I guess.

Staci 16:36

I don't know.

Keri Croft 16:37

Well, you'd mentioned that like in your mid-20s, you had the opportunity to be around strong women.

Staci 16:42

Yeah.

Keri Croft 16:43

Who were these strong women that helped to like bring the shy the to kill you of your shyness?

Staci 16:47

Well, they didn't kill it, but they certainly helped it. And they were, it was um, I worked for a Fortune 100 company in town back in the early 90s. And you know, there's probably 70 people there, and they one of the one of the centers of like five in the in the in the nation, and they were run by mostly women accountants. Super boring, right? But the lady that ran it was actually from Lyme, Ohio. And and they all were incredibly strong, uh, incredibly, they hold held everybody accountable. They were never negative, always positive, kept to-do lists. I mean, ran that place like a like a computer, but with with kindness and and support. And, you know, and then you know, part of my job was to just talk to people out in the field every day. And I'm like, I can't call these people, I don't know them. What am I gonna say? You know, so you didn't have a choice. So that was, I mean, it was a it was an incredible experience, and it wasn't just one of the women, there were several of them. Another lady, another girl, she was from Lima as well, and she's the one who who I knew to get in there, and uh all incredible management people and all incredible uh people to learn from. So it amazing experience.

Keri Croft 18:05

So you knew from a pretty young age how incredibly powerful and wonderful and run the world that women are.

Staci 18:14

Well, yeah, like why else would you want to be with anybody anything less? No, I know personally, right? That's me.

Keri Croft 18:23

Yeah, well, you even said Brene Brown's like your ultimate. Yes. Yes. She's so good, isn't she? You said she'll bring you to tears.

Staci 18:31

She she is she is I love her. And and and I've heard her speak uh in podcasts many times. I don't normally have the patience to sit there for an hour, but sh it doesn't matter. It only takes five minutes, and she'll say something, you'll be like, Jesus.

Keri Croft 18:47

And the way she says it.

Staci 18:48

Yeah, and you know, she's so vulnerable and she's so open and she's so encompassing of everything that's around the subject she's talking about. It's there's no bullshit. It's all out on the table.

Keri Croft 19:00

I love how she reframed um the man in the arena and made that relevant again.

Staci 19:06

Yeah.

Keri Croft 19:06

The the quote around, you know, it's not the critic who sits in the stands and it's the the person that's actually in the arena doing it and with blood, sweat, and all this. And that like really shifted her because before she was so like, you know, the comments people were making and the the insecurities. And once she saw that again, she was like, Oh my God, like unless you are in the ring, you don't, it doesn't matter what other people think. Yeah, you know, they're all in the cheap seats. And what I noticed from both of you, um, not just as people, but what you wrote, you know, neither one of you really care what other people think. You know, it's kind of ingrained in who you are, um, which I think is great. You kind of have this rebellious sort of uh persona, and I think you both get it honest. You probably from like moving 10 times and you know, having to recreate yourself and you just being the stubborn, you know, farming mule that you are. But raising these two great kids you have right now, how do you like how do you finesse that? Because you can't just be like, it doesn't matter what everyone thinks and don't care. And how do we finesse that with kids right now who care so much about what people think and you know how much it doesn't matter, you know?

Staci 20:19

It's I'm not good at it, but she's amazing at it, and she's just there for 'em, let you know, better than anybody.

Traci 20:28

Yeah. Thanks, Jam. Yeah. So you talk. Oh, I think, you know, one, they always know they have a safe space, right? They always have a safe space to come and talk to me no matter what. And, you know, middle school teenage is rough. I uh it was easy in elementary school, but you know, and there's no book, right? I mean, or at least it's every person is different, right? So you just nurture the hell out of them, you know, and make sure that they know that they can talk to you. And I even learned something when I was, you know, at the event, you know, and you know, I I try to be a really good listener, number one, right? Just let them get it off their chest. I try not to give too much advice because I've found from my daughter that, you know, she just wants to be heard. And not she's like, mom, not everything is a life lesson, you know, and and sometimes you just have to be there and listen and be their friend, but kind of guide them a little bit, you know. I mean, I think the number one thing is just listen.

Keri Croft 21:45

Well, what what did you look? I think I know what you're gonna say about the other night when we had the conversation. Was it with Lisa, who is a boss?

Traci 21:52

Yeah, blew me away. That's where I almost start crying. I mean, it was so relevant, and you just don't know. Know exactly how to show up sometimes when they have difficulty because sometimes you just want to say, just get over it. It's not good. Tomorrow you won't even give a shit, right? But it's real to them, and it's you know, you're in it. And so, and you know, the advice that she was giving, and I actually talked to her, and I'd love to go to lunch with you know us, but I I think just you know, not putting what you think and how you feel onto them and really just letting them feel like it's a safe space to talk and tell you what's going on. And she actually was really brilliant. She was like, when I talked to her offline, she was like, just let her when she's telling you, re-say what she's saying. So she hears it and realizes that maybe it's not as big a deal as she thinks it is, you know? And it it stuck with me. It stuck with me to like, how can I improve? How can I be better for these children? Right. I I do everything. I bend over backwards, you know, and most mothers do, right? Anything I can do special for them, I do. And I think the biggest thing all they want is just love and security and time. And time with you. Absolutely.

Keri Croft 23:15

And I think you you guys aren't alone in that you probably aren't as good at it. Well, first of all, Ann, you're the, you know, very rural lima, nose to the grindstone, but you're also a male of a certain age, and you guys are hardwired to be a certain way. You know, Brady's the same thing. He will be much more likely to be like Dane, especially with Dane, you know, move on, dude. We don't cry, get over it. Yeah. Kind of these things where I'm like, yeah, you know, and then I am the softer sort of like wanting to feel and even I I bet your way even better than me, because I also have a lack of patience and can be, you know, whatever. But I agree. I mean, I think the balance of when you say being their friend, like not being too much of their friend, right? But enough that they do feel like you're they're gonna share their deepest, darkest with you. And I think once you screw that up, yeah.

Traci 24:09

You can't, I yeah, I almost did. And when she checked me and told, you know, and then you're like, I she won't tell me anything. So I've gotta like watch what I say.

Keri Croft 24:18

Because you you want I feel like you have this pressure to feel so profound with everything you say, you know. It's like I have this chance to parent here and I have this chance to be this sage-wise owl, but every once in a while it's like, bro.

Traci 24:29

And girls are 10 times harder than boys, right? I mean, just the drama and the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is real.

Keri Croft 24:39

Oh, yeah. Yeah. And you're buckle up. No, I know, I can't even imagine. I'm gonna be so old by then, it's gonna be like just, you know, come on, Sonny. Like, give mom a break. And your kids, oh my god, I can't. How how tall is he now? Six's two?

Traci 24:53

Oh my god. He is 14, 13 and a half. J. I know. It's insane.

Keri Croft 25:00

And he's like this gentle giant.

Traci 25:02

Like he's the sweetest kid. He is a good boy. The sweetest kid, yes. He is a really good kid. And then Billy, man, she's gonna be. Oh god, watch out. She's gonna be me times, yeah. I mean, I had confidence, but I didn't have confidence like she does. And she just doesn't give a shit. She's I I think I'm winning um because I think she is stronger than I ever imagined. And she doesn't, you know, she lets things roll off our back more than I probably did, or more than I've seen, you know. Yeah, yeah. Well, that's a good sign. Yeah. So, and luckily they tell me everything right now. So hopefully it stays that way. Yeah, right.

Entrepreneurship As A Long Game

Keri Croft 25:41

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Staci 27:24

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and whether you're an entrepreneur or whether you go to the Ford plant or whatever, you know, you gotta love what you do. I mean, we're time's only so long, and you only got one day every day by day. So it's you gotta love it. And that, you know, as you get older, I'm getting older, right? You're we're all are, but I'm like, okay, I've only got X amount of years. We always used to say, I'm just this young, but now you're not, you're getting older. And I in those days, every day counts. It does. And every day counts when you're 25, but I was too stupid and running like a wild child. So with this, we you know, we got together and I probably still kept doing that for another five or six years.

Keri Croft 28:07

Did she settle you down? Hell no. She she lasso'ed you down like that. Yes, she did. You don't want to admit it. But your your work ethic is pretty. I mean, people could take a look at it.

Staci 28:18

I've been working since I was eight years old, probably seven.

Keri Croft 28:22

And I think just a farmer's life in general. I mean, it doesn't end like you're it's a I mean, I feel like I wouldn't you wouldn't meet a lazy farmer, right? You don't you don't grow your you can meet one, but they won't be in business. Well, right. But you you so you're doing that on top of all the other stuff. I mean, you're kind of constantly working.

Staci 28:39

Yeah. Yeah, we're trying to figure that out a little bit. So, but it's I mean, that's all I ever knew. It's all I've ever known. You know, it's all that my parents ever known. You just there's grass to be mowed, there's barns to be fixed, there's sheep to be fed. I don't like sheep anymore. There's there's corners. What did the sheep do to you? Uh huh. What did the sheep do to you? Well, you just see a lot when you're a young kid, and yeah, you don't need to hear the stories. And they're just snotty, stupid shit. What do you mean? Give me one story. And you gotta give one story now. I'm piqued. Well, when you hold a baby lambs up like this, and your dad cuts their nuts off. Oh because that's what you gotta do. You gotta do it. Yeah, I know. Yeah, okay. Traumatizing at eight. Oh my god. You know, and you're like, I'm like eight or ten. I'm like, Jesus, dad, this is fucked up, bro. What are we doing? You know, after the 18th lambda just screaming its head off after oh, there's no no wonder. No wonder you're constantly moving to work and you're like trying to stay away from the sheep trauma. No, you know. And I love animals, and you know, and this one here, she's I like you need to get a barn and some chickens and a couple goats, and you can talk to them every day because they don't back talk. They always like to see you, especially when you feed them, and they you know, they're wonderful.

Keri Croft 30:13

You can have your like, where do you see yourself in, you know, like let's say 10 years? Like in a yeah, you have all your cars you've collected and maybe some animals running around. Like, do you see yourself slowing down?

Breathwork Training And Staying Strong

Staci 30:27

Well, yeah, I mean, that's the goal, but I I don't know how you do that. My my grandpa retired at 50, my dad retired at 50. I don't see that happening anytime soon, but I want to work towards that, right? So I can't slow down, but I'm trying my body's slowing down. So I, you know, you gotta try to focus on that.

Keri Croft 30:49

So how helpful has meditation been for you? So you said you've been meditating since 2020. Or like that's the breath work.

Staci 30:56

I did the breath work and then I do some light exercises three, four times every morning.

Keri Croft 31:01

We want to know, okay, what is the breath work and what are the light exercises? Take us through, take us through the details.

Staci 31:07

Every morning I get my first blueberries out and make my bowl and get it ready to eat after that routine. Yeah. And then you I do uh uh like a Wim Hof method, three sets of 40 of breathing in and breathing out. Um then you it's there's a 45-minute vice film about Wim Hof. Everybody should watch. Um, so I do that, and then I do a 4, 7, 8, inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8, probably five, six, eight times. Um that all takes about 20 minutes because you hold your breath on those three sets of the Wim Hofs as long as you can. And then you exhale and hold it again. It's it'll make you dizzy, you gotta lay down because until your body's used to it, it it'll blow your head up for a minute. Um, anyway, so and then you know, I do some I've been doing some light weights for arms and core and legs, which I hate. What what what's the poundage there? Oh, just 15 and 20s, just super slow, easy movements. That's heavier than what I was and you know it sucks, but it's I always feel good afterwards. I'm beefing up a tit. And hey, it's pool season coming up.

Keri Croft 32:28

Hey, I just got my social clip I needed. Thank you. Thank you, Stacy. Barbara Stacy. He's oh he's beefing up a titch, y'all.

Traci 32:41

Pool season. That's right.

Staci 32:42

It is pool season. So you know, but you you read all this stuff as you get old, you lot losing muscle, you start losing muscle mass, you start losing A, B, C, you know, fuck the list doesn't go any shorter. So you gotta start doing, you gotta start moving. My dad stopped moving when he was 55 years old, and it does, it's not good for you. And and and and staying being able to stand on one on one leg for 20 seconds, try it, do it in the dark. You can't do it unless you're really freaking good. And it's just stupid little things like that that I like to do to see if I can do it.

Marriage Fights And Taking Breaks

Keri Croft 33:18

No, I'm the same when I work out. I I've been doing this for a while. I do try to do things on one leg. Yeah, because I know the importance of just agility and balance. Oh my god. And it just makes me feel stronger. It's like if you and I'm always trying to take something up a notch too. I'm like, well, if I can do this on two legs, yeah, what does it feel like to do it on one leg? I'm doing that a lot. I do that a lot. It's tough. Didn't do it this morning, but I do that a lot. Oh my god, you guys are like the best. Uh, great grandpa Rose, I asked you, do you have any childhood memories? And you're like, I remember great grandpa Rose saying, Hi there, little feller.

Staci 33:59

He he was grandma's grandma's dad, and he would all I remember as a kid, we'd drive by his soybean field, they're all in 30-inch rows, right? And he would be out there hoeing with a handle the weeds. That was before chemicals and herbicides, but and he I would go into grandma's kitchen and and he'd have his bib overalls on and have his hat in his hand, and he was the kindest, quietest. How you doing there, little fella? And you knew that. And I know where I now I'm like, that's where I get my high voice, right? And I'm being like, Oh, I'm okay, I guess. I don't know, you know, and he's just always smiling.

Keri Croft 34:39

And I don't know why that wrote that down because I never talk about it, but speaking of his voice, because it's so endearing and it's so great, but when you're listening to it all the time and he pisses you off, I bet you're like, you just better shut the fuck up. Oh, yeah, with your voice. Yes, you know what I mean? All those like qualities that are so unique to whomever. I can imagine you just being like, because it probably gets real high pitched when he's upset.

Staci 35:01

Yeah, I can see I can see you just getting real Oh, it's a goddamn cat fight.

Keri Croft 35:07

I mean, we don't back down. I bet we don't back down. I bet I bet you probably backed it because just to get out of it. Like I'll walk away. The the you know, this is a great walk away. Okay, I might have 10 words and then I'll walk away. This is a great segue into having a business and a marriage and kids with the same human being. Yeah, and we romanticize things, but I think we all know it's hard ass work. Each of those separate things are hard work, and then you add them all together. You guys don't get a break. No, it there's yeah.

How They Renovate With Respect

Staci 35:40

We get a break in the spring and the fall when I go back to the farm, stay at the farmhouse and work. I mean, yes, that's a physical break. And it's you know, it's it's good for both of us because it's you do get, I mean, you know, if we didn't work together, it would be a different thing, but it's a nice break just to because it does, it puts a lot of stuff on just a light pause. And you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder, I think, is what's been said before. Yeah, it's healthy for both of us, and it's healthy for us, especially since we're in business together.

Keri Croft 36:10

Yeah, best part of being in business together.

Staci 36:13

Best is there a best? Is there a best? Wait, that was you know, for me, I think it's all her. We were able to create some pretty nice looking spaces, and she's uber creative, and the col uh uh the colorist of that she is is is you know mind blowing from room to room to room. I know it's mind blowing, but it's you know what it is, because it's it's a it's a talent, and you know, I'm very proud of what she's created. You know, I'm just making sure we don't run out of money, which that's pretty important. Kind of have to have, but you know, that's the best, I think, is is for my opinion.

Keri Croft 36:59

You get to watch her kind of shine, and then also you get to see like it's improving the atmosphere based on what you do.

Staci 37:07

Yeah, and and you get it, you know, especially for most houses, you get a rest restore it. And we buy houses and we will rent renovate them and put them back on the market like we did with the ravine, and we don't flip them. I mean, yeah, you can call them what you want, but we try we're you know, our first flip we did, she wanted to go over budget, always goes over budget, always drives me freaking bonkers. But we always set new selling price per square foot every time we sold a house, and we just did. I don't know anybody that sold something that high out there, and and we never tried to, but the money that went in above the budget got the payback, and then some potential probably normally all the time, you know. So it's uh it's what's worked out, you know, it's trusting your partner who happened you'd be married to, their creative vision and what they want and what they think they what it what it needs, right? So some things get asked, but we try to do it in the best, you know, to preserve the house, to give the house it the respect it deserves, and then to make it updated and modern for the modern family.

Keri Croft 38:15

Yeah. Ooh, ooh. Advice for um people out there who are thinking about going into business with their spouse or have already done that and they just need to hear something.

Staci 38:26

Don't do it.

Keri Croft 38:29

Proceed.

Staci 38:30

You better fucking love them. Proceed about what you do. Yeah. It's really difficult.

Traci 38:35

It is. There is no turn-off switch. You are it's constant. You can't come home and bitch about your business partner because they're standing in front of you. Um, so it it's hard. But I think, you know, for us, we also bring the opposite to the table, right? I couldn't be in business without him or it wouldn't be as much fun. Um, you know. So I think we respect each other so much. And so I think it works, that balance is what makes it work. But it's hard. It it it it it it will bring you to your knees some days where you're just like, I can't take it anymore. Yeah. But you know what?

Staci 39:19

At the end of the day, if it's what you both love and you respect and love each other, somehow somehow we're both very passionate and we're both very uh opinionated and we both think we know what's right. So obviously that doesn't always sync up. Yeah but you know, and that's it's okay. You strike me as a very strong-willed man. I have my opinions. Yeah. It'd be hard to move you. Well, if you're presenting a good case, that helps. You know, you can't sell something to somebody unless you get, you know, I tell people that that's worked for you. So like, don't come to me with a fucking problem. Come to me with a solution. If you can't meet a solution to the problem, then don't come to me.

Keri Croft 40:09

What's your greatest growth edge or weakness in your personality that you think?

Staci 40:14

Patience.

Keri Croft 40:15

What's yours? The worst? Yeah, like what's your growth edge or like something that you feel like is your Achilles heel?

Traci 40:23

Um probably say no. I I think I am a pleaser. So every single thing I I you know that's why I figured you would back down before him just to like I do, I do sometimes, but I think I am so opinionated with him and it's a safe space. Yeah. So I'll push it. I'll put the fuel on the fire sometimes.

Keri Croft 40:47

What's your uh like probably most um quality that you're not maybe most proud of, or like that's your strength, your your big strength? My big strength. And your personality that you think.

Traci 41:00

Oh, I don't know, Crofty. I know. But what is it?

Keri Croft 41:04

His work ethic. Yeah, I would think, yeah.

Staci 41:07

What's what's hers? I mean, she's an energizer bunny. I mean, she's you know, she never stops, she doesn't stop. And it's uh from the time she gets up till she goes to bed, literally. I mean, literally, it's a problem. She can't sit for a minute, and neither one of us are good relaxers. Unless we blow dart each other. Yeah, so I have to do that sometimes.

Traci 41:32

Well, we have to.

Staci 41:34

But we're both very, you know, we we say we don't care what people think, but we we are pleasers and we do a house for people or for sale for anyone, you know. We want to make people happy and we want, you know, sounds tough that we don't care and we don't, you know, and most days we don't, but at the end of the day, you know, we want, we want, we want to please people that we work with and work for.

Keri Croft 41:58

So yeah, I think those are two different things. Yeah, yeah. You know, I mean, I I I think the way you walk through the world has this very strong, confident presence where it's like, I don't care. Now, when you have clients and when you're you guys very much care. Yeah. I mean, on a level that like was very noticeable to me as a client.

Traci 42:15

Well, good.

Keri Croft 42:16

Oh, I loved it. I mean, obviously. I mean, even hopefully you'll let you'll come back. You won't be, you'll still take me as a client. Of course. So you said she never stops moving and it's a problem. So could you like go to a spa for four hours and just sit and be lazy and get your feet rubbed? Would that be fun for you? Yeah, I would love that. Okay.

Traci 42:37

But I put myself last always. And that's an issue for me. But but you know, I'm trying to be better about it. I'm trying to take some time. I'm trying to say, you know, I pick up my kids, and but it's still for my kids, right? But yeah, so I don't really ever just carve out time for myself to be selfish. You've been doing it some more. I've been trying a little bit harder.

Keri Croft 43:04

So yeah, what is your, I guess, do you have like a measured thing that you're like, you know what? I think once a week, yeah, I deserve an hour. If I want to go stare at the wall, like what what does that look like for you?

Traci 43:18

I do. I have now like I'll take half a Friday off now and do whatever the hell I want to do.

Keri Croft 43:24

Um what was the la what did you do the last time you did that?

Traci 43:28

I went to lunch with my one of my best friends and hung out, went shopping, did nothing. You know, like I actually want to just sit at my house and just sit on my back porch and do nothing. I actually always go and always move and always, you know, I'm always going. So just to sit and chill is probably the most amazing, or have the house to myself for a couple of hours. Silence. Silence. Quiet. That's the that is what I yearn for. Yeah. Spa's nice, but it's really the quiet times.

Empathetic Leadership And Women In Power

Keri Croft 44:02

You know what would be amazing is bringing a um massage therapist out there. Oh, that is good. Let's do that. I'll I'll I'll be happy. We can do like a little couples thing. Yeah. We had one, but that would be amazing. Yeah. And I think women need to hear that too. It's like, it's okay. Yeah. It's okay for you to take time for yourself. It's okay for you to be a whole ass human being. Yeah. Yeah. Um, when going circling back around to this in real life event, you know, we put the live content studio up here, which was a smashing success. I spent the first two days of this week like sitting and listening to every single second of every word that everybody said. Yeah. And there was one girl, and she was talking about that about the question was about being a mom. And she's like, you know, I want them to know that I am also these other things and that I'm I am their mom, but I'm also Emma.

Traci 44:53

Yeah.

Keri Croft 44:53

And the way that she said it was just so, she just articulated it so well. I think that that's lost so much on us, where it's like you're you become a mom and like you're expected. Yeah. Which is amazing. It's there's nothing like it. But there can be and, and, and, yeah, and the dad doesn't have that same sort of mental, like they're selfish.

Traci 45:17

They're more selfish. They absolutely are more selfish. Selfish. Yeah. We can be.

Staci 45:23

I don't like it either, you know.

Keri Croft 45:26

What is it? You're just so simple. You guys are so simple. Like what your needs and wants are so just very simple.

Staci 45:34

I just think it's how you were raised. Yeah. I mean, well, uh, we're all a product of that, but that's how it's always been. And I'm not saying that's how it always should be for certain, because things evolve and people and you know, but if the the woman is like, why do we not have a woman president? Why do we not have a woman, a group of women in power? I mean, look at what we've got now. It's a fucking shit show. It just makes no sense to me.

Keri Croft 46:06

I have an idea. Yeah, it just came to me. Brene Brown. She should be our next president. 100%. We should we should definitely have a woman. We should be like, make that go viral and be on the campaign trail for her.

Staci 46:19

I need to get uh Crofty, get it on it. Because she has contacts with all these CEOs and she works with all those big companies.

Keri Croft 46:26

We we need to get creative and think out of the box. I mean, for a for such an important role, you know, and I I say it tongue in cheek about Brene Brown, like, but um there's gotta be someone who hits all the dials, right? So you need someone who's politically astute and understands the inner workings, but I do think you also need someone who understands the business side of the world. But you the empathy, the compassion, the the sort of Mother Teresa, the reason why we're all here, the altruism layer, all of those three things, I know that's a you know uh a big ask, but I don't think it's impossible in one human being.

Staci 47:08

Leadership should be empathetic. Leadership should be talking to people, leadership should be providing being a leadership, providing that leadership role. Yeah. And how they act, how parents act, or how their kids act. Normally, and same thing with our leaders. And it's, you know, you gotta provide people need guidance. We all need a little bit of guidance at some point in our life and some point in our day. So it'd be nice to have some strong people that were, you know, empathetic and and caring. You know, you can hire a good business guy, that's easy. No, they you need to hit but the other parts that the vulnerable parts that that nobody likes to talk about makes everybody uncomfortable, is what needs to be discussed in kindergarten and in first grade and in second grade in every 12 grades.

Keri Croft 48:01

Yeah.

Staci 48:01

Until it's beaten into our children's heads.

Keri Croft 48:04

No, I agree.

Staci 48:05

Not really beaten, but you know what I mean.

Keri Croft 48:08

Drilled. Oh my God. I think the common theme here is that women run the world. We do. Or should run the world.

Staci 48:16

They should be.

Keri Croft 48:17

You know, I love you too. We love you. We are a microcraft. I mean, love to the ends of the earth, love. Thank you for coming on my show. Thank you for having me. And as if people don't love you already, I think they're gonna this getting this view into you guys, I think is gonna be just an absolute treat for people. Or as Tracy likes to say, surprise and delight. Just a little. Every corner. Full tilt, full blown. And if you're still out there following your girl, follow me on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast. And until next time, keep moving, baby.