Wearing large leather tool belts and matching company shirts, a mother and daughter stand in the middle of a ripped-up kitchen in a Spruce Grove bungalow.
Shauna Gangl and her daughter Sheila are partners in Red Paint General Contracting Services, a home renovation company that is operating in communities west of Edmonton.
“It’s not just a paint company,” says Shauna, 49. “We do a bit of everything, whatever kind of renovation your home needs.”
The first thing the mother and daughter built together was their business partnership.
When Sheila was younger, Shauna had a renovation company. Sheila, 21, went into business with her mom last year after trying to figure out her own career path.
Home renovator Shauna Gangl prepares a wall for painting. (Rick Bremness/CBC)
When she first moved out on her own, she knew she didn’t want to be flipping burgers.
“There is nothing wrong with that, it is just not what I like, and I didn’t like girly jobs either.”
But she didn’t have much luck when she tried to find a job in construction.
“The way people looked at me was ridiculous, they almost laughed at me.”
That’s when Shauna stepped in with some advice for her daughter.
“I told her she better start using the skills that she has, because she has some very good skills,” said Shauna.
“Working with wood is something we both always have enjoyed …
[Sheila] decided we needed to do something together.”
Sheila Gangl was searching for her own career path when she decided to team up with her mother. (Rick Bremness/CBC)
So they started their company to take on all kinds of home improvement projects.
They do a variety of things under the renovation umbrella, from siding and roofing to framing and drywall.
Their clients often initially react to the team with surprise and comments like, “Oh, you just do painting?” or, “It’s just you two?”
But their work leads to referrals. Some clients hire them because they have seen examples of the duo’s work and appreciate their attention to detail.
Working together can be challenging
Mother and daughter confess it can be challenging working closely with a family member.
“Sometimes I like it and sometimes I have to work in the other room,” said Sheila. “I think we have a unique relationship.”
Adds Shauna: “We have our good days and our bad days, most definitely. It’s nice that we can just move to another room to work … but I love working with my daughter.”