Integrating Family, Marriage & Business with Pampel Design
This month, in celebration of Val & Dan's 20th wedding anniversary, we're taking the time to step back and reflect on the windy, love-filled road that led to the creation of Pampel Designs in 2017. With their vision of innovative design, unmatched quality, years of dedicated planning, and dream-fueled passion, their story is truly something to be applauded!
To take a closer look at what it's like to be in business with your partner, we sat down with Val to discuss how she and Dan have balanced family and work throughout the years.
You've been together for 24 years and married for 20. What would high school Val and Dan say about where you are now?
We can't imagine our high school selves would have been able to comprehend the possibility of leaving the south and being on the west coast, let alone working together in the construction industry. Personally, my younger self wouldn't believe it for a second. I was born and raised in the small southern town I grew up in — as did my father and my father's father. They were farmers, and my experiences were humble and minimal. I met Dan when he was 15, and I was 16 at our small high school. He was from IN, and his family was well-traveled. Early on, his family began to include me in their vacations, opening my eyes to adventure and how much value there is in travel. When Dan and I felt a calling to uproot our family and move west — just six years ago — we had no idea what was in store. Hell, I even surprise my 34-year-old self!
We moved here without jobs and no idea what we would do to make money, but I just knew that this was where I was supposed to be. My younger self scored the jackpot because Dan believed in my dream too, and well…here we are.
Balancing three kids and a successful business can't be easy. How has being parents affected how you run your business, and how has running a business affected how you parent?
Our kids are a part of this journey as much as we are. When we embraced the notion that there is no such thing as 'work-life balance" but rather "work-life integration," there was a shift in how Dan and I were showing up for our family. In the early days of our business, countless hours were spent eating and working at the dinner table with our kids, on our vacations, and on the weekends (although this is occasionally true today). Now, our kids have been given the gift of witnessing two individuals create a new life for themselves. We've taught them that dreams can be achieved through hard work and perseverance.
Dan and I believe it's not the amount of time you spend with your kids but the quality of that time. We were parents early on; I became a mom at 19 and Dan at 18. We have prioritized our family unit in every decision we have ever made. Being entrepreneurs has allowed us the flexibility to have and embrace TIME as we see fit. The year before we decided to sell everything and move from South Alabama to the West Coast, we brought our boys here to be part of the decision. All three of our boys said YES, and seven months later, we called Carpinteria, CA home.
You two ran Daniel's mom's window-covering franchise before building your own business from the ground up. What made you decide to take that leap of faith together?
We call it "being in the groove of the universe ."Dan and I are really good at what we do, so when the doors opened, and opportunities arose, we said YES. Now, we have a showroom on state street, a 6,000 sq ft. in-house fabrication sew room, and a fantastic team. Saying YES to opportunities when they arise and trusting the process whole-heartedly has allowed us to be where we are today, and we couldn't be more grateful.
What are the most rewarding aspects of running a business with your partner? Biggest challenges?
We love getting to work together! Celebrating our wins together means more because it's OUR win. Plus, we get to spend more time together, which we love. On the flip side, his bad day is my bad day, and vice versa, so the challenge has been stepping outside ourselves and being the support the other needs when it's been a hard day, without taking it on as well.
What's your style of business as partners? Do you hone into each other's complementary skills, consult each other for every step, or do a little bit of everything?
We are a great balance. I am very practical, and Dan is very technical. He is the artist, and I am the visionary and manager. This is a great balance until I am cleaning the kitchen and he feels the need to unload the dishwasher, maybe re-rinse to his liking, and reload in a more "organized" fashion. :) After all, I like nothing more than being reminded that forks down in the dishwasher are not as efficient as "forks up."
When not working, what do you enjoy doing together?
We love new experiences. Once every week or two, we will do a date night and typically go out to eat or wine tasting. In addition, we love hiking, surfing, camping, concerts, and game nights with the family. Dan is an avid soccer fan, and we are proud members and ticket holders of LAFC and make it a priority to go to all the home games.
What business skills have you learned from your partner?
Dan: "I've learned a lot from Val regarding managing people and their expectations. She simplifies processes and makes our business more efficient. She also has great business intuition and is an incredible leader for our team."
Val: "I've learned the importance of the details regarding project functionality and execution. Dan is very creative. He is great at understanding the mechanics of how things work, and he's a patient teacher when it comes to sharing that knowledge with the team."
What advice would you give to partners looking to start their own businesses?
Like most things in life, there are highs and lows, but there is nothing more rewarding than stepping back and seeing everything we have accomplished as a team. We found early on that setting intentional boundaries around when we "talk shop" is important. For example, if we have a work question after hours, we will ask, "may I ask you a work question?" and then respect the other's decision if it's not something they are open to discussing at that time. Usually, we will then email the other person (if the answer was no) so that the question doesn't fall through the cracks, and we can circle back during business hours. Dan and I have also found that to continue operating at this level, we can't do it alone. Having a great support system is vital to Pampel's success. Whether it be our business coach, therapist or taking time away for personal development weekends (alone or together), we are intentional with our time and energy and prioritize growth and learning.
Your kids have lived the unique experience of having parents who run a business together. What do you hope that they take away from observing your professional and personal successes?
We hope that they live unafraid of whatever big dreams they have and take chances on themselves, and trust that the universe conspires for their growth and success. Our kids have seen firsthand that relationships take a tremendous amount of work, but we hope when they find a loving partner to be committed to, they understand it's worth the effort of choosing to show up for the other person every day.