Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah + Raymond Lawson.
Hi Hannah + Raymond, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We started our handyman business when we realized getting into the film industry made more sense from a Production standpoint point than trying to “break into it” via acting. We feel more at home as creators feeling like a human prop.
Ray and I moved here from the Florida Panhandle to pursue acting, but when God gives you gifts you’re supposed to steward them well… and the people have spoken over and over again that we are gifted at making the world a more beautiful and functional place.
My husband has always done handyman, painting and tile work on the side ever since he graduated with his degree in industrial electronics in 1993. Whereas myself, my parents had rental properties and about every 5yrs or so when I was growing up my mom would buy and remodel another home. My brother and I would always help them with the remodels. Also, I won many National awards as a traditional artist for drawing, painting and sculpture.
So, when looking for ways to support our filmmaking goals in 2016 starting a handyman / remodeling and design business just made sense with our experience and skillsets.
Now we are one of Atlanta’s most reputable and trusted Contractors… still have yet to make a movie… but have been collecting gear, learning Ai prompt engineering, editing and music composition skills, so hopefully will be getting some filmmaking projects green-lit in the near future! btpaintandhomesolutions.com
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Ha! – I don’t know any grassroots, starting from nothing entrepreneurs that just stumbled on fully paved roads of success…
Nah, we hack down trees, move/smash boulders, dig ‘em out and pave ‘em ( for us both literally and figuratively ).
If being an entrepreneur was easy everyone would do it! ESPECIALLY in the in home repairs business.
I may not have spent the tuition to go to Harvard when I was accepted, but we have spent hundreds of thousands to invest in our business/reputation. Be it fixing issues we didn’t cause because we chose to hire or sub the wrong guy or human error. Sometimes we underbid and literally paid to remodel someone else’s home. Paying someone to fix their own mistakes because by law you have to give 3 chances unless you can prove them incompetent or a threat. Taking on jobs for so little pay you literally pay out of pocket so that you can learn new skills from another contractor… etc…
Everyone who chooses to pave their own unique path will pay one way or another. Be it simply stretching your comfort zone
Nothing wild is tamed easy. It takes faith, dedication, passion, love and honestly a bit of delusion.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So our work is making the world a more beautiful and functional place… Sometimes that’s as simple as swapping a light and other times I’m 3D Rendering a dream Sensory room, Kitchen or Master bathroom.
We specialize in fully bespoke design solutions to maximize the efficiency, ROI and “sanctity vibes” of spaces.
What we’re really known for is getting to know our clients and their needs / budgets to tailor the best solutions for them.
Sometimes that’s means we aren’t always the best person for a project / client. In those situations I refer them to people I think would be great for them. We don’t believe in competition. All of humanity in our eyes is a being and when parts of it are unhealthy all of us are unhealthy, and that we all have different parts to play. Like a kidney cell don’t belong in the spinal cord and you don’t want a middle finger sticking out your eye socket. We simply do our best to stay in our lane and help keep other’s fueled up in theirs, so we can all function optimally.
Sometimes people are just looking for the cheapest bandaid, or others are looking for the greatest master in a specific trade.
So when it comes to what I’m most “proud” of it is the faith God has given / developed in us through walking the path of uncertainty of entrepreneurship. One minute you can have over $50k in the bank and hundreds of thousands in verbal work commitments and then the next there’s COVID shutdowns and everyone goes ghost and within a few months you’re taking on predatory loans to keep people on payroll for tax breaks you’re promised and then end up being told you don’t qualify for and go all, but bankrupt… Yeah….
We’re still digging out of the financial hole we got into during the pandemic from keeping employees that were detrimental to our business for far too long. I learned never to trust the promises of politicians again. If your balance sheet says someone is no good for it don’t hold on to them you gotta do like Elsa and just Let ‘em Go!!! We all have our own gifts and talents and that’s okay…
Something that really sets us apart from others. Is not just our genuine love and recognition of divine nature inside of all people ( which has helped us curate relationships with talented and incredible people in various trades and disciplines)…
But, that my husband is a mechanical genius ( he rebuilt his first motor when he was 12yrs old; who does that?! and painted show cars for many years ). He then partnered with “Muah!” a master portraiture / traditional artist who has been using photoshop since like 2003.
Our unique combination of skillsets means we could literally make a giant marble mural of Elvis and also make it into a hidden doorway…
If you can dream it and have the budget we can figure it out! We’re known for helping people remodel spaces to be beyond their imaginations!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That I truly “control” nothing, but my perspective.
You can follow all the manufacturer specs, but the adhesive was frozen or cooked during transport and you are responsible for redoing the work anyways.
If you let difficult situations trigger feelings of fear/worry, what good is that for you, your family or your clients?
When times are tough I remember the best advice my mom ever gave me:
“All you can do is the next right thing.”
Breathing and meditation techniques are great too… So I also will meditate on God’s word while breathing through Christ’s name as a breath.
He’s the breath of life embodied and calls all people to be/become like him little saviors not destroyers. While I was meditating on this one day when I thought I was going to literally die from COVID…
I noticed Yehoshua cycled as a breath, and I immediately saw God exhaling into Adam’s nostrils in a vision and noticed when I breathed in through my nose it made an “A” sound. Then instantly thought about how God is the beginning and end of all things… Alpha and Omega…
Well , in ancient Hebrew they didn’t mark vowels and often Y was preceded by an unseen “A”. Then I thought about what Letters make the “Ay” sound I heard when breathing through my nose… and saw ( with spiritual eyes/in vision which is like dreaming with your eyes open ) “Ai”… and thought long and hard about transliteration of ancient Hebrew version of Christ the Nazarene born in Bethlehem / I am THAT I am is Salvation + Healing ‘s name/identity who called all humans to take on his identity/name as their own… Well the transliteration that was revealed to me was: AiYehoshuae … then I Googled the Hebrew Gematria value of the word… and y’all no lie, it’s 777… “mind blown”… But yeah long story short. When no matter how hard I try to still my thoughts because a client is dilly dallying on final payment and rent is due or whatever the stressor the only thing that truly stills the “scary” thoughts no matter where I am is simply thinking about who Jesus said we are; closing my eyes breathing in deep through my nose “Ai”…. Out through my mouth “Yeh”, in through nose + mouth “O” out through mouth + nose “ Shu” … then in again through my nose “ae” ( different from Ai and yet sound/seem the same )…
but yeah, going through a few cycles of the breath does something to / for me that nothing else does…
I/We exist/were made by and for God. I matter and affect matter, and that is more than enough.
Breath is a miracle.
As long as I have that, God hasn’t given up on me and with God ANYTHING is still on the table. So, how dare I give up?
Also, BONUS, I learned through making content for our business that I have a gift for writing / composing music… Never would’ve learned that if I could have consistently afforded to pay a professional to do our marketing/create content.
Obstacles force you to think and get creative.
If you’re into faith based music ( Country, HipHop, EDM, Rock, Indie, Orchestral, etc… I hear/create music in most genres… ) then check out my YouTube for music under:
Chana Danielle Yehoshua
Social: @PrayzSquad
Pricing:
- Handyman hourly $125 min service + $125hr
- Project Consultations $125 show up + $75hr ( fully credited to client’s account if we’re hired for more than $2k in work )
- 3D design rendering $125hr
- Photoshop rendering $90hr
- Design Mood board $125min
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LawsonCustoms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehandylawsons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehandylawsons
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@prayzsquad
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/the-handy-lawsons-mcdonough?osq=The+Handy+Lawsons
- Other: https://www.thesouthernshmooze.com/directory#!biz/id/67b7c2aebfe1f45f340a1a63
Image Credits
@Chana.Vision
