On September 25th, HGTV Canada premiered a fun new series with Bryan and Sarah Baeumler called Bryan, Inc., where the powerhouse couple buys and renovates two homes for a profit while balancing their busy home life with four active kids: “Q” (11), Charlotte (10), Lincoln (5) and Jojo (3).
Since I always love to pick the brains of my favourite TV personalities, I was happy to have the chance to fire some questions at both halves of this duo. Here’s what they had to say, starting with Bryan himself.
What would you say really sets Bryan Inc. apart from your other series?
Bryan Inc. is really the natural evolution of the House of Bryan series, but we’re not building our own home, this series focuses on two of our ‘spec’ builds through Baeumler Quality Construction. Sarah has been involved in our construction and other businesses for the past 15 years – now we’re just filming more of her role, and giving her a little more responsibility by actually being on site more and directing traffic on a few of the jobs. It’s an inside look into our business, our relationship and our family – with no holds barred!
How did Sarah handle working with you as “the boss”?
Let’s just say this is a bit of a role reversal…at home, Sarah is definitely the leader of the pack. She keeps the kids, the house, and our lives organized and running smoothly. I have no idea how she does it all, but when she’s away for a day and I have our 4 kids and a household to organize, I definitely miss her! On the business side, Sarah’s handled the transition very well – we try to keep our working relationship at the office, but of course there’s times when our two lives collide. We try to keep it lighthearted and have a lot of fun at work.
Moms always get asked about balance, so I’m throwing this question to you instead: can you think of a time when you’ve had “Dad guilt”, or felt like work was keeping you from something important with the family? How do you resolve that?
Of course – I feel guilty all the time, but I try not to beat myself up about it! I learned quite young from my parents that in order to provide for your family, you have to make sacrifices. It’s impossible to be home all the time, and be the perfect parent every day. I’m not sure you can ever spend enough time with your family…but they need a place to live, they need to eat, and I feel a duty to provide them with the best opportunities I can to grow up happy, and be successful in their own lives. Sarah and I get asked how we balance everything all the time – and the honest answer is that we don’t! I don’t think anyone really ever achieves total balance – the scales are always moving, I think you just have to adapt and refocus your attention on the areas that need it, when they need it, and do your best. Life is too unpredictable for balance. Or maybe that is the balance?!
How would you finish the sentence “This Dad loves…”?
This Dad loves Purdy’s chocolate hedgehogs, scuba diving, Biltong (South African air dried beef from Florence Meats Butcher Shop), Sarah’s baked salmon (YUM!), Jack Daniels and Coke, Islamorada (Florida Keys) and the 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay.
Now on to Sarah (a woman after my own heart, by the way, who gets her caffeine fix from diet cola instead of coffee):
The press release says that Bryan is the boss on this new show. How did you deal with that? Did any work issues spill over into home life?
Bryan and I have been working together for over 10 years in some capacity, both on camera and off, so the relationship between boss and co-worker is often blurred! We have always been partners both at home and at the office but we also have our own interests, independent of one another, which allows us to remain individuals. Truly, you only have to ask our four children who the real boss is in our household!!!
From one lifestyle blogger to another, I’m curious to know what you think the highlights and low points of blogging are?
The
Sarah Baeumler website has given me an opportunity to engage with other women who have similar interests. It is an amazing accomplishment to finish a blog with the satisfaction of knowing I have shared something very personal that may also resonate well with others. I have enjoyed receiving feedback from all of my followers and readers. That being said, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the time to sit down and put my thoughts into words after a long day on set.
With four kids, I’m sure back-to-school was a busy time for you! Any tips to offer parents for managing school routines, paperwork, etc.?
Stay organized! Our family uses a shared Google calendar that helps Bryan and I keep track of who is where. I try hard to stay on top of things by preparing in advance for the upcoming week rather than running around frantically the night before. But inevitably, best laid plans…
How would you finish the sentence “This Mom loves…”?
This Mom loves all things chocolate
This Mom loves carbohydrates
This Mom loves hot yoga
This Mom loves scuba diving with Bryan and Quintyn
This Mom loves building sandcastles with Josephine on the beach
This Mom loves escaping to New York City for a weekend away!
Thanks for opening up, Bryan and Sarah!
Now, one lucky Canadian This Mom Loves reader will win a great prize package from the Baeumlers, consisting of:
- One Sarah Delivered box featuring items personally selected by Sarah (if you’re interested, these boxes are for sale every month)
- One autographed Measure Twice book from Bryan
The contents of the winner’s Sarah Delivered box will be different, but just to give you an idea of how packed with great products they are, here is what I received in her “Revive” box (kindly sent by HGTV Canada):
Please fill out the following form to enter to win, with bonus entries for following HGTV Canada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and following This Mom Loves on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The contest will end Thursday, October 20th at midnight Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen by random number generation.Good luck, and be sure to catch Bryan, Inc. on Sundays at 10 pm ET/PT on HGTV!
