Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda, Steve, and Joe Slivinski.
Amanda, Steve, and Joe, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Joe (my Father in law) started building barns here in Santa Fe (TX) back in the ’70s and Steve was building right alongside his dad when he was old enough to hold a hammer and has been building ever since. When Steve and I met 10+ years ago, I was a flight attendant and barns were the farthest thing from my mind but I could see it was his passion so I decided to join in the fun. I design, sell and do all the marketing while Joe and Steve have their crews that build.
Barns have now become our way of life, we have built goat barns, miniature horse barns, horse barns, bed and breakfast barns, wine barns, daycare barns, and even wedding barns! Which brings us to our wedding barn! I have dreamed of building a beautiful event barn for years and after building a few barn event centers for customers we decided to take the plunge and build one for ourselves. It is called The Barn at Willowynn, located in Santa Fe, Texas. We are scheduled to open January 2020, we will hold over 215 guests and we have plenty of livestock to play with while you are here (mainly our SHOT donkey WILLIE).
We have four kids, two dogs, three horses, five goldfish, one donkey and plenty of cows to keep us company!
Joe built a lot of structures here in Santa Fe back in the ’70s. Snider transmission, a local strip center that is the hub if Santa Fe (if there were one 😂) and even the old Busy Bee.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Gosh, It’s never been a smooth journey. I grew up in a really small town in Utah and when I was 16 years old I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. I missed out on so many things in high school because I was so sick. when all the other girls were starting to date I was losing my hair, when other kids were learning to drive I was fighting for my life. BUT I think it was that that really gave me the push to think bigger. Because I had cancer at such a pivotal time in my life I did not finish college, yes. It’s hard to admit but I was so sick I had bigger things to deal with.
I was 20 when I finally got my life back on track and became a flight attendant. I thought, if I’m going to die someday, I want to enjoy my life and see the world. I think when you have nothing else to lose, you just give it your all. The doctors told me I’d probably get cancer again in 5-15 years because my chest, lungs, and thyroid were radiated but that was 19 years ago. I thank God every day that He gave me a 2nd chance.
When I met my husband, I had no idea what it took to run a business, let alone make it successful but once I saw what Steve could do, I knew we could go “BIG”!I wanted to know everything there was to know about construction and how it all works, you really can do anything when you have ambition and the drive to succeed.
What should we know about Barns and Buildings and The Barn at Willowynn? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am Barns and Buildings. When I met my husband, he had built two barns that year, the year I took over, we built 12! Since I am 36, it’s taken a while for me to figure out all the secrets to the social media world but after a lot of research and a really cool social media conference, I think I have it figured out… for now.
We build custom homes, not to be mistaken for Metal Buildings. We build ALL wood, custom structures. They really sell themselves, once you see one in person, you will be ready to make the leap.
Our structures are cool because they are homes so they can be compared to normal houses in the area for appraisal but there is an agricultural structure so you can use it to your advantage on your taxes. I could go on and on on this but really it’s the quality, we are a very old fashioned builder and you don’t find that any more.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Yes, you need to put yourself out there. I tried to use social media as a platform to get in touch with people in my industry and I have joined groups on facebook that have really helped my business succeed. A woman helping women really is a thing, so reach out and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Be vulnerable and ask for help when needed, vent to others in your industry, and pray!
Pricing:
- $125 a sf for living area on our barns
- $51 a sf for our barns
- $6000 for Friday rental at wedding venue
- $8000 for Saturday rental at wedding venue
Contact Info:
- Address: 16603 Cowan Rd
Santa Fe, TX 77517 - Website: www.barnsandbuildings.com. www.thebarnatwillowynn.com
- Phone: 832-794-2812
- Email: jsj@barnsandbuildings.com. willowynnbarn@gmail.com
- Instagram: @barnsandbuild @thebarnatwillowynn
Image Credit:
Elyse bonner photography and fig and Roux photography
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