Everyone knows that the heart of every family is the mom, and the Barineau family is no exception to the rule. While generations of Barineau men have built Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning, Trish Barineau supported her husband and sons. Here are some of her Barineau family secrets, from the importance of family to her favorite banana pudding recipe.

 

Honesty and integrity. We believe in always putting the customer first.

Q: What advice would you give to other families who operate a business? 
 I recommend setting realistic goals and treating your employees fairly. Show appreciation to your customers, and have monthly business meetings and discussions. Keep personal family affairs out of your business and business affairs away from your family time.

 Q: Do you have any tips for separating business and family time? 
 Make it a rule to leave business outside the door while enjoying family time together. My rule #1 is: No Heating and Air 101 during dinner time.

Q: Was it hard to find balance between business and family life? 
 In our family, balance means putting God first, family second and then business third. If you keep your focus on Christ and work hard, the rest will fall into place.  

Q: What advice do you have for others who have or are interested in starting a family
 business?
 As a wife, I think having your own career separate from your husband is paramount. I don't think it's
 wise to have all your eggs in one basket. You can be supportive without physically being together 24/7. At the end of the day, you can share your daily issues, struggles and accomplishments. 

As a mom, it’s different. To be honest, my hopes were that our sons would want other careers, but deep down, I knew they would follow in their dad’s footsteps, just as he did in his father’s. It's a family tradition! Working together with family members is hard. It’s especially hard if business partners are related.

Our time together as a family was mostly limited to holiday celebrations, birthdays, etc., which were spent with extended family in our homes. There have been many moments when the business was flourishing, and our family members enjoyed hearing them discuss how proud they were that their hard work time and effort paid off. Then there were stressful times when disagreements occurred over business-related issues. At times, as the wife and mom, I felt like I was in the middle, but I tried to remain neutral.

Overall, owning a business is worth the effort. You earn the perks of being your own boss, determining your own pay and giving yourself raises. You’re also responsible for setting your own goals, work schedule and time off.

I'm not going to pretend that times were not hard, but with lots of praying and forgiveness, we made it through. My husband is now retired, and both sons run separate businesses. My sons learned and benefited from working alongside their dad, so we have no regrets there.

Q: Do you have any favorite hobbies that helped you unwind when you were feeling stressed?
 I enjoy spending time away on vacations and at our condo. Some of my favorite hobbies include boat rides, fishing, shopping, reading and sightseeing. 

Q: What’s the best part of being in business with family members? 
 The time and effort spent together building, the satisfaction of accomplishing your goals and watching your business grow is very rewarding.