Meet Joel Hughes, owner of not one but two Stroll Oak Creek Preferred Partners: Honey-Do Hero and Timber & Tin. Joel is a passionate business owner with an amazing story. If you’ll take a little journey with us, we’re going to share, not just the story of Joel’s businesses, but about the man behind them.

 

Joel’s formative years were spent in Southern California, and he describes himself as “the product of surf shops, skate parks, and empty desert roads where a kid could race a dirt bike and feel alive.” At nineteen, everything changed for Joel when he became a Christian, and that newfound belief came with a desire he never knew he had: a deep love for learning. “I went from barely graduating high school to earning degrees in graphic design, Christian ministry, and philosophy,” Joel says. “I pastored in two churches, married young, and became a dad.”

 

Then life, as it always does, happened. Things weren’t perfect. In fact, they were very hard. He met Rebekah, a blessing, and they got married. And then life got even harder for both Rebekah and for Joel. We’re going to share more about that part of Joel’s story in a separate article in this issue, but the two are one in the same. Joel’s journey has impacted his professional life, and vice versa. We implore you to read Joel’s personal journey in the other article, but for now, we’re going to focus on the great work Joel does with Honey-Do Hero and Timber & Tin.

 

After years of ministry and years of working as the general manager of a law firm, Joel needed a reset. “Online business was meaningful but unpredictable, so I tried something new: using my hands to help people,” Joel says. “I launched Honey-Do Hero, a handyman business.” It took off quickly, mainly because Joel realized something very simple: people want a trustworthy, friendly professional who shows up on time, communicates clearly, and keeps their word. These were the qualities Joel was going to embody. That was what Honey-Do Hero was going to be. At Honey-Do Hero, you can expect general handyman services, installations, repairs, and punch-list work at the highest quality. As much as Joel liked his work and loved helping people, he missed being creative. “Changing a toilet didn’t scratch the itch I had for design, color, and craftsmanship,” Joel says.

 

After moving from Oregon to their current home in Mineola, Joel created a new company, Timber & Tin, where Joel's “creativity and hands finally meet.” Timber & Tin is about accent walls, room makeovers, design and craftsmanship working together to transform how people feel in their own homes. It’s the work that brings Joel to life. Joel works with homeowners to shape their vision, choose colors, plan styles, and create rooms they never want to leave

Joel brings the same principles to Honey-Do Hero and Timber & Tin. They show up on time, down to the minute. They give flat-rate bids that don’t change. They treat every home with honor, care, and respect. They clean up so well, you’d never know they were there. They keep their word every time. Joel and his business partner, Michael Calvert, both men of faith, keep each other accountable and never cut corners. Timber & Tin especially stands apart because it blends professional craft with actual design sense. Service, compassion, and faith are at the center of what they do.

 

In the future, Joel plans to hire a small, trustworthy team for Honey-Do Hero who embody the values Joel lives by so that he can focus his energy where his heart truly lies: growing Timber & Tin into East Texas’ premier, designer-driven home-transformation company. At Timber & Tin, they are developing new design services, larger room and whole-home makeover packages, a growing library of before and after content, and eventually, a complete Timber & Tin design studio. “Your home influences how you feel every single day,” Joel says. “A thoughtfully designed space can lift your spirit and change the atmosphere of your entire home.”