The Sheppard’s Juggling Act
Work partners and life partners Alan and Helen Sheppard have been building high-end homes for many years.
Alan Sheppard Constructions has thrived for more than 51 years by treating every client like family and consistently exceeding expectations. Their success is built on trust, quality, and a commitment to going above and beyond – every time.
She recently opened up about their successful formula and how they get the balance right.
“The key to our juggling act, is that we have clearly defined roles and to be honest I hardly see him during the day; he’s usually out on worksites while I’m in the office.
“When he does come in, we’re actually a really good team. We make sure we have the same vision, but don’t get in each others’ way,” Helen said.
“Alan’s such a hard worker, so that inspires me to try and match his energy levels. At times we can both be headstrong, but we navigate through all the challenges and encourage each other. It’s crazy, but it works!”
Helen clarifies that this approach may not be a ‘one-size-fits-all’, “I think if we were very different personality types, maybe it wouldn’t work.”
Helen stresses the importance of backing each other up. “Sometimes when new clients come in, they’ll say to me ‘I want to speak with the owner, Alan Sheppard’. I’ll usually say to them, ‘I’m Helen Sheppard and I’m the Sales and Marketing Manager – how can I help you?’ And you know what, even if they do go straight to Alan, he always has my back. I’ve been in this industry for a very long time and on this front, we’re very much a team.”
And how about when they both get home? “We try to have a ‘No Work Policy’, but sometimes Alan can’t help it. Just last night, I was about to go to sleep and he said, ‘Helen, I was thinking about this and this for this job’ and I said ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s 12 o’clock! You need to slow down. I have a switch-off button; he just doesn’t. But that’s OK, and I know that sometimes he can’t go to sleep if something’s not resolved and he needs my help. If it’s not urgent though I tell him, I’ll be up bright and early and solve it in the morning.”
On top of her busy work (and life!) commitments, Helen is on the Master Builders SA Council and is also a valued member of the Residential Committee.
