- Story by TessVan Straaten Photography by Don Denton

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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When Ted Hancock and Shawn Richardson decided to team up to launch the Incredible Home brand, they never thought their relationship would be a topic for discussion.

鈥淧eople assume we鈥檙e a couple but I鈥檝e actually said to Ted we should get buttons that say, 鈥業鈥檓 not with him鈥� and 鈥業鈥檓 not with her,鈥欌�� Shawn jokes.

The pair, who have more than 70 years of industry experience between them, joined forces last July to grow Ted鈥檚 successful company, Incredible Closets, into space solutions for every part of the home 鈥� kitchens, entryways, living rooms, garage organizers and even wine rooms and custom-made doors.

鈥淲e鈥檇 been looking to expand for several years because our clients have been asking us if we can do kitchens or vanities 鈥� since it鈥檚 similar to what we do,鈥� Ted explains. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure exactly how we were going to do it but as Shawn and I started to talk, I realized collaborating would be the ideal situation.鈥�

Shawn moved to Victoria from Calgary three years ago and worked with a prominent custom homebuilder. Her expertise is in design, space planning and custom millwork.

鈥淚 was a partner in a custom home and renovation business, working in that beautiful, high-end, no-holds-barred Calgary market where I got to do some pretty amazing work with clients, but really learned custom millwork over a 10-year period,鈥� Shawn says. 鈥淲e had a master cabinetmaker who taught me everything I know.鈥�

The dynamic duo met in 2017 at an industry event, and realized they both had a passion for offering top-notch customer service and had strengths that complemented each other. Ted鈥檚 skills are in building things 鈥� he grew up on a farm and started driving tractors at the age of 10, and building dog houses and other structures at 14.

鈥淲hen you grow up as a farmer you learn to do pretty much anything, and from there, I combined farming with construction. So I have close to 60 years鈥� experience building things and almost 40 years鈥� industry experience,鈥� Ted says.

Ted launched Incredible Closets in Calgary in 1982 鈥� the first of its kinds in Western Canada. He moved the business to Victoria 11 years later, for lifestyle reasons and the opportunity to sail.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 very hard to do on the prairies,鈥� quips Ted. 鈥淭he business just grew from there, mostly from repeats and referrals, which is about 50 to 60 per cent of our business.鈥�

For Shawn 鈥� who counts a stint with the TV show Property Brothers as a career highlight 鈥� design is in her DNA.

鈥淚鈥檝e been decorating and designing my whole life,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s a teenager, I was the weird kid who had my pillows arranged just perfectly on the bed. It鈥檚 something that鈥檚 just in you.鈥�

Together, they re-branded Incredible Closets to Incredible Home earlier this year and moved into a spectacular, new, purpose-built showroom in February.

鈥淲hen this space became available, it was a no-brainer,鈥� Ted says. 鈥淭he space is perfect and it鈥檚 a pebble鈥檚 throw away from our previous showroom and offices.鈥�

The pair admits there have been challenges in growing the business, but they say long-term employees have helped to make the transition easier.

鈥淭here are always challenges, but like anything, it鈥檚 how you approach the challenge,鈥� Ted says. 鈥淚s it something you can learn from? And if it鈥檚 an obstacle you have to overcome, how do you get through it? Instead of saying we can鈥檛 do it, we say 鈥榟ow can we do it?鈥� We鈥檒l figure out a way.鈥�

Their mantra is 鈥渓isten carefully and answer creatively鈥欌�� and they say it鈥檚 served them well. Shawn also tells staff to think of the money clients are spending as their own money, and to act accordingly.

鈥淭he biggest mistakes I鈥檝e made in life are whenever I haven鈥檛 trusted my instincts,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou have to listen to your inner voice and you have to be bold and say, 鈥榠f this was my money on the line, what would I do? What would I choose?鈥� I always think like that.鈥�

For Ted, his biggest mistake was not being enough of a risk-taker when he was younger.

鈥淣ow, as I get older, I鈥檓 more of a risk-taker and it seems to work,鈥� says the father of three and grandfather of three. 鈥淵ou have to learn from your mistakes or you鈥檒l never get them out of your head.鈥�

鈥淚 always say to myself, 鈥榥o guts, no glory,鈥欌�� adds Shawn, who has an adult daughter. 鈥淒on鈥檛 compromise, do what you think is right, take the high road and it will serve you well. If you鈥檙e passionate about something, just continue to push forward.鈥�

And that鈥檚 exactly what Shawn and Ted are doing 鈥� despite being at an age when many of their peers are retiring.

鈥淭his is my retirement plan,鈥� jokes Ted. 鈥淚 love what I do and when I thought about what I wanted to do when I retire, it was this. I still work a lot more than I probably should at this age, but it keeps my brain going and it keeps my body going.鈥�

鈥淭ed is really an inspiration for me because a lot of my friends are retired or starting to retire and I鈥檓 venturing into this new business and I鈥檓 in it for the long haul,鈥� Shawn adds.

鈥淚t does keep you young and I鈥檓 excited about what we鈥檙e going to do next.鈥�

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