Our House

Builder Master For someone who makes his living teaching Canadians how to renovate, Bryan Baeumler poses a surprising first question to homeowners: Do you really want to do this? By Jeremy Deutsch I t's just after 11 a.m. at a job site in Burlington Ont., and Bryan Baeumler is as busy as ever. The HGTV star and do-it-yourself guru's day includes a site meeting, finance meeting, answering countless emails and the worst part, a dreaded trip to the dentist to fill a couple of cavities. "I can't wait," he jokes during a chat with Our House Magazine. Truth be told, his favourite days are when he's not busy filming and he's got nothing to do but fill his belt with framing nails and swing a hammer. But when you own a group of companies, head a charitable organization, shoot a handful of TV shows, and have a young family, free time is scarce. Baeumler's face is everywhere these days as one of the highest-rated stars for the Home and Garden channel. He's currently shooting his second season of Bryan Inc. three to four days a week, and running his construction business the rest of the week. His other shows include House of Bryan, Leave it to Bryan and Home to Win. He's often asked how he balances his family obligations and marriage to his wife Sarah with his business interests. And his answer is pretty straightforward: it's a constant struggle. "To be totally honest, we could do what everyone else does and put a smile on and just say, 'We figure it all out and we put our focus everywhere,' but I don't know anybody really who has figured out how to balance and schedule all that stuff," he says. Instead, Baeumler suggests that, to make it all work, there is a lot of adjusting. While he may be gone every weekend for six months, he sees it as a means to an end. And he'll change it up when he needs to, taking the family on a vacation for weeks at a time. "The key is to just understand the balance you have today is not DOmInIOn LenDInG CenTreS Our HOuse SUmmer 2017 >> 29

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