St. Johns 'myHANDYMA'AM' team helps to bring projects and memories to life

• Started in 2020, Samantha Pearl and her daughter Emily started renovation projects when contractors could no longer do the work due to COVID.
• After doing that work, the pair found a new passion for projects and took their business to the community, with a twist... their team consisted of all females.
• Since their start, the duo now does more than 400 projects a year with the help of their team.
• Video shows the work they do, and how beneficial their customers are.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

I’m your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, here in St. Johns, where one local organization is helping not only to rebuild local projects but also to rebuild memories.

"I’ve got some whites and golds. I tried to play around with some things," said resident Darrilyn Fraser.

It’s a simple thing that makes Darrilyn Fraser smile... horses.

"It’s brought back so many memories, and so many fun things," said Fraser.

Memories she hadn’t visited in 30 years, but Fraser says one call to myHANDYMA'AM in St. Johns, and those memories came flooding back with a custom-built shelf.

"We want people to see their project, and every time they see it to just think, 'Oh wow, I love that so much.'" said Owner, Samantha Pearl.

Samantha and her daughter Emily got their start in the business after their family bought a house in 2020.

"We tore down all the walls, pulled up all of the flooring... and then we had three contractors come to give us estimates for the work that needed to be done. But then, a couple of weeks later, COVID hit," said Pearl.

So, the pair decided to finish the projects themselves, finding joy in the process every step of the way. The next step in their lives came by surprise...

"In the course of both of those projects, we posted on Facebook pictures of what we were doing and began to get inquiries from other women who were interested in getting us to do projects for them," said Pearl.

Pearl says that women make up just a small fraction of the people working in construction, which gave them a new perspective on the field.

"It's just the way that things are, as a woman you need to be cautious, and there is another comfort level in a woman inviting another woman into their home," said Pearl.

The pair say all are welcome to apply for the team with no skill required.

To learn more about the company, click here.

Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website .

Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.

Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.

Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook