This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephanie Postell, co-owner of Anchor Heating and Air. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
You won’t find me and my husband, David, having stiff business meetings in a conference room. But you might find us off-roading through the mud in side-by-sides, talking through our next venture, or troubleshooting a problem.
It’s probably not what you’d expect from the cofounders of an air conditioning company in Charleston — but over the years, we’ve learned to build a business around who we are, not who people expect us to be.
That mindset started in December 2020, when we were both unexpectedly fired from jobs at another air conditioning company. In the middle of the pandemic, we scraped together $2,000 to buy equipment and start over on our own terms.
Our company, Achor Heating and Air, was inspired by our Christian faith and the idea of staying anchored through uncertainty. At our previous company, I had actually been David’s boss, so becoming equal cofounders came with a learning curve.
Here’s how we figured out how to work together.
Have another hobby together
Back to those side-by-sides — having a hobby we share as a couple has helped us connect on a different level outside of work, not just talking about work.
Instead of always talking about schedules, stress, or what needs to get done, we’ve built memories together doing something we genuinely love.
What started as weekends spent riding, traveling, and chasing mud across off-road parks quickly became a way of life for us.
Split up the work by strengths
When David and I met, he was an installer, and he thought I was the most “difficult boss” he’d ever met. I think I just had high standards.
As we evolved into co-founders, we decided to divide up the business based on our strengths. He took what he knew, air conditioning, and I took what I knew, marketing and operations. That’s how our roles were established.
Now, I let David do his stuff, and he lets me — we don’t cross into each other’s territory. We divide up the work to serve our mutual dream, and it’s working.
Don’t bring your bad relationships to work
Employees need a calm, stable environment. They don’t need bickering, wondering if the bosses are mad at each other. And they don’t need the instability of wondering what that means for them, and their own futures.
So, our business works because we don’t fight at work. Really, we don’t fight at all, but we focus on bringing a calm, professional presence to work.
Treat everyone equally — even family
Some of our children have worked for the company at various times, for around a year for one of them, and up to four years for another. A challenge we face is ensuring we have the same standards and rules for them as for other employees, to avoid nepotism at work.
We try to communicate expectations, and that they are the same for everyone, before a problem arises. This includes processes and standards around time-off policies and performance expectations.
We have to have an open enough culture that people feel they are being treated fairly, whether they are family or not.
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