Janine Starr: Leading a Construction Team with Heart and Grit

This week on Here With Laura, we’re joined by Janine Starr, founder J9 HOMES a boutique remodeling firm in Austin, TX. She sits down to talk about how she built a respected, relationship-driven construction business from the ground up. After a long career in HR and consulting, Janine made a bold pivot at 40,. With a leap of faith and the support of her husband she stepped into the world of construction. What started with joining a remodel division turned into eight years of hands on experience before launching her own firm.Janine shares what it’s really like to build a business with your name on it, why she intentionally keeps her team small and tight knit, and how her background in people management has shaped her leadership style. From navigating a male dominated industry to building long term client relationships to balancing a busy project load with a new empty nester season of life, Janine offers thoughtful, grounded insight into the realities of residential construction today.Whether you’re a designer, a builder, a homeowner gearing up for a remodel, or someone considering a career pivot, this conversation is packed with wisdom about trust, communication, process, and controlling the controllables.Key Takeaways- Your past experience always shows up. Janine’s HR background informs everything from team development, client communication, and navigating tough conversations across trades.- You can’t hire too early or too late. Growth requires intention: hiring based on revenue, pipeline, and leaving enough time for proper training.- Relationships drive construction. Whether with clients, trades, or designers, long term success comes from collaboration and consistent communication.- Bring designers in early. Starting together ensures alignment, smoother decision-making, and fewer delays especially on remodels with unknowns.- Control what you can. Remodels always come with surprises; expectations, transparency, and documented processes help mitigate stress.- High-end clients still want value. Janine focuses on ROI, honest guidance, and thoughtful value engineering, not simply choosing the least expensive option.- Living through a remodel is tough. Timeliness and trust matter deeply, and most people benefit from moving out during messy phases.Resources and LinksLearn More About J9 HOMES: https://j9homes.com/Follow J9 on Instagram: http://instagram.com/j9_homes/Shop Living Oak: https://livingoakhome.comLearn More About Living Oak Interior Design: https://www.livingoak.com/about