Concord Couple Mix Business with Family

By Amy Matzke
amatzke@independenttribune.com
Featured in the Independent Tribune, Monday, October 9, 2006

CONCORD - There’s an old saying that a family that plays together stays together.

The Perry family of Concord takes that saying pretty seriously.

Lisa and Brian Perry run their graphic and Web design business, Perry Productions, out of their home to spend more time with their two children, 5-year old Jake and 20-month old Dylan.

Usually, one parent works while the other spends time with the children. Since Jake is now in elementary school and Dylan goes to preschool, there are some normal work hours, but most of the time is spent divided between Lisa and Brian.

“They get a lot of Daddy time, which kids don’t always get,” Brian said. “They spend half the time with me and half with Lisa. We do try to explain that normally most mommies and daddies go out of the house to work, but this works for our family.”

“We co-parent and co-work,” Lisa said. “We work some very bizarre hours, but it works for us.”

When they started Perry Productions 10 years ago, Brian and Lisa knew they didn’t want to spend a lot of time away from the kids they eventually wanted to have.

At the time they created the business, Brian was doing debt collection for Rent-A-Center and was transferred to Charlotte from Ohio, where the couple was living and had gone to college. Lisa got a job working at the Pineville Press, but her job was eventually cut and that’s when they decided to start their graphic design business.

“Our parents about had a heart attack,” Lisa said. “They were big on insurance and stability. We were 25, and they didn’t think we knew what we were doing.”

The company started off designing logos and what Brian calls corporate identities, the things that help a business just starting up to identify itself. Slowly but surely the company has brought in more clients, and has broadened into Web site design and maintenance, but family is still the main focus, Lisa said.

“People know about our kids, and our kids go with us to drop off projects,” Lisa said. “Everybody loves to see them. If you hire us you get the whole family. For some that’s a turn-off but most people know us as a whole.”

They even built their home to accommodate the business and family aspect. There is a large home office so the adult Perrys can work while the younger ones play nearby.

“We still get the work done, don’t get the wrong idea,” Brian said. “We’ve had some tough times, but when you get burnt out on the parenting end you can go work, and when you get burnt out on work you can go parent.”

“Jake says his name is Jake Perry Productions,” Lisa said with a laugh. “He’s heard us answer the phone ‘Perry Productions’ so many times he thought our last name was Perry Productions.”

Besides being working and at-home parents, the Perrys are heavily involved in Jake’s school and community activities.

Lisa is a member of the Cabarrus Rotary Club, and the Perrys often volunteer their Web services to help the club. Perry Productions created the logo, brochure and Web site for the club’s annual basketball tournament.

Lisa was also named 2005-06 Rotarian of the Year, Brian said, but he claims she doesn’t tell people because she’s too modest. She also helped to start the Junior Rotarians, where children of members can help out with community projects and learn the importance of giving back at a young age, Lisa said.

“We wanted to give back to the community, and graphic designs are a good thing that helps non-profits,” Lisa said. “We try to donate our time and talents.”

Brian is taking the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Cabarrus class to learn other ways to get involved in the community and how to serve it, and both parents volunteer in the Junior Great Books program at Jake’s elementary school, Cox Mill.

Sharing the responsibilities of the house and work is what keeps the Perrys working smoothly, they said.

“People can’t believe we work together and are still married,” Lisa said. “He’s an expert in Photoshop so he does that, and I write.”

Jake said he likes having both of his parents around, and recently got his own computer because he wanted to be like his parents.

“At least now I have my own computer,” Jake said, giggling. “I play games and have fun with it though. They just work, work, work, all day long. I don’t wanna work, it’s boring!”

The Perrys’ neighbor, Kristina Losey, said her three children, Jessica, 7, Erica, 5, Amanda, 3, often play with Jake and Dylan, and the two families are close.

“The biggest thing when I think of the Perrys is teamwork,” Losey said. “They always balance back and forth between each other, but they make family time. They absolutely love their boys, and are so involved with them while planning their own careers and showing the boys what its like to have a career you love.”

“Lisa, she has a passion for serving others, and her husband is involved in the background with her,” said fellow Rotarian Alan Goodman. “That’s neat how he’ll help her out. It just feels good in this age that they are an absolute team and they’re helping each other to be right when a lot of couples are helping each other to be wrong.”

• Contact Amy Matzke at amatzke@independenttribune.com or 704-789-9151.