Twin sisters, Arrin Freeman Burgand and Farrah Shay Barreth, have the entrepreneurial spirit that many aspire to. Though they are past the years of dressing the same and finishing each other’s sentences, they both claim to still have a sixth sense connection that keeps them remarkably close.

An interesting fact about them is that they are the oldest pre-mature surviving twins born at the Houston County Hospital, now known as the Houston Healthcare. The hospital had just opened their neonatal care unit with incubators, so you could say these twins were blessed from the start.

Of course, that is not the only interesting thing about these two women who insist on finding happiness through entrepreneurial endeavors. Though they may have a mirror image of their lives today with being married, having kids, and doing what they love, their path to getting to this point was different. I will start with Arrin’s journey first as she pointed out tome that she was born eight minutes before Farrah. When Arrin said this to me, I did detect a sense of older sister vibes.

Arrin is a freelance artist and muralist who works all over the Middle Georgia area. She does artwork commissions and, as a fun side job, she has painted the storefronts of many businesses as a window splash painter...the term “Splashed” has been coined to refer to the process.

Arrin is a graduate of Wesleyan College with a degree in Studio Art. After graduation she had a variety of jobs that paved the way for her freedom to work independently. One of her first jobs, after graduating from Wesleyan College, was working in a non-profit arts infusion program that took art and music majors and placed them in schools that did not have art programs. This program landed Arrin at Springdale Elementary in Macon for 12weeks. This opportunity opened doors for the next few years for her; she worked at a few area schools as an art teacher .

One job that Arrin speaks fondly of is her position at Georgia’s Children’s Museum as the Art Director. This was a unique position because she was brought in to work part-time through AmeriCorps in an after-school program and part-time in a grant funded position as the Art Director for the Museum. AmeriCorps is a government funded organization that fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Luckily, this opportunity was local, and she was able to refine her talent as an artist and muralist in this unique position.

Like many grant-funded positions, they end, and Arrin found herself transitioning again. She procured a position at First Presbyterian Day School (FPD) in Macon as an elementary Art Teacher. Arrin has left a footprint in each position she has held, to include being commissioned to paint a large-scale canvas that is displayed in the FBD library. She said that all the jobs she has held have made her a stronger ambassador to the entrepreneurial way of life that she now leads.

We know progress is never a straight line and there are always challenges along the way. Some of Arrin’s jobs were grant-funded positions, so she was in the mode of finding that open door after one closed for a while. While pursuing her career path, she was also starting a family with her husband, co-owner of Sider-Crete, Inc. in Hawkinsville, Georgia. They married in 2006 and have two children. Their daughter is in high school and enjoying her hobby of horses and their son is in middle school and attends Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. Though Arrin and her husband have had to deal with some personal challenges with raising a son with special needs, she takes one day at a time and is very thankful that she has the flexibility of working hours that fits her family’s lifestyle.

In the future, Arrin hopes to resume authoring more children’s books. Earlier on in her career she collaborated with an author to illustrate a children’s book, and authored and illustrated a book herself called, Look-A-Likes Don’t Act A-Like. This book was born out of her own relationship with her sister. She encourages the reader to see each twin as a unique and special human being, while emphasizing the bond that twins enjoy.

Now to the journey of Farrah, who gets to tout that she is the youngest sister by eight minutes. The twin’s mom once owned a salon in Warner Robins, Georgia, and this is where Farrah started her career. Farrah is now a hair stylist by day at B. Monroe Salon and a wood chainsaw carver by nights and weekends. Though not a common pairing of talents, she does keep them separate, so her hair salon clients should not worry.

According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, 4.3 million new businesses started across the United States in 2021 alone. Many new businesses started out of necessity based on the fallout of the pandemic, but some businesses started out of a shear need to have a purpose. Many businesses started out as a hobby and then blossomed into a small business.

Hair salons were one of the industries that suffered during the pandemic, but Farrah forged on and found a niche hobby during the pandemic that is now a small business. She started outworking with clay, making small clay animals, and wanted more of a challenge, so she went outside and picked up a chainsaw. Not something most of us would do, but she was determined to do something new.

Farrah is a self-taught wood carver and gives credit to online resources such as YouTube for guiding her in the right direction. Farrah gives her husband credit as well for helping her to get to know her machinery to work on her craft. The business name is cleverly called Goldie Logs. Though she has no plans of quitting her day job any time soon, this little side business has taken off and she now does local art shows, craft fairs, and she has been commissioned to do special orders for gifts. Her focus has been to carve bears, but has started on other projects such as birds and pumpkins. She is lucky enough to live on a beautiful wooded 12 acres, so she has an endless source of wood.

Farrah is the first to say that she knows that chainsaw carving is a unique business, but she also does it for the therapy benefits that it provides. I think we can all say that we were looking for whatever would make us feel better during these past few unsettled years and Farrah took to wood carving. Learning from ground zero has made Farrah appreciate the multiple aspects of not only growing a business, but really understanding what it takes when you’re passionate about something. When asked about future goals, she said she hopes to start whittling with a knife for smaller projects but is taking one step at a time to master her craft.

Farrah stays busy with her career and with her newfound passion of carving, but family comes first. Her husband, a Government Contractor on Warner Robins Air Force Base, has been a huge support for Farrah. They have a young son in middle school and a daughter who is married and has just had a baby, making them grandparents. She also is a stepmom to her husband’s children who are no wall grown. She beams when she talks about her family, and you can tell she is quite content with her life and loves seeing the end results of what she does, whether it be a great haircut or a masterfully carved bear.

While interviewing these women, the thought of Yin and Yang came to mind. Yin and Yang is a philosophical concept that describes opposite forces which are interconnected. Arrin and Farrah are very connected but have taken different paths to get to where they are today. Their enterprising spirit keeps them connected, but their individual personalities set them apart. Both sisters keep busy with work, family, and all other obligations that are put into their path. Arrin and Farrah both said that their husbands, family, and friends have been incredibly supportive of their dreams. There is no doubt that support will carry these two sisters through the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey they are on.