08/17/2026
J and B Collision Repair | Hartford, AL
This business is special because it's ours.❤️
At the time I'm writing this, J&B Collision has been serving our community for six and a half years. We opened our doors just before the pandemic turned the world upside down, and those first few years certainly weren't the easy start we had imagined.
But looking back, I can see God's hand in some of the things we couldn't understand at the time.
When the schools shut down, I was able to spend several months working alongside Gary at the shop while he worked to get the business established. What started as a difficult season gave me an opportunity to be there in the beginning...to see the long hours, the problem-solving, the uncertainty, and all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into building something of your own.
For years, J&B was primarily Gary, with some help from his daddy, Mitchell. (If you've ever stopped by the shop, there's a good chance you've seen him there!) Then, in the fall of 2022, we moved into the larger shop we're in today.
And somehow, we've nearly outgrown that one, too. ❤️
We've been incredibly blessed with steady business over the years, and we don't take that for granted. Every customer who chooses a local business is helping a family build something, provide for their family, employ others, and keep a little piece of their community thriving.
That's one of the things I love about family-owned businesses. They're rarely just businesses. They're dreams that somebody had the courage to pursue. They're families working together, learning together, sacrificing together, and trusting God through seasons of uncertainty.
There's a lot of faith involved in building something you can't always see the outcome of.
And Scripture reminds us to "not grow weary in doing good" (Galatians 6:9). I think that's a pretty fitting reminder for anyone who's ever poured their heart into something and wondered if all the hard work was going to pay off.
So this project is my small way of saying to the family-owned businesses in our communities:
We see you.
We see the early mornings, the late nights, the risks, the sacrifices, the faith, the sweat, and all the little things nobody else sees.
And we're grateful you're here.
J&B was the first painting in my Small Town, Big Stories series because it was the perfect place to begin...with our own little piece of the community we love. 🎨❤️
J&B was the perfect place to begin because its story shows how family-owned businesses strengthen communities through faith, sacrifice, and steady service, the heart of this series.
💛 - Em
