Barbie Simpson RV
A fourth-generation Santa Rosa native, Barbie Simpson began working in the family business, Simpson Sheet Metal, when she was 16 years old, answering phones in the office after school. She worked her way up the ranks until she became owner and CEO of the company. Her roots have always been tied to Sonoma County as she spent her youth in Rincon Valley, the same area where her great-great grandparents operated an egg farm. She credits most of her education from hands-on experience at Simpson Sheet Metal, though she earned an associate’s degree in accounting and data processing from Heald College. Away from work, she spends time with her children and grandchildren while also visiting and retreating to her 300-acre ranch in Hopland. She also loves shooting, traversing her property in her Polaris ATV and enjoying her family’s company at the cabin.
Do you have a favorite area, besides the cabin, on your Hopland ranch?
I would say our family home on Clear Lake would have to be another of my favorite spots. My mom and dad built it in 1983. I grew up going to our lake house almost every weekend. We had a speed ski-racing team back in the day, and we raced all around the lake. My kids grew up on the water and around our home there, as well as now, my grandbabies. It is a home away from home.
What motivates you to work hard?
To support the employees and families of all that work for me. Our business takes care of a great deal of people and my No. 1 priority is to make sure I make smart decisions to keep everyone working. I would also throw a little splash in there of motivation that I still want to make my dad proud of me in all I do here. I know he is with me from heaven above.
Do you have a family motto? Spoken or unspoken.
One thing that my family definitely stands for and has been engrained in my heart over the years, starting with my dad, is: “Red, White and Blue—buy American, be proud to be an American, love your country and love your flag.” Our shop at Simpson Sheet Metal is all red, white and blue, and we have the Statue of Liberty painted on the wall. All of our boats when we raced were red white and blue and everything we did was red, white and blue—even our race team uniforms.
You’re in the market for furniture. Antique? Classic? Or modern?
Definitely, farmhouse, ranch-style furniture. I am in the beginning stages of building my forever home and it is a total farmhouse.
What celebrity or noteworthy person would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?
If I had to choose someone that I would love to meet for a cup of coffee there are two people. Maya Angelou when she was still with us, as she was such an insightful woman with great wisdom and insight. When I hear what she said or wrote about, it encourages me to step out of my shell and rise with confidence as a woman. I tend to be my own worst critic and somehow her words of wisdom just make one feel okay. The second person would have to be Warren Buffet. The man is one of the smartest people I have ever learned about, and quite honestly, he intrigues me. I would love to just chat with him and see what’s behind all he does.
If you could join any past or current music group, which would you join?
First of all, I couldn’t even carry a note in a bag, so this would have to be a dream. If I was joining a group, it would have to be something country western.
What’s the last best movie you saw?
The last best movie I watched was over Christmas, and it was an old movie with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening—A Love Affair.
