Total honesty and perfect trust. That's what mothers and daughters who own
businesses together say their partnership allows them. "I couldn't imagine being
in business with anyone but my mother," Brita DeBrest says. "No one knows you
like your mother."
"I think it goes to a trend of women really enjoying starting businesses in
partnerships in general. It seems more doable that way; it's fun," says Beth
Schoenfelt, who co-founded Ladies Who Launch along with Victoria Colligan.
Ladies Who Launch
conducted a recent member survey. Of the nearly 300 who responded, approximately
34 percent of women-owned businesses are partnerships, with 15 percent of those
partnerships comprising mothers and daughters.
Look to the entrepreneurial stories that follow to find heartwarming examples
of mothers and daughters who share their workaday worlds--and wouldn't have it
any other way.
Gwen DeBrest, 67, and Brita DeBrest, 43
Venture: Veggielicious Cookies and Cakes Inc.
Location: Reston, Virginia
Veggielicious
Cookies and Cakes Inc. was born in 2005 when Brita DeBrest's mom, Gwen,
challenged her to make a cookie out of vegetables. Brita went home that night
and made sweet potato cookies, which she brought to work the following day. The
response was gratifying, and a new business was born.
Over the next three months, the pair developed six cookie flavors and
launched the Veggielicious brand in Reston, Virgnia. "I couldn't imagine being
in business with anyone but my mother," Brita says.
The business encompasses a 2,200-square-foot warehouse and three employees,
in addition to Brita and Gwen. Sales in 2007 totaled $80,000, and with an influx
of funds from a recent investor, Brita hopes to increase that to $250,000 in
2008. "What makes us work," Brita says, "is that [Gwen] has trained her children
properly, and she's smart enough to stand back and let her teachings take
place."
Gwen has four children. "Their father died when they were very young. We all
struggled, and I'm thankful they've seen the sacrifices I've made, Gwen says. "They all are
hard workers. They do appreciate my sacrifices, and they don't let me want for
anything."
Isabelle Villasenor, 62; Lisa De Bono, 39; and Jenny Briones, 36
Venture: 7 McDonald's Franchises
Location: Southern California (Artesia, Cypress, Newport Beach, Norwalk and
Cerritos)
Isabelle Villasenor purchased the first of seven McDonald's franchises after
her divorce in 1981. Her daughters, Lisa De Bono and Jenny Briones, were 7 and
10 years old, respectively. It was a logical choice for Villasenor, whose
in-laws had been franchisees since 1968.
The girls literally grew up in the business. "We say we were born with
ketchup in our bangs," Briones says. "When Ronald McDonald came to visit, we
wore tiny management uniforms and handed out balloons and tray liners." Today,
the trio oversees 300 employees.
Briones always knew she wanted to be an owner/operator. DeBono, who went to
UCLA, worked for a literary agency for several years. "Every time I'd come back
to visit my family, we'd start talking about McDonald's. As time passed, I
realized I was more stimulated by what was happening at McDonald's than by what
I was doing for a living."
"We all work as a team," Briones says. "There's so much respect and trust,"
De Bono says of working with family members, including Briones' husband. "We can
vent to one another. We finish each other's sentences. We know exactly what the
other person is thinking."
"We're each others' best friends," De Bono says. "We've grown up that way
because [Villasenor] was a single mom."
Briones and De Bono have five kids between them. "If they do come into the
business, they would be fourth generation," Villasenor says proudly.
The trio's advice for others: Villasenor: "Be honest and maintain your
integrity." De Bono: "Set very clear parameters and priorities. There should be
no guesswork on the direction we're headed as a family." Briones: "Never let
anything get in the way of family."
What do the daughters' kids think about McDonald's? "That's the first place
they want to go, and we're happy to take them," Briones says.
Kim Madden, 39, and Heather Madden, 10
Venture: Sassy Tails
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Six-year-old Heather Madden hated hair bows. So Kim Madden started making
fancy ponytail ornaments for her. When Heather's classmates began clamoring for
hair accessories of their own, Madden realized she had a product that girls
around the country would want.
So in 2004, the mother-daughter team created
Sassy Tails together,
with Heather taking on the role of vice president. It's not just a title. New
styles and designs are inspired by suggestions from Heather and the company’s
informal Junior Advisory Board. In addition, Heather travels to trade shows with
her mom and gives speeches about the company and its products. Recently, she
helped write the script for a video e-mercial. "The morning of the filming, she
sent me away," Kim says proudly.
Having Heather involved in the business gives Kim and her daughter time
together. "We automatically have something in common to talk about," Kim says.
What's more, Kim has a platform and a venue to teach Heather some life lessons.
Kim finds it natural to explain everything about the business world to Heather.
"At this age, their brains are so open and they have so many ideas. When we hit
age 13 and up, we get that spirit crushed."
Heather spends as little or as much time on the business as she likes, Kim
says. But if she makes a commitment, she has to keep it. "If she says she's
going to work a holiday fair with me, she has to do it, even if she changes her
mind," Kim says.
Sales last year totaled $250,000. Sassy Tails now has Disney licensing and
licensing from Warner Bros. to sell Harry Potter-inspired hair accessories. Kim
is also seeking $5 million in funding to ramp up production. With the funding
and commercial tie-ins, Madden says she's on target to reach $1 million in sales
this year.
Kim says she managed to secure the licensing because she didn't know she
couldn't. Her advice to other entrepreneurs is: "Believe that anything is
possible. Expect a lot of resistance, whether it's from the market, your family
or naysayers out there. Stay focused on what you're trying to achieve and move
on in spite of them."
Leslie Haas Clanton, 46; Emily Clanton, 16; and Mary Clanton, 13
Venture: Boberry Designs
Location: Glen Allen, Virginia
When Leslie Hass Clanton started
Boberry Designs, it
was natural to pay her girls to work with her in the venture. "I used to work
for my dad, and I loved getting paid for doing work that I thought was
kind of easy," she recalls. The company, originally named It's In the Bag, was
renamed Boberry Designs after younger daughter Mary (as in the children's
rhyming game, "Mary Mary bo-berry bana-fana fo-ferry," also known as "The Name
Game"). Boberry Designs produces and sells gift bags, towel bags, and a wearable
beverage holder.
Boberry, established in 1997, is presently a side business for Leslie, who
co-owns Plastic Lumber Inc., which sells maintenance-free building materials.
Even as a hobby business, Boberry made $270,000 in sales last year. With plans
to focus on Boberry Designs full time this year, Leslie hopes to increase sales
significantly.
The work isn't always easy, especially when it comes to setting up or
breaking down a booth. "Sometimes it can get really, really stressful, and we'll
get on each others' nerves," Leslie says. "But at the end of the day, we
appreciate each other and the job that we're doing."
Emily adds, "It definitely feels good at the end of a weekend when you see how
many sales you made."
Leslie admits that being in business with your daughters can make it
difficult to navigate between the roles of mother and business partner. "I'm
constantly having to negotiate. We do make lots of compromises . . . because
we're close and we work as a team. But I do put my foot down on certain things."
Nevertheless, when it comes to business, Emily sometimes finds herself
advising her mother. Says Leslie, "Sometimes I'll have what I think is a really good idea,
and she'll knock it down and tell me why it's stupid. She keeps me balanced."
Mary has a special role to play, as well: "I tend to get messy with the store or
the booth," Leslie says. "Mary keeps it neat and tidy." Mary has just started
doing shows, and she runs the cash registers. "I can't hire anybody as good as
Em and Mary are," Leslie says.
Emily warns mothers who have businesses not to push daughters into working
with them. "They have to want to do it," she says.