A Deep and Lucrative Connection: Mothers and Daughters Working Together

January 19, 2010 | By admin In Supply chain |

There’s a provocative family business dynamic at play today, growing in numbers as the boom of women-owned businesses continues in the aftermath of the Great Recession; mothers and daughters working together.

While some pundits wax ad nauseum (and so passé) on issues such as unresolved emotional conflicts, or PMS vs. menopause, preferring to highlight celebrity family businesses collaborations where the testosterone overruns the estrogen – e.g., Donald Trump and Ivanka, Francis Copolla and Sophia, Hugh Heffner and Christie, out there in the field, there’s a synergy to this relationship that bears scrutiny.

Kerry and Casey Mazzoni are political consultants. Kerry, a former CA State Assemblywomen and Secretary of Education writes of daughter Casey: “As we sit side by side madly typing on identical computers, I feel blessed and thankful to have this relationship with my daughter and to be partners with her in business. I know if I need to vent, she is there to hear me, that she will understand that I am just venting, and that she will keep me focused on what is important. Honesty keeps us grounded. I so appreciate the ability to run ideas by her and get her feedback, which is usually right on point. If we did not trust, like and respect each other we would never be successful working together. Since we see so much of each other, the only thing we forget about sometimes is to give each other a big hug.”

Casey, on the other hand, appreciates her mother’s ethics. “In our line of work my values often get challenged. My Mom not only supports my moral compass, she helps me direct it. One of the biggest lessons I have learned from her is that “honesty IS the best policy” and “look the tiger in the eye.” Being a woman in politics often times you have speak a little louder, have a better understanding of the subject then most and be a little bit more assertive than others. I have learned that from my Mom.”

Kit Cole and her daughter Kim Kaselionis are a formidable team of bankers. Kit founded one bank in Marin County, CA, in 1991, and then another, now Circle Bank, where they share responsibilities as Chairman and CEO of the holding company, Circle Bancorp and the bank respectively. Super achievers, both, they find balance with their families (Kit has raised 11 children) and with extraordinary commitment to their community. Circle Bank was recently recognized as one of the best places to work by a local business journal, which is a frequent occurrence.

And then there’s another consideration to accompany this deep moral support and trust – a tipping point for making money. In most states and on the federal level, women owned businesses (along with minority and/or disabled veterans with ownership usually 51% or greater), can qualify for various certifications that can fast track procurement of lucrative government contracts. Public utilities and agencies WANT to do business with these firms to satisfy self imposed diversity goals. I found this out by happenstance – a woman I met at a networking event from a state public agency wanted to know if my company could qualify as a WMDVBE, so that we could contract with them for lucrative corporate video work. In fact, my daughter had been working with my husband and me for the past three years, and it was time to negotiate a partnership interest. In the process of doing what we wanted to do, we managed to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. As her mother, I am thrilled to see her bring so many fresh ideas to the table but as her business partner and am ecstatic to see her help increase our bottom line!

Christine Scioli

Christine Scioli owns Zan Media, a film and video production company, http://www.zanmedia.com with her husband and daughter.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/a-deep-and-lucrative-connection-mothers-and-daughters-working-together-1745023.html

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