Keeping It In the Family
Thoughts from Jessica Pearson and Lydia Patton O’Connor on Maintaining a Strong and Successful Family Business.
Local floral design company and greenhouse, Flowers by Jerry, has been in business in Rochester for over fifty years. Ownership of the business has remained in the family just as long, now under the guidance of third generation owners Jessica and Dylan Pearson with assistance from Lydia Patton O’Connor. Jessica and Lydia, sisters who grew up in the business, were kind enough to share their insights on the factors and core values they believe have held up the family business over the years.
Raised in a family of faith, Jessica and Lydia strongly attribute the value systems they grew up with to maintaining strong, respectful relationships with their family members and employees.
“We have always found our faith to be instrumental in fostering the strong relationships that hold up our family and business. It helps us cultivate good attitudes, humility, kindness, and respect for the work we do and the people we do it with. We take care to lead by example and put others first.”
They also find strong communication to be fundamental in working out disagreements, finding solutions to problems, and staying in tune with one another.
“We’re a family of talkers, and if there’s a problem or disagreement, it never takes long for us to sit down and talk it out. We certainly don’t always agree and get along, but we never allow issues to fester.”
We’re certainly not strangers to stories of children being raised within a family business and forced into it as adults by a sense of guilt or obligation. However, within their family, Jessica and Lydia never felt the pressure to follow in their parents’ footsteps. Rather, they were encouraged to follow their passions, which did eventually lead them both back into the fold.
“I distinctly remember our parents saying that they wanted us to pursue whatever made us happy, whether that was the family business or not. In some ways, I think they may have been relieved if we didn’t get involved in the business, just because they know the commitment and sacrifices that it entails. They know the weight that has rested on their shoulders. But they’re also proud of and grateful for what they’ve built, and it’s a labor of love carrying on that legacy.”
Throughout changes in leadership and the passing of time, each owner within the family has maintained their values while also staying open to new ideas and ways of doing things. At its core, Flowers by Jerry has always focused on providing high quality products and excellent customer service.
“There has always been an unspoken expectation within the family business that we don’t sell poor quality products and we don’t ever treat customers badly. Those are the pillars of the business. When it comes to other parts of the business, we're very lucky that our grandparents and parents are very forward thinking and open to new ideas. We’re all very supportive of each other’s thoughts and ideas, and we also try to cater to one another’s strengths within the business. Even if our grandparents or parents have not fully understood or felt strongly about an idea, they’ve always been open to trying something new.”
Jessica and Lydia firmly agreed that their key to keeping the family business strong was rooted in prioritizing faith and family before the business.
“Our mom always said that if the business ever started to hurt us as a family and our relationships with one another, that the business had to go. There was never a question about what was most important. While it may sound backwards, I really believe that prioritizing harmony within our family and treating one another well over the business is what has ultimately kept the business thriving for so many years.”
While there is no secret formula to running a thriving, multigenerational business for over fifty years, sound advice lies in the wisdom of treating business partners and employees with respect and care, leading by example, never compromising on quality, communicating clearly, and staying open to growth and new ideas. In the case of the family behind Flowers by Jerry, putting faith and family first has planted the seeds for a strong business we hope to keep in Rochester for many generations to come.
Learn more about Flowers by Jerry.
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Communications at Collider.
