Family-owned business and the visible woman

In the literature, much attention has been paid to the invisible hand in family-owned businesses, FOBs. However, not enough attention has been given to the visible hand that moves the needle in those businesses. A 2019 KPMG and the Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices (STEP) study shows that there has been increased visibility of women in FOBs – usually measured by their active role as CEOs and general managers. The study covered more than 1,800 family business leaders from 33 countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report stated that 18 per cent of FOB leaders globally are women, with the highest percentage in Europe and Central Asia and the lowest in North America. What about Jamaica? The process continues in pursuit of this data point. As part of this pursuit, this article represents the second in a proposed three-part series on women in FOBs in Jamaica.

This strong and resilient Jamaican woman was the fourth to be named among the children in the family, being one of nine girls in a family of twelve children. In the process of becoming a successful entrepreneur, there were hiccups, good times and challenges. All decisions, however, were and have been guided by many of the principles taught by her parents, with echoes of “Daddy always said …”. She was not daunted by the hurdles and obstacles she faced in life and in her business. Tell her that she cannot achieve her goal, and she will be ready to act on the advice from Michele Ruiz: “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them any more.”

Lawrence Nicholson (LN): What motivated you to start a business?

Thalia Lyn (TL): Well, I think it was the way we were raised. There were 12 of us, nine being girls, who were pushy. I felt being pushy was the result of believing that we had to be ‘heard’. Also, owning and operating a business are part of certain heritage, so it seemed almost inevitable. However, Chinese heritage favoured the boys as far as their involvement in the business was concerned, so the girls had to emulate the boys. Outside of that, I guess I just wanted to be independent.

I came back to Jamaica after graduating from university overseas and taught at Immaculate Conception High School for a year. Although I loved teaching, that was not making me happy. Daddy was always talking about the bakery and us getting involved, so getting into the business seemed inevitable. So, I guess this came from growing up, where all of us, including our cousins, spent our childhood in and around the business, especially during the summer. Having a sense of ownership along with the independence in my family contributed to us always wanting not to have people telling us what to do, and, I guess, wanting to call the shots.

LN: Were you forced to work in the business or getting involved was part of the flow for a child of Chinese descent?

TL: No, this was never forced. As Jamaicans of Chinese descent, we all knew we had to work in the business. But this was also an opportunity to earn our own money … we got our little pocket money, and we learned the business in the process.

LN: If you had to list the top 5 lessons you have learnt, having been exposed to the business environment at an early age, what might these be?

TL: First, whatever you are doing, just do it well. I used to help my mother stuff pay envelopes. In those days there were no bank transfers. She would count out the money, and I would double-check her, so I learnt how to pay attention to details and be accurate.

Second, pay attention to the quality of what you do. I also worked in the pastry department, and I learned how to follow recipes and decorate cakes. You learn to take pride in what you do, so that everything came out looking and tasting good.

Third, teamwork. The cousins learned how to work as a team. For example, when we were packing cakes for export, we figured out a conveyor…a human conveyor…which made the work easier and expeditious.

Fourth, how to manage your money. As I said, we got a little pocket money, and we knew what we wanted to do with it … save, and spend wisely. Later in life, what I learnt from Daddy was to never overextend yourself. Never, ever overextend yourself … because you really don’t want to be caught like I did in that FINSAC vortex.

Fifth, respect for others. I talked about teamwork earlier…we worked alongside the people in the bakery, and I learned to respect them, they had worked with the family for years. I decided then that if I were to have my own business, I would want my staff to feel like they are part of the family.

LN: Earlier, you said that although you loved teaching, you were not happy, I guess because of the low pay. At what point did you decide that you were going to start your own business?

TL: I realised the family business was reserved for boys. After university, I offered to join, but they said, ‘Really?’ Our business was truly family-run, but only the boys were included. Daddy involved all his siblings, because they all lived together, practically in a one-bedroom house. And, not having the benefit of a tertiary education, he tried to make things better for them by creating opportunities [educational] for the next generation. Education was very important to Daddy … it was Daddy who taught us, by example, people skills, and to never forget the ones that help you along the road.

Anyway, to answer your question. I came back from university, believing that I was the hottest thing [laughs], and found out that there was no place for me in the family business. My brother [who was abroad and was willing to come back] and I even tried to buy Butterkist, but we faced opposition … it did not work out, because the family wanted us to include all the family, and we [my brother & I] wanted to go it alone.

That was when I said, okay, well, I am going to start my own business. We started small with Dairy Castle, doing soft-serve ice cream. This was a venture that involved my husband and my [business] partner [name withheld]. When we travelled, we were always looking for business opportunities.

LN: Talk to me about the business with which you are known across Jamacia … if I cannot recall the name and mention your name, people readily say “Island Grill”.

TL: That gives me so much joy, because I will travel and I buck up somebody that will say, “Mrs L, you don’t know me because you only saw me twice, but I used to work for you. I got the best foundation, which enabled me to migrate to America or wherever.”

Over time, I recognised that the ice cream alone wasn’t going to give me enough profit. So, I added burgers and chicken at the second store. It was luck. My friend...who was a friend of my husband and my [business] partner were all Air Jamaica pilots. He was leaving the Twin Gates location and was giving up that location and moving over to The Springs. And he said, you know, I have this lovely location. It doesn’t have a drive-thru – that’s why I am moving. And I thought, why not? I tried to get a bank loan, and was asked, “Where’s your father,” because my father was so well-known. I said, “My father”? And they said, well, if not your father, your husband; we need him to co-sign to get the loan. I said, “no, it’s my business, not his, he [my husband] flies a plane, he doesn’t know how to run a business.” They wouldn’t relent. He had to co-sign for me to get all the loans…this might have been in 1971. The business started with most of the money coming from my husband and business partner. I will never forget how good they were at taking cheese and crackers to work, so that I could have the foreign currency to do business. They understood what I wanted to do...the success is ours, not mine. Interestingly, it was after the new CEO, my son, and daughter-in-law took over that I realised how successful we have been as a business.

LN: What have been some of the other challenges you have faced over the years of doing business.

TL: FINSAC and COVID adversely affected our business. In the case of FINSAC, I had an overdraft. I didn’t listen to Daddy completely and overextended with an overdraft. But we managed to survive, and since then I’ve never had an overdraft. And then, I thought if I can survive FINSAC, I can survive anything. But then COVID came along ... we were closed 45 per cent of the time. I didn’t want to be laying off staff. About 80 per cent of our staff are single mothers. They had their children at home …the children were trying to learn virtually, and that was something completely new … with the children trying to use a phone and running out of credit. I was in a position where I had to help them as much as I could, so we did … but it was a horrible time emotionally – very uncertain.

LN: Do you believe that your treatment of your workers during COVID can be attributable to you being a woman and maybe having a better understanding of the challenges facing single mothers?

TL: Yes and no. It was more part of the family values instilled from childhood, of not forgetting where you have come from … having to share my bed with my cousins when I was growing up … but a happy time in my life. However, as a woman, I could relate in ways that a male might not have been able to do, readily.

LN: Do you believe that women, compared to men, bring something different to the family business?

TL: I was lauded as the second woman to be inducted into the PSOJ Hall of Fame, and I was thinking, why the distinction that I am a woman? It should be just another businessperson, not a big distinction between a woman and a man. I have complained to my friend that all you men just vote for one another. He supports me, but I want him to help support other women, too, not just the ‘boys’ club’. This is a bias that women are going to keep coming across. I don’t have the answer for that one. In the long run, both men and women are needed in the business, especially in the family business … they complement each other. I must say though that in my experience, women seem naturally to bring more emotional intelligence to the business. More women need to step to the front and project themselves, not necessarily as a woman, but as one capable of owning and operating a successful business.

LN: What is a final thought you want to leave with other entrepreneurs [more so, the young and upcoming ones].

TL: I leant from Daddy that you must try and help those you can help. He said that “if people didn’t help me when I started my business, it just wouldn’t have happened”. He said, “Just don’t forget where you’re coming from.”

Humility, grace and assertive without being aggressive are descriptors that come to mind after a conversation with this Jamaican entrepreneur. She will tell you that there are many more like her in Jamaica. If only they could become more visible! There is much more that can be said…the space does not allow.

More anon.

*TL: Name initalised on the author’s request.

Lawrence Nicholson, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the Mona School of Business & Management, The University of the West Indies, and a former director of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. He is passionate about FOBs, as is reflected in his writing on the topic, including in his book ‘Understanding the Caribbean Enterprise: Insights from MSMEs and Family-Owned Businesses’. Send feedback to lawrence.n.08@gmail.com