.... is that they can't help but give you advice. However when you go into business as a family maybe you need to listen to that advice. We asked the newly ensconced team who bought luxury gin producer The Secret Garden Distillery last year about the dynamics of the business when you're a mother and daughter outfit.
Kate Armstrong, the matriarch of the group, told us laughingly, "the accountants warned me when that with equal shares between us they could out vote me and they have - frequently! But we decided right from the outset that we'd run the business as a democracy and if a vote on anything proved to be 2 to 1 then that was it and you weren't allowed to blame each other if it went tits up". But she added that working with her daughters Isobel and Imogen was a real privilege. "it's such a source of pride and a real eye-opener to actually see your kids at work", she says. "Normally they fly the nest - or hopefully they do - and when they return back for a visit it's always still as your children and you don't get the opportunity to actually see them in the work place. You never get to see the way they interact with their peers and colleagues, the way they think and collaborate. I am actually loving it". When asked about what was the best advice she had given to the girls she laughed again and said " you will have to ask them".
So that's what we did.
Isobel, who is involved with the Sales and Marketing side of the business at the moment told us that the best lesson she'd learned from her mother was the importance of being present. She explained, " growing up my mum left for work early and got home late because she was working so hard. But there wasn't a single important milestone missed - she was always right there supporting me. While she was at work she was all in and worked hard, but when she was home she was really present and made every moment count."
Her sister, Imogen, who is mainly involved in the Operations side of the business at present but steering everyone towards more sustainable practices and planning for the company to reach Net Zero in the next five years also pointed to two bits of advice she's taken on board. "mum has always said if you have to work then at least fun have doing it and that if people like what they do, they do it better," she said.
And that's one of the big takeaways from interviewing this dynamic trio - they certainly have fun.
For more information contact info@secretgardendistillery.co.uk and thank you to Stripe Communications for their interview.
