An Interview With Jackie's Mother-Daughter Duo
Tell us about your mother / daughter relationship. Did you ever think you'd be working together on a project like Jackie?
Amber - Sabel and I are more like sisters than mother and daughter. In a lot of ways, we grew up together. It is a dream to be working together on something that we are both passionate about. While we are similar, we do have different strengths and weaknesses, so working together at Jackie has served us well with growing the company as fast as we have. It’s a lot of fun to spend time together on a project that is so personal.
Sabel - I respect my mom immensely as my mother, boss, mentor and friend. I feel grateful that she is all of those to me. No, I never thought we’d be working on a project like Jackie together. Growing up, I never was one of those girls who was really into fashion and retail. I appreciated good style when I saw it, but I never envisioned myself working in this world. I am so happy that I am. It’s proven to me that even a little bit of passion for something can go a long way. Fashion aside, I’ve learned invaluable business skills that I will use for the rest of my life.
What is your favorite thing about working with the other person?
Amber - We share the same sense of humor so we get to laugh a lot which is always fun. I love getting to see her everyday since she is married and is no longer at home. We both share a love for fashion so it is only fitting that we get to spend all day doing what we love so much. Sometimes we just look at each other and wonder how we got here so fast because this Jackie world seems to be taking on a life of its own and taking us places we never dreamed of.
Sabel - You never know what you’re going to get day-to-day. There’s some new fire to put out, new ideas to act on, new people to meet, new outfits to obsess over, and new places to travel. There’s truly never a dull moment working with my mom. My absolute favorite part is that I am inspired by her daily! I don’t take for granted that I have a boss who is inspiring. So often I hear stories of people hating their bosses, constantly being beat down by them and leading them to a place of resentment. That is simply not the case with my mom. I am confident that the entire Jackie team would agree.
What is the benefit to working as a mother daughter team?
Amber - My favorite part of working with Sabel is getting to watch her grow professionally. I have seen so much growth in the last 3 years and being able to pour into her professionally has been so rewarding because Amber as a boss looks very different than Amber as a mom and she has gotten the opportunity to experience that. It isn't always easy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sabel also knows I have extremely high expectations and zero tolerance for mediocrity in any area of my life so she models that for the team and it sets the pace in the office. Our relationship has changed and sometimes I view her more like a business partner than anything because she is so smart and creative and has a ton of vision for Jackie.
Sabel - Like my mom said, we know each other well, so working together and helping vision become reality comes naturally. I also feel so blessed to be able to see my mom as often as I do. I got married in 2018, one year after Jackie’s launch. I’m so glad I didn’t have to sacrifice any family time when I got married.
What are the challenges?
Amber - When I walk in the office, I am Amber her boss and it took us awhile to work through that. Sabel marches to the beat of her own drum. She always has. She loves clear direction and actually thrives on doing a task as long as it is clear. She keeps me accountable in a lot of areas. I have so much on my plate with other businesses that having Sabel in my face daily with what we need for Jackie is a huge piece of our success. She truly is one of the hardest working individuals I know.
We tend to say whatever we are thinking for better or for worse, so sometimes we communicate as if no one is around but it works for us and people have learned our style. I swear it could be a reality show some days.
Sabel - As fun as it is, it is also very challenging. Sometimes it’s a challenge because work consumes conversations outside of work. Other times it is just because of the nature of the beast itself. Obviously, when working for your parents, there are challenges in separating “parent” from “boss.” One of the biggest hurdles is actually navigating and trying to discredit the idea of unfair treatment or favoritism towards me simply because I am the boss’s daughter. Since day one I have wanted nothing more than to be treated just like everyone else. Not because it wouldn’t be great to be given special treatment, but because I know I will be be better off, character wise. The benefits of working as a mother/daughter team far outweigh the challenges.
What words of advice would you offer to others about cultivating a healthy mother daughter relationship, both in and outside of work?
Amber - I have always wanted to raise strong confident children. Sabel is in a league of her own. While I did the best I could with her, I believe the favor of God has been and always will be on her life. I have seen what he has done to date with Sabel and I am so thankful God allowed me to be her mom. There is nothing more rewarding than to watch your kids grow into what they become. I always tell people to watch out because Sabel will far exceed anything I ever accomplished in this lifetime. Her determination and dedication is unstoppable.
While I am her mom, I always sought to be her mentor and friend as well, and we have a great relationship. In a lot of ways Sabel was my driving force because I was so committed to creating a better life for her. I expect out of her exactly what I would expect out of other employees and in a lot of ways, I am probably harder on her because I know what she is capable of and I am going to extract it out of her. Sabel has witnessed me in business for years, so she already is so far ahead of where I was at 23. I will always be her biggest fan and will support her business ventures, but most importantly, I will always be her mom and there is no greater role in my book.
Sabel -
1. Talk about your issues outside of the workplace and not in front of other team members.
2. Be willing to learn and adapt. In my case, I can be a little more go-with-the-flow. After all, I did agree to work for a start-up.
3. Try different communication methods until one sticks. Don’t throw in the towel and be patient.
4. Don’t take life too seriously. Have fun!