Courtesy of BariJay.Susan Parker (left) and Erica Rosenfeld: “Nobody knew what to do.”
She Owns It
Portraits of women entrepreneurs.
Susan Parker and Erica Rosenfeld, who are sisters, have run BariJay together since 2008. But during the last meeting of our business group, Ms. Parker said they have only recently settled into clearly defined roles that allow them to work together happily and effectively at their company, which manufactures bridesmaid and prom dresses. In the beginning Ms. Parker said, “It was kind of a free-for-all and nobody knew what to do.”
With an M.B.A. in finance, Ms. Parker immediately gravitated toward BariJay’s books. Ms. Rosenfeld, who has a background in publicity, took on advertising and marketing. But there were plenty of responsibilities left, including production. Ms. Parker said she tended to fill the void. “I wanted to learn production and was excited about it,” she said. With responsibility for finance and production, key aspects of the business that played into her background, Ms. Parker said she sometimes felt she was taking on too much.
The lack of clarity also caused confusion. “You didn’t know who was supposed to do what, and you never knew when you were stepping on someone’s toes,” said Ms. Parker. “I’d have a meeting with someone and my sister would say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about it?’”
As the sisters struggled to define their business roles, the chaos began to affect their personal relationship. Finally, about four months ago, they decided to hire a business coach. Ms. Parker got the idea from the members of her Entrepreneurs’ Organization forum, a group of owners that meet monthly to discuss business issues. By the end of their first day-long session with the coach, each sister had a clearly defined role that took advantage of her skills and interests. Ms. Parker handles finance and production. Ms. Rosenfeld handles advertising, marketing, and sales. “Design was a little tricky,” said Ms. Parker. Ultimately, because the dresses must be designed in a way the company can produce, that function went to Ms. Parker.
“We got big lessons on the difference between accountability and responsibility,” said Ms. Parker. “We realized that if I’m accountable as the head of the company, it doesn’t mean that Erica doesn’t have her responsibilities, and that if we make her accountable for sales, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have mine,” she said.
Working with the coach was a great experience for both sisters, said Ms. Parker. In addition to helping them define their roles, he convinced them to create BariJay’s first business plan. Garment center businesses are run “old school, by the seat of your pants,” said Ms. Parker. When her father ran the business, BariJay had no formal policies or standards. She said she and her sister are working to change that.
The coach also emphasized the importance of daily “huddles,” said Ms. Parker. During these five- to 10-minute morning check-ins, the sisters meet with their assistant designer, a sales liaison, and the heads of production, bookkeeping and customer service. Each person has a minute to describe their biggest accomplishment from the previous day, their most important goal for the current day, and any issue that might require someone’s help.
These three points were carefully chosen to prevent participants from focusing on minutiae. “I don’t want to know every little thing they did,” said Ms. Parker. So the emphasis is on accomplishments, not tasks. Ms. Parker said she has been amazed by the level of teamwork these meetings have facilitated. Now, instead of operating individually, departments are making important connections. Over all, said Ms. Parker, the changes suggested by the business coach have made BariJay more proactive.
Have you had a good — or bad — experience with a business coach? Do you have thoughts on the best way to find one?
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