The Beginning
When other mothers were taking their daughters on vacations, Ginger Cannon Bailey would bring her daughter Emily to the Racemark International factory, the Bailey family business. From an early age, Emily witnessed her parents, Ginger and Bob, running an international business together -- a business that today still makes beautiful, high-quality car mats for the world’s premier luxury car brands. “I think that [experience] created a really strong work ethic for me,” Emily said, remembering her days on the factory floor. “Nothing comes easy. I think that was probably one of the most important things my mom taught me.”By watching and observing her parents, Emily was able to see firsthand how successful businesses operate and grow. That knowledge paid off. Years later, Emily and Ginger partnered to create the next generation of the Bailey family business -- GG Bailey, the first luxury car mat maker with an emphasis on fashion and custom design.
Business Bonding
Ginger and Emily talk about working together at GG Bailey on "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" in 2007.
For Ginger and Emily, a business partnership came naturally. Ginger had the experience, knowledge, and industry relationships from her years at Racemark. Emily, armed with a PR and marketing degree, was able to create and build the GG Bailey brand. For some, the transition from a personal relationship to a business partnership would be impossible. But while every fledgling business is bound to hit bumps in the road, Emily and Ginger just enjoyed the ride.
Sometimes, it was the family aspect that kept them both going. “With family, at the end of the day, you have a huge commitment to make it all work,” Ginger said. Emily agreed, “I looked at the positives, you know? There are not many people who got to spend that much time with their family, working on something exciting together. I was pretty fortunate.”
What do you love best about being part of a family business?
As mothers and daughters tend to do, Ginger and Emily have different perspectives:
Emily: “For me, I think it was seeing just a totally new division of our product and our family business. To be involved in that was exciting. We had completely new product offerings, new sales channel, new brand name. That was a really neat thing to do.”
Ginger: “The fact that we have two of the original family members continuing [the business] on into their generation.” (Ginger and Bob’s son Cannon works for Racemark.) “It’s not as rewarding to see something you created end, but it’s so rewarding to see it continue on.”
Best of Both Worlds
In today’s world, there’s still this idea that moms can’t have both a great family and successful career. For Ginger, that was never an issue. In fact, the mother of three found that raising children taught her lessons about communication and time management that helped her in the business world. “The more challenges I had, the more productive I became,” she said. “People think, ‘Oh, I can’t do all that,’ but it’s amazing how it focuses you and drives you to accomplish even more.”
Emily Bailey Berry is a mom herself now, and while geography keeps her from continuing with GG Bailey, her Bailey-family entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and kicking. In 2010, Emily started her own kid’s shoe business, Bailey Berry, using skills she learned from her Mom. “She set a really good example for me, showing me that it’s possible to have a successful career and be a great mother,” Emily said.
Happy Mother’s Day!
To celebrate the special relationship between Ginger and Emily -- and all mothers, daughters, and dreamers out there -- we’re offering free shipping on all custom car mats through Mother’s Day, May 12.
So grab your Mom and start designing your custom car mats today!
