Carole and Chloe Jarrett have created their clothing brand, Neon Gypsy, "with a wild heart and head full of dreams".
Carole and Chloe Jarrett have created their clothing brand, Neon Gypsy, "with a wild heart and head full of dreams".
Where would we be without our mums? For Mother's Day, we talk to two mother/daughter teams who have combined their talents to make business a family affair.
A cool but sunny autumn day in downtown The Mount and mother-daughter duo Carole and Chloe Jarrett are hard at work in their boutique women's clothing store, Neon Gypsy.
Shoppers walking in off the street are greeted with smiles and courteous enquiries about their day and very soon women are moving into fitting rooms and trying on clothes.
The mood is cheery and fun and no one blinks in surprise when they discover a border collie sitting quietly at one end of the store.
Bo, Chloe's 6-month-old puppy, visits occasionally and, on this day, he's happy being close to his mistress _ the pair having only reunited a few days earlier when Chloe and her mum returned from a business trip to Indonesia.
They'd gone to meet their clothing line manufacturers in Bali to discuss their latest bulk orders and to find exciting new fabrics for the season ahead.
"It's the fabrics that inspire our designs,'' says Carole.
"As soon as I see a great fabric I usually get a vision in my mind for how we can use it in say, a split sleeve dress or resort pant.''
"It's probably our favourite thing to do together. We're like two kids in a lolly shop.''
That combination of passion and playfulness makes Carole and Chloe a special mother-daughter pair. They work closely together in their clothing business and, while many daughters treasure their mums, few would admit to being happy working beside their mothers seven days a week. For 26-year-old Chloe, the relationship is more than just business.
"Mum is pretty much my best friend,'' she says.
"I don't think there's anything she doesn't know about me. We've always had a very open and honest relationship with each other.
"Growing up, I had friends who didn't have that honesty with their mums and I saw them struggle at times. But I've always been able to go to her about anything and she's taught me everything I know about business.
"Sometimes, I'll have my own ideas and they might not work but Mum will let me try them anyway. She's probably right about 99.9 per cent of the time.''
Carole and her husband, Kevin Jarrett, raised Chloe and her two brothers, Laurie and Chase, in Tauranga while running their successful family business, Bay Quality Fish Smokers.
As the kids grew, motherhood for Carole was juggling school runs, after-school activities, Saturday morning sport and selling their popular smoked fish at weekend markets.
Chloe was educated at Tauranga Girls' College and spent her teenage years rowing. She remembers it was Carole who got up with her at 4.30am to drive her to training.
"As a kid, you never think about what your parents do but, now, when I see my friends having kids and all the work they do for them, it's when I really appreciate just how much Mum did for us.''
Carole credits her own mother for instilling in her a strong work ethic.
Her mother raised five children and worked two jobs to pay the bills, all the while encouraging her children to do what they loved and be true to themselves.
That approach to life has been passed on to Chloe who trained to be a teacher before ultimately following her heart and mother into the fashion industry.
The pair drew on their own sense of individual style to create the Neon Gypsy clothing line about five years ago.
Motivated to design clothing that was easy wearing, feminine and appealing to all ages, the pair sold their first samples at Mount Maunganui's The Little Big Markets before moving around the Auckland market circuit, attending markets at Coatesville and Silo Park.
It was familiar territory for the pair, who were already well-known to market regulars through their smoked fish stall.
"The market or gypsy life was a big part of who we were so it made sense to start there,'' Carole says.
Customers responded to the draping floral chiffon fabric and lace and pom-pom trim combinations that have become a design signature.
As demand for their unique clothing line grew, they scouted Tauranga for an appropriate store in which to set up a permanent base. They opened in Mount Maunganui last December.
The store and three-monthly visits to their Indonesian manufacturers are now their main focus but they fit markets in when they can. They agree that while they will always love designing and playing with fabrics, a spin-off from having the store has been discovering a new love for helping women feel good and look great.
"Every woman who comes in here is important and we aim to deliver the kind of service that makes them want to come back again and again,'' says Carole.
Daughter Victoria and mother Robyn Breckon had never dreamed of working together since they say they are "chalk and cheese", but they're discovering business strengths in each other
Never in their "wildest'' dreams did Robyn and Victoria Breckon think they would ever work together in business. But the arrival of Victoria's little boy, Max (Robyn's grandson) and some sound motherly advice passed on years earlier saw a new business venture evolve for the pair who share a passion for pets.
Victoria, 24, launched her eclectic petware range, Wazzler and Binx, late last year when Max was only a couple of months old. The pet bedding and collars, which feature bright colours and bold patterns, have fast become a hit with Tauranga pet owners - many of whom are clients at Tauranga Vets where Robyn is a practice administrator.
The boutique range, which is sold through the Vets' Cameron Rd clinic, appeals to people who value the hard-wearing materials Victoria uses in her products, as well as those who love their stylish look.
The range caters to small and large dogs but Victoria is keen to expand her range to include collars and bedding for cats, too.
"I've been really lucky that Tauranga Vets started to stock my range. It's been great exposure. I love creating something different for pets and their owners,'' says Victoria.
"So many other bedding products on the market are limited to designs using black pawprints but a lot of people want bedding that fits in better with the decor of their home.
"I started out with a shabby chic style but now our range is a real mix of bright patterns and more conservative colours as well. They're all styles that people say they're proud to have in their lounge.''
In her own home, Victoria juggles caring for Max, 7 months, and the demands of business, with the support of her builder partner, who makes all the bedding crates for Wazzler and Binx from wooden pallets.
"He's handier with a hammer and nail than I am,'' Victoria says.
It was her partner's nickname for Max - Wazzler - that inspired her own business name.
"We put it together with Binx which is the nickname we use for our one-eyed ginger cat whose real name is Florence,'' she says.
Victoria also works closely with her mum, who she says is a useful sounding board for new business ideas and direction.
"We'll discuss things and I'll ask her for advice. We have a very supportive relationship.''
Robyn has worked in animal health for 30 years and started out as a veterinary nurse.
Working at Tauranga Vets, Robyn is able to share her knowledge with Victoria about the kinds of products that work best for different breeds.
"Customer service is a big part of what we provide at the clinic so, from my perspective, it's great being able to offer clients a really high quality product that we know is built to last,'' she says.
"I like happy, healthy pets and I'm able to advise Victoria on the kind of hardware she needs for her collars that we know won't cause any skin irritations for animals.''
The pair describe each other as "chalk and cheese'' and are the first to admit that they never expected to be working together.
Victoria, who is left-handed, recalls "tense times'' when right-handed Robyn tried to teach her how to sew growing up.
"It was a left brain, right brain clash and we could never make it work.''
But one important piece of advice passed down from Robyn has certainly stuck.
"Mum always taught me the value of a dollar and I'm thrifty by nature, too, so when I see something I'd like but know I can make myself for a lot less, I'll give it a go.''
Victoria studied business but after discovering she was pregnant with Max, decided she would teach herself to sew.
"I enjoyed making things for Max but having studied business and being a cat lover myself, I identified a gap in the market for petware products that are just a bit different. It's great for me, too, as a stay-at-home mum in that it's a source of income.''
