How Long Island's mother-daughter business owners make it work

When Tracy Mankowski walks into her Islip clothing boutique, she stops thinking of herself as a mom.

"I have to remind myself these are my colleagues," says Mankowski, who owns the store Erica Logan Clothing with her daughters, Sidney and Andrea. "I don’t want to be the boss; these are my partners," Mankowski says. "I’m not the parent in here."

Moms who run businesses with their daughters find many rewards in the working arrangement, praising everything from the youthful perspective they bring to the operation to the simple pleasure of having their kids so close. Their daughters find their own joy in the situation.

"I really appreciate the fact that I can bounce ideas off my mother," says Jasmine Richards, who owns Andaz Spa Mobile with her mother, Sharon Webb-Richards. Richards says the two have found a way to navigate business decisions and "meet in the middle."

"She's like a mini-me," says Grainne Hodgins, who operates Graine Cashmere Shop in Malverne with her daughter Kiera MacAneney. "I feel like we have the same personality," Hodgins says. "It's very easy.’’

Like mother, like daughter

Hodgins, a mother of four, doesn’t see her business partner on a daily basis at her store (304 Hempstead Ave., Malverne, grainnecashmere.com), stocked mostly with her classic cashmere designs. MacAneney, her youngest daughter, has a day job as a marketer in Manhattan, so Hodgins describes her role as more of a collaborator.

"Having that young point of view has been so helpful for me because the way we communicate now is so different from the way I grew up in the industry," Hodgins, 65, says. "I’ve always focused on investment dressing. ... It’s not throwaway fashion."

Her daughter has opened her eyes to the world of younger customers — and influencers. "Now trends happen quickly," Hodgins says. "They come and they’re gone, which is why it’s been so helpful to have her. You have to be fresh in this industry."

"I try to open her mind about what girls my age are wearing right now," says MacAneney, 26, who focuses on the store’s social media and marketing. And she’s helping broaden the business, notably encouraging her mother to explore the bridal market. Cashmere ponchos are among her bestsellers, MacAneney says, but making them in silk has taken off with her friends who are getting married. "It’s become very popular in just a couple of months," she says.

"We have different perspectives," MacAneney says, but even when they disagree, which is rare, "we’re both open-minded." MacAneney says she appreciates learning about the drive it takes to run a business. "Her work ethic is inspiring," she says. "I hope one day I can juggle all that."

It works both ways. "I learn things from her," Hodgins says, noting that she’s been a designer for 40 years. "Kiera isn’t trained," she adds, so she’s good at thinking outside the box. "She's more of an artist, she's got a creative mind." Hodgins says her daughter inspires her. "She's got a really good eye, and great taste. ... She’s been a really valuable tool for me."

Navigating challenges 

Webb-Richards, 60, finds collaborating with her daughter a celebration of their unconditional love. "Working with a relative can be challenging," she says. "Some people cannot do it. But we’re very close, and we’ve learned to become very transparent."

When the business started, the pair worked out of a storefront in Garden City, but after COVID, they decided to transition to a fully mobile operation (Instagram: anozspamobile), operating in the tristate area and offering massages, facials and mani-pedis to private and corporate clients. "It just made sense," Webb-Richards says, especially because they juggle the spa with other businesses. She is a flight attendant; Richards, 32, co-owns a wellness company, A Safe Space Studio, in Brooklyn.

"I have learned to be diplomatic," Richards says. "My mother has a really good way of seeing things from other people’s perspectives." Webb-Richards says her daughter has taught her patience, to which Richards jokingly responds, "probably because you’ve got to be patient with me."

Teamwork in action

Like most mom-daughter duos, they’ve learned to divide the tasks. "Jasmine is really a people person," says Webb-Richards, so she often works directly with customers, while she handles scheduling and other details. Richards focuses on social media , but is quick to acknowledge that her mother is getting up to speed on the technical issues. When they disagree, "we just talk it through," Webb-Richards says.

"Everyone has different strengths," says Mankowski, 49, who works most days alongside her daughters in the shop (454 E. Main St., Islip, ericaloganclths.com) that’s filled with a fanciful mix of separates and accessories, from pearl-studded shirts to mink slippers — a bargain at $70.

"That’s the advantage of being multi-generational," she says. She focuses on marketing, while Sidney, 26, is the social media pro, filling TikTok and Instagram with posts announcing new merchandise. "In college I minored in social media management," says Sidney, noting that she especially likes making videos. "It’s genuinely fun for me."

Andrea, 24, enjoys working with shoppers in the store. "Customer service is my strong suit," she says. "I love when I can help someone pick out an outfit; I love to make people smile."

Working in such close quarters does lead to the occasional disagreement, but "the advantage of being a family is that we learn from it," Mankowski says. "We know each other’s boundaries and triggers, and that is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. We hear each other’s point of view."