I started a business with my parents. We had to learn how to work together and not take things personally.
· Business Insider
Courtesy of Cornilia Issa
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- Cornilia Issa is a 41-year-old in Houston who started a company with her parents five years ago.
- They have had to learn to disagree without taking offense.
- The family has been able to spend more time together since starting the business.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cornilia Issa, of The Burning Stones. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Five years ago, I was doing some Christmas shopping in the city when I saw oil candles made from broken granite. I took a photo and showed it to my mom, telling her what a cute concept it was, and then didn't think about it again until two months later.
In February 2021, I was at my parents' house when there was a power outage for hours. My mom and I were in the garage, and I suggested we play around to try to replicate the granite candles I'd seen and loved. We drilled through a granite tile slab from a recent house renovation and made a couple of candles. But I have to admit, they were ugly. I thought crystals would make more beautiful candles.
Extending the fun with my mom, we bought crystals to try the same process, but with crystals instead of granite.
Friends started asking for them and suggesting I put them on Etsy, which I did. And the orders came flowing in.
We set up a business
What started as spending time with my mom turned into a business — I opened an LLC and have been running it ever since, with my parents heavily involved in creating the crystal candles. We buy the crystals together, mom and dad create the product, and I manage marketing, sales, and orders.
Having never worked with my parents before, we've all had to learn to work together in business.
My parents like to play things more safely than I do. Whereas I'm inclined to spend a lot on pop-up events, advertising, and photography — outsourcing rather than doing it myself — they would rather spend less in hopes of a greater profit margin. I know that to sell a product, you've got to invest in visuals — you can't be frugal. This is something we've consistently had different opinions about.
As the head of the business, I've listened to their opinions, taken on board their years of entrepreneurial wisdom, and then made my final decision.
I get to see my parents more
At first, they took it personally when I didn't follow their advice. I can imagine this dynamic was tough — I'm still their child, and also running a business they're heavily involved in. When I didn't listen to them, it felt like a personal affront. But it really wasn't — it was just me doing what I thought was best for the success of the business.
This has been the only challenge in working together as parent and child; everything else has been a benefit.
Whereas I saw my parents in short, consistent bursts before the business, we now see each other for hours on end. It's been a treat for all of us.
I'm getting to see my parents as colleagues, rather than just as parents. They spent years running businesses, and I can now appreciate the work they put into them. I didn't realise how much went into it until I did it.
The business has given them purpose
And they are getting to see their daughter more. Until the business, I was worried about my parents — that they were bored. But this has given them a purpose, something to focus on, not just on their own, but with me. They're seeing the fruit of their labour through sales, and they feel pride as a result.
Running a product-based business has been a huge learning curve for me, even though I have been working in the health and fitness industry for years. It has been comforting to know that I always have my parents in my corner, rooting for our success, for my success.
I can't imagine feeling as secure with any other business partner. Who better to be in business with than the people who want the very best for you?
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