celebratingour 2 0 thyear - The Parklander Magazine

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENTLikeMotherDaughterLikeDuo Creates HappyBusiness PartnershipBy Bill JohnsonMothers and daughters who work together should be as fortunate asMichelle McGrath-Gerlick and her mother, Joni Arlen McGrath.Togetherthey manage the highly successful dance studio, Dance Theatre of Parkland.“My husband says my mother and I share a brain,” Michelle says,explaining why they seldom disagree on business decisions. As a businessmanagement team, mom and daughter share the same vision. “We reallynever fight,” Michelle says. “We have an established system that works.”As managing director, Joni handles the financial aspect of the business andthe front office. As director, Michelle manages the teaching staff–morethan 50 employees at four locations.Michelle learned the business at her mother’s knee and on the dance floor.She started dancing at 3 years old in the studio operated by her parents.Her mother, Joni, has a rich history as a professional dancer in New York.When Michelle took over a business management role in the business in1994, she never thought about changing the business model or practices.One of the values mother and daughter share is a humanitarian sense ofhelping others. Throughout her life, Joni made time to be a foster parentto a number of children who needed a loving home. Today, shechoreographs shows for the Broadway Zeigfield Club to raise money forcharitable causes, including seeing-eye dogs for military veterans, andservices to help retired actors. The cast is made up of retired dancers whopresent several fundraising shows a year.Those values are reflected in the dance theatre operation by providing freelessons to children with special needs.“There are manybenefits to takingdance lessons,”Joni says. “One is that it can build confidence.”When pressed on how they resolve differences in opinion, they say that onsuch rare occasions, they just talk about things and come to agreement.While they see no negative aspects of working together as a mother-anddaughterpartnership, they see some pluses.“The biggest plus is trust,” Michelle says. “When I’m away at one of theother three locations, I know that everything is fine when I’m not here.”Joni and Michelle are aware that all mothers and daughters may not getalong so well in the workplace together.“Some moms and daughters may have a disagreement and not talk to eachother for a week,” Joni says, but she and Michelle never experience that.For more than 15 years, she says, this mother/daughter partnership has beena happy and successful one built on trust and shared vision and values.Pressed about what advice or tips she would give to other moms anddaughters in business together, Joni smiles and shrugs, reluctant to giveadvice. She just knows it works for her and her daughter.Bill Johnson is a freelance writer and partner in Treehouse Studios, agraphic design and communication business in Coconut Creek.66 MAY 2010