Franciscan Way Winter 2003 - Franciscan University of Steubenville

Success
By Lisa Ferguson
not asking a priest to become a financial
wizard.”
Just over two years into his business,
O’Meara says the lessons have come fast
and hard. One that’s been particularly
valuable: “Humility does not mean being a
wet noodle.”
Humility, he says, means following
Romans 12:3, which urges, “Do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober
judgment.”
That sober assessment, O’Meara says,
enables him to use his strengths and to
delegate other tasks to his partners. “The
failing of most entrepreneurs is thinking
they can do everything the best.”
Another educational aspect of owning
a business, O’Meara says, is that the owner
isn’t “insulated” from success or failure.
“When you work for big companies,
you’re insulated from your failure. You
may feel a bit of it, but if I fail, folks don’t
take home paychecks.”
O’Meara says balancing his commitments
to his wife Desiree [McDonnell ’96]
and two small sons with the “unrelenting”
demands of his business can be tough. He
tries to create a culture within the whole
company that values the family, giving
employees permission to care for their
families. Even so, he admits it’s “extremely
difficult,” especially as he becomes more
involved in Catholic service and speaking
for the Diocese of Arlington, Theology on
Tap, Legatus, and other groups.
“Unless you actively strive to balance
the two, the thing that gets cut is the
family.”
Winter 2003
Franciscan University alumni entrepreneurs (left to right): Philip ’01 and
John ’97 Rook of Professional Lawn and Landscape, Michelle Chynoweth of
Angel’s Halo, and Flip Howard (owner) and James McDade ’02 (Dallas
operations manager) of Mustang Laundry and Dry Cleaning.
Professional Lawn and Landscape
John Rook ’97
John Rook’s most challenging job
involved installing an irrigation system
on a $10 million property in Bermuda—
with laborers who didn’t speak a word of
English. Most of the jobs undertaken by
his company, however, are much closer
to his Steubenville home and employ as
many as 15 Franciscan University
students in season.
“We get the opportunity to teach a
work ethic to the younger employees—
high school and college students. We’ve
tried to lead by example.” He adds,
“You get to see them grow, their skill
level improve. That’s satisfying.”
Not so long ago Rook was a high
school student himself, launching the
business that grew into Professional
Lawn and Landscape.
“I started out in 1987 mowing
lawns, trimming shrubs, doing basic
lawn care. Today, we have a retail center
in Follansbee, West Virginia, and do full
landscape design services consisting of
driveway installation, brick, walkways,
retaining walls, and custom water
features such as ponds, streams, and
irrigation systems,” he says.
His brother Philip ’01 does all the
design work using a computer system
that gives them “a bit of an edge” over
their half dozen competitors. “We take a
digital picture of the site as it is, and
then we can modify it and show customers
the proposed landscape renovation.”
Though landscaping tends to be a
luxury, Rook says tough economic times
have improved business through the
“cocooning” effect. “When times are
tough, particularly with the terrorism
situation, uncertainty in the economy,
people tend to spend their money close
to home. People are investing in their
properties because home tends to be a
secure place and conjures up good
feelings.”
The company shares the wealth by
helping local charities with fundraisers
such as a water garden tour benefiting
the Valley Hospice Foundation and the
memorial and prayer garden next to
Holy Name Cathedral for the Diocese of
Steubenville.
A business major, Rook says his
degree has helped him in many ways:
“From Franciscan I learned so much
about ethics and God in the workplace,
which has been a big help in terms of
making decisions. And the business
background has definitely helped me
with the financial end.”
Angel’s Halo
Michelle Chynoweth ’92
“Are you a bridal veil company?”
Sitting on her bed in St. Thomas
More Hall, Michelle Chynoweth paused
thinking, “Am I or aren’t I?” then told
her long-distance caller, “Yes, ma’am!
May I take your order?”
From her fourth-floor dorm room,
Chynoweth’s part-time bridal business
evolved into Angel’s Halo, one of the
largest custom bridal millinery and
design companies in the Upper Midwest.
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