- [Jocelyn] I'm board member, I'm owner, I'm manager, but okay, I'm daughter, am I a niece, what am I?

- [Jocelyn] I'm board member, I'm owner, I'm manager, - [Michael] Family businesses are a big challenge, but those challenges are just new ways to grow.

- [Jocelyn] It's a little bit of an emotional toll to define what's family, what's business.

- [Jocelyn] It's a little bit of an emotional toll Each family member has that complex identity crisis going on in any given day, and we're only human.

identity crisis going on in any given day, We have new store hours, 7a.m.

to 6p.m., and then we have the receiving procedure underway.

Don't forget to get the paperwork before you receive an order.

Put your name on the paperwork of anything you're taking in, and double check your work for accuracy.

And then if you're that point person, and double check your work for accuracy.

do your best to safely park the truck, and double check your work for accuracy.

get the paperwork, check the order.

My grandfather comes in here at least once a week, he's 92, and he's giving us his wisdom and his insight.

Not always the most timely, but we always accommodate him, always.

He started the business in 1965, and on this parcel of land it was a fruit and vegetable stand right out by the road, but he got the whole seven acre parcel.

Did the fruit and vegetable business for several years, and then he moved into the lawn and garden nursery industry, and we have just grown, and grown.

- It's become a destination place so a lot of people, and we have just grown, and grown.

and businesses, landscapers what have you, will come here because it's more of a one-stop-shop.

Having seven acres worth of product, you can pretty much get everything that you need for whatever project that you're doing.

you can pretty much get everything that you need (soft music) you can pretty much get everything that you need - We're on Cape Cod, it's a wonderful community, and a beautiful, beautiful place.

A lot of Cape Codders are outdoorsy, and a beautiful, beautiful place.

you get a lot of bike trails, hiking trails, gardening, yes.

and a beautiful, beautiful place.

We try to make gardening available to everyone.

We sell all tropical plants here.

We try to make gardening available to everyone.

Seasonal plants, we have water gardening, and the Koi pond.

- [Michael] These Koi, they're all imported from around the world, primarily Japan, Malaysia, some Israelii.

from around the world, primarily Japan, Different sizes, some of them 30-years-old.

- We have pet food, but our primary and biggest departments are the nursery, which are trees and shrubs, and our plant department, which is annuals, and perennials, and vegetables.

Around 2008, '09, '10 as the economy went down, which is annuals, and perennials, and vegetables.

we had to wake up to a lot of those facts of professionalizing the business, we had to wake up to a lot of those facts creating procedures, particularly financial procedures, and really digging in and not running it like a family, creating procedures, particularly financial procedures, but running it like a business.

creating procedures, particularly financial procedures, So, we've grown tremendously.

- No one wants to change, especially when you've been doing something for 30 odd years a certain way, and then, your niece comes in and says "No, we're going to do it this way."

But, to support her and to stand behind her, looking at the big picture, that it's better for everyone, then yes, you go along with the change.

Even if you don't agree with it.

- The family dynamic can trump everything when push comes to shove.

These probably just came in off the truck.

when push comes to shove.

And that's not necessarily right, and fair, when push comes to shove.

but it's an aspect of the family business.

when push comes to shove.

Sometimes a family dynamic wins, and that's what I'm shifting.

- There's numerous changes yeah, for the good, and a lot of it is to policy, as you grow bigger.

Things change, and it's not the regular old, yes, family old business way of doing things, and so there's a lot of more professionalism, I should say, family old business way of doing things, is what she's really brought to the company.

(soft music) - Being a certain generation coming in at a time when it was really... - Being a certain generation coming in Bad, and... Really getting underneath what we needed to fix to keep the family business going.

I came in, it was crisis, the company was in crisis, the world was in crisis, so I'm trying not to live I came in, it was crisis, the company was in crisis, in that crisis anymore, but I stepped into a role I never thought I could do, and I was able to, never knew I had that in me.

I'm proud of the way I'm multitasking, and I was able to, never knew I had that in me.

doing advertising, GM, president, and the peak season here, I'm watering, I'm cashiering, I'm picking up the phone, we do it all.

So, I guess I'm proud of how I'm handling the stress, and maintaining the role.

My parents help me a lot with my son.

- Beetle, sit, good girl, paw.

- I'm a single mother, and they help pick up, - Beetle, sit, good girl, paw.

and get him off the bus, and get him to little league, and they help a lot.

and get him off the bus, and get him to little league, We're doing really well right now, and we're into several years of growth, We're doing really well right now, so the procedures put in place, We're doing really well right now, and the economic climate has allowed us to rebound, and just last year we reached record breaking sales for the company.

- Incredible, every year better and better.

record breaking sales for the company.

Obviously, across the nation, the crash, record breaking sales for the company.

everything took a hit at that time, but we obviously survived the downside of the economy, and so now that the money is flowing again, we're doing even better.

and so now that the money is flowing again, - We really stepped it up, in so many ways.

Where we've been I'm never gonna forget.

Coming in to my role at that moment shaped me as a manager, but we have to enjoy it too, and we can't be scared of growing.

(upbeat music)