Celebrating Women’s History Month - Who Are The Resilient Women Business Owners You Personally Know?

She found herself an unexpected widow at age 49, the matriarch of our family and the family business.

She was a real estate investor before it was a thing and yet, would bargain .50¢ at a garage sale.

The First Woman Business Owner I Knew Was My Grandma Susan

She taught me accounts receivable and how to make bank deposits when I was 11. She was a real-estate investor before it was a thing, and yet, she would bargain .50¢ at a garage sale.

She was an amazing businesswoman with nothing more than a high school education. She became a widow at only 49 years old and was the matriarch of our family and the family business.

She was the most resilient woman I knew and one of the most impactful in my life.

She inspired my entrepreneurial spirit and instilled the values of integrity, authenticity and loyalty.

My college graduation day. I’m the first in my family lineage to graduate from college.

Becoming an Unexpected Widow at Age 49

I was 2 years old when my grandfather unexpectedly slumped over while driving.

On September 23, 1962, I had just turned 2 years old a few days before. That day was my father’s birthday and my mom was 8 months pregnant with my brother. My mom told me that story of how we were all in one of my grandfather’s antique cars and were driving back from a car show.

My grandfather was driving and my father was in the front seat. My grandmother, mom and I were in the back. We were exiting off the Long Island Expressway near Lakeville Road, when my grandfather just slumped over.

He had had a massive heart attack and immediately passed away.

I Always Wondered Why She Stayed in the Basement Apartment

The house my grandfather built for her was, and still is a legal 2-family home. It’s not a big house, but it was perfect. It looks like a ranch and was built on a lot of 100 feet by 50 feet. The house is rock solid and still stands today.

This past October, I took a trip to Long Island and drove passed my grandmother’s house. It will always be my grandmother’s house regardless of who lives in it. I hadn’t seen it since 2003. I knew it would be emotional, but I didn’t realize how much so.

I got married out of that house. I lived most of my pre-teen years in that house as well as post-college graduation. She and I had many heart-to-heart talks over a cup of tea at the kitchen and dining room tables. There were many an Italian Sunday and holiday dinners in that house.

I drove around the block twice because it was difficult to see what I was seeing. As I drove by, I could feel the wave of emotion taking over and I drove to a supermarket parking lot and just cried and sent a text to my daughter. The house looks like it hasn’t been cared for in years.

When I was a little girl, I was so confused as to why she lived in the basement apartment when there was this beautiful first floor, completely furnished that sat empty. As an adult, now I know. My grandfather built that house for her in 1960. He passed away in 1962. They barely had 2 years in the house together before he died.

I can only image the pain she must have been dealing with…looking forward toward this beautiful life in this beautiful home with her soulmate and then having him suddenly taken so young. He was only 52.

She Eventually Moved Back to the First Floor

I don’t remember exactly when, I’m guessing somewhere when I was around 8 or 9, she eventually moved back to the first floor of the house.

And that’s where, when I was 11, she “hired” me to do accounts receivable and taught me how to make the bank deposits.

She had these long trays that contained index-like cards of all the customers we served. This was years before computers. They were divided into the different neighborhoods. When customer checks would come in the mail with their invoice, my job was to find the client’s card and mark the bill paid for that period.

Once all the checks were in, she showed me how to stamp the back of the checks, and how to list the checks on the deposit slip and tally it all to make sure it was correct.

Little did I realize she was starting to groom me to learn how to manage the business books.

She Also Shined in Her Real Estate Wisdom

The house on the left was her primary residence in New Hyde Park, NY. This picture was taken in 2013. It’s since been sold again and has not been taken care of. I couldn’t bring myself to take a recent picture when I visited Long Island this past October. The house on the right is the beach home in Eaton’s Neck, on the north shore of Long Island. While this is an older picture, the house looks the same as it, too, isn’t being properly cared for.

Her primary residence was a legal multi-family, so she rented out the upstairs and downstairs of the house. She eventually bought the house next door to her and rented it out.

On the north shore of Long Island, she bought a basic 1970s bi-level not more than 50 yards from the beach in Eaton’s Neck in 1972. It was nothing fancy as you can tell from the picture above. Both floors of the bi-level had multiple bedrooms, bathroom, full kitchen and living area. In the winter, she rented out both sections of the house since we didn’t go to the beach in the winter.

In the summer, she rented out the lower half and we used the upper half as our beach retreat.

At any given time during the year, she had 4 to 5 rental properties generating income and positive cash flow… 20+ years before HGTV.

And Yet, She Would Bargain .50¢ at a Garage Sale

She was business and real estate savvy for certain, and yet, she would bargain .50¢ at a garage sale. I remember the Penny Saver would arrive in the mail on a Wednesday and she’d be scouring the ads looking for the best garage sale to visit that weekend.

She would take me on drives to scour antique stores looking for I’m not exactly sure what. I mean, how many pre-teen girls do you know of have fun looking through an antique store? I was not one of them at the time.

You have to remember, this was a woman who was in her 20s during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

I’ll never forget the story she told me of when, in 1937, my grandfather (who was a mechanic at the time) was given a $5 a week raise by his boss so they could “buy milk for the baby.” That baby was my father.

Her Antique Doll Collection Had Its Own Room

Somewhere in the early 1950s, my grandfather brought home an antique doll for her and she was hooked. That one doll started her on a journey of collecting antique dolls that were from the mid-late 1800s to very early 1900s.

She became president of and was very active in the Long Island Antique Doll Club and the New York City Antique Doll Club. Over the years, she had an entire bedroom in her home of antique dolls with all kinds of contest ribbons that they had won.

I have no idea what happened to all of those dolls, but I have no doubt that, collectively, they were probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Houses and Cars Were Owned by the Company

It was my grandfather who started the company shortly after WWII when soldiers started coming home from the war. He was a mechanic. As Long Island started to expand, he saw a need for sanitation pick-up.

He started with one truck, which eventually grew into a fleet of residential and commercial garbage trucks including roll-off containers.

I bet you never had a garbage truck named after you…

I have one brother and 6 cousins, two cousins who have now passed on. At one point in the late 70s and early 80s, we all had a garbage truck named after each of us. Back then, I thought it was kind of weird. Now, though, I have to admit, looking back, it was pretty cool!

It was my grandmother’s business savvy that led to the houses and cars being technically owned by the company. This is how her primary residence, the house next door to her and the house in Eaton’s Neck were able to be legal multi-family homes. This is also how the business received the tax benefits while my grandmother, father and uncle were paid a salary by the corporation.

There Was No HGTV, SharkTank or YouTube

It was the 60s, 70s and 80s. There was no HGTV, no SharkTank or YouTube channels to learn from. She had a natural gifting for business and real estate that served her and our family well.

She started me on a path of work when I was 11. By the time I was old enough to get a work permit, I was required to get a job or work summers in the office of our business if I wanted spending money.

She taught me the core values of integrity, authenticity, loyalty and a strong work ethic. That business put a roof over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs and sent me to college.

She was my rock when I was growing up and as I write this, I can feel the tears starting to flow. She passed away on July 14, 1999 at 86 years of age and I miss her every single day. I miss our talks over a cup of tea. I miss her wisdom. I miss her hugs. I miss her correction.

She didn’t play. She was someone who you always knew where she stood and she spoke her mind. She never compromised her values.

So, in celebration of Women’s History Month, who are the resilient women business owners you personally know? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time…
Never settle.

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