We all hope to have that colleague who supports your career. She shouts your successes from the rooftop, encourages you to pursue your passion and cheers you on as you step into a role she always knew you could take on.
In this series of profiles, every woman is not only shining in her own role, but working just as hard to support her colleague. And in this case, their relationships, while professional, transcend the nine-to-five.
As mother-daughter duos or sister teams, they’ve worked together for years and had the privilege of knowing each other for most of (if not all) their lives. It’s a unique position that offers a front row seat to every bold career move, business launch and promotion, giving them unparalleled insight into each others’ strengths in and out of the office.
Credit: Jason Masters
Jessica Parker & Rachel Parker Harding
From sharing a bathroom as they grew up to working together at Parker Automotive Group, sisters Jessica Parker and Rachel Parker Harding’s relationship is a well-oiled machine.
“As coworkers, we truly interact every single day. And we’re adding in a family pickleball lesson on Sundays, so apparently we can’t get enough of each other,” laughs Rachel, who is both general manager to Parker Lexus and general support manager to Parker Automotive Group.
Jessica, recently promoted to COO of Parker Automotive Group, zoomed in on what set their collaboration on the right course.
“I think learning to lean on each other for each other’s strengths has really been kind of a game-changer for us,” she says. “We are utilizing our differences to help our companies as a whole.”
That business partnership is one both sisters cherish.
“I have a constant safe space to ask a question or to come up with an idea or to get feedback. If she succeeds, I succeed, and I succeed, she succeeds,” Rachel says. “Jessica can be reserved and quiet, but I have never known someone more tender-hearted than my sister. … Her attention to detail and thoroughness and persistence are something I really admire.”
Where Jessica is meticulous, Rachel — who Jessica calls the human equivalent to a ray of sunshine — excels at seeing the big picture. She encourages her sister to make moves and accelerate toward the next goal.
“Together it helps us stay moving forward in a smart way,” Jessica says.
Both sisters took a detour before they joined the family business. Jessica went to law school, yet realized her work as an attorney didn’t offer enough interaction. On the other hand, Rachel majored in psychology, moved to the Virgin Islands and worked as a waitress on the beach before returning home.
“I think with both of us, it was an organic transition back and an organic growth within,” says Rachel, noting the sisters mark the third generation to take the wheel of Parker Automotive Group. “We have people who work with us that were here when our grandfather was stomping around and we kids were running around the parking lots.”
“We have our family, but then we have our work family,” Jessica says. “We are truly so grateful to spend so much time with people we enjoy and admire.”
Jessica’s hair by LORI WENGER. Rachel’s hair by ROBY WOOBANK with FOURTEEN SALON. Makeup by JOSE GONZALEZ with DILLARD’S.
Credit: Jason Masters
Jennifer Hill Green & Ashanti Smith
Much like the perfect bake, the ingredients of the most rewarding working relationships need to be in balance. For Jennifer Hill Green and Ashanti Smith, the mother-daughter duo behind Daisy Pastry Shoppe, it took a few months to perfect the recipe of running a business together.
“My mom is more seasoned than I am as far as pastries … so at the beginning, I felt intimidated by that because I was good, but not as good as her,” Ashanti says. “But once I figured out she has her weakness, she has her strengths and I have my strengths and my weaknesses, we balance each other perfectly.”
As Daisy Pastry Shoppe gained popularity, they soon learned to skip the ego and instead start with a generous sprinkle of encouragement.
“The first time she wanted to rebrand, I was like, ‘I don’t know,’ but I let her take the wheel. She’s excellent at it,” Jennifer says.
Ashanti has created a bright pink, ‘70s-disco-meets-Y2K aesthetic for the bakery that gives their sweet treats an unforgettable vibe even before the first bite.
“We’ve gotten closer,” says Jennifer of their current collaboration at Pettaway. “I’m still mom, but we work really well together. She’s a cheerleader.”
The road from cottage bakery, farmers markets and pop-up shops to co-owning Pettaway Coffee with Ashanti’s husband Jacob is punctuated by example after example of the duo inspiring and encouraging each other. Jennifer grew up baking and passed on her passion for creating delicious and beautiful baked goods to Ashanti. And it was Ashanti who encouraged her mom to join her in culinary school. The two honed their skills during the program and their homework sessions eventually translated to selling baked goods around the metro.
Daisy Pastry Shoppe soon became the primary baker for Pettaway Coffee, and when the previous owner decided to sell, they put their hats in the ring.
“The goal was to purchase Petaway Coffee and turn it into Daisy Pastry Shoppe, but we actually fell in love with the process of making coffee,” says Ashanti, who quickly learned how to run a coffee shop with Jacob while Jennifer now handles most of the baking.
“I want to push her further into all the things she’s dreamed of making,” Ashanti continues, ever the cheerleader. “I just want to support her talent.”
On Jennifer: Suit from B.BARNETT. Shoes, jewelry from DILLARD’S. On Ashanti: Dress, shoes from DILLARD’S.
Credit: Jason Masters
Stacy Hurst & Josie Hurst
Josie Hurst grew up watching her mom in leadership roles.
“I’d see my mom on TV every Tuesday on the city board,” she says. “I learned it’s totally normal for your mom to be a driven, career-oriented woman.”
Stacy Hurst worked in state government until 2023 when she took on the role of vice president of Tipton & Hurst, her and her husband’s family-owned florist business.
“My mom is very high agency. She’s a very solution-oriented kind of person, not one to quit easily,” Josie says.
Stacy observed a similar fierceness in her daughter as she grew up.
“Once she sets her mind to something, she gets it done and does it well.”
She even has picture proof. Despite being one of the smallest kids in her class, Josie was determined to compete in hurdles for her school’s field day.
“I have this photo of her clearing the hurdle. She has the most amazing look on her face of sheer determination,” Stacy says. “She shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Josie won.
In September 2024, their relationship shifted when Josie made the decision to join Tipton & Hurst full time as brand strategy manager. Her recent pivot to her family’s business makes her the fourth generation of Hursts to own and operate the specialty retailer. Both mother and daughter agree their transition has been seamless.
“I have really enjoyed working together,” Josie says. “I think our working personalities mesh really well. She’s the first person I want to bounce my ideas off of because I know she’s going to have really valuable feedback.”
Stacy also trusts Josie’s decisions and appreciates the style and attention to detail she brings to the table.
“We’re a design-oriented business, and it is so important for us to stay current, to evolve and constantly study trends,” Stacy says. “Josie brings an awareness of those things and an opinion. She has a great eye for beauty, for color, for diversity.”
While their working relationship is solid now, it was not always a foregone conclusion. Josie majored in psychology and took her own path through several other positions before finding her way to retail and the family business.
“My parents have always put my passion first over any sort of pressure on where I need to take my career,” she says.
It was this self-restraint coupled with consistent support that allowed Josie’s love of the industry to bloom in its own time.
On Stacy: Clothing, shoes from B.BARNETT. Jewelry from BARBARA/JEAN. On Josie: Dress from DILLARD’S. Shoes, jewelry from BARBARA/JEAN.
Credit: Jason Masters
Esperanza Massana Crane & Sara Massana Hurst
Entrepreneurship runs in the family for sisters Esperanza Massana Crane and Sara Massana Hurst. As they grew up, they watched both their grandfather and mother start their own businesses. They were especially inspired by their mother, an electrical engineer who worked full time at a state agency and launched what they say is a Cracker Barrel-esque diner boutique combo in their home country of El Salvador.
“I think it speaks of the beauty of entrepreneurship,” Esperanza says. “She now has a business where she employs 10, 12 people. She loves doing it because she gives them a job and it’s a source of revenue. She feels that she’s impacting the lives of the women who work for her.”
Both sisters’ current work dovetails with their mother’s example. Esperanza supports business owners as the director of small business and entrepreneurship development for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Sara owns Bella’s Kitchen and Wellness.
Esperanza has been supportive of Bella’s Kitchen from day one. And much like her mom’s store, Sara’s business has stayed true to its original goal, but grown in unexpected ways since launching in April 2020. The idea behind Bella’s Kitchen was always to provide healthy foods for children through a parent-friendly meal delivery service, and now Sara and her team have grown to partner with 10 local schools as well.
“I would say my sister is my biggest champion,” Sara says. “Every time she sees someone and they’re doing catering, she’ll be the first one to say, ‘Oh, my sister does Bella’s Kitchen. You should hire her.’ That’s what I want. I want somebody that will share my business when I’m not in the room. And she always does that.”
Nearly every day, they start the morning with a phone call. During those check-ins Sara is able to offer Esperanza valuable perspectives as a business owner.
“I take a lot of feedback from her as an entrepreneur in terms of messaging and programming,” Esperanza says. “She’s the perfect example of a small business owner and an entrepreneur.”
Sara is quick to give Esperanza credit for helping them put down roots in The Natural State.
“She’s the reason we’re here. She won a scholarship among students in the whole country to come to Harding University. From an international student to heading the department at AEDC, that’s a really big accomplishment. She’s just shining.”
On Esperanza: Jumpsuit from DILLARD’S. Shoes, jewelry from B.BARNETT. On Sara: Dress, shoes from B.BARNETT.
Credit: Jason Masters
Helen Grace King, Leila King & Kamiya King
The three King sisters co-own two businesses in downtown Little Rock: modern diner At the Corner and wellness-centered restaurant Flora Jean’s. And just as each business brings something connected but unique to the metro, each King sister brings her own skills and passion to their work.
Leila, the oldest sister and creative director, may describe herself as emotional, but her sister Helen Grace sees her as the passion-driver behind their projects.
“With creativity comes not only drive, but fight,” Helen Grace says. “Leila has the innate ability to fight for whatever we need, whenever we need it. She’s a go-getter.”
Kamiya, sister-in-law to Leila and Helen Grace, has learned to depend on Leila over the past 10 years of their entrepreneurial journey.
“Leila’s a mountain mover,” Kamiya says. “We can lose our direction, and she puts us back on the right path.”
Helen Grace handles marketing and communications for the King sisters’ brands.
“My sister, she wears the most hats. She’s our HR department. She’s our social media correspondent. She is our scheduler,” Leila says. “It takes tremendous drive to do what she does. It takes even more patience, and she does it effortlessly and beautifully.”
That ability to pivot in the face of storms always impresses Kamiya and Leila. Likewise, Leila admires Kamiya’s ability to stay calm in their high-stress industry, especially as executive chef where Kamiya builds their kitchens and mentors staff.
Kamiya was new to the family when the sisters took the plunge into running a restaurant together with their mom, but has grown to love her fellow King girls unconditionally.
“They see the world with such a beautiful lens. … I really love how generous and caring and compassionate they are to the world,” Kamiya says. “And when you put all three of us together, we really work in a trilogy. We’re a powerhouse.”
All of the King sisters appreciate the growth they’ve seen in each other and themselves over the last 10 years. Yet, even as they celebrate a decade in business together, the Kings have not run out of ideas.
“We are constantly driven to create. We are constantly driven to inspire others and to be inspired ourselves,” Leila says. “I feel like there is always something in our pipelines.”
Helen Grace agrees.
“We’re very excited about the next decade.”
Clothing, shoes, jewelry from DILLARD’S. Makeup by LORI WENGER.