The Beauty of a Family Business

For some women, the thought of working with their mothers would have them reaching for a Xanax. That’s not the case for Rochelle Jacobs and her mother June, the women behind the world-renowned June Jacobs skincare line. To hear June tell it, Rochelle can do no wrong. And the fact that Rochelle admires her mom is abundantly clear.

Together, they’ve created a cutting-edge brand, featuring natural, high-potency botanicals without harsh chemicals, that delivers effective, long-term anti-aging results. In short—they’re skincare geniuses and their flawless complexions are proof positive!

But what’s it actually like working side-by-side for the last 18 years? This dynamic duo shares the scoop on how they’ve thrived in their business and family lives, while maintaining a loving, supportive relationship with each other.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
June and Rochelle Jacobs

Photo courtesy of June Jacobs

(Rochelle) “We absolutely push each other in a way that makes the business more successful. But because we’re related, there’s a relentlessness to it. My mother has super high expectations for me, personally. She’s tougher on me than other people. But in a good way.”

(June) “I was a single mother and did the best I could do. With all the adversity of raising a child by yourself, with no child support and really trying to make her the best she could be, it was really hard. And that’s probably the reason I’m so relentless at work, to make sure that she’s successful and does everything right.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

(Rochelle) “As a mother of two boys, I can tell you that genetically speaking, [relentlessness] was passed down as well. She’s more relentless than I am, so I need to know what battles to pick with her at work! I have a child who NEVER gives in. I used to tell them, “I don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Which worked when they were younger. My [15-year-old] son really tries to rationalize what his thoughts are instead of just fighting me on it. He now says, ‘Let me tell you my side of this to help you better understand why I’m asking for this.’

I see my mother in my little one’s determination, too. He has determination like you’ve never seen. Everything comes easy for my older son. The little one, who’s 13, has to work hard at everything he does. But that’s never stopped him. He continues to persevere and impresses us every day. Anything that scares him, he figures out a way to get through it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

TRAVEL BUDDIES

(Rochelle) “We’ve been forced, in a very good way, to travel the world together. It’s an interesting dynamic because when we travel, the roles are reversed. I take care of her. I take her bag and make sure her suitcase is overhead and she has her vitamins out. Everything is perfect when we’re traveling because I don’t want her to worry about anything.”

RELAXATION RITUAL
June Jacobs Neroli Hydrating Mist

Photo courtesy of June Jacobs

(June) “I love getting a deep tissue massage once a week and a detox facial every two weeks. And they use my massage cream, which is all-natural and feels so good. The detox facial really pulls impurities out of the skin.”

(Rochelle) “I do reflexology; I’m all about my feet. And I rely on our Neroli Hydrating Mist ($7-$38). It really calms your senses. Take a spritz, mist yourself, and take a deep breathe. It’s a great reset button. Also, my mother had breast cancer in 2013, and we came out with a Rapid Repair Healing Cream ($30-$80). I joke it has 101 uses. Because you can use it as a daily moisturizer, to repair from sun damage, from wind, pollution. I carry one in my purse. Any boo-boo, mosquito bite, anything. You put a drop on and it takes away itching, burning.”

DO OVERS

(Rochelle) “I’d listen to my children more. Hear them. Just because they’re little doesn’t mean that what they’re saying isn’t relevant. There are probably times when they were younger and telling me things that I didn’t hear because I thought I knew what was right for them all the time.” 

TODAYS PARENTING CHALLENGES

(June) “I think there’s a lot more pressure now than there was when I was raising Rochelle. Like getting into schools. It’s way too much. It’s hard.”

(Rochelle) “And social media has brought everything global, and they see things and know everything that’s going on. You have to explain things. Like last night, when the Harvard kids got their acceptance letters rescinded [for posting obscene and racist remarks on Facebook]. In every horrible story like this there are lessons to be learned. First, you’re never invisible on the Internet. And that the seemingly brightest kids can still do something so horrible in today’s day and age. How they thought it was okay, but look at the consequences they now have to face. The lesson I taught my kids was everything you do has a consequence.”

ON HAVING IT ALL

(Rochelle) “It’s really a tradeoff each day to decide what’s really important. Today was my son’s graduation from eighth grade. Family came first today. But the next two weeks, work’s going to be coming first. You really have to evaluate each day and never lose sight of what the priority is. What are you going to remember five years from now? We had a meeting this morning that I HAD to be at before the graduation. But I knew that in five years I wouldn’t remember [arriving late] to the graduation. But I would certainly remember not going to it.”

(June) “And I handled the back end of this morning’s meeting.”

(Rochelle) “I opened and she closed. And in between, we watched my son graduate.”

 


June Jacobs Spa Collection products can be found at Beauty Brands and at select luxury spas and hotels worldwide.

 

Natalie Kurz

Natalie is a writer and editor who published her first piece in 10th grade (in a national literary magazine, but her mother says it still counts). In her spare time, she's a parent to two kids (10 and 6) who provide her with daily fodder for her writing. And an added excuse to drink wine and eat chocolate.