Culture and Lifestyle Family These Southern Mother-Daughter Businesses Take BFF to a New Level By Nicole Letts Nicole Letts Nicole Letts is an Atlanta-based journalist with a decade of work appearing in some of the nation’s top publications. She is currently penning her first book, Unique Eats and Eateries of Alabama. When she's not writing, you'll find her stitching needlepoint canvases or perusing antique shops for her online store, Grandmillennial Shop. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 24, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy Forsyth Seafood The bond between mother and daughter is unmatched. From sage advice to her favorite sayings, there's simply no one like Mama. If you've ever dreamed of taking your mother-daughter relationship to the next level, let these Southern small businesses be your guide. These dynamic duos are in business together, working daily to take their dreams as far as they can go. These small businesses prove that Mama meant it when she said that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up. 01 of 12 Shuler Studio Courtesy of Shuler Studio Columbus, Georgia Everyone knows mama loves a monogram, and a bespoke one is icing on the cake. Shuler Studio is a monogramming company that transforms digital designs into custom products. It's owned by mom Pam Shuler and daughter Carolyn Bettin. The inspiration? None other than Pam's own mother, of course! shulerstudio.com 02 of 12 Woodstock Lavender Courtesy of Woodstock Lavender Woodstock, Kentucky Mother-daughter duo Mary May and Allison Horseman are third and fourth-generation farmers. Together, they grow 14 varieties of lavender on their farm and invite lavender lovers to visit each year from May through June for their you-pick days and other seasonal events. To get a lavender fix for the rest of the year, the team offers a culinary lavender subscription box, The Purple Spoon. woodstocklavender.com 03 of 12 Forsyth Seafood Market and Cafe Courtesy Forsyth Seafood Winston-Salem, North Carolina Being a chef runs in Chef Ashley Hardesty Armstrong's blood. In fact, she follows in her mother's (and father's) footsteps, Virginia and Charlie Hardesty as the chef and proprietor of Forsyth Seafood Cafe Market. Since dad Charlie passed in 2013, Virginia and Ashley have been running the business like a well-oiled mother-daughter machine. The team specializes in Southern staples with Eastern North Carolina influences. forsythseafood.com, 108 N Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101, 336-748-0793 04 of 12 MeMe's Boutique Courtesy of MeMe’s Boutique Perry, Georgia Owned by Kimberly Pinckney and Avoly Wainwright, this Central Georgia shop stocks items specifically for women in both of their generations, X and millennial respectively, which includes everything from clothing and accessories to gifts and table decor. These two can often be seen modeling the clothes both in-store and on Instagram. memesperry.com, 478-988-0200, 912 Carroll St., Perry, GA 31069 05 of 12 The Tiny Tassel Courtesy Tiny Tassel Charleston, South Carolina Charleston's The Tiny Tassel is an adorable, colorful clothing and accessories brand founded by Mimi Striplin. Her handmade tassel earrings, bracelets, and necklaces have been making statements since 2015. Mimi then added handmade garments to her offerings in 2017. The brightly-hued, feminine pieces are made by Mimi's mom, Keiko who has been a designer since before Mimi was born. thetinytassel.com, 46 Spring Street, Charleston, SC 29403 06 of 12 Hoffman Haus Claire McCormack Photography Fredericksburg, Texas This Texas Hill Country luxury bed and breakfast is owned by mom Leslie and managed by daughter Sarah. Rustic yet glam rooms are draped in white and accented with antique furniture, and breakfast is delivered each morning in a picnic basket. It's utterly charming, and dare we say an excellent choice for your next mother-daughter getaway? hoffmanhaus.com, 608 East Creek Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624, 830-997-6739 07 of 12 Susansnaps Courtesy of Susansnaps Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta's Susansnaps is a trust testament to the phrase, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade," or in this case, make cookies. The mother-daughter gingersnap bakery was born out of daughter Susan's cancer fight and recovery. Mom Laura began whipping-up ginger cookies to bring both stomach ease and smiles to Susan's face and beyond. The rest is history! susansnaps.com, 229 Hilderbrand Dr., Sandy Springs, GA 30328, 404-497-9210 08 of 12 Giddy Paperie Courtesy of Giddy Paperie Winter Park, Florida There's no comparing the magic of a handwritten note, and the mother-daughter team behind Giddy Paperie keeps paper goods pretty. In fact, you might say this company makes us giddy! Mom Leslie is the artist behind the brand while daughter Lauren manages PR and marketing. giddypaperie.com 09 of 12 Mixtroz Courtesy Mixtroz Birmingham, Alabama We love to see women taking the tech industry by storm, but make it a mother-daughter tech team, and we are simply smitten. Mixtroz is the brainchild of mom Kerry Schrader and daughter Ashlee Ammons that was born when both women found that networking needed an overhaul. The duo created their app to encourage meaningful, improved conversations and connections for businesses and beyond. mixtroz.com, 120 19th St. N Suite 243, Birmingham, AL 35203 10 of 12 Varnish Lane Courtesy of Varnish Lane Washington, D.C. A day of pampering is one of the best ways to spend time with mom, and that's exactly what inspired mother-daughter duo Carrie and Lauren Dunne to open Varnish Lane, the first waterless nail care concept on the East Coast. The company specializes in eco-friendly, natural manicures and pedicures. Two well-manicured thumbs way up! varnishlane.com, multiple locations 11 of 12 Valley Vintage Virginia Courtesy of Valley Vintage Rockingham, Virginia Curated by mother-daughter duo, Jeanne & Christie from the Shenandoah Valley, Valley Vintage Virginia is the go-to online resource for all things sterling silver. Each piece is competitively priced and polished to perfection. The team sells exclusively on Instagram and is best known for their sterling silver Sunday releases. 12 of 12 Caroline's Cakes Courtesy of Carolines Cakes Spartanburg, South Carolina We would be remiss not to share at least one mother-son business in our round-up! After all, that bond is a special one, too. Meet Richard Reutter, the man who carries on the tradition of his mama's famous confections at Caroline's Cakes. While Caroline passed in 2017, Richard continues to helm the company, growing it one caramel cake at a time. His latest contribution? A new bakery storefront coming to Spartanburg this fall. carolinescakes.com, 925 Beaumont Avenue, Spartanburg, SC 29303, 888-801-2253 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit