Together, the two lead a team of independent contractors that provide marketing support to non-profits ranging from charitable institutions to local government entities to workforce development organizations.
It is a dream come true for the founder, who imagined being able to name her daughter as successor to the business back when Breece was earning her degree in marketing at Northern Arizona University.
“We talked about it, but not all that seriously,” said Cindy. “She interned with me when she was in college, too, but more for the college credits than anything else.”
The mother-daughter duo is an example of a growing trend in family-owned businesses.
According to Forbes magazine, women-owned family businesses have increased by 58% since 2007. Almost one in four family businesses are now led by a woman CEO or president, and as a consequence, mother-daughter businesses are becoming more common.
Although Breece shares her mother’s passion for helping non-profits through marketing, she did not immediately join the firm after her graduation in 2020. Her path led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her then-boyfriend, Jesse Callahan, was completing Air Force Pararescue Specialist training at Kirtland Air Force Base.
Breece landed a job as the social media manager for Central New Mexico Community College, where she strategized and created original content, graphics, videos and more for all the social media platforms used by the institution, which is the largest community college in the state.
When Jesse completed training and was stationed in Tucson, mother and daughter began talking in earnest about her joining what would now become a family firm. Breece became the digital outreach manager in 2021.
Together, the two lead a team of independent contractors that provide marketing support to non-profits ranging from charitable institutions to local government entities to workforce development organizations.
Breece is the only employee under 30 at the firm, and as a Generation Z member, she brings an acute understanding of the digital landscape to the organization.
“There’s a reason they call us ‘digital natives,’” said Breece. “We are comfortable with technology in a way no previous generation has been because we’ve been surrounded by it our entire lives.”
That comfort with digital outreach brings an added dimension to the company’s work, said her mother.
“She understands what most non-profit organizations are looking for: expertise in social media and internet outreach that connect with all audiences – their clients, their supporters and their volunteers,” she said.
Breece notes that the challenge in the digital space is how rapidly it keeps changing.
“You have to be able to be highly adaptable,” she said. “Algorithms on established platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are constantly changing. Meanwhile, new platforms are always emerging, and you want to make sure the non-profits you represent are always meeting their audiences where they are at. That’s particularly important for making sure that you engage younger people, who naturally are the first to explore new digital ways of connecting.”
In addition to social media expertise, during her time at Cindy May Marketing, Breece has become an expert in Google Ad Grants, a way for non-profits to advertise for free on the ubiquitous search engine.
Google Ad Grants provide non-profits with a substantial budget, up to $10,000 a month for search ads, but require intensive management to keep the grant. Many non-profits lack the time or staffing to successfully take advantage of the program, Breece said.
Both women say they’ve always had a close relationship, which works to their advantage as professionals in a family business.
“We can keep our attention focused on work when it’s time to be working, but we can turn it off and have those personal conversations, too,” said Breece, “although sometimes the line between the two gets blurred.”
Her mother agrees. “It’s sometimes hard to disconnect from the work we do and take a break, but getting to build this business with her by my side and knowing it will get to live on even when I’m gone – that’s pretty special.” FBN
By Karen Fossli
To learn more about this mother-daughter marketing firm, visit cindymaymarketing.com.
Courtesy Photo: Cindy May calls working with her daughter, Breece May Callahan, a dream come true.
