PPB April 2018

K im Mass i e and Ho l l y Bea rd K imMassie didn’t originally aspire to become a marketing expert or a business owner. In fact, she started out on a different path entirely. Massie earned a pharmacy degree from The Ohio State University and was the director of pharmacy for two different managed care companies in the early stages of her career. She went on to work in specialty sales for Merck for 12 years before she decided to scratch the entrepreneurial itch that had been nagging her. “I was constantly seeking out ways to fulfill my desire to be creative—which you really can’t do as a pharmacist—so I opened up Parrot Sports Gear part-time with a friend,” she says. Motivated by her daughter Holly’s passion for swimming, Massie focused on providing branded apparel and gear for swim teams. “It was inspiring to see the drive my mom had while working full-time as a pharmacist and running Parrot Sports Gear in her spare time,” Holly Beard says. “I remember her setting up at all my swimmeets to sell swim supplies, and when it was my turn to swim, she would run out to the pool deck to cheer me on. Then she would go back to the [Parrot Sports Gear] table until it was my turn again.” Growing up in Bellbrook, Ohio, Beard’s parents were active in raising her and her twin sister, Krista. They supported Holly’s decision to swim year-round, waking up at 5 am during the week to drive her to swim Mixing business and family can be rewarding but challenging. The mother‑ daughter team behind Parrot Promo Essentials shows how it’s done. Two Of A Kind by Terry Ramsay Kim Massie and Holly Beard pose with their mascot Penelope, who recently starred in a successful social media campaign for Parrot Promo Essentials. 20 | APRIL 2018 | INNOVATE