Tri County Business Journal Lake County, Ohio OH www.tricountybusinessjournal.com

The Tri County Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Month for June is Libby Hill, owner of Family Karate in Mentor. Libby was nominated by her serial entrepreneur husband Tom, owner of Thomas Hill Investment Services in Mentor. He says he nominated his wife of 30 years “because she’s great.”

“I am just really proud of what she has been able to do and the fact that she has chosen to apply her skills in this business that allows us to have such a positive impact on people’s lives,” Tom said. “She has had such a good influence on people – that’s been the constant in all the different things she’s done.”

The Hills opened Family Karate four years ago and have been involved in martial arts for more than a decade. They both teach and both have black belts in karate. Libby runs the business.

Many women hurdle obstacles to become successful in their careers. Libby has overcome the usual complications most women do such as balancing career and family. However, she has had an additional barrier to navigate around, one that most people wouldn’t even begin to guess – she has multiple sclerosis.

Instead of letting it stop her or even slow her down, she has let it be a motivating factor. She has participated in the MS Walk for the past 17 years. In the beginning she raised about $500 a year. For the past 12 years a 200-letter mail campaign to family and friends has raised an average of $6,000 a year. Her team has raised close to $75,000 for the National MS Society over the years.
She started the team when she was a member of the Western Reserve Junior Service League. In the beginning, her team was called Twinkle Toes and one year it won Best Team Name. She now leads the 15-member Team ’Ohana, which means family in Hawaiian.

“We have raised over $5,000 with our team this year,” she said. “The dollars are down, but not as much as I feared they would be. I feel the MS Walk is a good event because it raises public awareness about not only this disease, but all auto-immune diseases.”

Libby said this year had even more special meaning than others.

“A good friend died this year from complications of MS,” she said. “He was 53 years old and has been in a nursing home for over 10 years. MS robs many individuals of a life and I’m bound and determined to change that in any way I can.”

Tom said Libby has worked for many years to overcome the effects of an illness that can make it very difficult to do physical activity and shares that determination with others.

“Back when she was diagnosed, they used to discourage people from doing strong physical activity,” he said. “She tried it their way, and it just didn’t feel right so she became more physically active, studied tai chi. That has helped her. Now when one is diagnosed with MS they are encouraged to take up physical activity.”

Tom enjoys being a part of it all and seeing what Libby has been able to accomplish in making the business run.

“It’s fun being married to her,” Tom said. “Libby has always been a very solid and supportive partner to me and I hope I have been that for her as well. We’ve both been called serial entrepreneurs because we like to have businesses and utilize each other’s strengths to operate them. So it’s not just a marriage, but a partnership and appreciation of each other’s abilities and skills. And it’s not always easy because sometimes you have to separate the business partner role from the life partner role, but so far, so good.” Tom says her secret is her unique set of skills.
“She is both a good organizer and operations person and also has the ability to reach out to people and make them feel a part of the family – the business is called Family Karate for a reason,” Tom said. “Our customers are more than just customers; they become a part of our extended family.”

Rita McKinney, head instructor at Family Karate, is part of the Hill family. She likes the family atmosphere and that feeling of inclusion.

“Libby is always helping everybody,” McKinney said. “She has helped me emotionally and physically. She’s a very giving person. She is very patient with people and always tries to make everybody feel good about themselves. That’s part of what makes her such a good boss.”

Laura Freeman is editor of the Tri County Business Journal.

Q. How did you get started in the business of martial arts and what got you to where you are today?

A. I got started in martial arts when we took my sons to karate lessons. We became partners in that school for about four years — we parted ways because we had differing opinions about how to do business. In the martial arts, respect for others is probably one of the biggest lessons we teach. I think we really try to bring that about in our business — the golden rule is a big factor.

Q. What did you have to sacrifice along the way?

A. I suppose you always sacrifice money – you just don’t make a whole lot of money. And you sacrifice some time — most people are working during the day. But I don’t feel it’s that big a sacrifice because of all I’ve gotten in return, all the people we get to meet, being able to see both kids and adults blossom.

Q. What is something about you that people don’t know or are surprised to find out?

A. That I’m a fourth-degree black belt. I just don’t fit the stereotype of a black belt. Another one is that I have multiple sclerosis. I was definitively diagnosed 20 years ago this July.

Q. How have you changed and/or how has the work climate changed since you started?

A. We probably are more structured now — we have more systems in places. We were a little more laid back when we started. Everything has to change — nothing is set in stone. The No. 1 rule is always be open to listening to a new way of doing things.

Q. How do you as a leader build confidence within your organization?

A. We have a leadership team that teaches people how to teach others with kids on the team as young as 9. We ask them to learn game points through teaching, community service, so they learn different things. Two-thirds of my staff is adults, the other third are teenagers. It’s important to train them as you go along. They learn to be responsible. The only time I correct them is if they are improperly teaching the technique or form, but I rarely correct how they teach. I’ve been surprised at how creative some of these people can be. All of the instructors have gone through our program. It really helps because they understand it.

Q. How do you define being successful?

A. There’s that poem about leaving the world a little better place. That’s what I always think of. I hope everyone who comes through here feels better for having tried our classes or being exposed to them.

Q. What worked for you that would be good advice for someone else coming up in their career?

A. To be a business owner I think you have to carve out time for yourself because when you own your own business it can be all-consuming. I do set aside time I can be with my family, do things at home, see my dogs occasionally. You just have to carve out that time — for your own sanity if for nothing else. I’m always preaching stress relief to my own students so I have to practice what I preach.

Q. What are you most proud of in your career and in your life?

A. I’m really proud of my entire staff and of my children — my sons. They are 24 and 21 now. They come back and teach here. I think because we have kind of an extended family here it feels so comfortable. I am proud of that.

Q. Can you think of any mistakes that you have made that you wouldn’t make again?

A. One is, don’t always think that somebody else knows better than you do about your business. It comes from an intuition thing — it’s good to listen to all the advice you get, but pick and choose, don’t always follow it all. If it has a price tag on it, it probably isn’t worth the money. Buy into a package kind of thing and it really doesn’t set you apart. I think everybody’s business needs to be part of their personality even if it’s a franchise or part of a bigger organization it should always have the manager’s personality. And that’s OK because different personalities attract different people.

Q. What can women do to improve their current position?

A. I think the problem is that so often women, to advance they start to become more like men. And I don’t think they should. They need to use their intuition — take care of people that’s one thing we’re raised to do that is needed in a lot of businesses. I think particularly our resourcefulness — women are much more so than men. We can make do with a lot less and I think especially in this economy it’s really proving true. Especially when we’re put on a budget we can stay on a budget much better than men. I don’t think women should try to become more like men — being female is a very positive thing.