Mom’s Frustration Fuels Family Business
Written by Corinne Garcia Tuesday, August 02 2011
Snapshot: Marygrace Sexton
Living in Florida – second only to Brazil in orange juice production and the world’s leading producer of grapefruit juice – Marygrace Sexton zoomed in one shortcoming in the industry. As a young mother, she had a hard time finding fresh, unadulterated juice for her young children to drink.
She fixed the problem by launching Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co., named after her oldest daughter, who soon became one of many consumers of a 100-percent fresh, pure juice. That was two decades ago. Today, Natalie’s, based in Fort Pierce, Fla., sells juice in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean and has won five national test awards including the 2010 “Best Tasting Orange Juice in America” award from Good Housekeeping magazine.
With Florida producing more than 70 percent of the U.S. supply of orange juice, it is no surprise that Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice company makes orange juice. But the company also makes grapefruit, lime, lemon, and tangerine juice plus lemonade, a seasonal blend, and international fresh frozen juice.
In 2009, the company was named one of the “Best Places to Work” by the St. Lucie County Human Resource Association, and the company has been honored by American Made Heroes for its role in Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry.
Womenetics: How was the idea for Natalie’s Juice conceived?
Marygrace Sexton: I conceived the idea of a truly fresh juice company with my husband, Robert, back in the late ʼ80s. He runs a citrus packing house and owns the groves that feed into it.
Being a part of the citrus industry, I got tired of hearing about adulterated citrus juices. I really just wanted pure, fresh juice for my daughter. Fresh food is so important, especially today when you never know what is going into the food we eat. I voiced this opinion to my husband, and he told me to do something about it. So I started Natalie’s, naming the company after my first daughter, and we made a product using only the highest quality Florida fruit.
Twenty years later, we’re still doing just that, the only difference is the company is a little bigger.
Womenetics: In the beginning, did you start out with a big picture vision of where this company would go or did it evolve naturally?
Sexton: I never imagined Natalie’s would be the company it is today. I was and still am passionate about having a pure and fresh product, so I worked hard and never wavered from making Natalie’s juices out of 100-percent Florida oranges and leaving the juice from the fruit unadulterated. People liked the fresh juice, and, as the company grew, I found I was also passionate about providing jobs for people in my community. These two passions are what led me to continue to grow the company, and here we are today.
Womenetics: Why do you find it important to provide jobs for people in your community, and what does that add to the company?
Sexton: In the past it was a desire, and today I think it’s a necessity. I pray that God may use Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company (OIJC) to answer some peoples’ prayers of acquiring employment. OIJC has always strived to maintain a human work force rather than an automated one, in every area possible. For instance, answering the phone. If we are sharp and with all our competition using voice mail, we can have an advantage if we do it well. We can answer the phone and make the customer feel important and still provide a job. It has to be done so efficiently that our costs are not affected by maintaining a person rather than an answering machine. We know that we must be absolutely cost conscious about all expenses to be fair to our consumer.
I have always believed that providing good jobs is essential to the community. I hope that people enjoy their position with us, but more importantly I strive to encourage them to accept more responsibility. Additional responsibility most often means more pay.
Womenetics: Natalie’s is very involved in community activities, why do you think this is this important to you and to the company?
Sexton: Being involved in the community is an important aspect of any business, and OIJC takes it very seriously. A community relationship, either personal or corporate, is essential. Growing up in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, we tend to be more active in the community due to the fact we feel a social responsibility. When the hurricanes caused a need, we were a natural fit for providing water, so we did. When an organization needs to do a fundraiser we are more than willing to support their cause. This effort not only fulfills our vision and mission, but sets an example for others to do the same.
Womenetics: You also employ many family members. What are the problems and/or advantages of being a family business?
Sexton: It takes a great deal of self-discipline (which I don’t always display) to separate personal emotions from corporate accountability when you work with family members. In my case, family tends to be extremely loyal, completely dedicated, and, most often, understanding. God made our family like a puzzle. All of us have different gifts and talents. Our vision keeps the corporation on task, and we all appreciate it was the corporation that hired the family members.
Womenetics: Did you have a business background?
Sexton: Yes. I worked in the medical management business before starting Natalie’s.
Womenetics: Why do you think your product was, and is, such a hit?
Sexton: In today’s beverage environment, so many drinks are processed or have all different kinds of additives. I think people like the fact that Natalie’s is just the juice. Orange juice is only complicated if you make it complicated.
 Marygrace Sexton |
Womenetics: Have you ever felt like there have been business-related hurdles as a woman in business?
Sexton: I guess one hurdle I still face even today is raising a family while running the company. As a mother, my days must be divided between caring for my children and caring for my company, leaving less time for networking opportunities.
Womenetics: How would you describe your leadership style?
Sexton: Much like Alexander the Great, lead with “might tempered by mercy.” I push my employees with intensity to exceed their personal expectations, while at the same time expressing the compassion and nurture that goes along with being a woman.
Womenetics: Why do you think it works?
Sexton: I allow employees to bring their own ideas to the table, challenging and questioning them to present at levels they didn’t know they were capable of. Although the process can be frustrating at times, the feeling of accomplishment when the final outcome surpasses the original expectation is rewarding for the employee as well as for me.
Womenetics: What kind of mistakes in business have you made and really learned from?
Sexton: I don’t know that I’ve made a lot of large mistakes that have singular lessons, but I am human, and I have made multiple small mistakes. From those small mistakes I’ve learned that with a hard-working and dedicated staff, those small mistakes can be overcome. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when something goes wrong, but I’ve come to learn that no matter what, there’s a past, present, and future.
Womenetics: What kind of advice would you offer to other women who are interested in launching a product to the marketplace?
Sexton: I would tell them to definitely go for it. If you’re making a product for the right reason, people will see that and flock to it.
Womenetics: How do you know when a juice formula is perfect and ready to go to market?
Sexton: We don’t have a formula. It’s already perfect from nature.
Womenetics: Where is Natalie now?
Sexton: Natalie graduated from Rollins College in May with a degree in economics. She is going to be traveling to different countries to do social work.
Womenetics: What do you do in your spare time – just for fun?
Sexton: The fun I have is the time I spend with my family, whether it’s at food shows, promoting the company, or just sitting by the pool enjoying each other’s company.
Corinne Garcia is a freelance writer and editor living with her husband and two young boys in Bozeman, Mont. She has also written for Women’s Adventure, Christian Science Monitor, Northwest Travel, Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, and Fit Parent.
