Mutual Support
That special perspective that comes with family ties was a major driving force behind Kerry MacKay and her mother Jessie Wormell setting up Clearwing Ecology, which is based in Argyll but takes them across Scotland. ‘My upbringing was the wild and free sort,’ says Kerry. ‘We lived out in the country so my sister and I would camp out, build treehouses and forts, which helped develop my love of nature and the outdoors. Mum ran an ecology business at the same time as raising my sister and me, so we would join her on butterfly transect walks and moth trappings.’
After completing a degree in Ecology and an MSc in Biological Studies, Kerry decided to take her future into her own hands. ‘We decided to set up Clearwing Ecology together as Mum moved to care for my Granny, who has dementia. Mum had the experience and contacts from running her business previously, but not much time to establish a new one. I had time and my own range of experience but not the business know-how or contacts, so we knew that we could bring all our skills together and also manage family life, which includes my partner and I doing up our old house.’
Kerry and Jessie have found they can blend work and personal responsibilities in a way other colleagues might not find as easy. ‘You have to decide what lifestyle you want and the time you put in on work to sustain that,’ says Kerry. ‘It’s also important to recognise each other’s loyalties and responsibilities and to work at the right pace to build up the reputation you want.’
‘We knew we could bring all our skills together and also manage family life’