The Rucker Sisters Talk Managing Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Motherhood

The Rucker sisters are the heiresses to one of the most prominent Southern families in the Carolinas. With a recent reality TV show that aired on WE TV and a growing natural haircare line called Rucker Roots, the sisters have a full plate.

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But education has always been the focal point for success in the Rucker family. Born into a legacy of educators, they were taught at an early age to make education their number one priority. The educational influence of their grandparents, Aaron and Ruth Wright Rucker, not only impacted their lives but led to the opening of the A.R. Rucker Middle School in their hometown of Lancaster, South Carolina.

Today the number of women juggling careers, motherhood, and entrepreneurship continues to grow. These successful, beautiful, and business savvy sisters provided BlackEnterprise.com with their advice on business, leadership, and upholding a family legacy.

BlackEnterprise.com: Who are the Rucker Sisters?
Ione: The Rucker Sisters are God-fearing southern belles raised by parents who taught us that the world is limitless. We are sisters dedicated to motherhood and entrepreneurship, and determined to be role models for our children. We are not perfect, but we have a faith in God that is unmatched and perseverance that shows us nothing is unattainable.

Ellen: We are mothers, we are business owners, and we are a faith-based family. We set out goals for ourselves and won’t stop until they are achieved. Is the road always easy?  No, it is not. But we know nothing worth having comes easily and has its own set of challenges. We strive to set an example for our children every day, and when they witness obstacles arise in our lives, they see how we continue to push through and meet our goals.

What does work/life balance mean to the Rucker Sisters?
Ione: It is definitely more challenging, especially when your children’s activities can fill up your entire schedule, but luckily we are family of eight and all of us live close by. There are times when Ellen and I have to take business meetings or attend trade shows, but our parents and siblings will step in to make things easier.

Ellen: We are able to balance work and life because we are fortunate to have the support of our families and also the ability to work from home so that we can be there for our children and work on our business, Rucker Roots. We test out our products on our daughters and they enjoy being our models.

Ione: Overall it means being able to be there for our children without having to sacrifice our goals to become one of the biggest haircare lines in the world. However, we know our most important job is being mothers to our children. We also remain active in our community.  So in addition to Rucker

Roots, we also have the Rucker Education Scholarship Fund. Our family values are rooted in education, so it is important for us to give back to young individuals from our hometown of Lancaster, SC,  pursuing their dreams of going to college.

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You’ve had a reality TV show called Love Thy Sister on WE TV. How did that impact motherhood for you? 
Ione: My kids were not able to participate in the show so it was hard because they wanted to be a part of it and couldn’t. However, I thought it would be best to have the show focused around my life and not my children. I am very open with my kids about the choices I make and the things I do for the betterment of our family, so I would say the only impact it had was showing my kids that mommy really knows how to multitask.  They were on set most of the days and got a kick out of seeing their mom on TV and also being recognized by fans of the show. It was all in fun and a welcomed opportunity to promote our haircare line, Rucker Roots. At the end of the day, I would never do anything to negatively impact my children.

Ellen: My daughter Kai was on the show and it was great for her to share in this moment with me. Kai is an only child and before

my husband, Bakari, was in the picture, it was just us at home so we definitely share a very special bond. I would say it positively impacted our family because it was on the show that my now husband proposed to both Kai and myself. We shared a very personal moment with the viewers and we are so fortunate for the experience. Also, despite a few hiccups in the portrayal of our family, we showed an overall positive, educated, African American family.

With very busy schedules, how do you carve out time for yourself?
Ione:  When the kids are off to school, hanging out with our family, or spending time with their fathers, we are enjoying some very necessary ‘me’ time. We love the simple things, like getting our hair done with Rucker Roots, of course. Going to the nail salons or grabbing a meal with friends. On the days when I just want to decompress alone, I sit by my pool and scroll through Instagram for the latest and greatest hair tips. I am a little addicted to social media, but like I tell my family: it can be very informative.

Ellen: My husband is in politics and a news contributor. So, he is always on the go and we are always planning events to showcase the haircare line, which leaves us with limited time to be alone. Lucky for me, Kai and Ione’s daughter, Kathryn, are like sisters. So Ione

will gladly take Kai for the weekend so that Bakari and I can get away for an overnight stay in the city. Nothing like a good staycation to renew you for a busy week of meetings, school activities, and family functions.

What are 3 key pieces of advice that you have for women balancing motherhood and career success?
1.  Be true to yourself. That means know who you are and what you want to achieve. While your children always come first, it is important to make sure the priorities you have also align with the goals you have for yourself. You have to take care of yourself and your needs before you can properly take care of anyone else.

2. Stay organized. Because in confusion, there is chaos, and when balancing a career and motherhood, chaos leads to disaster. It is important you keep a schedule that you share with your support system, and constantly stay in communication so everyone is on-board with the day-to-day plans.  Always stay ready for the unexpected.  

3. Don’t be afraid to burn the midnight oil. After homework is done, lunches are packed, and children are off to “dreamville,” it is your time alone to catch up on emails, read about business trends, and set the plans for tomorrow. Being an entrepreneur and a mother can be exhausting, but everything you are doing for your business is to create a better life for your children.