Natalie Tommy grew up helping build Ottawa’s Tommy and Lefebvre

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There is no one path for next generations in enterprising families. In this series we talk to members of next generations, whether they choose to take on a role in the family business, or its wealth stewardship, or to carve their own path. Sometimes, it is all of the above.

A fourth-generation entrepreneur and businesswoman, Natalie Tommy recounts her heritage from her great-grandfather, Hum Ye, who immigrated from China to New Brunswick several decades ago. And her grandfather, Andy Tommy Sr., who played in the CFL and won a couple of Grey Cups.

And then, there is her father, Art Tommy, a World Cup skier and Olympian who started sporting goods retailer Tommy and Lefebvre Inc. in Ottawa in 1958 along with his brother Andy Tommy, also a World Cup skier and Olympian, and a friend, Reg Lefebvre.

They then started Edelweiss Valley ski resort in 1960.

In 1985, Natalie Tommy was named vice-president and ran the company with her husband, Kevin Pidgeon, as President.

The business was sold to Sporting Life in 2013.

Natalie Tommy is now vice-president, marketing and branding for Nautical Lands Group of Companies, an Ottawa-based retirement-living developer.

Here, she shares how the founding members of her family business affected her work ethic and career.

How did the founding generations come to start a family business?

“My great-grandfather, Hum Ye (he was commonly called Tommy), married and settled in New Brunswick after immigrating from China. Together they ran a tea house and a dry-cleaning business.

My grandfather, Andy Tommy Senior, was a football and basketball player who was recruited to play in Ottawa. He was a football all-star in the thirties and is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He was a statistician for the Federal Government and passed away in 1972.

He was very competitive and exacting. He had a difficult childhood, living in New Brunswick, being half Chinese. He often told stories of being chased every day as he made his way to and from school.

Hum Ye and the family worked hard to provide a life for their large family. I would say this work ethic has been passed from generation to generation, and many of the Tommy family members are still in New Brunswick.

My Father, Art Tommy, was a retail icon and started Tommy and Lefebvre Inc., in Ottawa in 1958, along with his brother Andy Tommy and friend, Reg Lefebvre. They then started Edelweiss Valley ski resort in 1960. Dad and Andy are credited for starting the Canadian National Alpine Ski Team.

He was a savvy businessman with good intuition and no formal training; competitive, unrelenting, and very charismatic.

He passed away in 1994, and my husband, Kevin Pidgeon, became president and I, vice-president. Tommy and Lefebvre was hugely successful; named Canadian Ski Retailer of the Year in the eighties, and when it was sold to Toronto-based Sporting Life, we had approximately 300 staff and six locations.

The business was started when Mum [Marilyn Tommy] became pregnant with me and Dad said, ‘I am a World Cup skier, well known in the city and skiing is all I know.’ He borrowed $500 from numerous friends and businesspeople, and with Reg and Andy they were in business.

Starting Edelweiss Valley, in Wakefield, Queb., followed a similar thought process. The hill would be an extension of the ski business and, after borrowing $1,500 the land was purchased and the trail blazing began with his brother Andy spending days and nights on the bulldozer.

How did the earlier generations in your family business shape your own work ethic?

“Leading by example was always the way it was. Dad didn’t talk about work at home very often. As I recall, that was his sanctuary, but at work it was all business all the time.

If you work hard, put in the hours, treat people well and build relationships, you should be on the right path for success – but there were never any guarantees.

He never asked more of his staff than he did of himself, but the business was on his mind and part of his soul always.

For me, working hard and putting in the hours was and still is all around me. I don’t really think about it very much, I just do what’s required.

We have a good team of people working with us at Nautical Lands Group; people who share the responsibility and understand the effort required to be successful. This is a blessing. When you like what you do, it doesn’t seem like a chore, but rather a something that fills the soul. Surrounding yourself with like-minded, passionate, goal-oriented people is fulfilling on many levels. Now I always make sure I take time to refresh and reenergize, something I had to learn to do.”

What was it like growing up in a family business environment?

“We were a competitive family. It always seemed to be about the wins and losses on and off the sports fields.

It permeated through other facets of our lives, as well. Who could eat the fastest, win the card games, build the biggest sandcastles. This was fun for us, and we had the most fun with our cousins who lived at Edelweiss and were brought up in the same light. We got each other.

We were always on the go, thanks to my Mum. There were so many lessons missed as a youngster, but, looking back, our family life taught me about love, belonging versus fitting in, the importance of family, cooperation, resilience, respect, relationships, and team building.”

How did your career interests take shape, and did you receive family support in your direction?

“I joined T&L [Tommy and Lefebvre] in 1984, fresh out of university with a passion and degree in Commerce and a specialty in Marketing.

After some negotiation, it was decided I could develop and lead the co-op advertising program, which would increase our brand awareness, advertising spend and market share. It allowed us to transition from a ski and snowboard to an outdoor specialty store in snowsports, cycling, tennis, golf and outdoor.

We became the go-to store for enthusiasts, pre-, during and post-sport. It broadened our mix of goods and brought in new clientele. He [Dad] supported me by giving me the responsibility to prove my worth. My husband, Kevin Pidgeon, was also instrumental in growing this successful business, along with a staff that was second to none. We had a dominant market share when the business was sold.

The program gained momentum every year and provided us the ability to partially fund our marketing endeavours, get computerized, and present ourselves more professionally.”

Were your family involved in your educational choices and how did these affect your career trajectory?

“My family did not have anything to do with my choice of schools or program, but being around entrepreneurial thinkers influenced me. It was my comfort zone, as I recall. Both parents hoped I would go to university, but neither were involved in the process.

I just knew that I wanted to work with Dad, and that I would only be able to bring something new to the table if I had higher learning.

Marketing and solving problems were something I gravitated to and had a passion for in high school. The University of Ottawa Commerce program gave me the confidence to converse with Dad’s key partners, bankers, suppliers and distributors.

It also gave me the ability to hear what Dad wanted for the stores and translate it to programs that made sense for all marketing initiatives, elevating staff knowledge, garnering better margins, securing higher booking discounts and better terms.

By the end of my retail career of 30-plus years, experience and wisdom became my new educator. My role included marketing, buying the soft goods programs and merchandizing; and being on several worldwide steering committees for the industry rounded out my area of responsibility.

The jump to Nautical Lands Group and the 55-plus community development space meant marketing principals and branding strategies would be established from the ground up.

As you were developing in a new direction, did you turn to any advisors along the way, and were they helpful?

“Nautical Lands Group always consults experts when needed. They have proved helpful in developing our Wellings brand, as well as other aspects of the business.

The key for us is to be clear on our vision for the company, be clear on our performance markers, be clear on our core values and what we stand for. Get specific about what you would like to see improve or what gap analysis you need to see performed. Then the answers you get can help move you in the right direction.”

How do you cope with the pressure of coming from a successful family business?

“I am a recovering people pleaser with perfectionist tendencies. I always want to get it right, but since joining Nautical Lands Group, I have had to put myself in the head space of a retiree.

Our members have successfully retired, have chosen to live this way and don’t need care. There are success stories and stories of resilience all around me. How could I possibly hear them or see them if I’m always in a hurry, racing from one thing to another?

I love reading [leadership scholar] Brené Brown’s work – I have done the work on what I need to fill the soul: my core values, my drivers, and my goals for the future.

Coming out of retail – where everything runs at a frenetic pace and successes were measured by the transaction and minute – to an industry that thrives on creating a community where people belong, needs a different mindset.”

Do you have any advice for next generations, whether they want to be an active part of the family business or not?

“The world has changed so much, but relationships and doing the work up front to prepare are keys to success. If you are asked to do a task outside your job description, do it. The experience you will garner and the relationships that may develop from it will make you more visible and valued. Be prepared to accept that your career path may have a lot of s-turns.

Start small and surround yourself with people who only have your best interests at heart.

Remember that advice is free, but only give it weight if it’s someone who is invested or willing to get into the trenches with you, as hindsight is always 20/20.

Both of our children pursued their own interests. Being part of a family business is hard, emotionally and physically. It’s always in your head and in your heart.

The pressure to succeed and measure up is always there, especially if the parent is still involved in the day-to-day decisions and you don’t have your own area of responsibility. For me, I just didn’t want to let him [Dad] down – it wasn’t him pressuring me, but me pressuring myself to be the very best I could be every day.”

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length

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