The Family Business Podcast

Succession Planning is a complex process, there are many moving parts to it and lots to consider. This can put a lot of people off starting the process or leaving them not knowing how or when to start. In this episode I share some tips on how to get started. 1 - Start Early 2 - Separate out the different elements of succession 3 - Look at the role of Family Governance 4 - Keep an open mind 5 - Hav...

On this weeks show I am joined by Dominic Rubino. Dominic is a business coach now but has historically owned and worked in a Family Business. In this episode of the show we look at what we can learn from Dom's experience of working in a relatively informal business and governance structure with his cousin. We also explore how money can be destructive and what happens when you experience rapid grow...

One third of businesses that go to market to sell actually conclude successfully! We look at some of the common emotional barriers to these transactions and what we can do to help avoid them. If you are a professional adviser to family business owners this is a must listen episode as Denise shares her experience of helping sellers to overcome these barriers. We look at the emotional aspects of sel...

With a title like that there is a danger that this post could be viewed as quite morbid, but please read on, the aim of this is to inspire and provoke some thoughts rather than depress. For those familiar with the ‘Top 5 regrets of the dying’ hopefully this will be a useful reminder, for those unfamiliar with them, please allow me to introduce you to them. Bronnie Ware spent many years as a pallia...

Should you gift your family business to the next generation? Should you leave the business to your children in your will? Or, should the next generation be asked to buy the family business at full market value? When do you start the discussions about these topics and how do you avoid them becoming argumentative and potentially damaging to your family? We cover this and a whole lot more in this tho...

On this episode I am joined by Peter Vogel. Peter is Professor of Family Business and Entrepreneurship, Director of the Global Family Business Centre at IMD Business School in Switzerland and the co-author of the book The Family Philanthropy Navigator. We discuss how philanthropy has evolved throughout history and look at the latest trends in this fascinating area. We talk about how you as a famil...

Sometimes the right thing to do with a family owned business is to sell it. If that liquidity event provides sufficient wealth and financial independence for the owners of that business, they may want to look at ways of passing that wealth on to future generations in a tax efficient way that also allows them to retain control over those assets. One vehicle for doing this is a Family Investment Com...

Succession Planning is complex and whilst there are financial and technical complexities there are also emotional complexities that can get in the way of succession planning. In this episode I explore those and look at some of the common issues I come across in the work that I do. We look at whether now is the right time to start succession planning if you haven't already and I share some tip...

Debbie Ekins has recently decided to pursue a career away from her family business. This wasn't an easy decision or one that she made quickly. In this episode I talk to Debbie about her experience, the emotional rollercoaster she experienced whilst deciding what she wanted to do and how she told her parents that she didn't want to take over the family business. Debbie shares her story and there ar...

We last spoke with Fiona back in March as we entered the first lockdown here in the UK. Since then a lot has changed and so Fiona joins us again to provide further insights into the work that she and the Institute for Family Business are doing on behalf of family businesses here in the UK. We look at the impact that COVID has had and some of the innovation that has been seen from the UK's family b...

On this show I am joined by Mike Kane from Turcan Connell. Mike is a corporate lawyer and works with family businesses to help them with their succession planning. In this chat we cover what considerations you might want to think over before starting the process of succession planning. We cover the aspects of an MBO, a dynastic succession and alternatives such as full sale and a sale to an employe...

Arbikie Estate is a family-owned working farm in Scotland. This episode looks at the innovative and collaborative way that this family have been creating new products, including a carbon positive gin and vodka product. We hear about the history of the family and how the current owners returned to the business having initially pursued careers away from it. Iain Stirling describes how the collaborat...

Bobby Stover is America's Family Office Leader at EY. He joins us on the show this week to discuss the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to family offices and how these are being tackled. We look at how some are adapting in different ways to others. What will the coming months and years mean for how family offices operate? How are different generations dealing with the current si...

We have spoken already on the show about the importance of looking after our wellbeing during the current COVID pandemic, and this is something that my guest this weeks feels very passionately about. Friend of the show, Mitzi Perdue joins me on this episode to talk about some of the tips she and her co-authors have shared in their book - How to be Up in Down Times. We hear about the importance of...

On this episode I am joined by Dr. Jim Grubman who is an internationally recognised consultant, speaker, and educator in the multidisciplinary field of family wealth psychology. He works with affluent families and their advisors to understand how wealth and life can be integrated successfully. On this episode we cover many different topics. We look at how different generations have reacted to rece...

On this weeks show I am joined by Guillermo Salazar as we discuss what family businesses can be doing to help prepare their next generation given that we are living in turbulent times. We look at the different types of mindset that people are adopting during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this impacts your family business. In addition Guillermo talks us through a case study of a family that he has...

On this episode I speak with Dennis Jaffe. For over 40 years, Dennis has been one of the leading architects of the field of family enterprise consulting. As both an organisational consultant and clinical psychologist, he helps multi-generational families to develop governance practices that build the capability of next generation leadership and ensure ongoing capability of financial organisations...

As we emerge from this crisis there is an opportunity to ensure continued success for your family business. Choosing the right strategy will be the difference between doing this in a way that is aligned to your values as a family, and coming across in a genuine way, compared to appearing as tone deaf and icky. Jeremy Miller is a the Founder of Sticky Branding a branding and strategy agency ba...

Tsitsi Mutendi and Nike Anani are the co-founders of African Family Firms and they have arranged a virtual conference for family businesses with speakers from all over the World.  Given that travel is restricted and gatherings are forbidden it may not seem the best time to be hosting a global conference. However, through the use of technology, determination and a global community of speakers...

We are living in unprecedented times where we are fearful for our families health, that of our own and the prospects for our businesses. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by the situation and so I offer some reasons to be hopeful in this episode. Many of the businesses that I am speaking to now are aware of and accessing the support available to them from Government and so are now finding that...

We are in unprecedented times at the moment and will be facing challenges and decisions for the very first time in our lives. We have a panel of experts on this weeks show who discuss ways in which we can act that have served family businesses well during previous crises.  I speak with Simone Møkster the Managing Director of Family Business Norway, Elizabeth Bagger the Director General of the...

With Corona Virus impacting more and more businesses and people around World, I follow up our last episode with an interview with Martin Stepek. Martin is a mindfulness coach and also a family business expert and so can offer unique insights into how to use mindfulness at times of extreme stress. Martin's own family business went into administration in the early 2000's and he found that during tha...

Corona Virus is having a huge impact on the lives of us all. It is a scary time when we are fearful for our families health and well-being and our businesses. Family businesses across the world will be trying to balance all of the conflicting priorities that exist and will need support to do so. In this episode I offer guidance as to where to get advice, where to get support and some tips on remot...

Should You Hire A Website Designer or Design Your Website Yourself?  In this podcast episode, we’re talking about family business websites. I’m chatting to Martin and Lyndsay, a husband and wife team, who run Jammy Digital - a WordPress Web Design Agency .  A website isn’t just a ‘shop window’, it is a tool that can generate leads and sales 24/7. Unfortunately, a lot of family businesses...

Kenda and Mike Macdonald own and run Automation Ninjas, a marketing automation business. Their journey into ownership wasn't a straight forward one but they have created an award winning business that creates amazing customer journeys using buyer psychology and marketing automation. In this showcase episode we discuss why your business may also benefit from understanding more about how your custom...