The Family Business Podcast

Mitzi Perdue knows that every family business has a culture. The question is, does this culture come about by design or by default? The ones that come about by default rarely support keeping the family business in the family across the generations. So, what can a family do to develop and strengthen a culture that will support their deepest goals and values? Mitzi Perdue draws on the experience of...

In the late 1800s, Harry Schweid started selling high quality meats to butchers and restaurants in New York City’s Lower East Side. By the 1930s, his son Sam had his own business in Harlem, selling the best meat around. In 1978, Sam’s son David Schweid took his family’s long withstanding heritage in the meat purveyor industry and founded Schweid & Sons, a company that would focus on one product –...

Max Gosselin joined his Mum and Dad'd cheese business and started working on the most successful sales route in the firm, just before the busiest time of the year.  It didn't start well. He was the first sales person in the businesses history to achieve negative sales figures in the run up to Christmas.  Using determination and a thirst for learning he decided to learn as much as he could about sa...

Vincent Valeri is a Certified Family Legacy Coach and uses his own experiences within his family business to help to prepare families for wealth transfer.  Vincent shares his own story and how the experiences he had within his family business and how being given a Porsche for his 16th birthday has given him an analogy that he now uses with the families he works with.  Vincent shares his story with...

We talk about their story and the successful transition from Heather's father to Heather.  We also discuss Heather's relationship with the staff, who in many cases she has grown up with, and how her changing roles have impacted these.  'The Little’s story spans five decades – and two generations. As a family business, we benefit from being able to innovate and quickly adapt to the changing needs o...

In this episode Mark shares his own family business story and how after he sold his family business he wanted to help other people to avoid the issues he faced in his business.  One of the key tools that Mark uses with his coaching clients is 'Motivational Maps' we discuss this and my own motivational map!   'Through my own business learning curve, I discovered ‘Motivational Maps’, which have prov...

Buying or leasing a commercial property can be a big decision for family businesses to make, there are pro's and cons to each of these options.  In this episode we talk to Jess Booz from VWV about the common pitfalls, the benefits of owning a commercial property within the business or individually and some of the things to think about before taking the plunge.  If you would like to get in touch wi...

Ken McCracken has worked in the field of Family Business for many years.  He is head of Family Business consulting for KPMG and works with families in business and family offices to improve their overall family and business governance and helps them to plan for effective transitions in ownership and leadership. Ken shares his knowledge and experience in this episode where we focus on the sometimes...

The Bowen family systems theory is a theory of human behaviour that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. To me that sounds pretty complicated but Steve manages to explain in a way that makes the theory easier to understand.  Steve also shares his own story about growing up in a family business.  Steve's website is   http:...

Maria Villax is a third generation member of a very successful multinational family business. However, she does not work within the family business but has an active role with its governance. For Maria, this a perfect balance.  If you were born into a family business you will understand that a decision will need to made (if it hasn't already) to either join or not join the family business.  There...

Succession planning is one of the biggest issues faced by families in business.  In this episode Mairi speaks to us about her own experiences within her family business and in her current role as a family business consultant.  We speak about what steps can be taken to ensure a successful transition from one generation to the next.  This was a really enjoyable and insightful chat  You can find out...

This week we are joined by Coach Pete Walsh from Phoenix Arizona For over 20 years, Pete Walsh has been helping people reach new levels of results by mixing fun, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to personal development. Pete provides Executive and Business Coaching for leaders and teams that are committed to reaching the highest levels of business results and personal satisfaction. We talk...

In this episode we talk to Kitty Rosser, a data protection lawyer about new Data Protection laws that are coming into force next year.  The implications of this legislation will affect your business so it is important to understand what you need to do.  Kitty covers this. You can find more about the new rules by following  https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the...

We often hear that family businesses feel alone and that they are the only one's experiencing their particular challenges. As such it can be reassuring to hear what challenges other businesses like yours are facing.  PwC conduct a survey that looks at the global trends in Family Business and the results are discussed in this podcast with PwC's Head of UK Family Business, Sian Steele.  Sian shares...

Communication is an essential part of the success of any business. When you throw family into the mix it can become all the more important.  In this episode we talk to Ian Marsh from www.familydr.co.uk  who works with families in business in helping them to communicate.  This excerpt from Ian's website summarises his work 'Family dynamics need constant active management.  All the available researc...

Getting the balance right between the tax advantages and the potential downsides associated with certain business structures can be tricky when first establishing a business. Nick Smith talks in this episode about the importance of structure and some of the unintended consequences that can result from simple tax structures.  

On this episode Fiona Graham, Director of External Affairs and Policy at The Institute for Family Business provides us with a great insight into the role that the IFB play in the UK championing UK family businesses.  We discuss trends, common challenges, Government policy and much more.  You can get in touch with Fiona or the IFB via  Twitter: @IFB_uk Phone - 020 7630 6250 Email -  info@ifb.org.uk