Women in Family Business

Episodes of tension between family members are normal and quite common in a family business. However, when stress reaches a certain level, it may be a sign that it’s time to move on. The decision to leave is loaded with emotional baggage, but creating a dialogue that is free of guilt can help ease this decision and its terms. Moving away from the family business does not necessarily imply a blunt...

Passion and ambition are inextricably intertwined. Passion, our internal drive, is the force that guides our ambition and leads us to meet our goals. These two components are essential for a thriving family business. However, family members must be able to find their own passions and ambitions not only in the business setting but also in their personal lives. The structure of family businesses is...

More women are graduating from business schools than ever before and yet, women are still vastly underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Why is this the case and what can be done to close the gap? Helping leaders reach their full potential is a focus area in Janice DiPietro’s work with clients as the Founder and CEO of Exceptional Leaders International (E.L.I), a Boston-based business con...

Rhonda Steger does not regret leaving a lucrative career in the insurance industry; becoming an entrepreneur has proven just as rewarding. Her leap off the beaten path started small when she opened her own compliance firm, but passion soon drew her even further afield, first to retail and then wholesale. Today, she leads Cobblestone Living, a women’s fashion and lifestyle brand that has turned int...

Every family business has a foundation of love and values passed on from generation to generation. However, love alone cannot resolve the issues that will inevitably arise from time to time. Family businesses also need to establish governance frameworks and a shared vision. Women can use their empathy and deep understanding of emotions to keep balance in the family during difficult transitions. In...

Starting a business for the first time presents a host of challenges, from securing capital to figuring out the marketing strategies that will best reach customers and prospective clients. For entrepreneurs, there are often the added hurdles of self-doubt and discouragement. Those hurdles can seem even higher when the entrepreneur is a woman. A strong support system can make a significant differen...

On International Women's Day, the WiFB Community reaches out to men and women everywhere with some inspirational messages on family business. Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash Music: My Home by Serge Narcissoff | https://soundcloud.com/sergenarcissoff Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3...

Introducing new technology into the family business is not an easy process but one that all businesses have to initiate sooner or later. With their strong empathy and communication skills, women have the ability to facilitate the process and lead the fourth Industrial Revolution. The key to an inclusive and smooth transition lies in developing expertise while asking the right questions on the soci...

Imbued with their family’s entrepreneurial spirit and experience, sisters MaríaCamila and Daniela García Caballero set out to innovate and expand the clothing options for expectant mothers and managed to challenge the status quo of the fashion industry in the process. María Camila is an economist and business administrator with an MBA from Duke University. Her younger sister Daniela works in publi...

When working in a family business, it’s not unusual to become absorbed in one’s role and push personal ambitions aside. Sometimes, this is simply due to the sense of belonging and the natural focus on the greater picture. However, if not addressed, it can lead to resentment and a feeling of being “stuck”. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss the i...

Finance is a delicate topic that can sometimes lead to emotionally charged discussions, especially within family businesses. Obtaining access to finance-related information and understanding the information provided are two aspects that can give rise to fears. However, financial literacy, transparency and a bit of planning can go a long way in dissipating these fears. In this episode of our WiFB C...

Defining the role of each family member within a family business is rarely a straightforward process. Identity evolves with time, and roles can be reverse-engineered and adapted based on the person’s skills, interests and, sometimes, the needs of the business. Understanding one’s own motives is a crucial first step towards defining every member’s role and identity. In this episode of our WiFB Conv...

The concept of coaching is continuously evolving to meet changing needs. Despite a growing offer, many businesses still find it hard to turn towards a coach to solve their problems. This is especially true for family businesses, where sharing concerns and problems with non-family members can be more challenging. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discus...

In an interview with Alison Gutterman, we discuss the unique situation of daughters working with and succeeding their fathers in the family business.

Conflict is an almost unavoidable part of every family business. If not tackled, unresolved conflict can escalate and damage relationships or even the whole company. But are conflicts always negative, or can they be analysed under a different lens to increase cohesion and take the business to the next level? In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss co...

In an interview with Ana Maria Matallana Boggio, we discuss the challenges of raising children as responsible heirs to the family business.

In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, we discuss the role of emotions in leadership positions and the importance of leading by example.

Best Upon Request is truly a family affair. Jessi Lima Bollin reports directly to her mother Tilly, who serves as the company’s CEO. She also works alongside her younger sister Natalie who works in the HR department. Recently Ramia El Agamy from the Women in Family Business podcast and Amy Katz from Daughters in Charge sat down with Jessi to discuss the opportunities and challenges found in workin...

In an interview with Holly Isdale, founder of Wealthaven, Ramia El Agamy and Amy Katz discuss the intricacies of selecting a family business advisor and the common pitfalls to avoid in this process.

In this episode, Amy Katz from Daughters in Charge and Ramia El Agamy from WIFB sat down with Sarah Grace Mohr to discuss her long and often turbulent journey in creating a successful mother-daughter family business.

In this episode of our WIFB Conversations, Amy Katz speaks to Farida F. El Agamy, General Manager of Tharawat Family Business Forum and Co-Founder of WIFB, and her sister Ramia Marielle El Agamy about what it's like to work together in the family business, how it changed their relationship, and why they would do it all over again.

In this episode of our WIFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy explore the role of Money in the pursuit of a career and recognition in the family business.

With her e-book Women in Family Business, Kim Harland explores the unique experience and perspectives from women who have navigated these often-times choppy waters. Recently WIFB had the opportunity to sit down with Kim to discuss the e-book’s origins, her findings, and whether or not women’s perspectives on the family business experience are similar regardless of culture.

In this episode, we spoke to with second-generation executive Chandni Vora, COO at Vascroft Contractors Ltd to discuss the early challenges of her family’s business and her experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

In this episode, we spoke with Argentinian entrepreneur Patricia Ortiz to discuss her early days in medicine, her transition into becoming a successful entrepreneur in the wine industry and the challenge of balancing career and family.