For decades, family businesses have been advised to “professionalize”—to adopt corporate structures, bring in outside leadership, and reduce the influence of family in decision-making. The assumption has been that family involvement introduces risk. But some of the most successful companies in the world challenge that thinking. Hermès, for example, has remained firmly family-controlled while building […]
I can’t stop myself from commenting on all these family run companies—which btw—are the cornerstone of every town, city, state and country in the world. Bar none. Family Business literally rule. Dale Earnhardt Sr. built one of the most iconic brands in NASCAR history. Then he died. And his widow took over (3rd wife). What […]
Two pilots lost their lives. Families were grieving. And the CEO’s response became the story. Not because of what he said — but HOW he said it. Michael Rousseau stepped down after backlash to a condolence message delivered almost entirely in English, in a country where language is identity, culture, and respect. Let’s be clear: […]
Calling GEORGE Magazine a “bust” is just wrong. I know—because I had a front row seat. At the time, I was running domestic digital editorial operations for Hachette Filipacchi Médias, including GEORGE. Let’s get the facts straight: • Launched in 1995 • Turned a profit in year one • Reached 400,000+ paid readers • Scaled […]
That’s the price tag on watching TV in the back office while your family business pays you to be mayor. Meet John Vassilaki — former mayor of Penticton, British Columbia, and newly minted poster child for why “he’s family, we’ll figure it out” is not a governance strategy. The B.C. Supreme Court just ordered him […]
And yet… the fourth generation can’t agree on what to do with it. Here’s a masterclass in how NOT to run a family business: 🔴 Step 1: Build something legendary (great job, Estée) 🔴 Step 2: Hand it to your kids (fine, still okay) 🔴 Step 3: Hand it to THEIR kids (getting spicy) 🔴 […]
What Timothée Chalamet’s town hall disaster teaches every business leader — including the ones who think they don’t care about any of this. There is a particular kind of reputation damage that does not arrive with warning. It does not come from a scandal, a lawsuit, or a product failure. It arrives in a single […]
Stop Blaming Gen Z. Look In the Mirror. Are these kids showing up to job interviews high? Genuinely asking — because I personally know CHROs who get calls from parents when their adult child gets feedback at work. As in, a grown person received constructive criticism from their employer and their mom picked up the […]
The New York Giants are worth $10.1 billion. The Tisch family has owned half of them since 1991. And it took an Epstein scandal to force a succession plan into motion. Let that sink in. This week, Steve Tisch — along with his siblings Jonathan and Laurie — formally requested the NFL’s approval to transfer […]
One branch of a family that built a Yonkers coffee roasting company together — from the ground up — is now asking a judge to force the whole thing closed. Why? The other branch allegedly placed a family member on the payroll who never worked there. Not a day. Not an hour. Possibly to inflate […]
Most founders cling to the CEO title like it’s the prize. It’s not. It’s a job. A very specific, often brutal job — and it has almost nothing to do with why most founders started building in the first place. Jay Graber just did something the startup world rarely celebrates: she looked in the mirror, […]
On paper it looks clean. The numbers are clean. Six and a half years. Profits up 150%. Membership at an all-time high. He even said it himself: “I’ve really accomplished what I wanted to accomplish here.” And he meant it. According to his own Billboard interview, there was 100% staff turnover during his tenure. A […]
Family businesses rarely fail because of numbers. They fail because of unresolved people dynamics. If you work inside a family business, you already know this—even if no one has ever said it out loud. The hardest moments don’t come from spreadsheets. They come from conversations that never quite happen, roles that are never clarified, and […]
Many different types of work cultures Family culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on hierarchy and orientation to the person. The result is a family-type environment that is power-oriented and headed by a leader who is regarded as a caring parent and one who knows what is best for the per- sonnel. Trompenaars found […]
Here’s a tip #102, when meeting with a Spanish speaker. Be able to introduce yourself, “Me (MEH) llamo (YA-MO) ______.” My name is _____. It sends a message that you care and took five seconds to learn out to speak their native tongue. “Nunca(Noon-Ka) sabes (SA-BAYS) quien (KI-EN) conoceras (Co-No-Sa-Ras)”. You never know who you’ll […]
Succession planning is the Achilles’ heel of most family businesses. Everyone knows it’s coming, but few know how to handle it without burning bridges. The Common Pitfalls Avoidance: no one wants to talk about Dad retiring. Favoritism: heirs are chosen based on relationships, not readiness. Sabotage: family members undercut each other to secure power. What […]
