I said it before, family business is hard. The challenge is that the family dynamic out of the office follows you into the office. Generational challenges are hard without being relatives! You have to take it all in stride and remember who you are, family.
I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said something to the effect of – I can say bad things about my family, I will break your jaw if you say anything about my family. I do get that. I fight with family, but at the end of it all, they are family and no matter what we have between us, if you attack my family you are attacking me.
If you follow me, you know I am in a the family business. It has its struggles. But the thing is, you struggle longer and fight harder because you know more than money is at stake. If you care about legacy, you care about your family, you care about each other… you do what you have to do to get to a better place.
I got challenged for posting things like this. When I was down and didn’t know how to survive the family business, a post by somebody going thru the same thing gave me hope. They gave me a different perspective that got me thru. The person’s honesty resonated and made their words more valid for me to absorb. Some people may not like that I am saying the things I am, but the intention is to pass on the favor afforded to me.
Here is the thing. My family business is not unlike any other. We struggle but we have the same end goal in mind. We fight over process and priorities like every different generation does with the added stress of family. It is what it is. If you know that you have the right things to add, be persistent. Have the audacity to say what has to be said but be humble enough to listen so you don’t lose the opportunity in front of you. I am really good at audacity, humble is hard, real hard – but I am trying because I love my family.
Remember who you do what you do this for. You love your family, your family business is never going to just be numbers, it is one’s passion and love being handed down to you to be the caretaker of something viewed very passionately by the people who came before you.
Nobody said it was going to be easy but your family legacy does matter. Do what you have to do by being persistent, patient, and with love in your heart.
Brian Wright