A family business is often like a soup made by too many cooks. Each generation adds their own spice—some more salt, others more tradition. The result? Sometimes delicious, sometimes confusing, but always uniquely flavored.
One of my favorite metaphors for family firms is the "family tree growing in a boardroom". The roots are deep—values, history, legacy—but the branches often tangle when too many relatives try to grow in different directions at once.
There’s a classic cartoon I once saw: a father at a family business desk says to his son, “One day, all of this will be yours… along with your uncles, their opinions, and the warehouse full of unresolved conflict.” It captures the double-edged sword of inheritance—opportunity mixed with complexity.
We tend to romanticize family businesses for their loyalty and long-term vision, yet overlook how personal relationships blur lines of professionalism. One provocation might be: can you really fire your cousin for underperformance? Or do you just promote them sideways?
An invocation worth remembering is this: family firms are not just about profits—they are about preserving identity across generations. And perhaps the most powerful revocation is letting go of outdated practices just because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
Ultimately, family businesses are living stories—filled with legacy, laughter, and a lot of learning. They are part business, part family reunion, and part improv theatre—where everyone has a role, but not always a script.