The big question that many people ask themselves when they start thinking about retirement or family business succession is “What do I want to do with my life next?” The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for everyone. Some people know exactly what they want to do and some might not have a clue. Either way, it’s important to go back to the basics of what you truly value in life and figure out how that can impact your future. For folks in a family business facing succession, this has a significant impact on the whole family. Depending on your history, you might be an experienced entrepreneur or business owner like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg and want to continue …

This is the first Father’s Day I will not be able to call my Dad and wish him a Happy Father’s Day. He passed away 9 months ago at the age of 75. For those of you who have lost a parent, you also feel the void. There is an emptiness in your life, a new permanent “normal. ” No more calling to catch up, pointing out something we both would think is comical, or just reminiscing. The passing of both my father and Jolie’s last year, as well as COVID, provided some additional fuel for me to make changes in my life and business. Death will do that to you. Death is a reminder, you are mortal. Life is …

    LISTEN ON iTUNES LISTEN ON SPOTIFY   One of the biggest challenges of navigating family succession is the fear of impacting the family negatively . I’ve seen in my work with clients that at the heart of it all, the family loves one another and wants what’s best for each other. As we look at what everyone wants individually and collectively, the leaders in the family may worry about creating strife between family members or making decisions they will later regret.  Not to mention, there is not a family without some level of dysfunction and communication challenges. Tim Spang has run his company for over 40 years. Tim started with his wife and later integrated his son and …

The rules of how people operate around the pandemic have shifted abruptly. Much of the US and Europe are opening up and coming out of hibernation. With all these long awaited changes comes a higher degree of certainty in order to act and make decisions. And massive shifts are happening… Many business owners I have been speaking with are ready to make key decisions to drive transitions in their personal lives and their businesses. They are driven by some major epiphanies many people had over the pandemic. Some of these include: My life is short and WILL end. Every day I have is a gift. My life prior to the pandemic was not as balanced or fulfilled as I believed it was. …

From Wall Street to Running the Family Business Listen to the full episode of “From Wall Street to Running the Family Business” with special guest Ken Natori. iTunes Spotify My guest in this episode of The Secret Thoughts of CEOs is Ken Natori, president of the Natori Company. I met Ken several years ago at a conference where we were both speaking. I immediately liked his vibe and started following him on social media. Ken’s mother founded the business in 1977. Ken was raised as an only child by a trailblazing mother and father. He talks about the story of pursuing his own path before joining the family business to now working today at his mother’s side. We talk about …