Mixing Family and Business

Navigating the Best and Worst Advice We Ever Got

Brian Hahn

Published on: 02/12/2025

In this episode, I sat down with Shirley, Kim, and Tom to peel back the layers of our early school days and the ways advice, good and bad, has shaped our lives and businesses. From cramped school buses in rural Iowa to the kitchen tables where pivotal business decisions were made, these stories highlight just how much our upbringing informs our approach to problem-solving and dealing with uncertainty. Here, I’ll dig deeper into those themes, sharing some personal reflections and expanding on approaches to seeking (and filtering) advice that have worked for me.

Mixing Family and Business

Lessons from the Trenches: Real Advice for Mixing Family and Business

Brian Hahn

Published on: 25/11/2025

On episode 66 of the “Mixing Family and Business” podcast, I sat down with Tom, Kim, and Shirley to reflect on what we’ve learned from running businesses as a family, often more than one at a time. From the bold decisions of our younger days to the hard-won insights gained through mistakes, we pulled back the curtain on our own journeys. Here, I share a deeper dive into our conversation, focusing on what we’d tell our younger selves, smart investing, dealing with setbacks, and how to decide when to take the plunge.

Mixing Family and Business

Lessons from the Family Table: How Communication, Competition, and Curiosity Shape Our Family Businesses

Brian Hahn

Published on: 18/11/2025

Every family business faces crossroads, moments where honesty, adaptability, and teamwork are put to the test. In this blog, I break down the most impactful lessons we’ve learned about communication, learning from competitors, and staying curious. Our stories come straight from the heart of our multi-generational team, and I hope they spark ideas (and reassurance) for fellow business owners navigating their own journeys.

Mixing Family and Business

The Evolution of Money: How Business Payments Changed Our Family Forever

Brian Hahn

Published on: 11/11/2025

From Charge Accounts to Credit Cards - Our Journey Through Decades of Payment Evolution in Family Business On this episode of "Mixing Family and Business Podcast," I took a deep dive with Kim, Tom, and Shirley into the changing world of payment processing-how money moves, the headaches and joys of handling cash, checks, and cards, and what it means for families who run businesses together. Growing up immersed in grocery stores and Dairy Queens, we’ve witnessed firsthand the shift from handwritten ledgers and door-to-door collections to the tap-and-go digital world. In this post, I’ll expand on our conversation, exploring the real costs, unexpected stories, and lessons learned as payment methods evolved over the decades.

Mixing Family and Business