Rolling With the Punches—How Family Business Taught Us to Adapt (And Why That’s Awesome
How We’re Different (and Not So Different) From Our Parents
I loved hearing everyone’s stories about growing up and how things have changed (or stayed the same) from one generation to the next. Shirley admitted she’s way more lenient with her kids than her parents were—back then, the siblings were in charge as much as mom or dad! Tom talked about how his family basically put down roots and never left home—until his generation, when suddenly moving to a new state wasn’t such a wild idea. As for Kim and me, we realized we’d never worked for anyone but family or ourselves.
It’s wild how things shift—our parents’ worlds were smaller and more rigid, but we ended up chasing new challenges and making our own rules. If anything, being different is what made our family business work.
Jumping In—and Figuring It Out As You Go
One thing’s for sure: if you’re part of a family business, you’ll end up doing whatever needs doing. That means wearing a lot of hats—sometimes all at the same time. Kim had a great story about thinking she was just going to help out with advertising, then suddenly she was in charge (and completely lost in a room of strangers). Tom had to go from grocer to Dairy Queen boss with no warning. Shirley moved to a totally new town, figuring out who’s who as the new kid in the neighborhood. I still remember the day I was supposed to run the store…and ended up as the meat cutter when our guy got hurt. Suddenly you’re not just the manager—you’re everything and anything.
So, what helps when you get thrown in the deep end? For Kim, it was finding people who’d help, even if it was just to show her where to go next. Shirley and Tom said making connections—neighbors, coworkers, anyone who’d say hello—made all the difference. My takeaway? Don’t be afraid to admit you have no idea what you’re doing. Someone’s always there to help (and teach you a trick or two).
Why Being Flexible Is the Family Business Secret Weapon
If there’s one theme that kept coming up, it’s this: you’ve gotta stay flexible. In a corporate job, you do one thing and do it forever—but in a family business, you get to try it all. Honestly, it’s what helps people grow. Kim said it best: if you only do one thing, you get stagnant. Shirley told new hires to expect the unexpected, and you’ll never get bored. We’ve seen plenty of people get stuck just because they didn’t want to try anything new—and most of them regretted it later.
Tips To Keep It Fresh—and Keep Growing
Decades of rolling with life’s punches taught us a few things, so here are some tips we swear by (and hope you will too):
Keep a young mindset: Stay curious, even if your knees don’t agree.
Stay open: The best ideas come from everywhere—other industries, customers, or just chatting at the local coffee shop.
Get out there: Finding your crew makes new roles a whole lot easier.
Cross-train: The more you can do, the more valuable (and confident) you become.
Say yes to change: The scariest shifts often lead to the best adventures.
We might slow down a bit as the years roll on, but keeping busy and staying involved has made life sweeter.
Every time we took on something new—whether we were ready or not—it made us better, closer, and maybe even a little braver. If you’re part of a family business (or just trying to juggle work and life), my best advice is simple: embrace the mess. That’s where the good stuff happens.
We’d love to hear your story! How did flexibility pay off for you, or what’s the wildest last-minute role you’ve ever taken on? Drop your thoughts or questions below, or shoot me a note at [email protected]. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast—there’s more fun (and more lessons) coming every week!
Stay flexible—and keep mixing it up!
