It’s a tale as old as time and although it can be fairly given or unfairly given, the consensus is that using the term, the "idiot son", can be quite mean and created. This episode provides an in-depth look at the term, the “idiot son”, with many perspectives shared over the past seasons. Ted & Karen are certain that an atmosphere can be created through dependency with no consequences. Many insightful points are made and broken down including: The status of the “idiot son” The role that older generations play in the development When the tag of “idiot son” is assumed, what happens psycholo ..read more

Ted & Karen are joined by Jeffrey Wolf who’s had an up and down experience with family business throughout his life and he will be the first to tell you that he’s an anti-hero who was able to come back from a challenging time. Coming out of college, Jeff was directionless and eventually joined his father who ran a wholesale operation selling mens’ dress apparel. Ted and Karen gain insight on how Jeff started out in the business and what it was like to see everything from the ground up. Time and time again, Jeff shares how grateful he was and at the same time shares his father wasn’t the ty ..read more

Creating a family business and a legacy is at the heart of this story which is why Bigelow Tea, a 3rd generational company gets better every year. It all started in a kitchen in a New York City brownstone where Ruth Campbell Bigelow was inspired from an early Colonial recipe. Ruth saw a need and was able to capitalise on it. Needless to say, Ruth and her husband David experienced many hardships early on that would have stopped most people. Cindi Bigelow, President and CEO,  joins Karen and Ted for a conversation that helps listeners understand the inner workings of a family business over ..read more

With over 100 years of skill handed down from 1st Generation to 5th Generation, Omaha Steaks, the family business discussed in this episode, has been opportunistic at every corner. Speaking with Todd who is currently the Chairman & CEO, you quickly realise why this family business has been in operation for so long. Getting into the logistics, Ted shares how difficult it can be for family members to stay in their own lane and how tough it can be to keep the business within the family for so long. Although it’s a family business and typically it’s important for family members to continue the ..read more

This episode is all about a family business that’s looking on the brighter side. A family that has been creating high-quality, sustainably-minded, feel-good clothing, accessories and much more with the commitment to change the status quo through the lessening of environmental harm. Faherty Brand, CEO Alex and CIO Kerry (who are also married with two kids) join Ted & Karen for a very insightful episode that dives deep into running a 1st generation family business. It is quite clear from the beginning that the time and effort Alex and Kerry have put in, ensures that both their business and f ..read more

Double dynasty Mitzi Perdue joins Karen & Ted for a very insightful, value driven conversation around her experience growing up with a family business then later marrying Frank Perdue who was also a part of a family business. Looking at the origin of her own family business, Mitzi goes in-depth on how the business came to life and the mindset of her father who did a fantastic job at believing in people while supporting them to be their best selves. Ted shows fascination with the dynamics of Mitzi’s family business and how it was very forward thinking. Karen dives deeper into the logistics ..read more

From passionate roots to torn up backyards, the Fivefork Farms is a family business that started out with 2 siblings, Grace and Lee, who join Karen & Ted in order to share their inspirational story. Grace starts out by sharing how their growing genes came from their mom, Helen, who had a mammoth garden that had dazzling Dahlias which Grace found out quickly about as her soccer balls kept breaking them. It was her mom’s garden that helped Grace realise from a young age that she loved gardening while Lee found out quickly that weeding wasn’t actually a game and most certainly wasn’t fun.&nbs ..read more

This week’s episode is a special one! We interview Karen’s Dad Tony Russo. It’s the first time we are interviewing our own family members for our family business podcast. Tony is the owner and operator of A. Russo & Sons , the 100 year old fruit and vegetable company based in Watertown, Massachusetts. He has worked in the business for more than 70 years and he shares some of his earliest memories of working on the farm alongside his grandparents and father. Thanks Dad for answering our questions ..read more

We loved interviewing the Nuts.com family! They have nearly 100 years of history and stories from when their “Poppy Sol” launched the Newark Nut Company. The company proudly sold roasted nuts, which were a huge hit in the community. Eventually, brothers, Kenny and Sandy took over the business. Several years ago, they decided to let the third and current generation run the company - and this is the story of how that happened. It’s confusing, so here’s a cheat sheet…  Jeffrey Braverman (3rd-generation) Chief Nut - Nuts.com David Braverman (third-Generation), General Manager, Nuts.com ..read more

Richard J Bryan is now a family business succession planning expert. He learned the lessons he now shares in his books when he took over his family's 100 year old car dealership at a young age when his father became ill.   It's a story of ego, emotion and a reminder that we all, "need A Frank in our lives".   ..read more