For some, family businesses mean spending more quality time with their families, financial freedom and so much more while for others it feels like a prison sentence. There are so many pros and cons, positives and negatives and so we wanted to create a space for folks who have experiences with family businesses to discuss the pros and cons.

Beto Rodarte

My wife and I actually met in the restaurant industry as servers. So, when I decided to become a chef, passion for the restaurant business something we shared. As our kids grew, because they were home schooled and had a flexible schedule, they enjoyed coming to work to see dad at the Corporate Test Kitchen and watch him cook and create. Growing up in the restaurant business and playing with food and trying new flavors and textures and ingredients was second nature to them. Nevertheless, I never pushed them to follow in my footsteps. I always insisted they follow their own passions and not to worry about the money. Read more>>

Katrina Oprisko

I’m happy that we created a family business for our children. We were able to provide our young daughter and her friends with their first jobs. For me personally, I like to walk into a business and see every generation working together. Family businesses are integral for a stronger community. Read more>>

Heidi Allison

When I started Sugar Bee Sweets it was just me and my Mom with my husband, Dad and Stepdad in extremely important supporting roles. I could not have done any of this without all of their help and support. They were so extremely crucial to this business that when my Dad died in 2012 and then my Stepdad in 2014 I thought I could no longer do this without them. Honestly, I didn’t want to do this without them. I wanted to give up, sell, close, something.  But I didn’t. My mom and I decided to stick it out and see if we could make something that they would be proud of. Read more>>

Kevin Hoy

Smart Apron is a Veteran Owned and Family Managed business, so we pride ourselves in the fact as working side by side, father and son, we can accomplish anything. As the original inventor of the Smart Apron, I have learned more than I can remember in terms of building the business. Therefore, I’m able to transfer lessons learned to my son, Kieran, Director of Marketing, so he can gain important skills to assist him in succeeding in business and life in general. With that being said, my son has taught me new skills along our journey, which has made us a strong and formidable team. Read more>>

Kelly Teves

When I started my business, the intentions of making it a family business were far from my mind. I opened my business 3000 miles away from where I grew up. The sun-soaked California vibes were calling my name, and begged to be called mine and my company’s home. The possibility of returning back to the East Coast wasn’t even a thought. My business started small, and I hired colleagues and friends as my company grew. In time, my work began to be published which opened doorways some place familiar. You guessed it….back on the East Coast! Read more>>

Rodolfo Lobera

The vast majority of the industry in our country is classified as a small business, without much hesitation, the vast majority correspond to businesses managed by a family nucleus. That means, dad, mom working together in some trade or business which represents the main source of income for the family. The difference between success and failure will lie in the couple’s ability to adapt to changes, understanding that as business couples there are differences that have to be managed differently not involving personal feelings, a family business must learn to delegate and to invite outside specialists or professionals to the organization. Read more>>

Kelley Irwin

As owners of our own family business, we have a lot of thoughts on this! Family-owned and small businesses have long been an integral part of the American economy and of the so-called “American Dream”. My grandfather started a small air-conditioning business in Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1960s. He grew up in an incredibly poor family and saw a lot of hard times as a child. At one point his entire family lived in an abandoned candy factory! He was determined to provide a better life for his family and took a leap of faith to start his own company when my mom and uncle were young. Read more>>

Ryan Powell

Eat Clean Phx is a 100% family owned and operated business. We have two amazing boys named Grayson and Grant that love being a part of it. They are too young to cook but every time they get a chance to come in and help dad they are so happy. For me, showing them the importance of hard work and giving back to the community is priceless. Every time we donate meals to first responders, food banks or essential workers I make sure to bring them with so they can see why it’s important. Read more>>

Tatiana Seijas

Our story started in 1984 when Nery – a mother of the bride on a budget – did the flowers for her first daughter’s wedding in Westchester, Miami. Talk about DIY, huh? The guests liked the wedding flowers so much, that they started recommending Nery for other events. Long story short, today we are a family business – 3 generations of women and one lucky guy – who love what we do. Read more>>

Meetrah Amini – Ohlen

I’ve had the unique experience of working with my family for most of my life. I’ve worked with my mom and also my husband. I started working weddings with my mom when I was 17 years old. I started out just assisting then progressed into taking on clients of my own. With my husband, he flips houses and I’ve listed them for him over the past 3 years. I realize that family businesses aren’t for every family. For me, it’s proven to be a beautiful blessing. I get to work with people who I love, enjoy spending time with and trust. All businesses have tough scenarios to overcome – I’d rather tackle those obstacles with someone who I know has my best interests at heart. Read more>>

Rod Sweis

They say you shouldn’t work with friends and family. People tend to act differently when with friends and family than they do with strangers. So I suppose the problem with working family is that they just tell you like it is. The fact that you’re all invested in this together means you all have a personal stake in the success or failure of the business. The problem with working with family is we’re all so stubborn and we all have our own ideas on business affairs. So we argue and ultimately end up just trying them all. Read more>>

Isabelle Guarino-Smith

They always say, ‘don’t work with friends and family’, but who does that leave enemies and strangers?! I love working in a family business and I constantly seek to hire friends and family. The trust is already built in and you know the way they operate so it makes the ‘getting to know you’ phase so much faster and easier, you are only learning nuisances instead of starting from ground zero. My father started our company and one of his first hires was…me! This set the tone and started our family business and foundation in the right way. Read more>>

Brooklyn Hayes-Yelin

I have so much respect for family businesses. It is not for the faint of heart though, that’s for sure! For my husband and I, we quickly realized how great of a team we made and how we complimented the other’s strengths and weaknesses. It was a defining moment in our marriage for sure and we grew a lot as a couple in our early days of this business. That being said, it’s really hard to be able to turn off work mode and turn on family mode. The lines between family time and work time are often blurred and truly never turn off. Read more>>