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.

Nicole Stevens

I’ve personally built my entire business around family. My 10 year son, Joesepi, is a huge part of Dipped Chocolate Creations. He attends every event with me, assists tremendously with setting up our event spaces, and stocks stores with me. He now has his food handlers card, so he dips many of the pretzels we sell, and being perfectly honest, he’s a far better salesperson than I am! When we’re out and about, it isn’t uncommon for him to have a pocketful of our business cards to hand out. My parents have been, and continue to be a great help as well. They help me with making my labels and putting them on candy boxes. They also have helped in a huge way by purchasing my candy refrigerators for me. They even place orders of their own, and insist on paying for them. They have continued to offer their support every step of the way. Read more>>

Julia Bringolf

Those who chose to work within a family business is a special breed of people. Family dinners become something a little different. I have always approached it as a commitment. I am committing to the legacy of this business that has been run and operated by the generation before me. It’s a commitment I don’t take lightly and would never expect my children to make unless they feel the same drive and passion as I do for the business. I expect my children to work in the business, but more on a level of first job to learn the disciplines you would at any job. Taking a leadership role in the organization is on a different level though, they should not have the role simply because they are one of my children. They should love the work, desire to do it, and have an aptitude for it. Read more>>

Mercedes Joyner

My journey has always been rooted in the world of family business, a vibrant tapestry woven with unwavering dedication and relentless entrepreneurial spirit. Born into a lineage of determined visionaries, I witnessed my father’s remarkable prowess in shaping thriving clothing enterprises within the fashion industry from an early age. My very first words were, ‘How are you making that?’ as I watched him perfecting a garment, setting the stage for a lifelong fascination with creation. Read more>>

Marissa Middleton

I started baking when I was in the 5th grade. It was always something that I had a passion for. Since then I have been working on my craft at home and for fun while gaining 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Since my family and I took over Simply Frosted in May of 2020 we have broken in the Wedding side of the bakery industry. In 2022 we successfully completed 107 weddings and for 2023 we have already booked 101 weddings! Its has been very challenging but so rewarding. We do our fair share of birthday, anniversary, and special occasion custom orders, but we have really found a love of weddings. Being a small local family owned business we feel like we can provide a more personal experience of any custom order or wedding. I personally meet with every order for quotes all the way through pick up or delivery of the order. Read more>>

Delilah Jenkins

I have extensive experience with family businesses, owning and managing two myself. One is a restaurant, S&A Seafood, which my family and I are currently transitioning into a food truck for greater flexibility. The other is a medical spa in Atlanta, GA, called SkinEthics, which I also co-own with members of my family. Both businesses involve working closely with family members, including spouses, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends. Read more>>

Morgen Howells

My husband, Chris, and I started this business together almost 10 years ago inspired by family and our desire to have more control over the time we have to spend with our kids. Although it is true that we control our schedule and the work we choose to do, we very soon realized that owning your own business takes a LOT of personal time! And working full time with your spouse can be the most rewarding and also the most challenging thing! However, the heart of this business and what we set out to do (create happiness, cultivate kindness) is the driving force that always grounds us at times when we feel like we losing it! Ultimately starting our family business has been the best decision. Our family has grown closer and our company continues to grow and be successful. We are very, very grateful. Read more>>

Alessandro Restelli

We created the idea of Ecco un Poco when we decided that we wanted to get married and start a new family, we used to have a long distance relationship so having something that was a little bit of both of us and that helped us stay together was incredibly motivating. We moved from Italy to Los Angeles to open our gelato shop, leaving family and friends behind, just the two of us, and although challenging we’re really happy with what we’ve created here. We’ve met so many incredible people that have opened their arms to us, and having our Gelateria on Third Street in this little pocket from Beverly Grove, it’s like being in a small town where everybody knows everybody and that’s exactly the feeling we wanted to preserve. Read more>>

Nicholas Evanko

By the nature of photography and videography, our business is well suited to be run as a family unit. MindOverMedia Studios first began as one person and a camera. Since then, myself and my girlfriend Jada have formed a partnership which extends from the business to our personal life. Both photo and video services are greatly impacted by the amount of people helping; the more we have helping, the more we can accomplish for our artistic vision. Our business is also highly affected by our family life and children involved. It is a way we can teach dedication, passion, and real world lessons to our kids. Read more>>

Gabriella Rochin

Running a family business has been a generational endeavor beginning with my great grandfather, who owned a grocery store in new Jersey, during a time where family businesses were the norm. Cut to today, we are starting to harken back to that concept. Our family owns and operates a local grocery shop, The Canal Market, carrying on the tradition of our great grandparents. Read more>>