Featured

October 20, 2026

When a Family Member’s Personal Life Affects Your Business

October 20, 2026

When a family member’s personal life starts affecting your business, covering for them is the right call. The problem is there’s no timeframe around it. No structure. No plan both of you agreed to. Here’s how to fix that.

October 20, 2026

October 19, 2026

When You Have to Demote a Family Member in Your Business

October 19, 2026

When you have to demote a family member, the title isn’t the problem — the silence around it is. Every week the role stays mismatched, the business pays for it and every non-family employee in the building adjusts their expectations down. The demotion isn’t the conversation that breaks things. It’s the one that stops the damage from compounding.

October 19, 2026

September 29, 2026

When a Family Member Is Mistreating Your Employees

September 29, 2026

When a family member mistreats employees and ownership says nothing, the business doesn't stay the same — it reorganizes around the absence. Here's what that silence is actually costing you.

September 29, 2026

Jillian Smith M.A. 8/25/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 8/25/26

When a Family Member Steals From Your Business

A family member is stealing from your business. You know what happened. You know what needs to happen. Here's why you haven't moved yet — and exactly what comes next.

Jillian Smith M.A. 8/5/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 8/5/26

When Your Sibling Is Taking Money Out of the Family Business

Your sibling is taking money out of the business through draws and trips running through as business expenses. You've said something. Nothing changed. That's not a communication problem. It's a structural one — and only an attorney can fix it.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/29/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/29/26

When Siblings Won't Decide Who Runs the Family Business

Two siblings. Equal ownership. Nobody leading. When siblings won't decide who runs the family business, the business pays for it every single week — in stalled decisions, vendors who work the split, and non-family employees who've already picked a side.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/28/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/28/26

When a Sibling Stops Pulling Their Weight in the Family Business

When a sibling stops pulling their weight in a family business, the person picking up the slack rarely says anything directly. Not because they don't see it — but because every conversation they've had about it changed nothing. Here's why that happens and what actually fixes it.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/25/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/25/26

When Sibling Rivalry Is Running Your Family Business

Sibling rivalry in a family business doesn't mean one person is failing. It means two capable people competing for position inside a structure that never defined who owns what. Here's why every decision runs through the contest first — and what actually stops it.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/17/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/17/26

In-Laws in a Family Business: When It Starts Causing Problems

When an in-law starts calling shots in a family business, the business pays for it. Not because the in-law is difficult — because the owner stopped running things like the owner. Here's what that costs and what actually changes it.

Jillian Smith M.A. 11/5/25 Jillian Smith M.A. 11/5/25

Is a Business Coach Worth It for a Family-Run Business?

You run your family at home. You run your business at the business. Except nobody told your family that. Here's what actually changes when a business coach steps in — and why nobody who's tried it has walked away.