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August 13, 2026

When You Hired the Wrong Family Member and Can't Admit It

August 13, 2026

You hired them. That was your call. And every week you don't say anything, the business pays for a decision you already know was wrong. Here's what it's actually costing you — and what to do about it.

August 13, 2026

When You Fire a Family Member, and Everyone Takes Sides

August 13, 2026

You fired a family member. You did it right. And now the family has split and the business is still running underneath all of it. This is what firing a family member in a family business actually looks like — and what to do about what comes after.

August 13, 2026

August 5, 2026

When Your Sibling Won't Make a Decision in the Business

August 5, 2026

When your sibling won't commit to decisions, the business doesn't stall once — it stalls on repeat. Every hire, every price increase, every product that needed two owners and only got one. Here's what that's actually costing you.

August 5, 2026

Jillian Smith M.A. 7/1/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 7/1/26

Next Generation Wants to Run the Family Business Differently

You have the title. The business is still running the previous generation's way. Here's why every change you try to make turns into a fight — and what actually moves it forward.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/30/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/30/26

When Succession Waits Too Long to Matter

Family business succession planning doesn't get taken seriously until something forces it. This breaks down why owners keep delaying, what it's quietly costing the business's value, and the one move that shows whether a successor is actually ready.

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

When You Take Over but Can't Actually Run the Business

Getting the title doesn't mean getting the authority. In most family business successions, the real power structure doesn't move — and everyone in the building knows it except the person with the new title.

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

No Succession Plan When a Health Event Hits

When a health event hits and no succession plan exists, the business doesn't pause. There's no documented authority, no clear decision rights, and no one whose name is legally attached to the decisions that have to get made right now. Here is how to stabilize the business until you can think clearly enough to fix it properly.

Jillian Smith M.A. 6/22/26 Jillian Smith M.A. 6/22/26

Choosing A Successor In A Family Business

You already know who should run this business. You've known for a while. What choosing a successor in a family business actually costs you — and why the decision keeps not getting made.