Family Business Director

December 3, 2025 Planning & Strategy

100 Pounds of Popcorn and the Lessons of Family Enterprise

Hazel Krantz’s “100 Pounds of Popcorn” may be a children’s book, but it offers a surprisingly sharp lens on family business dynamics. When three children discover an unexpected windfall, they confront the same challenges real enterprises face: recognizing opportunities, making intentional decisions, managing costs, and navigating differing shareholder priorities. The story is a reminder that clarity, discipline, and alignment matter far more than size or sophistication. Sometimes the best business lessons come from the simplest places.

November 26, 2025 Current Events Planning & Strategy

The Long Run: Gratitude, Trust, and Legacy in Family Business

Thanksgiving traditions like Nashville’s Boulevard Bolt offer a powerful reminder for family business leaders: meaningful progress is always a shared effort. The same sense of community, gratitude, and trust that makes these events successful also strengthens the long-term value of a family enterprise. When leaders acknowledge contributors, foster healthy governance, and build trust across generations, they reinforce the very qualities that drive stability and resilience. This holiday season is an ideal time to reflect on those connections and invest in what truly sustains a family business.

November 19, 2025 Dividend Policy Planning & Strategy

Dividends as Dialogue

Using Policy to Communicate & Align Across Generations

Dividends are about more than distributing profits. They are about distributing confidence that the business is healthy, that management is accountable, and that the true meaning of the family business is being honored.

November 11, 2025 Capital Budgeting

Capital Budgeting in 5 Minutes

We released our newest booklet, “Capital Budgeting in 30 Minutes,” a few weeks ago. The purpose of this booklet is to assist family business directors in evaluating proposed capital projects and contributing to capital budgeting decisions that enhance the value of their businesses. Capital budgeting can’t be avoided — the only question is whether your family business has a consistent and disciplined process for evaluating potential investments or instead makes significant capital commitments in a more haphazard way. The capital budgeting guide provides practical insights to help directors make informed, disciplined investment decisions that align with the company’s long-term goals. Get your copy and learn more about capital budgeting in this week’s post.

November 4, 2025 Planning & Strategy

Insights from Brown Brothers Harriman’s 2025 Private Business Owner Survey

Brown Brothers Harriman’s third annual Private Business Owner Survey offers insights from nearly 500 owners of family and privately held companies. The report provides a revealing look at how these owners approach succession, growth, and shareholder returns. For family business directors, the findings serve as a valuable opportunity to reflect on the governance, planning, and alignment practices that sustain long-term continuity and success.

October 28, 2025 Capital Budgeting

Capital Budgeting in 30 Minutes

A Guide for Family Business Directors and Shareholders

Capital budgeting decisions are among the most important choices a family business board will make. Capital Budgeting in 30 Minutes helps directors understand how to evaluate proposed investments using tools like net present value and internal rate of return—while also considering strategic fit and non-financial constraints. This guide equips family business leaders to make disciplined, informed capital allocation decisions that enhance long-term value.

October 21, 2025 Planning & Strategy

When Family Mission Meets Family Business

Aligning Purpose and Prosperity

When families articulate a shared mission, they define what truly matters. But in family enterprises, that mission must align with what the business means economically to the family. Whether the business is built for growth, preservation, liquidity, or lifestyle, clarity about its financial role ensures that purpose and prosperity move forward together.

October 13, 2025 Planning & Strategy Special Topics

5 Things to Know About Selling Your Business to Private Equity

We recently read a fantastic post on the Altair Advisers’ blog, “Words on Wealth,” by Jason M. Laurie, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer. The post addresses five things that founders wish someone had told them before selling their businesses to private equity firms. We thank Jason for allowing us to share the post with our readers.

October 7, 2025 Planning & Strategy Valuation

Navigating the Sale of Your Family Business

Lessons from the Auction Block

Selling a family business is both emotional and strategic—much like auctioning a rare treasure. Inspired by Phyllis Kao’s insights at a recent event with Diversified Trust and Sotheby’s, this piece applies four auction principles—provenance, presentation, timing, and the auctioneer—to the sale process. By telling your business’s story, presenting it effectively, and acting at the right market moment with trusted advisors, families can maximize value while honoring their legacy.

September 30, 2025 Planning & Strategy

Beyond the Balance Sheet: Four Strategic Questions for Family Business Directors

If the income statement is a movie that records how your family business performed during a particular period, the balance sheet is a snapshot that records what your family business looked like at a particular date. The balance sheet answers two core questions: “What are the assets our family business owns?” and “How has our family business paid for those assets?”
We’ll flesh out the first question in this week’s post, and turn our attention to the second question in a subsequent post.