Sometimes, actions speak louder than words, but in business, communication is the key to defining strategy, unifying stakeholders and establishing objectives. Some of the most successful family business leaders and entrepreneurs can distil their core values and visionary approaches in a way that sparks imagination in their organisations and beyond. As we navigate a period of unprecedented change, words of guidance, wisdom, and passion have never been more vital.
Here are 20 Inspiring Quotes from Family Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs.
“A new reality is being written as we speak. We’re never going to go back to how the world was before the pandemic, and frankly, I think it’s a time of innovation, expansion and opportunity.”
— Kirby Rosplock, Founder of Tamarind Partners and Tamarind Learning
“A family business is a never-ending journey, one that is continually evolving. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on something, things change, and you have to adapt quickly and efficiently.”
— Genette Gregson, CEO, All States Trailer Spares
“I don’t see how any manager can be successful if they’re completely unaware of what’s going on in their employees’ lives. How can you possibly manage them if you don’t understand them?”
— Cecily McGuckin, CEO, Queensland Steel and Sheet
“Technology allows us to meet importers from anywhere in the world through video calling; similarly, people can visit our factory virtually. I see this as the great equaliser between SMEs and large enterprises.”
“If you’re going to establish a system aimed at spanning generations, you have to be willing to evolve.”
Ennio Mercuri, Managing Director, Ennio International
“Customers now are much more aware of who they’re buying from and want to buy from businesses that care about their products and their customers.”
— Deborah Sparks, Co-Founder, Sparks & Daughters
“When the next downturn happens, if your mindset is too conservative, you’ll lose market share. For a small company, market share is more important than making cash.”
— Viviana Jaramillo, Co-owner, Sol de Minca
“Whenever I can, I will use our status as a family business to differentiate us from the competition. My go-to sentence is, ‘We are a family business run by mother and daughter.’ People seem to respond well to that.”
— Lenka Dvorakova, Founder, Supreme Prague
“We’re not adapting to the pandemic as much as we’re adapting to the needs of our customers.”
— Janice Jucker, Owner, Three Brothers Bakery
“As a second, third or fourth generation owner, you can look at your company and family history and examine what you’ve done to stay relevant.”
“In unprecedented times such as these, rethinking or reinventing your business becomes an important crisis management strategy that can reveal opportunities.”
— Alejandro Díaz Carlo, Owner, Carabali Rainforest Park
“I believe the key to maintaining the continuity of any line of work is to not get caught up in things like salary and status. When you are part of an extraordinary occupation, you become absorbed in it. Your entire family forges ahead in a common quest to deliver a superior product to your customers.”
— Armando Marinelli, Owner, Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli
“There’s a stigma associated with taking personal time to heal […] In saying no, we are putting our health and happiness above the societal value of ‘working hard’. It takes diligence to form these new habits, but they are a necessity.”
— Ellie Frey Zagel, Founder, President, Successful Generations
“Longevity means making an effort day after day, and the accumulation of that effort becomes longevity, which will eventually become tradition.”
— Houshi Zengoro, Owner, Houshi Ryokan
“Having healthy boundaries is key to any successful team. We decided early on that, if we couldn’t leave our work issues at the office, I would change my career. It was simply not worth the risk of jeopardising our family stability.”
— Chris Bosley, General Manager, Sales, Amorini
“If I insisted that my son or daughter join the family business, both would probably do the exact opposite. I’ll absolutely follow my father’s lead with regards to the next generation and hope that it works with my children in the same way as it did with me.”
— Melinda Rossiter, Business Development Manager, Rossi Boots
“Whenever we talk about the future, we look at it in terms of generations rather than quarters.”
— Michael van der Post, Compaxo
“Instilling in the next generation the family values and a sense of collective pride in the mission of the business is fundamental to future engagement.”
— Omar Al Handal, Managing Director at Al Handal International Group
“I believe it’s important to stay connected to the world while also remaining connected to your local community.”
