Podcast: Disruptive Successor Show

Disruptive Successor Podcast

The Disruptive Successor Show is a podcast for next-generation leaders in family businesses and entrepreneurs who want to disrupt the status quo to grow their business and take it to the next level.

We all know that what got us here isn’t going to get us there.

If you are taking control over your family’s business or trying to get your business to the next level, you will need inspiration, advice and resources to help you create a massive impact.

Listeners of my show include not only the millennial or Gen Z but also the Baby Boomer and Gen Y. My listeners tend to be involved in these industries: business services, construction, design-build-maintain landscape contracting, food manufacturing, property management, real estate, and technology.

And are interested in issues like business coaching, branding, communication, difficult conversations, disruption, employee ownership, exit planning, financial management, leadership, innovation, intergenerational transfer, marketing, multi-generational family businesses, business operations, process documentation, security, selling, storytelling, succession, visioning, wealth management,

My guests are entrepreneurs, family business advisors, multi-generational and Gen 2 family business leaders, heads of university family business programs, consultants, coaches and firms that serve those who are growth businesses.

Clients of my show typically are running businesses with 10 to 200 employees and $1M to $20M in revenues.

Their concerns include: scaling up, exit planning, succession, leadership development, disruption, business planning, finances, growth planning, transferring generational wealth, transferring control, ownership issues, and more.

The benefits listeners receive are introductions to experts and advisors around the issues of growing and exiting a business, whether it’s a family business or entrepreneurial venture. They get a feel for the challenges other business owners and leaders face and how they overcame them. They will hear stories from people and how they came to do their work and why.

My shows feature handpicked guests who engage with me in casual conversations lasting between 30 to 40 minutes. You can expect to be entertained, engaged and may even get takeaways like business tools or ideas for implementation in your business.

I’ve led entrepreneurial adventures in art, clothing, a holistic health lifestyle magazine and trade show, shoe manufacturing. I’ve also led several non-profit organizations. I earned an MBA from the University of Southern California in Entrepreneurship.

I’ve been advising, coaching and consulting family-owned, family-run and entrepreneur-led businesses since 1989. My love for entrepreneurship follows the closure of my family’s sizeable multi-generational clothing manufacturing company after eight decades of operation because there were no successors.

After uncovering the code to scale up a family-run business – a playbook and a disruptive successor – I wrote a book called Disruptive Successor: A Guide To Driving Growth in Your Family Business.

My podcast is my effort to bring interested people into the conversation to benefit disruptive successors.

Dann Van Der Vliet is the John and Dyan Smith Executive Director of the Smith Family Business Initiative (SFBI) at Cornell University. Cornell has been named as one of the “25 best schools for family business” by Family Capital in 2015. As the founding director, Dan guided the launch and growth of one of the leading educational centers for family business. He designed and developed the Leaders in Family Enterprise course, and he also teaches executives and next-generation leaders through the Cornell’s external education and eCornell programs.

Under his tenure, the Smith Family Business Initiative has developed the Cornell Case Competition for Family Ownership, the Mentors Forum, and the Family Innovations Summit.

SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of Disruptive Successor, host Jonathan Goldhill is joined by Dann Van Der Vliet, the Executive Director of the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University, to discuss the Rising Gen Survey. This survey provides unique insights from over 200 college students about their perceptions, challenges, and aspirations regarding family businesses. Key topics include the importance of communication, succession planning, and the qualifications necessary for the next generation to take over family enterprises. The episode also explores the survey’s demographics, the cultural impacts on family business continuity among international students, and the evolving role of technology. Dan shares surprising findings and emphasizes the need for effective governance and addressing generational concerns to ensure smooth transitions in family businesses.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Communication is a top concern among next-gen family business leaders.
There is a need for next-gen leaders to feel qualified and credible when returning to the family business.
Cultural differences significantly impact family business dynamics and the likelihood of next-gen participation.
Technology brings new opportunities for growth and scalability but also challenges for traditional family business structures.
Educational programs play a crucial role in bridging gaps and preparing the next generation for leadership in family businesses.

QUOTES

“Legacy can be a bit of a burden for the next generation.”
“15% of next-gen leaders cited communication as their number one concern.”
“Technology has allowed us to be much more remote with what we do, but not all businesses can be run remotely.”
“One disruptor is when an unexpected sibling returns to join the family business.”
“How do you even attract next-gen leaders? Sometimes it’s really about letting them come to you.”

Connect and learn more about Dann Van Der Vliet.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannvdv/

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com