How to Transition a Family Business to the Next Generation
Approximately 75% of all family businesses fail to survive past the first generation of owners. More than 85% fail by the third generation. And more than 95% fail beyond that. Those statistics are uncomfortable, and they are worth sitting with for a moment. Because behind every one of those failed transitions is a family that […]
The Missing Link in Family Business Transition: Emotional Governance with Franco Lombardo
Episode Description: In this powerful and emotionally honest conversation, Elizabeth sits down with family business advisor and author Franco Lombardo to explore what may be the most overlooked factor in successful transitions: emotional governance. With over two decades of experience working with affluent families, Franco shares why unaddressed emotions, not strategy or structure, are often […]
Having a Plan on Paper Is Not the Same as Having a Family That’s Ready
Transition is a journey, not an event. I say that often because I mean it. When it becomes an event, it tends to catch everyone off guard, even when a plan technically exists. And what I see most often is that the plan was built around the business and the wealth, with very little thought […]
Being Responsible Without Declaring You’re Done
We get asked a lot about what it means to be responsible. Gosh, what a big word. Especially when you’re leading a business or guiding a family through a transition. For most of the owners I work with, the word “responsible” sits right next to a quiet fear. They’ve built something meaningful. They provide for […]
What Comes After the Sale? One Business Owner’s Honest Account of Finding His Next Chapter
When John Arnolfo called me a couple of years ago, he had just sold the Silver Grill Cafe in Old Town Fort Collins, a restaurant he’d stewarded for more than four decades. The Silver Grill, which has been open since 1933, is one of those places that becomes part of a town’s identity. Famous for […]
Finding Your Ikigai After the Sale: Life Beyond the Silver Grill with John Arnolfo
Episode Description: In this candid and deeply human conversation, Elizabeth sits down with longtime entrepreneur John Arnolfo, former owner and steward of the iconic Silver Grill Café in Fort Collins. After more than 40 years of growing the beloved restaurant—from one small building to five—John shares the surprisingly simple moment that sparked the sale… and the far more complex […]
What Does A Business Transition Consultant Do?
I get this question a lot. Sometimes it comes from a business owner who’s heard the term but isn’t quite sure what it means in practice. Sometimes it comes from someone who already has an attorney, a CPA, and a financial advisor lined up — and they’re genuinely wondering what on earth they’d need another […]
Transition Doesn’t Have To Be Heavy
If you’ve been thinking about transitioning your business but keep putting it off, you’re not alone. Most owners don’t avoid transition because it’s complicated. They avoid it because it feels final. Heavy. Like the beginning of an ending they’re not ready for. And once that feeling sets in, next year has a way of becoming […]
Transition Doesn’t Have to Be Heavy: The 4 Principles & 3 C’s That Change Everything
Episode Description: In this solo episode, Elizabeth reframes business transition as something far more human—and far more energizing—than most owners believe. Instead of treating transition as a heavy event defined by tax documents and exit dates, she introduces four foundational principles and the three C’s—clarity, confidence, and communication—that transform transition into a purposeful journey. This […]