Women in Family Business

Christina Foxwell knew something was not quite right; she just could not exactly put her finger on it. After working exhaustively, coaching and training executives in the area of management and leadership skills in Australia, she was not seeing the results she was hoping for. After a long and comprehensive reflection, it occurred to her that the issue was not related to the trainer or the trainees; it all came down to what the training was focused on. Traditional leadership training was centred around hard skills and a logic-centric approach. What was missing, she determined, was leadership training that incorporated empathy and other “soft skill” emotional qualities. In 2012, Christina Foxwell took this newfound insight and founded Ignite Purpose, a professional coaching operation based on the notion that people are central to the success of every organisation. At Ignite Purpose, Christina Foxwell seeks to help businesses reach their full potential by helping employees reach theirs. Rather than denying the importance of skills and logic, Christina Foxwell believes that, at its core, skill is derived from a logical and emotional connection. Those two facets have to come together for an individual to truly find wisdom. The results of this approach speak for themselves. Since launching Ignite Purpose in 2012, Christina Foxwell has helped several huge businesses such as Clorox, Newscorp and GSK to improve their overall leadership capabilities. Christina Foxwell discussed with WiFB’s Ramia El Agamy and LiquidGold’s Susanne Bransgrove the disconnect between theory and practice of leadership best practices, the difference in coaching men and women and coaching to bridge the generational divide. This episode of Conversations with Women in Family Business is co-produced with Susanne Bransgrove, director of LiquidGold Consultants.

In today’s technologically advanced and highly distracted world, we have more information available to us than ever before. While this increase in knowledge can be a great advantage, a level of mindfulness is required to let go of past experiences and expectations for the future in order to be fully present in a situation. Today’s generations are more mindful than previous ones. With greater awareness of diversity, they are more aware of the necessity to modify their behaviours to live together peacefully. Mindfulness is also a useful tool for business leaders to outgrow limitations and create a thriving workplace. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss what it means to be mindful and how to take advantage of mindfulness to improve the workplace.

Throughout our life, we all inevitably meet someone we don’t get along with. In our private life, we can simply avoid these individuals. However, when toxic relationships seep into the workplace, the situation can become detrimental to the business as a whole. The workplace setting magnifies the details of our relationships. In some cases, existing irritations are emphasised. In other cases, we become disillusioned about a person’s true nature. In either case, our natural instinct is to avoid conflict as much as possible. However, doubling up on communication is the best solution to smooth over complicated relationships, even if it means bringing in a third party to help facilitate the conversation. In this episode of WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss difficult relationships in the workplace, their effect on the family business and how to deal with them.

Virtual Racing UK – Virtual Competitions with Real Physical Results by Women in Family Business

As a family business member, it can sometimes be difficult to find the courage to stand up for what you believe. However, it can be just as complicated to walk away from a difficult situation. Being brave means more than just having the courage to speak your mind. It means having the courage to believe in a better future, know who you are and be vulnerable with those around you, even if that means stepping outside of your comfort zone. It is crucial for all family business members to understand their role within the company. However, if that role does not coincide with their ideals, beliefs and aspirations, it is sometimes necessary to be clear and draw the line. In this episode of our WiFB conversations, Susanne Bransgrove and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss what it means to be brave and why courage is conducive to a more harmonious family business environment.

Episodes of tension between family members are normal and quite common in a family business. However, when stress reaches a certain level, it may be a sign that it’s time to move on. The decision to leave is loaded with emotional baggage, but creating a dialogue that is free of guilt can help ease this decision and its terms. Moving away from the family business does not necessarily imply a blunt end; in some cases, a temporary step back might be all the family needs. A planned break can help bring a sense of clarity and even open up the possibility of negotiations for a more agreeable role in the business. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Amy Katz and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss the decision to leave the family business and how to create honest and constructive dialogue surrounding this choice.

Passion and ambition are inextricably intertwined. Passion, our internal drive, is the force that guides our ambition and leads us to meet our goals. These two components are essential for a thriving family business. However, family members must be able to find their own passions and ambitions not only in the business setting but also in their personal lives. The structure of family businesses is changing as women move to the forefront of the workforce, and the next generations of family business leaders are bringing new ideas to the table. It is imperative for family businesses to harness these new voices without sacrificing the wisdom of the older generations. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Susanne Bransgrove and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss passion and ambition, how best to utilise them within a family business and the succession challenges facing family businesses.

More women are graduating from business schools than ever before and yet, women are still vastly underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Why is this the case and what can be done to close the gap? Helping leaders reach their full potential is a focus area in Janice DiPietro’s work with clients as the Founder and CEO of Exceptional Leaders International (E.L.I), a Boston-based business consulting firm. For more than 30 years, Janice has helped emerging and next-generation family business leaders understand what it takes to successfully navigate the often choppy waters of an evolving family business. E.L.I supports family businesses in areas such as growth, transition and succession planning and performance improvement. Janice’s experience with E.L.I, along with her previous role as President of the human capital consulting firm Morgan Samuels, has given her a unique perspective on the ever-changing landscape of women in business leadership positions. WiFB had the opportunity to sit down with Janice DiPietro to discuss the factors that are still standing in the way of women assuming leadership positions, what skills they should hone to better position themselves within an organisation and one of the things women need to do that men are already doing.

Rhonda Steger does not regret leaving a lucrative career in the insurance industry; becoming an entrepreneur has proven just as rewarding. Her leap off the beaten path started small when she opened her own compliance firm, but passion soon drew her even further afield, first to retail and then wholesale. Today, she leads Cobblestone Living, a women’s fashion and lifestyle brand that has turned into a thriving family business. For over 15 years, Rhonda and her husband have built their family brand together. While it began as a small retail shop, from bricks and mortar towards a wholesale business model, Cobblestone has seen sales grow exponentially ever since. As a result, Rhonda is not only building on success but also writing her daughter – now 18 and about to enter university –into corporate succession plans. We recently had a chance to sit down with Rhonda Steger to discuss her journey towards entrepreneurial success, her challenges achieving work-life balance and the prospect of her daughter taking over the business one day.

Every family business has a foundation of love and values passed on from generation to generation. However, love alone cannot resolve the issues that will inevitably arise from time to time. Family businesses also need to establish governance frameworks and a shared vision. Women can use their empathy and deep understanding of emotions to keep balance in the family during difficult transitions. In this episode of our WiFB Conversations, Susanne Bransgrove and Ramia Marielle El Agamy discuss how bringing up the subject of love in a family business context can help resolve conflict and dysfunction.