Are you ready to leave your family business ?
Ripping off the Band-Aid. That’s what it feels like to leave the family business. Ouch! We all know the feeling – when it’s time for the bandage to come off, we cringe, hold our breath, and pause. Then, rip!! The pain stings for a few seconds, but soon the wound underneath connects to the air and the healing really begins.
For those of us with experience working in a family business, normal workplace issues can hurt like wounds. Bitter arguments. Hurtful accusations. Feeling unappreciated. Some are only surface scratches that don’t require protection, but others are deep, invasive cuts that we bury below many layers of bandages until we realize the bandages are doing more harm than good and it’s time to rip them off.
Have you reached that point? I surely did. During my 18th year of working at my family’s business, I was covered in bandages. Changes were made beyond my control and I slowly began to realize the wounds were not healing under the bandages. So, I ripped them off and yes, it really stung.
I had no idea what was next or just how amazing life was about to become. The decision to leave the family business truly changed my life. Wherever you are on your journey, thinking about leaving, in the process of leaving, or already gone, please consider this: It is your life, and it’s short, precious and unpredictable. You never know what the next day, hour or minute will bring and you should choose live your life in the best possible way. After that, everything else will just fall into place.