20 Inspiring Family Business Quotes

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All images courtesy of the subject

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.

Kirby Rosplock: How Family Offices Last
Kirby Rosplock; image courtesy of the subject

“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

Built to Last: All States Trailer Spares
Sheree Robartson, Peter Hilton and Genette Gregson; image courtesy of All States Trailer Spares

“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

Nerves of Steel
Cecily McGuckin; image courtesy of QSS

“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

Notre Art: The Alchemy of Transforming Furniture into Art
Noha Yehia with pieces of Notre Art furniture; image courtesy of Notre Art

“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.”

— Noha Yehia, CEO, Notre Art

Ennio
Second-gens Julie Ardill, Ennio Mercuri and Mary Mercuri; image courtesy of Ennio

“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

Sparks & Daughters: Personalised Products Made with Love
Deborah and Verity Sparks; image courtesy of Sparks & Daughters.

“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

artobricks
Brothers Armen and Vod Alajian; image courtesy of ARTO Brick

“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.”

— Armen Alajian, ARTO Brick

Sol de Minca
Viviana Jaramillo [centre] with friends; image courtesy of Sol de Minca
“Profit and sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive and the latter should always come before the former.”

— Viviana Jaramillo, Co-owner, Sol de Minca

Supreme Prague: A New World in Tourism
Lenka and Eva Dvorakova; image courtesy of Supreme Prague

“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

3 brothers bakery
Bobby and Janice Jucker; image courtesy of Three Brothers Bakery

“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

Ville Solja
Ville Solja; image courtesy of Killto

“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.”

— Ville Solja, Owner, Kiilto

Caribali
Three generations: Junior Díaz, Ramón ‘Moncho’ Díaz, and Alejandro Díaz Carlo; image courtesy of Carabali Rainforest Park

“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

Marinelli
Armando and Pasquale Marinelli; image courtesy of Marinelli, photo by Roberto Salomone

“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

Family Business Health and Well-being
Ellie Frey Zagel; image courtesy of Successful Generations

“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

Houshi Ryokan
Houshi Zengoro; image courtesy of Houshi Ryokan

“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

Amorini
Steven, Chris and Mitch Bosley; image courtesy of Amorini

“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

When is it Time to Reinvent your Brand?
Melinda Rossiter, Business Development Manager, Myron Mann, CEO & Jayne-Anne Power, Brand Marketing Manager in the retail shop at Rossi’s HQ, 2019, image courtesy of Rossi Boots.

“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

Compaxo
Rick van Velzen, Michael van der Post, Stefan van der Post and Marcel Baas; image courtesy of Compaxo

“Whenever we talk about the future, we look at it in terms of generations rather than quarters.”

— Michael van der Post, Compaxo

Omar Al Handal, Managing Director at Al Handal International Group, Dubai Office
Omar Al Handal; image courtesy of HIG

“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

How did this South African Family Business Last For 10 Generations?
Fanie van der Merwe; image courtesy of Boplaas 1743

“I believe it’s important to stay connected to the world while also remaining connected to your local community.”

— Fanie van der Merwe, General Manager, Boplaas 1743