Family Business Today

Greg Lewis

Are you a family business owner or next generation? If so welcome to Family Business Today. Why does working together in a family business have to be so darn difficult? This podcast will help you get answers to this and other relevant questions when host, Greg Lewis, interviews prominent local and national family leaders about the joy and challenges of working together in a family business. We'll also talk to top family business experts about topics including business transition and succession planning, communications, family relationships, business culture as well as conflict resolution

  1. MAR 10

    Episode 99: What They Don’t Tell You about Taking over the Family Business

    Our guest today is Eric Corliss. Eric Corliss is the fifth-generation steward of CorlissManagement Group (CMG), a private real estate development and investment firm with deep roots in Washington State. Alongside his brother Steve, Eric has guided CMG’s evolution from its historic foundations in aggregates and sand and gravel into a contemporary enterprise emphasizing long-term real estate value, private lending, and strategic land development. Building upon the family’s existing foundation of over 2,000 acres across Pierce and King Counties, Eric has focused on enhancing operations, expanding the firm’s impact, and thoughtfully developing assets such as the 1,300-acre Sunrise master-planned community, along with multifamily, self-storage, commercial, and industrial properties.  Eric combines hands-on operational expertise in finance,construction, and private lending with a deep commitment to multi-generational stewardship. His approach merges practical execution with visionary planning, fostering sustainable growth for the family enterprise. Additionally, Eric serves as Co-Principal of 1892 Capital Partners, CMG’s private lending arm, aligning flexible capital solutions with seasoned real estate professionals. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Eric is dedicated to his role as a husband and father of three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys trail running and mountain biking with his family.  In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: The ways to carry the weight of legacy, while still moving forward and evolvingHis experience with succession and what he would do differentlyHow he and his brother share leadership of their family businessHow stewardship and succession planning are linkedThe myths around behind being a fifth-generation business and the importance of communication and family cultureAnd more… To learn more about Eric and Corliss Management Group visit https://www.corlissco.com/. At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    38 min

  2. FEB 24

    Episode 98: Building a Sellable Business Even if You are Not Selling It Yet with Tyson Ray

    Our guest today is Tyson Ray. After nearly three decades building a successful financial advisory practice, Tyson thought he had it all figured out—until his 50th birthday reality check revealed his own succession plan was not what he thought it was. That moment of brutal honesty sparked the question: “If I wasn’t prepared, how many other advisors are walking around with the same blind spot?” The answer led to his book Total Succession, his SPACE™ framework (See, Prepare, Act, Commit, Exit), and The Total Succession podcast, where he helps financial advisors exit their businesses with clarity, confidence, and no regrets. In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: Why focusing on business sellability canimprove the day-to-day and the future of a family businessThe mistakes family businesses make thatunintentionally make their business harder to sellThat sellability is about more than just the family business owner’s financial outcome and can help protect employees, clients, and family membersThe reasons family business owners often build businesses that can’t function without themThe signs to watch out for that a family business isn’t as sellable as owners assumedAnd more… To learn more about Tyson and his business, visit https://totalsuccession.com/. At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    42 min

  3. FEB 3

    Episode 97: How Inherited Trauma Shapes Financial Decision-Making in Family Businesses with Ruschelle Khanna

    Our guest today is Ruschelle Khanna. Ruschelle is a Chief Wellness & Emotions Officer for families navigating the emotional and relational complexities of wealth, succession, and intergenerational legacy. She works with parents, adult children, and family systems to improve communication, heal inherited patterns, and support healthier leadership transitions. Through her private Family Alignment engagements, Ruschelle helps families move from tension and avoidance to clarity, trust, and shared direction. Her work is discreet, non-pathologizing, and designed to complement financial, legal, and advisory structures. She is the author of Inherited Trauma and Family Wealth, a book exploring how unspoken emotional dynamics, family history, and identity shape financial decision-making and succession outcomes.  Ruschelle is also the co-founder of the Ancestral HealingCenter. In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: Why family business members find it difficultto discuss moneyWhen is the best time to start the transitionplanning conversationThe signs that a family is reacting frominherited stress rather than responding from shared valuesHow high-stress moments for family businessescan cause inherited patterns, bad or good, to surface and replayMore about Ruschelle’s book and otherresources for family business members who recognize old patterns affectingtheir family’s business decisionsAnd more… To learn more about Ruschelle and her business, visit https://www.lifestyleforlegacy.com/. At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    22 min

  4. JAN 13

    Episode 96: High Performance Motors with Christophe Cloitre, Ashland Electric Products

    Our guest today is Christophe Cloitre. Christophe is the President of Ashland Electric Products located in Rochester, New Hampshire. Ashland Electric was founded in 1953 as an original equipment manufacturer of high-performance motors, fans and blowers for the aerospace, medical, transportation and military markets. Ashland was purchased by the Cloitre Family in 1985. Christophe has run the family business for the past 10 years. He has worked in the family business for 40 years in a variety of roles. He is active in his community promoting the trades as a viable career path and a debt free alternative for secondary and post-secondary education. Christophe is a member of a CEO Peer Group at the University of New Hampshire Center for Family Enterprise. He lives in Dover, NH with his wife, Malone, and their animals. He enjoys sailing, surfing, traveling and landscaping in his free time. In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: How specializing and staying nimble in theface of changing demand has led to the longevity of Ashland Electric ProductsHow Christophe has spent 40 years in hisfamily’s business, from summers spent cleaning to his role as president of thebusinessChristophe’s personal experience withtransitioning into the president’s role of his family’s businessHow peer groups of other family businessowners and CEOs have supported Christophe through the nuts and bolts details ofrunning a family businessThe advice Christophe has for the Next Genwho are preparing to take over their family businessAnd more… To learn more about Christophe and his family business Ashland Electric Products, Inc., visit www.ashlandelectric.com. At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    36 min

  5. 11/04/2025

    Episode 95: Southern Hospitality in a Bottle with Morgan Weinstock and Jackson Wetherington

    Our guests today are Morgan Weinstock and Jackson Wetherington. Morgan is a founding member and the driving force behind the marketing strategy at Jackson Morgan Southern Cream. With over a decade of experience in the spirits industry, Morgan brings a unique blend of innovative creativity and familiarity to Jackson Morgan, a family-owned and operated business established in the small town of Fayetteville, Tennessee. Morgan's journey into the spirits industry was a natural progression from her background in luxury event planning and hospitality. In her current role, Morgan handles a wide range of responsibilities, including overseeing the overall marketing strategy, coordinating paid media, directing photoshoots, managing events, and fostering brand partnerships. Jackson is the operations director for Jackson Morgan Southern Cream, a role he officially took on in June 2022 after years of part-time involvement with the company since its inception. Jackson’s journey into the industry was influenced by his upbringing near Jack Daniel’s distillery, the rising popularity of flavored spirits, and the feeling of family connection that led to the creation of Jackson Morgan Southern Cream. In addition to overseeing demand forecasting, production scheduling, and vendor management, Jackson also contributes to marketing efforts and new product launches.   In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: How their business has evolved since Alfred Wetherington's whiskey still in 1921. What it is like to co-lead their family business with a sibling and how they worked together to carve out their individual roles. How Morgan Southern Cream encourages people to slow down and truly connect with one another What slowing down looks like in their own lives and how that helps them connect with their customers How clear boundaries, open communication, and outside voices help navigate their business in making family and business decisions And more… To learn more about our guests and their business, visit https://sipjacksonmorgan.com/. At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    32 min

  6. 10/21/2025

    Episode 94: How an Independent Board of Directors and a Non-Family CEO Helped this Family Business Grow with Matt Nielsen at Nielsen-Massey Company

    Our guest today is Matt Nielsen. Matt is a third-generation steward, director and shareholder for their family-owned Nielsen-Massey enterprises. He currently operates as the Strategic Advisor for Corporate Development, overseeing the companies’ inorganic growth strategies via acquisition and investment. Over Matt's 30+ years engaged in the family business, he also has had responsibility at one time or another for the company’s worldwide operations, retail & food service sales, strategic initiatives, and a European business unit. In addition to serving on the Nielsen-Massey board ofdirectors, he is currently the Director for family-owned Graziano Brothers, a 4th generation producer of specialty sausage products, specialty retailer and wholesaler; Director for Family Enterprise USA; Vice President – Treasurer and Director of the Nielsen-Massey Foundation; Executive in Residence, Mentor and Panelist in Kellogg’s John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises. Matt graduated from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg,Pennsylvania and holds two Certificates of Professional Achievement in Family Business Leadership and Governance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, Illinois. In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: Which Nielsen Massey product Greg uses often when cooking breakfast for his familyHow Nielsen Massey’s governance structure has changed over timeThe process Matt’s family followed in forming an independent boardHow the family recruited for and chose a non-family CEOThe role of a Family Shareholder DirectorWhy Matt works with family business centers oftenAnd more… To learn more about the Nielsen family and Nielsen Massey Vanillas, visit https://nielsenmassey.com/.    At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    39 min

  7. 10/07/2025

    Episode 93: How a NextGen Prepares for Leadership in His Family Business with JC Carr, World Emblem, Inc.

    Our guest today is JC Carr. JC serves as Territory Account Manager at World Emblem, aglobal manufacturing leader, and CEO of Whips Miami, an exotic car brokerage business he founded while attending the University of Alabama where he has a degree in Business Administration and HR Law. He has gained comprehensive operational experience across manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Houston, and Atlanta. JC leads company-wide philanthropy initiatives at WorldEmblem and leverages his 120K+ social media followers to bridge traditional manufacturing with digital innovation. A member of the YPO Next-Gen Forum in South Florida, he brings fresh perspectives through modern technology and progressive approaches, helping transform the manufacturing industry for the next generation. In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: How World Emblem has thrived as the global economyhas changedWhat prepared JC for his involvement in hisfamily’s businessThe questions Next Gen leaders should askbefore joining their family businessHow JC’s success on social media has led toimportant questions about how to connect manufacturing products to the digitalworldThe ways World Emblem has given backAnd more… To learn more about JC or his family business, visit https://www.worldemblem.com/.    At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

    24 min

  8. 09/26/2025

    Episode 92: Learn to Live, Speak and Lead from the Brand You Were Born With

    Our guests today are Kati and Alex Pauls. Kati and Alex are the visionary duo behind KP Design — atransformational branding studio that helps entrepreneurs uncover what’s true and build what’s needed to carry it forward. Blending soul and strategy, they guide clients through identity work, messaging clarity, and aligned design. Together with their oldest daughter, they’re building a family-led creative legacy rooted in truth, beauty, and resonance — and shaping the future of branding in the age of AI.  In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn: The steps family businesses can take to get to the core of who they areThe most common mistakes businesses make with brandingHow family businesses can use AI in branding their businessThe first thing family business owners should do as they pivot or transition from their businessHow to know if a family business has outgrown its brand and what to do nextAnd more… To learn more about the Paul’s family and their business, visit https://kpdesign.ca/.    At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (followlink) and receive a one-on-one review of your businesstransition preparedness with a family business consultant. Until next time, There’s No Business Like a FamilyBusiness…. We Know!

    32 min
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About

Are you a family business owner or next generation? If so welcome to Family Business Today. Why does working together in a family business have to be so darn difficult? This podcast will help you get answers to this and other relevant questions when host, Greg Lewis, interviews prominent local and national family leaders about the joy and challenges of working together in a family business. We'll also talk to top family business experts about topics including business transition and succession planning, communications, family relationships, business culture as well as conflict resolution

Information

  • Creator
    Greg Lewis
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Greg Lewis
  • Show Website
    Family Business Today