Why I wrote my book: Risking It All

Writing Risking It All has been an intense and deeply personal journey — one filled with both agony and incredible moments of clarity. Since I first began thinking about this book in 2017, I’ve wanted to offer something practical and honest to families running businesses, something that talks about the real issues many avoid.

I’m not a natural writer. The discipline of organizing my thoughts and expressing them clearly was brutal. But the greater challenge was wrestling with the ideas themselves — being brutally honest and asking myself: Does this hold water? Does this help anyone? Or is it just clever talk that goes nowhere? That struggle pushed me toward clarity and the gift of finally saying something real—I hope!

Parts of the book reflects my own family’s story. After my mother’s tragic death in a car accident, our family — once close — fell into years of silence and fractured relationships. The experience of hurt, pain, and misunderstanding is raw even decades later. It reminded me how crucial transparency and honest conversations are, especially around sensitive topics like wills and succession.

Risking It All is rooted in a core truth: You have to put family first. Too often, families focus solely on the business, on technical advice or financials, without attending to the family dynamics that underpin everything. If the family isn’t taken care of, the business risks falling apart, and vice versa.

In the book, I share my own experiences, including working with my daughter through difficult times — challenging moments where I had to take my own advice about keeping relationships intact and having those hard talks. It’s about being your best generation — having honest conversations about succession, and roles to preserve legacy and connection.

My hope is simple: if Risking It All can help even one family have a better conversation, make a healthier decision, or protect a relationship before it breaks, then the effort was worth it. Family businesses are among the most complex and rewarding enterprises, and they deserve the care that keeps them strong—not just financially but emotionally and relationally, too.

Risking It All is now available. I invite you to purchase your copy today and take the next step toward building a stronger family and a thriving business.