AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE LIKE TO STUDY THE HABITS OF REALLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS in order to replicate a process or a system that’s worked for someone doing something similar to what we’re aspiring to do. 

Today, I want to talk about combining the habits of our two most important callings in life – our business and our family. We’re shifting out of having to juggle these two worlds and we’re stepping into and transforming into what I call a founder family. You’re not just an entrepreneur who can compartmentalize your life, having your business on one side and your family on another. It’s all about how we integrate family and business. 

In today’s episode, I’m going to quickly cover some habits, rituals and strategies that I’ve noticed in studying these types of founder families. Hopefully, you can grab some of the ideas and make them your own as you design what it means to be a part of your entrepreneurial family and the growth that you are having together. I’m sure you’ve learned by now that you do not want your business success to come at the expense of your family and what matters most – and the only way to ensure that is to integrate these worlds.

Let’s raise them up right!

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

[2:34] Breaking Bread, Integrating Two Worlds and Casting a Vision Together 

The first habit that these leaders in business, who are also raising leaders of their own, have is they prioritize dinner around the table. This sounds so simple, yet there are so many families right now that are either rushing through life or have spread themselves so thin and they’re missing these moments to connect. So, make this a priority. Even if it’s a few nights a week, start there. It’s going to change the game. It’s one of the easiest, quickest ways to integrate these two worlds. The conversations and the connections that come out of being around the table together are going to be so transformational. 

Number two is that their work and home life are integrated. What I mean by this is that the kids know about the business and they’re brought into the conversation. There’s not a disconnect between the “business you” and the “parent you”. It offers this incredible opportunity to model this way of life for your kids. 

Number three is create a vision together and allow the kids to take part in it, even the young children. We call this process our True North and it’s actually sitting down as a family and identifying what values you stand by. Establish the standard by which you want to live in a way that’s going to help you and your children embody those values, hold each other accountable to those values, recognize them and witness them. If you need help and guidance through this process, you can grab our free workbook at https://luminaryleadershipco.com/truenorth/ that breaks down this entire process.

[5:38] Sharing the Good Along with the Bad and Focusing on Contribution as a Family

The fourth thing is they share the good, they don’t just complain about the bad. How often do we spend our family time talking about the hard parts of our business because our family is our safe place to land? But we forget sometimes to bring the good into the equation, to pass on that passion and that impact in the “why” of our work. How can we expect our kids to see work as a good thing, if we model this so negatively sometimes?

The fifth thing is they focus on contribution as a whole family unit. It’s not about the individual and preparing one person to launch into their future successes. It’s about bringing the family together and working as a unit that has a common mission. Jeff Bethke in his book “Take Back Your Family” (which I highly recommend) argues that as a family we need to be bonded by a shared mission committed to mutually growing and thriving together. Oftentimes, this gets lost and each individual is kind of on their own mission and then they come back as a family once in a while to touch base instead of the family being the hub and you having a core mission as a family as a whole.

[7:51] Having Seasons and Honoring Legacy  

Number six is they have seasons and rhythms to those seasons. They establish a culture within their family. There are traditions and moments to look forward to throughout the year that become this anchor for the family and they pursue collective interests together. They make time to rest, they make room for margin, they make space for creativity. They take time off together and they know when they’re walking into busier seasons or more focused seasons. They’re doing that as a unit, as a family cohesively with harmony. 

Number seven is that they are focused on the story and the legacy. They teach their kids through story, they make sure everyone in the family knows the family’s legacy and what makes them unique and where they come from. Sometimes, we get so focused on just where we are today and who we are today and we forget where we came from but those are pieces of our DNA that connect us to our history, emotionally and spiritually. And that in turn, can play a part in our future.

[9:50] Leadership Principles, One-On-One Time and Growing Together as a Family 

Number eight is they bring leadership principles into the family and it’s prioritized in the home. There are so many leadership principles that we prioritize in our home. It’s not just preaching these concepts to our children, it’s about embodying them and living them in our work and in the four walls of our house and in our relationships. 

Number nine is one-on-one time. No matter how many kids you have, that one-on-one time is the secret sauce for lasting relationships. Founder families make time and invest in their relationships, whether it’s regular date nights for mom and dad or taking the time to connect individually with each of your children. However, it has to be intentional and sometimes we forget to set those intentions. 

Number ten is that they’re committed to growth together. They are setting goals as a family, holding each other accountable to your values or those goals, reporting back, fostering an environment of learning and creativity and stepping away from the things that distract from that. 

Do you already have some of these habits for your family? Are there any you may add? Please let me know over on Instagram! If you need help in creating a vision for your family, make sure you download our free North Star workbook at  https://luminaryleadershipco.com/truenorth/.

If today’s episode spoke to you, don’t forget to hit subscribe/follow on your favorite podcast player and rate and review the show. Come connect with me on Instagram at @elizhartke and if there’s a topic, a question or a guest you want to hear on the show or an idea you have for us, just reach out and share that.

We do this for you so the more you tell us the more we can serve!

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Episode 62: What It Means to Be a Founder Family
• Raising Luminaries True North Workbook 
• Take Back Your Family by Jefferson Bethke
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• Connect with me on Instagram!