Balancing Act

Preserving Wealth, Legacy, and Harmony in the Family Business

Is your family business keeping you up at night?

No one wants conflict in their family, or in their business. And yet, disagreement and power struggles are an inevitable part of both. So what happens when family and business are blended into a multi-generational enterprise where children, parents, and even grandparents work together? How can you ensure that the tensions of family life don’t affect your business—and vice versa?

In Balancing Act, Fred Guzzi, portfolio manager at CIBC Wood Gundy, shares critical insights on balancing the needs of family and business to keep them both healthy, successful, and working in harmony. Written for anyone in a family business—from employees to leaders, from those just launching to those in succession—you’ll find practical tips and proven models for success, along with real-life examples and stories to inspire, educate, and make you smile.

You’ll learn to master the three circles of governance in a family-owned business, and to prepare for and navigate the unavoidable “lightning bolts”—moments of crisis—that are part of the life cycle of a business, and that can strike without warning. As a family business owner, you have something unique. You owe it to yourself, your family, and all those who benefit from your presence in the world to make sure that your business remains healthy, successful, and focused on the future.