How Three Generations Built a Thriving Tile Business | The Family Biz Show Ep. 111
Release Date: 03/31/2025
Hire A Players on Purpose, Not by Luck with Andrea Roberts | The Family Biz Show Ep.136
The Family Biz Show
What if your next great hire wasn’t the result of luck—but of a hiring process you could repeat again and again? Hiring the right people can transform your business. Hiring the wrong person can consume your time, hurt your culture, frustrate your strongest employees, and leave you wondering how you missed the warning signs. “Why do great candidates sometimes turn into poor employees?” “How can I tell confidence from actual competence?” “How do I stop relying on gut instinct when hiring?” “What if there just aren’t enough good candidates available?” This conversation gives...
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Cort Brazelton on How to Own a Family Business Without Having to Run It | The Family Biz Show Ep. 135
The Family Biz Show
What if protecting your family business for the next generation means accepting that your family doesn’t always have to run it? What if stepping out of the CEO role isn’t giving up control—but becoming a better owner? “I want the business to stay in the family, but does that mean a family member has to lead it?” “How do we bring in outside executives without losing what makes our company ours?” “How do we prepare the next generation to become responsible owners—even if they never work in the business?” “How do we build something that can thrive long after today’s...
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Cornell University's Smith Family Business Initiative and University of St. Thomas Family Business Center: A conversation with Dann Van Der Vliet and Jon Keimig. | The Family Biz Show Ep. 134
The Family Biz Show
Where can family business owners turn when the hardest challenges aren’t just about running the company—but navigating the family behind it? You don’t have to figure out the complexities of family business alone. “Who can we talk to about the issues we can’t discuss anywhere else?” “How do we start conversations about succession before it becomes urgent?” “How do we prepare the next generation without pushing them into the business?” “How can we make better decisions together as our family and business grow more complex?” “Everything is going well. Why should we start...
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How ESOPs Help Family Business Owners Exit Without Losing Their Legacy | The Family Biz Show Ep. 40
The Family Biz Show
What if you could step away from your family business without walking away from everything you've built? What if your exit strategy could protect your people, preserve your culture, and secure your legacy for generations to come? "I've spent decades building this business. How do I leave without losing it?" "I don't want to sell to a buyer who will change everything we've worked for." "Is there a way to retire while keeping our employees and company values intact?" "How do I create an exit plan that benefits both my family and my team?" This conversation gives you the answer. In this episode...
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Cameron Bishop: The #1 Mistake That Could Cost You MILLIONS When Selling Your Business | The Family Biz Show Ep. 133
The Family Biz Show
Ready to sell your business? What if one mistake could cost you millions before negotiations even begin? "Am I really getting the best price?" "What if my business isn't worth what I think?" "Should I accept the first offer?" "How do buyers actually value my company?" "What if I'm not as prepared as I thought?" This conversation gives you the answer. In this episode of The Family Biz Show, Michael Palumbos sits down with Cameron Bishop, Partner and Managing Director at Raincatcher, to uncover the costly mistakes business owners make before selling their companies. From owner dependency and...
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Built To Last: Sustainable Success For Family-Owned Construction Businesses | The Family Biz Show Ep. 132
The Family Biz Show
Growth can look like success from the outside. But inside a family-owned construction business, growth can also create pressure, confusion, and decisions the original business model was never designed to handle. “You built something successful, but why does it feel harder to run?” “Why is every decision still coming back to you?” “How do you pass the business forward without damaging the family?” “What happens when wealth grows faster than communication?” “Are your advisors solving separate problems, or helping you see the whole picture?” This conversation gives you the...
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What Wealthy Parents Must Teach Their Children Early | The Family Biz Show Ep. 131
The Family Biz Show
If you are raising children in a wealthy family, you may wonder how to give them opportunity without taking away their drive. This conversation helps you understand what children need to learn early so wealth becomes a source of responsibility, not entitlement. “I want my kids to appreciate what they have.” “I don’t want comfort to make them soft.” “How do I talk about money without saying too much?” “How do I raise grounded children when life is already easier for them?” “What if I’m accidentally making things too easy?” This conversation gives you the answer. In this...
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The $84 Trillion Opportunity Most Family Businesses Are Missing | The Family Biz Show Ep. 130
The Family Biz Show
You can build a successful business… and still lose the family along the way. Most family business transitions don’t fail because of one catastrophic mistake. They fail because of small conversations that never happened. Because leadership wasn’t prepared. Because expectations were never aligned. Because no one wanted to ask the hard questions. “What happens when I step away?” “What if my kids don’t want the business?” “How do we protect both the company and the relationships?” “Why does every conversation about succession become emotional?” This conversation gives you...
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The Family Business Problems Legacy Can Solve | The Family Biz Show Ep. 129
The Family Biz Show
Most conversations about family business problems focus on what’s broken—conflict between generations, lack of succession clarity, or stalled growth. But what if many family business problems aren’t caused by dysfunction at all? What if they’re caused by something far less obvious—and far more fixable? In this episode of The Family Biz Show, Michael Palumbos sits down with second-generation owner Ed Delia to explore a different lens: many family business problems are not operational failures. They are translation failures. They come from businesses that have built something...
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Common Mistakes During Family Business Estate Planning | The Family Biz Show Ep. 128
The Family Biz Show
What if the biggest threat to your family business legacy isn’t taxes, markets, or competition… but the way your estate plan was designed? This episode challenges one of the most accepted beliefs in family wealth: that family businesses inevitably fail by the third generation. “Why does it feel harder to talk about wealth with my kids than it does to build the business?” “How do I prepare the next generation without losing control?” “What if my estate plan is protecting the money… but hurting the family?” “Why do successful business leaders struggle with family...
info_outlineWhat does it take to build a business that lasts for generations?
Not years.
Not decades.
Generations.
Have you ever wondered:
"Will the next generation want to join the business?"
"How do we pass leadership without losing momentum?"
"Can a family business continue growing while staying true to its roots?"
"What separates businesses that survive from those that disappear?"
This conversation offers a real-world example.
For more than 50 years, the Firkins family has built, expanded, and evolved Tile Wholesalers through changing markets, economic shifts, industry disruptions, and generational transitions.
In this episode, Michael Palumbos sits down with three generations of the Firkins family to explore the decisions, relationships, and leadership principles that helped transform a one-man operation into a thriving regional business.
Meet the Guests
Al Firkins founded Tile Wholesalers in 1972 after years of industry experience and a willingness to take a leap into entrepreneurship.
Dave Firkins, second-generation president, helped expand the company into commercial markets, modernize operations, and lead significant growth initiatives.
Kathryn Firkins, Vice President, provides a unique perspective on family relationships, communication, and the trust required to work alongside family members every day.
Conor Firkins, third-generation leader, shares how he is preparing to guide the business into its next chapter.
Thriving family businesses don't survive because they avoid change.
They survive because they embrace change while preserving the values that matter most.
The Firkins family demonstrates how trust, communication, service, and continuous learning can create a foundation strong enough to support multiple generations of leadership.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How trust strengthens leadership transitions
- Why customer service remains a competitive advantage
- How family businesses can adapt without losing their identity
- Why learning from previous generations matters
- How to prepare future leaders for success
- Why great teams are essential to long-term growth
- How family businesses remain competitive in changing markets
Every family business hopes to create something that lasts.
This conversation shows what that journey looks like in practice—through hard work, trust, adaptability, and a commitment to serving both customers and future generations.
If you're building a family business for the long term, this episode provides valuable lessons from a family that has successfully done it.
Ready to strengthen your family business and learn from other multi-generational leaders?
Listen to more conversations and access additional resources at: