It Runs In The Family
Hello! We're Liz & Leila Willingham and welcome to "It Runs In The Family". We're the mother and daughter duo working within the public relations and communications agency, Liz Lean PR. Running a business is hard - really hard. Every business has its challenges and it's own ups and downs - but in a family business, this is often exaggerated by the willingness to speak your mind. But it also has some huge advantages that the corporate cultures just can't compete with. In this podcast, featuring a different family business guest in each episode, we're going to be digging into the stories, values and traditions of other family and multi-generational businesses. We'll explore their history, learnings and how they've developed through the generations and the unique advantages they've had over their competitors. We discover where human relationship migrates into business; the ups, downs, twists, turns and landmark moments that seal the fate of these fascinating organisations. You’ll get to hear some brilliant life stories too; some to make you laugh and others that’ll warm your heart. Many of our clients are family businesses who we've worked very closely with over a number of years - we've heard brilliant stories that reveal true values and fun operating as a family business. We want you to feel inspired by stories of others, find their honesty relatable and reach out to us with your own experiences. If you have any questions for future guests, have a story of your own or have any feedback please do feel free to get in touch on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itrunsinthefamilypodcast/
Episodes
136 episodes
Inside 50 Years of London Glassblowing with Peter and Sophie Layton #134
The idea that glass can be worked in a small studio, rather than a closed-off factory, was once novel. Thanks to Peter Layton, it’s become an icon of London.He discovered studio glass in the US, and has since built one of the UK’s most i...
How to Hire Your Parents with Forbes 30U30 & Founder of Xi Home Dumplings, Wenjun Xiang #133
Food is more than food for the Founder of Xi Home Dumplings Bay - whether it’s love or an apology, it’s the strongest language shared by this family.Wenjun Xiang launched her career while she was still in school, starting the business wi...
Don’t Get It Right, Get It Going: Lessons from the Vineyard with Velfrey Vineyard’s Fiona and Ryan Mounsey #132
Velfrey Vineyard began life as a field beside a family magazine business. Reinvention took the Mounsey family to pastures new.Fiona is a Director in the business alongside her son, Ryan, and both of their spouses, making their award-winn...
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Inside 50 Years of a Signature Salon with Lucan and Tassie Salem, HARI’s Salon #131
Step inside a London salon story 50 years in the making. It begins with Hari Salem’s vision for a salon which cares for its staff like family - a core value that remains today.They’ve expanded their team and their locations, but for 2nd ...
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Seeing Family in a New Light: How Working Together Reforms Relationships with The Staging Experts’ Nikki and Emilia Jeffery #130
Imagine turning one of the hardest moments in your life into the catalyst for a whole new family business.That’s how the mother–daughter duo of Nikki and Emilia Jeffery, along with sister Olivia, brought The Staging Experts to life...
Farming, Food Waste and Forward-Thinking with New Forest Fruit Snacks’ Sandy & Ola Booth #129
The Booth family’s farm is a place where the humble fruits have remarkable potential, and the food waste is actually a land of opportunity.Sandy Booth heads up New Forest Fruit Snacks, a business with family values at its core, and a who...
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From Pandemic Tech to Period Care: Writing New Chapters of Your Family’s Legacy #128
What began as a temporary move to "help dad out" during a global crisis quickly evolved into a high-stakes mission to reinvent women’s health.Lucy Hope’s family journey is rooted in a century-old story, sparked by the loss of her great-g...
Sisterhood as a Superpower with Cubbi’s Co-Founders Olivia and Tanyka Davson #127
Sisterhood is a superpower. Once Olivia and Tanyka Davson understood each other as both siblings and as professionals, the foundations were laid for them to finally go all-in with Cubbi.Their business was born out of personal...
Small Business, Big Values - Behind the Compassionate Success of Small Family Business with Founders Elliot and Eva Harris #126
Just because something’s labelled ‘small’, that doesn’t mean it’s incapable of achieving great things - it’s all about opportunities, not limitations for Small Family Business.Elliot and Eva Harris represent two of the three generations ...
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Philanthropy and Purpose: Why Leading with Values Never Leads You Astray with Samr Trust’s Dr Matee and Dr Kaleem Rajput #125
When they’re not changing lives in their hair clinic, Dr Matee and Dr Kaleem Rajput are changing lives by going out into the community, where it REALLY matters.Family legacy and compassion guide every decision, and as Matee will tell you...
The Tradition Baked Into Ta’mini Lebanese Bakery’s Fresh Approach with Ali El Homsi and Nermin Khamosia #124
What happens when a business becomes inseparable from the family which runs it, and dares to bear its family influence through every strand of its existence?You get Ta’mini Lebanese Bakery… and while Nermin and Ali might be newcomers to ...
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‘Talking Bollocks’ with Toby Freeman: How Levity Forged a Legacy from Loss #123
After the heartbreaking loss of his brother Robin to germ cell cancer at just 24, Toby Freeman and his family turned grief into action, founding a charity that has become the UK’s leading voice for young people’s cancer awareness.This ca...
Where Wisdom Meets Vision: Passing the Baton with Boon Brokers’ Gerard & Michael Boon #122
This week we welcome Michael and Gerard Boon, the father-son team behind Boon Brokers, for an inspiring conversation about legacy, innovation, and the journey of transforming a family business. Michael’s hard work during his early d...
Catering with Care: How The Pantry Puts Family First with Luke Consiglio #121
From a small sandwich shop, Luke Consiglio and his family have drawn up the recipe for a national catering powerhouse… without losing the family charm.In this heartfelt episode of ‘It Runs In The Family’, we sit down with Luke, The Pantr...
Gaelic Roots & Grand Ambitions: Inside the Sonas Hotel Collection with Anne Gracie Gunn and Jennifer Gracie #120
The Sonas Hotel Collection’s story spans three generations, and a blend of spontaneity, resilience, and family values have transformed a single guesthouse into a beloved group of hotels.From the very first purchase with Anne’s late husba...
The Recipe to Creating a Lasting Legacy with Vittoria Group’s Tony and Alberto Crolla #119
“You’re only as good as your last dish” - for the Crolla family, that means asserting excellence and creating lasting memories for everyone who comes through their doors.The Vittoria Group’s successes have seen them at the heart of Edinb...
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How Mercat Tours Became an Edinburgh Icon with Kat and Des Brogan #118
The Brogan family are storytellers through and through; it’s only fitting that the story behind their own business is worth its weight in gold.Father Des Brogan started Mercat Tours, and under Kat’s watchful eye it continues to breathe l...
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Baking Up a Storm: The Authentic Rise of Comptoir Bakery with Sebastien, Quentin and Lola Wind #117
There’s a hilarious dynamic at the heart of the Wind family, which fuels their very serious passion for culinary excellence with Comptoir Bakery.Sebastien has carefully crafted the business into one that his children, Lola and Quentin, c...
The Brand with a Buzz: Behind Neve’s Bees’ Sustainable Success with Julie and Ross Macken #116
A 9 year old Neve Macken posed a question 14 years ago about beekeeping… what grew from that moment set in motion a bee-auty brand with a difference.Neve’s Bees is the brainchild of Julie and Ross Macken’s real life child, and its soarin...
The Perfect Fit: A 222 Year Legacy of Shoe Fitting Service with W J French & Sons’ Caroline Osman and Richard French #115
There’s no older shoe shop in the UK to have been passed down through 8 generations than a Southampton staple: the 222-year old W J French & Son!They remain faithful to tradition, but have moved with modern times to survive, thanks i...
Sustainable Style with Siblings at the Steering Wheel with Kite Clothing #114
We’re treated to so many accounts of family businesses working with non-family members, but what’s life like on the other side of the equation…?The irresistible charm of Kite Clothing’s ranges is made possible by a brother-sister duo of ...
Growing Together: Collaborating With Your Kin with Charlie and Henrietta Tomlinson #113
When picking a fellow business to partner up with, it’s rare to find collaboration with kin, but that’s the exciting reality for sisters Charlie and Henrietta Tomlinson…Wild & Seek has recently opened its doors neighbouring Wild Root...
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Spinning Success from a Spark with Woolcool’s Angela and Josie Morris #112
From a simple idea for wool-insulated packaging, the revolutionary Woolcool was born…Two decades after that creative spark, Angela Morris and her daughter Josie head up a brand which puts people, purpose and the planet at the heart of ev...
Greatness From Sweet Beginnings: The Fascinating Evolution of Fairacres Group with Directors Mike & Rosie Kean #111
Fairacres Group began with Mike Kean’s father making boiled sweets. Decades later, it’s an icon on the South Coast with its roles in property, hospitality and a legendary ferry.The business, much like Mike himself, is being brought into ...
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A Century of Security as Sheffield’s Master Locksmiths with H Harrold & Sons Directors, Harry and Jordan Harrold #110
H Harrold & Sons have the fine privilege of being Sheffield’s only Master Locksmiths, a testament to the longevity of this 5th generation family firm.Now with Directors Jordan and Harry in the fold, we’re able to paint the picture of...
