Generational Lessons on the Whole Family Business Lifecycle with Gary & Lucy Beckwith #106 Artwork

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/

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It Runs In The Family

Generational Lessons on the Whole Family Business Lifecycle with Gary & Lucy Beckwith #106

March 05, 2025 • Liz & Leila Willingham • Episode 106

Gary Beckwith has had an extraordinary business journey, one from which every generation of any family firm can learn…

From firing his father in order to grow the business, to working with his children, to maintaining a love for his business even after selling it, the story of City Cruises’ Founder Gary, and his daughter Lucy, is steeped in emotional insight and invaluable wisdom.

Join us as Gary and Lucy share their journey with City Cruises on this week’s episode of It Runs In The Family!

This episode covers:

The delicate balance of personal relationships and business-first thinking family businesses
The journey of City Cruises from a small fuel barge to a booming tourism business
How succession planning and an exit strategy looks in family firms
The critical importance of clear family communication, and setting boundaries
How deeply intertwined personal identity can become with a family business

Lucy Beckwith
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-beckwith-05b6b160/

Liz Willingham: https://www.instagram.com/lizzielean/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-willingham-09273a3/
Leila Willingham: https://www.instagram.com/leilawillingham/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leila-willingham-821530a1/

People on this episode

Leila Willingham

Co-host

Liz Willingham

Co-host