On this episode of The Ripcord Moment, host Joe Seetoo invites President of Stainless Process Systems and Alliance Finishing & Manufacturing, Mark Hyman, along with his son, Chief Operating Officer of Stainless Process Systems, Brandon Hyman. They discuss generation gaps, the dynamic between parents and children when working together, and what Brandon had to consider when switching from a job at Google to a family business.
Mark and Brandon say they have different communication and work styles due to their generational gap; for example, while it would be natural for Mark to call a customer or vendor, Brandon would rather email them. Furthermore, due to the fact that Brandon used to work at the multi-billion-dollar entity that is Google, financial resources have never been a constraint for his prior working experience. Therefore, he would rather pay more money to save time, while Mark would rather spend more time on a process to save money. When it comes to bridging their gaps, Mark says compromise and trust are key.
If you are considering joining or starting a family business, Brandon and Mark agree it is crucial to consider how other people like extended family members may be affected (spouses, children, grandchildren, etc.). Before Brandon transferred to SPS, he created a document for his wife outlining how the transition from Google to SPS would work and how to mitigate the risk of joining a smaller family business.
Ultimately, Brandon and Mark have been able to maintain their close father-son relationship and have learned to trust and respect each other’s skills and contributions. They say keeping lines of communication open, holding each other accountable, prioritizing the right goals together and discussing one another’s visions for their lives within and beyond the company is pivotal to successfully running a business with family.
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