A Vibrant Vision
The Entrepreneurship of Multigenerational Family Business
A Vibrant Vision shares the author’s journey of growing his family business after his father’s early passing, transforming an industrial fabrics company into a $300 million family business enterprise. Alongside this remarkable growth, he instills in his children and grandchildren the values and responsibility needed to become stewards of the family business legacy.
A Kaleidoscope of Choices
Entrepreneurship is the joy of creating a vision, the discipline of developing a strategy, and the passion for executing the journey.
Starting a business is filled with pivotal decisions that shape its future. Entrepreneurs navigate a complex landscape, from securing early-stage funding and venture capital to managing private equity and developing exit strategies. Each step represents a challenge and an opportunity in the entrepreneurial journey.
When it comes to family business, the challenges intensify. Founders who envision their business thriving beyond their own lifetime and passing down to future generations must take a different approach. Unlike the “lifestyle business” or “harvest your business” models, building a multigenerational family business requires a long-term vision, resilience, and a focus on sustainable growth.
For family entrepreneurs, this journey involves not only managing day-to-day operations but also implementing strategic decisions that prioritize innovation, continuity, governance, and stewardship. This unique path ensures that the business can thrive and adapt, creating a lasting
legacy for generations to come.
The DNA of a Family Business
Growing a small family business into a sustainable, multimillion-dollar enterprise is a journey that calls for vision, passion, and a commitment to continuous growth. This path requires not only inspiring leadership but also a company culture that embraces change and innovation. At the heart of this transformation are robust business processes that nurture human capital, drive innovation, support strategic planning, and ensure quality assurance across manufacturing and service.
For those aiming to create a multigenerational legacy, additional foundations are crucial. Establishing governance practices that includes independent boards, education initiatives, and stewardship processes for future family shareholders ensures that the business remains resilient and sustainable over time.
This approach ultimately empowers family businesses to thrive in an evolving marketplace, while preserving the distinctive family culture that sets them apart. With the right processes and vision, family businesses can achieve lasting growth, impact, and an enduring legacy.
"A VIBRANT VISION lays out a path for visionary entrepreneurs to build not only successful, sustainable businesses but also be a force for good while still participating vigorously in a market-based society."
Daniel Isenberg
Executive Director,
The Babson Entrepreneurship Executive Project
"A VIBRANT VISION is a compelling call for stewardship and building an institution out of a family business."
John Ward
Co-director,
The Center for Family Enterprises at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
"Applying the lessons of this insightful, engrossing bookbased on Seaman's own family business experience will greatly increase your chances for multi-generational success."
Teresa Amabile
Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration
in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit,
Harvard Business School
"A VIBRANT VISION consolidates a holistic approach to business that helps leaders and stakeholders align with a purpose greater than oneself. This is not theoretical or applicable to family business alone."
Ron Harriman
Senior Consultant and Partner, Benchmark, Inc.
READ AN EXCERPT
In the early stages of their business’s development, entrepreneurs face a kaleidoscope of choices. Their product or service idea can take on a variety of forms. Their organizational structure is uncertain as they try to look into the future. They see a multitude of colorful patterns that seem to change with every rotational twist.
How can the entrepreneur select from all these “kaleidoscopic patterns” a design that can be woven into a meaningful tapestry that achieves lasting business success? More importantly, how does this creative design become a tapestry of heirloom quality that can continue to expand, evolve, and be sustainable throughout future generations?
