Podcast: Disruptive Successor Show
The Disruptive Successor Show is a podcast for next-generation leaders in family businesses and entrepreneurs who want to disrupt the status quo to grow their business and take it to the next level.
We all know that what got us here isn’t going to get us there.
If you are taking control over your family’s business or trying to get your business to the next level, you will need inspiration, advice and resources to help you create a massive impact.
Listeners of my show include not only the millennial or Gen Z but also the Baby Boomer and Gen Y. My listeners tend to be involved in these industries: business services, construction, design-build-maintain landscape contracting, food manufacturing, property management, real estate, and technology.
And are interested in issues like business coaching, branding, communication, difficult conversations, disruption, employee ownership, exit planning, financial management, leadership, innovation, intergenerational transfer, marketing, multi-generational family businesses, business operations, process documentation, security, selling, storytelling, succession, visioning, wealth management,
My guests are entrepreneurs, family business advisors, multi-generational and Gen 2 family business leaders, heads of university family business programs, consultants, coaches and firms that serve those who are growth businesses.
Clients of my show typically are running businesses with 10 to 200 employees and $1M to $20M in revenues.
Their concerns include: scaling up, exit planning, succession, leadership development, disruption, business planning, finances, growth planning, transferring generational wealth, transferring control, ownership issues, and more.
The benefits listeners receive are introductions to experts and advisors around the issues of growing and exiting a business, whether it’s a family business or entrepreneurial venture. They get a feel for the challenges other business owners and leaders face and how they overcame them. They will hear stories from people and how they came to do their work and why.
My shows feature handpicked guests who engage with me in casual conversations lasting between 30 to 40 minutes. You can expect to be entertained, engaged and may even get takeaways like business tools or ideas for implementation in your business.
I’ve led entrepreneurial adventures in art, clothing, a holistic health lifestyle magazine and trade show, shoe manufacturing. I’ve also led several non-profit organizations. I earned an MBA from the University of Southern California in Entrepreneurship.
I’ve been advising, coaching and consulting family-owned, family-run and entrepreneur-led businesses since 1989. My love for entrepreneurship follows the closure of my family’s sizeable multi-generational clothing manufacturing company after eight decades of operation because there were no successors.
After uncovering the code to scale up a family-run business – a playbook and a disruptive successor – I wrote a book called Disruptive Successor: A Guide To Driving Growth in Your Family Business.
My podcast is my effort to bring interested people into the conversation to benefit disruptive successors.
Richard Grove is the third-generation leader behind Wall Control, a renowned American manufacturer specializing in wall organization systems. With a background in mechanical engineering and experience at the Department of Defense, Richard returned to his family business to help scale it from a small tool and die shop into a household name across e-commerce, retail, and television. He is also a consultant, helping other small businesses improve operations, build strategic partnerships, and strengthen their digital presence. Richard’s journey exemplifies the challenges and rewards of leading a multi-generational family business into the future.
SHOW SUMMARY
In this episode, Jonathan Goldhill welcomes back Richard Grove, the third-generation face behind Wall Control. Richard shares his journey of transforming a family tool and die shop into a leading brand in wall organization, traversing e-commerce, retail, and television. They delve into the uncomfortable truths that every family business must confront to survive and prosper, as highlighted in Goldhill’s ebook, ‘The Family Business Trap, 11 Uncomfortable Truths that Will Save Your Business and Your Relationships.’ Through personal anecdotes, Richard talks about family dynamics, succession planning, role definition, and the importance of open communication and strategic governance in family-run enterprises. The episode provides invaluable insights and practical advice for navigating the complex terrain of family businesses.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Open, honest communication is the foundation for healthy family businesses.
- Fake harmony can hide misalignment—address issues before they become problems.
- Clearly defined roles and responsibilities prevent confusion and crisis.
- Leadership in family business must be earned, not assigned by entitlement.
- Regular meetings and shared workspaces foster better collaboration and understanding.
- Succession planning and transparency are essential for long-term success.
- Every family and business is unique—adapt best practices to your situation.
QUOTES
- “Just because no one’s fighting doesn’t mean you’re aligned. Fake harmony kills real progress.”
- “If you want to talk more, why don’t you be together more?”
- “Entitlement doesn’t make you a leader—you have to earn that.”
- “Don’t ruin your family for your business. You only get one family, but you can always start another business.”
- “Without structure, you’re running on assumptions, and assumptions implode under pressure.”
- “Communication is the single best practice that cuts through all these uncomfortable truths.”
Connect and learn more about Richard Grove.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-grove-wall-control/
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message. If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Jonathan Goldhill’s book, Disruptive Successor, go to the website at www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com
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