Making Sense of Family Business

Thanks for stopping by, I'm Jon Kenfield, the host of the Family Business Challenge series: Making Sense of Family Business.I share my learnings from almost 3 decades of working as a Solutionist with real Business Families - by exploring 50 of the most common causes of conflict I've dealt with. I also explain how to prevent, avoid, and resolve those conflicts. For every acknowledged problem a solution can be found, or constructed.My goal is to help you make more sense of Family Business, whether you're in one, or trying to advise one or many.🌐 https://solutionist.com.au/🟦 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-solutionist-group/🟥 https://www.youtube.com/@thesolutionistgroup/videos✉️ jonk@solutionist.com.au📞 0414 816 789

Making Sense of Family Business is a business podcast hosted by Jon Kenfield, The Solutionist, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jon Kenfield, The Solutionist hosts Making Sense of Family Business, a business show with 35 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #34

  Collaboration

  Jun 2, 202620 minS0

  <p>Cause #34</p><p>In this episode, I explore why collaboration and teamwork — two concepts that seem obvious in theory — so often collapse inside business families. I explain how informal, relationship‑based ways of working break down as the business grows, and how the clash between the family’s emotional system and the business’s performance system creates chaos, decision paralysis, role confusion, and low‑trust cultures. I also unpack the deeper drivers of conflict: inherited temperament, family‑of‑origin dynamics, unresolved emotional baggage, childhood roles carried into adulthood, and the tension between romantic “families should just work” thinking and the realist need for...

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  Episode #33

  Silence & Secrecy

  May 26, 202621 minS0

  <p>Cause #33</p><p>In this episode, I explore how silence and secrecy quietly undermine family businesses far more often than open conflict ever does. I explain how passive silence allows issues to ferment underground, while active secrecy sends a damaging message of mistrust that can fracture relationships at home and at work. I also unpack the psychological dynamics behind these patterns — from the “pressure cooker” effect in emotionally restrained families to the contrasting resilience of more expressive cultures — and outline the five elements of balanced communication that families must master to prevent assumptions, fear, and hidden resentments from taking over. Fi...

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  Episode #32

  Bloodline Rivalry

  May 18, 202627 minS0

  <p>Cause #32</p><p>In this episode, I explore how bloodline rivalry evolves from childhood sibling competition into one of the most powerful and destructive forces in multi‑generational business families. I explain how each branch of a family develops its own identity, narrative, and expectations — and how these stories, repeated over decades, can harden into entitlement, resentment, and competing claims over wealth, status, and control. I also unpack the hidden drivers behind bloodline conflict, including unequal access to information, parental favouritism, strategic manipulation, and the absence of strong governance systems. Using a real‑world case study, I show how unreso...

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  Episode #31

  Marriage & Divorce

  May 13, 202637 minS0

  <p>Cause #31</p><p>In this episode, I explore how marriage, de facto relationships, separation, divorce, and blended families become powerful catalysts for conflict in business families. I explain how new partners bring their own values, expectations, and influence into the family system, and how legal realities — including de facto rights and the limits of trusts — can expose the business to significant financial risk. I also unpack the emotional dynamics that arise when spouses influence decision‑making, when perceptions of favouritism emerge, or when divorce triggers stress, secrecy, and system‑wide instability. Drawing on real‑world examples, I show how poorly man...

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  Episode #30

  Spousal & Partner Influence on Decision-Making

  Feb 9, 202619 minS0

  <p>Cause #30</p><p>In this episode, I explore how spousal influence can become a powerful force for either stability or conflict in business families. I explain how supportive partners can bring fresh perspective, strengthen the family member they’re with, and reduce tension, while destructive partners can amplify resentment, isolate family members, and even weaponise family dynamics around succession, inheritance, and control. I also outline common spousal roles- protector, interpreter, booster, diplomat, advisor- and the higher-risk patterns such as gold diggers or dominating partners, arguing that the deeper issue is usually the family’s lack of governance. Finally, I shar...

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