Aging: A Plea from Fatherless Sons

One of the most beautiful memories I carry is watching an older white male “adopt” some of my high school classmates. I attended high school in a low income neighborhood, and most of the students were African-American or Latino. I don’t remember his name, but I remember his good works. He lived a few houses down from the school. He would sit on his doorsteps and talk to students when school was out. He did this every single day when the weather was warm enough. The teachers knew and loved him.

Timeless Lessons From a Fourth-Generation Family Business

The Cassim family owns and operates Fashion House based in Johannesburg, South Africa. This family business is celebrating 75 years of supplying textile wholesale to resellers, along with ready made curtains and blankets. Mahmood (father), and sons Abu and Yusuf, shared the following lessons that apply to many family businesses, anywhere.

Planting roots has it's advantages.

Q&A with Cornfields, Inc

 

1. What is the name of the business?

Cornfields, Inc. (a private label healthy snack manufacturer and producer of the G.H. Cretors and Hi I’m Skinny brands)

 

Where can we find info about your family business online? What is the city/state?

www.cornfieldsinc.com, www.ghcretors.com, www.hiimskinny.com

Waukegan, IL

 

2. What makes your business a family business? (w/ spouse and/or children, siblings...)

Claire Cretors is the President of the Company and her mom Phyllis is the CEO. Husband J.B. Weiler is Executive V.P. of Sales. Annie Bailey is Claire’s sister and the Midwest Sales Manager, and Annie’s husband Jeff Bailey is the IT Director. The family business’ roots, however, go as far back as Claire’s great-great-grandfather Charles Cretors, who invented the popcorn machine in 1885.

 

3. How did you come into the business? (transferred, hired by parents? Founder?)

Cornfields, Inc. was founded by Claire’s father, George Henry Cretors in 1991. He was a great-grandson of Charles Cretors, inventor of the popcorn machine. When George Henry passed away in 2004, Phyllis came out of retirement to lead the business and Claire left her job at a DC-based consulting firm to join the Company.  Claire began by learning about all aspects of the business – manufacturing, finance, etc. A few years later, she took over as President and helped spearhead the launch of G.H. Cretors (named after her dad), the Company’s first direct-to-consumer brand.

 

4. What makes your family business experience unique? How is it different from running a "typical" small business?

 

Claire Cretors: My entry into the family business was perhaps a bit unconventional. I was not “groomed” for taking over a family business.  In my case, our family was faced with the loss of my father (the Company’s founder) and I didn’t hesitate for a moment to come home and help. I was motived to not only sustain but build upon my father’s legacy. When I arrived, I discovered that the energy within the walls of Cornfields was distinctive and undoubtedly helped drive our growth.

 

5. What do you love about family business?

Aging: Entrepreneurship or Retirement?

Did you know that some major corporations, including McDonald’s, were founded by adults over age 50? Individuals age 50 and older are developing new business ideas to supplement their income, explore their passions or to transfer wealth to the next generation. Your idea may be the next great success story.

If you were to ask me to describe myself using one word, it would be” entrepreneur.”
Who is an entrepreneur? According to Entrepreneur Magazine, “Entrepreneurs are focused on building and growing an enterprise, whether it’s a brand-new business or transforming an existing company through innovation and making the most of opportunities hidden to others.”

This Family's Business Is Turning Tragedy Into Triumph

 

Laquita Conway and Aaron Baker, a mother and son team, are co-founders of The Center of Restorative Exercise (C.O.R.E.). This family business was birthed as a result of a catastrophic injury. Aaron was a professional motocross racer who broke his neck during a training accident. That injury rendered him a quadriplegic. Laquita could not find a facility that offered ongoing therapeutic exercise for conditions like Aaron's. She decided to open one that would focus on rehabilitation through restorative exercise for individuals suffering a catastrophic injury or illness.

Laquita shares these insights about building a family business:

Turn tragedy into triumph.

Q&A with founder of Café Prima Pasta

What makes your family business experience unique? Everyone in the family plays some role at the restaurant, whether it is officially, such as my father in the kitchen or unofficially with my brother working on our web site and social media. 

How is it different from running a "typical" small business? With a family business, everyone is deeply invested in the outcome but not for personal gains. In a family business you get to spend time with your loved ones, share an incredible experience and have a lot of fun.

What do you love about family business?

Aging: The Power of Many Cultures

We’re living in a community where there is a mix of cultural identities. There seems to be an intellectual awareness that other groups exist, but in many ways, we are segregated. We have a unique opportunity to learn from each other and solve some of the economic and social problems we face. Many senior adults have the time, social network, resources and compassion to create more unity in the community. The benefits are huge.