It Runs In The Family
Hello! We're Liz & Leila Willingham and welcome to "It Runs In The Family". We're the mother and daughter duo working within the public relations and communications agency, Liz Lean PR. Running a business is hard - really hard. Every business has its challenges and it's own ups and downs - but in a family business, this is often exaggerated by the willingness to speak your mind. But it also has some huge advantages that the corporate cultures just can't compete with. In this podcast, featuring a different family business guest in each episode, we're going to be digging into the stories, values and traditions of other family and multi-generational businesses. We'll explore their history, learnings and how they've developed through the generations and the unique advantages they've had over their competitors. We discover where human relationship migrates into business; the ups, downs, twists, turns and landmark moments that seal the fate of these fascinating organisations. You’ll get to hear some brilliant life stories too; some to make you laugh and others that’ll warm your heart. Many of our clients are family businesses who we've worked very closely with over a number of years - we've heard brilliant stories that reveal true values and fun operating as a family business. We want you to feel inspired by stories of others, find their honesty relatable and reach out to us with your own experiences. If you have any questions for future guests, have a story of your own or have any feedback please do feel free to get in touch on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itrunsinthefamilypodcast/
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 54 minutes
- Episodes
- 121
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
The Recipe to Creating a Lasting Legacy with Vittoria Group’s Tony and Alberto Crolla #119
“You’re only as good as your last dish” - for the Crolla family, that means asserting excellence and creating lasting memories for everyone who comes through their doors.
The Vittoria Group’s successe…
How Mercat Tours Became an Edinburgh Icon with Kat and Des Brogan #118
The Brogan family are storytellers through and through; it’s only fitting that the story behind their own business is worth its weight in gold.
Father Des Brogan started Mercat Tours, and under Kat’s …
Baking Up a Storm: The Authentic Rise of Comptoir Bakery with Sebastien, Quentin and Lola Wind #117
There’s a hilarious dynamic at the heart of the Wind family, which fuels their very serious passion for culinary excellence with Comptoir Bakery.
Sebastien has carefully crafted the business into one …
The Brand with a Buzz: Behind Neve’s Bees’ Sustainable Success with Julie and Ross Macken #116
A 9 year old Neve Macken posed a question 14 years ago about beekeeping… what grew from that moment set in motion a bee-auty brand with a difference.
Neve’s Bees is the brainchild of Julie and Ross Ma…
The Perfect Fit: A 222 Year Legacy of Shoe Fitting Service with W J French & Sons’ Caroline Osman and Richard French #115
There’s no older shoe shop in the UK to have been passed down through 8 generations than a Southampton staple: the 222-year old W J French & Son!
They remain faithful to tradition, but have moved with…
Sustainable Style with Siblings at the Steering Wheel with Kite Clothing #114
We’re treated to so many accounts of family businesses working with non-family members, but what’s life like on the other side of the equation…?
The irresistible charm of Kite Clothing’s ranges is mad…
Growing Together: Collaborating With Your Kin with Charlie and Henrietta Tomlinson #113
When picking a fellow business to partner up with, it’s rare to find collaboration with kin, but that’s the exciting reality for sisters Charlie and Henrietta Tomlinson…
Wild & Seek has recently opene…
Spinning Success from a Spark with Woolcool’s Angela and Josie Morris #112
From a simple idea for wool-insulated packaging, the revolutionary Woolcool was born…
Two decades after that creative spark, Angela Morris and her daughter Josie head up a brand which puts people, pur…
Greatness From Sweet Beginnings: The Fascinating Evolution of Fairacres Group with Directors Mike & Rosie Kean #111
Fairacres Group began with Mike Kean’s father making boiled sweets. Decades later, it’s an icon on the South Coast with its roles in property, hospitality and a legendary ferry.
The business, much lik…
A Century of Security as Sheffield’s Master Locksmiths with H Harrold & Sons Directors, Harry and Jordan Harrold #110
H Harrold & Sons have the fine privilege of being Sheffield’s only Master Locksmiths, a testament to the longevity of this 5th generation family firm.
Now with Directors Jordan and Harry in the fold, …
Homecare Redefined: Award-Winning Care from Two Stellar Siblings with Amrit Dhaliwal and Kam Gill #109
Walfinch is a thriving homecare franchise which blends entrepreneurial ambition with family-focused care.
Who better to care for families than a family business? Amrit Dhaliwal and Kam Gill are siblin…
By Royal Decree: The Kids’ Clothing Brand Fit For a (Future) King with Rachel Riley and Rose Jouanneau #108
When Prince George was crowned on GQ’s ‘Best Dressed Men’ list aged 4, it’s in no small part to this week’s guests, Rachel Riley and Rose Jouanneau!
Rachel created her namesake clothing brand for chil…
TLC Sport: The Clothing Company Behind 4 Decades of Iconic Empowerment with Sara Hanna and Charlotte Ayoub #107
At the heart of the TLC Sport story are a mother and daughter whose passion for empowering the women who wear their clothing is felt in every thread…
The mission remains just the same now as when they…
Generational Lessons on the Whole Family Business Lifecycle with Gary & Lucy Beckwith #106
Gary Beckwith has had an extraordinary business journey, one from which every generation of any family firm can learn…
From firing his father in order to grow the business, to working with his childre…
Behind the Scenes of the First B-Corp Cheesemaker with Sharpham Dairy’s Greg & Nicky Parsons #105
Sharpham Dairy is the UK’s first B-Corp cheesemaker, a seemingly daunting challenge, but as a family business, the B-Corp values were already their own…
Cheesemaking at Sharpham began over 40 years ag…
Blending Legacy with Evolution in a Beloved Blackburn Brand with Graham & Brown’s Andrew and Iona Graham #104
There’s an art to family businesses, and if it’s mastered half as well as Graham & Brown have mastered their wallpaper designs, they’ll be thriving for generations to come.
The 4th gen is now firmly i…
The Heart and Handmade Care Behind Coca Cola’s New Mentee with Bumble & Goose’s Director, Lynsey Bleakley #103
We’ve yet another Northern Irish-based family brand to bring you, this time in the form of luxury bakehouse Bumble & Goose, whose care and handmade quality are second to none.
There are few Founders m…
The Inside Scoop on 5 Generations of Ice Cream with Arnaldo and Daniela Morelli #102
Morelli Ice Cream’s humble beginnings lie with Peter, one of nine brothers, and several generations later the business thrives with four siblings writing its legacy.
Taking us behind the innovative fl…
The Recipe for Centuries of Success with Stokes Tea & Coffee’s Nick Peel and Emma Olivier-Townrow #101
Before Starbucks in 1971 came the first coffee shop in 1919… and decades before that, Robert Stokes launched a brand which would span centuries.
Now under 4th generation leadership with great-grandson…
The Quintessential Family Business Story with Barker Group’s Former-MD, Matthew Barker #100
Welcome to our 100th episode of It Runs In The Family, and what a celebration we have for you - we present the quintessential family business story.
Matthew Barker’s journey with the family firm is a …