Peter Drucker once said, “There is no success without a successor.”  

So many people don’t have a successor, but it’s arguably one of the most important things any business leader can plan. I am blessed to say that my son, Jeremy, is more than just a successor. He is a faithful, qualified, and committed business partner at Desert Star Construction (DSC), and the two of us have been on a healthy journey of leading together. DSC was born out of the carpentry business started when I partnered with my dad at 19 years old. Instead of competing with each other, we completed each other. Having the right person as a partner made all the difference. We worked long hours and remained focused on doing our best daily. This small carpentry business grew into a General Contracting business that builds large estate homes for the wealthiest people in the world.

Regardless of the size of your business, you might wonder how it’s possible to partner successfully with your family members. I often hear, “how can you navigate a family and business relationship without problems?”

Trust must be the foundation of any partnership, especially when it comes to partnership with
your family members.

Ultimately, trust has been at the foundation of our relationship. I had to trust Jeremy enough t
believe he was the right partner. I also had to trust him enough to let go of control and continue
passing him responsibilities in our business. At one point, I had to get four surgeries around the
same time, resulting in a three-month recovery period. Because of the trust, Jeremy had
earned, he fearlessly led the entire time I was away. When I heard how well the projects were
going and how the team was on top of everything, I recognized that my stepping away allowed
Jeremy to lead more confidently.

Since then, I’ve set the boundary of not being a part of every team meeting but only in the
meetings where I can add value. It’s important to me that both Jeremy and the team know that I
trust Jeremy enough to lead. We regularly talk through the space Jeremy needs and which
meetings I need to be part of, which leads to the next part of what makes our partnership
successful…

We’ve prioritized hard, uncomfortable conversations since the beginning.

Before we ever began to lead together, we charted a plan for what the business transition would
look like. We talked through our differences, perceived nepotism, financial tensions, and
anything else that would be difficult to discuss before moving forward.

We continue to have necessary conversations through our monthly “legacy meetings,” where
we only talk business, not family. These meetings have been a pivotal part of our success
because they allow us intentional time for essential training, difficult conversations, and
continued succession planning. If work gets brought up during family time, we bookmark it and
save it for the next “legacy” meeting.

We work well together because both of our hearts are in it.

When looking for a business partner, especially someone in your family, make sure they share
your passion and have the skills to do the job well. We never forced Jeremy to take over; he
wanted to. He pursued multiple degrees, gaining the knowledge and experience he needed to
work within our business and lead it to the next level.

I also think it’s essential to make sure you are choosing a business partner you enjoy being
around and having fun with. We spend so much of our time at work; it must be enjoyable.

Choose a partner or family member whose heart is in the business, and if you know you can’t
have fun with them, I’d urge you to reconsider.

We view our partnership as two servants coming together to serve one another.

I want Jeremy to succeed more than ever before, and I want him to avoid the speed bumps I
had to face on my journey. As faithful servants, we share our inheritance and don’t ignore the
team members who aren’t blood. We make a place for them.

When we recognize that this business is not ours but God’s, we show up and steward it
differently. We open every legacy meeting in prayer and don’t simply delegate to people; we
develop people.

It usually takes fifteen years to transition a family into a business, and we did it in ten. How? I
genuinely believe it’s because of Jeremy and I’s trust, communication, desire, and humility.

I encourage you to let go of your plan and ask God about his plan for your business’s future.

Seeking to live in His reflection,
Jerry