Unwrapping the magic of family businesses

BEST PODCAST, 2022

CIPR Excellence Awards

Our MD Liz, and her daughter Leila, Business & Account Manager at Liz Lean PR, host our own podcast, ‘It Runs In The Family’.

Featuring a different family business in each episode, we explore the history and share the learnings from our guest’s experiences over the years. From breweries to garden centres, drink brands to crematoriums, family organisations come in all shapes and sizes and this podcast reveals the stories and lessons from within them.

We discover where human relationship migrates into business; the ups, downs, twists, turns and landmark moments that seal the fate of these fascinating organisations. We discuss how they’ve developed through the generations and the unique advantages they’ve had over their competitors. You’ll get to hear some brilliant life stories too; some to make you laugh and others that’ll warm your heart.

While LLPR has managed numerous corporate client accounts for many years, we also attract a number of family owned and operated businesses, due to our values-led approach. In early 2020, before the pandemic hit, we hosted a lunch event for our family business clients to meet. The discussion around challenges, learnings, plans, thoughts and stories proved valuable and we were pleased to be able to provide clients with an opportunity to hear from likeminded people.

Our ambition is that our new podcast will be a place where listeners can learn from family businesses, either as a family organisation themselves or as individuals interested in this unique way of operating.

As we begin our own journey into the delicate world of the family business, we’ve loved hearing the stories of those who have been there and done it and we hope you’ll enjoy listening these as much as we have.

As seen in

Be our guest

If you work in or run a family business and would like to record your family’s story, please get in touch. We’d be delighted to discuss welcoming you as a guest.

Episode 73: New Forest Ice Cream

Episode show notes A 5 year old Christina Veal wanted ice cream, a simple request that set the wheels in motion on a 40 year legacy in the form of New Forest Ice Cream. Christina and her sister, Niki Jenman, now head up the business whose charm is tangible in every...

Episode 72: Alitex

Episode show notes Greenhouses may not be an essential product, but that makes the charm and connection of family values a non-negotiable for the marvellous Alitex. With celebrity clients from Sheeran to Sting and an indomitable presence at Chelsea Flower Show, it’s...

Episode 71: Lyfeguard

Episode show notes Some businesses’ products you simply can’t, or shouldn’t, live without - Lyfeguard sets out to make everyone’s lives simpler in a way that few other businesses ever can… In the aftermath of a torrid experience handling two late friends’ estates,...

Episode 70: Teals

Episode show notes Forget all you know of a farm shop - Nick and Ash Sinfield have created an iconic location in the business they’ve Co-Founded together: Teals. The couple have created a remarkable blend of commerce and hospitality with a food market, restaurant, and...

Episode 69: The Coconut Tree

Episode show notes Sri Lankan food culture brings people together and always lays a space at the table, and that family feel channels into The Coconut Tree’s 9 fantastic locations. Rashintha Rodrigo’s emotional connection with the business has evolved over its 9 years...

Episode 68: Glenmuir

Episode show notes   Glenmuir’s 130 year legacy stands it in great stead, but Managing Director Mikhel Ruia’s constant innovation and tempered approach keeps them moving ever-forwards. We have the rare opportunity to speak with another business within the same...

Episode 67: Sockshop

Episode show notes ‘Feel good from the feet up’ - one simple phrase underpins the decades-long history of the Sockshop brand, and its direction is guided by the keen intuition of Alok Ruia. As Director of the brand, which lies within the Ruia Group, there’s a...

Episode 66: Care of the Skin

Episode show notes Audrey Githa Goldberg was a health and skincare pioneer, writing two books heralded as ‘bibles’ in their field. That legacy lives on and flourishes through Care of the Skin. The mother & daughter-run business takes its name from one of these...

Episode 65: Maisons Pariente

Episode show notes There’s no shortage of hotels offering 5-star experiences, but without the familial touch that’s present in Maisons Pariente’s resorts, they pail in comparison. Launching all three hotels in the same year is challenging enough, let alone having one...

Episode 63: Phillip Kingsley

Episode show notes Creating a world-first product is already an admirable feat, but to do so with Audrey Hepburn as your collaborator is almost unimaginable. Philip Kingsley created the ‘Elasticizer’ for his eponymous brand, and his passion for haircare &...

Episode 62: Boxbollen

Episode show notes A universally loved product for all generations is a remarkable starting point for a business to go global, and an exciting reality for the Eriksson brothers behind Boxbollen. Jacob & Victor have developed a ‘PlayTech’ product earning celebrity...

Episode 61: iampro

Episode show notes As one of three Co-Founders, Emma Brooks deals not only with a sibling in business, but a spouse too - a unique blueprint to say the least! Emma is Managing Director of iampro alongside husband Ben, Head of Production, and sister Charlie, whose face...

Episode 60: Teemill

Episode show notes Sustainability is the seed at the heart of Teemill, and it’s only grown to such an extravagant extent through the shared vision and values of Mart and Rob Drake-Knight. The siblings behind the brand have leveraged ‘Isle of Wight mentality’ to go...

Episode 59: Celebrating 25 years of LLPR and Our Series Highlights So Far with Liz and Leila Willingham

Episode show notes It’s been 58 episodes of family business revelations so far on It Runs In The Family, and it’s time we take an exploded view on our marvellous guests, with a forensic look into our very own family business DNA too… As we celebrate an incredible 25...

Episode 58: COOK

Episode show notes Few kitchens in the UK will be unfamiliar with COOK, a business whose youthful ambitions fuelled the success of their award-winning brand. There’s a delightful culture and commitment to quality shared by Co-CEOs Edward Perry and Rosie Brown, who...

Episode 57: Yester Home

Episode show notes When it comes to home decor, one should seldom skim on quality, and that passion seeps through every facet of Yester Home and its 2nd generation Managing Director, Edward Styles. Sharing a glimpse into an entrepreneurial family in which he...

Episode 56: Open Study College

Episode show notes Open Study College began life in a garage 16 years ago, long before remote learning was rife, which makes their multi-million pound growth that much more staggering. Co-Founder Samantha Rutter-Bryant now bears the torch, working closely with sister...

Episode 55: Choc on Choc

Episode show notes Chocolate: a medium in which 99% of products look near-enough identical. Choc on Choc are proud producers of that dazzling, awe-inspiring 1%. From edible dumbbells and banquets to 6ft chocolate tables and faces of royals, the creative spark behind...

Episode 54: Henley Distillery

Episode show notes Sometimes it’s adversity that can most effectively generate the determination and drive to really succeed. Such is the case with award-winning Henley Distillery. Jacob and Alan Wilson are a formidable father-son duo who have Co-Founded and grown...

Episode 53: Bundle Beds

Episode show notes Siblings can be incredibly brutal with each other, but the thick skin that comes from brother-sister banter can be the perfect foundation for business partners… Bundle Beds is the brainchild of Lucy Bartlett, and while she may have begun with a...

Episode 52: Spice Kitchen

Episode show notes For some, retirement is not the end of a career, rather a new beginning with limitless potential. That much is certain for Shashi Aggarwal… Founding the now-global business Spice Kitchen from the humble beginnings of an eBay listing, on the...

Episode 51: St Giles House

Episode show notes Nick Ashley-Cooper’s family business story is utterly unique, truly captivating, and demonstrates the power of human spirit in the face of adversity. Placed at the helm of St Giles House & Estate after the loss of two family members in just 6...

Episode 50: Heck

Episode show notes While their product range is always growing, if you know sausages then you most likely know HECK.  There are some incredibly strong family roots behind a brand that’s using its power to highlight great causes, something that’s clear to see from...

Episode 49: Alderford Lake

Episode show notes What was once only an arable farm is now host to a leisure venue buzzing with events and experiences, which demonstrates the creativity and commitment of Alderford’s incredible team. With 2nd generation Manager Rob Bebbington at the helm, Alderford...

Episode 48: Copas Traditional Turkeys

Episode show notes What is Christmas without Turkey? It’s the essential centrepiece of Christmas dinner, and there’s a world of care, commitment and craft that’s often taken for granted. While the award-winning Copas Traditional Turkeys was established in 1957, the...

Episode 47: Ballie Ballerson

Episode show notes A ball pit bar - what a novel concept. Great for a one month popup, but to still be going years later shows that it’s more than a simple gimmick.  What sets Ballie Ballerson apart from anyone who dares to copy their idea is their dedication to the...

Episode 46: Don’t Buy Her Flowers

Episode show notes Gift giving seasons sneak up on us far more than we’d care to admit, which is exactly why Don’t Buy Her Flowers’ unique-yet-relatable premise has thrived throughout its 8 year run so far. Founding the business after a barrage of bouquets for her...

Episode 45: The Gut Stuff

Episode show notes   Lisa & Alana MacFarlane are identical mirror twins, have reached dizzying heights as DJs on Love Island and Virgin Radio, and since 2017 have been transforming our relationship with gut health.   It seems like there’s very little that the...

Episode 44: Quicke’s Traditional

Episode show notes A business established in the 16th century carries with it an enormous heritage. Rather than seeing that as an anchor, Mary and Jane Quicke consider it an empowering inspiration. Quicke’s Traditional started life in 1540, and as it continues under...

Episode 43: Hertility

Episode show notes We’re long overdue a rewrite of the narrative surrounding women’s health, motherhood and their careers, and it’s the twin Co-Founders of Hertility who’re holding the pen. Helen & Deirdre O’Neill were born just minutes apart, and despite their...

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