Hirshberg, Meg

How does someone who is obsessed live peacefully with others who are not? That ques- tion summarizes the quandary faced by company founders and their families. To answer it, author Meg Cadoux Hirshberg examines the impacts—for better and for worse—of entrepreneurial businesses on families and relationships.

Practically, this is a vital guide to navigating the emotional and logistical terrain of business-building while simultaneously enjoying a fulfilling family life. Whether discussing the trials of cohabiting with a home-based business, or the queasy necessity of borrowing money from family and friends, or the complexities of intergenerational succession, no topic is taboo. The author draws from the vast struggles and the amazing triumphs she and husband Gary Hirshberg experienced as he built Stonyfield Farm, an organic yogurt company. But she also reveals emotional, compelling stories and deep insights from other entrepreneurial families, gathered through hundreds of interviews.

For Better or For Work will remind readers that none of them trudges the hard trail of company-building alone.