Cancelled_For Better or For Work: A Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs and their Families feat. its author: Meg Hirshberg

Organizer

American Chamber of Commerce
in the Czech Republic

When

26.06.2012, 09:00 - 26.06.2012, 10:30

Where

AmCham offices, Dušní 10, Prague 1 Show on map

What

How does someone who is obsessed live peacefully with others who are not? That question summarizes the quandary faced by company founders and their families. To answer it, I examine the impact—for better and for worse—of entrepreneurial businesses on families and relationships, and vice versa. For Better or For Work is a vital guide to navigating the emotional and logistical terrain of business-building while simultaneously enjoying a fulfilling family life. From the trials of co-habiting with a home-based business to the queasy necessity of borrowing money from family and friends to the complexities of intergenerational succession, no topic is taboo. The entrepreneur will learn how to build a successful business without sacrificing healthy family relationships to the financial and emotional rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship. This book is also a reminder that no entrepreneurial family trudges the hard trail of company-building alone. If you have embarked on such an enterprise, you and your spouse will find comfort and guidance in the experiences of others like you. If you have not yet started a business, this book will allow you to take a good hard look before leaping. I draw on the struggles and triumphs that my husband Gary and I experienced as he built Stonyfield Yogurt, and I also share powerful stories and insights from other families, gathered through hundreds of interviews. For Better or For Work will remind you that the long hours and late nights spent on the business or with the family are worth the effort, and will give you tools for making both endeavors successful. About the author: Meg grew up outside New York City and graduated from Brown University with a degree in Comparative Literature. After college she moved to California to work on an organic farm. For three years she ran a science education garden for elementary school children. Her interest in organic growing led her to get a Master’s degree from Cornell Agriculture School, after which she was hired to manage a large organic vegetable operation in New Jersey. Eventually Meg moved to New Hampshire and married Gary Hirshberg, Cofounder and Chairman of Stonyfield Yogurt. Gary was the company’s CEO for 28 years. Meg worked in the business for several years, in sales and yogurt production. Stonyfield took nine painful years to reach profitability, and now, with about $370 million in sales, it is the largest organic yogurt company in the world. After Meg stopped working in the business, she wrote two yogurt cookbooks, and launched a career in freelance nonfiction feature writing for magazines, including Yankee, New Hampshire Magazine, and The Boston Globe Magazine. Currently Meg is a contributing editor and regular columnist for Inc. Magazine. Her column, “Balancing Acts”, focuses on work/life balance issues in an entrepreneurial setting, a subject she also addresses in speaking appearances. Meg and Gary have three children. More information: www.meghirshberg.com Register at registration@amcham.cz. Contact person: Lucie Vrbova, lvrbova@amcham.cz.