E45: The Way You Think About Legacy May Be Destroying Your Business

What if the very thing you think is preserving your legacy is actually destroying it? Drawing from his experience as a fourth-generation leader of a 100-year-old company, Adam Hill reveals why the traditional focus on preservation is creating a "legacy trap" that's dooming families to the three-generation curse. This isn't just theory. It's hard-won wisdom from someone who watched his own family business nearly collapse under the weight of trying to preserve what was–instead of preparing what could be.  Discover why 70% of family businesses fail to transition to the second generation, how the hero's journey applies to family legacy, and the critical difference between creating mythology versus building a blueprint for the future. If you're a family business leader worried about succession, this episode will fundamentally shift how you think about preparing the next generation. 0:00 Introduction 6:45 The Legacy Trap That Nearly Destroyed Our Business 9:12 Why 70% of Family Businesses Fail by Generation Two 12:30 Preservation vs. Preparation: The Critical Difference 15:18 The Sacred Cow Problem in Multi-Generational Companies 18:45 Why Value Creation Is the True Foundation of Legacy 21:33 Individual Legacy vs. Collective Legacy 23:20 The Hero's Journey and Family Business Succession Resources Mentioned: 📚 “The Hero's Journey” by Joseph Campbell: https://a.co/d/64dkfvZ 📧 Contact Adam to request a free 90-minute EOS workshop: adam.hill@eosworldwide.com Follow Adam: IG: @theadamchill YouTube: @adamchill LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamchill