Family businesses are complicated. Anyone who has been part of one knows that. They are built on trust, history, and shared sacrifice, but they also carry emotion, expectations, and unspoken rules. I grew up around a family business, worked in it for more than a decade, and eventually stepped out to build companies of my own. That journey shaped how I think about legacy, independence, and what it really means to build something that lasts.
This is not a story about leaving and burning bridges. It is a story about learning how to honor where you came from while still creating space to grow.
Growing Up Around Aurora Products
Aurora Products was part of my world long before I worked there. My mother built it after raising four kids. She has a background in chemistry, and she paired that with a willingness to take risks. Watching her build a company from the ground up left a mark on me, even if I did not fully appreciate it at the time.
When I joined Aurora in 2005, I did not walk into a corner office. I started as an assistant to the general manager. That mattered. I learned the business from the inside. I saw how raw materials turned into finished products. I saw how decisions in one department affected everyone else. I also saw how much responsibility comes with employing people and delivering consistently to customers.
Working in a family business means you do not just carry your own performance. You carry the family name. That pressure can be motivating, but it can also blur lines if you are not careful.
Earning Your Place Matters
One of the most important things I learned at Aurora is that credibility cannot be inherited. It has to be earned. People can tell very quickly if someone is in a role because of family ties or because they are capable.
I worked hard to earn trust. I asked questions. I listened. I took on unglamorous work. Over time, I moved into leadership roles and eventually became Vice President of Operations. That path helped me understand how fragile trust can be in a family-run company and how important fairness and clarity are.
If you want a family business to survive into the next generation, you have to protect that trust. Titles and authority only work when people believe they are deserved.
Knowing When It Is Time to Build Your Own Thing
After more than a decade at Aurora, I felt a pull to build something of my own. That desire was not about dissatisfaction. It was about growth. I wanted to make decisions end to end. I wanted to take full responsibility for outcomes. I wanted to test myself outside the family structure.
Leaving was not easy. Family businesses are not just jobs. They are part of your identity. Walking away can feel like you are stepping away from the story that shaped you.
Starting CyclElectric was my first real leap. It was exciting and humbling. It taught me how hard it is to compete in a crowded market and how quickly external forces can reshape your plans. That experience did not diminish the legacy I came from. It deepened my respect for it.
Carrying the Lessons Forward
Even after leaving Aurora, its influence never left me. The way I think about operations, quality, and responsibility comes directly from that experience.
When I later started Woodbridge Farms and SeaSide Properties, I carried those lessons with me. Build strong systems. Respect the people doing the work. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Think long term even when short-term wins are tempting.
Legacy is not about copying what came before. It is about applying its principles in new ways.
Managing Family Dynamics with Clarity
One of the hardest parts of modern family businesses is separating roles from relationships. Families are emotional systems. Businesses need clarity. When those two mix without boundaries, tension grows.
I learned the importance of clear roles and honest communication. Expectations need to be stated, not assumed. Decisions need to be explained, not implied. Respect goes both ways.
When I stepped out to build my own ventures, those dynamics shifted again. I was no longer an operator inside the family company. I was a founder building something separate. That required mutual understanding and trust.
Maintaining strong family relationships while pursuing independence requires maturity on all sides. It means supporting each other’s paths without turning them into comparisons or competitions.
Building Something New Without Rejecting the Past
There is a temptation when starting your own company to distance yourself from where you came from. I think that is a mistake. The past is not a constraint unless you treat it like one.
I am proud of Aurora Products. I am proud of my mother’s work and what the company represents. My own businesses do not exist in opposition to that. They exist alongside it.
Woodbridge Farms is different in industry and structure, but it is built on the same values. Quality matters. Relationships matter. Reputation matters. Those principles are transferable across any business.
What Legacy Really Means
Legacy is not a logo or a product line. It is a way of thinking. It is how you handle pressure. It is how you treat people when no one is watching. It is whether you build things that last beyond your own involvement.
For me, honoring legacy means teaching my kids that work has dignity, that patience matters, and that success does not come from shortcuts. It also means showing them that it is okay to build something new, even if it looks different from what came before.
Balance Comes First
Modern family businesses require balance. You need respect for the past and courage to evolve. You need loyalty without stagnation. You need independence without rejection.
My path from Aurora Products to my own ventures was not a clean break. It was a continuation. Everything I build today is informed by what I learned then.
If you come from a family business and feel the pull to do your own thing, know this. You do not have to choose between legacy and growth. With honesty, humility, and clear boundaries, you can have both.