Strength in Business (Episode 228)

<p>Today’s guests are Dustin Granger and Danielle Granger Nava, the brother-sister duo behind Toujours Planning. Toujours is a full service wealth management firm that caters to professionals and pre-retirees across the US. They join Charlie today to talk about what it’s like to work with a sibling, and how they have been able to foster a great working relationship. </p><p> </p><p>Key Takeaways:</p><p>[2:40] - When it comes to working with siblings or family, there are generally two camps: 1. Yeah, I could do that, and 2. Absolutely not. Dustin and Danielle’s father was in the financial planning business, and Dustin started working for him first before he recruited his sister to join him. </p><p>[6:40] - Danielle talks about her resistance to joining her brother, not because of hesitance about working with her brother, but because of fear about making her way in an industry mostly dominated by males. Dustin also experienced some imposter syndrome as a young professional in the industry.</p><p>[11:25] - The family dynamics are something that had to shift when Dustin took over and Danielle later came on board. Being able to work with his father was a wonderful learning experience, and now Dustin is like a mentor to Danielle. In a similar way, Danielle helps to calm Dustin down, so their dynamic is kind of a hybrid between siblings and best friends. Open communication has been key!</p><p>[17:38] - One of the biggest challenges of working together has been adjusting to their respective managerial roles, and syncing up their communication styles. Whenever there is tension, they resolve it quickly through a conversation. </p><p>[22:00] - They’ve grown together as they have worked together to figure out their roles in a small business, especially the org chart and defining that, not only for Dustin and Danielle, but also for their team. </p><p>[29:10] - Setting boundaries between work and family has been an important part of growth since they started working together as well. It’s important for any working partnership (