09.02.20
Last month I said goodbye to my mother, Virginia LaManna. She was known by friends as Busia, Abuelita and “Virg,” and she was mother and grandmother to all who met her. Mom passed, peacefully and with dignity, with my father beside her and her rosary in her hands. God was the center of her life, and her faith was the guide book of how she lived and made her contributions on this Earth.
Growing up, I saw how my mother was the heart of the family, keeping all the parts moving while my father, Carlo LaManna, poured himself into work. As the children came along, he took a job at Vomela Specialty Company and later purchased the business.
Carlo worked around the clock, including weekends. He came from an Italian family where there was a drive to succeed, to develop productive connections, and to make the most of opportunities in the US. Meanwhile, my mother managed our family activities, helped with homework, taught us sports and good sportsmanship, created a warm environment for my brothers and sisters, kept track of our friends, and centered us around our church and our faith.
We were a family of 13 – mom, dad and 11 kids. My first-generation parents raised us with the values of their heritage: old-fashioned hard work, humility, teamwork, sacrifice for the family, and the Ten Commandments.
When it came to the Ten Commandments, those operating principles went beyond our family home and flowed into the business.
Busia on board
My mom was on the Board of Directors for Vomela Specialty Company, our family business. Like many family businesses, where the spouse of the owner is on the Board, mom was the voice of the people. She looked out for the family interests as well as the employees. I would hear her tell my dad, “Always do the right thing.” She would remind us how important the employees and family members are to a business – before equipment, real estate, and the almighty dollar. She said, “Take care of the people first.”
After a time, that message was embedded into my father’s belief system. He codified it, and made it repeatable and memorable. But at the very beginning, my mom was the one who instilled that culture into the business. In that way, Busia was instrumental to the intrinsic culture of Vomela Specialty Company.
My mother was a modest person with a simple upbringing and Polish traditions. Coming from a family with little money, she stepped into her role in our family business with high principles, heart-centered leadership, ethics and a belief in her family.
These are the things that every family-run business needs and often overlooks.
Busia’s role
I find that many family businesses started out with a person like my mom, but perhaps he or she has retired or passed. Often I see in my clients’ businesses that there has been no effort to replace the “Busia” type person, who can be so vital to the culture and success of a company. If you were to hire specifically for that position, what would you look for?
Best of Busia
First of all, you might look within the extended family for a person who is going to look out for the interests of the family. Many times, this responsibility is turned over to the family lawyer. Yes, an attorney is evaluating your legal interests, and sometimes your business and financial interests, but they are not the compassionate person who will look at the big picture.
You want a person who understands the dynamics of families and who is ready to get to know the family deeply, even if they are not a family member. You want someone who is looking out for the longevity of the business and not someone who will potentially benefit if the business goes bankrupt. It sounds cliche, but this person’s heart should be pure.
Next, you want someone with impeccable ethics. There can be no sliding scale with integrity. Of course, this is the kind of person you want to hire in any position in your business, but for this role in particular, it’s vital.
Benefits of Busia
What other traits did my mother have that would benefit a family business? She had, what we call these days, emotional intelligence. Humor, warmth, compassion. A genuine interest and curiosity about life and an appreciation for other human beings. Grace, generosity, forgiveness. Practicality, modesty, loyalty. Charity, fairness, friendship. Patience, persistence and a belief that everything would turn out right.
Busia-type people in your business
In many ways, you can see that this type of wise, heart-centered person is a perfect complement to an owner-type person. To help my clients make the connection, I call this type of person “Busia,” in honor of my mom. Owners of a family business, especially the founders, usually are driven to perform, centered around money and profit, and tightly focused on operations and sales. This is not a gender description. This is true of both women and men owners. Whether man or woman, family member or not, a Busia in the business adds dimension, humanity and an objective eye.
I have found also that businesses that incorporate and listen to a heart-centered perspective will benefit from a visionary who looks further down the road. In fact, in turbulent times like we are experiencing right now, a Busia onboard could help you weather the storm.
Busia and the big picture
With our world currently upside down, I’m sure you are looking at your business and weighing the factors that will get you through the next 12 to 18 months. You may be thinking that the last thing you need is to add another person to the payroll. You may not want the uncertainty of someone who may be a drain rather than a gain.
Busia and the family legacy
Remember, your business is not all about profit. It is about your legacy, the future, how the business financially and emotionally supports and nourishes your family, and its overall contribution to society.
If you do not have a Busia in your business, think about it. We are on the cusp of a new reality, with major disruption, and many things will have to change. I know from the experience within my own family business that the right Busia will keep you on course and remind you of the things that are truly important.
As we move forward in this new reality, take time to evaluate all the aspects of your business that touch the world. Busia would tell us: “Let go of the things that don’t matter. Put family, faith and love at the center. Take care of each other. Do the right thing. People first.”
My commitment to our industry comes from my mother’s and father’s lessons and those of my lifelong coaches. For my clients, I promise to do the right thing and support the people first. I’ve committed my values and trust, just as my parents have, to educate and enrich, and to take responsibility for paying it forward to the next generation.
Rock LaManna helps label, printing and graphics company owners make better decisions. If you are ready to sell your business or improve your bottom line, integrity matters! Email Rock@ RockLaManna for a confidential discussion.
Growing up, I saw how my mother was the heart of the family, keeping all the parts moving while my father, Carlo LaManna, poured himself into work. As the children came along, he took a job at Vomela Specialty Company and later purchased the business.
Carlo worked around the clock, including weekends. He came from an Italian family where there was a drive to succeed, to develop productive connections, and to make the most of opportunities in the US. Meanwhile, my mother managed our family activities, helped with homework, taught us sports and good sportsmanship, created a warm environment for my brothers and sisters, kept track of our friends, and centered us around our church and our faith.
We were a family of 13 – mom, dad and 11 kids. My first-generation parents raised us with the values of their heritage: old-fashioned hard work, humility, teamwork, sacrifice for the family, and the Ten Commandments.
When it came to the Ten Commandments, those operating principles went beyond our family home and flowed into the business.
Busia on board
My mom was on the Board of Directors for Vomela Specialty Company, our family business. Like many family businesses, where the spouse of the owner is on the Board, mom was the voice of the people. She looked out for the family interests as well as the employees. I would hear her tell my dad, “Always do the right thing.” She would remind us how important the employees and family members are to a business – before equipment, real estate, and the almighty dollar. She said, “Take care of the people first.”
After a time, that message was embedded into my father’s belief system. He codified it, and made it repeatable and memorable. But at the very beginning, my mom was the one who instilled that culture into the business. In that way, Busia was instrumental to the intrinsic culture of Vomela Specialty Company.
My mother was a modest person with a simple upbringing and Polish traditions. Coming from a family with little money, she stepped into her role in our family business with high principles, heart-centered leadership, ethics and a belief in her family.
These are the things that every family-run business needs and often overlooks.
Busia’s role
I find that many family businesses started out with a person like my mom, but perhaps he or she has retired or passed. Often I see in my clients’ businesses that there has been no effort to replace the “Busia” type person, who can be so vital to the culture and success of a company. If you were to hire specifically for that position, what would you look for?
Best of Busia
First of all, you might look within the extended family for a person who is going to look out for the interests of the family. Many times, this responsibility is turned over to the family lawyer. Yes, an attorney is evaluating your legal interests, and sometimes your business and financial interests, but they are not the compassionate person who will look at the big picture.
You want a person who understands the dynamics of families and who is ready to get to know the family deeply, even if they are not a family member. You want someone who is looking out for the longevity of the business and not someone who will potentially benefit if the business goes bankrupt. It sounds cliche, but this person’s heart should be pure.
Next, you want someone with impeccable ethics. There can be no sliding scale with integrity. Of course, this is the kind of person you want to hire in any position in your business, but for this role in particular, it’s vital.
Benefits of Busia
What other traits did my mother have that would benefit a family business? She had, what we call these days, emotional intelligence. Humor, warmth, compassion. A genuine interest and curiosity about life and an appreciation for other human beings. Grace, generosity, forgiveness. Practicality, modesty, loyalty. Charity, fairness, friendship. Patience, persistence and a belief that everything would turn out right.
Busia-type people in your business
In many ways, you can see that this type of wise, heart-centered person is a perfect complement to an owner-type person. To help my clients make the connection, I call this type of person “Busia,” in honor of my mom. Owners of a family business, especially the founders, usually are driven to perform, centered around money and profit, and tightly focused on operations and sales. This is not a gender description. This is true of both women and men owners. Whether man or woman, family member or not, a Busia in the business adds dimension, humanity and an objective eye.
I have found also that businesses that incorporate and listen to a heart-centered perspective will benefit from a visionary who looks further down the road. In fact, in turbulent times like we are experiencing right now, a Busia onboard could help you weather the storm.
Busia and the big picture
With our world currently upside down, I’m sure you are looking at your business and weighing the factors that will get you through the next 12 to 18 months. You may be thinking that the last thing you need is to add another person to the payroll. You may not want the uncertainty of someone who may be a drain rather than a gain.
Busia and the family legacy
Remember, your business is not all about profit. It is about your legacy, the future, how the business financially and emotionally supports and nourishes your family, and its overall contribution to society.
If you do not have a Busia in your business, think about it. We are on the cusp of a new reality, with major disruption, and many things will have to change. I know from the experience within my own family business that the right Busia will keep you on course and remind you of the things that are truly important.
As we move forward in this new reality, take time to evaluate all the aspects of your business that touch the world. Busia would tell us: “Let go of the things that don’t matter. Put family, faith and love at the center. Take care of each other. Do the right thing. People first.”
My commitment to our industry comes from my mother’s and father’s lessons and those of my lifelong coaches. For my clients, I promise to do the right thing and support the people first. I’ve committed my values and trust, just as my parents have, to educate and enrich, and to take responsibility for paying it forward to the next generation.
Rock LaManna helps label, printing and graphics company owners make better decisions. If you are ready to sell your business or improve your bottom line, integrity matters! Email Rock@ RockLaManna for a confidential discussion.