Family Business/Business Family Episode 30: Turning Loss Into Leadership | Polishing a Founder’s Vision | Clarity and Co-Leadership
Nov 11, 2025
Join Jessica Johnson-Cope, CEO of Johnson Security Bureau, who transformed family tragedy into leadership, guiding her business beyond its 50th year. Ryan Berg, co-president of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, shares insights on growing a luxury brand with a focus on community and people-first values. Alex Loewenstein from Lowy Foods discusses the challenges and rewards of co-leading a legacy business while balancing innovation and family trust. Their conversations are filled with inspiration around leadership, philanthropy, and preparing future generations.
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Trust Enables Tough Business Choices
- Alex emphasizes separating family from business decisions and committing to transparency.
- Trust, honesty, and disagree-and-commit culture let business choices stay professional.
Predefine Decision Ownership
- Define decision domains early and assign clear ownership for departments.
- Plan tie-breakers for 50-50 partnerships so decisions can move forward.
Complementary Roles in Co-Leadership
- Alex and Judd split responsibilities by strengths: Alex leads go-to-market; Judd runs operations.
- Their complementary skills let them defer to each other's domain when needed.