Taking Over the Family Business: Legacy, Pressure, and Proving Yourself

Let’s get the obvious part out of the way: I’m a nepo baby. 

Is Nepotism Bad? The word has negative connotations in the press, so how do you feel? 

Maybe your personal position has a reflection on your general feeling on this.  

If you have never hung onto the coat tails of a family member, you maybe see it as freewheeling and an unfair disadvantage. 

If you are the Nepo baby, then maybe you don’t feel that the tag fits and you appreciate the background effort and potential expectations that have been set for you.  

My mum, Sam, purchased a company in 2016 and brought me into the business very quickly, and today, we run it together. To some people, that might suggest it was all handed to me. That I walked into an office, sat in a chair, and got a free ride into the boardroom. But the reality – like most things in financial planning – is far more nuanced. 

The Gift and the Weight of Legacy 

I left University and very intentionally did not work with my Mum, I started in administration roles in local businesses cutting my teeth and forming ideas, ideologies and structures that I believed in. We rarely spoke about work together.  

When Sam purchased Pentins FP, things were not simple, the business had significant issues that she was trying to address and I joined the business at a very precarious time. To our clients we hope it looked like the Swan on the water, but underneath was frantic change. We had each other’s backs, and we pulled the business out of the weeds. 

There’s no doubt I had an opportunity that many don’t. I was inspired by my mum’s career, saw the impact she had on clients, and knew early on that this was the path I wanted. I studied finance at University with the intention of becoming a financial planner. But following in someone’s footsteps, especially someone as well-respected as your own mother, isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

There’s a pressure that comes with legacy. Some clients knew me when I was a child. And suddenly, I’m not just “Sam’s son” – I’m advising them on their retirement, their business exit, their life goals. That trust doesn’t come automatically, you must earn it. 

The Unseen Work 

What most people don’t see is the work behind the scenes. The years of exams and study, becoming Chartered, then going beyond that to achieve Fellowship. The long hours spent refining systems, building new client experiences, and evolving the business to stay relevant in a fast-changing world. 

We’ve shifted Pentins from a traditional, paper-based advisory firm to a fully independent, lifestyle-led planning practice – equally comfortable working online as in person. That wasn’t inheritance, that was reinvention. And it came with a steep learning curve. I never envisaged being a business owner and having staff to look after, but here I am doing it on a daily basis.  

Working with Mum 

People often ask what it’s like working with my mum. The truth? It’s one of the best parts of what I do – and one of the most challenging. 

We see the world through different lenses and have different personalities. Sam brings deep emotional intelligence, a marketing vibrance and decades of experience. I bring technical format, structure, systems, and process. We don’t always agree but we’ve learned how to balance each other – when to push, when to step back.  

The hardest bit is to keep both our professional and family relationships separated. When we get to speak it is often work related and rarely delves into personal. We have been known to avoid each other at family events to minimise the work chat. Would our relationship be different if we didn’t work together, absolutely, would it be better, I don’t know, but we can’t go back after 9+ years.  

Knowing someone is routed in your camp and there is a wholehearted trust, you never argue for long. If you share core beliefs, there is something uniquely meaningful about building something together – not just for the sake of the business, but for the people we serve.  

More Than Inheritance 

Being a “nepo baby” comes with baggage. It implies things were easy. That success is a given. 

The reality? I had a clear path in my mind and a role model to follow, and I’ve spent every year since trying to prove I can be close to equal to that. Sometimes you are thrust into situations that you don’t always automatically feel comfortable or entitled to, but that is the need of a family business.  

We don’t hide the fact that we’re a family business. In fact, we lean into it. But what we offer isn’t just heritage – it’s hard-earned insight, real empathy, and a commitment to keep showing up and improving, year after year. 

Looking Ahead 

Running Pentins isn’t just about continuing what my mum built. It’s about making sure we evolve, that we stay independent, that we stay client-led, not product-led. And that every person who walks through our doors – virtual or physical – feels heard, supported, and empowered to make better decisions about their future. 

So yes, I’m a nepo baby. But that’s just the start of the story. 

If you’ve ever wondered what, it’s really like behind the scenes of a family business – or you’re thinking about the legacy you’re building – I’d love to hear your perspective. Drop me a message or connect with me on LinkedIn.