By Donnie Hornback
I had always envisioned my son taking over my company after me. As parents, we dream of watching our children prosper in their careers and want to do whatever we can to help them succeed. When you own a business, having them follow in your footsteps seems like the perfect way to ensure their success.
I saw my company, Hornback Plumbing, as a way to create a family legacy. When my son Jesse began working with me, it filled me with immense pride. Seeing my career and business becoming something we could share together was thrilling and exactly what I had hoped would happen. Soon, I could hand the reins over to him and step away.
(eft to right) Donnie and Jesse Hornback.
What I didn’t consider is that this may not have been what he wanted.
Jesse had been working to impress me. He started taking on responsibilities he thought I wanted him to take on and shied away from different sectors of the company where his interests truly lay. He was working hard, but that’s all I could see; I didn’t realize that his heart wasn’t in it.
In 2022, after several conversations with Jesse, I decided to sell the company to Leap Partners. But it wasn’t until months later that Jesse confided in me that he had been overwhelmed by the idea of succeeding me. The sale came as a relief for him and ended up changing both of our lives for the better. Since the sale, I’ve been able to watch him become independent and flourish in his career — freed from the burden of my expectations.
It was an eye-opening moment for me and allowed me to gain perspective on the things I learned about the special nature of working so closely with one of your children.
Collaboration is vital
Working with your children in an intensive industry like plumbing can create a working relationship that’s overbearing for them. You can’t just move the same parent-child dynamic into business and expect it to work. Make sure you keep an open dialogue and create an atmosphere of collaboration. Being stubborn with your own ideas all the time won’t work. There are likely times when they might know better than you.
I remember one instance when Jesse was adamant that we needed a heavier truck to pull an excavator. While I disagreed, I trusted his judgment, and it turned out he was right. It was the perfect truck for that project and is one that will continue to benefit our company for years to come.
Failure can be good
I found one of the hardest parts of working so closely with your children is letting them learn from their mistakes. As parents, it’s instinctive to protect them; but they must have the freedom to learn on their own and make their own mistakes. Don’t throw them to the wolves, but minor setbacks can be perfect learning opportunities. Sometimes, failure is the best way to reach success.
Above all else, trust them
The best advice I can give is simple: Trust your kids. Understand that what you want might be entirely different from the path they see for themselves. After hearing Jesse’s relief about the sale, I realized how essential it is to have a transparent relationship when working with your children. I didn’t have this kind of relationship with him before, and now I can see this had been stifling his personal development.
It’s OK for them to not want what you want. Finding a partner like Leap that helped us walk through these challenges, while supporting our company, was such a relief. They helped our company through the transition and provided support for us along the way.
Since the acquisition, I have seen Jesse prosper in his career. He’s found his passion within the company without having the pressure of becoming the boss and can now pursue his own career path.
Stepping back from what I wanted allowed my company’s legacy to remain intact and alleviated the pressure on Jesse. Now, with the help and guidance of Leap Partners, he’s in a position where he can truly thrive professionally — in the way he wants to. And I’ve never been prouder to be his father.
Author Bio: Donnie Hornback is the general manager of Hornback Plumbing, a member of the Leap Partners family, operating in South Central Kentucky. He started the company in 2005 and has since expanded his services to include more than 20 home services associates, including his son Jesse.
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