It’s probably been 10+ years since my dad had been to an Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) (ISRI) event, so I was excited to for him to see how much has changed in that short amount of time. But what I was the most excited about was to connect him with some of the “old dogs” in our industry that he has so much history with. I am not going to say it was an easy sell to get him to climb on stage with me, but when I told him there was a nice cigar, a nice glass of whiskey, and an opportunity to catch up with our good friend Jay Robinovitz , it made it a little easier to make it happen.
Jay and my dad go back to our days when we partnered with Schnitzer Steel, and both come from family business backgrounds. Both took very different paths to get where they are today and I would consider both of them very successful. One left a publicly traded company to go on to build a behemoth of a private family-owned company in the recycling industry and the other built on the back of his father’s company and passed down many of the skills I possess today in our family company (United Metals Recycling).
Generational Courage stands for many things in my eyes, but the biggest thing it defines is one person’s willingness to show the generation below them what success can look like if you have the courage to pursue it. Through a strong work ethic, willingness to bet on yourself, and the fortitude to overcome obstacles that are sure to come your way anything is possible.
I hope you enjoy this podcast, it was a special one for me and a day I will never forget. I encourage all family businesses to take the time to sit down and record the history of their family business. You might shed a tear, and I am sure you will share a laugh, but more importantly, you have the opportunity to help explain the positive impact that the courage to keep pushing can have on the up-and-coming generations behind you. Enjoy!
