The Road to Why

May 15 2024 8

The Road to Why Podcast artwork

From start-up entrepreneurs to multi-generational family business owners, most founders are driven to succeed for reasons well beyond making money. Whether it’s a passion for reshaping their industry, building a family legacy or advancing the causes they care most about — or, in many cases, all of the above — exploring the larger “why” of their life’s work offers insights into how successful leaders operate and what is really important to them. On The Road to Why, host Eric Czepyha, Director of Business Services at Northern Trust, speaks with business owners, entrepreneurs and visionaries about business, family, wealth and legacy and shares advice and life lessons from those who have found success in ways expected and unexpected.

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Getting Comfortable with Transparency with Michael Kiolbassa (Kiolbassa Provision Company)

May 15 2024 26 mins

Michael Kiolbassa is CEO of San Antonio-based Kiolbassa Provision Company which was started by his grandfather 75 years ago. The company makes hand-crafted smoked sausages and bacon and has become the #2 beef sausage brand in the U.S. But the road has not been easy. In fact, each generation has had to reinvent the business in their own way to keep it moving forward. Michael shares

Checking Your Ego at the Door with John Oppenheimer (Columbia Hospitality)

Apr 15 2024 30 mins

John Oppenheimer is the founder and chairman of Seattle-based Columbia Hospitality, which manages over 100 properties across the U.S., including hotels, resorts, golf courses, residential communities and event venues. In addition to launching Columbia Hospitality in 1995, John has also founded five other successful, hospitality-related businesses. In this episode, John discusses a

Unlocking the Secrets of Enterprising Families with Steve Fradkin and Pam Lucina (Northern Trust)

Mar 18 2024 34 mins

So many of our clients ask us the age-old question, “How much is enough?”How much of my wealth should I give to my children?At what age should I share my estate plan with my family?How do I prepare my children for the responsibility of the wealth they will inherit? Our guests on today’s podcast have spent the better part of their careers answering these questions. Steve Fradk

Coming Soon... Season 2

This month, we'll be taking a brief hiatus to prepare for Season 2 of The Road to Why.But we'll be back next month with more stories from business owners and entrepreneurs as they discuss their perspectives on business, family, wealth, and legacy.So stay tuned for new episodes of The Road to Why, coming March 2024.We'll see you then.

Creating Trends with Abdur Chowdhury (Aura Frames)

Jan 16 2024 26 mins

Abdur Chowdhury is a life-long entrepreneur. Early in his career, he rose through the ranks to become AOL’s Chief Architect. Abdur then went on to co-found Summize, a start-up where he pioneered a way to organize real-time opinions on the internet (and for which the BBC has dubbed him “the father of trending”). In 2008 Abdur merged Summize with another start-up by the name of

Planning for What’s Next with Ed Hajim (On the Road Less Traveled)

Dec 18 2023 32 mins

At the age of three, Ed Hajim was kidnapped by his father, driven cross-country, and told his mother had died. As his father tried to find work overseas during the Great Depression, Ed spent his childhood in a string of foster homes and orphanages. Despite these dire circumstances, Ed earned a scholarship to attend the University of Rochester, served in the U.S. Navy, graduated fro

Cultivating the Next Generation with Nikè Anani (Northern Trust)

Nov 15 2023 32 mins

Nikè Anani is the Director of Next Gen Advisory at Northern Trust. She grew up in an enterprising family in Nigeria, where her father, a self-made entrepreneur, founded and ran their family business. At the age of nine, Nikè relocated to the United Kingdom with her mother and two siblings in search of a better life as her father remained in Nigeria to run the family business. Six

Building a Family Enterprise with Brian Adam (Olympus Group)

Oct 16 2023 30 mins

Brian Adam is the owner and President of Milwaukee-based Olympus Group, a 120-year-old company that started as an American flag manufacturer and over the years has expanded to become a world-class custom printing business and the largest mascot manufacturer in the U.S. In this episode, Brian shares how his father bought Olympus when it was on the brink of bankruptcy and later sold

Assuming Positive Intent with Scott O’Neil (Merlin Entertainments)

Sep 20 2023 28 mins

Scott O’Neil is one of the most innovative executives in the entertainment and sports industries. As CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Scott oversaw the company’s portfolio including the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils. Scott has also served as President of Madison Square Garden and was Alternate Governor for the NBA and NHL for over a decade.Last y

Building a Safety Net of Failure, With Tiff and Leon Chen (Tiff’s Treats)

Aug 15 2023 31 mins

In 1999, Tiffany Taylor and Leon Chen started a business delivering hot-from-the-oven cookies out of Leon’s college apartment in Austin, Texas. Today, Tiff’s Treats has 90 stores across the U.S., 1,800 employees and continues to grow. But their road to success wasn’t exactly easy. In this episode, Tiffany and Leon discuss the challenges they encountered as they built Tiff’s