Danielle Granger Nava & Dustin Granger: Strength in Business (Episode 228)

Productive Flourishing

Today’s guests are Dustin Granger and Danielle Granger Nava, the brother-sister duo behind Toujours Planning. Toujours is a full service wealth management firm that caters to professionals and pre-retirees across the US. They join Charlie today to talk about what it’s like to work with a sibling, and how they have been able to foster a great working relationship.

Key Takeaways:

[2:40] - When it comes to working with siblings or family, there are generally two camps: 1. Yeah, I could do that, and 2. Absolutely not. Dustin and Danielle’s father was in the financial planning business, and Dustin started working for him first before he recruited his sister to join him.

[6:40] - Danielle talks about her resistance to joining her brother, not because of hesitance about working with her brother, but because of fear about making her way in an industry mostly dominated by males. Dustin also experienced some imposter syndrome as a young professional in the industry.

[11:25] - The family dynamics are something that had to shift when Dustin took over and Danielle later came on board. Being able to work with his father was a wonderful learning experience, and now Dustin is like a mentor to Danielle. In a similar way, Danielle helps to calm Dustin down, so their dynamic is kind of a hybrid between siblings and best friends. Open communication has been key!

[17:38] - One of the biggest challenges of working together has been adjusting to their respective managerial roles, and syncing up their communication styles. Whenever there is tension, they resolve it quickly through a conversation.

[22:00] - They’ve grown together as they have worked together to figure out their roles in a small business, especially the org chart and defining that, not only for Dustin and Danielle, but also for their team.

[29:10] - Setting boundaries between work and family has been an important part of growth since they started working together as well. It’s important for any working partnership (friend-friend, partner-partner) to know when you should talk about work versus separating those elements and relationships.

[33:45] - As Dustin hopes to pivot, he is having to let go of some of his managerial style. Danielle is trying to take the best elements of both of their styles as the primary responsibility shifts to her, while they are still both being true to themselves.

[36:45] - One of the hardest things about working with a sibling for Danielle is being worried about a huge rift or something coming in between their sibling relationship or working relationship. For Dustin, one of the hardest things is feeling protective of Danielle from a business standpoint, but also giving her the space to grow.

[44:30] - Danielle’s advice for anyone who may be interested in going into the family business is to avoid going into business with a family member who you frequently find yourself in conflict with. For Dustin, having a sense of humor is important to keep things light. Using face-to-face communication to talk and work things out is also incredibly important.

[49:10] - Danielle’s challenge for any women listening is to go for those big opportunities that are out there. You can do it! Don’t play the comparison game or let fear overtake what you really want for your career. Dustin’s challenge/invitation is to not be afraid to form your business to what fits your personality, especially as relationships evolve.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Productive Flourishing

Start Finishing, by Charlie Gilkey

Toujours Planning

The Ensemble Practice, by Philip Palaveev

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