Just realized my brother-in-law's shortcuts ruined our family business reputation.

Never compromise carpet quality for family loyalty.

4 comments

4 Comments

Actually, the full saying is "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." It means the bonds you choose are stronger than just family ties. That fits here... the trust with the people you work with has to be the real, chosen bond, not just the one you're born into.

jade5172mo ago

Yeah and @the_troy is right about trust being earned. Been there with a cousin. You gotta set hard rules, like no cheaper padding under the carpets or skipping the double-check on seams just to finish a job fast. Letting family cut corners to 'help' just makes customers think your whole operation is shoddy. The brutal truth is the business has to come before feelings, or you won't have a business left for anyone.

corablack1mo ago

Man, I used to think you had to give family the benefit of the doubt no matter what. How did you finally get the guts to lay down those hard rules with your cousin? I had a similar wake-up call watching a friend's bakery go under because she couldn't say no to her sister's lazy work. It really is true that letting things slide to keep the peace just wrecks your reputation. You end up losing both the business and the relationship anyway, so what's the point?

the_troy2mo ago

Always thought blood was thicker than water in business, but maybe that just gets the whole ship wet. Seeing stuff like this makes you realize trust has to be earned, not inherited.