Fri, 22 May 2026 09:59:01 -0400 https://www.ceojourneys.com en-us © 2026 CEO Journeys yes 50bf9e15-7985-5521-a2f9-ca5383fdb79f Paul Vedder episodic false CEO Journeys highlight the successes and the struggles of the everyday entrepreneur.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Paul Vedder https://storage.buzzsprout.com/pxdbv6o2s2jtqqyds8sjy3wudd42?.jpg Keith Carley - Dynamics of a Family Business Keith Carley swept the shop floor at Air Compressor Works. Then he ran the company. Then he sold it. The family business arc, told straight. In this episode, Keith walks through what it actually looks like to grow up inside a business his father and uncle built from nothing. The lessons came on the floor: show up early, work harder than anyone else in the room, and the rest sorts itself out. Decades later, Keith took over Air Compressor Works. Years after that, he sold it. The conversation goes where most family-business stories don't: what changes when you stop being the owner and start being the operator inside someone else's structure. Keith is still in the seat, but the equity belongs to a larger partner now. That's a different job. Different incentives. Different conversations at home. If you grew up in a family business, you've thought about the exit. If you're staring down a sale right now, you've thought about it harder. Keith has lived both sides.

]]> Keith Carley swept the shop floor at Air Compressor Works. Then he ran the company. Then he sold it. The family business arc, told straight. In this episode, Keith walks through what it actually looks like to grow up inside a business his father and uncle built from nothing. The lessons came on the floor: show up early, work harder than anyone else in the room, and the rest sorts itself out. Decades later, Keith took over Air Compressor Works. Years after that, he sold it. The conversation goes where most family-business stories don't: what changes when you stop being the owner and start being the operator inside someone else's structure. Keith is still in the seat, but the equity belongs to a larger partner now. That's a different job. Different incentives. Different conversations at home. If you grew up in a family business, you've thought about the exit. If you're staring down a sale right now, you've thought about it harder. Keith has lived both sides.

]]> Paul Vedder Buzzsprout-19222365 Fri, 22 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400 3440 full false