{"id":4,"date":"2011-12-17T18:53:16","date_gmt":"2011-12-17T18:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2014-03-24T09:50:44","modified_gmt":"2014-03-24T13:50:44","slug":"megs-book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/megs-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Meg’s Book"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"For<\/a>How does someone who is obsessed live peacefully with others who are not? That question summarizes the quandary faced by company founders and their families. To answer it, I examine the impact\u2014for better and for worse\u2014of entrepreneurial businesses on families and relationships, and vice versa.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Better or For Work is a vital guide to navigating the emotional and logistical terrain of business-building while simultaneously enjoying a fulfilling family life. From the trials of co-habiting with a home-based business to the queasy necessity of borrowing money from family and friends to the complexities of intergenerational succession, no topic is taboo. The entrepreneur will learn how to build a successful business without sacrificing healthy family relationships to the financial and emotional rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship.<\/span><\/p>\n

This book is also a reminder that no entrepreneurial family trudges the hard trail of company-building alone. If you have embarked on such an enterprise, you and your spouse will find comfort and guidance in the experiences of others like you. If you have not yet started a business, this book will allow you to take a good hard look before leaping. I draw on the struggles and triumphs that my husband Gary and I experienced as he built Stonyfield Yogurt, and I also share powerful stories and insights from other families, gathered through hundreds of interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Better or For Work will remind you that the long hours and late nights spent on the business or with the family are worth the effort, and will give you tools for making both endeavors successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen to Meg describe the book here.<\/a><\/p>\n

My Book is available to order now through:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Click on appropriate logo to be taken directly to their ordering site<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Media Reviews<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[One of the]12 Most Anticipated Business Books of 2012.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong>CNBC.com<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[One of the five] most influential, inspirational business books to be published this year\u2026.Meg Cadoux Hirshberg\u2019s goal is to instill hope in weary entrepreneurs and to help them better manage the difficult balancing act of successfully running both a business and a family.\u201d
\n\u2014<\/strong>Entrepreneur magazine<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the 12 best business books of the year\u2026.Small business owners and entrepreneurs, this book belongs on your shelf.\u201d\u00a0 \u2014<\/strong><\/strong>AMEX Open Forum<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis honest text…should help to navigate the dangerous pitfalls of allowing a business to come and squat in the midst of a family.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong>Financial Times<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn immensely beneficial, contemporary analysis of what makes modern-day working families really work.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong>Kirkus Reviews<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn indispensable tool.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Publishers Weekly<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHirshberg’s candid advice is not just refreshing but could prove essential to the success of a new startup…her hard-won lessons for relationship survival are worth more than a read–you might actually want to print them out.\u201d
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong>Forbes Woman<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHirshberg is writing about the elephant in the entrepreneurial room.\u00a0 Read For Better or For Work<\/em> and you’ll clear out a lot of that unspoken clutter between you, your business, and your family.\u201d
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong>Small Business Trends<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis timely, engaging, and thought-provoking book offers important advice and perspective.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014 <\/em>Booklist<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cInsightful.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong><\/em>Globe and Mail<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn indispensable new guidebook.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong><\/em>Macleans<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA rich source of anecdotes and insights.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014<\/strong>ForeWord Magazine<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

People Are Saying…<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI whole-heartedly recommend\u00a0For Better Or For Work<\/span><\/em>,<\/span> not only for entrepreneurs but for their spouses and families, who all go through it together whether they like it or not…Meg is on my list of the 21 amazing authors that just might change your life.<\/a>\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Dave Kerpen, NY Times Best-Selling Author & Keynote Speaker<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn For Better or For Work<\/em>, Meg Cadoux Hirshberg has given us one of the best descriptions of the entrepreneurial experience that I have ever read. It is quite simply a marvelous book\u2014beautifully written, unflinchingly honest, profoundly true.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Bo Burlingham, author, Small Giants: Companies That Choose <\/em><\/strong>to Be Great Instead of Big<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI loved this book! I wish I\u2019d had it when I was trying to start a business and raise my kids. It\u2019s a must-read for anyone trying to build a balanced, passionate life.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Eileen Fisher, Founder and Chief Creative Officer,\u00a0Eileen Fisher<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMeg brings to life those crazy start-up years, those crazy entrepreneurial personalities, and the crazy effects of both on families trying to live with it all.\u00a0 She offers excellent advice for surviving the madness.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Ben Cohen, Cofounder, Ben & Jerry\u2019s Ice Cream<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMeg Cadoux Hirshberg hits the sweet spot where remorse and laughter meet. I grew up around the kind of entrepreneurial energy she describes, and now I\u2019m living it, so I know how exhilarating and frustrating the experience can be. While it is important to celebrate the accomplishments of those who turn dreams into brands, we must also recognize the hidden costs to their families and relationships. This book is a therapy session for founders\u2019 families and for entrepreneurs themselves (assuming they can make time in their superhuman schedules to read it). I absolutely loved it!\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Nell Newman, President, Newman\u2019s Own Organics<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a third-generation entrepreneur, I had a deep, emotional response to Meg Cadoux Hirshberg\u2019s For Better or For Work<\/em>. Meg has been first mate on an entrepreneurial voyage for most of her adult life. Having lived the adventure, body and soul, she distills her experiences and the gentle wisdom gained from them to readers on their own entrepreneurial journeys.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Jeff Swartz, former President and CEO, Timberland<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMeg Cadoux Hirshberg presents an eminently practical guide to living with an entrepreneur without going insane. Written with authority and uncommon good sense, For Better or For Work <\/em>champions entrepreneurial drive while helping protect the families who are the beneficiaries of that drive and\u2014at times\u2014its victims.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group, and author,<\/strong> Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found Meg Cadoux Hirshberg\u2019s story deeply moving. Through her own story and others, she provides much-needed transparency into the complicated experience of company building and advice for achieving love and satisfaction in both the business and personal realms. For Better or For Work <\/em>is a gift and an inspiration.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Paulette Cole, Cofounder, CEO, and Creative Director, ABC Home<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMeg Hirshberg\u2019s book will become the What to Expect When You\u2019re Expecting <\/em>for entrepreneurs and their life partners. If my wife and I had had a copy before we launched Honest Tea, we would have been better prepared to cope with the trials and occasional absurdities of developing a struggling beverage enterprise, a family, and a marriage all at the same time.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Seth Goldman, President, TeaEO, and Cofounder, Honest Tea<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor Better or For Work <\/em>is a must-read for anyone engaged in or thinking about beginning the entrepreneurial journey. Funny and accessible, Meg Cadoux Hirshberg chronicles the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of building a business while building a family. The stories of her own experience in the entrepreneurial trenches and of other families chasing their dreams are unforgettable, and the lessons she draws are powerful.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Nancy F. Koehn, James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration, <\/strong>Harvard Business School<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife, Nancy, and I highly recommend that all entrepreneurial families read For Better or For Work<\/em>. Knowing the reality upfront, you can prepare for it with eyes wide open.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Ron Shaich, Founder and Executive Chairman, Panera Bread<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStarting Nantucket Nectars was among the most intoxicating, fulfilling experiences of my life. For my wife, it was a long, isolating period in which she didn\u2019t see enough of me. For Better or For Work <\/em>brilliantly captured so many truths\u2014when I read quotes aloud to my wife, she shook her head in recognition.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Tom First, Cofounder and former CEO, Nantucket Nectars, <\/strong>and Founder, OWATER<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor Better or For Work <\/em>should be required reading for the spouses and families of potential entrepreneurs as well as for entrepreneurs themselves, who rarely (if ever) appreciate the toll that entrepreneurship takes on their loved ones. Every chapter has at least one \u201cpunch in the gut\u201d realization but also provides concrete recommendations for how to avoid the potholes in the road. Reading this book will help entrepreneurs and their families deal with the toughest parts of the journey, rather than being blindsided by them.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Noam Wasserman, Professor, Harvard Business School, and author, <\/em>The Founder\u2019s Dilemmas: Anticipating <\/em>and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe celebrate entrepreneurs as the life blood of our economy, but Meg Hirshberg strips away the myths and misconceptions and paints a vivid picture of entrepreneurialism as it really is\u2014the dreams and the sacrifices, the setbacks and the triumphs. As someone who started her own business years ago, I can attest to hard truths that are deftly embedded in For Better or For Work<\/em>. This book is a gold mine of perspective and advice. It is a terrific investment for entrepreneurs or anyone living a mission-driven life.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Kelly Close, President, Close Concerns<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a must-read <\/em>for every would-be or current entrepreneur. Meg Hirshberg has lifted the veil on a little-discussed or noticed subject\u2014what life is like for the loved ones of the entrepreneur building a company. Meg\u2019s courageously honest, and deeply loving, book is an essential guide for those who want their families to not only survive, but to thrive, alongside their professional dreams.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Linda A. Mason, Chair and Cofounder, Bright Horizons Family Solutions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs an educator of aspiring entrepreneurs, I have just discovered the missing shadow curriculum! With this book, Meg Cadoux Hirshberg describes with candor the largely undiscussed challenges of building an enterprise and a family at the same time. She warns families what to expect and offers practical advice on dealing with the inevitable strains and setbacks. All will identify with her stories and benefit from her insights.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Len Schlesinger, President, Babson College<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA thoughtful, witty, and humane look at the complicated connection between entrepreneurs and the people who love them. There are plenty of books about how to improve your company. With its wealth of memorable stories and sage advice, For Better or For Work <\/em>is a must-read for improving the relationships that matter to you most.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Dorie Clark, President, Clark Strategic Communications, and author, <\/strong>What\u2019s Next?: The Art of Reinventing Your Personal Brand<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my Wharton course on leadership and in my work with organizations, I try to teach people how to create harmony among the different parts of their lives. Meg Cadoux Hirshberg\u2019s warm, witty, and insightful book provides powerful ideas with vibrant illustrations of entrepreneurs in pursuit of this goal. Her engaging stories and commentary are filled with practical wisdom that will be of great use to all budding entrepreneurs as\u00a0 well as those intrepid souls, and their loved ones, who are already running a business.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u2014Stew Friedman, Practice Professor of Management, <\/strong>The Wharton School, and author, Total Leadership<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My Book is available to order now through:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Click on appropriate logo to be taken directly to their ordering site<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How does someone who is obsessed live peacefully with others who are not? That question summarizes the quandary faced by company founders and their families. To answer it, I examine the impact\u2014for better and for worse\u2014of entrepreneurial businesses on families and relationships, and vice versa. For Better or For Work is a vital guide to navigating the emotional and logistical terrain of business-building while simultaneously enjoying a fulfilling family life. From the trials of co-habiting with a home-based business to the queasy necessity of borrowing money from family and friends to the complexities of intergenerational succession, no topic is taboo. The entrepreneur will learn how to build a successful business without sacrificing healthy family relationships to the financial and emotional rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship. This book is also a reminder that no entrepreneurial family trudges the hard trail of company-building alone. If you have embarked on such an enterprise, you and your spouse will find comfort and guidance in the experiences of others like you. If you have not yet started a business, this book will allow you to take a good hard look before leaping. I draw on the struggles and triumphs that my husband Gary and I experienced … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_mc_calendar":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4"}],"version-history":[{"count":188,"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1056,"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions\/1056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.meghirshberg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}