Imagine stepping onto the bright, intimidating set of Shark Tank, not with a product, not with a business idea—but with a simple, powerful question:
Would you invest in my family?
Not just the people. Not just the love. But the whole household as if it were a functioning, financial enterprise.
Would the Sharks lean in? Would they ask for more information? Or would they glance at one another, quietly pass, and say, “I’m out”?
Your Household: The Startup You Never Knew You Were Running
We don’t often think of our families as businesses. But maybe we should.
Like a business, your household has:
- Assets and liabilities
- Income and expenses
- Strategic goals
- And hopefully, a vision for the future
You're the CEO. Your partner and children? Shareholders. And if you're lucky, maybe even junior board members. The decisions you make affect not only today’s well-being but the legacy of tomorrow.
So, let’s imagine your family was publicly traded. Let’s say the ticker symbol is FMLY. Would someone—anyone—want to invest?
Measuring Shareholder Value (And It's Not Just Money)
Companies don’t exist solely to chase dollars. The best companies solve problems, enrich lives, and leave a mark. Your family should, too.
What is your household solving for?
Are you building memories? Creating traditions? Investing in each other emotionally—not just financially?
Your net worth might be important—but your net fulfillment is what really pays dividends.
Think Like a Shark: Would You Invest in This?
Let’s dig into the key investor questions.
- Profitability – Are you consistently saving or barely breaking even?
- Liquidity – Do you have emergency funds? Or are you one surprise away from crisis?
- Protection – Do you have insurance to shield against disaster?
- Accountability – Do you run regular “board meetings” to assess financial performance?
- Long-Term Growth – Are you investing in your future, or just surviving the present?
A company without structure, purpose, or reserves doesn’t attract investors. Neither does a household without a plan.
Your Board of Directors
Even CEOs don’t go it alone.
So, who’s advising you? An attorney? A CPA? An investment advisor? An insurance agent?
If your family’s wealth—or its well-being—depends only on what you know, what happens when you hit a wall? Great leaders hire experts. Great families do, too.
Build Your Moat
A castle without a moat is just a target. And life has plenty of arrows.
Insurance is your moat. Life. Disability. Homeowner’s. Auto. Liability.
Protection ensures that when something bad happens—and it will—your family keeps standing. Keeps growing. Keeps functioning.
Businesses recover because they’re prepared. Can your household say the same?
Profit Isn’t an Accident
Businesses plan for profit. They don’t hope there’s something left over at the end of the month.
You shouldn’t either.
Set goals: 10%, 15%, 25% of your income as profit. And then? Reinvest it into your family’s mission—education, future income, retirement, health, security—not short-lived indulgences.
Income > Assets
Retirement isn’t about how big your nest egg is.
It’s about how steadily the egg hatches income.
A huge balance sheet means little if it doesn’t produce monthly cash flow. So, focus on converting net worth into livable, sustainable income.
That’s what investors—and retirees—really care about.
Track Your Metrics
Every good business monitors KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). So should your family.
What’s your liquidity ratio? Are your protections adequate? Are you meeting your savings and investment goals?
Don’t wait for the end of the year to find out if you failed. Schedule reviews. Monthly. Quarterly. Measure. Adjust. Repeat.
What’s Your Stock Price?
If “FMLY” stock were real, what would it be worth?
Would it be rising? Falling? Flat-lining?
Track your decisions the way a company tracks shareholder value. Did this decision improve our financial standing—or hurt it?
Is your family moving forward…or falling behind?
The American Spirit: Your Family Is a Startup
The Founding Fathers didn’t just dream—they built. They risked. They invested in something bigger than themselves.
So why not instill that same entrepreneurial spirit in your family?
Let the grandparents share wisdom. Let the kids grow up understanding ownership, stewardship, and opportunity. Let your family legacy be something that compounds across generations.
Final Pitch: Would the Sharks Say Yes?
So, here we are. Standing before the panel.
You ask again: Would you invest in my family?
Do you have systems? Values? Protection? Profitability? A plan?
If the answer is no—then it’s time to change that.
Because whether or not you’re on national television, your family deserves to be worth investing in.
And no investor is more important than you.
Now it's your turn.
Take stock. Tighten your systems. Build your moat. And raise the value of FMLY, one intentional choice at a time.
Because your greatest investment?
Isn’t in the market.
It’s at home.
