The Resentment You’re Not Allowed to Have in a Family Business
You’re capable. You’re loyal. You’re “lucky” to be part of this business. So why are you quietly resentful — and why does it feel illegal to say that?
Nothing is wrong. No fights. No betrayal. Just a relationship that stopped asking anything of you — and that’s why it feels heavy.
Nothing is technically wrong, but you’re exhausted anyway. Not from conflict — from staying quiet to keep the relationship stable. If things only work when you edit yourself, that’s not peace — it’s emotional management.
The business works because you’re always on. If you slow down, things wobble—because what you built runs on your vigilance, not structure. That’s not leadership. That’s a system that never learned to stand on its own.
You’re capable. You’re loyal. You’re “lucky” to be part of this business. So why are you quietly resentful — and why does it feel illegal to say that?