I’m a PR practitioner who built a revitalization plan for my family’s 30+ year-old bakery. Due to emotional family dynamics, and leadership uncertainty, I’m stalled.

Greetings the pipol of Malaysia.

I'm M, 20-something y/o trying to help my father out by re-strategize the business from the lens of Public Relations and Communications. From the title alone, it's very self explanatory.

My father has run this business for over 30 years. His business used to be the talk of our hometown, customer flooding in, and business partners here and there. Fast forward to today, it's quite dwindling (and might spiral down to despair if I don't give a damn) due to lack of knowledgeable resource, organization, modernization and digitalization in the business administration. We barely make sales.

I've already came out with a business development plan and pitched it to him and he approved. However, since we're in the midst of shaky family dynamics and unpredictable business uncertainties, he's quite apprehensive in regards of anything which left me stalled. I don't blame him but at the same time I don't want him to feel pressured.

The reason I really want to help him is because it hurts to see him battling everything alone. Been there myself. I don't ask to be his successor. I don't seek glory. All I wanna do is to simply help him lift the burden because I'm forever grateful of his hardwork.

Has anyone been in a similar legacy-vs-reality battle, and how did you cope or pivot?

Thank you.