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We have family businesses here on the brain at Forbes… which might be an obvious statement, seeing as Forbes IS a family business, but that’s not what I mean here. This week marked the inaugural launch of our list highlighting America’s largest family businesses, and on Thursday we also hosted a gathering tied to the list.

As part of this gathering, I had a moment to chat with Tricia Wallwork, chair and CEO of Milo's Tea Company (you might remember her from this January profile) and Juliette Feld Grossman, CEO of Feld Entertainment (which you may recognize as the company behind Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and also Disney On Ice, among other productions). I asked both women for some exclusive commentary for the ForbesWomen audience, and one of the things we discussed was the biggest misconceptions around working in a family business. and

Both were quick to say that from the outside, the work can look a lot easier than it actually is. “There is an assumption that it is an inherit–not merit–based role,” Wallwork said. “So you have a much higher burden to overcome, and that’s even more true for women.”

I also asked what they’d tell those of you who might be thinking of starting a business with your own family. “Transparency and openness [with your family members] is critical,” Feld Grossman said, adding that so too is “getting........

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