Meet the Stars – Today

It takes a lot of courage to tell all the stories that follow and subject my family to the exposure of all that is in this book. But without full disclosure, how is anyone going to really learn anything? I want to thank my incredible family for their support, and most of all, for allowing me to go “open kimono” with so many of our life stories.

For the too-quick reader it might appear that everything is a problem, and that my life is a version of The Perils of Carol: oh, the company must have been a disaster, the kids a constant trial, and so on.

And all that is nonsense.

Does everything always go as planned? Never. But with patience, good will, and, most importantly, when you’re surrounded by caring, bright, motivated people, most everything has a prayer of getting back on track quickly and stronger than ever.

My mom and dad founded Alberto Culver. They grew its sales and earnings year-in and year-out steadily, if not always in a straight line, from the initial $500,000 investment in the mid-1950s to a multi-billion-dollar international company that was committed to its employees, its customers, and its shareholders. I joined when the company was doing about $150 million in sales. Were there challenges? Sure—sometimes, it seemed, every day. And each led to a solution, and on we marched. The same is true for Glen Hill Farm, the Florida-based thoroughbred operation my parents also founded.

My mom was a pioneer blazing a trail for women in business; she constantly helped those women who followed with wisdom and support. My dad, who is thankfully still with us, learned many lessons and taught from his experiences in World War II and from his talents as a master salesman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and executive leader; today he is still sharing his wisdom and expressing his pride in all the family has accomplished.

And my kids—for whom the occasional prank went wrong, whose grades weren’t always perfect, and who faced accidents and illnesses of their own and with people close to them—grew into talented, accomplished, caring adults and spouses. They were kind enough to let me share parts of their lives throughout this book. So let me, with a whole lot of pride, share with you what’s happening in their lives today.

My oldest son, Craig, graduated from Tulane and bravely showed an interest and an aptitude for working in the wonder and craziness of a family business. He worked for Alberto Culver for several years, and today is the president of Glen Hill Farm. He has added significantly to the prestige of our breeding and racing business and, with a partner, is also the head of a successful private equity business engaged in the purchase and sale of thoroughbreds.

He met his incredibly lovely wife, Lindsey, in Chicago. She was an Indiana University graduate and a key sales executive in the beverage industry. Today, she shares Craig’s passion for our horses, and they split their time between the farm in Ocala and their home in Lexington, Kentucky. They have two beautiful daughters, Cora and Edie, ages three and two.

My second son, Peter, has two private equity funds; most of the money is in consumer-driven products. In addition, he has investments in tech and, believe it or not, helicopters. He’s also a vice president of Polished Nickel (our family office), where he oversees a number of investments. He is an owner of the Lori’s company, our retail store business, and he’s the family’s director on the board. Pete went to Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management; he has also chosen to stay, for the most part, in the family business.

Peter’s beautiful wife, Barbara, has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from DePaul University. She has worked in a couple of different industries, but her passion today is for not-for-profits. She works with one of our family foundations and is the key liaison between the family and our Big Shoulders program. She’s kind and caring, and a fantastic mom to their two terrific little boys, Alex and Sebastian, ages two and one.

My youngest, Lizzy, started at Vanderbilt and chose to finish at Tulane. She has her master’s degree in education from DePaul University. She’s been a teacher for seven years, starting out as a third-grade teacher for the charter school system at CICS Irving Park and then moving to the Oak Park (Illinois) School District, where she taught first grade; she is now a math intervention teacher for kids in need. She is an officer of our family foundations and also has a keen interest in not-for-profits.

Her husband, Dan, is a perfect fit for our entrepreneurial family. While still in grade school he started a landscaping business that is still operational today. Several years ago he acquired a commercial landscaping business that he is currently growing exponentially; the business installs major landscape projects for some of the biggest institutions in the City of Chicago. Lizzy and Danny started dating in high school, and I am his biggest fan. Liz and Dan have two precious young daughters, Scotty and Abby, ages two and one.

They’re my stars. For every single problem we’ve faced, there have been a hundred rewards. And I am the luckiest person in the world!