BUSINESS OWNERS DON’T ALWAYS HAVE IT EASY. At times, it can feel like a wild rollercoaster ride with ups, downs, and unexpected sharp turns. Entrepreneurs often wear many hats and face real setbacks, including partner disputes; attracting, managing, and keeping quality employees and clients; thriving in a competitive environment; managing cash flow and profitability; and fighting off competition. All of this must be handled while maintaining compliance with ever-changing laws and regulations. Then, underneath the stress, is the pressure—pressure to succeed, rather than become a business failure statistic. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of small businesses fail in their first year, and about 50% by their fifth year. Scary stuff.

For some entrepreneurs, stress translates into depression. Recently, a few seemingly “successful” and iconic entrepreneurs committed suicide. It came as a shock to many of us when we learned that fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain had taken their own lives. By most standards, they seemed to be “living the dream.” But it can be a dream with a high price tag. Notwithstanding their personal status or business success, 30% of all entrepreneurs experience depression, according to a study by Dr. Michael Freeman, a clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Given the stigma often associated with the subject of depression, the actual numbers are perhaps even higher.

In addition to contributing to depression, business stress can also strain interpersonal relationships. About 90% of all U.S. businesses are family-owned or controlled by a family. Family-owned businesses face not only the usual business-related challenges but also have the added difficulty of family dynamics. The stakes seem higher due to greater personal entanglement. There might be resentment associated with some family members seemingly taking advantage of others; unequal effort versus rewards between family members; blurry boundaries between work and personal life; and more.

Imagine the Thanksgiving dinner experience. Can people who work together relate as a family without the conversation being consumed by business? If they have business frus