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This might be the most honest conversation I’ve ever had on this podcast. My sister Lianne worked for me for four years—and this summer, I had to let her go right as she was being diagnosed with MS, dealing with financial chaos, and going through the darkest period of her life. We’re talking about the messy reality of working with family, when to set boundaries, and how we’re rebuilding our relationship now.
Working with family sounds like a dream setup—flexible schedules, built-in trust, and the comfort of keeping it all in the family. But what happens when personal struggles start affecting the business? When your sister is your employee, and you’re watching her mental health spiral while you desperately need reliable support as a brand new mom?
This episode tackles one of the hardest business decisions I’ve ever had to make: letting my sister go.
Lianne started 2025 on fire. She’d cracked the social media algorithm and was growing at an exponential rate, hitting almost 100,000 followers. But that rapid growth came with a dark side—online harassment, death threats from a Z-list celebrity’s followers, and a complete mental health breakdown. By June, she’d been hospitalized after losing vision in her left eye and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Less than a week later, she lost her job with me.
The thing about working with family is that the lines blur fast.
When your employee is struggling, you feel it differently because they’re not just your team member—they’re your blood. But I was also a brand new mom running a lean operation, and I needed consistent, responsive support. The working relationship had become toxic, with hot and cold periods where Lianne would check out mentally and then come back recharged.
Here’s what made it even harder: I felt responsible. As the financially successful one, the first daughter who “has her shit together,” I carried this burden that I was supposed to take care of everybody.
But the reality is, you’re not responsible for grown adults—not even family.
The money issues didn’t help. For four years, Lianne struggled with managing her finances as a 1099 contractor. Every tax season, it was the same story—thousands owed to the IRS, no money saved. I’m a financial coach who literally wrote a book about money, and my own sister wouldn’t ask me for help. I realized I was enabling her financial chaos by continuing to employ her. She needed a W-2 job with taxes withheld and structure built in.
Before the actual firing, I put Lianne on what was basically a performance improvement plan. I gave her a list of things I needed to see—leadership, going beyond the bare minimum, showing up consistently. But she was in no mental space to receive that feedback or implement changes. She admits she was “breadcrumbing” her work ethic, doing the absolute minimum while mentally checked out.
When I finally had the conversation in May that she needed to start looking for other jobs, she didn’t believe me. She thought I was bluffing. But by July, I had to make the call for my sanity and for the business.
Lianne’s response? She hated me. She felt betrayed by the sister who’d always taken care of her, who’d sent her a one-way ticket home from an abusive relationship, who’d saved her over and over. The suicidal ideation was real. Rock bottom was real.
But here’s the thing about rock bottom: sometimes that’s exactly what you need to finally get sick of your own shit.
Fast forward to now, and Lianne’s in a completely different place. She took a 30% pay cut to work as a medical assistant, but she’s thriving. She’s around people, she’s social again, and she loves her team. She’s dating, she’s outside, she’s living. Most importantly, she’s learning to take accountability instead of avoiding her problems.
So what did I learn from this whole experience?
Working with family requires radical transparency. You need next-level communication where you can say “this isn’t working” without destroying the relationship. If you can’t have uncomfortable conversations, don’t mix family and business.
Discernment before decisions. Ask yourself the hard question: Are you hiring family because of genuine belief in their skills, or out of obligation? Because obligation makes for a toxic foundation.
Know when the season is over. Everything has its expiration date. When you try to extend things beyond that point, you’re just creating chaos for everyone involved.
Your business vision comes first. I had to choose between protecting my sister’s feelings and protecting the business I built. It wasn’t easy, but I’m not running a charity—I’m running a company.
Lianne’s take? “Zero stars, do not recommend.” She’s only half-joking. Her advice is simple: don’t fucking do it. Don’t play yourself.
But we both agree on this: boundaries are everything.
Whether it’s family, friends, or business partners, you have to be willing to have the hard conversations, set clear expectations, and know when to walk away. As Lianne puts it, “Unlock your throat chakra in 2026 and let these motherfuckers know—stop playing with me. I’m healing, not healed, so you can fuck around and find out.”
Episode 359 Takeaways:
- Working with family requires radical transparency and clear boundaries
- Follower counts don’t equal money—engagement and actual sales do
- Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is set a hard boundary
- You’re not responsible for grown adults, even if they’re family
- 1099 contractors need strong financial management skills or they’ll struggle
- Performance improvement plans only work if someone is mentally ready to change
- Mental health struggles will spill into work performance—it’s unavoidable
- Enabling someone financially doesn’t help them—it keeps them stuck
- Know when a business relationship has reached its expiration date
- Rock bottom can be the wake-up call someone needs to change
- Rebuilding takes time—give yourself grace in the process
- Community support is crucial when you’re going through hard times
- Letting go of control is hard but necessary for growth
- Everything has its seasons—don’t try to extend things beyond their purpose
- Authenticity and accountability are the foundations of real change
This episode is proof that sometimes the hardest decisions lead to the most growth. Both Lianne and I had to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves, our relationship, and what we were willing to tolerate. The business relationship ending was painful, but it forced both of us to evolve in ways we wouldn’t have otherwise.
If you’re working with family or considering it, ask yourself: Are you ready for radical honesty? Can you separate personal feelings from business needs? Are you prepared to end the working relationship if it stops serving everyone involved? These aren’t easy questions, but they’re necessary ones.
Connect with Lianne: WatchUsThrive.com or on Instagram:@watchusthrivepodcast
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel! Subscribe here.
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Until next time, stay empowered, stay inspired and #StayPoderosa ✨
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