Entrepreneurs talk much about smashing the status quo and taking risks. But when it comes to the holidays, tradition still rules.
We asked Chicago innovators if they were as maverick with their Thanksgiving celebrations as they are with their businesses. While a few executives have broken with tradition, most stick with the tried and true.
What matters most to these trailblazers? Family, in every form it takes.
Julie Bashkin, CEO of KC Brands, an innovation incubator, on her surprise wedding. She and her boyfriend of 10 years sprung it on family at their 2008 Thanksgiving celebration:
We wanted to host Thanksgiving in our new home and get both sides of the family together. After everyone agreed to come, we realized that the only way we would ever spring a surprise wedding on them was if we did it right then.
We wore jeans, and I cooked the entire dinner myself, including two turkeys. We announced, “One, we are getting married, and two, it’s happening right now.”
I always forget what the date is because it was on Thanksgiving, and that’s when we celebrate our anniversary. We had our friend marry us. As he was telling our family about how we approached him to do this, I had things in the oven that were burning. I said, “You’ve got to hurry this up. I’ve got two turkeys, and it can’t wait!” So the focus of Thanksgiving was still not lost.
Jason Heltzer, partner at venture capital firm Origin Ventures,
on ditching his family’s tradition of a roasted and stuffed turkey last year for a smoked breast on the grill:
Growing up, nobody would eat the dark meat, and they spent a lot of time cooking it. What’s the point? Another thing is that my kids aren’t terribly adventurous eaters. So instead of cooking stuffing in the bird, which has a weird taste and texture, I cooked it in muffin pans, and they were “stuffins.”
Reva Minkoff, founder and president of DigitalGroundUp, on why she’s a traditionalist: Sometimes you want those things to be the same because there’s so much chaos everywhere else.
We’re getting ready to head home to New York for Thanksgiving with my family. My grandma is making her noodle kugel. Sometimes the night before, my dad and brother and I go to the NIT (pre-season) basketball tournament. The day after Thanksgiving we always go to the movies. I find a lot of comfort in that.
Dorri McWhorter, CEO, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, on how she’ll handle Thanksgiving-dinner-hosting duties in place of her ailing aunt:
We’re all waiting to see if she’s going to be able to cook. If not, then I offered to make corned beef. But they all said, “No way! That’s not Thanksgiving!”
I may be learning how to cook turkey and dressing for the first time ever. I’ll probably look for other options. If I could 3D print it in my kitchen, that would be awesome!
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Sean Bisceglia, founder and president of recruiter platform Scout, on why his tradition is to invite those with no other plans to join his family for dinner:
In the past, we have opened our doors for Thanksgiving dinner to a woman who owned a restaurant, and the landscapers if they didn’t have something to do. This year, we have a couple of employees that can’t get home.
It’s a meal for sharing. You don’t want to eat alone, especially at Thanksgiving. I eat alone a lot when I’m traveling, and I certainly don’t want to eat alone on Thanksgiving.
Nancy Wright, CEO of Girl Scouts of Chicago and Northwest Indiana, on bridging old and new traditions through her daughters:
There are a lot of traditions that were instilled in me by my parents, like “there’s always room at the table for people that aren’t immediate family.”
We are introducing new traditions. When we tried a new tradition with different stuffing, my brother said, “This isn’t Grandma’s stuffing!” But when my girls tried to bring something new and made stuffing, it was a big hit. Now we do two stuffings.
Susan Kuczmarski, author of “Becoming A Happy Family: Pathways to the Family Soul,” on why tradition is important, even for innovators:
We interviewed 25 people. What emerged from that data were certain family strengtheners: humor, emotion, acceptance, renewal and togetherness, or “heart.” Those are the things that bring a family together.
People don’t change traditions much because we are choosing togetherness, and that defines our family soul.
Responses edited for length and clarity.