Candice Shum on Family Business, Grit, and Leading Culligan KC | Hidden Foundations Ep. 5

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall Schoenrock sits down with Candice Shum of Culligan Water in Kansas City to explore what it means to inherit, lead, and grow a third-generation family business. Candice shares how her grandfather built the company, how her mother fought her way into leadership in a male-dominated industry, and how those early lessons shaped Candice’s own approach to grit, growth, parenting, and team culture.The conversation covers family business tension, female leadership, scaling a company, working with a spouse, raising teenagers, teaching kids resilience, and why there is no perfect balance between work and home. Candice also reflects on what it means to give the next generation opportunity without handing them a shortcut.Chapters00:00 Cold Open: Grit, Leadership, and Falling Forward00:41 Meet Candice Shum01:18 Growing Up Inside Culligan Water03:08 Her Grandfather, Her Mother, and the Fight to Lead06:07 Perseverance Through Family Business Highs and Lows14:03 Taking Over and Driving Growth22:07 Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated Industry26:16 Balancing Motherhood, Business, and Family Expectations34:19 Working With Family and Bringing Business Home39:21 Teaching Kids Grit, Rejection, and Opportunity53:58 The Red Thread Across GenerationsHidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletterLearn more or connect with Kendall:Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229#HiddenFoundations #FamilyBusiness #Leadership