Duchie Van Hoven has extensive experience with family owned businesses, both as a family member and as an outside consultant.
As a spouse of a fourth-generation family business, she became familiar firsthand with the challenge of balancing family and business roles. Today, she brings a unique perspective of the important role played by spouses. "Even though the spouse may not receive a paycheck, he or she can dramatically impact the success as well as the stumbles in the family business," she observes. "I can shed light on that when I speak from my own experience."
Van Hoven began her career as a paralegal, and worked briefly for her family's business when they opened a new subsidiary company. For nine years, Van Hoven owned a consulting firm, Personalized Shopping Just for You, where she served a variety of corporate and individual clients with personalized services and event planning.
Going through the Hubler process in 1986 with her family's business was a turning point. What she learned about the dynamics of family business intrigued Van Hoven, and led her to pursue a master's degree and to become a licensed family therapist. Since then, she has worked with a variety of family business clients to help them achieve their professional and personal goals by improving communication, identifying obstacles and facilitating conflict resolution.
Van Hoven holds a master of arts in professional counseling, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, from Argosy University. She is a qualified neutral mediator under Minnesota rule 114 and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She holds an undergraduate bachelor of arts degree from Metro State University in Minneapolis.
"Conflict is inevitable and positive. It is how a family deals with conflict that will determine whether the business succeeds or stumbles," Van Hoven says. "The most rewarding part for me is having families identify multigenerational issues that are occurring - and providing a safe place for people to speak what was previously unspoken."
Van Hoven resides in Eagan with her husband, David. In her time off, she enjoys golf, walking, ballroom dancing and spending time with friends and family.
Bob Gazich is a student of business and of people. His successful career in sales and sales management taught him firsthand the importance and challenges of working with and leading others in a business setting. 
Hubler for Business Families offers family-owned business consulting: We Work to Keep the "Family" In "Business." 
