Marty was 67 when this story was taped; like all of us, he has to think about the fact that he is not going to live forever.

Topic for Discussion: What is happening now to insure the longevity of the company?

Answer: Marty's children and one other long-term employee have formed a succession team and are working with a consultant to plan for the changes which must take place so that the business continues to thrive when Marty leaves. The single biggest problem is the transfer of the dream. Marty's mission is to help his readers live their lives in an ever increasingly hostile world. Is this really what the next generation wants to do?

Also, the younger generation admits they don't want to work as many hours as Marty does. They are hoping to share the tasks of leadership so that no one person has to carry the load that Marty has carried. This may mean the business will loose some of its productivity edge, however, that's OK because it is an intentional decision.

One daughter said, "This is a Marty-centric place and that will have to change because none of us can be Marty." She is right and even though Boardroom will be completely different without Marty, it can continue to be a great company.

Today, one of of Marty's daughters and her colleague, Brian Kurtz, run the business.

Topic for Discussion: How do you go about the task of letting others take over?

Answer: Pam McNair, founder of Gadabout Salon and Spas says we need to delegate with design. By this she means prepare. Think hard about the job to be delegated and about the person to whom you will delegate.

Using the same analytical skills she developed as a hairdresser, Pam is able to turn jobs over to people on her terms who are best suited to the task. Just like she used to make her clients look good, Pam studies her employees then designs jobs that will make them not only look good but feel good too.

Topic for Discussion: What is the ultimate delegation task?

Answer: Putting a succession plan in place which means you eventually replace and fire yourself. Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's -- the company that makes the best pretzel you have ever tasted in your life -- said she wants her company to out live her. She has acted on her goals by recruiting Sam Beiler and naming him President of the company.

He is qualified first because she trusts him. They both used this most important word when talking about the success they have had at passing the leadership torch. The inability to place trust in another person is probably the biggest reason entrepreneurs fail to put a leadership succession plan in place.

Most companies die with their founder or they die when the founder decides to quit working. Some would throw these types of companies into a category called "lifestyle companies." In other words, the company was a vehicle for the founder to live a certain kind of life. We disagree. Most small businesses would-could-and-should have a life separate and apart from the founder. If the founder would first learn to trust, it opens the way so the founder could find people in which to place that trust. And the business, with all its customers, suppliers, and employees, should continue to perfect relations, systems, and their contributions to their community and world. Happily this is the case with Anne.

Before he became president of Auntie Anne's, Sam spent years in the field. He and his wife became Auntie Anne's franchise owners in 1989, and then he became an employee of the corporation working with franchise owners. He was perfectly groomed. You might wonder about his last name being the same as Anne's. The two are cousins. The fact that Anne and Sam are related could bring up the seemingly endless discussion around family-business issues. Our observation of this situation is that endless communication internally at headquarters and externally to the franchisees has made the family relation a non-issue. Sam worked his way to the top. He was not given anything that he did not earn simply because his last name is Beiler.

Topic for Discussion: Where did the idea of retirement come from and is it good for people?

Answer: When we became industrialized and so many Americans started working in factories, the congress mandated retirement for safety reasons. Prior to World War II, the merchants worked in their shops until they died and farmers died "behind the plow." Retirement is a modern concept and probably a bad one. Just when people get smart, we tell them they have to stay home in a rocking chair. Many small business owners don't plan to retire because they love what they do and this is part of the reason small businesses as a collective group contribute so much to the economy. Small businesses are often being run by the wisest people because wisdom only comes with experience and it takes time to experience so many of the complexities of life. Rita and Marty Edelston would be forced to retire if they worked for a big company. What a loss to everyone.

Rita and Marty do not expect to retire in the traditional sense. Rita loves being around young people and says she has to look in a mirror to remind herself she is old because she doesn't feel old.

You think about it: When was the last time you delegated a task? Are you happy with the results? What could you do to improve? What keeps you from passing the torch? Do you have someone you are training that can move into your place soon? Are you nervous that if you pass the torch, you won't have anything to do? Do you think your life might feel empty if you don't have to be in the office everyday?