Amazing Dads: Chris Genereux of Harry & David

The phrase “don’t mix family with business” is a piece of advice that’s been handed down for decades. More often than not, families have squabbles leading to resentment and distancing and bad blood. 

Chris and Zack Genereux never got this message. When Zack started working for his father at Harry & David in 2020, the two embraced the potential challenge and turned it into an opportunity to strengthen their familial bond. 

Today, Chris is senior vice president of regional operations, and Zack is an assistant merchandise manager. Though they no longer work in the same department, they continue to grab lunch every week to catch up on work, family, and their mutual love of the outdoors. The two have easy conversations with the kind of banter most fathers and sons have but with an extra dose of respect and love for each other. 

Chris and Zack welcomed me into their tête-à-tête to talk about what it’s like to work at the same company, how their relationship has changed – and improved – over time because of it, and the hardest day for Chris to be a dad.

What is it like working at the same company?

Chris Genereux: Well, Zack is also a full-time student, so before he worked at Harry & David, we didn’t get a chance to see him very often. The fact that he’s at work gives me an opportunity to see him, say hi, or deliver things from his mom.

Zack Genereux: I like it too. Since I am busy with work and school, I still get an opportunity to see Dad at our weekly lunches, get to pick his brain, and get caught up on how the family's doing. 

Did you have any reservations about working at the same company?

ZG: I was a little worried because he’s at a higher position in the company. I was concerned there might be a perception of nepotism, but it's been a relief that no one really brings it up.

CG: I think people treat me better because Zack works here [laughs]. 

I did have a little bit of concern at first because he was working as an order picker in my department, and I'm uncomfortable with that. Because whether any nepotism or favoritism exists, people could still draw that inference on their own and potentially attribute Zack’s success to our relationship rather than his hard work.

When he moved out of the warehouses into other areas of the company, I felt a lot better about it. 

What is the best advice your dad has given you?

ZG: He's instilled in me the value of hard work, and that it’s important to put effort into what you're doing and to genuinely care about your work.

He always used to make us do stuff the harder way. Like, we had a riding lawnmower, but he would make us use the push mower, just to accomplish the exact same task. I didn't like it at first, but now I understand the value of a lesson like that, and I contribute it to a lot of my success.

CG: The quote that I use the most was, “Clean up your dirty dishes or your mom will have your butt.” [laughs] 

Chris, what was one of the harder times for you as a dad?

CG: Zack was in a serious auto accident when he was 15 years old. He ended up with a bone infection, went through four surgeries, and about two and a half years of stimulator treatment. It took a long time for him to recover. 

He was going to go play football at Willamette after high school and ended up having to turn down a scholarship because of his injury. Ultimately, he settled at Southern Oregon University, but he still played his entire senior season with what we thought was a healed arm. Turned out it wasn't healed. 

To see him go through that pain was really tough on the whole family. But I was inspired by him. He responded with courage and was like, “I can't change it. All I can do is work my way through it.” He kept himself in a positive space throughout the healing, but it took many years, a lot of surgeries, and a lot of sleepless nights. 

Where did you get that positive thinking from?

ZG: One of the greatest strengths that I've had my entire life is that I come from a loving household. I had a lot of stability throughout my childhood so when I was faced with some real adversity, I felt mentally prepared to deal with it because I knew that I wasn't alone. Knowing that I had all the support that I could possibly need is what allowed me to take those steps on my own because I knew that if I fell, I was going to be okay. 

What is your proudest moment as a dad?

CG: Going back to Zack’s accident, while it was painful, I’m very proud of how he overcame it. He had a tremendous football season after not playing for two seasons because of the accident.

After he healed, he focused on exercise, and he came back to sports and had a fantastic football season. He scored five touchdowns in one game! 

What advice would you give to other kids who are going to be working with a parent?

ZG: Use it as an opportunity to develop your relationship. Find opportunities where you can have a conversation or make a memory that you take with you. I think that is a lot more valuable and important than people realize. 

What advice would you give to dads?

CG: When I was growing up, my dad was a retail florist, and I got to work on the floor with him. I got to spend a lot of great time with my dad making memories and working together. I would advise dads to help create an opportunity for that connection to happen but do not meddle in your son’s work. Allow their successes to be their successes and nothing that you got yourself engaged in. 

Try and make it happen, but then let it go and let him or her do their own thing.