I’ve known Carol Roth for eight years, but this interview surprised me. As we head into election season here in the U.S., I thought we should talk about whether mixing politics and business is a good idea or not.

We opened up a big old can of worms.

You may have seen Carol on various news shows or may have read her op-ed pieces or listened to her podcast The Roth Effect. However, in this interview Carol shared that taking political stances has kept her from some opportunities and not been great for business.

In fact, she recommends that business owners NOT mix politics and business. (Do as she says, not as she does.)

The exception can be if your brand has a social mission, or if your community expects that you have a certain belief, but in general, Carol recommends small business owners zip it regarding their personal political views.

This also can be a good strategy for surviving holiday meals.

I know you’ll enjoy this short interview.