Friends, Clients and Colleagues, The Christmas season (and season for holidays of many traditions like Kwanzaa, Diwali, my own Hanukah, and others) is upon us and I have made a donation in honor of all of you to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). I appreciate you as part of my life in some way. Rather than cards or pies or other gifts (which are all really cool and appreciated by me when I receive them) I decided to write to you here and Read more »
In-laws. They marry into our families, and we marry into theirs. Immigrants from one family to another. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, or know me personally, you likely know that my family’s commercial printing business was sold long ago. But when I was in college, I had to decide to enter the family enterprise or go my own way, and I went my own way for several reasons. Top among these: knowing the best chance I had Read more »
My wife and I went to St. Lucia the last week of August for an amazing getaway. The beauty is incredible – rainforests, aqua coves, wildlife above and below the sea. The people were just as incredible! Two experiences we had on our trip exemplify the best of family business and the immense challenges they face. Meno the Naturalist We had a private tour of the beach and forest at Anse Mamin. It was a “group” tour from our resort, Read more »
Recently I was interviewed for the Money Tale$ podcast by my friends and colleagues Sandi Bragar and Cammie Doder of Aspiriant . It was a wonderful whirlwind of topics: money, family, life. Hard to believe how much we covered in only 30 minutes! Deep and personal; I shared all kinds of stuff and invite you to take a listen! If you have a Money Tale to tell (we all do in one form or another), reach out to me and I’ll introduce you to Sandi and Read more »
To be a parent, imparting wisdom without being…annoying. THAT is the challenge. My parents often failed, my wife and I often fail. Failure is built in, to a large extent, when a parent tries to make a moment “teachable.” Even the term “teachable moment” can lead to mock-nausea and vomiting in kids, teens, and young adults. Then there are the miraculous moments when life hands you annoyance-free life lessons on a silver platter–experiences so obviously powerful and valuable that offspring Read more »
Helping other people is powerful. One of the main concerns of families I work with is how the financial success of the family will affect the rising generation. They are particularly concerned about the potential negative effects. I’ve worked with families for many years; family has been my area of focus in many realms. I’ve worked in different roles with some of the wealthiest and poorest families in America. I’ve consistently witnessed when families (regardless of their level of wealth) Read more »
In the movie Trainwreck, Lebron James (playing himself) and Bill Hader (playing Dr. Aaron Conners) are in a scene having lunch together. When the check comes, Lebron suggests they split the check according to what they each ate. Aaron is shocked that LeBron James, a rich and wealthy basketballer, will not simply pick it up. LeBron’s response, “It is better for our friendship…Equals forever.” Watch the scene for yourself (only 50 seconds). While the movie is an Amy Schumer-written comedy, it hits on a serious point for wealth Read more »
Last month’s blog, Wet Leaves and Humility , left me in a humiliated but (slightly) wiser position as a father and consultant to business and legacy wealth families. Please read it over if you have not (only takes a couple of minutes to read) – it sets the stage for this blog. In a nutshell, my last blog tells the story of how I thought I was doing something well and my son pointed out that he had a much better way to do Read more »
Stories of fatherhood can be embarrassing. They are often instructive. For me, this tale has been both. I’m a parent to sons ages 23 (Jeremy) and 20 (Matthew). The older and wiser they get, the less intelligent I seem to be. I’m getting used to it. We have a pool in our backyard and we closed it for winter in late September. It has a huge tarp over it. In NJ this time of year, there are lots of leaves. Read more »
If you know me or have followed this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know I like to make parallels between family business and pro hockey and rock bands. Both have similarities to families and, I’d make the case, ARE families when at their best. Is blood connection necessary to be a family? FAMILY BEYOND BLOOD For most of history, family was primarily defined by blood connections. In more recent times, family has taken on a broader and dynamically Read more »
