Toddlers and Wealth Stewardship

September 20, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

I’ve seen quite a bit in my work with families who share complex assets across generations (businesses, real estate, investments, trusts, foundations…) And I continue to find support, from families and professionals who serve them, for my ideas and creative strategies for developing stewards at the youngest of ages – before they are born and during the first few years of life. Before birth? Yes. Couples can clarify the meaning of wealth and how they hope it will serve future Read more »

Inheritor’s Wisdom

June 24, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

I was recently speaking to a client who received a significant amount of money from his parents upon graduation from college. He lived simply during college, starting in your average dorm and moving on to sharing an old house (without air conditioning or other upgrades) in a worn-down, high crime neighborhood with a bunch of friends. He also worked very hard earning degrees in a fine art and finance. He always struck me as humble and kind, frequently looking at Read more »

Resistance

May 27, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

Sigmund Freud was known for a lot of things. What most non-psychoanalysts are unaware of is his foundational idea of the importance of RESISTANCE – in psychotherapy and in life. Freud believed that as much as people seemed to be clear about what they wanted in life, they also often resisted getting it – usually in ways they were unaware of. Without getting lost in a rabbit hole of psychoanalytic theory, here is his basic premise: people are openly aware Read more »

Family Business South Dakota Style

April 17, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

On April 29th, I’ll be presenting at the  Prairie Family Business Association’s 29th Annual Conference . I presented in 2015 and love the state of South Dakota and wish I could be there in person this year. The conference is a hybrid and I’ll be virtual. The good news is, wherever you may be located, you can join this great conference with excellent content and more than 400 attendees. I’ll be speaking about raising children in the context of a family business (FB) – a topic I’m Read more »

Next Gen Development

February 23, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

When does a family business become a family business? Answers vary but usually include something to the effect of two or more family members owning a majority and having significant strategic influence over the business. One of the most common seeds of a family business (FB) is sown when the founder of a business decides to include other family members in ownership and leadership, whether now or in the future. While the founder can engage cousins, a spouse or other Read more »

Teens Role in Family Spending Decisions?

January 13, 2021Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

I was captivated by a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Should Parents Involve Their Teenagers in Big Spending Decisions?” The article featured two financial advisors with opposing views on this question. I thought I’d weigh in. Lazetta Rainey Braxton, co-CEO at 2050 Wealth Partners in New York, basically says that “if done right, it can be empowering and educational,” while Michelle Perry Higgins, a financial planner and principal at California Financial Advisors in San Ramon, Calif., says teenagers shouldn’t have a say in these decisions. Ms. Rainey Braxton is basically taking the tack Read more »

Hot and Sweaty Family Business

October 22, 2020Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

Recently I was invited by my good friend and colleague (much more of a friend at this point in our lives) Ira Bryck , to be on his radio show about business issues. Barry Graff also joined us for an open discussion of family business issues. Ira, Barry and I are members of Psychodynamics of Family Business (PDFB), a group of mostly (but not all) psychologically-trained professionals working with enterprising families. PDFB meets for one weekend retreat per year in Chicago and is one of the highlights of my professional Read more »

Deepening New Client Conversations

September 23, 2020Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

I was recently speaking to a friend and colleague about the conversations he has with new clients. He is one of a new wave of wealth managers (and other professionals) who are as interested in getting to know the full picture of their client’s lives as they are about investment and planning strategies. He asked for my thoughts on deepening client conversations. Opening up conversations about money, business, family and legacy with a new client or even a prospect can Read more »

Ethical Wills – Share Your Love and Wisdom!

August 13, 2020Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting

Several years ago, I wrote about ethical wills. While they sound “legal”, they are not legal documents at all. An ethical will is a letter to children, grandchildren, really any loved ones, written to express wisdom, values, life lessons. It is a way to transfer non-financial/non-material wealth. Best shared when the writer is still alive, there can be invaluable interaction between the writer and recipients. I found the process of writing my own (shared in the blog several years ago) Read more »

Race & Wealth

July 30, 2020Family Business Consulting, Family Wealth Consulting, Wealth Psychology Consulting

This blog is mostly about race and racism in America and less about families and wealth although I do make some connections there. Racism and inequality are big issues and many, myself included, would like to see more progress. This blog includes references to some of my earlier blogs about race and wealth and details some of my recent experiences of the dynamics of racism in my professional world. I end with a collection of helpful resources for anyone looking Read more »