In this episode of the show I discuss three common myths that are often thrown at family businesses as rules or facts in order for them to act to avoid becoming a statistic themselves. The first myth is that around the number of family businesses making it to the third generation and what the often cited statistics are actually related to. We then look at the shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves myth, which has been around far longer than the statistics about succession, but is equally as unreliable as the stats. I also cover the common statement that "all you need is Governance" and highlight why I b ..read more

In this episode I am joined by Fiona Graham from the Institute for Family Business as we discuss Family Business Week, some interesting research that will shortly be published and we debunk the myth that family businesses are old fashioned, “Mom and Pop Shops”. We also explore the contribution that family businesses make to the UK and global economies and discuss the topics that have been front of mind for family businesses on the recent IFB Tour! Useful Links You can find out more about the IFB and their work by heading over to their homepage You can follow Fiona on Twitter here: https ..read more

I am joined on this show by Kristin Keffeler as we discuss the myth of the silver spoon. This happens to be the title of Kristin's excellent new book which you can find out more about here In this really engaging conversation with Kristin we hear about her own story of growing up in a wealthy family. Kristin discusses how our relationship with wealth is not the same as our relationship with money and that there are various forms of clutter that, if we can address, we can transform those relationships and become our true selves. Useful Links  You can find out more about Kristin by con ..read more

In this episode of the show I am joined by Dr Jim Grubman as we discuss an article he has written for International Family Offices. In this article he explores the so called "70% Rule". This "rule" states that 70% of wealth transfers globally, fail.  In the show Jim highlights which studies, evidence and statistics went in to the publication of the "rule" and why it is essential for practitioners and the families that we serve to ensure that we are not repeating so called "rules" as a marketing or fear tactic.  We also look at what can be done in the future to ensure we are using acc ..read more

Well, it has been a while since I hit record on my laptop but I am back with a new series of the show that is focussing on some of the common myths that exist within the world of family business and in particular when 'marketing' to family businesses. Joining me in this series are Dr Jim Grubman, Kristin Keffeler and Fiona Graham as we look at the following: The 70% Rule Myth The Myth of the Silver Spoon The Myth that family businesses are old fashioned, and The Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves myth Over the next week I will be publishing these episodes. As I mention in this preview if you are ..read more

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the show. This follows an incredible week spent in the US with Jamie and Maureen Kelley from Bank of Oklahoma, or BOK Financial. Jamie and I attended and spoke at the brilliant Purposeful Planning Institute Rendezvous conference in Denver and then spent some time with Maureen and her team along with some clients. We wanted to share with you this experience and the benefits that can come from collaboration amongst professionals. As we embrace the age of Wealth 3.0 it is more important than ever to focus on the human connections with our clients. We ment ..read more

We conclude our series looking at the ground-breaking research called The Quest for Legitimacy. This research spoke with rising gen family members from around the globe and asked them to share their experiences of growing up in "The Land of Giants". In this episode Jamie and I discuss the importance of humanising the giants in our lives to allow us to be able to walk in the land of giants. The Quest for Legitimacy: How Children of Prominent Families Discover Their Unique Place in the World is available to buy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will also be available in book stores.  You ..read more

As we continue our look at The Quest for Legitimacy research Jamie and I explore what is referred to in the book at "Breaking Moments". What are they? What do they feel like? Why are they important? We then discuss what liminality is and how we are all currently living through a period of liminality. The Quest for Legitimacy: How Children of Prominent Families Discover Their Unique Place in the World is available to buy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will also be available in book stores.  You can follow these links to order the book:  Amazon USA  Amazon UK  Barnes ..read more

In this episode we delve much deeper into The Quest for Legitimacy and explore the four phases.  In particular we look at examples from the research that highlight how the phases feel and are experienced. We discuss the fact that the phases are not linear and that at any point in your life you can be taken back into an awareness phase that can lead to opportunities for growth.  The four phases of The Quest are:  Awareness  Tug of War  Exploration  Ownership The Quest for Legitimacy: How Children of Prominent Families Discover Their Unique Place in the Wo ..read more

In the first episode of the series we meet Jamie and hear about the depth of his experience across all of society, from Cook County Jail to large family enterprises. He shares the experience of growing up as the son of a Rabbi and the impact it had on his own life.  We dive into the research and what motivated it along with an outline for the four phases of The Quest.  The Quest for Legitimacy: How Children of Prominent Families Discover Their Unique Place in the World is available to buy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will also be available in book stores.  You can follow ..read more