The Secret Thoughts of CEO's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Chris Yonker
In The Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders we discuss the real things that are holding you back from a life of joy, peace and happiness. Our guests are other High Achievers who know that life is short and that finding ways to live in alignment with what we truly desire is vital for us to live a truly congruent and fulfilled life. Join us as we unlock the mindset and strategies necessary to get there, generate even bigger outcomes, and connect to something greater-- all without sacrificing what matters most.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 167: The One Plan Every Family Is Missing with Libby Boatwright
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Libby Boatwright — certified financial planner, former Stanford Medical Center chaplain, pastor, and author of The Last Things We Talk About — for a candid, deeply practical conversation about the one plan most families never make: an end-of-life plan. Drawing on decades of experience in palliative care, hospice work, financial planning, and pastoral ministry, Libby walks through the full spectrum of what families need to navigate when a loved one faces a serious diagnosis or decline — and why waiting until the last minute makes everything harder and more costly. Chris and Libby explore the critical difference between palliative care and hospice, how hospitals really operate and what they won't tell you, why your advanced directive is your most important legal document, the caregiving crisis quietly bankrupting American families, how to be an effective patient advocate inside a system not designed to help you, and what it actually looks like to help a loved one die well. Chris also shares his own firsthand experience navigating hospice for both parents — including a powerful story about standing up to a hospital trying to redirect his mother's care. This is a conversation every family should hear before they need it.
Episode Chapters · 2:22 Meet Libby Boatwright
· 4:31 What End-of-Life Planning Actually Covers
· 7:29 When the Diagnosis Arrives: Legacy, Bucket Lists, and Getting the House in Order
· 10:00 The Circles of Support — Who Will Be There When It Matters?
· 12:44 How to Start the Conversation When Families Don't Want To
· 15:00 The Advanced Directive, HIPAA, and the POLST — The Three Essential Documents
· 18:32 The Caregiving Crisis: Costs, Burnout, and Family Conflict
· 23:36 Alzheimer's, Memory Care, and What It Actually Costs
· 26:17 Protecting Assets: Trusts, Look-Back Periods, and Planning Ahead
· 28:13 Navigating the Hospital System: Case Managers, Patient Advocates, and How to Fight for Your Loved One
· 35:00 Palliative Care: What It Is, When to Use It, and Why Most People Don't Know
· 38:09 Hospice: Medicare's Gift at the End of Life
· 41:18 Chris's Story: Standing Up to the Hospital
· 46:59 About the Book: The Last Things We Talk About
· 50:16 Resources and Farewell
Websites · elizabethboatwright.com
· chrisyonker.com
Book · The Last Things We Talk About: Your Guide to End of Life Transitions by Elizabeth Boatwright (Bull Publishing, 2021) — available on Amazon
About Libby Boatwright Rev. Dr. Elizabeth "Libby" Boatwright, BCC-PCHAC, CFP, is a chaplain, pastor, certified financial planner, and author who has spent over 30 years counseling families on end-of-life issues, loss, grief, estate planning, and the emotional and spiritual dimensions of dying. She served as a Relief Chaplain in Oncology Outpatient Palliative Care Medicine at Stanford Health Care, where she worked alongside hundreds of patients and families navigating serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
In her book The Last Things We Talk About: Your Guide to End of Life Transitions (Bull Publishing, 2021), Libby offers a practical framework for creating what she calls the "white book" — a simple binder or flash drive of all the materials a family will need when a loved one passes — helping heirs avoid what she calls "the treasure hunt" of lost documents and unspoken wishes. Libby has lectured at universities, colleges, and medical institutions, led seminars at national conventions, faith communities, parenting groups, senior fellowships, and estate planning forums. She has published in Cancer.net, Morningstar, CSA Journal, and Barron's, and has been featured in newspapers across the country. She has also appeared on ABC Nightly News and hosted her own radio show, The Fiscal Therapist, on KAIM.
Libby holds Master's degrees from UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Fuller Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics and Future Studies from George Fox University, and holds certifications as a Certified Financial Planner and Board Certified Chaplain with Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care. She lives in Northern California.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 166: Preparing the Rising Generation for Succession with Jeremy Lurey
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker is joined by Dr. Jeremy Lurey of Family Legacy First for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on one of the most underserved dimensions of family business succession — preparing the people, not just the plan. Recorded as part of the Family Business Executive Forum, this episode moves beyond the mechanics of who gets what and digs into the real work: the relational ecosystem, the communication structures, the identity questions, and the developmental gaps that determine whether a rising generation will thrive or fracture when the founding generation steps away. Chris and Jeremy explore why calling the next generation "now-gen" instead of "next-gen" changes everything; why the how of succession always matters more than the who; what the dashboard of a healthy succession ecosystem actually looks like; why governance without communication is just paperwork; and why the families that navigate multi-generational continuity best are the ones focused on individual flourishing, not just business continuity. They also share real client stories — both cautionary and inspiring — that illustrate what happens when families do this work and what happens when they don't.
Episode Chapters · 0:00 Setting the Stage: Succession as a Process, Not an Event
· 2:21 The Family Succession Ecosystem — What's Really Required
· 5:31 Founder Influence and the Decision-Making Shift Across Generations
· 8:00 The Relational Structure of the Rising Generation — Are We Building It?
· 9:57 Fair vs. Equal: The Question That Stops Rooms Cold
· 13:10 The Succession Dashboard: Eight Indicators of Ecosystem Health
· 16:36 Now-Gen vs. Next-Gen: Why the Language Matters
· 19:20 Leadership Development Is Intentional, Not Accidental
· 23:02 How Much Input Should the Outgoing Leader Have?
· 25:34 What Got You Here Won't Get You There
· 28:00 Stewardship vs. Ownership — A Whole Different Framework
· 30:24 Why Holistic Discovery Matters More Than You Think
· 32:47 Life Happens Through Communication
· 36:21 Elevating from Me to We
· 38:13 When the Patriarch Won't Let Go — Real Stories
· 42:07 Jay Hughes, Flourishing, and the Individual in the Family System
· 44:02 Now-Gen Outside the Enterprise — A Powerful Case Study
· 50:24 Parting Wisdom: Where to Start in the Next Seven to Ten Years
· 54:50 Building the Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
· 55:26 Resources and Farewell
Websites · familylegacyfirst.com
· chrisyonker.com
LinkedIn · Search Jeremy Lurey or Chris Yonker
About Jeremy Lurey Dr. Jeremy Lurey is the founder of Family Legacy First, a consulting practice dedicated to helping multi-generational family enterprises navigate succession, governance, and legacy planning with a focus on the human side of the process. With a background in management consulting and executive coaching, Jeremy works with families across the country on leadership transitions, family councils, retreats, and the relational dynamics that determine whether a family business survives across generations. He is a sought-after speaker and facilitator known for his practical, story-driven approach and his conviction that succession is never just about choosing the right successor — it's about building the right ecosystem for the whole family to thrive.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 165: Rethinking Succession in Family Business with Josh Baron
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Josh Baron — Harvard Business School faculty member, co-founder of Banyan Global, and co-author of multiple Harvard Business Review works on family enterprise — for a rich, deeply practical conversation on the topic that never gets old: succession. Josh has spent 20 years advising family businesses and teaching at Columbia and Harvard, and what he keeps finding is that families don't fail at succession because they chose the wrong person. They fail because they never built the right process. Together Chris and Josh explore why a family business CEO who's been in the seat for 30 years is not facing a job change — they're facing an identity crisis; why the how of succession is more important than the what; the critical difference between conquerors and rulers and why the next generation doesn't need to look like the founder to be the right fit; how to use the arc of succession — assets, roles, and capabilities — as a planning framework; what happens when the founding generation leaves and the next generation discovers they have no one to resolve their disputes; and why working backwards from the far future is one of the most effective tools for getting a reluctant founder to engage. They also dig into the four ownership models used by successful multi-generational family businesses and why the question isn't just who should run the business — it's whether the family should have a business at all.
Episode Chapters · 3:56 Meet Josh Baron
· 5:13 From Bain to Banyan: How Josh Found His Way Into Family Business
· 8:00 Why Succession Is an Evergreen Problem — and Always Will Be
· 10:12 What the Rising Generation Is Really Feeling
· 13:12 Why G1 and G2 Struggle to See Each Other Clearly
· 15:39 When Is the Right Time to Start Succession Planning?
· 16:05 The Arc of Succession: Assets, Roles, and Capabilities
· 20:48 Succession Is a Process, Not an Event
· 22:11 The Danger of the One-Winner Moment
· 24:33 Why Every Generation Needs a Different Kind of Leader
· 27:50 How to Help a Founder Embrace What Got Us Here Won't Get Us There
· 30:00 Grafting: How the Next Gen Should Introduce New Ideas
· 31:30 Working Backwards: The Most Effective Tool for Reluctant Founders
· 35:35 What Happens When the Founder Leaves and the Glue Disappears
· 38:00 Should We Even Have a Family Business? The Question Nobody Asks
· 40:19 The Four Ownership Models and When Each One Works
· 46:09 The How Is Greater Than the What
· 49:06 When to Get Outside Help — and Why You Always Need It
· 53:31 Resources and Farewell
Websites · hbs.edu (search Josh Baron)
· banyanglobal.com
· chrisyonker.com
Book & Articles · The Founder's Final Act — Harvard Business Review, September–October 2025
· Search "Josh Baron HBS" for the full catalog of published work
About Josh Baron Josh Baron is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, coauthor of the Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook, and a cofounder of BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 164: Unlocking Inner Potential: Tools for Sustainable Leadership
with Shalin Desai
In the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker welcomes Shailendra (Shalin) Desai, an engineer and longtime Art of Living teacher who has spent 20 years teaching breathing techniques and meditation in 64 U.S. cities, including Fortune 500 companies. They discuss shifting leadership needs, employee disengagement, and generational differences, emphasizing that calm, regulated nervous systems support trust, connection, and better decision-making. Desai explains Art of Living's SKY Breath (Sudarshan Kriya) and cites research, including a Yale study comparing outcomes with mindfulness-based stress reduction and an emotional intelligence program, noting benefits like reduced cortisol and anxiety and increased purpose. He guides listeners through a short bellows breathing (Bhastrika) exercise and brief meditation, recommends starting the day with the practice, and frames breathwork as daily "mental hygiene." · 00:54 Meet Shalin Desai
· 04:25 Leadership Engagement Crisis
· 08:34 Generational Leadership Shift
· 11:02 Breathwork For Calm Leaders
· 17:42 Why Breath Before Meditation
· 21:22 Guided 12 Minute Practice
· 36:02 When To Use It
· 36:35 Real World Impact Stories
· 42:22 Mental Hygiene Mindset
· 43:20 Resources And Farewell
Websites · artofliving.org
· chrisyonker.com
About Shalin Desai Shalin Desai is the Director of Programs for the Art of Living Foundation, one of the world's largest nonprofit organizations, whose initiatives have positively impacted over 500 million people across 180+ countries. With more than 25 years of experience teaching breathwork and meditation, Shalin is known for integrating ancient wisdom with modern leadership and well-being practices. He also serves as Chief Revenue Officer of Sri Sri Tattva, a global wellness brand offering natural and Ayurvedic products that promote holistic health through a blend of tradition and science.
For over 15 years, Shalin has designed and delivered corporate leadership and wellness programs for organizations including Microsoft, Dell, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture, Salesforce, Eli Lilly and Company, and Merck & Co.. His work helps leaders and teams manage stress, build resilience, and cultivate mental clarity while reconnecting with a deeper sense of purpose.
Personally trained by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Shalin is among a select group chosen to train teachers of the Art of Living programs. Through his seminars and speaking engagements, he combines scientific insight with practical tools that help individuals and organizations unlock sustainable performance and well-being.He is also known for his Intuitive Life Scan, a breakthrough approach in which trained guides provide unbiased, highly accurate insights into an individual's unique situation. Using techniques that access the intuitive space—also called Absolute Intelligence—participants gain clarity and actionable guidance beyond what conventional knowledge can offer.
A highly engaging speaker known for his relatable storytelling and humor, Shalin inspires audiences with practical techniques they can apply immediately to improve focus, leadership, and overall well-being.
Shalin holds a degree in Supply Chain Management from the State University of New York and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.
Susan Weingartner has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of capital and human behavior.
Although she grew up as the daughter of a wealth advisor, Susan initially chose a different path. Her career led her through philanthropy, impact investing, sustainable real estate, and capital markets, where she came to understand a powerful truth: wealth is never just financial. It carries responsibility, and when that responsibility remains unspoken, it shapes families in ways they don't expect.
As a founder of a family enterprise, former CEO, investor, and leader in philanthropy and impact investing, Susan brings a rare cross-disciplinary perspective to conversations about legacy, stewardship, and the human side of wealth.
Today, Susan helps families prepare the next generation for the responsibility and stewardship of wealth. Through her speaking, advising, and thought leadership, she helps families, advisors, and institutions prepare people, not just assets, for the future.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 162: You May Be Making Decisions in the Dark — Jacques Santucci on Financially Preparing Your Business for the Future
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Jacques Santucci, President of Opus Consulting, for a grounded, practical conversation about one of the most underutilized levers in family business: financial leadership. Jacques brings a rare combination of international business experience — from Ernst & Young in France to CFO roles in the US — and 17 years of consulting to privately held and family-owned businesses across New England and beyond. Together, Chris and Jacques break down the critical differences between a bookkeeper, controller, and CFO; why so many family businesses are making major decisions with months-old data; what the early warning signs of financial trouble actually look like before an owner recognizes them; and why the fractional CFO model has become one of the most accessible and high-impact resources available to growing family firms. They also explore what a meaningful financial education pathway looks like for the rising generation — not to make them accountants, but to ensure they can read a P&L, understand a balance sheet, talk to a banker, and make decisions grounded in fact rather than gut feeling.
Episode Chapters · 4:10 Meet Jacques Santucci
· 7:12 From France to Maine: A CFO's Unlikely Journey
· 11:04 Bookkeeper, Controller, CFO — What's the Difference and Why It Matters
· 17:12 The CFO's Real Job: Looking at the Future, Not the Past
· 19:25 When Is It Time to Bring In a CFO?
· 21:33 Financial Reporting: What to Measure, How Often, and Why
· 25:31 Early Warning Signs Your Business Is Heading for Trouble
· 29:16 Customer Mix, Profit Margins, and Strategic Decision-Making
· 30:16 A Real-World Case Study: Seasonal Business, Six-Week-Old Data, and What Changed
· 31:47 Clean Data: Why Accuracy Is the Foundation of Every Good Decision
· 35:20 Developing the Rising Generation's Financial Acumen
· 40:08 What Every Next-Gen Leader Needs to Understand About the Numbers
· 42:16 The Fractional CFO Model: Full Expertise at a Fraction of the Cost
· 46:05 Resources and Farewell
Websites · opuscg.com
· chrisyonker.com
About Jacques Santucci Jacques Santucci is the President and Founder of Opus Consulting, a nationally recognized full-service business advisory firm supporting companies from start-up to turnaround, and offering management and fractional C-suite services to unlock performance. Jacques is particularly skilled in helping businesses navigate complex inflection points and difficult industries, with over 20 years of experience in turnarounds and restructurings. He frequently serves as a restructuring officer, court-appointed receiver, or turnaround advisor — bringing disciplined execution and a practical, hands-on approach to each engagement.
In his capacity as a fractional CFO, Jacques utilizes his strategic and financial expertise to help companies improve fiscal controls, cash flow, and align financial operations with long-term goals. From his frontline perspective in restructuring and turnarounds, he is keenly aware of the financial decisions and factors that lead companies into distress — and works with business leaders to avoid those pitfalls earlier in the business lifecycle. Jacques built his career as a strategic finance leader, holding senior roles at Ernst & Young and Universal Pictures in Paris, France, before bringing his expertise to privately held and family-owned businesses across the United States.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 161: AI Is Coming Fast — What Family Businesses Should Do Now with Jack Potvin
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker is joined by AI product builder Jack Potvin for a fast-moving, practical conversation about artificial intelligence and what privately held and family businesses need to do — right now — to stay competitive. Jack built his AI foundation working on one of the world's first computer vision models for sports before the rise of large language models, and now dedicates his work to helping independent businesses harness this technology before the window closes. Chris and Jack make the case for why family businesses — historically outperformers — are at a critical inflection point: large corporations are pouring tens of billions into AI adoption, and the playing field will not stay level for those who wait. Together they explore what AI actually is, the two core value drivers of efficiency and capability expansion, where to start when your team is at zero, why governance policies matter more than most owners realize, which specific tools deliver immediate value, and what AI genuinely cannot replace — deep domain expertise, broken process diagnosis, and nuanced human judgment. They also dive into real-world case studies from a beverage manufacturer and an insurance agency that have completely transformed their operations through AI, and close with a grounded, practical framework for family business leaders ready to take their first meaningful steps.
Episode Chapters · 0:00 Welcome and Framing the Opportunity
· 1:00 Meet Jack Potvin — From Sports AI to Family Business Adoption
· 4:06 Why Family Businesses Are at a Competitive Inflection Point
· 7:28 What Is AI? Defining LLMs, Efficiency, and Capability Expansion
· 13:18 Should Your Company Have an AI Policy?
· 16:04 Addressing the Fear: Job Loss, Data Privacy, and the Real Risks
· 22:10 Where to Start: Daily Drivers, Existing Tools, and Filling the Gap
· 26:54 Best AI Tools Right Now: Read AI, Whisper Flow, Notion, Gamma
· 30:29 Operational Efficiency, Analytics, and Business Development
· 31:11 Two Real-World Case Studies: Beverage Manufacturer and Insurance Agency
· 35:23 What AI Is Great At — and Where Humans Must Lead
· 40:40 AI for Business Development, Outbound, and CRM Automation
· 45:59 Strategic Planning, Knowledge Bases, and Building Your Company's AI Brain
· 50:20 Q&A and Closing Resources
Websites · businessautomation.com
· chrisyonker.com
About Jack Potvin Jack Ryan Potvin is an entrepreneur and AI strategist focused on helping businesses adopt practical artificial intelligence solutions that improve efficiency, decision-making, and competitive positioning. As the founder of Business Automation, Jack works with companies to integrate AI into everyday business operations — from automating workflows and improving internal knowledge systems to enhancing marketing, sales, and strategic insight. Jack specializes in translating rapidly evolving AI capabilities into practical tools that business leaders can implement today, without requiring large technical teams or massive technology investments. He is particularly passionate about helping family-owned and employee-owned companies adopt AI in ways that strengthen their long-term competitiveness while preserving the leadership values and culture that make these businesses successful.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 160: The Family Factor: Why Some Families Survive Conflict and Others Don't with Doug Baumoel
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Doug Baumoel, Founding Partner of Continuity Family Business Consulting and co-author of Deconstructing Conflict, for a deeply honest conversation about what actually tears family businesses apart — and what it takes to hold them together. Doug's path into this work is personal: he grew up as heir apparent in a thriving multi-generational family business that ultimately collapsed under the weight of poorly managed conflict, despite multiple consultants attempting to help. What he learned from that experience led him to develop the Conflict Equation Methodology, a systems-based framework rooted in the science of identity-based conflict — the kind of conflict that can't be mediated, negotiated, or governed away. In this conversation, Doug and Chris explore the critical distinction between disagreements, disputes, and true conflict; the concept of the Family Factor and why it's the single most important variable in any family business engagement; why governance overlaid on top of unresolved conflict is like pouring gasoline on a fire; and how trust is rebuilt not through warmth or wishful thinking, but through predictability. They also dig into early warning signs of passive and active conflict, why the first phone call from a prospective client can make or break an engagement, and what it really means to sacrifice for family.
Episode Chapters · 8:48 Meet Doug Baumoel
· 11:00 Growing Up as Heir Apparent — and Watching It Fall Apart
· 14:00 Why Most Family Business Consultants Made Things Worse
· 16:30 The Conflict Equation: A Systems Engineering Approach
· 19:00 Identity-Based Conflict vs. Civil Dispute
· 22:10 How Families Show Up: Stuck, Worried, or In Crisis
· 23:22 The First Phone Call and the Bias Trap
· 27:38 Family First or Business First?
· 31:08 The Family Factor: Compromise, Forgiveness, and Care
· 35:09 Are We Wired to Care for Each Other?
· 39:00 Early Warning Signs: Passive vs. Active Conflict
· 49:20 Why Governance Is Not a Conflict Solution
· 52:44 Building the Family Factor Across Generations
· 56:34 Resources and Farewell
Websites · continuityfbc.com
· chrisyonker.com
Book · Deconstructing Conflict: Understanding Family Business, Shared Wealth, and Power — available on Amazon
About Doug Baumoel, MBA Doug Baumoel is the Founding Partner of Continuity Family Business Consulting, where he specializes in conflict management and leverages his extensive expertise in family business, family office operations, and governance. He draws from over 25 years of business experience — including starting and managing businesses in both the U.S. and Europe, where he established and led the European offices of his second-generation family enterprise — to develop a robust process for analyzing the key variables that influence family business conflict. He co-authored Deconstructing Conflict: Understanding Family Business, Shared Wealth, and Power with Continuity Managing Partner Blair Trippe. His insights have been featured in Family Business Magazine, Thomson West's Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Guide, Private Company Director magazine, and Harvard's Negotiation Journal.
A nationally recognized speaker, Doug has presented at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Cornell University's Smith Family Business Initiative, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the Family Firm Institute, the American Bar Association, Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises (AFHE), and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP). He serves as a board member of One Family Inc., a Massachusetts non-profit supporting families facing homelessness, and sits on the boards of a private foundation and a technology firm.
Doug holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He is a Fellow of both the Family Firm Institute (FFI) and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), a Practitioner Scholar with Cornell's Smith Family Business Initiative, and a recipient of FFI's 2023 Interdisciplinary Award. Outside of work, he is an avid fingerstyle jazz guitarist who occasionally performs at charity events and jazz venues.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 159: The Story Only Your Family Can Tell with Roy Moëd & Yvette Conn
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Roy Moëd and Yvette Conn, co-founders of Lifebook Memoirs, for a rich conversation about why documenting the stories of family business founders may be one of the most underutilized tools in the entire legacy planning space. Roy's journey into this work began with a deeply personal moment — repeatedly shutting down his blind father's stories until it was almost too late — and evolved into a global enterprise that has now chronicled over 20,000 lives across the world. Yvette, with her background in financial markets and business commentary, brings the lens of the family enterprise: how the unrecorded stories of founders get distorted over generations, how family myths quietly become sources of division, and how a book chronicling the origin of a family business can give an entire management team a living framework of values to build on. Together, they explore why so many people believe their story isn't worth telling, what it actually looks like to capture a 100-year-old family business history, the surprising emotional and relational benefits that emerge when stories are finally put to paper, and why a book — not a video — remains the most powerful medium for preserving a family's truth. This is a quietly profound episode for any family business leader who has ever wondered whether the story of how it all began still matters.
Episode Chapters · 5:28 Meet Roy Moëd and Yvette Conn
· 6:07 The Genesis: A Blind Father and a Secretary Who Listened
· 9:34 From Memoir to Family Business Stories — How Lifebook Evolved
· 11:07 Who Am I to Have My Story Written? The Self-Worth Question
· 13:00 The Aha Moment: Why Every Story Is Worth Telling
· 17:42 The Value to the Reader — Not Just the Subject
· 19:00 How Founders' Stories Give the Next Gen Permission to Try and Permission to Fail
· 20:40 Passing On Values, Not Just Value
· 22:08 When the Family Story Gets Distorted — and Why It Causes Division
· 24:46 Capturing Stories of Founders Who Are No Longer Alive
· 27:21 You Can't Ensure Your Memory, But You Can Ensure Your Memories
· 30:42 How This Work Has Enriched Their Own Lives
· 37:11 What Families Ask: How Much Time Does This Actually Take?
· 39:46 Using the Book Project as a Legacy Role for a Retiring Founder
· 42:39 Why a Book Beats a Video
· 43:40 Resources and Farewell
Websites · lifebookmemoirs.com
· chrisyonker.com
About Roy Moëd Roy Moëd is the co-founder of LifeBook Memoirs, which he launched in 2010 alongside his wife Yvette following extensive research at the Toronto Brain Health Institute. The company officially launched in October 2011 and secured venture capital funding in 2012. Today, over 20,000 people worldwide own a LifeBook. Roy's entrepreneurial journey began in 1978 with the founding of Pourshins Limited, which he built — starting with just £4,800 — into an international enterprise employing over 600 staff across four factories in four countries. He later re-engineered the company into a global virtual logistics and BPO provider before selling it to gategroup in 2007. Beyond business, Roy is a passionate philanthropist and advocate: he founded a polo club in Windsor, participated in the London to Sydney air race to raise money for charity, volunteered with Crisis at Christmas, and assisted with refugee relocation efforts at the Polish-Ukrainian border. He has been an active YPO member since 1991 and is deeply involved in the Parenting Community, creating forums and events focused on ageing parents.
About Yvette Conn Yvette Conn co-founded LifeBook Memoirs in 2011 after a distinguished career in financial markets. After earning her Economics degree from the University of Bath, she entered the City of London — then still heavily male-dominated — and rose through the ranks at Laurie Milbank and later Investec, becoming one of the first female partners in the City and a member of the London Stock Exchange. Today, alongside her role at LifeBook, she leads the company's prestigious OPUS Division, which works with individuals, families, and founders to capture their life journeys and preserve their legacies for future generations. Yvette's rare combination of financial rigour and emotional intelligence allows her to guide clients through the storytelling process with warmth, discretion, and authenticity. As she puts it: "While a balance sheet tells you what a family owns, a story tells you who they are."
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 158: You Can't Lead the Next Generation If You're Not Around For It — Dr. Mark Su on Longevity
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Dr. Mark Su, functional and longevity medicine physician, founder of RootSeek Health and True Wellness Clinic in New England, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually means to take authority over your own biology. Dr. Su breaks down the three-category framework he uses in his longevity practice — age-related diseases, cellular root causes of aging, and lifestyle factors anchored by muscle health — and explains why your biologic age matters far more than your chronological one. They explore the groundbreaking science behind epigenetics, telomere health, biologic age testing, and VO2 max, and why moving just one category in your VO2 max ranking is statistically more protective than quitting smoking or eliminating heart disease. Dr. Su also tackles the overwhelm of the longevity information landscape, the critical role of self-advocacy in healthcare, the underappreciated connection between trauma, ACE scores, and chronic disease, and where AI fits — and doesn't — in helping individuals prioritize their health. A conversation for driven family business leaders who are ready to invest in their most important asset: themselves.
Episode Chapters · 4:40 Meet Dr. Mark Su
· 8:07 Why Longevity Is Having a Moment
· 12:03 Genetics vs. Epigenetics: How Much Authority Do You Have?
· 17:29 The Three Categories of Longevity Medicine
· 27:36 The Four Horsemen: Age-Related Diseases
· 29:00 Cellular Root Causes of Aging: Telomeres, Biologic Age, and Immunity
· 32:00 Muscle as Your Longevity Organ and the VO2 Max Breakthrough
· 35:47 Testing: What's Available, What's DIY, and What Requires a Doctor
· 41:44 Trauma, ACE Scores, and the Stress-Longevity Connection
· 47:38 How to Find the Right Practitioner
· 53:00 The Role of AI in Personalizing Your Health
· 57:37 Hyperbaric Chambers and Emerging Treatments
· 58:46 Resources and Farewell
Websites · drmarksu.com
· rootseekhealth.com
· truewellnessclinic.com
· chrisyonker.com
About Dr. Mark Su Dr. Mark Su is a functional and longevity medicine physician with over a decade of practice experience in New England. He is the founder of RootSeek Health, a virtual practice specializing in chronic inflammation and longevity medicine with no geographic boundaries, and a co-founder of True Wellness Clinic, a brick-and-mortar longevity clinic offering in-person procedural treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and IV ozone. Trained at Tufts and deeply influenced by the pioneering biological age research of his wife, Dr. Jessica Su of Harvard, Dr. Mark Su brings a systems-level, root-cause approach to helping patients understand where they are biologically — and what they can actually do about it. His work bridges chronic disease, longevity science, and the belief that every person deserves a clear map for living their healthiest, fullest life.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 157: The Conversation Your Family Needs to Have Before You Die — with Attorney Don Ford
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Don Don Ford III, estate planning attorney and founding partner at Ford Bergner in Texas, for a candid conversation about the estate planning conversations most families are actively avoiding — and what it costs them when they do. Drawing on over 30 years of working with high-net-worth families and business owners, Don shares the real-world consequences of leaving heirs unprepared, how to think objectively about your children's attributes when designing an estate plan, and why putting the wrong people in the wrong roles can unravel decades of wealth building in a courtroom. They explore the danger of co-beneficiary trusts, the $88–$125 trillion great wealth transfer underway through 2045, and how the next generation can have respectful conversations with aging parents about the future. Don also offers practical guidance on how to select and vet your advisory team — and why introducing your kids to your advisors now may be the most important wealth transfer move you make.
Episode Chapters · 2:01 Meet Don Ford
· 4:45 What Actually Keeps Families Together
· 7:42 When Wealth Lands Without Warning
· 11:04 The Burden Nobody Asked For
· 15:49 Fair vs. Equal: The Executor Trap
· 19:00 When the Board Destroys the Business
· 22:11 Trust Structures That Blow Up Later
· 25:43 The $125 Trillion Transfer
· 31:21 What Wealthy Families Actually Look Like Up Close
· 33:54 Advice for the Patriarch or Matriarch
· 36:46 What Next Gen Should Be Asking
· 40:02 Build Your Advisory Team
· 43:44 Resources and Farewell
Websites · fordbergner.com
· chrisyonker.com
About Don Ford Don Don Ford III is an estate planning attorney and founding partner at Ford Bergner, where he has spent over 30 years advising high-net-worth families, business owners, and multi-generational family enterprises across Texas on estate and trust planning, wealth transfer, and family governance. A graduate of accounting with a law degree focused on estate and trust work, Don brings both technical precision and a deeply human perspective to some of the most complex and emotionally charged decisions families face. He is a frequent advisor on trust litigation, family board disputes, and the design of governance structures built to last beyond the founding generation.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 156: The Hollow Win: What a mid-eight figure Exit Taught One CEO About Money, Purpose, and What Actually Matters with Nate collins
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker, interviews Nate Collins, of Raymond James on why family businesses should prepare for a potential sale even if they have no intention to sell. Collins shares his experience taking over a 170–180-year-old New York City licensing company owned by 16 families, receiving an unsolicited offer, and completing a financially strong but imperfect exit due to limited preparation and lack of independent board oversight. They discuss reducing key-person risk, documenting processes, upgrading accounting and systems, strengthening management teams, and regularly revisiting future org needs as markets change. Collins emphasizes clarifying business, personal, and financial goals; using advisors as investments; and starting with an exit planner to coordinate M&A, legal, tax, and wealth planning. He also addresses post-exit purpose, community, and wellbeing, and offers a free quarterly exit planning workshop.
· 02:35 Meet Nate Collins
· 03:59 Running a Multi Family Firm
· 05:53 The Unplanned Sale Lessons
· 09:40 Build to Be Transferable
· 15:45 Succession Org Planning
· 18:28 Next Gen Reality Check
· 23:00 Assemble the Exit Team
· 26:04 Wealth Without Ruin
· 29:53 Purpose After the Exit
· 37:46 Resources and Farewell
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· Raymondjames.com
· Linkedin: @nate-collins
Nate Bio:
Nate is a former CEO who managed a successful exit to a large, PE-backed media company. He now works with a limited number of business owners, CEOs, and their families to help ensure they are achieving their financial goals. As a Financial Advisor and Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he provides in-depth tax mitigation and estate planning strategies, as well as financial planning and investment management. Nate helps owners understand exit readiness and options, wealth transfer, gain family alignment, and prepare for "life after exit."
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 155 - Stop Reacting, Start Strategizing with Patrick Thean
Host Chris Yonker introduces the Enlightened Family Business Podcast and interviews Patrick Thean, a bestselling author and early contributor to scaling-up methodologies, on practical planning and execution for small to mid-sized (especially family) businesses facing succession or sale. Patrick shares his journey from Singapore to the U.S., training as an electrical engineer, working at Oracle, founding and selling a transportation logistics software company, and discovering a calling to help CEOs succeed. They discuss establishing an annual strategic planning rhythm, including SWOT/aspirations and specific "winning moves", quarterly 13-week execution plans, limiting priorities to three to five objectives, and balancing strategic vs. operational initiatives based on whether the business is in crisis. Patrick emphasizes using facilitators and outside-industry perspectives to overcome blind spots, avoiding overreliance on benchmarking, and reframing accountability as support for commitments, clarity, and agreed consequences.
· 03:06 Meet Patrick Thean
· 03:36 From Engineer to Founder
· 07:11 Selling and Finding Purpose
· 08:17 Helping CEOs Succeed
· 10:43 Family Business Transitions
· 14:33 Annual and Quarterly Rhythm
· 18:04 Three to Five Priorities
· 19:18 Strategy vs Firefighting
· 23:44 Small Tweaks Win
· 25:12 One Permanent Improvement
· 31:41 Let the Pro Lead
· 35:12 Blind Spots and Tunnel Vision
· 38:36 Accountability as Support
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· Patrickthean.com
· linkedin: @patrickthean
· Instagram: @rhythmsystems
Patrick Bio:
Patrick Thean is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and world-renowned strategy execution expert. He is the creator of the Think Plan Do® process and co-founder of Rhythm Systems®, helping CEOs achieve breakthrough results and scale with clarity. A seasoned CEO coach and speaker, Patrick has empowered thousands of leaders to turn vision into execution and boost company valuations along the way.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 154 - How a Family Turned a Passion Project into a Resilient Brand
With Jodi Scott
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker welcomes Jodi Scott, co-founder of Green Goo. Together, they discuss the unexpected path her family took into the family business, which led to their product being distributed in over 150,000 retail locations. Jodi shares insights into their family dynamics, the influence of her parents, and the valuable lessons learned from their upbringing in a military household. The conversation dives into the challenges they faced, including a major setback that led them to buy back their company. Jodi emphasizes the importance of communication, proactive support, and mentoring in maintaining a healthy family business environment. The episode concludes with Jodi offering advice for other family-run businesses and recommending Green Go products, notably the versatile first aid ointment and skin repair cream.
· 00:54 Jodi Scott's Journey into Family Business
· 02:28 Early Life and Influences
· 07:31 The Birth of Green Go
· 12:52 Sisterly Bond and Business Dynamics
· 19:32 From Farmer's Market to Full-Fledged Business
· 22:27 Challenges and Seeking Guidance
· 24:42 Establishing Trust and Roles in Family Business
· 27:34 Implementing Family Employment Policies
· 29:05 Expanding to Retail and Online Markets
· 30:07 Navigating Military Market and Retail Challenges
· 34:09 Facing and Overcoming Business Crises
· 39:16 Rebuilding and Future Plans
· 42:57 Advice for Family Businesses
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· Greengoo.com
· Instagram: @greengoohelps
Jodi's Bio:
Jodi Scott is the Founder of Green Goo and CEO of Spry Life, a family-owned portfolio of plant-based wellness brands. She co-founded Green Goo with her mother and sister in a small farmhouse kitchen, hand-crafting herbal salves that grew into a nationally distributed plant-based first aid brand carried in over 120,000 stores.
With a background in biology, pre-med studies, and a Master's in Health Psychology, Jodi bridges traditional herbal medicine with modern science, focusing on clean healing, nervous system resilience, and reducing everyday endocrine disruptors. Her work emphasizes how small, thoughtful inputs compound over time, in health, leadership, and family systems.
Jodi has lived every role inside a family business: product formulator, order packer, marketer, executive, and daughter. After selling Green Goo and later navigating a complex buyback to reclaim the company, she brings rare firsthand insight into continuity, conflict, trust, and alignment across generations.
Today, Jodi works alongside her family running operations from their Colorado farm while mentoring other founders on building values-driven businesses that prioritize people, purpose, and long-term resilience. Her work sits at the intersection of wellness, entrepreneurship, and conscious family leadership.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 153 - A Family Built Startup Story From The Kitchen Table
with Mehmet Tascioglu
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker interviews Mehmet Tascioglu, the Gen Z founder of Mosaic Cakes, a unique family business based in the Detroit area. Mehmet shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his family's experience during the Great Recession, through his initial ventures like Connect Me Tutoring, to the establishment of Mosaic Cakes. The discussion delves into the values instilled by Mehmet's father, the significance of family collaboration, navigating decision-making, and the challenges of introducing a new product to the market. Mehmet offers insights on the importance of mentorship, the influence of cultural heritage, and his vision for Mosaic Cakes as a symbol of the American melting pot. The conversation also explores generational differences, the role of tradition and innovation in family businesses, and the aspiration to build an ethical and impactful brand.
· 00:54 Meet the Gen Z Founder: Mehmet Tascioglu
· 03:14 The Origin Story of Mosaic Cakes
· 05:38 Building a Business During the Pandemic
· 09:10 The Unique Appeal of Mosaic Cakes
· 13:24 Family Dynamics in Business
· 18:24 Leadership and Decision Making
· 19:08 Defining Family Business Values
· 20:21 Family Influence on Business
· 25:23 Generational Perspectives and Challenges
· 32:12 The Importance of Mentorship
· 34:24 Future Plans for Mosaic Cakes
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· Linkedin: @mehmet-tascioglu
· Instagram: @mosaic_cakes
· Tiktok @mosaiccakes
Mehmet's Bio:
Mehmet is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Mosaic Cakes. Prior to starting Mosaic Cakes, Mehmet founded the nonprofit Connect Me Tutoring in 2020, which has since grown into the nation's largest youth-run free tutoring service, providing over 40,000 sessions. Mosaic Cakes is a Michigan-based gourmet dessert company pioneering an entirely new category in the American market. Founded by Mehmet (Stanford MS&E), his mother Senay, and his brother Emir, the company transforms a cherished family recipe into handcrafted premium triangular cakes featuring crushed butter cookies folded into signature chocolate sauce with fresh fruits, crunchy nuts, or other premium ingredients, creating a stunning mosaic pattern in every slice. What began as a beloved family tradition—a dessert the founders grew up enjoying at birthday parties, family gatherings, and celebrations—has become a thriving direct-to-consumer and wholesale business. Throughout their lives, the family witnessed how even the pickiest eaters absolutely loved these cakes, validating that this exceptional flavor experience deserved to be shared with communities across America. At its core, the company's mission centers on positivity, inclusivity, and courage, helping Americans discover a dessert experience unavailable anywhere else in grocery stores, bakeries, or restaurants while building a values-driven business that celebrates family heritage and entrepreneurial spirit.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 152 - Preparing Next Gen Family Leaders for 2030 and Beyond
with Amit Egan Datwani
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker introduces Amit Egan Datwani, an advisor and consultant in the ultra high net worth space. They discuss the transformative changes affecting the commercial real estate industry, particularly influenced by the pandemic. Datwani shares insights on the importance of deep personal work, spiritual and emotional development for the next generation, and how these factors contribute to innovation and family business continuity. They also touch on the roles of creative intelligence and adaptability in navigating the evolving real estate market. The conversation emphasizes the necessity for families to address inner dysfunction to ensure sustainable business success.
· 00:54 The Changing Landscape of Commercial Real Estate
· 01:25 Meet Amit Egan Datwani: A Journey in Family Business and Real Estate
· 04:22 Amit's Personal and Professional Evolution
· 09:47 The Direction Amit's Work is Evolving
· 12:38 Helping Families Find Alignment
· 16:37 The Importance of Inner Work and Innovation in Family Businesses
· 19:04 How to Know if Your Business Needs to Make a Change
· 27:03 The Importance of Personal Development for Next-Gen Leaders
· 44:22 The Future of Real Estate and Family Business
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· globalconsultingorganization.com
· linkedin: @aedgco
Amit's Bio:
Amit is the Founder and Chief Consultant of Global Consulting Organization (GCO). GCO is an internationally positioned Project-Starting Firm that's Visioning, Branding, and Marketing the Neighborhoods, Communities, and Cities of the Future—with particular expertise in Office Building TRANSFORMATION to SUPERCHARGE today's unsustainable Central Business Districts into Profitable and Purposeful Places of the Future.
GCO is leading the movement for Real Estate's first TRULY-INTEGRATED Project Development Model: DESIGN|BRAND|BUILD. Amit showcases this innovation and keen mindset for Transformational Development as the engaging host of GCO FutureCast Episodes and as a headlining speaker or guest collaborator at Premier Experiences nationwide. With these credits, he is an influential C-Suite Advisor on the Future of Office Buildings, offering evolutionary perspectives about the vital power of Branding & Marketing in Commercial Real Estate, as well as how the concept of "Central Living Districts" will RE-imagine the Industry for 2030 and Beyond.
As the leader of the GCO Collective, Amit ACTIVATES Best-in-Class creative talent from inside and outside the Real Estate Industry to LAUNCH Development Projects with a Unified Creative Vision. Using this VISION as a Project's lead facilitator, he's the driving force behind the movement to ELEVATE "The Human Experience" through the Built Environment, an essential commitment of the DESIGN|BRAND|BUILD Model.
With two decades of experience working in & with Family Businesses in Real Estate (and previously the Apparel Industry), Amit also advises Multigenerational and Family Office Clients on how to integrate diverse perspectives into a cohesive, purposeful VISION that delivers superior outcomes.
Amit is trilingual, proficient in English, Spanish, and Hindi. Leading with his Visionary Spirit, he mentors NEXT-GENERATION talent, including work with students at George Washington University's Center for Real Estate & Urban Analysis and at the Dwight-Englewood School. Amit enjoys spending time with his wife (a Writer and longtime Yoga Teacher), 27-year-old stepson (a New Jersey State Trooper and Personal Trainer), and 15-year-old son (who dreams of playing in the NBA). They love playing pickleball, boating, and exploring everything that South Florida has to offer.
For inspiration, Amit LOVES reading, practicing yoga, and taking long walks around cities, ALWAYS thinking about TURNING IDEAS INTO REALITY.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 151 - From Daughter to CEO - Navigating Family Business Transitions with Amanda Osmer
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker talks with Amanda Osmer of Grappone Automotive, a New Hampshire-based family business rooted back to 1924. Amanda shares her journey growing up in a family business, how she eventually decided to be part of it, and the challenges she faced during the transition phase. The conversation touches on the significance of clear communication, inner awareness, and flexible governance. Amanda also discusses the importance of building a strong leadership team, handling multiple successions, and maintaining business integrity. Listeners gain insights into Amanda's dedication to community, the values driving her leadership, and her thoughts on keeping the family business resilient amid industry changes.
· 01:29 Amanda Osmer's Journey in the Family Business
· 03:14 Growing Up in a Family Business
· 07:17 Sibling Dynamics and Family Business Covenant
· 10:10 Amanda's Commitment and Vision for the Future
· 16:22 Navigating Family Business Transitions
· 23:02 Navigating Personal and Professional Boundaries
· 26:07 Implementing the EOS System
· 29:56 Family Employment Policies
· 35:21 Commitment to Community and Integrity
· 39:34 Documenting Family Business History
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· "Grappone Automotive: The Founding" Book at Gibson's Bookstore
· Grappone Audiobook on YouTube
Amanda's Bio:
Amanda Grappone Osmer is the fourth generation of her family to own and help operate Grappone Automotive, established by her great-grandparents as a single gas station in 1924. Today Grappone represents four new car manufacturers with sales, service, and retail and wholesale parts departments. They employ about 350 Team Members and are located in Bow, NH.
Team Grappone operates in an environment in which the whole person is asked to show up and participate at work with the company's mission in mind: to build lifelong relationships with team members, guests, and the community by serving with integrity, kindness, and respect. In 2017 Amanda launched Leadership Grappone, a program that seeks out the company's emerging leaders and challenges them mentally, emotionally, and physically over a nine-month period with the goal of uncovering their true leadership potential.
Faith and volunteer work are central to Amanda's life purpose, and she has served on many nonprofit and advisory boards in her career. One project near to her heart is the co-founding of The Dewey School, a nature-based preschool located at Canterbury Shaker Village. She lives in Sanbornton, NH with her husband, a high school coach and all-around amazing human being, their three children, dog and other critters, and fruit and veggie gardens.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 150 - Fragile Power: Wealth, Identity, and Mental Health
with Dr. Paul Hokemeyer
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker talks with Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, an expert in family business governance and mental health, about the complexities of wealth and psychological well-being. They delve into how societal perceptions of wealth impact individuals and families, leading to feelings of isolation, mistrust, and hyper-agency. Dr. Hokemeyer shares his journey from law to clinical psychology and discusses the importance of cultural competency in behavioral healthcare for high-net-worth individuals. Key topics include the challenges of managing narcissistic personalities within family systems, the necessity of setting enforceable boundaries, and the role of external support in fostering healthier family dynamics.
· 01:54 Introducing Dr. Paul Hokemeyer
· 04:50 Dr. Paul's Journey and Career Path
· 07:14 Challenges Faced by Wealthy Individuals
· 13:41 The Intersection of Wealth and Identity
· 22:48 Therapeutic Approaches and Observations
· 30:32 Hierarchies and Tribes in Human Society
· 31:13 Isolation and Wealth
· 35:31 Understanding and Treating Wealthy Patients
· 39:20 Narcissism in Family Systems
· 44:31 Dealing with Narcissistic Family Members
· 49:58 The Role of External Support Systems
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· draysonmews.com
· Instagram @dr_paul_hokemeyer
Dr. Paul Bio:
Dr. Paul Hokemeyer (J.D., Ph.D.) believes mental health matters for everyone, everywhere.
He is the founding principal of Drayson Mews and author of Fragile Power: Why Having Everything is Never Enough (Hazelden, 2019) and Fragile Power 2.0: Wealth, Narcissism & Mental Health (2024), the leading resources for individuals, couples, and families of wealth seeking culturally respectful and clinically effective mental health services. In addition, Dr. Paul serves as the Senior Wellness Expert to Ispahani Advisory, a London-based consulting firm specializing in multijurisdictional, ultra-high-net-worth families. He is an Associate Member of the American Association for Addiction Medicine and holds a Clinical Fellow designation with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy where he received the 2025 award for Media Excellence.
Prior to graduating from the Harvard Medical School's Global Leaders in Healthcare program, Dr. Paul studied the use of digital technologies at the Yale School of Management.
In addition to his academic and clinical work, Dr. Paul has extensive experience in the realm of philanthropy. He has stewarded over three million U.S. dollars to enhance the delivery of direct mental health services to disenfranchised communities across America, as well as through the Yale School of Public Health. Additionally, he serves as a trustee of the Palm Springs Art Museum, one of the world's premier centers for mid-century art, architecture, and design.
Dr. Paul's research in the realm of wealth and mental health has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Wealth Management, the International Family Offices Journal, Globe Law and Business, and Lambert Academic Press. His work has been featured in a wide variety of international media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The World Economic Forum, the Johns Hopkins Newsletter, Harvard Business Review Arabia, CNN, Men's Health, The Guardian, Tatler (where he was selected as one of the world's top 'problem solvers'), the Campden Club, the Institute of Private Investors, WebMD, Psych Central and others. He is on the editorial board of Middle East Business News and Magazine, a leading resource for family businesses and entrepreneurs in the MENA region.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 149. When Families face Echoes of the Past with Steve Legler
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker is joined by Steven Legler, an experienced family business advisor. Together, they delve into the complexities of family business dynamics, focusing on the impact of past events such as divorces, lawsuits, and separations on current relationships and decision-making processes. Chris and Steven discuss the essential components for creating sustainable continuity, including clear communication, inner awareness, family alignment, and evolving governance. They emphasize the necessity of addressing deep-rooted issues through awareness and professional guidance, highlighting the importance of conflict management, personal development, and the role of external advisors in facilitating effective family meetings. The episode serves as a comprehensive guide for families looking to build a cohesive and thriving multi-generational business.
· 02:44 The Importance of Awareness in Family Systems
· 05:07 Steven Legler's Background and Expertise
· 08:46 Echoes of the Past: Family Blowups and Their Impact
· 10:33 Identifying and Addressing Family System Symptoms
· 18:50 The Role of Advisors in Family Dynamics
· 22:06 Building Family Councils for Future Decision Making
· 25:42 Creating Awareness and Addressing Artificial Harmony
· 32:22 Handling Addiction in Families
· 39:01 Creating Safe Spaces for Dialogue
· 41:07 Challenges in Family Meetings
· 42:27 Generational Trauma and Stress
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· stevelegler.com
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 148: Managing Stress and Anxiety for Optimal Performance
with Elle Ingalls
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Performance Coach and stress expert Elle Ingalls. They discuss strategies for handling stress responses, especially in high-pressure situations. Elle shares her journey from a symphonic conductor to a coach for athletes and executives, highlighting techniques to interrupt stress and improve performance. The conversation covers the biological aspects of stress, misconceptions about dealing with stress, and practical exercises to stay calm and focused. By exploring how to create a supportive environment and maintain inner awareness, this episode offers valuable insights for anyone looking to perform their best in both personal and professional realms.
· 01:28 Meet Elle Ingalls: From Music to Mental Toughness
· 03:39 The Birth of a Coaching Journey
· 08:49 The Science Behind Stress and Performance
· 16:08 Addressing Anxiety in Today's World
· 24:23 Debunking Myths About Stress
· 27:26 Personal Breakthrough and Client Success Stories
· 28:18 Understanding the Stress Response
· 29:00 Individual Reactions to Stress
· 30:33 Self-Awareness and Stress Management
· 35:13 Practical Techniques for Reducing Anxiety
· 43:00 The Role of Conductors and Musicians
· 48:37 The Impact of Stress on Health and Longevity
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· elleingalls.com
Elle's Books:
- The Pressure-Free CEO
- Pressure-Free Parenting
Elle Ingalls Bio:
Elle Ingalls is the author of Pressure-Free Parenting and The Pressure-Free CEO. She's the creator of The Pressure-Free Method, a revolutionary performance method designed to help high-achieving individuals from CEOs to students to break free from stress and unlock their full potential. With a unique blend of expertise as a performance coach, executive, college athlete, and professional musician, Elle developed this method to stop the fight-or-flight stress response before it starts, enabling sharper decision-making, increased resilience, and greater success without burnout.
People turn to Elle when the pressure is high and the stakes are higher. Her method offers practical, science-based tools to navigate intense demands while maintaining clarity, confidence, and health. Whether you're leading an organization or team, feeling the pressures of performance at work or school, or have challenges with your health or relationships, Elle empowers you to rise above stress, boost productivity, and thrive in both business and life—pressure-free.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 147: The Inner Work of Leadership in a Family Business
with Kevin Hancock
In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker interviews Kevin Hancock, Chair of Hancock Lumber, about his journey and transformation in leadership. Kevin shares his personal and professional challenges, including losing his father to cancer, navigating a significant economic recession, and coping with a rare voice disorder. Kevin's experiences led him to initiate major cultural changes at Hancock Lumber, focusing on putting employees first and fostering authentic, meaningful work environments. He also discusses his connection with the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he found inspiration and a new perspective on leadership and the human experience. The episode delves into themes of self-discovery, healing, family business governance, and preparing future generations to lead with heart and authenticity.
· 00:54 Meet Kevin Hancock: A Legacy of Resilience
· 03:42 Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges
· 13:36 The 2008 Economic Crisis and Its Impact
· 18:58 A Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing
· 27:25 Finding Purpose at Pine Ridge
· 32:22 The Emotional Draw to Pine Ridge
· 36:25 The Power of Presence and Authenticity
· 40:21 The Impact of Prioritizing Employee Experience
· 50:47 The Role of Ownership and Family Legacy
· 59:24 The Importance of Inner Work and Self-Discovery
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· hancocklumber.com
· doortwo.com
Kevin's Books
- Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse
- The Seventh Power: One CEO's Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership
- 48 Whispers from Pine Ridge and the Northern Plains
Kevin's Bio:
KEVIN HANCOCK is the Executive Chairman of one of America's oldest family businesses as well as an award-winning author and nationally recognized public speaker.
Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company is led by its 720 employees operating 12 lumberyards, 3 sawmills, a truss manufacturing facility, and timberlands in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Since 2014, Hancock Lumber has been recognized with the 'Best Places to Work in Maine' award. The company is also a recipient of the Maine Family Business of the Year Award, the Governor's Award for Business Excellence, the ProSales National Dealer of the Year Award, and the Maine Retailer of the Year Award.
Kevin is a past chairman of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, and the Bridgton Academy Board of Trustees. Kevin has also served of the Board of Directors for the Hussey Seating Corporation in Maine, the Seneca Sawmill Corporation in Oregon, and the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission.
Kevin is a recipient of the Ed Muskie 'Access to Justice' Award, the Habitat for Humanity 'Spirit of Humanity' Award, the Maine Development Foundation 'Ken Curtis Leadership Award', and the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame 'Directors Award'.
Kevin also partners with the executive coaching firm DoorTwo to provide senior management training programs around the concepts of shared leadership, dispersed power, and deep employee engagement.
Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community —through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and lives in Maine with his wife Alison.
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Ep. 146: How Great Leaders Turn Challenges into Puzzles with Radhika Dutt
In this, the first episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker engages with guest Radhika, a seasoned advisor and published author, to discuss transformative strategies for family businesses. They delve into the concept of replacing traditional goal setting with a 'puzzle setting and puzzle solving' approach, emphasizing curiosity, adaptability, and collaborative learning. The discussion explores how family businesses can navigate succession, integrate innovative thinking, and balance risk while fostering clear communication and family alignment. This episode offers valuable insights for family business owners and leaders seeking sustainable growth and harmonious leadership transition.
· 00:55 The Old Model of Goal Setting
· 01:49 Guest Introduction: Radhika's Background
· 06:37 The Puzzle Setting Approach
· 07:38 The Importance of Succession Planning
· 16:52 The Problems with KPIs and Target Setting
· 21:48 Shifting from Goals to Puzzles in Business
· 23:44 Implementing Puzzle Solving in Sales
· 28:02 Collaborative Learning and Curiosity
· 33:11 Navigating Family Business Transitions
· 38:54 Balancing Risk in Family Businesses
· 41:24 Learning from Other Industries
· 43:59 Conclusion and Resources
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· OHLS Toolkit
· linkedin: @radhika-dutt
Radhika's Bio:
Radhika Dutt is the author of Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter which has been translated into Chinese and Japanese. The methodology she introduced in her first book is now used in over 40 countries. She is an entrepreneur, speaker, and product leader who has participated in five acquisitions, two of which were companies that she founded. She is currently Advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Singapore's central bank and financial regulator), and does consulting and training for organizations ranging from high-tech startups to multinationals on building radical products that create a fundamental change. Radhika has built products in a wide range of industries including broadcast, media and entertainment, telecom, advertising technology, government, consumer apps, robotics, and even wine. She graduated from MIT with an SB and M.Eng in Electrical Engineering, and speaks nine languages.
Radhika is now working on her second book – it's about why goals and targets backfire and what actually works.
Welcome to the Enlightened Family Business Podcast.
In this inaugural episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker introduces his unique approach to family business advising. Shifting focus from traditional elements like structures and finances, Chris emphasizes the importance of communication, inner awareness, alignment, and adaptive governance to create lasting legacy and harmony. Drawing on his 15 years of experience, Chris shares insights into navigating critical transitions such as generational succession and cultural shifts. Listeners are invited to explore deeper strategies for thriving family enterprises and to join the conversation through free webinars and forums hosted on chrisyoker.com.
· 00:00 Introduction to the Enlightened Family Business Podcast
· 00:54 Purpose and Vision of the Podcast
· 01:04 Host's Background and Philosophy
· 01:35 Exploring Key Themes and Frameworks
· 01:58 Call to Action and Resources
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 145
The ROI of Inner Work: Why Conscious Leaders Outperform
with Michael Brabant
In this episode of 'Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders,' host Chris Yonker delves into a profound conversation with Dr. Michael Brabant, a PhD, who specializes in leadership and personal development. They explore the future of leadership, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability, authenticity, and psychological safety within organizations. Dr. Brabant shares his personal journey, discussing his work on integrating higher states of consciousness into leadership and recounting his path from academia to leading meditation retreats and coaching top executives. The discussion also covers the interplay between individual and collective growth, the significance of nervous system regulation, and the transformational potential when leaders model true openness and humility. This episode offers valuable insights for leaders looking to deepen their impact and foster a more connected and empowered workplace.
· 01:01 Exploring Leadership with Dr. Michael Brabant
· 02:38 Michael's Journey and Insights
· 07:46 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership
· 15:52 Navigating Family Systems and Truth
· 25:28 Codependency and Sovereignty in Leadership
· 31:33 Inner and Outer Leadership Dynamics
· 36:41 Emergent Leadership and Consciousness
· 44:11 The ROI of Inner Work for Leaders
· 48:46 Conclusion and Resources
Quotes
· " I think that in a world of AI and spoken wisdom that's not lived. People can try to close the gap of who they want to be and who they actually are by rhetoric and by tactics, and by complexity."[03:36]
· " Most people aren't vulnerable unless they have to be."[11:40]
· " And if my sparkler is lit because I'm lit, I have a lit relationship with my wife. I have a healthy relationship with my body. I'm connected spiritually. When I'm in my leadership role, I'm catalytic. I'm spiritually contagious, and it helps to light people's sparklers.' [45:04]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· candorandcoherence.com
· Instagram: @candorandcoherence
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 144
Family Business at a Crossroads: Navigating Relationships, Governance &
with Ruschelle Khanna.
In this episode, host Chris Yonker delves into the intricacies of family business management with guest expert Ruschelle Khanna. They discuss the importance of family governance, handling narcissistic family members, and breaking cycles of resentment. Ruschelle shares her journey from therapy to working with ultra-high-net-worth families and offers actionable advice for next-gen leaders in family businesses. Listeners are encouraged to seek support and set clear boundaries to foster healthier family dynamics and long-term business success.
· 01:31 Guest Introduction: Rochelle's Journey
· 07:08 Chris Yoker's Background and Personal Story
· 08:09 Understanding Family Dynamics and Trauma
· 15:40 Navigating Family Business Challenges
· 23:49 Dealing with Narcissistic Family Members
· 28:42 Navigating Narcissistic Relationships
· 30:52 Setting Boundaries with Narcissists
· 32:32 The Importance of Family Governance
· 37:14 Educating the Next Generation
· 43:04 Addressing Family Resentments
· 49:53 Taking Action on Family Issues
Quotes
· ”I started to see this overlap between. Money and health and family patterns and how it's all, we can't separate it at all.” [05:58]
· ” Do some work yourself, because you're the ripple that is gonna start impacting the rest of the family. And when you shift your whole family shifts.”[19:02]
· “ Yeah, because it's both, right? There's what a lot of times it's like, look, I believe you. Your family's difficult. I am not discrediting that. But you also are bringing a bunch of stuff that is probably not helpful, and that's usually what I see.’ [52:09]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· ruschellekhanna.com
· LinkedIn: @ruschellekhanna
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 143
Stop Leading on Autopilot: Mastering Conscious Communication.
With Chuck Wisner
In this episode, Chris Yonker dives into the family business world and effective communication strategies, with this week’s guest, Chuck Wisner. Chuck is a seasoned advisor and coach in communication and leadership. Together, they discuss Chuck’s book The Art of Conscious Conversations. The discussion explores themes such as the importance of examining hidden thoughts and stories that influence our communication patterns, the process of improving listening and communication skills, and strategies for facilitating effective conversations in high-stakes environments. Chuck shares insights on the value of awareness, vulnerability, and intention in transforming how we talk, listen, and interact, both in family settings and professional teams.
· 01:31 The Importance of Conscious Conversations
· 04:27 Understanding Conversational Patterns
· 09:44 The Power of Stories in Communication
· 14:29 Navigating Communication Challenges
· 17:45 Improving Listening and Understanding
· 20:36 The Practice of Managing Triggers
· 23:27 Building Better Conversations
· 25:19 The Power of Open-Handed Communication
· 28:02 Navigating Hostility in Teams and Families
· 28:58 Facilitation Techniques for Effective Dialogue
· 30:16 The Importance of Listening and Perspective Sharing
· 33:05 Leadership and the Power of Influence
· 41:09 Self-Awareness and Changing Behavioral
Quotes
· ” I think we never were taught the ABCs of conversations, it's like, your notion about the fish and water. I use a similar quote all the time. We're like humans in conversation, not aware of the water we're swimming in, you know, we're just in it, because it's so habitual [07:58]
· ” It’s this ego thing of holding onto your position tightly, having the answer. Rather than saying, can I learn something, Can I be a little humble? [26:11]
· “My basic theory is the bigger the gap between what I'm seeing out loud and what I'm thinking, the more stress we live in.’ [39:33]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· The Art of Conscious Conversations by Chuck Wisner
· Chuckwisner.com
· Facebook: Chuck Wisner
· LinkedIn: Chuck Wisner
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 142
The Art of Transitions, Maintaining Harmony, and Heritage
with Scott Anderson
In this deeply revealing episode, Chris Yonker sits down with Scott Anderson, founder and CEO of Doubledare Executive Coaching and a licensed mental health therapist, to unpack the silent epidemic of burnout among entrepreneurs and executives. With personal experience as a serial entrepreneur and trauma-informed therapist, Scott shares the real definition of burnout, why high performers are most susceptible to it, and how to reverse it—quickly and permanently.
They explore the psychology behind overworking, the nervous system’s role in stress addiction, and the cultural myths that keep us in cycles of burnout. Scott outlines a practical path to healing and freedom, including how to neutralize the stories that drive compulsive behavior, how to regulate stress in real-time, and what life looks like on the other side of burnout.
- 02:00 - What is burnout and how do we define it
- 04:20 - Scott’s personal story: serial entrepreneurship and collapse
- 06:40 - The official definition and symptoms of burnout
- 08:30 - When rest doesn’t help: signs it’s not “just stress”
- 10:15 - The dangerous story behind entrepreneurial drive
- 14:00 - How childhood trauma contributes to burnout patterns
- 18:30 - Somatic stress recovery vs. “figuring it out” in your head
- 22:00 - R&R technique for real-time stress release
- 26:30 - What life after burnout looks like
- 32:00 - How to neutralize your most toxic stories
Quotes
· “Working harder and worrying more works - until it doesn’t.” [09:10]
· “The most dangerous part is that burnout actually predicts financial success. That’s what makes it so insidious.” [37:20]
· “Life beyond burnout is not a compromise. It’s a profound upgrade.” [39:30]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· doubledareyou.us
· BurnoutBreakthrough.com – Learn more about Scott’s programs and book
· FastFixCall.com – Schedule a free 15-minute triage call
· Burnout Breakthrough – Available through Scott’s site
Scott’s Bio:
Scott Anderson is the founder and CEO of Doubledare Executive Coaching and Consulting, and is a licensed mental health therapist. He has been featured in both Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines, and has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and high-performance executives break through painful plateaus and achieve even higher levels of success and fulfillment at work and at home.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 141
Balancing Boardrooms and Bedrooms - When You and Your Spouse are in a Family Business Together With Gabriela Embon
In this powerful and practical episode, Chris Yonker is joined by transformational coach and author Gabriela Embon to explore what it really takes to sustain a legendary marriage—especially when love and business intertwine. Gabriela shares insights from her journey from engineer to relationship strategist and introduces the Four Pillars of Legendary Marriage from her book Becoming a Power Couple.
Together, they dive into boundaries, communication, conflict repair, intimacy, self-awareness, co-leadership, and how couples can integrate their personal and professional lives with more grace, connection, and fulfillment. Whether you and your partner work together or not, this episode is packed with real-life tools to deepen your bond while still pursuing ambitious goals.
- 02:14 – Why relationships fall apart when home gets the “leftovers”
- 07:00 – “Your spouse comes first” - navigating loyalty and family friction
- 13:00 – Creating new identities when becoming a spouse and parent
- 16:00 – When both partners are drained - how disconnection begins
- 18:30 – Presence over performance: love is not about taking
- 24:00 – Operational vs. connection rituals to run a marriage well
- 26:30 – The power of “communication on demand” and weekly planning
- 28:00 – Physical intimacy as a foundation for emotional intimacy
- 30:00 – Couples working together: blending romance with strategy
- 35:30 – How affairs and breakdowns begin: the warning signs
- 38:00 – The bedroom is the sanctuary: why sleeping apart is a red flag
- 41:00 – Resentment, indifference, and relationship repair
- 44:25 – About Gabriela’s book and where to learn more
Quotes
· “Your spouse comes first—even before your children, your parents, your business partners. Nothing should come between you.”[07:32]
· “When one partner feels like they’re getting the leftovers, it’s often because they’ve abandoned the co-creation of the relationship.”[16:07]
· “Love is beautiful—but it’s not a strategy. Commitment is. Rituals are. Showing up even when you don’t feel like it is.”[28:30]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
- GabrielaEmbon.com
- Gabriela’s Book: Becoming a Power Couple
- Gabriela's LinkedIn
- Gabriela's Facebook
- Own Your Choices Own Your Life: The Four Pillars of a Power Couple with Gabriela Embon
- Own Your Creativity: Uncovering Truth in Conflict Gabriela Embon
- Forgive and Thrive: 179 | Essential Tools For Building A Lasting relationship with Gabriela Embon
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 140
Succession without Sabotage:
How to Pass the Baton and Protect Your Culture with Andy Busser
In this high-level conversation, Chris Yonker interviews Andy Busser, President and CEO of Pitcairn, a multi-family office with a deep legacy of serving ultra-wealthy families. Together, they unpack what it means to lead a family-owned enterprise, especially as a non-family CEO, and how modern governance, culture, and communication influence business longevity.
Andy shares strategic insights and lived experience from both inside and outside the boardroom, including best practices for building fiduciary boards, designing family councils, developing rising generations, and aligning leadership around shared values. From employment policies to emotional landmines, this episode offers a rare look into the psychology, strategy, and heart of enduring family enterprises.
Timestamps
- 02:00 - Meet Andy Busser: from consulting and PE to Pitcairn’s CEO
- 07:15 - Working with wealthy families: early client relationships that changed everything
- 11:10 - Educating the next generation: where and how to start the conversation
- 15:45 - Aligning values, interests, and business literacy in rising generations
- 20:00 - Family employment policies and why billion-dollar firms still lack them
- 24:10 - Hiring non-family CEOs and building fiduciary boards
- 28:40 - How to handle founder resistance, power transitions, and board pushback
- 32:20 - Addressing accountability and culture as primary family values
- 36:00 - Philanthropy: how separate pools can create clarity and harmony
- 39:30 - The importance of conflict, clarity, and governance documentation
- 45:15 - Trends in family business: what’s changing, and what’s still missing
- 50:30 - Why family retreats matter—and how to design them well
- 55:00 - Decision-making frameworks, role clarity, and culture building
- 1:00:00 - Andy’s perspective on culture, hiring, and leadership assessments
- 1:04:15 - Where to learn more about Pitcairn and connect with Andy
Quotes
· "If you want to own the business for generations, P&L has to come last. It’s not unimportant, it’s a byproduct of vision, people, and strategy."[31:30]
· "Problems age like milk, not wine. If you let them fester, they only get worse."[48:10]
· "We’re very intentional about the culture we want. Then we hire people who are great carriers of that culture."[60:45]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· Pitcairn.com
Andy Busser President & Chief Executive Officer Bio:
As CEO, Andy is responsible for guiding the firm’s client-centric culture and overseeing all of Pitcairn’s operations. His vision for the company is to continually evolve the Pitcairn client experience by enhancing the firm’s integrated approach to sophisticated family office services for multi-generational families.
Andy has a passion for solving complex problems. He also has a gift for establishing meaningful, lasting professional relationships. These traits were instrumental over the past decade as he spearheaded efforts to make Pitcairn’s client experience a standard of excellence for family office service.
His enthusiasm and curiosity inspire the entire Pitcairn team toward an unwavering focus on integration, innovation, and lifelong learning. Though known for his commitment to objective analysis, Andy sees Pitcairn as a driver of growth for both wealth and family relationships. His key priorities for Pitcairn are delivering an outstanding client experience, investing in talent, and leveraging technology.
Andy’s previous professional positions positioned him to acquire the knowledge, proficiency, and insight needed to steer a 100-year-old family office into its next century. Before becoming CEO in 2023, he served as Pitcairn’s President of Family Office, where he led the firm’s team of relationship managers, analysts, and client communications professionals. Prior to joining Pitcairn in 2015, Andy was a partner at Symphony Capital, a healthcare-focused investment manager of private equity and hedge funds, and a management consultant at The Wilkerson Group/Wilkerson Partners.
A steadfast advocate for the importance of helping families become successful stewards of wealth, Andy is an in-demand public speaker and frequently presents at events hosted by industry organizations, such as Family Wealth Alliance, Family Office Exchange, and Family Business Magazine’s Transitions and Family Business Legacy conferences. He is also sought out for his industry perspective by the business media and has been quoted in Barron’s, Bloomberg, Crain Currency, NPR, Family Business Magazine, and elsewhere. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes where he writes a column about issues relevant to family office operations.
Andy is a member of the Wigmore Association, a global collaboration of chief executive officers and chief investment officers from five leading family offices around the world. Additionally, he has served on multiple boards and is currently on the CEO Council of Family Wealth Alliance and is a trustee of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy.
A graduate of Colgate University, where he majored in history, Andy is naturally creative and enjoys painting, especially landscapes. He is an avid reader and usually travels with a history or economics book in hand. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Andy, his wife, and two sons now call suburban Philadelphia home. Whenever possible, Andy enjoys skiing in the Rockies or fishing the waters off Cape Cod.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 139
Leadership Evolution & Strategy with Nicole Van Valen
In this inspiring and energizing conversation, Chris Yonker sits down with resilience strategist, author, and former NFL and NBA dancer Nicole Van Valen to explore the real ingredients behind sustainable leadership. From burnout recovery to joyful performance, Nicole shares how leaders can build emotional and strategic resilience in today’s fast-paced business world.
They also dive into generational shifts in the workplace, the role of joy in high-performance leadership, and how managers can meet employees with empathy while maintaining accountability. Nicole’s therapeutic background and executive coaching experience combine to deliver a masterclass on modern leadership for anyone navigating stress, change, or challenge.
Timestamps
- 02:10 – Introducing Nicole Van Valen: therapist, resilience strategist, former pro dancer
- 05:45 – From corporate burnout to joyful leadership
- 07:00 – Joy as a resilience resource: how dance kept Nicole grounded
- 10:45 – Should we do what we’re good at or what we love?
- 13:10 – Defining resilience: the basketball metaphor for bouncing forward
- 16:05 – The razor’s edge: individual pathways through adversity
- 19:45 – Resilience lessons from COVID and beyond
- 22:15 – Empathy vs. accountability: navigating messy leadership moments
- 28:30 – Cross-generational workplace friction and expectations
- 30:55 – Sick pets, hot days, and what’s really going on with your team
- 33:45 – Coaching your team without becoming their therapist
- 36:45 – A surprising example of values-based leadership in action
- 39:00 – Nicole’s top tip: put joy on your calendar
- 41:00 – Dessert first: the value of doing what lights you up
- 42:45 – Nicole’s book, assessment tool, and free resources
Quotes
· “If you tap into the joys of your life, you’re more energized to go into your organization and deliver.” - Nicole Van Valen [06:50]
· “Resilience is about bouncing forward. It’s having a goal in mind—and a plan for when the stressors come.” - Nicole Van Valen [13:15]
· “Empathy doesn’t mean we stop holding people accountable. It means we understand where they’re coming from.” - Nicole Van Valen [24:45]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· KeenInsights.com
· KeenInsights.com/book – The Joyful Leader
· Free Sphere of Resilience Assessment – Take Nicole’s 8-domain self-assessment for leaders
Nicole Van Valen, M.S., L.M.F.T., SHRM-SCP is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant, and published author of The Joyful Leader. With more than 25 years of experience across healthcare, behavioral health, and entertainment, she helps executives and organizations navigate stress, build resilient cultures, and lead with greater empathy and impact. Nicole is the Founder and CEO of Keane Insights, where she merges neuroscience, mental health, and leadership strategy to create high-performing, inclusive workplaces. A former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader and Miami HEAT Dancer, she brings unmatched energy and authenticity to her work—championing transformation through joy.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 138
Self Awareness & Emotional Intelligence with Stephanie Chung
In this electric and eye-opening episode, Chris Yonker sits down with aviation pioneer and leadership strategist Stephanie Chung to unpack what it truly takes to lead in today’s world of diverse teams, generational differences, and ever-shifting business landscapes. Stephanie, the first African American president of a private aviation company in the U.S. and former CGO of Wheels Up, blends boardroom brilliance with neuroscience-backed leadership insight.
From building trust through body language to unlocking innovation by embracing difference, Stephanie shares stories from her jet-fueled career and her newest book Ally Leadership. Whether you're a CEO, a team leader, or a parent navigating complex human dynamics, this episode will stretch your perspective on influence, equity, and modern leadership.
Timestamps
- 01:45 - Meet Kristi Baxter and Chris Yonker: their backgrounds in family business, coaching, 01:45 – Introduction to Stephanie Chung and her aviation leadership journey
- 05:10 – Why we default to leading and selling in our own style - and why it limits us
- 07:15 – Six generations in the workforce: a communication and leadership wake-up call
- 09:45 – How the brain evaluates trust - and the power of facial expressions
- 13:00 – Ask, Listen, Learn, Act: the “ALLY” leadership model and its impact
- 19:00 – Dropping preconceived notions: how bias forms and how to meet people where they are
- 23:00 – Finding business in unlikely places: a story of jet sales and chicken farms
- 29:30 – Navigating generational differences around work-life values
- 33:00 – Meeting dynamics and how to create true psychological safety
- 35:00 – E.A.R.N. Model: How to truly earn allyship as a leader
- 39:00 – Why every team member should walk a mile in another’s shoes
- 44:45 – One question every leader should ask to connect personally and meaningfully
- 46:30 – Where to learn more from Stephanie and access her leadership resources
Quotes
· “It’s not about how you communicate. It’s about how they prefer to be communicated with.” [08:25]
· “Bias isn’t always bad. But we must be aware of it - especially when we’re leading people who aren’t like us.” [19:30]
· “Employees want leaders who are better communicators. Not just with words, but with presence and action.” [44:50]
Websites:
· fambizforum.com.
· www.chrisyonker.com
· StephanieChung.com
· YourAllyInLeadership.com - Sign up for Stephanie’s neuroscience-backed leadership newsletter
Stephanie is not just an #1 international best-selling author; she's a force of strategic innovation, a beacon of change, and a titan in the world of business growth and human capital management. With over 30 years of experience, Stephanie has cultivated a reputation for turning challenges into opportunities and transforming growing businesses into thriving hubs of success. In her book, Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You, Stephanie Chung provides practical strategies for leaders willing to admit they don’t have all the answers, accept that their perspective isn’t the only one, and commit to learning about people different from themselves.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 137
Succession Beyond the Transition: Gaining confidence while strengthening leadership and family relationships with Kristi Baxter
In this masterclass-style episode, Chris Yonker and Kristi Baxter deliver a powerful, holistic perspective on the complex realities of succession planning. With decades of experience working with privately held and family-owned businesses—from $1M operations to $10B enterprises—Chris and Kristi unpack the emotional, strategic, and structural dimensions of continuity planning.
This session goes far beyond strategy and legal frameworks; it ventures into the inner work required for a successful transition across generations. Whether you're preparing to step back, step in, or steward a legacy across generations, this episode offers the roadmap—and reflection prompts—you need now.
Timestamps
- 01:45 - Meet Kristi Baxter and Chris Yonker: their backgrounds in family business, coaching, and enterprise leadership
- 08:30 - The story of Jeff: when life changes the plan and succession gets real
- 13:10 - Why succession is not an event, but a journey
- 16:30 - The top concerns facing family businesses today
- 21:00 - Common succession mistakes: replacing ourselves, unequal contribution, and CEOs who won’t let go
- 29:45 - Should we sell or keep the business? The family-first lens on exit decisions
- 33:15 - Why traditional advisors aren’t enough and how to build a holistic team
- 38:10 - Chris & Kristi’s five-part succession methodology
- 43:00 - Diving deeper: self-awareness, readiness, and leadership development
- 49:00 - Governance, continuity, and what makes a transition successful
- 54:10 - Blind spots that derail transitions and how to name them
- 59:45 - The importance of facilitating difficult conversations in family systems
- 1:05:30 - Where to begin: tools, surveys, and one powerful question
Quotes
· "Succession isn't an event, it's a journey of stewardship. And the journey starts now." [13:10]
· "You can't build the future with the emotional weight of the past running the show." [53:45]
· "Your organization is only as strong as the people in it. You are in the people business first." [43:15]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com
Contact Kristi: kristi@chrisyonker.com
Take the Succession Survey
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 136
What if growth isn't the goal? with Perrin DesPortes
In this deeply reflective and energizing episode, Chris Yonker and Perrin DesPortes engage in a rare bidirectional dialogue, unpacking the hidden costs of ambition, the personal reckoning that comes with burnout, and the awakening that’s possible when business success is aligned with inner fulfillment. Perrin, founder of The Next Level Executive, shares his evolution from a high-powered career in dental distribution and M&A to building a purpose-driven coaching practice for healthcare entrepreneurs. Together, they explore the illusions of success, the cultural shifts shaping dentistry and family business today, and how to create a life, and business, you actually want to live in.
This is a conversation about course correction, conscious entrepreneurship, and building legacy from the inside out.
Timestamps
- 02:00 - Meet Perrin DesPortes and his journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship
- 08:45 - Chris shares his path out of 3M and into legacy-centered coaching
- 16:15 - Why many entrepreneurs wake up inside a life they don’t want
- 22:50 - Burnout, overwork, and boredom: what triggers the desire for change
- 29:40 - Dentistry’s consolidation, private equity, and chasing someone else’s dream
- 38:10 - The power of clarity: asking “What do I really want?”
- 44:55 - Family business succession, ego, identity, and the real work of letting go
- 52:35 - The sacred role of the advisor: holding discomfort and navigating emotional fire
- 58:00 - Partnerships, misalignment, and the silent cost of avoidance
- 1:04:20 - Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be lonely: the value of coaching and counsel
- 1:09:00 - Resources, next steps, and how to work with Perrin or Chris
Quotes
· "Bored people make bad business decisions because they start chasing a dream that’s not even their own."[22:50]
· "Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."[41:35]
· "Entrepreneurship can be a very lonely road - but it doesn’t have to be."[1:04:20]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com
The Next Level Executive
https://www.facebook.com/PerrinDesPortesNLE
https://www.youtube.com/@PerrinDesPortes
https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetperrin/
Perrin DesPortes is the Founder of The Next Level Executive. He is a Washington & Lee University graduate and earned his MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Perrin has over 25 years of experience in the business side of dentistry, having run three different business units for Patterson Dental Supply over a 15-year career. For the last decade, he has built and exited two very successful start-ups in TUSK Partners and Polaris Healthcare Partners, both of which focus in the Group Practice Consulting and Transactional space. Perrin is happily married with an 11 year-old daughter at home. In his spare time, he is an avid cyclist; enjoys cooking and reading; and loves good red wine and strong coffee.
The Next Level Executive combines Perrin’s decades of experience working in Corporate America and consulting directly with healthcare entrepreneurs on their growth journey all distilled into actionable content and practical wisdom.
Next Level Executives have:
· clarity in understanding how their business truly fits together
· confidence in their ability to lead from a position of strength
· an edge to make the right decisions at the right time
If you’ve mastered practice ownership and are wanting to evolve from “a Clinician who owns a Practice to an Entrepreneur who leads a Business,” then you need to focus on your own professional development to become a more effective executive – and becoming a more effective executive is what The Next Level Executive is all about…
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 135
Legacy in Limbo: Why So Many Leaders Avoid Succession Planning with Dr. Mohanakrishnan Raman
In this eye-opening episode, host Chris Yonker speaks with Dr. Mohanakrishnan Raman, an organizational psychologist and international expert on family business dynamics. With decades of experience consulting Indian family enterprises, Dr. Raman shares how cultural norms, succession planning, and next-gen development intersect in often overlooked ways. The conversation touches on Indian traditions, evolving gender roles, leadership readiness, and the emotional complexity of legacy handoffs. Whether you're in a family-run business or leading succession elsewhere, this episode is packed with deeply human—and highly strategic—insights.
Timestamps
- 02:00 – Meet Dr. Mohanakrishnan Raman
- 07:35 – Realizing the influence of family systems in OD work
- 11:55 – Cultural inheritance, COVID’s impact, and India's family business awakening
- 18:10 – Gender, legal reforms, and complexities in succession structures
- 24:00 – Case studies: sibling tension, conflicting interests, and decentralizing roles
- 37:15 – The 3 Capitals: Financial, Knowledge, and Social – and why they matter
- 42:40 – Creating learning journeys through values, mentorship, and exposure
- 54:10 – The tension between honoring legacy vs. pursuing personal calling
Quotes
· "To win the relay race, you have to hand over at the right spot, at the right time, and at the right speed."[59:30]
· "The current generation is coming from abundance. The previous one came from scarcity. Their motivations—and expectations—are fundamentally different."[53:00]
· "When designing a succession plan, you're not just training for business. You're transferring values, identity, and a legacy of relationships."[39:50]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Resources & Links:
· Connect with Dr. Raman on LinkedIn: Mohanakrishnan Raman
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 134
Navigating Change: Insights for Family Business Leaders with Dr. Barrett C. Brown
In this powerful episode, Chris Yonker is joined by global executive advisor and developmental strategist, Dr. Barrett Brown, for a profound and eye-opening conversation about what it really takes to lead in today’s ever-accelerating world. With experience working across six continents and coaching C-suite executives through high-stakes transformation, Dr. Brown brings hard-earned wisdom about the inner capacities required for high-impact, conscious leadership.
Together, Chris and Barrett explore:
Timestamps
· 08:21 Navigating Complex Leadership Challenges
· 20:58 Decision Making in Complex Environments
· 39:50 Balancing Work and Life in Family Businesses
· 46:42 Navigating Succession with Competing Visions
· 49:46 The Empowerment Dynamic and Low Drama Culture
· 52:34 Masculine Compassion in the Workplace
· 54:07 Coaching and Developing the Younger Generation
Quotes
· "Life is like a grindstone—it either grinds you into dust or polishes you into a diamond."[13:45]
· "The world is never going to be a psychologically safe environment where we can just fully show up without any threat… The superpower is to be deeply at peace in the midst of intensity.” [24:12]
· "Every time I get triggered or frustrated or irritated or judgmental—that is 100% my own inner game. That’s where I have the greatest power."[1:16:35]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Resources & Links:
- Dr. Barrett Brown’s Work: https://apheno.com
- Recommended Reading: The Future of Leadership for Conscious Capitalism by Barrett Brown
Dr. Barrett C. Brown Bio
Dr. Barrett C. Brown is a global expert on how to develop leaders to successfully navigate complex challenges and rapid change. Barrett works across six continents with C-suite executives and teams from Fortune 500 companies and international non-profits. He has lived in The Netherlands, Brazil and throughout the US, and has worked and traveled in nearly 40 countries.
Barrett is a regular advisor and senior faculty for a global tech company as well as the largest environmental NGO in the world. With them, he focuses on how leaders can better manage complexity and drive transformational change. He also serves as the executive coach for a select group of senior leaders. He has delivered dozens of keynotes and leadership programs for 5000+ CEOs, organizational leaders, and government officials. He has co-designed and delivered executive development, team development and/or strategic alignment programs for some of the largest technology, engineering, healthcare, sportswear, and consumer goods companies in the world - as well as for major environmental and social NGOs.
Barrett holds a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and also has over a decade experience advising on and leading strategic visioning, execution, and change initiatives for US, Dutch, British, and Brazilian companies and institutions.
Barrett’s award-winning research on the future of leadership has been used in executive education programs worldwide, including the Yale MBA. He produced an award-winning business case study on a large-scale market transformation program he helped lead - in partnership with Unilever and Rainforest Alliance - that is used in business schools globally.
Barrett’s writings on leadership and sustainability have been translated into 6 languages, have been used in the United Nations system, and have been included in half a dozen mainstream leadership books.
Barrett served on the selection committee of the Katerva Awards - considered the Nobel Prize for sustainability - and has held consultancy status to the United Nations. He has delivered leadership briefings and presentations at global tech companies, the Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit, the Society for Organizational Learning European Summit, Esalen Institute, the National Bioneers Conference, the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, the US Department of State, the Inter-American Development Bank and UNDP headquarters.
Originally from the Green Mountains of Vermont, Barrett lives near a 300,000 year old volcanic crater in Hawaii.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 133
Navigating Legacy and Wealth in Family Business with Jason Smith
In this powerful episode, host Chris Yonker sits down with Jason L Smith, founder of JL Smith Group, author of The Bucket Plan, and a nationally recognized financial advisor. Jason opens up about being fired by his own father, building a purpose-driven business from the ground up, and the holistic philosophy that now guides his wealth management firm—which oversees more than $4 billion in assets. Jason also shares deeply personal stories about resilience, raising grounded kids, and how intentional structure and values shape both his legacy and his clients’.
Timestamps
- 03:30 – Jason’s origin story: Fired by his dad, starting from scratch
- 14:20 – "Everything’s fine" vs. proactive planning: health + financial parallels
- 22:45 – The biggest tax mistake business owners make
- 34:00 – Educating next-gens: Financial stewardship in action
- 41:45 – The Bucket Plan: Now, Soon, Later framework
- 53:15 – Self-worth after financial collapse and bouncing back
Quotes
· “I’m actually the youngest of 11 and, um, it was a mixed marriage like my mom and dad, you know, both had kids came together and had me kinda like the Brady Bunch and I was like, uh, Alice or the dog.”[03:24]
· “Yeah, I. I. I feel like unfortunately our educational system is pretty broken in, in, in regards to teaching basic, you know, financial literacy, right?” [27:32]
· “And my top five are the top five most important things to me, like my true north in life. And you know, my top five is number one is health. Mind, body, and soul. Number two is Holly, my wife. Number three is my kids. Number four is my family and friends. And number five is leading and learning.” [48:45]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
jlsmithgroup.com
Buy “The Bucket Plan” book Bucket-Plan®
Facebook: @JLSmithGroup
Instagram: @jl_smith_holistic_wealth
LinkedIn: @JLSmithGroup
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 132
Priorities for Family Offices Working in a Fractured World with Angelo Robles
In this episode of the Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders podcast, host Chris Yonker interviews Angelo Robles, a prominent figure in the family office sector. The discussion covers various topics crucial to family businesses, such as the importance of hiring the right people, the disruptive impact of AI, and how geopolitical changes are reshaping the business landscape. Angelo shares his thoughts on the future of AI, the significance of understanding global trends, and how family offices can better prepare for rapid changes. Chris and Angelo also delve into the complexities of governance within family offices and the critical need for adaptability and continuous learning.
Angelo Robles is a global authority on family offices, renowned for his forward-thinking approach and bold vision for the future. As a family office strategist and futurist, Angelo has dedicated over 20 years to helping elite families navigate the complexities of wealth management, governance, and legacy building in an era of rapid change. With a deep understanding of the evolving landscape—from the rise of AI to increasing geopolitical risks—Angelo empowers families to break free from outdated models and build future-forward family offices designed to thrive for generations.
Timestamps
· 03:50 Angelo's Background and Career Journey
· 07:19 The Concept and History of Family Offices
· 18:08 Top Trends in Family Offices: People, Technology, and Systems
· 33:09 Integrating AI in Family Offices
· 35:14 First Steps for Family Offices
· 39:47 Geopolitical Shifts and Their Impact
· 46:55 The Role of AI in Global Power Dynamics
Memorable Quotes
· “So the majority of family offices are built for a world that no longer exist.” [13:25]
· ” AI is being under hyped. Under hyped. You look at the math behind it, Jensen Wong and Nvidia doubling its quote unquote power once every 1.08 years. Do the math behind that.” [29:23]
· ” It’s rare, rare to find people who are willing to change their minds on topics they refuse to investigate.” [56:12]
Websites:
Angelorobles.com
Facebook: @AngeloJRobles
Instagram: @angeloroblesmedia
LinkedIn: @angelorobles
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Secret Thoughts of CEOS Ep. 131
Unlocking Leadership Potential: How Shadow Work Transforms Leaders with Kim Barta
In this episode of 'Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders’, host Chris Yonker delves into deep discussions with Kim Barta, a renowned psychotherapist and thought leader. Kim shares insights into his work around shadow therapy, explaining how our unconscious beliefs and patterns shape our lives. He talks about the nuances of family dynamics, personal growth, and healing from trauma. Listeners learn practical strategies for identifying and overcoming shadow aspects, fostering greater joy and fulfillment in both personal and professional realms. Chris also promotes the Family Business Executive Forum, a resource aiding those in family businesses to navigate issues like succession, financial management, and sibling rivalry.
Timestamps
· 03:45 Kim Barta's Background and Early Influences
· 07:02 Developing a Metamodel for Healing
· 13:34 Understanding Shadow Work
· 23:03 Identifying and Addressing Shadow Patterns
· 30:42 Awakening to the Problem
· 42:13 Practical Steps for Escaping Abuse
· 45:33 Adapting Systems for Healing
Memorable Quotes
· “If you really tune in to the nuances of their micro behaviors, you can create change that helps people move to greener pastures a lot sooner. [05:40]
· ”Everywhere I go, my shadow comes with me. I can't outrun my shadow. [22:08]
· ” I say, no, what you've been living is not you. You've been living the lie. That you believe? Mm, if we take away the lie, you don't know who you are and I don't know who you are. We only know who you are when you're holding the lie. Let's take away the lie and discover who you are. [25:03]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Free Relationship Assessment
Free Shadow Assessment
kimbarta.org
LinkedIn: @Kim Barta
Kim Barta is an internationally award-winning lecturer, multi-culturally informed developmental psychotherapist, spiritual guide, author, workshop creator, and speaker. His work is grounded in an experiential practice, blending his unique, sophisticated healing with practical everyday usability. He has written and lectured on diverse topics such as Shadow, Spiritual Development, Developmentally Informed Meditation, Developmental Psychology, Shadow and Health at Every Developmental Level, Healthy Power, Developmental Leadership, Organizational leadership, Power and Bliss, Grief, Parenting, Relationships, and Love, to name a few. He has developed several new forms of therapy, including The Evolution of Shadow Resolution, Psychosocial Cartography, Stages of Developmentally Informed Psychotherapy, Shadow to Spirit, and more. Kim Co-founded Stages International with Dr. Terri O’Fallon, PhD., an organization focused on researching and teaching evolutionary consciousness. Kim is releasing his latest trilogy on love: Love, Relationship, and Flow, The Love, Relationship and Flow Journal, and Love Letters from Consciousness. They are available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other outlets. Kim's Shadow books are available on his website. You can find kim at Kim Barta | Illuminating Your Hidden Self .
Unlocking Family Business Potential Through Advisory Teams with Dr. Jeremy Lurey
In this episode of the 'Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders' podcast, host Chris Yonker discusses the complexities of managing family business transitions with Dr. Jeremy Lurey. The episode covers key topics such as building effective advisory teams, succession planning, and the nuances of family dynamics in business settings. Chris and Jeremy explore the importance of external advisors, the challenges of sibling rivalries, and how to prepare for pivotal moments like selling a business. They also offer insights into identifying the right advisors and emphasize the importance of continuous learning and personal development for effective leadership.
What You’ll Learn
· Why it’s important to have an independent advisor
· The necessity of being a continuous learner to belong in the field.
Timestamps
03:07 Introduction to Dr. Jeremy Lurey
05:20 The Role of Family Business Advisors
20:06 Navigating Family Business Relationships
32:46 The Importance of Independent Advisors
38:42 Generational Transitions and Family Harmony
44:47 The Importance of Personal Connection
Memorable Quotes
· “Common sense is not that common. Right. People just don't stop and think about how I'm interacting with my partner, my child, my cousin, my uncle, my whomever it is. And so we get to shine the flashlight in places where people typically don't look..” [11:16]
· ”for my dad, I will always be the 16 year old who wrapped a car around the tree. I always will be because I did. I did stupid things when I was 16 and 17 year old when I got my driver's license..” [17:34]
· ”We could all get hit by the buff. I prefer the metaphor of when the lottery and move to Fiji myself. But regardless life happens when we least expect it. So having a plan is critical.” [23:01]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Familylegacy1st.com
LinkedIn: @jeremylurey
Jeremy Lurey PhD Bio:
Family Advisor & Leadership Coach
Dr. Lurey is a talented family advisor, executive coach, and business consultant with more than 25 years of experience helping clients—from families of significant wealth to Fortune 500 corporations—achieve their strategic objectives and build sustainable futures. He specializes in leadership development, succession planning, governance, and strategic planning, guiding family offices and family businesses through critical transitions and long-term planning. A PhD in Organizational Psychology, Dr. Lurey is a US Ambassador for the Global Family Office Community and frequently speaks at industry events. Recognized as a “40 Under 40” executive, he is known for his compassionate approach, enabling clients to unlock their leadership potential and focus on what matters most.
STOC 129: Balancing Tradition & Innovation: What Businesses Can Learn from Harley Davidson with Ken Schmidt
In this episode of 'Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders,' host Chris Yonker interviews Ken Schmidt, a former Harley Davidson executive renowned for his innovative repositioning strategy. They discuss the key elements holding back family businesses and privately held companies, including family harmony, succession, financial management, and innovation. Ken shares insights into Harley Davidson's transformation, emphasizing the need for businesses to connect on a human level, foster a strong internal culture, and leverage their unique history. They explore how companies can balance maintaining core values with embracing new innovations to delight and retain customers.
What You’ll Learn
· Humans naturally seek and return to sources of delight, regardless of how minor they are.
· When the human connection is made, business wins.
Timestamps
03:48 Ken Schmidt's Journey to Harley Davidson
20:16 The Importance of Company Identity
32:04 The Role of Technology in Customer Interaction
34:30 Human Connection
37:55 Building a Memorable Business
43:20 Creating a Culture of Delight
Memorable Quotes
· “Harley does all this other stuff that, that hits people at a human level. And at the end of the day, that makes the business more desirable. It makes people willing to pay more, for the privilege of being part of that community.” [19:45]
· ” How can we do what we do faster, better, and cheaper to get more stuff out into the marketplace? That's exactly what customers are not looking for.” [27:55]
Websites:
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
kenspeaks.com
LinkedIn: @KenSchmidt
Tailgating with Geniuses Podcast
Ken Schmidt Bio:
It’s an impersonal world, where so many products and services are seen as easily-replaced, indistinct commodities. Whether you stand out or get lost in the crowd is a choice. A mindset. Ken Schmidt faced those same challenges himself and gained acclaim for his role in the extraordinary turnaround of the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That transformation was based on a change in mindset and a focus on answering three key strategic questions. While times have changed, what humans want and need from the businesses they buy from and work for hasn’t. In his high-energy speeches, Ken inspires companies and individuals to shift their thinking and ride a path to success by becoming memorable – not for what they do or what they make, but for how they connect with people. Ken is author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He’s also host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. In all of his endeavors, Ken brings an unconventional perspective that helps organizations and individuals reframe how they engage with their marketplace.
Ken Schmidt’s career in the motorcycle industry began in 1985 as a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations for the then-struggling Harley-Davidson. He was tasked with helping the company restore its image, improve its competitiveness, and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles skyrocketed, and the company returned to prominence as one of the most respected, profitable, and frequently reported-on companies in the world.
In 1990, Ken became director of Harley-Davidson’s corporate and financial communications, serving as its primary spokesperson to the media and the financial communities. He frequently appeared in mainstream and business media to offer insights on nontraditional communications, customer attraction, and brand-building. His expertise and success at Harley- Davidson ultimately led to consulting assignments and speaking invitations from all over the world.
In 1997, Ken left Harley-Davidson to take an ownership position with a highly successful Chicago-based marketing firm, VSA Partners. In addition to Harley-Davidson, VSA served a virtual who’s who of the world’s best-known brands. In 1999, he sold his portion of VSA to start his own business, Ken Schmidt Company, to combine two of his greatest passions, motorcycling and speaking. He uses motorcycles as a metaphor to expose people to proven ideas and concepts they’ve likely never imagined.
In addition to speaking and consulting, Ken is co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. Through a combination of hands-on training and interactive workshops, these sessions help individuals and organizations re-position themselves to become dominant competitors, maximize leadership effectiveness, build a people-first culture of innovation and foster loyalty among customers and employees.
Ken is also the host of the popular podcast Tailgating with Geniuses, wherein he talks with some of the most innovative and successful leaders in a variety of industries to discuss their unique perspectives on leadership, major challenges, and success. Ken's relatable and engaging hosting style has made the podcast a hit with listeners looking to learn from the best and achieve their own personal and professional goals.
Ken authored Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance, which gives business leaders an easy-to-follow roadmap for improving their competitiveness, using many of the techniques he championed at Harley-Davidson. He considers his work on 100 Years of Harley-Davidson, a global best seller, to be one of his greatest and most rewarding achievements.
After all he has accomplished, Ken remains committed to his philosophy of standing out, taking risks, and having fun in both his personal and professional life. He says, “Never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to.”
Building Family Legacy and the Keys to Early Education Success
with Richie Huffman
In this episode of 'Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders,' host Chris Yonker talks with Richie Huffman, the founder, president, and CEO of Celebrate Schools, and a leader in early childhood education. The discussion delves into Richie's entrepreneurial journey, approaches to building a family legacy, and the innovative ways he runs his family akin to a business. The conversation highlights the importance of family vision, quarterly family huddles, and good stewardship. Richie shares valuable insights on the evolving landscape of early education and emphasizes parental involvement in children’s education. Additionally, Chris promotes the Family Business Executive Forum, a resource offering expert advice on overcoming challenges in family businesses.
Richard O. Huffman is the founder, President, and CEO of Celebree Schools. Richie founded Celebree in 1994, growing our brand from a single preschool into the company we are today. In his current role, Richie shares his expertise, insights, and leadership with Celebree School franchisees, while continuing to shape Celebree’s short-term and long-term vision.
Over the course of more than two decades, Richie has grown Celebree from a single location into Maryland’s largest privately held chain of childcare centers. With Celebree’s entry into the franchise sector, Richie now shares the secrets to his success with Celebree franchisees. In his work with Celebree School franchise owners, Richie shares more than 20 years of industry experience and entrepreneurial expertise. He offers direct support to franchisees as they develop their locations while challenging assumptions that could impede their business. He is committed to the success of every franchisee and is available on a daily basis for one-on-one support.
As the President and CEO of Celebree Schools, Richie continues to guide the core vision of our brand: a vision that embraces change, innovation, and the constant pursuit of self-improvement. Thanks to Richie’s combination of leadership and experience, Celebree continues to set industry standards within the early childhood education sector. Richie has also shaped Celebree’s dynamic corporate culture, helping us attract some of the most forward-thinking leaders and executives in our industry.
What You’ll Learn
· Emphasizing the importance of building a family legacy and raising children with strong values and stewardship.
· The role of parents in shaping a child's future
· The significance of family vision and mission
Timestamps
· 04:04 Richie's Entrepreneurial Journey
· 10:41 Building a Family Legacy
· 15:01 Family Vision and Mission
· 25:25 The Importance of Early Education
· 34:44 Setting Expectations and Covenants
· 40:04 Where to Learn More
Memorable Quotes
· “I knew at a very young age, I knew 2 things. I knew that I wanted to do it my way. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew I probably would not do well working for somebody else. And at a very young age, I knew one thing and I struggle with saying this, but I have to say it was true. I knew that I wanted to be wealthy.” [04:54]
· “I’m not a know it all. I know nothing. Right? Which is another right? I know nothing and that's my philosophy. I surround myself with really, really great people that are committed as much as I am to achieving the vision of the mission.” [14:27]
· I reach over. I take his cell phone and I ask him the next. I ask him the same question over again. Now, let's try this again. What did you do yesterday in history class? And now at least I got a 50 percent chance because I just put the distraction away. [32:08]
Websites:
Richie Huffman Instagram
Celebree School
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Trust, Transparency, and Culture: The Cornerstones of Leadership
with Susan Riley
Susan Riley is a resident of Exeter, NH and is married with two children. She started her career with a technical foundation (undergraduate and graduate education in Chemistry (Boston College, Brandeis University), followed later by an MBA at Babson College. She then spent the majority of her 40-year career in the life sciences industry. Having started in research and development, Susan gradually expanded her skillset and experience by spending significant time in international business development, marketing & sales, production & operations. In the last decade of her career, she was appointed Vice President & General Manager for two mid to large size divisions of Fortune 100 companies having revenues of $750M+. Susan was known as a straight shooter that built strong teams and executed well. She set high expectations yet was very nurturing to her employees. She always rolled up her sleeves and never asked anyone to do something she would not do herself. Susan recently retired and now resides in Exeter, NH. She views her most significant accomplishment as being able to have coupled a wonderfully fulfilling career with a fabulous family life. She credits her husband of 40+ years as her secret sauce in being able to come as close to “having it all” as is possible and looks forward to enjoying her retirement with him and her two grown daughters
What You’ll Learn
● What it takes to uplevel an organization.
● How to secure trust by being authentic.
● The importance of the value proposition.
● How to navigate male-dominated spaces.
● Why we should make space for life experiences.
Timestamps
· [04:17] Susan’s background.
· [09:30] Upleveling an organization.
· [13:30] Prioritizing key areas.
· [18:36] How to secure trust by being authentic.
· [24:39] The value proposition.
· [30:09] Creating a culture for success.
· [33:45] Navigating the male-dominated spaces.
· [39:34] Blocking off time to prioritize life experiences.
Memorable Quotes
· “People can sniff you out if you’re not [authentic].” – Susan Riley [20:05]
· “You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.” – Susan Riley [27:25]
· “You really have to start thinking about what’s important to your life.” – Susan Riley [44:54]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Susan Riley.
Holistic Success: Mind, Body, Spirit, and Leadership with Shane Carter
Shane is President and CEO of Hampshire Capital, LLC based in NH. Hampshire Capital, LLC buys, develops, renovates, repositions and holds apartment buildings, commercial assets and land in New England and the Southern states. Since 1996, Shane has acquired and managed more than $315M in multi-family and commercial assets and has developed and built over $120M in real estate through his construction and development firm. Shane's first book entitled "Optimize Your Life" is soon-to-be-released in 2024. With a mission to help others succeed, the book distills many personal life lessons and details Shane's recipe for fulfillment with relationships, personal passions, and business. With over 25 years of active real estate experience under his belt, Shane balances his business with passions for fitness, wellness, the outdoors and travel while prioritizing being a dad to three awesome kids. All of this is 'in bounds' and Shane is thrilled to discuss how he built a thriving lifestyle with audiences on their own growth & wealth building journeys
What You’ll Learn
● Shane's personal approach to reducing disappointments by lowering expectations of outcomes and others
● Shane continues to challenge the status quo, advocating for a life that harmonizes professional success with personal fulfillment
Timestamps
· [00:05:35] Writing a book for oneself.
· [00:10:53] Authentic leadership through experience.
· [00:18:17] Optimize your life holistically.
· [00:21:48] Mindset and health connection.
· [00:30:37] Attachment to outcomes in entrepreneurship.
· [00:35:28] Dealing with disappointment effectively.
· [00:40:49] Culture of decentralized ideas.
· [00:46:15] Balancing life and business.
Memorable Quotes
· "All of the work, all of the benefits of the work are not in knowing what to do. It's in actually doing the work."
· "I personally have less disappointments because I have less expectations of outcomes and I have less expectations of others."
· "The more I empower, the more I'm compassionate and empathetic, the more I attract others that resonate with me and want to be in the environment that we've created at our company, the more success we have."
Websites
· https://hampshirecap.com/
· https://www.facebook.com/shane.carter.566790
· https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanecarternh/
The Addicted Brain: Rewriting the Narrative on Alcohol with Dave Andrews
Dave Andrews, “America’s #1 Sobriety Coach,” CEO of The 30-Day Solution, and Co-Author of The 30-Day Sobriety Solution, is the leading expert in helping others recover, reclaim, and reinvent their lives without alcohol, and serves on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit organizations, Young People in Recovery, and Advocates for Recovery.
As a speaker, sobriety coach, author, and Certified Coach in Positive Psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Strategic Intervention, he has been a featured “Sobriety Expert” on numerous national and international talk shows.
Dave has, himself, been sober for over eight years.
What You’ll Learn
● How to undo the patterns of addiction.
● The prospects of drugs helping end addictions.
● How to get to a place of indifference.
● How to release any negative experience.
Timestamps
· [08:55] The patterns of addiction.
· [12:07] “Why now is not a good time.”
· [18:06] Drugs and addiction.
· [23:32] Controlling the mind.
· [31:01] Getting to a place of indifference.
· [40:33] Releasing any negative experience.
· [47:21] The lies that limit you.
· [57:24] Spiritual awakening.
· [64:00] Relinquishing control.
· [66:07] How to let go.
Memorable Quotes
· “Only 58% of adults in America drink alcohol.” – Dave Andrews [10:02]
· “We associate happiness with freedom.” – Dave Andrews [42:37]
· “Drink with love.” – Dave Andrews [52:50]
· “Trying to control the uncontrollable is the greatest source of suffering in the world.” – Dave Andrews [64:33]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
dave.coach.
www.the30daysolution.com.
From Gaming to Growth: Volodymyr Panchenko’s AI-Powered Blueprint
with Volodymyr Panchenko
With a career spanning over 17 years in the gaming and tech sector, Vlad has a record of turning his passion for gaming into groundbreaking businesses. His current mission is to chart the course for the in-game items industry, with a keen focus on meeting the expansive needs of the global gaming community.
The power of disruptive technologies, such as AI and Blockchain, is no stranger to Vlad. After the sale of his brainchild, DMarket, he has harnessed the newest tech to disrupt and redefine the contours of the gaming market.
What You’ll Learn
● The direction of AI in the world.
● How to navigate our relationship with AI
● How to use AI to amplify human elements in business.
Timestamps
· [05:37] Vlad’s background.
· [16:00] AI models.
· [27:33] Creating sales content.
· [32:32] AI’s place in the world.
· [41:15] Using AI to amplify human elements in business.
Memorable Quotes
· “All people are creative and all people have a talent.” – Vlad Panchenko [37:27]
· “Talent comes first.” – Vlad Panchenko [39:56]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Volodymyr Panchenko.
portal.ai.
Why Coaching Beats Training for Lasting Leadership Impact
with Ted Kulawiak, Kristi Baxter, & Thomas
Ted Kulawiak is a highly respected sought-after sales management, leadership coach, and business consultant. As the president of Ted Kaye Sales Management Training LLC, Ted utilizes his significant business experience coupled with a personalized and innovative problem-solving approach to guide clients to reach their desired business goals.
He held senior sales leadership and training positions in advertising and media over the course of 25 years, the majority of which he spent working for the 3M Company.
Post advertising career, Ted transitioned to higher education and enjoyed a 20-year career in executive leadership positions.
In addition to his leadership and coaching consulting work, Ted teaches English at the local community college.
Kristi Baxter is a mind shifter, mental fitness trainer and thought partner to extraordinary individuals. As a trusted guide she helps people identify and purse a created life, by clarifying goals, identifying, and removing self-imposed obstacles and creating the space to make magic. Her superpower is helping people change the lens through which they experience their life. When not working, Kristi loves spending time with her family, hiking, biking, boating, beaching, cooking, creating, traveling, and laughing out loud.
Thomas is our Optimal Vision Coach, aka The Optimalogist. His superpower is his incredible
insightfulness and unique ability to see the best in others when they can’t. He helps clients to refocus and get clear about their Vision and Purpose in their work and life while getting clear of the invisible restraints that keep them from being, living and giving their best.
When not working, Thomas enjoys sports, music, and travel
What You’ll Learn
● The importance of doing the deeper work.
● How firms could navigate training resources.
● How to find the right person to coach.
● How to vet a consulting firm.
Timestamps
· [04:45] A bit about Ted.
· [05:33] A bit about Tom.
· [07:14] A bit about Kristi.
· [11:20] The importance of doing the deeper work.
· [15:19] Solving performance problems.
· [19:54] Navigating training resources.
· [23:33] The value of coaching.
· [26:53] Work-life balancing.
· [32:40] Key attributes of future executives.
· [37:04] The impact of 360’s.
· [45:50] Interviewing a consulting firm.
· [51:50] Thinking about ROI.
Memorable Quotes
· “Coaching is not something you half-ass.” – Kristi Baxter [34:34]
· “They will leave companies if there’s not a path to development.” – Kristi Baxter [53:41]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Ted Kulawiak.
www.kristibaxter.com.
thomashuebl.com.
How Can You Redesign Your Internal Programming a Live a Full(er) Life?
On today's episode I was a guest on Steven Lawson’s podcast Potent, and we dive into overcoming trauma, the power of spirituality and self-awareness, the impact of mentorship, and the journey toward self-acceptance and deeper connections.
About Today's Guest
Chris is a Certified Family Business Advisor accredited through The Family Firm Institute. Chris helps to consciously navigate the challenges of succession, leadership transitions and family conflict, while creating long-term strategies for business continuity. Dubbed a “Life Journey Sherpa,” Chris’ holistic approach allows each individual in the family to be seen as an integral piece to the work. He uses his experience as a Neuro- Linguistic practitioner, a student of Philosophy and Psychology, and a thought leader on Personal Performance and Transformation to create a one-of-a-kind methodology that fuses heart and soul — helping families achieve extraordinary results that become permanent ways of being. Drawing upon more than 25 years of driving change and leading sales with 3M, and over a decade in Family Business and Executive consulting, Chris has built a process that has become his special sort of alchemy. His strategy helps clients move beyond the obstacles family organizations face that often prevent them from leading deeply fulfilling lives, both individually as well as collectively. Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing within their families, bringing a sense of deep peace, better relationships and higher levels of happiness alongside a thriving organization. As a sought-after speaker, Chris has been a special guest of Camden Family Wealth, The Institute for Family-Owned Business, and The Center for Family Enterprise, and has been a featured contributor to Forbes. Education Chris is a Certified Family Business Advisor accredited through The Family Firm Institute. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business and a Minor in Communication from Western Michigan University. He was personally mentored by Tony Robbins’ original trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Personal Chris is a seventh-degree black belt in an Okinawan style of karate and a student of yoga and meditation. He enjoys fishing, travel, cooking and spending time with his wife of 28 years and their daughter
www.chrisyonker.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-thoughts-of-ceos-podcast/id1543246164
Show Notes
· 01:02 Chris early life
· 02:03 Connecting with God
· 03:24 Martial arts, validation
· 04:37 Mentorship
· 06:00 What is God teaching me?
· 08:04 Developing a practice of connection
· 09:04 Coaching thru end of life
· 13:56 Immersion
· 18:43 Developing personal presence
· 22:28 Fear of loneliness
· 26:43 Emotions, awareness, and karate
· 28:53 The elevator from heart to head
· 31:20 Potent presence; it's a soul massage
· 33:04 Healing our bodies
· 35:49 Parenting, upbringing, self-parenting
· 36:54 Being/doing, Values alignment
· 39:29 Community affiliation, fear of lone wolf, searching out your people
· 41:26 Trusting the process
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.
Stephanie Craig is the President of Kith.co, and elite crisis preparation, response, and recovery firm.
She has built her reputation as a crisis expert by guiding some of the world’s most prominent people and organizations through their most trying moments. Before Kith, Stephanie founded the Apeiron Strategy Group. With decades of experience in media and politics, she has served as a trusted advisor to former First Ladies, Senators, Members of Congress, and C-suite officers.
What You’ll Learn
● How to prevent the unknown crises.
● The value of safeguarding reputation.
● The importance of transparency.
● How to create a backup plan.
Timestamps
· [04:40] The psychology of avoiding discomfort.
· [10:09] Knowing what to prevent.
· [18:23] Preparing for a reputational crisis.
· [23:02] The importance of transparency.
· [28:01] Planning for succession.
Memorable Quotes
· “Crisis is a lifecycle.” – Stephanie Craig [10:47]
· “You can’t be fast for fast’s sake.” – Stephanie Craig [12:23]
· “25-45% of a value of an organization is their reputation.” – Stephanie Craig [20:06]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Stephanie Craig.
kith.co/ceothoughts.
In this episode, Chris Yonker talks about the importance of finding and hiring a business coach. Hear about investing in a coach, determining the right type of coach for your needs, warning signs to look out for, questions to ask yourself before finding a coach, and the true value of hiring a coach for your business.
What You’ll Learn
● What a coach can bring to your business.
● How to find the right coach.
● What makes a good coach.
● When to find a coach.
Timestamps
· [03:28] Chris’s experience with coaches.
· [06:39] What is a coach?
· [08:16] What kind of coach is right for you?
· [13:17] What makes a good coach?
· [16:47] Warning signs.
· [17:35] Questions to ask yourself.
· [19:00] The value of coaching.
Memorable Quotes
· “It’s an investment in me, as a person.” – Chris Yonker [05:452]
· “Leadership is something that’s taught.” – Chris Yonker [08:42]
· “When people show up, the way that they present themselves, believe them.” – Chris Yonker [17:28]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Clement Decrop is a Belgium-born inventor, entrepreneur, and author of The Idea Space: The Science of Awakening Your Non-Self.
He has collaborated with numerous inventors from Wikipedia’s Most Prolific Inventors List, resulting in 130+ patent disclosures within one year, 50+ filed, and 20+ issued.
Outside these professional spheres, Decrop finds joy in the simpler pleasures of life. He’s an avid reader—from textbooks on semiconductors and rockets to general fiction—an experimental cook, a global traveler, an enthusiastic coder, and a health and fitness devotee.
Clement holds a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University.
What You’ll Learn
● How activated nervous systems affect creativity.
● The importance of meditation.
● Where intuition comes from.
● How to approach problems from different points.
● Why we need to slow down.
Timestamps
· [04:20] Clement’s background.
· [05:47] Creativity and stress.
· [08:36] Learning from the past.
· [13:32] Finding the present.
· [14:52] Meditation.
· [18:32] Where intuition comes from.
· [23:34] Approaching problems from different points.
· [31:57] How to become more creative and insightful.
· [33:49] Team exercises to do.
· [35:19] Slowing down.
Memorable Quotes
· “There’s a lot of benefits around meditation.” – Clement Decrop [15:27]
· “Intuition is your truth compass.” – Clement Decrop [21:43]
· “Having a healthy mindset is really the approach.” – Clement Decrop [32:26]78
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
theideaspace.io.
Clement Decrop.
Kathleen O’Hara, MA, LPC, is a psychotherapist and senior consultant to families, individuals, and family offices. She is the Founder of Integral Health Services, and specializes in helping individuals and families navigate the complex issues of living in the 21st century, including mental health, relational issues, difficult family dynamics, personal growth/development, life-stages, finding meaning and purpose, and building anti-fragility in an ever-changing world.
She is an expert in crisis management, and is the author of A Grief Like No Other, a classic resource to help people cope with a sudden or violent death of a loved one, and has helped many families during the crisis of an unexpected death.
In her advocacy work, she has helped organizations worldwide develop better programs and policies for victims of crime, and is a consultant for the US Department of Justice, and has spoken at the UN for the International Day for Women and Girls in Science in 2016, 2017, and 2020.
What You’ll Learn
● How to settle problems in a business system.
● How to navigate guilt and grief in a family business.
● How grief affects our biology.
● The importance of trauma-informed therapy.
Timestamps
· [05:05] What causes a fixed state of fear?
· [11:07] When problems are set in place.
· [15:28] The point of no return.
· [23:20] The guilt of things left unsaid.
· [29:08] The biology of grief.
· [33:05] Kathleen’s experience.
· [35:18] Trauma-informed therapy.
· [38:48] Leveraging faith.
Memorable Quotes
· “Most things […] are repairable.” – Kathleen O’Hara [19:08]
· “There’s a huge trauma component.” – Kathleen O’Hara [29:44]
· “How you’re feeling today is true and right, but you won’t always feel that way.” – Kathleen O’Hara [38:05]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
www.kathleenohara.com.
keohara@aol.com.
Grief Like No Other.
Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.
He is the author of Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World, and Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds.
Hübl has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University/
What You’ll Learn
● How to reframe trauma.
● How to recognize trauma responses.
● How to heal the tensions in a family system.
● Why it’s important to connect spiritually.
Timestamps
· [06:19] Defining trauma.
· [10:49] Navigating recurrent stresses.
· [16:31] Trauma in a family context.
· [22:56] Control as a trauma response.
· [28:06] Creating a frame of reference.
· [37:21] Healing relationships.
· [47:09] Exploring connections beyond us.
· [58:29] What’s possible for the future of humanity?
Memorable Quotes
· “Trauma is an internal response […] within overwhelming and challenging situations.” – Thomas Hübl [07:25]
· “One symptom of trauma is scarcity.” – Thomas Hübl [21:06]
· “There’s an intelligence in leaving.” – Thomas Hübl [36:19]
· “Noise in the mind is stress in the body.” – Thomas Hübl [50:47]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
thomashuebl.com.
pocketproject.org.
Based in Florida, Sylvia Benito is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with more than two decades of portfolio management experience. She has diverse experience in wealth management, having worked as a hedge fund analyst and managing portfolios for family offices and ultra-high-net- worth clients with more than $1 billion in assets.
A thought leader and public speaker committed to helping companies and investors leverage capital for transformative societal impact, Sylvia works with founders, families, and boards to help them align their goals and core values to facilitate positive change on a broader scale.
Also passionate about female empowerment and a believer in the transformative power of psychedelics, Sylvia has spoken at several industry events, including the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies’ (MAPS) Psychedelic Science 2023, Women and Wealth, and the Wonderland Conference, where she was a featured speaker with Seano McFarland for "Addiction, Trauma & Psychedelics." Sylvia also spoke at the 39th Private Wealth Management Summit on "Inheritance, Sudden Wealth, and Women," and hosted a fireside chat with Mike Tyson at the National Trial Lawyers Summit in 2023.
In addition to her work in wealth management, Sylvia has experience as an entrepreneur. She co-founded The Oasis Institute in South America, and successfully exited the venture before shifting her focus to investing, with the goal of connecting consciousness to capital. She has been a member of the CFA Society since 2011 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from New College of Florida.
What You’ll Learn
● How to navigate your surroundings and remove the noise.
● How to create meaning around money.
● How to balance tradition and innovation.
Timestamps
· [04:08] Sylvia’s training as a Shaman.
· [08:43] Finding fulfillment and making an impact.
· [12:43] How to remove the external noise.
· [17:05] Creating meaning around money.
· [19:16] Navigating different philosophies.
· [23:17] Balancing traditions and innovation.
· [24:38] When to leverage consultants.
· [27:53] How Sylvia has helped create a higher sense of consciousness.
· [32:26] How Sylvia got into this work.
Memorable Quotes
· “There is always this feeling of imposter syndrome.” – Sylvia Benito [07:44]
· “Meditation ultimately is every moment.” – Sylvia Benito [15:09]
· “This is a culture of money.” – Sylvia Benito [17:59]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Sylvia Benito.
sylviabenito.com.
Carol Horton is the Founder and CEO of Lily Grace Homes, the CEO of The Ten13 Company, and on the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Collin County. At Lily Grace Homes, she is striving to bring a balance to beautiful design and functional living.
She brings over 15 years of experience in the residential construction industry, a strategic mindset, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. With a proven track record of achieving exceptional results in challenging markets and turnaround scenarios, she is recognized as an industry expert in residential real estate. She has spoken at the 2023 International Builders Show in Las Vegas on Automation and AI for homebuilders.
Prior to founding Lily Grace Homes, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at Kindred Homes, where she successfully led a digital transformation initiative, transforming operational and sales processes. Her expertise in organizational restructuring and operational efficiencies yielded decreased overhead costs and improved overall departmental performance. She was accountable for marketing, sales, and client satisfaction. In this role, she had direct responsibility for Kindred's revenue, which exceeded $180 million, annually. She is an expert in creating comprehensive marketing strategies to increase market growth, helping Kindred Homes generate over $32 million in sales in its first year.
What You’ll Learn
● How to balance relationships and business.
● Putting business first vs family first.
● How to set boundaries between personal and business relationships.
● How Carol paves the way for women leaders.
● How to bridge the generational gap.
Timestamps
· [04:38] Carol’s background.
· [08:48] What motivates Carol?
· [10:26] Mixing personal and business.
· [16:01] Best for the business vs the family.
· [20:36] Setting boundaries between personal and business relationships.
· [28:02] Paving the way for women leaders.
· [35:43] When you’re being treated differently.
· [37:52] Learning to be a better leader.
· [41:00] Bridging the generational gap.
Memorable Quotes
· “The business as a whole, the entity, is family.” – Carol Horton [17:56]
· “Family actually has to be held to a higher standard.” – Carol Horton [19:33]
· “The single greatest thing you could do as an employer is help your employees, in their personal life, grow.” – Carol Horton [45:17]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Carol Horton.
lilygracehomes.com.
With a unique background in finance and mediation, coupled with a passion for culture and education, Monica has traveled the globe extensively – exploring all opportunities to continuously enhance her skill set and personal growth. Around the world, she has had the good fortune to learn from some of the most renowned names in her field.
Having previously worked in accounting and finance with corporate giants, Coopers and Lybrand (now PwC), and Rogers Cablesystems, Monica’s initial foray into business began with her family’s manufacturing company – Balthes Farm Equipment. Growing up in a family business, Monica learned the importance of family values, vision, passion, and commitment. This early imprinting ultimately led to her lifetime quest to understand best practices in business and communication skills, and how to live a happy life.
Many years later, she went through the business transition process with her own parents’ company, Kooljet Refrigeration Systems. This experience gave her first-hand knowledge about the complexities of family business systems and how challenging that transition can be.
Monica’s dedication to helping individuals and businesses reach their potential inspires her to work with companies ready to transform their corporate culture. Her experience, coupled with her holistic view of relationship management, supports her clients’ commitment to clarify their objectives and create a profitable, harmonious, and sustainable future.
Monica received most of her formal education in Canada, completing her undergraduate degree in Economics at the University of Western Ontario. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, a Certified Management Accountant in Ontario, Canada, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University. In addition, Ms. Clare holds a diploma in International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria, and studied Modern World Systems and Comparative Political Economy with California Polytechnic State University in Thailand. She has recently obtained her FEA (Family Enterprise Advisor) certification with the FEX (Family Enterprise Exchange).
While living in Europe for 20 years, Monica also accepted invitations to instruct college and university courses.
What You’ll Learn
● How to resolve differences in perspectives.
● How ego affects decision-making.
● How to face the fear of conflict.
● How to unfreeze the lens around trauma.
Timestamps
· [09:13] A bit about Monica.
· [11:13] Defining conflict.
· [13:12] Differing family perspectives.
· [15:15] How the ego affects decision-making.
· [22:34] How to face the fear of conflict.
· [26:33] Strategic vs soft skills.
· [30:48] Helping someone understand a different perspective.
· [37:37] The epigenetic factor.
· [41:31] Freezing people in time.
· [49:48] The next executive forum.
Memorable Quotes
· “The information that you have determines how you make your decisions.” – Monica Clare [14:18]
· “There is an intuitive aspect of our decision-making.” – Monica Clare [29:28]
· “That’s just the way they see things right now.” – Monica Clare [46:16]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
www.monicaclare.ca.
Monica Clare.
David Vanderveen has a successful 30-year track record in beverage and technology-leading disruptive change, at both private and public companies.
Since September 2022, he has been the CEO of Nirvana Water Sciences and has worked with a team of industry beverage, functional beverage, and supplement experts to transform the brand, product portfolio, go-to-market strategy, and execution of the business. During this time, Nirvana has launched a new brand, Nirvana SUPER™, and its wellness extension, Nirvana SUPER Pro™, winning the Best Functional Beverage awards from both Zenith and BevNet.
In February 2023, Nirvana completed its first acquisition, Alder Creek Beverages, a pristine spring water source and manufacturing partner for Nirvana. In June of the same year, Nirvana completed a joint venture with Inspire Health Alliance to develop wellness beverage shots as part of a new supplement protocol for customers undergoing orthopedic surgeries.
From 2002 until 2015, David served as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of XS World Wide, a company with a portfolio of energy drinks and sports nutrition products. The brand was a strategic partner with the Amway Corporation, and XS became the fastest-growing business segment and category for the world’s largest direct seller. XS reached annual sales of over $400 million dollars, with product distribution in more than 60 countries. XS was sold to Amway in 2015, where David served as Vice President and Global General Manager for the XS Brand, with maximum earn-out through 2018. The brand continues to grow.
After leading the transition of XS to an Amway-owned brand, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at NewAge Beverages Corporation, then one of the fastest-growing healthy beverage companies in the world, where he helped double shareholder value during the global pandemic.
Post-COVID, David brought his insight and leadership skills to It Works, a trendsetting affiliate-driven nutrition company with a suite of products designed to empower people to transform their bodies and lives. As the President of It Works International, he has helped to reorganize, rebuild, and inspire growth in the business in 23 global markets, while living and working from Paris.
In addition to his history of disruptive international business development, David serves as an advisor to RX3 Growth Partners, a private equity firm that partners with consumer brands and other leading investment firms, to maximize value by leveraging its unique influencer base of athletes, celebrities, and thought leaders.
What You’ll Learn
● The importance of integrity.
● How to apply core values to succeed in business.
● The value of taking risks.
● How to balance work and family life.
Timestamps
· [05:00] The importance of integrity.
· [07:15] David’s core values.
· [11:31] Finding his calling.
· [16:55] Starting at Amway.
· [22:03] The impact of family in business.
· [26:51] David’s mission at Amway.
· [31:10] Creating credibility.
· [33:31] David’s socks.
· [34:37] Balancing work and family.
· [42:36] Navigating risk.
Memorable Quotes
· “The one thing we take with us are our values.” – David Vanderveen [06:21]
· “Great companies prevail over time beyond a person or a product because they operate from core values.” – David Vanderveen [36:12]
· “what’s not negotiable is who you’re with and the values you operate around.” – David Vanderveen [38:14]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
www.davidvanderveen.com.
www.nirvanawater.com.
@daveed58.
David Vanderveen.
This forum featured guest experts Natasha Silverbell and Jane Mintz, along with our host Chris Yonker, CFBA to discuss mental health and addiction in the context of personal development and family dynamics. We emphasized the importance of not merely labeling behaviors but understanding their impacts on families and businesses. Our discussion highlighted the need for empathy, open communication, and self-regulation, stressing that everyone—from family members to business advisors—plays a crucial role in supporting healing and improvement. Overall, our focus was on taking personal responsibility for wellness and the transformative power of supportive communities.
Understanding Beyond Labels
We discussed how crucial it is to not to get hung up on labeling behaviors simply as "addiction" but to look deeper at how these behaviors impact personal relationships and business environments. Finding the right help to get your family on a path of open and empathetic communication can help address the root causes and effects on a family or organizational system.
The Role of Self-Regulation
Self-regulation emerged as a key theme, with emphasis on its importance not just in overcoming personal challenges but also in fostering healthy family and business dynamics. Managing one’s emotional responses can greatly influence the overall health of relationships and professional interactions.
Crafting Your Suppor System
Building and maintaining a strong support system is vital not only to individuals, but the family as a whole. This system should include professionals, advisors, family members, and peers who can offer guidance and support through challenges, particularly those related to mental health and addiction. We also talked about what advisors could do to find the right help for their clients when there is a complex or sensitive challenge outside of their scope.
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Prioritize Empathy in Communication: Emphasize the importance of understanding and empathetic communication within family and business interactions to address and resolve underlying issues more effectively.
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Encourage Regular Mental Health Check-ins: Advocate for routine mental health assessments within family businesses to identify and address issues early, before they escalate into more significant problems.
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Implement Self-Regulation Practices: Find professionals to provide training on self-regulation techniques for family members and business leaders to help manage stress, improve personal resilience, and foster a more supportive working environment.
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Establish a Strong Support Network: Encourage the formation or strengthening of a support network that includes mental health professionals, experienced advisors, and peer support groups to provide necessary resources and assistance.
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Foster a Culture of Openness and Non-Judgment: Work towards creating an environment where family members and business partners feel safe to express their concerns and challenges without fear of judgment, thereby promoting transparency and trust.
The next Family Business Executive Forum, Closing the Gap and Creating Your Most Impactful Company Culture: How Family Leaders Can Work Together to Weave Innovation and Legacy Even When You’re At a Generational Standstill, takes place on June 25th at 12pm ET. Visit here to register.
Connect with:
Jane Mintz: Janemintz.com
Natasha Silver Bell: Silverbellglobal.com
Chris Yonker: Chrisyonker.com
fambizforum.com.
How to Find a Higher Sense of Flow
with Achim Feige
Achim Feige is a personal performance and transformation coach to the German business elite. As a transformation architect, human potential coach, and author of several management books, he enables entrepreneurs, CEOs, and top executives to access higher states of consciousness and flow, and personal growth, using the latest neuroscientific findings and techniques, aligned with ancient wisdom, from which you - having grown inwardly and equipped with a new mindset and qualities - can master the transformation into a new business world with more confidence, courage, and ease, as a person, a leader, and organization.
His aim is to turn leaders of all kinds into self-developers, bridge builders, and architects of a new business world in which the development of human potential, top performance, and positive impact do not contradict, but complement, each other.
With his European transformation collective, VERTICAL (Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, and Oslo), he exclusively accompanies entrepreneurs and CEOs in their personal and business transformation, without burning out.
What You’ll Learn
-
The causes and signs of burnout.
-
How to achieve flow.
-
How to balance stress and recovery.
-
How to prioritize personal growth.
-
Where to start with others.
Timestamps
-
[06:55] Achim’s background.
-
[12:40] What leads to burnout?
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[19:11] Being in flow.
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[21:22] The challenge-skill equation.
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[25:00] Finding the balance.
-
[30:41] The 40-hour week.
-
[32:48] Forming growth rituals.
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[37:19] The North Star.
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[43:10] Resonance and flow in relation to others.
-
[50:29] The role of facilitators.
Memorable Quotes
-
“You are in your flow channel when you have an optimal challenge.” – Achim Feige [21:30]
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“With new behavior and new habits, you will shape a new personality.” – Achim Feige [35:45]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.achimfeige.com.
vertical-development.com.
Contact: achim@vertical-development.de.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Irina Serebryakova is Nurse Practitioner and Founder of You Holistic Functional Medicine and Longevity Center in Exeter, NH. She has been practicing Functional Medicine for more than 15 years.
Functional Medicine addresses the whole body and focuses on disease prevention, and considers the full picture of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
You Holistic helps patients reduce or eliminate the need for pharmaceutical medications by addressing digestive problems, inflammation, weakened immunity, and metabolic and hormonal imbalances.
They have created treatment plans to manage multiple factors that may contribute to chronic conditions, including supplements, food plans, herbs, homeopathic remedies, Intravenous nutrients, peptides, and bio-identical hormones for hormonal imbalances, treating thyroid and adrenal dysfunction, insomnia, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and osteoporosis without pharmaceutical medications.
Their Functional Medicine approach is different is tailored to each person’s specific illness or symptoms.
Irina believes in the human body’s incredible ability to heal and to regenerate. Her goal, when treating patients, is to guide and give them tools, and to empower them in restoring balance and preventing disease.
What You’ll Learn
● How alternative treatments can benefit individuals.
● How our decisions can affect our genetics.
● Which tests are the most important to start with.
● Preventative measures to take against ailments.
● The function of Functional Medicine.
● How new therapies are addressing shortfalls in medicine.
Timestamps
· [05:14] The shortfalls of the medical system.
· [09:38] How much does DNA affect health and wellbeing?
· [13:13] DNA testing.
· [15:05] The reliability of testing companies.
· [16:25] Prioritizing what to test.
· [21:57] Beethoven’s hair study.
· [23:08] Protocol for removing toxins.
· [26:04] Preventing heart disease.
· [30:23] Insulin resistance.
· [31:28] Testing for plaque buildup.
· [34:51] Cancer screening.
· [38:19] What is Functional Medicine?
· [45:46] Pro-health, anti-aging therapies.
Memorable Quotes
· “Genetics are not as unchangeable as we think.” – Irina Serebryakova [12:08]
· “Screening is our best defense against cancer.” – Irina Serebryakova [36:24]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
youholistic.com.
Call: 603-309-2030.
Email: info@youholistic.com.
Irina Serebryakova.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Dr. Stacy Feiner is an accomplished psychologist, business leader, innovator, author, and mom. She advises private and family-owned businesses with a pro-growth, pro-health approach that ensures leaders solve emotionally charged situations, move forward, and increase enterprise value and family connection.
Curious about people and culture, Stacy has lived in 8 US cities and traveled through 9 countries. A Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Stacy is an expert at helping complex people systems shape their desired future. Her inclusive perspective creates a competitive advantage in a world that accepts average.
Before focusing on private enterprise, Stacy served as an executive at Merrill Lynch, coaching financial advisors to scale their practices and stay confident during volatile markets, getting licensed Series 7 herself. As an HR executive at KeyBank, Stacy helped complete a billion dollar sell-side transaction, and at BDO USA, Stacy advised family businesses in all stages seeking to achieve success in all their ventures and family branches.
Dr. Feiner founded her own firm to bring a new lens that accelerates growth of privately-owned companies.
Stacy published her first book, Talent Mindset, in 2015, and co-authored the bestselling, The Sixth Level, in 2023, used by universities, businesses, and nonprofits.
What You’ll Learn
● Why advisors are so important in a business.
● Which kinds of boards to choose for a business.
● The importance of transparent and authentic conversations.
Timestamps
· [05:37] Why businesses need advisors.
· [12:44] Dr Feiner’s advice on building an advisory board.
· [18:01] Creating transparency and authenticity.
· [26:47] Fiduciary boards vs advisory boards.
· [38:12] Family councils.
· [45:10] Advice to reluctant business owners.
Memorable Quotes
· “Every business problem that you have is solvable.” – Dr Stacy Feiner [24:26]
· “Growth is fun.” – Dr Stacy Feiner [46:40]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.stacyfeiner.com.
www.linkedin.com/in/stacyfeiner.
Dr. Lise Janelle is a renowned growth accelerator coach who empowers her clients with her groundbreaking Heart Freedom Method, facilitating rapid transformation by dismantling subconscious barriers to success.
She’s been featured in many radio and TV interviews, including on CBC News and CTV’s Canada AM. She shares insights on overcoming inner resistance.
A former championship rower and pioneer in women’s Ice Canoeing, Lise embraces outdoor challenges like scaling Kilimanjaro and La Haute Route in Switzerland. Her journey from a top 10% earner as a chiropractor to coaching showcases unwavering commitment to personal growth.
Founder of the Centre for Heart Living in Toronto, she authored “Conversations with the Heart,” a guide to help the reader live a truly successful life. A member of the Transformational Leadership Council, Lise connects with leaders, leaving an indelible mark on personal development.
Her story reflects resilience, passion, and an enduring dedication to guiding others toward their full potential.
Dr. Janelle is working on her upcoming book, “Unstuck,” with co-author, Jack Canfield, to be released in late 2024.
What You’ll Learn
● How to use muscle testing to live more consciously.
● How to build a higher sense of authority.
● How to become self-aware.
● The indicators of emotional wellbeing.
● The process of expanding our consciousness.
Timestamps
· [04:28] Dr Janelle’s background.
· [07:39] Muscle testing.
· [12:35] Building a higher sense of authority.
· [18:46] Three types of bootcamps.
· [21:17] Navigating love.
· [26:34] Why the body stores pain.
· [29:26] Diagnosing emotional wellbeing.
· [33:40] The adventure of creating heaven on earth.
Memorable Quotes
· “90-95% of what we do is actually pre-programmed in us.” – Dr Lise Janelle [12:09]
· “Each time we have gratitude, we instantly increase our self-worth.” – Dr Lise Janelle [16:10]
· “Whatever is happening, is always happening for us.” – Dr Lise Janelle [37:44]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
drlisejanelle.com.
heartfreedommethod.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Kristi Baxter is a trusted advisor and change partner to executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs. She blends practical experience as an operator with Disney and Coca-Cola, life experience of growing up in a family business, and her inside-out coach approach to help clients achieve extraordinary results and transformation.
She integrates a deep appreciation for the beautiful mess of our humanity and a "lead thyself" mentality to guide clients through change, boldly meeting challenges head-on to achieve happiness, confidence, freedom, and abundance.
Clients say working with Kristi has had a profound impact on their life, allowing them to step into their power with confidence, energy, and positivity, reaching new heights in their personal and professional life.
What You’ll Learn
● How to change the mentalities of future generations of leaders.
● The benefit of cultivating leaders.
● The ingredients of leadership development.
● How to know when change is needed.
Timestamps
· [03:57] Kristi’s background.
· [10:07] The changing mentalities.
· [17:13] The benefit of cultivating leaders.
· [23:08] How to assess leadership potential.
· [30:44] Overcoming the subconscious ceiling.
· [33:27] Important indicators.
· [38:04] The heart-centered approach.
· [44:22] Questions to ask yourself.
Memorable Quotes
· “Hire for attitude. Train for skills.” – Kristi Baxter [08:48]
· “Your business cannot grow beyond the level of your current leadership.” – Kristi Baxter [20:58]
· “A one-size-fits-all approach does not work.” – Kristi Baxter [43:06]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.kristibaxter.com.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Amanda Osmer is the fourth-generation owner of Grappone Automotive Group. Osmer’s great-grandparents, Rocco and Emanuela Grappone, were Italian immigrants who opened a gas station in Concord in 1924. Her grandfather, John Grappone, worked for 79 years to help expand that single business into the Grappone Automotive Group, which today encompasses five New Hampshire dealerships, representing Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, and Toyota, as well as one of northern New England’s largest wholesale parts operations. Amanda launched Leadership Grappone, a program that a seeks out the company’s emerging leaders, with the goal of uncovering their true leadership potential.
Rebecca Hamilton is the Co-CEO of Badger, a producer of organic body care products.
An advocate for issues concerning the environment, ingredient transparency, and societal change, Rebecca has spoken at the White House, addressed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in support of organic and regenerative agriculture, testified before Congress on behalf of safer cosmetics, and attended Senate and House briefings on Capitol Hill in support of family-friendly workplace practices and chemical reform. Rebecca also spearheaded the passing of Benefit Corporation legislation in New Hampshire, a for-profit status that incorporates the pursuit of positive environmental and social impact in addition to profit. She was recently appointed to the National Women’s Business Council, a nonpartisan federal advisory committee comprised of women business owners, policymakers, bankers, representatives of women’s business organizations, and other stakeholders.
What You’ll Learn
● How to approach succession planning with the lens of equality.
● Upholding standards with family members.
● Making decisions as a family leadership team.
● How to manage a smooth succession with leaders who aren’t ready to let go.
Timestamps
· [09:27] Taking on leadership roles within family businesses.
· [18:13] Unique perspectives as women.
· [23:51] Approaching succession planning.
· [29:09] Dr Stacy: Are higher standards for family a risk or a benefit?
· [32:14] The role of personal development plays in the future of leadership.
· [34:26] Lessons learned stepping into leadership roles.
· [39:21] Advice to other women aspiring to lead family-run enterprises.
· [44:17] When leaders aren’t ready to let go during transitions.
Memorable Quotes
· “Blood is thicker than water.” – Amanda Osmer [28:00]
· “Your brain can’t be angry and curious at the same time.” – Amanda Osmer [33:26]
· “We’ve had such a female dominated company that we thought about being more intentional of bringing some males in to balance it out.” – Rebecca Hamilton [34:02]
· “Get really clear about what your mission is, and then pursue that.” – Amanda Osmer [39:46]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
www.badgerbalm.com.
www.grappone.com.
Russ Haworth is a specialist family business adviser and works with families from all over the world to help them understand what role their family business can play in living fulfilled lives.
He is the Co-Director of The Land of Giants, a research project that looks at how the rising generation are able to find significance and identity when they have grown up around significant wealth and/or achievement.
Russ is a regular speaker at National and International conferences and provides training and education to other professionals looking to enhance their understanding of working with family businesses. He is also the host of the widely acclaimed Family Business Podcast.
What You’ll Learn
● The effects of living in the shadow of giants.
● How next-gens can navigate their calling.
● How to effectively communicate feelings between generations.
● The importance of authentic transparency.
Timestamps
· [03:45] Russ’s background.
· [07:32] Researching prominent rising-Gen family members.
· [12:10] The biggest insight from the research.
· [22:50] How to help next-gen navigate their calling.
· [25:34] Communicating feelings between generations.
· [27:05] Authentic transparency.
· [28:38] Exploration.
Memorable Quotes
· “If you don’t find out who you are as an individual, that’s still something that’s missing.” – Russ Haworth [32:25]
· “It’s not a linear journey.” – Russ Haworth [33:05]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Russ Haworth.
Websites
familybusinesspartnership.com.
fambizpodcast.com.
www.questforlegitimacy.com.
Amazon.
fambizforum.com.
Troy is the Founder and CEO of Mosaic Research Management, founded in June 2010. Prior to founding Mosaic, Troy was a proprietary research analyst at Elliott Management Corp, a multi-strategy hedge fund firm based in New York with more than $20 billion assets under management. Troy received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.
When away from the office, Troy enjoys working out, meditating, listening to audio books, discussing business with friends, and spending time with his wife and son near their home in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
What You’ll Learn
● How spirituality informs business.
● How to develop stronger spiritual practices.
● The value of giving ourselves time.
Timestamps
· [05:24] Troy’s entrepreneurial journey.
· [19:29] Troy’s inspirations.
· [32:40] The importance of being open to spiritual practices.
· [43:08] How SOS makes it easy to show up.
· [48:19] Three types of meditation.
· [52:00] A shared meditation exercise.
Memorable Quotes
· “Your openness to that source of life energy is what creates how bright you shine” – Troy Lavinia [33:53]
· “Just spend five minutes on it every day.” – Troy Lavinia [41:42]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Troy Lavinia.
Websites
mosaicrm.com.
dailysos.com.
fambizforum.com.
Tsitsi Mutendi is an internationally recognized Family Business Expert and Family Office Advisor (focused on building multigenerational family wealth). She is a third-generation family business owner, who has learnt how to build and grow business from her predecessors, but like many African family business owners, she has had to build her own businesses from the entrepreneurial spirit that has been cultivated over generations. Unlike the adage, shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves, she did not inherit financial wealth, but she did inherit the intellectual knowledge and the values of entrepreneurship, and now with the acumen she has learnt from the many families she has served and continues to serve, she hopes to pass wealth that becomes multigenerational to her own children and generations after. The family businesses that she has founded and co-founded and built include Mutendi Montessori and Dants Investments.
Over her career, she has been successful, and she has bagged many accolades, awards, and recognition to her contribution to various spaces in which she has established her work. She has also sat on numerous company boards and brought her worldly experience to help organizations gain a competitive edge and grow in profit, production, and expansion.
What You’ll Learn
● How the Baobab tree is a symbol of family businesses.
● Caring for the individual to care for the group.
● How to nurture the five capitals in our businesses.
Timestamps
· [05:27] Putting together the book.
· [07:50] Why the Baobab tree is unique.
· [18:40] Human capital.
· [22:25] Intellectual capital.
· [29:02] Social capital.
· [33:44] Spiritual capital.
· [35:33] Financial capital.
· [40:13] Thinking about long-term continuity.
Memorable Quotes
· “The sum of the whole is the individuals.” – Tsitsi Mutendi [19:20]
· “We are a result of people who made decisions before us.” – Tsitsi Mutendi [41:34]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Tsitsi Mutendi.
Facebook: Tsitsi Mutendi.
Instagram: @Tsitsi_Mutendi.
Websites
tsitsimutendi.com.
www.nhakalegacy.com.
Amazon.
Melissa Borowicz has been dedicated to working with companies since 2004, focusing on defining corporate culture and aiding leaders to maximize their management teams and personnel. With an adept understanding of relational barriers and their impact on personal and company growth l, Borowicz offers practical solutions that enhance value at every stage. Her comfortable and relaxed style ensures ease among individuals during challenging leadership transitions.
Borowicz’s ability to effectively and efficiently identify and tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of companies is underpinned by a robust educational and professional background. This includes earning a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, achieving Process Mastery certification from Hammer Company, becoming a certified ECHO Listening Practitioner, a Certified DISC Practitioner, and a Certified Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
She collaborates with business leaders to foster a unified language and understanding within organizations, reaching from the leadership team to employees, customers, and the wider community. Borowicz not only appreciates the significance of but also knows how to secure buy-in at every level, both internally and externally.
Driven by the goal of creating self-sufficient individuals and organizations, Borowicz has developed a three-day Leadership Boot Camp. This program guides individuals and staff through comprehensive personal and team development, aiming for consistent leadership. Additionally, her year-long Leadership Collective offers real-world interactional experiences that prepare team members to become adept at handling 50-70% of all organizational development issues.
With 17 years of experience, Borowicz has honed her expertise with a range of organizations, from small teams of 10 to large groups of 3000 employees, across the United States and Canada. She specializes in the effective use of leadership assessments, values identification, and articulation to spearhead culture strategy and transformation, develop leaders, and enhance team dynamics.
Outside her professional life, Borowicz enjoys an active lifestyle with her husband, their three boys, and two dogs. An avid runner committed to fitness, she is also a keen reader in her quest for continuous learning and loves to watch her boys engage in basketball and karate, pursuing their passions.
What You’ll Learn
- How families can navigate family issues in businesses.
- Where to start making a change.
- How the family system affects everything.
- Navigating different family dynamics.
- Why feedback is vital for success.
- Dealing with underperforming family members.
- The value of non-family leaders.
- Why “lesser” priorities should not be put off.
Timestamps
- [05:17] A bit about Melissa.
- [09:13] Working through family issues.
- [10:47] A common referral point.
- [14:06] The starting point for families navigating a change.
- [17:01] The canary in the coal mine.
- [21:50] The family business system.
- [24:36] Dealing with family dynamics.
- [32:16] The importance of feedback.
- [37:57] Helping families deal with sub-par business performance.
- [42:56] The fear of reprimanding family members
- [47:17] Non-family leaders.
- [50:10] Advice for the eager younger family member.
- [54:12] Putting off “lesser” priorities.
Memorable Quotes
- “For things to progress and be successful is people's openness and willingness to change. – Melissa Borowicz [30:40]
- “Feedback is a gift and an investment in itself.” – Melissa Borowicz [35:34]
- “The family is more important than the business.” – Melissa Borowicz [36:15]
- “Leadership is taken, not given.” – Melissa Borowicz [56:13]
Social Media
LinkedIn: UTECH Consulting Inc.
Facebook: The UTECH Group.
Websites
Fambizforum.com.
utechod.com.
Challenging Power Structures: The Rise of Women in Executive Roles
With Amanda Laden
Amanda Laden is the Founder & CEO of The FireBrand Institute, Period to Pause, and The VinoKarma Project. Her mission to help fast-growing businesses develop growth strategies, align leadership, and identify market opportunities for change. Amanda is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses acquire fresh insights, answer critical business questions, and innovate and accelerate business outcomes. Helping business owners realize their entrepreneurial capacity and dreams runs in Amanda’s DNA and passion for helping others.
Amanda has led teams on 5 continents and traveled to over 50 countries. She loves all things relating to food, culture, and travel, especially when wine is involved.
When not supporting her quest to find the perfect glass of wine, in her spare time, you can find Amanda dancing on stages with the likes of Seal, Keith Sweat, and Carlos Santana.
What You’ll Learn
● Why it’s more challenging for women to rise to executive positions.
● How to step into masculine and feminine energy.
● How to correct the language we use.
● The importance of community.
● Why we should be setting boundaries.
Timestamps
· [05:12] A bit about Amanda.
· [11:50] Why it’s more difficult for women to rise to executive positions?
· [16:33] Masculine and feminine energy.
· [24:57] The need for empathy.
· [30:38] Amanda’s advice to future leaders.
· [33:21] Boundaries.
· [44:43] Amanda’s final thoughts.
Memorable Quotes
· “There’s space for all of us.” – Amanda Laden [24:34]
· “It is hard to be a woman.” – Amanda Laden [26:57]
· “You don’t have to show up and be perfect.” – Amanda Laden [47:17]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Amanda Laden.
Websites
firebrandinstitute.com.
www.periodtopause.com.
Kiva Schuler is the Founder and CEO of The Jai Institute for Parenting, and the author of the ground-breaking book The Peaceful Parenting (R)evolution: Changing the World by Changing How We Parent which examines the “consequences” of traditional parenting methods and offers a more modern approach grounded in emotional intelligence, values-led leadership, and effective communication.
Kiva’s passion for parenting stemmed from her own childhood experiences of neglect and trauma. Like many of her generation, she had a front-row seat to the kind of parenting that she did not want for her own children. The Jai Institute is the fulfillment of a promise that she made to herself when she was 16 years old that when she had children of her own, she would learn to parent them with compassion, consistency, and communication.
On a mission to change the culture around parenting, Kiva wants children to grow up to reach their full potential, and live their lives free of trauma, shame, and emotional wounds. As a mother, she has built an extraordinary business that has touched tens of thousands of lives, and empowered others who share her mission to do this work.
What You’ll Learn
● How to raise responsible humans.
● How to model self-regulation.
● How to create healthy boundaries.
● How to regulate modern accessibility.
● How to rebuild intergenerational relationships.
Timestamps
· [04:42] A bit about Kiva.
· [08:01] Kiva’s parenting philosophy.
· [12:19] The idea of conformity.
· [16:13] Regulating ourselves.
· [29:16] Eating freedom.
· [36:34] Where to draw the line.
· [44:59] Understanding childrens’ capacity.
· [49:14] The paradigm of teenage behaviors.
· [53:57] Navigating faith.
· [56:10] Regulating modern accessibility.
· [63:39] Rebuilding relationships.
Memorable Quotes
· “Tension is contagious.” – Chris Yonker [23:58]
· “Stop trying to put them in the box that we think they should be in.” – Kiva Schuler [51:41]
· “All a child wants is to be seen and heard and acknowledged by their parent.” – Kiva Schuler [67:24]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Kiva Schuler.
Instagram: @kiva_schuler.
Websites
www.jaiinstituteforparenting.com.
Read: The Peaceful Parenting (R)evolution: Changing the World by Changing How We Parent.
Listen: Eddie Stern – Proven Strategies to Lower Your Stress Response and Improve Performance.
Guest Bio Stephen is an integrative coach, healer and meditation teacher at Qineticare who supports individual and multi-generational family healing and harmony. Having trained in counselling, education and business he launched 3 educational institutions, composed several music albums and published 10 books including “Raising Our Vibration: A Guide to Subtle Energy Meditation.” He continues to pioneer neuroscience research with labs in Japan on the effect of subtle energy spiritual exercises on anxiety and stress.
Stephen has developed meditation courses, an app, teachers training programs and featured digital courses on a number of global platforms. He co-founded organizations supporting trust, love and wisdom to fund entrepreneurs on their spiritual path.
Stephen has given transformational workshops in healing, meditation, and lucid dreaming for over 30 years. He has been featured on radio, television, magazines, books and podcasts as a healer of hearts. He has worked as a Vedic adviser and managed doctors and physicians at natural health and wellbeing clinics. He integrates ancient wisdom, awake awareness and kundalini yoga with modern science and transpersonal psychology into the path of self-realization.
Summary In this episode, we explore the concept of bringing the miraculous into everyday life. Our host shares personal experiences that demonstrate how the extraordinary can become ordinary and how we can help others transcend traditional diagnoses. We learn about trusting in life, filling ourselves with love and compassion, and embracing the infinite opportunities that life has to offer. Tune in to discover how to open up to the miraculous in your own life.
Timestamps [00:04:45] Becoming a healing practitioner.
[00:17:42] The system's contribution to the problem.
[00:30:48] Importance of individual work.
[00:39:02] Relational attunement and healing.
[00:48:21] Environment and attunement.
[00:51:44] Acts of kindness and impact.
What you'll learn · Bringing the miraculous into everyday life, trusting in life again, filling oneself with love and compassion, and opening up to infinite opportunities.
· The importance of individual and collective transformation within families, the complexities and challenges faced by multi-generational families.
· The importance of starting with individual self-work, the importance of personal transformation in driving true communication and connection
· The concept of relational attunement or alignment, taking responsibility for one's own experiences, and the importance of self-awareness and increasing one's level of consciousness.
Quotes · 00:17:42 - "Fix this person because they're the problem. We're fine. It's that person."
· 00:30:48 - "Our philosophy that we hold is the individual, we must start with the individual and do the work at the level of the individual first before moving to the collective."
· 00:32:23 - "You need to help first initially and primarily each individual to develop this clear sense of self-worth and a clear sense of enough enoughness and a clear sense of within the family of how they communicate and what kind of communication openings and bridges they can create, but equally be aware of their own projections and blocks so that they can communicate their truth in a safe space."
· 00:39:02 - "So long as we're open to it, we start to realize that a lot of the attunement that we're wanting in terms of relation is about being open and learning."
· 00:49:14 - "once you see, once you see, you can't unsee."
Websites
chrisyonker.com.
https://qineticare.com/stephen-altair-skelton/
https://www.altairlove.com/
Should You Fire Family? Strategies for Managing Family Member Employees
With Chris Yonker
In this episode, Chris Yonker talks about hiring and managing family members in a family business. Hear about how to bring family members into the business, how to deal with underperforming family members, and the importance of implementing reviews into the business structure.
What You’ll Learn
● Policies around bringing in family members.
● Dealing with underperforming family members.
● How to build reviews into the business structure.
Timestamps
· [02:05] Family member entry points.
· [06:28] Underperforming family members.
· [08:30] Why it happens.
· [17:49] Reviews.
Memorable Quotes
· “Look at this no differently than any other person coming into the business.” – Chris Yonker [04:10]
· “Over 30% of all people in an organization are in the wrong seats.” - Chris Yonker [12:19]
· “Reviews need to be built into your structure.” - Chris Yonker [17:51]
Websites
chrisyonker.com.
David DeWolf is the Founder & CEO of Knownwell. David founded and served as CEO of 3Pillar Global, a digital product development organization that grew every year under his leadership. 3Pillar was named on the Inc. 5000, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US, ten separate times.
David oversaw the company’s sale to private equity companies while he served as CEO, twice. David is an angel investor, backing companies and leaders who have visions for companies that can change the world. He’s also an active and sought-after board member for high-growth tech companies, and is currently a board member for 2X, Capango, and his alma mater, the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
When not building or investing in technology companies, David enjoys traveling and spending quality time with his wife, Teresa, and their 8 children.
What You’ll Learn
● How AI can be used to improve the workspace.
● How to balance the fear and embracing of AI.
● How to leverage AI to make better decisions.
● How to get AI to ‘listen in’ to the bigger picture.
Timestamps
· [04:31] Getting into the AI space.
· [12:13] The democratization of AI.
· [17:49] An AI use case.
· [21:37] Finding balance.
· [29:25] Leveraging AI to make decisions.
· [34:20] Getting AI to ‘listen in’ to the bigger picture.
· [40:34] David’s advice.
Memorable Quotes
· “Artificial intelligence is the biggest, most powerful invention that has ever hit us as humanity.” - David DeWolf [06:07]
· “More than anything, jobs are going to change.” – David DeWolf [28:57]
Websites
David DeWolf.
daviddewolf.com.
knownwell.com.
Shi Yan Ming is a 34th Generation Shaolin Warrior Monk and Founder & Abbot of USA Shaolin Temple. Named “a real-life superhero” by The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan, Shifu’s 1-inch punch is more powerful than a car at 35mph as recorded by History Channel’s show, Stan Lee’s Super Humans. His disciples and students include Bokeem Woodbine of Spiderman, Wesley Snipes of Blade, RZA, Rosie Perez, and many more.
As one of the most respected martial art legends of all time, he has been featured in numerous publications & interviews across the world, including National Geographic, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, VICE Sports, VICE China, Grazia Homme (France), Vogue, Great Big Story, NPR, and more.
For his generation and age, Shifu’s physical abilities, wisdom, knowledge, and upbringing make him truly one in 3.3 billion on earth.
What You’ll Learn
● What daily life is like in the Temple.
● The nature of devotion.
● How to build confidence.
● How Shaolin helps in other areas of life.
● How to know once you’ve found yourself.
● The importance of living in the moment.
● How to find balance.
● How to take authority over our thinking.
Timestamps
· [06:14] Shifu’s story.
· [11:42] What foundation of the Shaolin Temple.
· [14:49] Day in the life in the Temple.
· [16:08] Lessons learned.
· [18:46] Devotion.
· [28:54] How to build confidence.
· [33:18] How does Shaolin help in other areas of life?
· [39:37] How to know if you’ve found yourself.
· [43:35] Be honest with yourself.
· [46:28] Cherishing the moment.
· [49:59] What is balance and how do we find balance within ourselves?
· [56:07] Taking more authority over our thinking.
· [59:25] Where to start.
· [61:18] Happiness vs love.
Memorable Quotes
· “Everyone needs help.” – Shi Yan Ming [20:32]
· “Every moment, every day is precious.” – Shi Yan Ming [20:51]
· “Life has everything.” – Shi Yan Ming [31:01]
· “We come from nothing. We leave with nothing.” – Shi Yan Ming [49:49]
Websites
usashaolintemple.org.
Brandon Kleinman is the Founder of Birthday App, Showroom Inc., Laurel & Wolf, and BrainMuffin. He previously served as an Imagineer at Disney, and Global Strategy DIrector at TWBA/Chiat/Day.
What You’ll Learn
● How to overcome self-doubt.
● The most important questions to ask ourselves.
● How to find the path to innovation.
● Choosing innovation versus tradition.
Timestamps
· [04:20] Getting into entrepreneurship.
· [07:32] Where did Brandon’s confidence come from?
· [10:42] Overcoming self-doubt.
· [12:19] Getting into interior design.
· [18:21] Important questions to ask about what’s possible.
· [24:35] The huge success of Birthday App.
· [27:11] Brandon’s philosophy on innovation.
· [32:26] Innovation and disruption vs tradition.
· [40:56] Fairness as a concept.
· [43:18] The best part of this podcast.
Memorable Quotes
· “The best questions make you feel like an idiot.” – Brandon Kleinman [19:19]
· “Efficiency is extremely overrated.” – Brandon Kleinman [38:25]
· “Fairness is not a real concept.” – Brandon Kleinman [41:27]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Brandon Kleinman.
Instagram: @bksenior.
Twitter: @bksenior.
Websites
birthday.app.
Bill Stranberg is a Partner with Stranberg Resource Group and is experienced in multi-industry, multi-discipline executive search and recruitment. His industry experience includes projects with consumer and industrial manufacturing clients, ranging in size from small cap to multi-national, and including many private and family-owned companies. Bill’s functional focus with SRG has been in sales and marketing, general management, and operations.
Bill joined SRG in 2013, prior to which he spent seven years on the ground in mainland China, working closely with businesses ranging from small local start-ups to large multinational corporations. Bill’s years in China have given him invaluable insight into the cultural and operational challenges and opportunities in the global market, as well as written and spoken fluency in Mandarin.
With his multi-cultural scope, Bill is skilled at recruiting across cultural, linguistic, and national boundaries. He excels at relationship development, search strategy, and bringing creative solutions to deliver results to clients. Bill holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys playing tennis and woodworking in his spare time.
What You’ll Learn
● How a family business search is different from other business searches.
● The risk working with non-family executives.
● How to avoid high-risk scenarios.
● What to consider when hiring an advisor.
Timestamps
· [04:34] Getting into family business.
· [12:43] What makes a family business search different?
· [20:08] The risks of non-family executives.
· [26:15] The family business filter.
· [35:20] Advising families on difficult hiring decisions.
· [38:29] Advice to families who have never had outside non-family executives.
· [48:54] When to hire an advisor.
Memorable Quotes
· “Family businesses can be very different from one another.” – Bill Stranberg [21:16]
· “Our role as advisors to families is to guide them towards what their best interests are.” – Bill Stranberg [33:32]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Bill Stranberg.
Email: bill@stranberg.com.
Websites
www.stranberg.com.
Celeste J. Ross, MA, HHC, GCFP, is the founder and owner of Inside Out Ventures, helping build educational, business, and family leaders from the inside out. For over 25 years she has been combining her abilities as an educator, trainer/facilitator, and licensed Kolbe® Consultant to provide transformational experiences that develop the innate abilities of individuals, teams, families, and organizations. Celeste has worked internationally and throughout the United States as a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker with companies like Cartus International, The Hershey Company, and the Salt River Project - helping people develop skills, attitudes, and effective communication practices that impact a positive work culture and high levels of engaged performance. In addition to her degrees in Education and Health Arts and Sciences, Celeste holds certifications in The Feldenkrais® Movement Method, Integrative Nutrition, and offers a variety of online classes: Self-Care Matters, Leading Well, and Moving from the Inside Out. She presently resides in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and enjoys hiking, photography, and writing children’s books about her favorite character, Curly Top.
In this episode, Chris Yonker discusses the importance of having the right people in the right roles within a company. He emphasizes the need for not only cultural fit and core values alignment, but also understanding each individual's unique strengths and developing those superpowers. Yonker also highlights how executive leadership needs may change over time, and that different individuals may be necessary at different points in a company's history. He acknowledges that family businesses face additional challenges in finding the best roles for family members. Overall, this episode explores the complexities of building a successful team and offers insights on making strategic personnel decisions.
What You’ll Learn
· The importance of having the right people in the right roles
· The work of Colby Corp in assessing talent and supporting development
· Finding fulfillment and joy in life and identifying passions and purpose
· The importance of curiosity and understanding in supporting others
Timestamps
· 07:13] Empowering students through strengths.
· 09:41 Unlocking our potential through self-awareness.
· 14:21Finding purpose through passions.
· 25:07 Implementer energy and problem-solving.
· 27:54 Communication styles and strengths.
· 36:06 Different problem-solving approaches.
· 42:28 Right seat, right person.
· 45:55 The next generation's work values.
· 53:25 Family businesses and cognitive strengths.
Memorable Quotes
- And how we do things, if we learn from our parents or teachers or other adults in our lives, and it doesn't quite feel right, it may be that we're working against our grain. (10:20)
- You're willing to not know for a while until you can gather enough information to make an informed decision. (24:13)
- I think it's important to always kind of maintain the connection to the past and the purpose or the vision or the mission of the company and who started it. (42:48)
- It's a win-win-win-win, and that's what we're looking for, and that's what I think the younger generation is looking for again. (50:51)
Social Media
Facebook: InsideOutVenturesLLC
Websites
· www.Kolbe.com - For A, B, C Indexes and information about Kolbe
· Here's why you should consider the Student Aptitude Quiz - for Student Aptitude Quiz
· Heroic Journey: A Rite of Passage Program (includes Kolbe Student Aptitude Quizzes)
· www.insideoutventures.com - Inside Out Ventures for further explanations of how to use Kolbe in your life, business and family.
Books - Understand more about Kolbe Strengths
· § Business to Business : Reality Checks for Family-Owned Businesses –
· Kathy Kolbe and Amy Bruske
· § Striving Zones - Kathy Kolbe
· § Conative Connections - Kathy Kolbe
Tim Winders is a executive coach, author, and host of SeekGoCreate, a podcast and YouTube interview show. He has worked in the areas of leadership, business, and ministry for almost 40 years. Tim was the guy that looked like he had it all: the big house in a Country Club resort, two businesses valued at over a million dollars each, plus over $15 million in real estate. But, in 2008, the real estate markets crashed. After a slow and painful erosion of his companies, he and his wife were bankrupt and homeless living out of their Honda van by 2013.
Fast forward to today, Tim and his wife are still homeless, but they consider themselves essential nomads. They live, travel, and work in their 39-foot motorhome while enjoying the best locations North America has to offer. Through this journey, he is convinced that we must redefine success in order to live our best life. This topic is what he has explored with his guests on the SeekGoCreate podcast since 2019. His inspirational novel titled, Coach: A Story of Success Redefined released in May 2022.
What You’ll Learn
● Why our life purpose is so important.
● How to identify our gifts.
● Where to start figuring out our next steps.
● How to redefine success.
Timestamps
· [02:34] Tim’s background.
· [07:29] Tim’s religious upbringing.
· [14:12] Life purpose.
· [17:34] Happiness, fulfillment, clarity, and purpose.
· [22:39] Identifying our gifts.
· [29:10] When things seem to not be working.
· [34:10] Our lowered resilience.
· [38:27] Figuring out the next step.
Memorable Quotes
· “Thou shall not fool thyself.” – Time Winders [27:21]
· “Short-term is not what we’re all here for.” – Time Winders [33:11]
· “Live your own life. Don’t compare to other people.” – Tim Winders [43:31]
· “Life is short. We’re not promised tomorrow.” – Tim Winders [46:46]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Tim Winders.
Instagram: @seekgocreate.
Twitter: @SeekGoCreate.
Websites
seekgocreate.com.
timwinders.com.
Karen Eber is an author, leadership consultant, and keynote speaker. Her TED Talk on how your brain responds to stories continues to inspire millions. Her book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire, was selected as a Next Big Ideas Club must read.
As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps Fortune 500 companies like GE and Microsoft build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time.
She guest lectures at universities, including MIT and Stanford. She is a former Head of Culture, Learning, and Leadership Development at GE and Deloitte, and is a frequent contributor to media, including Fast Company and Business Insider.
What You’ll Learn
● The difference between influence and manipulation.
● How to approach stories from a different perspective.
● Feel-good vs uncomfortable stories.
● How to use stories to inspire during difficult times.
● Using parallel stories to convey a difficult message.
Timestamps
· [03:04] A bit about Karen.
· [06:55] How to navigate change through stories.
· [14:42] Are we all storytellers?
· [16:36] A real-life illustration.
· [23:07] To be a truly good storyteller.
· [26:04] Stories vs fear.
· [31:31] Leveraging stories to create possibility.
· [35:17] The fear of being alone.
· [37:43] Embracing change.
· [45:34] Telling parallel stories.
Memorable Quotes
· “You learn a lot from the way people talk to you and how they’re framing things.” – Karen Eber [22:57]
· “People aren’t buying a product or service; they’re buying an aspiration.” – Karen Eber [23:47]
· “Stories do not have to be happy.” – Karen Eber [27:10]
Social Media
LinkedIn: Karen Eber.
Instagram: @kareneber1.
Twitter: @kareneber1.
Websites
www.kareneber.com.
Jane Johnson is the President and Co-Founder of Business Transition Academy, Inc. As a former business owner who successfully guided her business for 14 years until it was acquired in 2004, Jane discovered how much time, planning, and preparation were necessary to consummate the sale of her business, achieve her goals, and ensure business continuity. This experience fueled her desire to assist other business owners with their ownership transitions, whether they intend to transfer their business internally to management or externally to an outside buyer.
In 2010, Jane was awarded the Excellence in Exit Planning Achievement Award from Pinnacle Equity Solutions, and in 2020, she won the Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year.
What You’ll Learn
● The weight of considering a business transition.
● When it’s time to think about your business exit.
● What changes are expected in tax laws?
● How can you enhance the value of your business?
● What it takes to bring in an outside partner.
● How long is the exit process?
● When you should reach out to Jane.
Timestamps
· [03:30] Jane’s background.
· [06:31] Jane’s ideal clients.
· [08:23] The weight of a pending transition.
· [11:26] Thinking about your exit.
· [17:38] Upcoming tax changes.
· [21:55] How to avoid high tax implications.
· [25:44] Business valuations.
· [28:55] How to enhance the value of the business?
· [32:07] Mergers.
· [35:08] Selling a percentage of the business.
· [41:17] The exit cycle.
· [42:35] When should you reach out to Jane?
Memorable Quotes
· “The day you start your business, you should be thinking about how you’re going to exit.” – Jane Johnson [11:55]
· “You have to really vet who you sell to.” – Jane Johnson [37:20]
· “It’s not a quick process.” – Jane Johnson [42:24]
Social Media
Jane Johnson.
Websites
www.businesstransitionacademy.com.
Rodrigo Himiob is an Advisor and Managing Director at Generation6, a global family business advisory firm. He also serves as an Advisor to the BCBR Program at Santa Clara University. Prior to this, he served as the VP of Operations and Partner of Houston Anodes, as an Advisory Board Member of the Corrosion Technology Program at Houston Community College, and as the Manager of Corrosion Services at TRC Companies, Inc.
Venezuelan-born, Rodrigo is a third-generation business owner whose expertise encompasses executive leadership, operations, project management, and strategic planning.
Rodrigo holds a BSc and MSc in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, and an MBA in Families and Business from Kennesaw State University.
What You’ll Learn
● When is it time to bring in a non-family member?
● Navigating the dynamics between family and non-family members.
● Is there ever complete agreement?
● Who does the family business advisor work for?
● Can a family business work without working family members?
● When to bring in significant others.
Timestamps
· [03:35] Rodrigo’s career path.
· [05:56] What’s most meaningful about this work?
· [09:18] When there’s a miscommunication about the handover.
· [16:22] When it’s okay to bring in a non-family member.
· [21:03] Family and non-family member dynamics.
· [26:55] How to overcome animosity.
· [33:13] Does everyone have to agree to the process?
· [38:22] A family business with no active family members.
· [45:24] Involving significant others in the family business.
Memorable Quotes
· “Whoever you bring in, they should have some level of family business experience.” – Rodrigo Himiob [23:13]
· “You don’t have to have 100% agreement. You can build that agreement.” – Rodrigo Himiob [34:36]
· “A good family business advisor is going to not work exclusively for whoever brought them in.” – Chris Yonker [36:46]
· “You want to give your family members the choice to be in the family business.” – Rodrigo Himiob [43:47]
· “You need to bring your spouses in as quickly as you can.” – Rodrigo Himiob [46:14]
Social Media
Rodrigo Himiob.
rhimiob@generation6.com.
Websites
www.generation6.com.
Trey Taylor is the Managing Director of Threadneedle, the Taylor Family Office, Chief Executive Officer of Taylor Insurance Services, Managing Director of trinity | blue consulting, and Founding Partner of Ascend Partners.
He is also an investor, the Author of A CEO Only Does Three Things, a frequently featured keynote speaker, a private pilot, a WSET-Certified sommelier, and the Co-Founder of Tyche Wines.
Georgia Trend Magazine named Trey as one of their 40 under 40 in 2013, and TinyHR awarded him with the Happiest Company Award, the Cheers for Peers MVP and Cheers for Peers MVP Giver Awards, and the Employee Recognition Award in 2014.
Trey holds BAs in History from Mercer University and Emory University, a JD in Corporate Transactions, Tax, and Complex Negotiations from Tulane University Law School, and he is a Corporate Finance Graduate of the Venture Capital University Certificate Program from The University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
What You’ll Learn
● How much time is required to work on the Three Things?
● What it means to cultivate a workplace culture.
● The power of transparency.
● Why can’t we let things go?
● What is lacking in today’s CEOs?
Timestamps
· [06:49] A bit about Trey.
· [14:05] Doing the Three Things.
· [16:48] Thinking about culture.
· [21:08] The importance of transparency.
· [25:37] Making up stories about why we can’t let things go.
· [28:00] The persona of a CEO.
· [31:22] What’s lacking in today’s CEOs?
Memorable Quotes
· “Culture is that which you cultivate.” – Trey Taylor [16:50]
· “75% of people are in the wrong position.” – Trey Taylor [20:15]
· “The general population is very good at creating stories of why we can’t let things go.” – Chris Yonker [25:04]
Social Media
Trey Taylor, J.D..
Websites
Taylor Insurance Services.
trey-taylor.com
Trinity | Blue.
Threadneedle.
aceoonlydoesthreethings.com.
plantyourflag.live.
Book mention: Ownership Thinking, by Brad Hams.
Reasons to Listen: * Explore pathways to reach new heights in personal and career growth. * Recognize the importance of aligning with core values for intentional living. * Tap into the dynamics of family businesses and the obstacles they may encounter. * Realize the essential nature of self-awareness in coaching scenarios and beyond. * Cultivate a mindset that promotes sustainable and effective change in life.
Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 - Importance of Present Moment,
Chris emphasizes that spending more time in the present is crucial for love, connection and meaning. He believes that it is essential to plan and be intentional about where we spend our time and energy.
00:02:12 - Helping People Out of Suffering,
Chris explains that he helps people get out of their suffering, even though it is not something he markets. He says that his clients want a higher level of peace of mind so that they can enjoy their life at a higher level.
00:05:31 - COVID and Mortality and Change,
Chris observes that people don't usually talk about their mortality, and COVID has made people more aware of it. He believes that the pandemic has resulted in a reset, and people are valuing their life, health, and family more. He has noticed that people are willing to make changes in their lives.
00:09:41 - Looking Inward and Finding Core Values,
Tim and Chris discuss how the pandemic has made people look inward and find their core values, rather than living superficial lives. They emphasize the importance of understanding and answering the question of "who am I?" and "what is my purpose?" to live intentionally.
00:12:28 - Illusions of Identity and Language,
Chris talks about the two questions he asks his clients: "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose?" He believes these questions are illusions because most people answer with a label, job title, or role they play
00:14:36 - Relationship with Something Beyond Ourselves,
Chris discusses chapter three of his book, which explores the idea of a relationship with something beyond ourselves. He shares examples of how exploring this relationship has helped some of his clients shift their lives and overcome trauma from their past.
00:21:08 - Privately Held Family Business,
Chris explains that his primary niche is privately held family businesses, which make up about 75% of his work. He contrasts these businesses with Corporate America, where decisions are often driven by the bottom line and quarterly objectives, and explains that family businesses often prioritize values like caring for employees and making a positive impact on the world.
00:23:50 - Differences in Business Structures,
Chris explores the differences between privately held family businesses, publicly held companies, and private equity firms. He notes that publicly held companies and private equity firms often prioritize the bottom line and stock performance, while family businesses often prioritize values like caring for employees and making a positive impact on the world.
00:25:59 - Impact of Work,
Tim and Chris discuss their experiences working in Corporate America and how it can be more difficult to have a meaningful impact on clients and the world. They both emphasize that they prioritize making a positive impact with their work, and that this is often easier to do when working with privately held family businesses.
00:27:23 - Prioritizing Values,
Chris shares an example of how he prioritized his employees during the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing paying them while he took no pay.
00:28:53 - The Complications of Family Dynamics in Business,
Chris discusses the complexity of family and business relationships and how dysfunction in one can impact the other. He highlights the importance of addressing conflicts and challenging beliefs and narratives that may no longer serve the family business.
00:31:10 - The Importance of Loyalty in Family Businesses,
Chris and Tim discuss the idea of loyalty in family businesses. Chris emphasizes the need to question what one is loyal to and the importance of creating new narratives and beliefs that serve the family business's long-term goals.
00:33:59 - Creating Space for Mindful Practices,
Chris emphasizes the importance of creating space in one's schedule to engage in mindful practices such as meditation, breathwork, and exercise. He suggests starting with small increments of time and gradually building up to create a new habit.
00:38:50 - The Catalysts for Personal Growth,
Chris shares his personal journey towards personal development and growth. He opens up about his difficult upbringing and how his pursuit of personal development helped him overcome his self-doubts and transform his life.
00:40:42 - The Power of Coaching for Personal Growth,
Chris discusses the importance of hiring coaches to help in personal development. He emphasizes the value of having someone to guide and challenge one's beliefs and help them overcome their limitations.
00:42:46 - Finding Your Purpose,
Chris Yonker emphasizes the importance of finding one's purpose and journey in life. He believes that having self-awareness and identifying one's core values are essential for personal transformation. Working with a coach or mentor can help individuals identify and address their blind spots and develop self-awareness.
00:44:05 - Redefining Success,
Yonker and Winders discuss how success can be defined differently for different individuals. They mention the importance of being able to live the lifestyle one wants, such as spending time with loved ones or traveling. Yonker believes that being intentional and investing in oneself can help overcome the pain associated with spending money or time.
00:48:28 - The Value of Coaching,
Yonker believes that working with a coach or mentor is essential for personal growth and transformation. Coaches can help individuals develop self-awareness, address their blind spots, and navigate their path in life. However, it is important to work with an experienced and conscious coach who can avoid projecting their own worldview onto their clients.
00:51:18 - Time and Perception,
Yonker discusses how time is a human construct, used for measurement and planning. He believes that emotions are contextualized by time and that being present in the moment is important for finding meaning and connection. Yonker recommends being intentional and investing time in being present with loved ones and pursuing one's passions.
00:53:48 - How to Connect with Chris Yonker,
ChrisYonker.com
00:55:49 - The Value of Thought-Provoking Content,
The host wraps up the episode by highlighting the importance of thought-provoking content that challenges individuals to think critically and expand their perspectives. He encourages listeners to follow and subscribe to Chris Yonker's podcast for more insightful conversations.
00:56:00 - Weekly Episodes and Final Thoughts,
The host reminds listeners that new episodes are released every Monday and encourages them to follow the podcast. Tim ends the episode by urging listeners to continue being true to themselves and fulfilling their potential.
Key Lessons: * Understanding the beliefs and narratives of a family business is crucial to working effectively with them. * Having a mentor or coach can help individuals identify their blind spots and drive transformation. * Success is relative and it's important to have perspective and understand that there is a bigger picture. * The pandemic has forced people to slow down and reflect on their priorities and make changes in their personal and business lives. * Creating space and intentionally blocking out time for things like self-care and family time is important for achievers who tend to over-schedule. * Incorporating spirituality and exploring a relationship with something beyond oneself can help individuals find fulfillment and purpose in life.
Resources & Action Steps: * Visit Chris' website to learn more about his coaching services. * Check out The Secret Thoughts of CEO's podcast. * Purchase Chris Yonker's book, Soul Intention: An Executive's Guide to Living a Life by Choice, Not by Chance. * Consider working with Chris Yonker to gain insights into how you can create lasting, positive change in your life. * Sit with the questions Who am I? and Why am I here? to gain a deeper understanding of your core values and purpose. * Explore the hierarchy of fulfillment, with spirituality as the foundation, to identify areas in your life where you can find greater fulfillment. * Make intentional choices about how you spend your time and prioritize the things that bring you meaning and connection. * Be open to revising your perspective on life's big questions as you gain new insights and experiences.
Thank you for listening to Seek Go Create! Our podcast is dedicated to empowering Christian leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking to redefine success in their personal and professional lives. Through in-depth interviews, personal anecdotes, and expert advice, we offer valuable insights and actionable strategies for achieving your goals and living a life of purpose and fulfillment.
If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, we encourage you to subscribe to Seek Go Create on your favorite podcast platform, including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode and can stay up-to-date on the latest insights and strategies for success.
Additionally, please share this episode or what you’ve learned today with your friends, family, and colleagues on your favorite social media platform. By sharing our podcast, you can help us reach more people who are looking to align their faith with their work and lead with purpose.
If you love our podcast and find it valuable, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform. Your review can help us reach more people and inspire them to redefine success in their own lives.
For more updates and episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you achieve your goals and create a life of purpose and fulfillment.
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Thank you for listening to Seek Go Create!
David Karofsky is a principal consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, specializing in advising family businesses around the challenges and opportunities inherent to the family business.
Prior to working with The Family Business Consulting Group, David worked in his own family business consulting practice with his father for eight years. The father-son team are the authors of So You’re in the Family Business: A Guide to Sustainability. In addition, David was vice president of marketing for a software start-up where he helped launch the company and raise over $10 million in funding. David also served at EMC Corporation for eight years, holding various corporate roles, including managing operations for worldwide marketing.
The recipient of multiple achievement awards, David has been a guest speaker internationally and is a mentor to current and former MBA students at Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Business and serves on the Marketing Career Track Advisory Board. He is a founding member and former chair of the Boston chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization’s Young Adult Forum, member of the Family Firm Institute, where he holds certificates in Family Wealth and Advanced Family Business Advising with Fellow status, member of the Board of Directors of the Rogers Foam Corporation, and a former member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Men’s Associates at Hebrew Senior Life.
What You’ll Learn
- Why communication is vital as a foundation.
- What governance looks like in a family business.
-
How to handle increasing complexity in ownership transitions.
- How to create a roadmap for successful transitions.
- The benefits of building a board.
Timestamps
-
[04:02] A bit about David.
- [06:16] Advising family businesses as a family business.
- [07:12] Communication is key.
- [11:12] Governance in family business.
- [15:09] Ownership transitions.
-
[17:53] Fair and equal.
-
[22:07] Creating the transition roadmap.
- [27:51] Building a board.
- [36:54] Overcoming the fear of the board.
- [39:37] ROI of the board.
Memorable Quotes
-
“Conflict is inevitable.” – David Karofsky [06:53]
- “Assumption is the mother of all evil.” – David Karofsky [10:30]
- “In family, fair sometimes is equal.” – David Karofsky [18:33]
-
“You’ve got to be able to listen to other people.” – David Karofsky [36:22]
Social Media
David Karofsky.
Websites
The Family Business Consulting Group.
Richard Wolkowitz is Founder of Xylogenesis | Family Office Advisory and serves as a family advisor with 25+ years of first-hand, inner working experience of multiple family offices (of all types). Rich’s background is in law, business, independent board of director service, management, operations, financial services, and professional service firm leadership with a focus on serving multigenerational families and their full business and life continuum of needs.
Rich began his legal career in The White House, and then joined an AM 100 law firm where he was an Equity Partner, Chair of the firm’s Hiring Committee, and practiced international and domestic M&A and business transactions, serving as outside general counsel and consigliere to public, PE/VC-backed, and family enterprises.
Rich then joined his own family’s third-generation enterprise before managing two different single-family offices as non-family leader. Prior to founding Xylogenesis | Family Office Advisory, Rich managed a global family business consulting firm. He now consults for family offices, whether existing or in concept, supporting the family and their family office staff, and team of multidisciplinary trusted advisors. Rich graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M, International Transactions and Comparative Law with distinction), Gonzaga University School of Law (JD, cum laude and Editor of The Law Review), and University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana (BS, Agriculture Economics with honors) and resides in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri.
What You’ll Learn
● When to establish a “family office.”
● What the boundaries should be in family businesses.
● Xylogenesis as a metaphor for a family business.
● What the most progressive family offices are doing today.
Timestamps
· [04:51] Rich’s background.
· [08:56] Establishing a family office.
· [11:35] Family-employee boundaries.
· [13:49] Legal exposures of family offices.
· [18:35] Leveraging resources to grow.
· [24:25] The process of Xylogenesis.
· [31:01] Important questions to ask family members.
· [34:32] When to look for a family office.
· [41:44] What the most progressive family offices are thinking today?
· [46:12] When to reach out to Xylogenesis.
Memorable Quotes
· “Continuity for the sake of continuity isn’t the right reason.” – Richard Wolkowitz [07:52]
· “If you’re mixing business and personal, that can jeopardize your licensure.” – Richard Wolkowitz [16:11]
· “Life is short. Life may not continue like with thought.” – Richard Wolkowitz [45:11]
Social Media
Richard Wolkowitz.
Xylogenesis | Family Office Advisory.
Websites
xylogenesis.com.
West Herford, President and CEO of On Ideas began his advertising career with DDB Paris, and later spent time in leadership roles at Grey, DDB London and Arnold. He introduced Budweiser and Westin Hotels & Resorts across Europe and led global branding for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey including its launch into China. His brand experience also includes working with globally recognized brands including ExxonMobil, E&J Gallo, IBM, Nickelodeon, Johnson & Johnson and Piggly Wiggly.
He is a JAX Chamber Trustee, a volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and a board member for Hubbard House, Northeast Florida’s domestic violence shelter who serve 5,000 domestic violence victims annually.
West received his Bachelor of Arts from UNC-Chapel Hill, and his Master of Business Administration from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He self-describes as “true blue.”
What You’ll Learn
● How to have difficult conversations.
● How to communicate more effectively in business.
● How to take advantage of AI tools.
● How important is an organization’s culture to its success?
Timestamps
· [04:25] A bit about West.
· [10:54] Companies that are doing a good job.
· [14:34] On Ideas’ process.
· [22:27] Effective communication.
· [23:50] Breaking the preoccupation barrier.
· [27:44] Using AI tools.
· [31:34] West’s journey to finding balance.
· [37:07] On Ideas’ culture.
· [39:56] Approaching issues with compassion and empathy.
· [42:39] Making necessary changes.
Memorable Quotes
· “Storytelling’s never going to go out of style.” – West Herford [30:05]
· “What happens in their lives outside of work matters in the organization.” – Chris Yonker [38:17]
· “It’s show business, not show people.” – West Herford [39:39]
Social Media
West Herford.
Websites
onideas.com.
Jonathan Goldhill is a masterful business coach and personal strategist specializing in guiding next-generation leaders of family businesses to scale up their business as they take control over the leadership and ownership of the family business. Jonathan left New York for California at age 20 after hisfamily’s large, privately-held men’s apparel manufacturing company- started by his great-grandfather—sold to a conglomerate in its third generation of family ownership. Within ten years, Jonathan had established himself as the go-to expert for entrepreneurs looking to find their version of freedom. Today, Jonathan brings thirty years of experience to his clients advising, coaching, consulting, training, and guiding entrepreneurial and family businesses.
On this episode of "Secret Thoughts of CEOs and Business Leaders", host Chris Yonker and guest Jonathan Goldhill discuss the strategies and processes that can be employed by family businesses to facilitate growth and scaling. They explore ways to adopt growth-directed psychology, identify and challenge limiting stories and behaviors, and break through the status quo to disrupt the transition of leadership from one generation to the next. Goldhill emphasizes the value of becoming involved and helping clients drive the necessary changes and growth, acting as a coach to support and facilitate success.
What you'll learn
The listener will learn about driving change and growth in a family business, negotiating differences, adapting to change, implementing systems and structures, and the importance of personal development and mentorship. The episode also discusses the limitations of certain business management systems and the dangers of scam consulting companies. The podcast encourages leaving a five-star review and provides a website for more information on expanding consciousness and capacity for fulfillment.
Timestamps
[00:06:01] Family business growth strategies.
[00:11:55] Paradigm of "Grow or Die".
[00:13:07] Legacy Employees and Disruptive Leaders.
[00:20:32] Growth for growth's sake.
[00:24:12] Building a business operating system.
[00:28:06] Systems-dependent businesses.
[00:39:26] Building a team of specialists.
[00:47:07] Scams in consulting industry.
[00:50:37] Expand your consciousness.
Links
www.TheGoldhillGroup.com
www.DisruptiveSuccessor.com
https://www.disruptivesuccessorshow.com
In this episode, Chris talks to Eric Goodwin, who believes in attracting the best possible talent to his family business. He attributes his success to his focus on core values, putting people over profit, and being an amazing father. Eric's company was recently ranked #1 by Glassdoor, a testament to the importance of attracting great people to build a sustainable and vital business.
Timestamps
- [00:00:00] Laws of Attraction in Business.
- [00:07:36] Entrepreneur's motivation and ambitions.
- [00:08:41] Work-life balance in entrepreneurship.
- [00:12:32] Father-son relationship dynamics.
- [00:16:17] Achievement-based action.
- [00:21:28] Hospitality industry recruiting market.
- [00:25:15] Company culture and success.
- [00:29:03] Attracting and retaining top talent.
- [00:32:21] Company culture and growth.
- [00:35:49] Core values and team focus.
- [00:40:44] Leadership skills and development.
- [00:43:55] CEO's Secret Thoughts.
Memorable Quotes
- · “And I did that really with the sole motivation of being a great dad. I want it was it was crucial to me that I wanted to walk my daughter into school as long as she would let me until that was not cool.” – Eric Goodwin
- "The first core value in all of my companies is integrity and everything we do, right? You know, that's the first one. And then, the team, we start every single meeting, we all, we say what our core values are. They're written everywhere."
- · “So I always say, you know, try to identify the givers and the takers you know, and I think you want, you want givers"
Social Media
Eric Goodwin on LinkedIn
The Friendly Toast
Websites
Goodwin Recruiting
Thanks to 14+ years as a mental health therapist and time in 50+ countries, Brie knows how to design seamless itineraries for her clients from start to finish.
Brie believes in matchmaking her clients to destinations, properties, and cultures that meet each client's needs and spends more time abroad than at home to keep up with the latest trends.
While Brie specializes in many spots like Africa, Italy, France, island destinations, and more, she ultimately specializes in using her background in psychology to blend shock and awe with relaxation throughout her client's trips.
What You’ll Learn
● How does Instagram hype affect locations?
● How to distinguish between social media and reality.
● How to survive a long flight.
● What are the kinds of places to put on your bucket list?
● Why travel is so beneficial to our health.
Timestamps
· [05:05] Brie’s story.
· [09:16] The mental health value of travel.
· [11:53] Instagram vs Reality.
· [14:45] Consider these vacation spots.
· [20:35] An African itinerary.
· [23:37] Surviving long flights.
· [30:25] A trip to unwind.
· [32:29] Safety in Mexico.
· [34:57] Wellness travel.
· [39:27] High-value locations.
· [43:07] South America.
· [43:45] Cuba.
· [45:00] Traveling on cruises.
· [46:48] The Top 3 Places.
Memorable Quotes
· “Life is nothing more than a batch of memories, so create good ones.” – Chris Yonker [07:51]
· “We’re all so alike.” – Brie Shelly [10:40]
· “You’re not aways going to know what you’re doing, but you’ve just got to trust the process.” – Brie Shelly [11:36]
· “Value doesn’t feel like value used to.” – Brie Shelly [40:02]
Social Media
@brieshelly.
Websites
www.brieshelly.com.
Shane Carter is the CEO of Hampshire Capital. He has been an active real estate investor for over 25 years. He has acquired, renovated, and managed more than $305M in multi-family and commercial assets, and built over $110M in real estate through his construction and development firm.
Shane holds a BSc in Forestry and Wildlife Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
What You’ll Learn
● What drives employee performance?
● How to start driving personal change.
● The importance of vision and knowing the ‘why’.
● How to mindfully navigate parenthood.
● Why it’s important to revise mindset.
Timestamps
· [04:31] A bit about Shane.
· [10:30] Personal vs business.
· [12:09] Calibrating our self-awareness.
· [13:48] Validating our core values.
· [18:04] Rewriting the rules.
· [20:54] Shane’s ‘why’.
· [23:46] When you’re not convinced it’s possible.
· [29:17] Mindfully navigating parenthood.
· [32:33] Setting up consequences.
· [37:31] Separating goals from ego.
· [40:52] How Shane’s evolution of self has impacted business.
· [42:24] The epitome of leadership.
· [43:32] Revising your mindset.
· [46:15] Shane’s advice.
Memorable Quotes
· “Don’t just set rudimentary goals. Set really big goals. Set life goals. Set long-term vision goals.” – Shane Carter [05:52]
· “Without a good, strong ‘why’, you will always be able to sabotage your intentions.” – Shane Carter [20:44]
· “Get in tune with your relationships now.” – Shane Carter [47:04]
Social Media
Shane Carter.
@shanecarternh.
Websites
hampshirecap.com.
The Continuity of Your Family Business With Doug Gray Doug Gray, Ph.D., PCC, is a consultant with the Family Business Consulting Group, www.theFBCG.com,co-founder of www.AssessNextGen.com,and founder of www.Action- Learning.com, who wishes he still lived in New Hampshire near Chris Yonker.
Since 1997, Doug has helped over 10,000 high-potential leaders, managers, and their teams achieve their next level of success using the AD-FIT™ process.
Doug holds a BSc in Education from the University of Minnesota, an MALS in Psychology from Dartmouth College, and a PhD in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
He is the author of Objectives + Key Results (OKR) Leadership.
What You’ll Learn ● What is organizational readiness?
● How to work on shaping preferable behaviors.
● The difference between succession and continuity.
● How family businesses respond to change.
Timestamps · [05:04] Family businesses in numbers.
· [07:38] Succession challenges.
· [14:55] The Assess Next Gen tool.
· [21:24] Perspectives and feedback.
· [25:34] Family or non-family succession.
· [28:10] Resistance to the results.
· [30:05] Organizational readiness.
· [33:42] The highest and lowest scoring key behaviors.
· [37:28] Handling change.
· [40:59] Shaping preferable behaviors.
· [43:36] Who takes the survey?
Memorable Quotes
· “Continuity is a longer conversation.” – Doug Gray [09:39]
· “We need to create a system to reward customers who provide referrals.” – Doug Gray [35:07]
· “We can’t fix stupid.” – Doug Gray [40:59]
Social Media Doug Gray.
Websites
www.theFBCG.com.
www.AssessNextGen.com. www.Action-Learning.com.
Nancy Phillips is founder and principal of Nancy Phillips Associates, Inc. With over 30 years’ experience appraising and marketing auto dealerships, Nancy is uniquely qualified to confidentially advise dealership principals on identifying their present and future goals and the best options for achieving them.
Nancy’s career includes a wealth of integrated automotive industry experience, including roles as General Manager for a large New York dealership and owner/operator of a New Hampshire dealership.
Nancy obtained business valuation credentials from the University of New Hampshire, studied Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, and earned a Marketing Certificate from the University of British Columbia in Canada.
What You’ll Learn
● When is the right time to exit?
● How to plan for succession in business.
● How the automotive industry has changed over the past decades.
● How the EV market affects smaller franchises.
Timestamps
· [04:15] A bit about Nancy.
· [09:05] Changes in the industry.
· [13:05] Maintenance in a dealership.
· [15:08] EV infrastructure.
· [16:51] Planning for the future.
· [23:54] Working around family conflict.
· [27:05] Succession timing.
· [33:00] Nancy’s advice.
Memorable Quotes
· “If you’re in the car business, you should start your plan when you buy your dealership” – Nancy Phillips [26:50]
· “Don’t look at your dealership as this pot of gold at the end.” – Nancy Phillips [29:12]
Social Media
Nancy Phillips.
Websites
www.nancyphillips.com.
Jane Eigner Mintz, MA, LPC, is the CEO and Chief Clinical Strategist of her international consultancy firm, Realife Intervention Solutions, LLC, offering strategic direction for addiction, mental health, and life concerns. A veteran treatment provider and thought leader in the addiction and behavioral health industries, Jane authored The Field Model of Intervention, the first-ever clinical model of intervention now in use by practitioners and organizations across the United States and the United Kingdom. Best known for her work as a concierge strategist guiding clinically complex individuals and their families through crisis, she is also a noted industry consultant, educator, and speaker who has garnered international recognition.
Jane is a Licensed Professional Counselor with multiple dimension training credentials in high acuity clinical clients. She is a Laurel School graduate (Cleveland, OH) and holds degrees from Washington University (St. Louis, MO.) and John Carroll University (Cleveland, OH).
What You’ll Learn
● What holds us back from reaching out?
● How to deal with the sense of shame.
● Defining and handling narcissism.
● The importance of asking for help.
Timestamps
· [04:45] Why Jane got into this space.
· [10:05] How to know what you’re looking at.
· [14:51] What holds us back from reaching out?
· [22:36] The sense of shame.
· [32:12] Defining narcissism.
· [38:05] When is Cannabis over the line?
· [43:03] The importance of asking for help.
Memorable Quotes
· “If your gut is off, something’s off.” – Jane Mintz [10:11]
· “Shame is the most gripping force that anybody can combat.” – Jane Mintz [23:49]
· “If you think you can outrun addiction, you’re sorely mistaken.” – Jane Mintz [44:10]
· “Secrets live in the dark.” – Jane Mintz [48:28]
Resources:
Chris@chrisyonker.com
Social Media
LinkedIn.
Websites
www.janemintz.com.
Email: jane@janemintz.com.
Jennifer Strom, MBA, MA, is a consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group (FBCG), specializing in helping multi-generational enterprising families navigate complex family dynamics. An accomplished entrepreneur with a retail, design, and wholesale background, she merges her business strategy experience with her formal training and private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist.
She understands and comfortably navigates the impact of wealth and business ownership on personal relationships, as well as the challenges, and most importantly, the potential opportunities that can accrue to a family existing in this space. She is passionate about supporting and guiding individuals and families with their struggles and concerns in navigating stressors and transitions. She is especially adept at facilitating open communication, particularly in the face of conflict and chaos, and working with clients to set and meet goals with a strategic mindset and attention to their values.
Jennifer believes that family relationships, history, culture, and values should drive any work that creates structure in complex family systems. She engages in all work with clients through the lens of relationships as a priority, working to support individuals and families feel more successful both personally and professionally.
Jennifer holds a BA in History and Romance Language from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fairfield University, and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
What You’ll Learn
● How family dynamics can complicate business.
● Why it’s important to learn about engaged ownership.
● Thinking about succession as “why” rather than “when”.
● When it’s time to start working with an advisor.
● How to rewrite the story to maintain family harmony.
● The importance of maintaining healthy conflict through communication.
Timestamps
· [03:51] Why is family business more complicated than just business?
· [07:07] How narratives can be woven into the family business experience.
· [13:00] Shifting truth to achieve unique outcomes.
· [18:11] Identity and succession planning.
· [22:08] When to start thinking about succession.
· [30:48] The right time to work with Jennifer.
· [35:16] The “we’ll wait it out” narrative.
· [39:36] When a family member refuses to work with an advisor.
· [43:30] Maintaining family harmony.
· [44:33] Healthy conflict and communication.
Memorable Quotes
· “We each create our own truth.” – Jennifer Strom [13:23]
· “Engaged ownership is a really important dynamic that can happen at any time.” – Jennifer Strom [25:24]
· “Having these conversations proactively is way safer than waiting til they blow up.” – Jennifer Strom [26:55]
· “You can choose what you take, and you can choose what you bring forward.” – Jennifer Strom [34:57]
· “If we do our jobs well, we work ourselves out of our role.” – Jennifer Strom [38:25]
· “If you believe that change isn’t possible, change may never be possible.” – Chris Yonker [42:26]
· “It’s what’s unsaid that creates the biggest problems.” – Chris Yonker [45:31]
· “If we all cant accept responsibility, then we become victims of circumstance.” – Chris Yonker [49:38]
Resources:
Chris@chrisyonker.com
Social Media
LinkedIn.
Websites
FBCG.
Email: strom@thefbcg.com
Dr. Jaffe, a San Francisco-based advisor to families about family business, governance, wealth, and philanthropy, is Senior Research Fellow at BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors. He is author of Borrowed from Your Grandchildren: The Evolution of 100-Year Family Enterprises; Finding Her Voice and Leaving a Legacy; Cross Cultures: How Global Families Negotiate Change Across Generations; Stewardship in your Family Enterprise: Developing Responsible Family Leadership Across Generations and Working with the Ones You Love. His global insights have led to teaching or consulting engagements in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.
What You’ll Learn:
- How clarity on your personal values and your business values builds trust with the people around you, both in and outside of your organization
- The benefit of having values defined over just policies and procedures
- How to create dialogue on how your values are applied in your organization
- The necessity of evolution in values in a family business
- How to integrate the voices and ideas of younger generations with the formal power of the older generation of leaders
- A story of how disconnect between generations in leadership style can be managed in a healthy way
- How to identify when it’s time to pass the torch
- Why Dennis believes that leading the family business should be a mid-life position
- The opportunity for a “bonus-career” after passing the torch
- Separating past conflict from making future decisions
- Creating a code of conduct for your family
- How to recognize when it’s time to diversify the family business
- A look at whether or not spirituality belongs in business
Resources:
Borrowed from Your Grandchildren: The Evolution of 100-Year Family Enterprises
Donald Thompson is CEO and co-founder of The Diversity Movement and the author of Underestimated: A CEO's Unlikely Path to Success. He is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author, podcaster, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), and executive coach. He serves as a board member for Easterseals UCP, Vidant Medical Center, Raleigh Chamber, TowneBank Raleigh, and several other organizations in the fields of technology, marketing, sports, and entertainment.
What You’ll Learn
- A breakdown of the definition of true diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
- How to build diversity, equity and inclusion from the inside out
- Looking at DEI from a business growth lens
- How DEI relates to leadership development and practical business outcomes
- What we miss when not allowing all members of our teams to add value through their voices
- How to tie DEI to ROI
- Why diversity is not strictly a race conversation
- How putting off the DEI conversation in your organization is harming you already
- How to create an environment where you can “practice without penalty”
- Creating psychological safety to ask DEI questions
- Asking better questions to keep accountability clear
- How and why to begin understanding the priorities of different generations
Social Media
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldthompsonjr/
https://twitter.com/DonThompson_Jr
https://www.facebook.com/DonaldThompsonJrOfficial/
Websites
https://donaldthompson.com/
https://thediversitymovement.com/underestimated/
ROCKiT Architects founding Principal Brian DiPietro brings over seventeen years of multifamily experience to any project he’s involved in from his tenure at WTW Architects where he was an associate for seven years and principal for two years. He was an integral part of many of their residential multifamily projects and student housing numbering over 15,000 designed and built, with 30,000 master planned. He began leading the design and management of a $54M student housing project within months of graduating and never stopped leading.
Brian brings a unique talent to his projects; he was once called “the best darn natural floor planner I’ve ever seen” by the most tenured professor at Kent State. Combine this with his natural acumen for construction, he worked as a carpenter in high school and college, and you have an architect who knows how to design and detail a building very efficiently. It doesn’t hurt that he also graduated as a top designer in his class.
What You’ll Learn:
- The key to finding a career that sticks
- Listening to signals from your body about stress
- Why it pays to integrate your personal and business life
- How social media has impacted job satisfaction
- Creating a family atmosphere in your company the right way
- Steps to take when navigating career change
- The two key ingredients in success
- How to make decisions that protect your values
- Parenting kids to follow what brings them joy
Resources:
https://www.rockitarchitects.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-dipietro-aia-7661a298/
Vikas Shah MBE is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He is also a published author. His 2021 book Thought Economics released features his interviews with the people shaping our century. Including conversations with Nobel prize winners, business leaders, politicians, artists and Olympians, he has been in the privileged position of questioning the minds that matter on the big issues that concern us all.
He is CEO of Swiscot Group alongside being a venture-investor in a number of businesses internationally. He is a Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and a Non-Executive Director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Vikas was awarded an MBE for Services to Business and the Economy in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honors List and in 2021 became a Deputy Lieutenant of the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy. He is an Honorary Professor of Business at The Alliance Business School, University of Manchester and Visiting Professors at the MIT Sloan Lisbon MBA.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why defining who we are by what we do negatively impacts our happiness
- Learning the art of conversation that builds more meaningful connections
- The biggest myths about what makes an entrepreneur
- How Vikas successfully transitioned the family business from his father to himself
- The impact of staying in your strengths and hiring out for the rest
- Using your work to structure your creative passions
- Changing your life through allowing yourself different vantage points
- Insights into writing, distilling, and publishing a book
- The power in art to answer unanswerable questions
- Going beyond presence with the willingness to be open
- How our problematic idea of productivity was built on the industrial era
Resources:
https://vikas.work
https://thoughteconomics.com
Twitter: @mrvikas
Instagram: @thisismrshah
Book: Man’s Search for Meaning
What You’ll Learn:
- What does it really mean to eat “healthy” and how to maintain our relationship with food
- Why a “balanced diet” looks different for everyone and should be built individually
- Strategies to make changes in our health that actually stick
- The power of tracking your water intake and what type of water is most impactful to health
- Is organic food really important?
- How much of our food has become depleted in nutrients and why that matters
- How to sort through the sea of greenwashing in labels
- The right way to do fasting
- How to navigate genetic predispositions
- The science of sleep and how to improve it
Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/youholistic/
https://www.facebook.com/YouHolistic
https://youholistic.com/
Irina Serebryakova is a Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner. Trained as an engineer in Europe, she also hosted a health education program on national TV in the Ukraine and became a Fitness Champion. Through this journey, Irina discovered her passion for sharing wellness education with others. When she immigrated to the US in 1998, Irina decided to transform her passion into her career and obtained her Nurse Practitioner degree. Irina integrates traditional western medicine with a variety of holistic modalities at her practice "You Holistic" in Exeter, NH. She uses nutrition and herbs for digestive problems and weight management. Irina also utilizes natural hormones for endocrine & hormone balancing, joint health, anti-aging and disease prevention. At Irina's practice she offers unique services such as regenerative treatments with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Prolozone, and Exosomes for joint, soft tissue, back, and neck pain. Irina believes that the human body has an incredible ability to heal and to regenerate. Her goal when treating patients is to guide and give them tools and to empower them in restoring balance & preventing disease.
To use business as a force for good, Derek Lundsten leads LifeGuides, as a transformative platform for conscious leaders and values-driven cultures. In addition to successfully building companies over the past decade, Derek has been a frequent speaker at key industry events around the globe on innovation. He is an invited contributor for the trades and a sought-after guest for renowned national podcasts, focused on business, technology, entrepreneurship, multi-generational learning, wellbeing, along with innovation and DEI topics. Derek’s path to becoming President & Chief Culture Officer of LifeGuides was guided and inspired by its powerful destiny to help people minimize their struggles and ultimately thrive in their everyday lives.
What You’ll Learn:
- The impact individual wellbeing of employees has on organizations
- How to find the right guidance in designing what you want your life to look like
- Why we create artificial separation between the different roles in our lives
- How it’s popularity has put empathy at risk
- Tools for leaders to take empathy to the next level through actionable compassion
- The important reset we are currently seeing in Corporate America
- How we have lost sight of our human responsibility to care for others
- How leaders can balance empathy and accountability
- Why we need to focus more on collective responsibility
Resources
www.lifeguides.com
www.rebelswithaheart.com
What You’ll Learn:
- Why and how our brain operates against is for a large portion of our lives
- What happens to your brain when it’s in survival state and what to do about it
- The three phases if going from autopilot into executive state
- How to identity when you are in reactive behavior
- Some examples of fight, flight and freeze responses that are often missed
- A really simple trick to help you emotionally regulate and get out of survival state
- The science behind breathwork
- Why our emotions usually have nothing to do with the experience we are currently having
- The two key factors that are needed to get outside your own stories
Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekchoi/
https://www.instagram.com/eugenekchoi/
www.destinyhacks.co
www.neurohackingschool.com
www.neurohackingpodcast.com
Dr. Eugene K. Choi Pharm. D is a Certified Transformational Mindset coach and Board-certified Clinical Pharmacist that helps talented heart-driven leaders operate at their highest levels of clarity, energy and focus. Utilizing his expertise in clinical pharmacy, neuroscience, and business coaching, his unique science-backed process along with the use of groundbreaking technology helps entrepreneurs figure out how to dramatically improve performance, innovate dynamic solutions, and achieve their goals. His articles have reached over 9 million people and he has helped hundreds of leaders significantly transform their results at both a professional and personal level.
What You’ll Learn:
- How our childhood experiences become the undercurrent of our relationship with wealth
- How to talk to your kids about money in a way that eliminates fear
- How to find passion and motivation in children in a family business
- Why Kjartin recommends low-income, high-impact jobs for children of wealth
- Holding a family conversation about individual and shared purpose
- How to build support from the family system
- How to help children who appear to be unmotivated or disinterested
- The importance of unconditional positive regard
- How shame compounds stagnation
- Keeping generations connected when Next Gen is exploring new possibilities
- Looking at the family office as an extension of the family system
- Making sure the family office represents the family and not just specific individuals
Resources:
https://www.graddha.com
https://graddha.medium.com/
https://twitter.com/graddha
https://www.facebook.com/Graddha
https://www.linkedin.com/company/graddha-inc
Bios:
KJARTAN JANSEN, MA, CFA
Co-founder and CFO, Graddha
Kjartan brings to Graddha a combination of financial acumen, facilitation training and relevant
personal experience. With over two decades in finance, he is committed to normalizing it for
clients so they can better navigate the complex landscape of wealth. This involves helping
clients define their values, and then creating deep alignment with their financial lives and
Relationships.
Kjartan’s work is informed by multiple roles in several industries. He began his career in
technology consulting. He subsequently held roles in investment banking (equity research),
venture capital (clean technology), and as a start-up CFO.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Bergen in Norway, which
included a year studying in Germany as a Ruhrgas scholar. He also holds a Masters degree in
Applied Economics from the University of Michigan. Additionally, he is a CFA®️ charterholder.
In addition to serving on the board of the family office Springcreek Advisors since 2008, he is an
active member of the Purposeful Planning Institute, the Family Firm Institute and The Heritage
Institute. He serves on the board of the Ree and Jun Kaneko Foundation, and recently
deepened his knowledge of trust administration (Cannon Financials Trust Fundamentals) and
family enterprise (Family Firm Institutes Certificate in Family Business Advising).
Kjartan speaks five languages. When not working with clients, he can be found pursuing
adventure on his skis, bike, or surfboard. He likes to travel with his family to his native Norway
and anywhere else he can manage to explore and experience the world with them. Kjartan
served in the Norwegian Army and is a serious meditator.
MARLIS JANSEN, MA, LMFT
Co-Founder and CEO, Graddha
Marlis is a licensed psychotherapist and certified coach who is trained in wealth
psychology. In addition, she is a sixth-generation member of a family of stewardship. This
combination of professional training with lived experience gives her a unique
perspective on the nuances and complexities of owning financial wealth.
Prior to founding Graddha, Marlis worked in healthcare information technology. As a
product developer, she designed call-center based services to assist patients in making
health care decisions. Marlis also served as Director of Business Development and
Director of Product Development in a couple of healthcare startups. Later, her
experience as a mom inspired her to contemplate how we ascribe value to people and work.
Marlis holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Harvard University, a Masters
degree in Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a Graduate
Certificate in Financial Psychology and Behavioral Finance from Creighton University
Heider College of Business. She received her certification in integral coaching from New
Ventures West.
She is an active member of the Purposeful Planning Institute, Family Firm Institute, The
Heritage Institute and the Financial Therapy Association. She serves on the board of the
Stone Age Institute and, since 2009, has served as Vice President of The Springcreek
Foundation, her family’s private philanthropic foundation.
Marlis is proficient in French, Spanish and Norwegian. She loves to enjoy home cooked
family dinners, hike Mt. Tam with her family and dogs, travel in unfamiliar countries and
cultures, and compel family members to join her in a game of extreme Pictionary as
often as she possibly can.
Many companies today have studied Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, but few that I have come across have implemented it in a permanent, sustainable way. I am excited to present Matt Wool, CEO of Acceleration Partners as his company is one of the few who have. In 2012, he was the 4th employee of the company who now has well over 300 employees. During his time there, he has been a large driver of their success including numerous placements on the Inc 500 and awards for Best Places to work in Forbes and Glassdoor. This episode is full of how we can improve communication, vulnerability, self-awareness, collaboration, accountability and more within our organization.
What You’ll Learn:
- Creating a culture of accountability
- Encouraging collaboration as a 100% virtual company
- How Matt models vulnerability for his team
- Strategies to becoming more self-aware and how you are being perceived as a leader
- How to foster connection within your team
- Why initiatives don’t stick and what to do about it
- What to look for when searching for a marketing partner
- Why diversification is crucial in your marketing plan
Resources:
www.accelerationpartners.com
https://twitter.com/accelerationpar
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wool-67a3aa5
Bio: Matthew Wool is the CEO of Acceleration Partners. After joining the company as its fourth employee in 2012, Matt served as General Manager and then President of the company before becoming CEO in 2021. During his tenure, Matt has been a driver of Acceleration Partners’ success including the company’s numerous placements on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies, multiple Most Effective Agency nods from the Performance Marketing Awards, and numerous Best Place to Work awards from Forbes and Glassdoor. Matt is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board and is a frequent speaker at performance marketing industry events.
Many companies today have studied Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, but few that I have come across have implemented it in a permanent, sustainable way. I am excited to present Matt Wool, CEO of Acceleration Partners as his company is one of the few who have. In 2012, he was the 4th employee of the company who now has well over 300 employees. During his time there, he has been a large driver of their success including numerous placements on the Inc 500 and awards for Best Places to work in Forbes and Glassdoor. This episode is full of how we can improve communication, vulnerability, self-awareness, collaboration, accountability and more within our organization.
What You’ll Learn:
- Creating a culture of accountability
- Encouraging collaboration as a 100% virtual company
- How Matt models vulnerability for his team
- Strategies to becoming more self-aware and how you are being perceived as a leader
- How to foster connection within your team
- Why initiatives don’t stick and what to do about it
- What to look for when searching for a marketing partner
- Why diversification is crucial in your marketing plan
Resources:
www.accelerationpartners.com
https://twitter.com/accelerationpar
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wool-67a3aa5
Bio: Matthew Wool is the CEO of Acceleration Partners. After joining the company as its fourth employee in 2012, Matt served as General Manager and then President of the company before becoming CEO in 2021. During his tenure, Matt has been a driver of Acceleration Partners’ success including the company’s numerous placements on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies, multiple Most Effective Agency nods from the Performance Marketing Awards, and numerous Best Place to Work awards from Forbes and Glassdoor. Matt is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board and is a frequent speaker at performance marketing industry events.
Many years ago, I was stuck. A friend of mine introduced me to David Neagle and I immediately knew he was different. He understood mindset, psychology and spiritually at a deeper level than anyone I had met. I worked with him for several months and it was an extremely profound experience. With all the uncertainty right now-- at home, the economy, supply chain and unrest overseas-- paying attention to our mindset and level of consciousness is one of the most important things we can do. In this episode, we talk about so many things including how our inner child plays out in our lives, why chaos seems to come with big goals, what to do when values conflicts occur, opening our lense to see more possibilities and more.
What You’ll Learn:
- Unpacking the phenomenon of the terror barrier
- Why our subconscious often tries to sabotage our progress and what we can do about it
- How to discern what we truly can control vs what we can’t
- How the middle and working class lifestyle has influenced what we define as a good person
- Why it’s vital to take responsibility for crisis in your life
- Steps to take to expand your mind and become more self-aware
- Redefining what it means to be a good parent our spouse
- Growing through devastation instead of “dealing” with it
- Recognizing how our inner children are playing out in our current lives
- Separating “hard” work from “diligent” work
- The secret to making quantum leaps
Resources:
Website- https://davidneagle.com/
Podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-neagle-the-successful-mind-podcast/id1364135487
Books- https://www.amazon.com/David-Neagle/e/B00820WPGW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1662137345&sr=1-2
Bio: David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, helping thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and self-employed professionals gain the confidence and find the right mindset to increase their revenue, turning their endeavors into seven- and eight-figure ventures.
Being in the coaching and mentorship industry for more than 20 years, David has worked alongside other well-known mentors like Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, and his clients include many well-known people, including New York Times #1 best-selling author Jen Sincero.
Because of the results his clients have achieved, along with his dedication, David’s coaching has expanded to more than 30 countries, and he has been featured on Forbes, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Inc, HLN, Entrepreneur and Fox. He is also the bestselling author of The Millions Within, a book focusing on intention, focus and awareness to build your dream business and life.
Many years ago, I was stuck. A friend of mine introduced me to David Neagle and I immediately knew he was different. He understood mindset, psychology and spiritually at a deeper level than anyone I had met. I worked with him for several months and it was an extremely profound experience. With all the uncertainty right now-- at home, the economy, supply chain and unrest overseas-- paying attention to our mindset and level of consciousness is one of the most important things we can do. In this episode, we talk about so many things including how our inner child plays out in our lives, why chaos seems to come with big goals, what to do when values conflicts occur, opening our lense to see more possibilities and more.
What You’ll Learn:
- Unpacking the phenomenon of the terror barrier
- Why our subconscious often tries to sabotage our progress and what we can do about it
- How to discern what we truly can control vs what we can’t
- How the middle and working class lifestyle has influenced what we define as a good person
- Why it’s vital to take responsibility for crisis in your life
- Steps to take to expand your mind and become more self-aware
- Redefining what it means to be a good parent our spouse
- Growing through devastation instead of “dealing” with it
- Recognizing how our inner children are playing out in our current lives
- Separating “hard” work from “diligent” work
- The secret to making quantum leaps
Resources:
Website- https://davidneagle.com/
Podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-neagle-the-successful-mind-podcast/id1364135487
Books- https://www.amazon.com/David-Neagle/e/B00820WPGW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1662137345&sr=1-2
Bio: David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, helping thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and self-employed professionals gain the confidence and find the right mindset to increase their revenue, turning their endeavors into seven- and eight-figure ventures.
Being in the coaching and mentorship industry for more than 20 years, David has worked alongside other well-known mentors like Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, and his clients include many well-known people, including New York Times #1 best-selling author Jen Sincero.
Because of the results his clients have achieved, along with his dedication, David’s coaching has expanded to more than 30 countries, and he has been featured on Forbes, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Inc, HLN, Entrepreneur and Fox. He is also the bestselling author of The Millions Within, a book focusing on intention, focus and awareness to build your dream business and life.
In this episode we talk to Rob Rawson, the CEO of Time Doctor-- an 8 figure SaaS business with over 130 full-time team members. Their team is spread out across 31 countries, all working remotely! Rob is also the co-founder of the world’s largest conference about Remote work - Running Remote. Additionally, he co-authored "Running Remote", a book about remote and asynchronous work. In this revolutionary book, Rob and his co-founder Liam Martin, have unearthed the secrets and lessons discovered by remote work pioneering entrepreneurs and founders who’ve harnessed the async mindset to operate their business remotely in the most seamless hassle-free, and cost-effective manner possible.
What You’ll Learn:
- Using your lifestyle goals to design your business
- Identifying a purposeful driver to build your business and meet your goals
- Why it’s important to understand the values behind your goals
- Why checking off your task list doesn’t always equate to productivity
- The number one benefit of being a full remote company
- Ensuring accountability in a remote team
- Keys to a successful 4-day work week
Resources:
https://runningremotebook.com
https://www.amazon.com/Running-Remote-Successful-Remote-Work-Pioneers/dp/1400232147/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://timedoctor.com
Bio: Rob Rawson is a qualified medical doctor who also has significant business experience. He founded and built Time Doctor in 2011.
Before Time Doctor, Rob moved from Australia to the Philippines to build a successful digital advertising agency with over 20 employees. Initially, all of his team members were working out of the same office, but he decided to get rid of the office, cut costs, and be able to hire and work remotely from any region rather than just one. Having a fully remote team required him to build software to improve efficiency and transparency. He initially built the software for his own internal use, but then decided to sell it as a SaaS service.
Rob is the CEO of Time Doctor which is an 8 figure SaaS business with over 130 full-time team members. Their team is spread out across 31 countries, all working remotely! Rob is also the co-founder of the world’s largest conference about Remote work - Running Remote. Additionally, he has co-authored "Running Remote", a book about remote and asynchronous work that will be released in July 2022. In this revolutionary book, Rob and his co-founder Liam Martin, have unearthed the secrets and lessons discovered by remote work pioneering entrepreneurs and founders who’ve harnessed the async mindset to operate their business remotely in the most seamless hassle-free, and cost-effective manner possible. Rob now lives in Sydney Australia with his wife and two kids.
If you’re listening to this podcast, you probably already see at least some value in podcasting. But have you ever been curious about how your business can leverage podcasting? I have been approached several times by various “done-for-you” podcasting services, but when Doug Sandler of Turnkey Podcasting reached out to me, I thought he had more than the average to offer.
We talk not only about how organizations can monetize their own podcast authentically and organically, but also about Doug’s journey, some lessons he’s learned, how he defines success, how he built his business, and a personal story of he he missed out on a decade of his life because if his past views of chasing success. There is a lot of wisdom and practical value in this episode. Firstly, the perspective of a fellow business owner on how raising your consciousness allows you to make better decisions in your life. Secondly, the benefit of and how to best leverage podcasting for your business.
What You’ll Learn-
- The mindset that made Doug miss out on a whole decade of his life
- The switch that happened that made Doug redefine his ideas of success
- How to challenge our wiring to continuously want more
- The important distinction in philosophy of podcasting vs broadcasting
- Defining your niche for your podcast
- How to repurpose podcast content strategically
- Turning podcast guests in clients through authentic relationships
- How many people sabotage monetizing their podcasts
- Overcoming the main reasons people believe they can’t start a podcast
Links-
https://www.niceguysonbusiness.com/
www.turnkeypodcast.com/money
Doug’s Book- Nice Guys Finish First
Bio- Doug has interviewed hundreds of business leaders. As co-host of The Nice Guys on Business Podcast and an interviewer, Doug has interviewed digital marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk, media superstar Arianna Huffington, ABC’s Dan Harris, Celebrity Apprentice Jeffrey Hayzlett, NY Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Jeffrey Gitomer, and dozens of celebs and business leaders. As an author, Doug’s book, Nice Guys Finish First, is an Amazon best seller. Doug is a nationally recognized speaker and shares his Nice Guy’s relationship building message with businesses across the country. As Turnkey’s concept development expert, Doug works directly with clients on podcast planning and development.
Health, fitness, family, business… If the combination of these values is important to you and you want to find a way to own, balance and maintain all of these things, today’s guest has a lot to offer. Art Traposis, author of “The Every Day Athlete: How to Balance Work, Family and Fitness for Life” always knew that he needed to keep these things in balance for himself. He is a brilliant entrepreneur who learned from the best of the best in health, business, and balance and mastered integrating it for himself as well as creating a community of people who shared the same core values. We talk about his story of becoming an entrepreneur, what he has learned about balancing these core values and living a life in integrity with what is most important to him, and bringing these values into his company.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why our physical well-being is a crucial foundation to our life vision
- What happens when fitness is put on the back burner
- Why more isn’t always better when it comes to fitness
- Strategies to create structure to balance family and fitness
- Tips for communicating with significant others who don’t share your wellness value
- How to manage your time, energy, and attention
- How to bring health and wellness values into your organization
- Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in your organization
Resources:
- www.arttrapotsis.com
- www.ikeepittight.com
- www.consteril.com
- The Everyday Athlete: How to Balance Work, Family, and Fitness for Life https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Athlete-Balance-Family-Fitness/dp/B09XT6LP17/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Bio: Art Trapotsis is the CEO of Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, founder of Keep It Tight Athletics, and author of The Everyday Athlete: How to Balance Work, Family, and Fitness for Life. Since 1994, he has engaged in endurance sports while striving to balance work, family, and fitness. Art has represented the United States at the ITU Age-Group World Championships as a member of Team USA’s Sprint Triathlon team and is a certified USA Cycling coach. He has an MS from Tufts University and an MBA from Babson College.
One universal law across religions and beliefs all over the world is to treat others like you would like to be treated. Our brains are literally wired in a way that actually benefits ourselves when we do things for other people. Aiding others in their journeys is a part of the human condition and many of us could be more intentional about how we do that. This is so important that I felt inspired to have an expert on this topic on the show. Bob DePasquale and his partner run a virtual family office, in which one of their most important services is working with families and the next gen on where they contribute, why, and how it aligns with their core values and their purpose. In this episode we talk about important parts of the process of figuring out where and how you can make the most impact as a business leader, employee, or solopreneur, even with a limited budget.
What You’ll Learn
- Starting points in discovery causes where you can make the most impact
- A new, empowering definition of purpose
- Finding purpose after transitioning out of a business
- Why how you apply your purpose makes a difference
- How to set up any business to be in service to your community
- How our biology and oxytocin relates to giving
- How to successfully pass resources and funds to the next gen and avoid many common issues
- Recognizing how the next gen’s view of giving and making an impact differs from generations past
- How community service impacts the culture of your organization
- What is a “generosity team” and how to put it into practice
Resources-
https://initiateimpact.com/
https://www.bobdepasquale.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/initiate-impact/about/?viewAsMember=true
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobdepasquale/
Bio: Bob Depasquale is an advocate of stewardship. He has always believed in taking care of the things that he has been blessed with. It is his mission to help others in doing the same.
Bob’s perspective derives from a battle with cancer at age 18. After growing up an only child it wasn’t until he was legally an adult that he felt alone. Having his life threatened at such a young age led to a unique view of the gift that is vitality.
Bob now serves as the Founder of Initiate Impact Virtual Family offices - a wealth management firm dedicated to radical generosity. He also hosts the Speaking of Impact and Modern Legacies podcasts.
Whether you want to grow your business or simply have more control of your business, this episode is for you. I met my guest, Brendan McGurgan, when he reached out to me regarding an article I had published on Forbes. He is someone who has really walked the talk. As a CEO, he has scaled a company from a couple dozen employees to seven hundred employees. He retired as CEO and decided to launch a business to help other entrepreneurs scale. Brendan’s model of growing a business starts with psychology and mindset with tools and strategies to build a vision and to build resiliency. You don’t often hear of these methodologies in any other approaches to growing a business, yet they are fundamental in creating real change. If you’d like to grow a business that doesn’t own you, and you seek autonomy, freedom AND growth…listen in.
What You’ll Learn-
- The number one thing that stops entrepreneurs from scaling
- The root of what we often call “lack of ambition”
- What it means to scale with purpose
- How to create certainty in your scaling approach
- Why detaching yourself from your organization is key
- How to inspire your people to strive towards your vision
- Re-evaluating how your psyche is affecting your business
- The science behind where many of our fears come from
- How Brendan leverages Wim Hof’s work personally and professionally
Resources-
- Website: https://simplescaling.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-mcgurgan-11854a13/
- Book available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09T5K4BW9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
- Book: “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek
About Brendan- Brendan is a global business leader who builds profitable, scalable businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that if you have a wonderful product or service then you have an obligation to Scale. Over seventeen years, twelve as CEO of CDE Group, he helped the company achieve 25x revenue growth and become an industry leader. During his time as CEO the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit, scaled from 15 to almost 700 employees spanning 6 continents and exported to more than 100 countries.
Driven by his own desire to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with Claire Colvin with whom he co-authored the Amazon Best-Seller, Simple Scaling: 10 Proven Principles to 10x your business.
In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors, UK Young Director of the Year and Overall, Director of the Year. Brendan is also a coach and mentor to scaling CEOs, a regular keynote speaker, the host of the popular ScaleX™ Insider Podcast and graduated in 2021 as a Wim Hof Method Instructor.
My guest on today’s show is Jeremy Ryan Slate. Jeremy is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which studies the highest performers in the world and a former former school teacher whe reevaluated what he wanted to do with his life after the wake up call of a family medical emergency. In this episode we talk through how he made decisions to get where he is today, the changes that he made in order to completely change the direction of his life, how he chooses the people he surrounds himself with and more. Jeremy is the author of the forthcoming book, “Unremarkable to Extraordinary” coming this June. Jeremy and I had a really organic, authentic conversation on some thought provoking ideas. This episode will challenge you to think about how you are spending the one life you get.
What You’ll Learn:
- How a near death experience changed Jeremy’s outlook on life
- The impact your personal relationships has on your overall outlook and experience of life
- How to evaluate the relationships in your life
- A look at social responsibility in the age of social media
- The journey Jeremy went through to change the trajectory of his life
- Where people go wrong with “following their passion”
- Why there needs to be a major shake up in our education system
- Why 95% of podcasts get less than 100 downloads
- How to have the most impactful podcast interviews
Websites:
- https://commandyourbrand.com/
- https://www.jeremyryanslate.com/
Social Media:
- https://twitter.com/JeremyRyanSlate
- https://www.facebook.com/Jeremyryanslate/
- https://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ryan-slate-bb7b284a/
Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Unremarkable-Extra-Ordinary-Passion-Observer/dp/1953153682
Bio: Jeremy Slate is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which studies the highest performers in the world. He studied literature at Oxford University, Specializes in using podcasting and new media to create celebrity and was ranked #1 in iTunes New and #78 in the iTunes top 100. He was named the #1 Podcast to Listen to by INC Magazine in 2019, as well as being named a Top Influencer by Forbes. After his success in podcasting, Jeremy Slate and his wife, Brielle Slate, founded Command Your Brand to help entrepreneurs get their message out by appearing as guests on podcasts.
Conflict is part of life. It is unavoidable and often uncomfortable. It is also necessary. Conflict always creates an opportunity for reflection and growth. I’ll preface my introduction by saying that while this episode is incredibly valuable for anyone and everyone, pay special attention if you are part of a family business. Dr. Stacy Feiner is a psychologist and business consultant who brings over 30 years of combined experience in psychology, human nature and family dynamics to her work. The insight she brings into this episode is both extremely powerful and easily attainable and digestible. We talk about how to improve self, family and business through conflict and take a look at the predispositions all humans have that affect the way we handle stress and conflict. If you are someone who is ready to dive deep and really uplevel your life, this may be an episode you want to come back to again and again.
What You Will Learn:
- Why conflict and tension are necessary for growth
- How to recognize your own narrow thinking in high stress situations
- The art of de-escalation
- The difference between being self-protective and being defensive and why that’s important
- Strategies to build empathy
- What to do in family relationships when resolution is not always possible
- What it means to neutralize conflict and when that is necessary
- The qualities to look for in a great advisor for growth
- How emotional maturity affects your overall quality of life
- The predispositions we are all born with and how they affect us long-term
- Dynamics within organizations and how to understand them to create collaborative success
- How and why conflict happens in family business and what to do about it
Dr. Stacy Feiner is a nationally recognized innovative psychologist known for leveling-up the output of business owners and the complex systems they lead. Dr. Feiner tackles emotionally-charged situations and solves them quickly with a process that brings business owners back into alignment with their ecosystem; a welcome change from conventional approaches that can devastate families and drain wealth. Dr. Feiner expertly uses science and experience to ensure leaders achieve excellence in all aspects of life. Orienting clients toward growth, Stacy designed CLIMB|24, a vibrant interdisciplinary coaching process that shows owners how to integrate and lead multiple interdependent systems toward their desired future. Dr. Feiner offers this new approach for optimizing the performance all over the country. She authored, Talent Mindset: The business owner's guide to building bench strength, and her second book is on the way.
Resources:
www.stacyfeiner.com
linkedin.com/in/stacyfeiner
https://youtu.be/FU_5lp5by-w
My guest today is Ron Murphy, CEO of Murphy’s Fresh Markets, a family owned grocery chain. Over time big corporate companies have acquired many of our grocery stores. Owning and operating a small independent chain is something that happens less and less, and also an industry greatly affected by current inflation. When I first came across Ron on Linkedin, I realized he had a lot to offer in terms of perspective on running a 2nd generation family business and is someone who is a truly compassionate business leader. Murphy’s has also done a wonderful job in how they have sewn their values into how they run their organization, build community, give to nonprofits and serve everyone they meet. If you are trying to find ways to instill core values into your business, think outside the box, or bring other family members into your business this is a great episode for you.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to build community into your organization
- Ron’s personal journey into the family business
- Where small businesses miss on using analytics to support your business
- How to measure decision making as a small business
- Strategies to pull yourself out of the business to work ON the business
- Determining the best allocation of your time and what to delegate
- Utilizing individual skill sets of family members in a business
- Bringing your personal and spiritual values into your business in a healthy way
- Leading with authenticity and responsibility
Resources:
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmurph1234/
Bio: Forward thinking, certified data-driven food business professional, combining all educational and life experiences while working to create a positive environment for knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. Excel in the areas of process efficiency, data analysis, and using national sales trend data combined with organizational data to enhance business decision making.
Previously a results–oriented financial analyst with more than 12 years of increasingly responsible experience for a large multinational corporation. Diversified, progressive experience in the analysis of financial / economic data supporting enterprise decision making including financial planning, forecasting, and modeling; budgeting and pricing.
We all know that adaptability is one of the core needs of businesses today, and with adaptability comes innovation and creativity. But we want to innovate in a way that is still based on the foundation of our business. My guests today are Adria and Aaron Bagshaw of W. H. Bagshaw, a family business since 1870. There is a lot of great insight in this conversation into why it's important to clarify your core values, how to use them to navigate with purpose, and how to keep a business in the family in a way that encourages creativity and innovation. We also talk about the vertices they have built out in their business and the mindset they hold around opportunity and risk.
What You’ll Learn:
- How Bagshaw navigates serving many different industries
- Weaving your core values into your business as a daily navigator
- Why it’s important to have a Founder mindset even generations later
- How to honor your companies legacy while continuing to move forward
- Creating a culture where individual passions are supported
- The benefit of challenging set parameters
- The responsibility of leadership to support their employees health
- Owning the mindset that nothing is a failure
- How to positively include younger children in the business
- Why you need to get out of of your business to work on your business
Resources:
https://www.whbagshaw.com/
Aaron Bagshaw proudly serves as the 5th generation to run the W.H. Bagshaw Company, which he co-owns with his wife, Adria. While he serves as the President, his business card reads “Chief Visionary Officer”. He oversees Sales, Marketing and Technology. He’s passionate about manufacturing and innovation, which is evident visiting their 150+ year old business that feels more like a start-up.
As Vice President, Adria’s main areas of focus are Workforce and Finance, but her title is “Chief Validation Officer.” While the couple maintains their own realms of responsibility, they work together on Quality and Strategic Planning. They’re proud to provide meaningful jobs to 40+ employees and preserve the family business legacy for a 6th generation.
Aaron received a degree in Sports Management from Springfield College and his MBA in Strategic Management from USIU (now Alliant International University). Adria graduated from UNH's Whittemore School of Business & Economics (now the Peter T. Paul School) with a BS in Business Administration in 1996.
Both Aaron and Adria sit on U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen's Small Business Advisory Council in addition to other boards they serve on including the Precision Machined Products Association, the UNH President’s Business Advisory Council, and the NH Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Board.
Since 1870, the WH Bagshaw Co has provided specialty pins as a job shop manufacturer, and expanded to swiss-style machining in 2005. Covid-19 is not the first pandemic the company has weathered, as it was in operation during the Spanish Flu of 1918. They credit their survival to many things, including having a diverse base of customers they serve. With each major decision and at any crossroads, they rely on their core values: Family, Empowerment, Courage & Perseverance and “Make it Happen”.
Right now Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Insider, Business Week and so many other publications are all talking about retaining key talent and helping employees be fulfilled, happy, and well. We are in a time when many people have done deep soul searching in relation to both their personal lives and career. My guests today are part of a company called FitBiz 360. FitBiz360 is our Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution that digitizes the classic consulting service model enabling you to automate the discovery assignments, analytics, and reporting. They offer expert-prepared assessments ready for immediate use focusing on People Performance specifically in the areas of: Leadership, Employee Engagement & Wellbeing, Change readiness & Change Success, WFH- - working from home and Managing Remote Teams. All of this with the end goal of helping people flourish. What You’ll Learn:
- How to empower employees to advocate for their own well-being
- Why our old approach to engagement is no longer effective
- Creating trust to encourage open discussion
- Efficient and effective ways to give all your employees a voice
- Why creating space is vital to to progress and creativity in your people
- What a well-being survey can tell you that an in-person conversation may not
- The important differences between employee engagement and well-being
- How an engaged employee affects those around them
- How to navigate “return to the office” scenarios
Resources:
Twitter: @yourtransform
Website: www.fitbiz360.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-walters-472536154/
Bio:
Michael Walters CEO and Founder of Transformance Business Solutions Michael has more than 20 years of experience as a management consultant. He has consulted for American Express, Visa International, 3M, Abbott Laboratories, ABN Amro Bank, General Motors, and Mercedes Benz and many others. During his time as a consultant with these international corporations, Michael developed many specific business improvement tools and KPIs.
Diane Duckworth
COO
Diane has more than 20 years in the Automotive Industry having worked with General Motors (GM) in global, regional and market roles spanning marketing, CRM development, digital strategies and customer engagement. Diane has also worked with primary management consulting firms and agencies also in the areas of data and analytics, customer experience, and program management.
Over the years here at The Center for Conscious Living and Fulfillment, we have come across many families dealing with massive change and adversity, alongside mental health issues like depression and addiction. As we all know, addiction affects the family as well as the individual. My guest today, Jonathan Edgeley, has created an amazing resource for these families in Montrose Retreats. He is a recovered addict himself, who through his own recorey, has built a holistic, medical and non-medical progress to support individuals going through what he has faced. In this interview we dive into some of the illusions and stories that families of addicts often tell themselves, and some of the signs of addictions in their loved ones that are missed.
What You’ll Learn:
- Jonathan’s early life and how his addiction began
- The type of thinking that keeps you locked in unhealthy loops
- Why addiction tends to lead to isolation
- The first steps family members can take when they suspect loved one’s need support
- Early addiction signs and patterns to look for
- Using curiosity and compassion instead of shame
- Where the recovery industry sometimes misses the mark
- Why a holistic approach is vital to recovery
Resources:
@montrose_retreats
@montrose_advisory
Web
www.montroseadvisory.co.uk
www.montroseretreats.com
Email: je@montroseadvisory.co.uk
+44 7832 964126
BIO: Jonathan Edgeley, is a global behavioral health expert, speaker, and navigator, who compassionately guides individuals, and families through times of change. Jonathan and his multi disciplinary team of doctors, clinicians, coaches, and therapeutic teachers provide a hyper personal, and discreet health and wellness service to celebrities, executives, sports professionals and medium to ultra high net worth individuals and families.
Jonathan is on a mission to further reduce the stigma and negative connotation that mental health and addiction conjure up. By softening the language used ‘my team and I are moving away from traditional terms to a more compassionate and inclusive dialect’.
Through crafting, soul nourishing experiences, individual guests immerse themselves in hyper personalized programmes ‘we change one life at a time, on a cellular and spiritual level’. Through his own journey of battling addiction, Jonathan has made his passion his purpose helping transform the lives of many people to live a life without limitation.
Acceleration, Fulfillment, and Fearless Leadership with Transformational CEO Brendan Keegan
My guest on the show today is Brendan Keegan, CEO of the fastest growing fleet tech management company in North America-- Merchants Fleet. Previous to Merchants, Brendan had been CEO of companies ranging in size from 500 - 10,000 employees. He is a leader that is not only inspiring,, but can truly see a path to growth and acceleration that many others cannot. Brendan took Merchants Fleet from a threshold of $500Million AUM to over $2Billion in less than 5 years.In this show we talk about mindset in the culture of the business that Brendan addressed in order for employees to realize that the threshold was just a glass ceiling they could overcome. We also talk about the time he made a decision to focus on his family, recreate himself, and bring back a culture and environment that truly cares about employees and wants them to take care of themselves holistically. This is an episode you’ll want to keep coming back to.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why Brendan chose to take a few years outside of the CEO suite to focus on family and what came out of it
- Factors to consider in making a conscious decision between running your own business or being a CEO
- How to make decisions and navigate crossroads considering long-term impacts to your quality of life
- What to do when self doubt creeps in
- What happens when you focus on full potential instead of “being the best”
- Brendan’s 1-2-3 strategy
- A common paradigm around time that creates glass ceilings
- Creating a vision for your company that is actually effective
- The themes their company followed that propelled the company from 500 Million AUM to 2 Billion
- Where many companies fail in increasing their retention
- An innovative look at growth opportunities for your employees
- How companies can help their employees recover mentally and emotionally from the pandemic
- A different, more fulfilling way to look at creating work/life balance for your people
Resources:
Instagram – @bpkfearless
Twitter – @bpkFEARLESS
Facebook – @bpkfearless
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanpkeegan/
Website: https://www.merchantsfleet.com/
Bio:
Brendan P. Keegan is the CEO of Merchants Fleet, the fastest-growing fleet technology company in North America, where he previously served the company as a client, board member, compensation committee chair and strategic advisor. He is an award-winning 6-time president and chief executive officer having raised nearly $3.0B in capital and returned over $6.0B to investors. Brendan has experience in business transformation, capital raises, strategy development, revenue growth, operational scale, technology enablement, and enterprise value creation with successful liquidity exits.
With a background in the financial services, technology and professional service industries, Brendan has aided companies ranging from 500 to 10,000 employees. Prior to these roles, he started his career at EDS as a systems engineer and progressed through the ranks rapidly to become the Fortune 100’s youngest Chief Sales Officer for EDS.
Brendan was recently named the world’s Most Innovative CEO by CEO World Awards®; Executive of the Year by Best in Biz Awards; and a Stevie Awards® winner by American Business Awards®.
Brendan serves as a member of the board for Revolution Armor & ExpressIT Logistics and serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee for both companies. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from RPI, MBA from George Washington University, and Executive Certificates from Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, MIT & U Chicago.
Being a CEO is challenging. Being a parent, perhaps even more so. So when we found someone who is balancing those two things together in a powerful way, we knew we wanted to have her on the show. Our guest today, Brianna Goodwin, is the CEO of her family’s construction company, Ver-Tex Construction. Ver-Tex is a shade and acoustic wall and ceiling solution company that serves 13 states. We talk about her path to becoming CEO, how she landed in this industry and some of the difficulties she currently faces being a woman in a male dominated industry. We touch on the challenges of finding balance as a parent and business owner and how we can own our experience at the highest level so that we can have the greatest amount of fulfillment. If you own a business and still want to be present for your family, this is an episode you really want to listen to!
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- [5:09] The journey to Ver-Tex
- [13:38] The importance of self-development
- [23:31] Experiencing motherhood
- [29:58] Balancing the roles of CEO and MOM
- [36:09] Remember to switch your gears
Bio:
Brianna Goodwin is the President and CEO of Ver-Tex Construction, a 37-year-old shade and acoustic wall and ceiling solutions company that is spread across the eastern regions of the US, and continues to grow. She is a thoughtful leader wo believes companies should be financially successful while celebrating its employees. Since becoming a parent, her compassion has grown as she learns to balance a growing family and company. Brianna truly believes that beyond the product and service it’s the employees who make the company special. She maintains core values in the company of dedication, collaboration and community, a team that is supportive and provides recognition, encouragement, and strength. Brianna is also an advocate for diversity and gender equality in the workplace.
Resources:
Professional:
VerTex- https://www.ver-tex.com/
Social media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannagoodwin-ver-tex/
In this show, originally from the Intentional Growth Podcat with Ryan Tansom, Chris and Ryan talk about aligning your principles with your business and life.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why an entrepreneur's brain literally shows (in FMRI scans) that their business is just like a child
- Why creating a business for the wrong reasons will resurface and what it's impacts can be
- What you could be doing to create yourself more chaos and how to stop and avoid it
- How clarity in your ideal outcome (how your business fits into your life) helps you focus on what you need to do
- Why entrepreneurship and it's risks are tied to a deep passion and desire to create the ideal life
- How to begin answering the question - "Who am I without my business?"
- How your business can be used as a process of self discovery
- How to use the momentum of owning a business to fully realize who you are and what you want to do
- How to identify where you want to go and what you want things to look like in the next stage of your life and business
TAKEAWAY:
What if you didn’t have to be that person, that struggled in order to still have success? Being aware of what you want and why before you have that anxiety or feel imprisoned in your business, is the most important part of being able to engineer the exact outcome that you want. Being able to look inward and doing that reflection will get you to that point.
LINKS AND RESOURCES: Arkona
Intentional Growth Podcast
Chris Yonker, website
Chris’ Vision Workbook
Power vs. Force by David Hawkins, Amazon
Conscious Capitalism by Rajendra Sisodia, Amazon
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, Amazon
We all come to crossroads in our lives. Consequential decisions that-- no matter their size-- always have the potential to have long-term impact on our personal life, professional life, and even our family life. Many people try to navigate these crossroads without a true compass, without a true sense of purpose. We would never try to navigate a new city without knowing where we were going or which direction we were heading, yet when it comes to something as important as the precious time we have left in our lives, we can go in circles. In this episode we talk about the strategies and mindset needed to navigate these crossroads in a way that allows you to live the life you truly desire.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How and why your internal compass can go off course and steps to realign it
- What happens when your core values are compromised
- Why the “pull” is more important than the “how”
- Figuring out if your strengths are being used towards fulfillment
- How to operate your compass with integrity
- How to prevent fear, anxiety and overwhelm from preventing you living your life to the fullest
Bio:
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading resource for high achievers. Family has always been a top priority for Chris and he knew early on that he wanted to be the creator of his life. By building a business that worked for him, Chris has been able to create amazing experiences with his family, and has helped others do the same.
With over twenty -five years working at 3M leading teams in sales and driving change , coupled with ten years in the consulting arena specializing in Conscious Leadership. His alchemy helps clients move beyond the illusions that are hindering this self-realization and allows them to take quantum leaps in their transformation.
Chris and his team work with family businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities. As a seventh-degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal Performance, Chris has created a one-of-a-kind methodology that helps clients achieve extraordinary results that become permanent.
Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing, deep peace, better relationships, and higher levels of happiness in their lives.
Resources:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechrisyonker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_yonker/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyonker//
Websites:www.chrisyonker.com
Email: Chris@chrisyonker.com
Many high achievers struggle with the need to feel in control. My guest today–,author, entrepreneur, and speaker Russell Benayora– has dealt with this very issue himself. He has bought and sold several companies and recently published a book that illustrates some of what he learned. Russell delves into how to have a successful professional and business life through aligned living, which is partly why he moved to Costa Rica for a year. We will discuss the challenges entrepreneurs make when building a business and whether this venture allowed freedom or prevented it. If you are looking to sell or leave a business, this episode will help you figure out what questions to think about before making a decision that will affect your future.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• What happens when your ego runs the show
• The harm in sacrificing your principles for your success
• The power in taking responsibility for our own stories
• Most common causes of energy depletion
• Finding your genius zone
• What happens when you focus too much on your destination instead of your journey
• What it means to “write your own script”
• Why “reframing” can create a more empowering story to live from.
Bio:
Russell Benaroya is an author, entrepreneur, and speaker focused on helping people achieve their highest and best use by staying in their genius zones. Russell has spent the last twenty years in investment banking, private equity, and entrepreneurship and today is the co-founder of Stride Services, an outsourced accounting and strategic finance firm that helps business owners use their data for better decision making. Russell speaks on topics designed to help business leaders build more successful businesses through a combination of self-discovery and tactical financial tools. Russell also coaches business owners around the themes of one life to lead. Russell is an avid ultramarathoner and has completed numerous hundred-mile races and self-supported expeditions. His writing has appeared in Forbes, and he is a recipient of the 40 Under 40 recognition from the Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle. He is also the author of Free Yourself to Work on Your Business. Russell is a business school graduate of the Anderson School at UCLA and a longtime member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Melissa, and their two children, Devon and Shane.
Resources:
Professional:
Stride Services -- www.stride.services
Book: www.russellbenaroya.com
Coaching: www.thebenaroyagroup.com
Social media
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/russellbenaroya
Twitter: @rbenaroya
Facebook: facebook.com/authorrussellbenaroya
In today’s episode we will talk with John Abrams, founder of South Mountain Company in Martha’s Vineyard. John talks about the transition of his business to its next leader– Deirdre Bohan– and the challenges they faced in the process. With over 2 million or more baby boomers at the helm of businesses today, there is a much needed demand for resources on transitioning a business so the legacy continues. With the Great Resignation in place and businesses, like construction, are experiencing a shrinking workforce…how can you gain and retain good employees? During this episode, John and Deirdre talk about how they created a model that works. If you are looking for creative and aligned ways to transition a business this episode is for you.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The business model that gives employees more “skin in the game”
- How to keep your core values intact during a transition
- Empowering others through delegation
- Why engagement and transparency with employees is critical for longevity
- The keys to creating loyalty in your team
- What to look for in new hires to create future leaders
- The components needed for an easeful business transition
Bio:
John Abrams COO & Co-Owner
In 1975 John and his family inadvertently landed on the Vineyard. Their arrival marked the end to a wandering back-to-the-land hippie odyssey and the beginning of South Mountain. For nearly a half-century he has devoted himself to creating, nurturing, and growing SMCo and a variety of public initiatives, mostly related to affordable housing. These days, he concentrates on building capacity for the 2022 transition, after which he looks forward to a life of writing, activism, grandparenting, skiing with family, and travel with Kim.
John is a co-founder of Building Energy Bottom Lines, a peer group network of 60+ Northeast U.S. businesses in the architecture and construction industry. His writings include his book COMPANIES WE KEEP: Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place, which was published in 2008.
Deirdre Bohan COO & Co-Owner
Deirdre spent childhood summers in Vineyard Haven. After graduating from Brown University, with a degree in Computer Science, she returned to the island to work a variety of jobs (and briefly bum around the Caribbean) before settling at South Mountain. Since joining our team in 1995, she has inhabited a variety of roles, including but not limited to: bookkeeper, founder of our interiors department, chair of our management committee, COO and designated CEO-in-training.
Like so many of us, she feels enormously grateful to have spent her entire career in a place that allows her to do her best work, contribute in meaningful ways and share days with friends. As designated future CEO, she will focus on paying these gifts forward.
Deirdre lives with her husband, young son and Australian Shepherd puppy in a restored Oak Bluffs bungalow.
Resources:
Website: southmountain.com
Careers: https://www.southmountain.com/who-we-are/careers/
Instagram: southmountaincompany
Houzz: South Mountain Company
Pinterest: South Mountain Company
Blog: https://www.southmountain.com/blog/
My guest on this show is Joe Carabase– Personal Trainer and Performance Coach. I asked Joe to be on this show because he has extensive knowledge on health and wellness and –most importantly– is able to boil it down to the essentials. We cover what we should be doing to optimize health and wellness from the bare minimum to full potential. Joe delves into the core elements for our holistic health both mentally and emotionally as we embark on a new year. So as we enter 2022, with the opportunity to set new intentions, take the time to listen to this episode. Joe will give you some tips that will allow you to make gains even with very little time.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The invisible friction that may be holding you back from reaching your fitness goals
- Simple habits that lead to BIG results
- Little known markets of longevity
- How our posture has been compensated over time and how to fix it
- How to avoid your past affecting your future recovery
- Changing our breath to most benefit our health
- The MOST important thing you can do NOW to improve your health and wellness.
Bio:
Joe Carabase– also known as America's Fitness Coach For Busy People– is a world renowned Transformation Coach and Fitness Entrepreneur. From Men's Health to Beachbody, Joe has worked with some of the biggest brands in Fitness, has authored several books with over 50+ appearances across the Fox, CBS & NBC networks. Joe's built and sold gym concepts in the brick and mortar space and now Coaches and Consults busy people (and companies) to transform their Being inside/out - outside/in. Joe is a Certified Personal Trainer with over 16 years of experience, a Nutrition Specialist with other certifications in Kettlebells, TRX, Sandbags and is a YT200 Certified Yoga Instructor. Joe is also a trained facilitator in Voice Dialog and Shadow Work.
Resources:
Contact info:
transform@joecarabase.com
Instagram @Joe Carabase
Facebook: facebook.com/joecarabase
Youtube: youtube.com/joecarabase
www.joesfreegroup.com
Do you have a clear vision for every department of your life? I mean a clearly articulated, written vision. In this first episode in 2022 it is only fitting that I am joined by my wife Jolie to talk about our experience architecting the life we truly desired. We share some personal stories and experiences that we hope will help you going into 2022 as you look at what you want to create for yourself and your family.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How your frame of reference may affect your ambitions
- Exercises to visualize your ideal future
- Personal stories from Chris and Jolie on the power of clear vision
- The necessity of balancing core values and what that looks like
- Getting in alignment with your partner
- How your pace of life affects your experiences
- Does outcome override passion
- Why does filling up someone’s cup supersede “success”
Bio for Chris Yonker
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading resource for high achievers. Family has always been a top priority for Chris and he knew early on that he wanted to be the creator of his life. By building a business that worked for him, Chris has been able to create amazing experiences with his family, and has helped others do the same.
With over twenty -five years working at 3M leading teams in sales and driving change , coupled with ten years in the consulting arena specializing in Conscious Leadership. His alchemy helps clients move beyond the illusions that are hindering this self-realization and allows them to take quantum leaps in their transformation.
Chris and his team work with family businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities. As a seventh-
degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal
Performance, Chris has created a one-of-a-kind methodology that helps clients achieve extraordinary
results that become permanent.
Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing, deep peace, better
relationships, and higher levels of happiness in their lives.
Bio for Jolie Yonker
Jolie Yonker is the Founder/Director of East Coast Yoga Club. She is known for her adaptability to the variety of practitioners who attend her classes, the inclusive nature of her teaching, and her authenticity. As a lineage-based teacher, Jolie has deep reverence for traditional yoga and presents it in a way that is adaptable for the modern day yogi. Known for her light-hearted approach to teaching, Jolie creates a welcoming environment for all who attend her classes. She thrives on finding ways to integrate challenging postures and sequences in a safe and accessible way, providing multi-level options in every class.
Jolie began practicing yoga in the1990s before finding her first yoga hOMe with Mimi Loureiro at O2 Yoga in 2000. A dedicated practitioner, she eventually became a certified yoga teacher in the Ashtanga lineage, completing her training with David Swenson and Shelley Washington. Jolie continues to expand her knowledge base by attending a variety of classes, workshops and trainings on a regular basis. Not only does this enrich her personal practice, but also informs her teaching. Jolie continues to find this practice to be a humbling, challenging and dynamic gift and loves to share it with her class participants
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chris Yonker
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chris_yonker
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chris yonker
Websites:www.chrisyonker.com (Hierarchy of Fulfillment can be found under “Blog” tab
Email: Chris@chrisyonker.com
Jolie’s Yoga Website: eastcoastyogaclub.com
My guest on this show is Ryan Barton, CEO of Mainstay Technologies, an Inc 5000 fastest growing company and one of the “Best Places to Work” for 4 years running. Ryan has built a strong culture of truly engaged employees, where they have had virtually zero turnover in the last few years, despite “the great resignation” we are currently facing. It takes massively purposeful leadership to create this type of allegiance. Ryan and I talk about a lot of impactful topics in this episode including tying your spirituality into your business, developing leaders and creating a culture that proves to employees how much they are truly cared for. If you are someone who wants to own, start or lead a business in a way that is so much more than just making a profit… listen to this podcast. Ryan shares actionable ways to impact lives in a significant way so you can build a team of people that are highly engaged, happy and fulfilled.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The core value of Ryan’s business that created the foundation for a compassionate culture
- How to build a company that creates true value for employees
- How to scale mindfully to protect your employees and your customers
- Creating careers that double as vehicles for personal growth
- Aligning your spirituality with your business
- Ryan’s top resources for personal development and making a positive impact
- What happens to life when you prioritize alignment to what is right and beautiful
- The key ingredients for leaders in creating trust in their people
- The impact of showing up as your whole self in your career.
- Building emotional competence to further your growth
- Using engagement to improve performance
Bio:
Ryan Barton is the founder and CEO of Mainstay Technologies, a NH based technology services firm. Mainstay believes technology and business can be powerful forces for good. The company measures its success by its impact on people: Its clients, team, and community. It has received multiple awards, including Best Companies to Work For, Business of the Year, Inc 5000, Business Excellence, and the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. Ryan is a husband, father of three, and an insatiable reader. He loves to write and share about the relationship between our work and meaning.
Resources:
LinkedIn: ryanbarton.com
Email: rbarton@mstech.com
Website: www.mstech.com
We are all mortal… whether this is something we think about often or not, life is short for each and every one of us. The ultimate question is in how we relate to that truth and use it to shape our lives. In this episode, Feisal Alibhai, tells his story of receiving a death sentence at a time when he was on the top of his game. Being diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer at age 35 created a major shift in how he proceeded with the rest of his life. This episode shares perspectives on very difficult life experiences that are not for the faint of heart, but also shows us how we can reframe our trauma to make changes that allow more peace, joy and fulfillment in the time that we do have.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The impact of living a life of alignment between your head and your heart
- How our thoughts and beliefs shape our health and wellness
- Reframing our trauma as a path to the best days of our life
- A common paradigm in family and relationships that leads to disconnection
- How to be more mentally and emotionally present in your relationships
- How to identify and make the changes that are most important to our happiness
- Strategies for when you feel a lack of control
- Creating space for true presence
- Discerning where to direct your physical and emotional energy
- Aligning your passion and purpose to your truth
- Coming to terms with your past mistakes and raising your level of consciousness
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Bio:
As a 35 year old entrepreneur with over 10,000 employees in 15 countries, Feisal received a wake-up call one day with the news that he had stage three cancer. He thought his life was going to be over, but when he was unable to imagine saying goodbye to his two young sons, he decided to do whatever it took to overcome the cancer.
To maximize his odds of survival he turned to functional medicine, from kinesiologists to integrative doctors, building a team of experts around him. Seven years later, with his cancer in remission and thinking he had escaped the worst, he received what felt like the harshest blow of all, when his wife proceeded with a divorce.
Looking back, he realized all the warning signs he had missed, and spent the next seven years helping his own family and friends to prioritize what matters most. In 2013 Feisal founded Qineticare, the world’s first family health office, to empower individuals and families through an integrative wellbeing journey of self discovery to transform their way of being to live a meaningful life. Feisal is also the author of ‘Four Steps to Flow: Living a Meaningful Life Head and Heart United’.
Resources:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampdenFB
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campdenfb/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7416429
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user19843245
You tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5QlSOEHQu_veuUd8g9MRsg/videos
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/embracing-change-with-feisal-alibhai/id1566273721
For the past 20 years, my guest on this show, Nico Verresen, has committed his life studying as a Muay Thai fighter. During this time Nico learned the art of perseverance in the ring and translated it to the rest of his life. In this episode, Nico and I delve into finding relaxation and clarity even in fear and stress, and how to use that to improve productivity. You’ll gain a greater understanding of how our mind affects our performance. Nico helps people create richer life experiences in both their business and personal lives. His knowledge of stress and how we can leverage it to improve performance and create a more meaningful world in which we live, will leave you thinking or rethinking how you deal with stress.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- A healthy approach to managing fear and stress
- Rethinking stress as a necessary and beneficial component to our well being
- Using trauma as a catalyst to elevate one’s life
- How to recognize what energies are yours to own
- Muay Thai strategies you can bring into your own life
- Creating deeper connections
- Finding and standing in your own resilience
Bio:
After his career as a professional fighter, work as an assistant professor, and published quality of life researcher at the University of Brussels, Nico started working with elite athletes, CEOs and executives to help them turn stress into their competitive advantage infuse their lives with more enjoyment and build meaningful and passionate relationships through executive coaching and hypnosis. In short, he helps ambitious go-getters to enjoy their impressive lives while building it.
Resources:
Website: https://www.performwithpleasure.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-verresen/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nico_verresen/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nico.verresen
How do you define success? How much of what you believe is dictating your choices every day? In my conversation with my guest, Amber Lilyestrom, we talk about managing our two greatest resources- time and energy- in a conscious way. Amber is a transformational branding strategist and business coach, author and speaker whose work has been featured by Forbes, Entrepreneur and Working Mother Magazine. This episode is full to the brim with deep, rich and contemplative discussions on how to live life differently in order to create true fulfillment. If you have been subconsciously creating your own prison, this episode with Amber may just be the thing that unleashes you.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to break through old patterns and experiences to create new, fulfilling ones
- The importance of how you define time, money and energy
- Uncovering conditions you have set that are not aligned with your truth
- The miraculous results that come from moments of surrender
- Discerning between truth and limiting beliefs
- How to evolve beyond past experiences to change your future
- The secret to gratitude and liberation in your life
- Breaking away from the programmed understanding of success
Bio:
Amber is a transformational branding strategist and business coach, author and speaker whose work has been featured by Forbes, Entrepreneur and Working Mother Magazine. Amber helps visionary entrepreneurs and CEOs align their purpose with their profit and position themselves as sought-after experts and thought leaders through her life-changing Brand Love Method™. She is the author of Master Your Money Mind, Paddle Home and Quantum Wealth and lives with her family on a lake in the woods of New Hampshire.
Resources:
Links:
www.amberlilyestrom.com
https://www.instagram.com/amberlilyestrom/
https://www.facebook.com/BrandLoveCoach
If you are a high-achiever, this one's for you! As we head into a new year there is often a drive for more. More money, more success, additional goals… all of which, if approached in the wrong way, leave us feeling empty anyway. We do have the opportunity to move beyond this story. We don’t have to sacrifice what is truly fulfilling for us in order to be “successful.” I would argue that that isn’t success at all. In this episode, we dive into this topic with Wylie McGraw, former star pitcher, competitive bull rider and 3 Tour Combat Veteran. He’s taken these experiences and broken down “high performance” and the beliefs around it. We’ll uncover ways to be vulnerable and attack fears in a way that alleviates stress instead of pushing it to the side.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to unleash inner strength and own perceived limits
- Why we constantly chase “more” but still come up empty handed
- The difference between “high performer” and “high achiever”
- The trap of wealth and notoriety
- How suppression and avoidance may be impeding your growth
- Using fear as a tool
- The truth that is hiding behind your story
- How sacrificing and suffering can be properly addressed to eradicate stress
- What happens when you chase relief instead of resolution
Bio:
Wylie McGraw, Is a former Star Pitcher, Competitive Bull Rider, and 3-Tour Combat Veteran.
It was through those intense experiences that he discovered his crazy
superpower of being able to expose blind spots, erupt & eradicate stress, and
fully unleash the untapped potential of high achievers.
He’s the founder of Radical Performance Acceleration and for well over a decade
now he’s been behind-the-scenes doing life-altering work with powerful CEOs,
Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Public Figures accelerating their performance both
personally and professionally. His work is the proverbial “Navy SEAL training” equivalent to
high-performance and leadership development – pushing even the elite
beyond their limits so they not only hit their peak but sustain it. Wylie’s formal title is Performance Accelerator.
He’s been named a “secret weapon” by some of the most influential leaders
across industries from Wall St., Hollywood, Professional Sports, Fortune 500
companies, Personal Development, and everything in between. His work is about
giving an elite edge to high achieving individuals while ending their cycle of stress,
sacrifice, and suffering that's unfortunately associated when reaching their levels
of accomplishment and success.
When Wylie’s not traveling the country to meet his clients, this family man enjoys
skydiving, mountain top sunsets, and sipping on an occasional 18-year-old single
malt scotch while pondering the philosophies of life, the cosmos, and beyond.
Resources:
Website: https://www.wyliemcgraw.com/get-in-touch/ or timetoerupt.com
Email: wylie@wyliemcgraw.com
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wyliemcgraw/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5eB02vV_S78ryDCra7BnZw
Those who know me closely know that I have “redpill” as my license plate. Outside of the movie The Matrix- a favorite of mine- there is a significance to the Red Pill. Taking the Red Pill is really getting behind the stories we accept that create our realities.
My amazing guest today, Angelique Rewers, is someone who very clearly decided to take the red pill. I met Angelique several years ago and have since watched her grow a massively purposeful and profitable Inc 5000 company. She is a prime example of someone who has taken her strengths and purpose and leveraged them at the highest level. She is the CEO and founder of BoldHaus and has built a global online community of more than 35,000 business owners worldwide. She serves on the Advisory Board for Space for Humanity and is on the committee for the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund. She has spent time with Richard Branson and participates in his non profit. And alongside all of this she is a mom of twins who has built a remarkable life for her family.
In this interview we talk about how developing a higher state of consciousness, and prioritizing fulfillment and purpose can create quantum leaps in your business and your life.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The most important question to ask yourself when seeking transformation
- What “Entrepreneurial Amnesia” is and how it affects your business
- One of the most common causes of paralysis in Entrepreneurs
- What your “level of consciousness” is and why it even matters
- The number one business rule that Angelique shares with all her clients
- Unpacking trauma, vulnerability, and healing as a necessary process in entrepreneurship
- The root problem leading to the Great Resignation and what to do about it
- Creating healthy self-identity as a business owner
- How to prioritize with integrity in times of crisis
- Purposeful pivoting and meeting your clients immediate needs
Bio:Angelique Rewers is the bold, always blunt, and unapologetic CEO and founder of BoldHaus, an Inc. 5000 company. BoldHaus is an advocate for helping both small enterprises and self-employed professionals win corporate clients. She’s been called the “undisputed champion at helping small businesses land big clients,” by Inc. Magazine.
Having successfully navigated all sides of the corporate buying table for more than 20 years — including hiring more than 300+ vendors and service providers and landing her own corporate clients — she has a direct understanding of how decision-makers make decisions, and more importantly, what they look for when hiring outside experts.
Angelique launched her first consulting business in 2006, which received regional, national and international awards for its corporate-facing work. Then in 2010, she launched BoldHaus (formerly known as The Corporate Agent), which she grew in just three short years to be among the top 2% of women-owned businesses in the United States.
Through BoldHaus’ platform, Angelique has built a global online community of more than 35,000 business owners worldwide. Under her leadership, BoldHaus has trained and mentored more than 10,000 small business owners across more than seventy-two countries.
Her groundbreaking global conferences bring entrepreneurs together with major brands such as Coca-Cola, UPS, AT&T, Accenture, Intel, IBM, HP, Marriott, Chevron, Major League Baseball, and many more, helping both sides learn how to work together more effectively.
Angelique has served as a trainer and consultant for USAID, National Geographic, and The Smithsonian organizations, mentoring innovators across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who are developing technologies to save endangered species and secure water for food production. She was also awarded the honor of serving as Uber’s first-ever official mentor and was recognized as an Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine.
Angelique currently serves on the Advisory Board for Space for Humanity, a global nonprofit focused on expanding access to space for all of humanity. She also serves on the committee for the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (‘s).
Angelique was called a “A Fierce Champion for Small Business Owners,” on the cover of Business Digest Magazine, and her expertise has been featured by major media outlets such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., ABC, NBC, CBS, Business Insider, HuffPost, Lucky, Washington Post and has been a frequent panelist on Yahoo! Finance’s show YFi PM. As a sought-after speaker, she has shared stages with superstars like Hollywood’s Steve Harvey, Shark Tank’s Daymond John, bestselling author Seth Godin, and NFL Super Bowl Champion Jamal Lewis.
She earned her degree in International Affairs from George Washington University.
A Baltimore native and die-hard Ravens fan, she currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with her husband, twin boys, and goldendoodle, Raven.
Links: Website: www.Boldhause.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angeliquerewers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GetCorporateClients/
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeliquerewers/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngeliqueRewers
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1g8lB2H_NC8IHB61Ifz5lQ
Will Pemble is the founder of Goal Boss, an innovative executive coaching and leadership consulting firm that specializes in transforming managers into leaders and groups into teams by providing the tools, strategies and techniques to build enduring success with our coaches and clients. He is also the author of the book “Goal Boss: The Art & Science of Getting Stuff Done.” Will has crafted the art of building and running an efficient and productive meeting. In this episode, Will unpacks his highly successful process with exercises that you can take today and use with your team tomorrow.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why curiosity is a key ingredient in both business and personal life
- The ground rules essential to a productive meeting
- The “do’s and don’ts” to conducting a purposeful meeting
- What happens when we “let things simmer” vs immediate reaction
- How colors impact our intake of information
- Why ownership is crucial to task completion and how to hold others accountable
- Strategies to hit a problem head on as a team
Bio:
Internet pioneer Will Pemble built and sold Web.com, one of the largest web hosts on earth. As a Top 100 Domain Name Millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Will has been building and growing businesses of all shapes and sizes for over 25 years. In addition to Web.com, Will built and sold a national technical training company, and one of the first Internet Service Providers in San Francisco. Through his executive and personal consulting and coaching, Will brings his passion for giving back to millions of people in person and online.
Will's success extends well beyond the business world. Known worldwide as “CoasterDad,” Will and his kids have built several backyard roller coasters which have been featured on Good Morning America, Discovery Channel, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, and dozens of television shows worldwide.
Will has been featured in hundreds of online media outlets, including AOL.com, Hackaday.com, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Make Magazine, Edutopia, to name a few.
When people look at Will’s life, they frequently comment on how they wish they could live like him. The methods and tools he’s developed to achieve success and the techniques he continues to use to expand his life are all described, taught, and delivered in the many business, leadership, and peak performance workshops, seminars, and events Will delivers.
Will's dynamic style, his broad experience, and his insane enthusiasm for business, family and life itself bring out the very best in the leaders and teams he coaches. As a facilitator and keynote speaker, Will's feedback scores consistently rank in the 94th percentile, setting him apart from industry colleagues and peers alike.
Will coaches his clients on employee recruiting, onboarding, and retention, as well as peak performance, personal improvement, breakthrough leadership, team dynamics, scaling up, web strategy, branding, marketing, and business operations.
An avid learner, Will has earned certifications as a Stockbroker, Flight Instructor, Certified Product Manager, Technical Trainer, Commercial Pilot, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Cisco Certified Network Associate, Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, and forklift operator, to name a few. He lives in Connecticut and California, where his hobbies include hiking, cycling, rowing, backyard roller coaster engineering, and recreational vehicle manufacturing.
Links https://www.goalboss.com
https://www.goalboss.ai
https://www.hackmyvan.com
https://instagram.com/willpemble
https://youtube.com/willpemble
https://instagram.com/willpemble
https://facebook.com/willpemble
https://twitter.com/willpemble
Author, speaker, and Founder, Chris Yonker dives into spirituality in this episode. This episode unpacks three areas you can develop and leverage to deepen a spiritual practice to aide you in the journey of developing your personal life and your business.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What is your paradigm on mortality and spirituality
- The choices on what you think and belief in your faith and choices in religion
- A practice that will support you in stress and in critical decision making
- What does it look like to “get out of your head”
- Why is nurishment important to your spiritual practice
- Why our external reality limits our souls and may impede our belief system
- AND MORE!
Bio:
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading resource for high achievers. Family has always been a top priority for Chris and he knew early on that he wanted to be the creator of his life. By building a business that worked for him, Chris has been able to create amazing experiences with his family, and has helped others do the same.
With over twenty -five years working at 3M leading teams in sales and driving change , coupled with ten years in the consulting arena specializing in Conscious Leadership. His alchemy helps clients move beyond the illusions that are hindering this self-realization and allows them to take quantum leaps in their transformation.
Chris and his team at the Center for Conscious Living and Fulfillment, work with family businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities.
As a seventh-degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal
Performance, Chris has created a one-of-a-kind methodology that helps clients achieve extraordinary
results that become permanent.
Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing, deep peace, better
relationships, and higher levels of happiness in their lives.
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chris Yonker
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chris_yonker
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chris yonker
Websites: www.chrisyonker.com
Email: Chris@chrisyonker.com
Gathered Together All in ONE Place. Sharing 80+ Years of Collective Experience Helping Business Owners Like You Holistically Navigate Their Transitions.
Whether you are looking 10 years out from your exit or in the throws of it today, devising a plan that works best for you will determine whether your exit is smooth or a catastrophe.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Vision Creation: Walk away knowing the exact questions you need to ask yourself to get clear on what you want your transition to look like
- Business Strategy: Discover exactly where to look to identify what priorities and actions you need to put into place TODAY
- Financial Strategy: What mistakes many family's make that can be easily avoided
- Legal Strategy: Consider the three critical aspects you need to be thinking about in the next three years if you plan to transition
Bios:
Jeff Photiades is a Wealth Management Advisor with the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, which offers high quality investment and wealth management programs and services for high net worth clients. The company’s mission is to develop enduring relationships with clients by providing expert guidance for a lifetime of financial security.
Fred J. Forman, a magna cum laude law school graduate (top 3 percent), is a founding shareholder and director of Forman Law Group, P.A. Fred, long considered one of New England’s top estate planning, elder law and business attorneys, has been featured in magazines and in lawyer surveys as a “Top Estate Planning, Business & Elder Law Attorney” and a “Top Lawyer”.
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading mentor for high achievers. As a seventh-degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal Performance, Chris has created a signature methodology that assists clients in achieving extraordinary results in their lives and careers.
Websites:
www.chrisyonker.com
https://www.ourlegalwebsite.com/
https://pwm.nm.com/
Chris Yonker, a world leading expert in Vision creation takes a hard look at employee engagement and how leaders can foster the health of their company. Chris will dive into 8 key strategies that give employees a voice about their future and how they can positively impact their job, while staying motivated and aligned with their values.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to keep engaged employees
- What are the keys and strategies to creating a strong team
- Where do core values fall into play as it relates to employees
- How your employees personal and professional vision can impact the business
- Determining organizational health
- How to capitalize on employee strengths
- Why is feedback important to employees
Bio:
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading resource for high achievers. Family has always been a top priority for Chris and he knew early on that he wanted to be the creator of his life. By building a business that worked for him, Chris has been able to create amazing experiences with his family, and has helped others do the same.
With over twenty -five years working at 3M leading teams in sales and driving change , coupled with ten years in the consulting arena specializing in Conscious Leadership. His alchemy helps clients move beyond the illusions that are hindering this self-realization and allows them to take quantum leaps in their transformation.
Chris and his team work with family businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities. As a seventh-
degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal
Performance, Chris has created a one-of-a-kind methodology that helps clients achieve extraordinary
results that become permanent.
Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing, deep peace, better
relationships, and higher levels of happiness in their lives.
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chris Yonker
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chris_yonker
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chris yonker
Websites:www.chrisyonker.com
Email: Chris@chrisyonker.com
Erin Holt is a functional nutritionist who has spent the last decade or more working with women to get to the root cause of their health. Erin dives into all the variables of sleep; whether it’s getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking up tired. The vast reasons range from hormones, stress, vitamin deficiencies and so on. Functional testing, as Erin will explain, uncovers the reasons “why” you are feeling, sleeping and working less efficiently. This is a podcast worthy of note taking and will provide some thought provoking questions you will be asking yourself.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Where does functional medicine fit into our lives
- Where does one’s responsibility for their health come into play
- How does sleep or lack thereof affect us physiologically and physically
- What role hormones play in how we wake and fall asleep
- How stress has pushed us to “check out”
- Where you may be giving too much authority to the Medical Community
- Why your “story” tells a lot about your health
- How functional tests will shed light on your “story”
- What specific tests you can order from your Dr today that will give you some good feedback
- What supplements we all should consider taking daily and why
Bio:
Erin Holt is a board-certified integrative and functional nutritionist with a feisty attitude and over a decade of clinical experience.
She blends evidence-based practices, functional lab testing, energy medicine, boundary setting & humor for a unique and customized approach to women’s health.
She dives deep with women to get to the root cause of their health issues and finally get answers to their mystery symptoms.
In addition to running multiple online nutrition & functional medicine programs, Erin is the founder of the Funk’tional Nutrition Academy, a 14 month practitioner training and mentorship helping nutrition pros level up with functional medicine methodologies.
You can find Erin rabble-rousing on her weekly show, The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast.
Resources:
Website: https://www.erinholthealth.com/
Podcast: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.funktional.nutritionist/
Chris Yonker, a world leading expert in Vision creation takes some time to delve into what this past year or more has done to how we think about work and our lives. What paradigms have we created that are holding us back and telling us stories that aren’t real? Chris’s experience with companies of all sizes has given countless clients the opportunity to reach a clarity they had never imagined. Take the time to listen and more importantly to think about the questions Chris poses. The questions are thought provoking, worthy of exploration and can only lead to greater awareness of where you are and where you want to be
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why stepping back from our lives and taking another view may be telling
- How our investment in time and energy is not renewable
- What does it meant to build a life by design
- How a shift in your world can may make you look and live your life better
- How do you align your life with your values and establish boundaries
- Two questions to ask yourself that most people never do
- What is the story you have to justify your decisions
- What is purpose tied to and how do you find yours
- How your core values have an impact on your life
- What does it look like to assess your “day” and make adjustments
Bio:
Chris Yonker is a father, husband, martial artist, and world-leading resource for high achievers. Family has always been a top priority for Chris and he knew early on that he wanted to be the creator of his life. By building a business that worked for him, Chris has been able to create amazing experiences with his family, and has helped others do the same.
With over twenty -five years working at 3M leading teams in sales and driving change , coupled with ten years in the consulting arena specializing in Conscious Leadership. His alchemy helps clients move beyond the illusions that are hindering this self-realization and allows them to take quantum leaps in their transformation.
Chris and his team work with family businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities. As a seventh-
degree black belt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and thought-leader on Personal
Performance, Chris has created a one-of-a-kind methodology that helps clients achieve extraordinary
results that become permanent.
Many of Chris’s clients say the process of working with him leads to profound healing, deep peace, better
relationships, and higher levels of happiness in their lives.
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chris Yonker
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chris_yonker
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chris yonker
Websites:www.chrisyonker.com
Email: Chris@chrisyonker.com
Ben Conniff Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Luke's Lobster started his career almost accidentally by answering a Craig’s List ad. The rest you could say is history. Ben’s experience as a freelance food journalist, having written for Saveur, GQ, Tasting Table and others certainly gave him a strong background to what customers wanted and what it would take to make Luke’s Lobster a name for itself. His ability to be “hands on” in every aspect of the business has been one of the catalysts to their growth. What he has learned and has taught his team is resilience, grit and determination through the highs and lows of running and building a business. Ben works as a leader, as a mentor, as a team player and most importantly as voice of integrity and values as he supports both his and Luke’s dream to make Luke’s Lobster a name that everyone knows.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How a life-long love can become a fulfilling future
- Why hiring a team with consistent values and work ethic has long term benefits
- What does “keeping it simple” have to do with a successful business
- How you can expand your business and maintain integrity
- What it takes to maintain consistency when major change takes place
- How growth does not have to mean compromising standards
- Why risk plays a role in pursuing new ideas
- How a crisis can force a business to pivot and even expand
- Why taking the hard path can lead to growth of a business
- How the food industry must take a look at improvement in order to sustain
- Why taking a hard look at a businesses footprint from all angles is crucial
- What steps can be made to make an environmental statement
Bio:
Ben Conniff is co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Luke’s Lobster, an international seafood company and restaurant group based in Maine that opened its first restaurant location in New York in 2009. His business partner Luke Holden came up with the idea for Luke's Lobster while working as an investment banker in Manhattan. Born and raised as a lobsterman in Maine, Luke missed the simple, delicious lobster rolls of his youth while living in the city and saw an opportunity to bring a classic Maine-style roll with better lobster to New Yorkers at a fair price. Luke put an ad on Craigslist for a partner and found Ben, who joined to get the business started while Luke kept his full-time banking job. Their lobster shacks expanded quickly to other US cities and eventually to Japan and Singapore.
In 2013, Luke's opened its own lobster production facility, buying its lobster directly from lobstermen and lobster co-ops and handling it through every painstaking step from ocean to plate. They now bring seafood to guests in their lobster shacks, in branded grocery products around the country, and directly to consumers through their online market. Luke's is a Certified B Corp and credits its success to prioritizing its core values of Taste, Transparency, and Purpose, and its unwavering commitment to supporting its team and stakeholders.
Ben was also once a full-time and now a part-time writer, having authored the Luke's cookbook, Real Maine Food, and published in Saveur, GQ, Food52, Smithsonian, Tasting Table, and Yankee Magazine.
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Luke’s Lobster
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lukeslobster
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/luke’s lobster
Websites:www.lukeslobster.com
Ivan Anz is an Inc. 500 international serial entrepreneur doing business in more than 10 countries. He is the founder of the holding company Organization i, and creator of the PhilanthroInvestor Phenomenon. Ivan loves creating businesses and projects that generate high-impact improvement in society.
His entrepreneurial spirit emerged at the age of seven when he leased his Go-Kart to his friends and sold candies in the neighborhood. He continued his quest to gain experience in many different industries which all enhanced his business training and capabilities.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The role of Spirituality in Business decisions and the Power it can have
- Why barriers can be an important part of growth
- How fulfillment is linked to purpose
- Can being philanthropic provide fulfillment
- How misfortune for some can be a catalyst for a great cause
- Why acts of kindness can create a domino effect
- How success and power must be simple to achieve their purpose
- What relationships are based on to succeed
- How time is created not measured
- How money can improve humanity through purpose
- How research can uncover philanthropic ventures that can help the planet
Bio:
Ivan Anz is an Inc. 500 International Serial Entrepreneur with businesses in more than 10 countries. Amongst them is PhilanthroInvestors, a licensing and advisory firm he founded in 2019 to combine traditional venture capital financing with philanthropic principles. PI is dedicated to achieving social impact while returning profits for its Philanthroinvestors®. Ivan’s zeal to “Philanthroinvest” drove his 2014 creation of Equity & Help®, a turn-key social-impact real estate investing program resulting in the Inc. 500 for two years: in 2019 at #128 in the nation, rising to #83 in 2020; and in 2020 ranking #3 in Florida, with a 3-year growth of 3,920%.
His entrepreneurship emerged at age 7 when he leased his go-kart to his friends and neighbors while selling them candy. That ironically set the stage for his success in the auto dealership and financing business, where at age 23, he grew his small family business into the #1 car dealership group of his native state in Argentina. The company went on to claim the Toyota Best Business Practices awards for the entire Latin America and Caribbean.
While owning car dealerships was profitable, Mr. Anz was eager to improve the community and saw real estate development as a direct route to do so. To start, he built one of the most prestigious residential neighborhoods in his native Argentinian state. Even then, the Philanthroinvestor® concept lit the way, establishing his intent to empower families to secure the lives they want without excessive financial burden.
Mr. Anz has since moved to the United States and focused his real estate endeavors on making homeownership possible for US families that would otherwise be lifelong renters. He and his team do so while turning exceptional profits for their Real Estate Philanthroinvestors®, the first Philanthroinvestors, licensed firm.
Mr. Anz is intent on doing in other 10 industries in need of improvement what he has proven can be done in real estate: Do good by doing well, using remarkably effective methods. Driven by the need for pivotal action towards saving Earth’s water, Ivan Anz joined OriginClear’s Board of Advisors to attract high net worth attention to the company’s exceptional technology and vision, and to help clear the way to NASDAQ listing. In September 2020, Philanthroinvestors, and OriginClear, Inc. signed a strategic agreement granting a license to the Philanthroinvestor® brand and know-how that landed Mr. Anz’ first Philanthroinvesting® firm, Equity & Help, in the Inc. 500 for 3 years in a row.
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ivananz
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ivananzig
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/Ivan Anz
Websites:www.philanthroinvestors.com
https://equityandhelp.com/founder/
Lisa Morton, Founder and CEO of Roland Dransfield, a leading Manchester and London based full service communications agency. Lisa helps leaders define the values of their business and ensure those values are owned and communicated effectively. She has a method to take those values and find a way to create a meaningful story to grow the business for stronger relations with their customer base.
For 24 years Lisa has forged meaningful relationships that have proved to be impactful both professionally and socially. Her award winning team of strategists, journalists and social media specialists make Roland Dransfield a business to watch and certainly take note of as you listen.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- When cleaning house is necessary in an organization
- What is the “Roland Dransfield Way” and how it impacted their business
- Why boundaries are important regardless of failout or change
- “Thank you” is so much more than a phrase
- How pride in the organization is a collective responsibility
- Why “showing up” means more than a good presentation
- What kind of environment is created by a few “bad seeds”
- Why setting boundaries as a leader is so impactful
- How male and female leaders own the same qualities but lies society tells us and what you can do
- How the pandemic may affect employees ability to cope
- What listening to a “story” can do to align people
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RolandDransfield
Instagram: www.instagram.com/RolandDransfield
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/Lisa Morton
Websites:www.rdpr.co.uk
BIO:
Lisa Morton is the CEO and founder of Roland Dransfield, one of the most established communications agencies in Manchester, England. For the last 24 years, Lisa has worked to forge meaningful, lasting business relationships that create both business growth and social impact alongside her team of award-winning strategists, journalists, creatives, digital, and social media specialists. Now with a London office and a partnership with an LA-based agency, of which the founder is a former Roland Dransfield team member, Lisa is continuing to expand Roland Dransfield and explore new paths for growth.
Lisa’s commitment to purpose-driven work is exemplified by Roland Dransfield’s “We Built This City” podcast, a podcast series which hears from Mancunians, born, bred and adopted, who put the heart into Greater Manchester. The podcast has been nominated for Best Business Podcast by the prestigious British Podcast Awards and celebrates stories of determination, loyalty, and diversity across culture, arts, politics, sport, music and business. Roland Dransfield’s other recent award wins include PR & Marketing Agency of the Year, Marketing Personality of the Year (Downtown in Business), Best PR/Social Agency Campaign (MPA), Small PR Agency of the Year (MPA), PR Agency of the Year (MPA) and Best PR Agency (The Talk of Manchester). They are currently shortlisted for Prolific North Best PR Agency and Best Digital Campaign and Best Social Impact Award 2020 (Downtown in Business), among others.
25 years ago, it became apparent to Lisa that the only way to work somewhere that had suitable goals and values as an enterprise was to start it herself. Almost immediately, her talent for creating relationships became apparent when Manchester suffered a devastating bombing. Lisa got involved heavily in rebuilding the city centre and over the years has played a large part in helping to regenerate neglected parts of the city centre to create the new key “pillar” neighborhoods that make up the city. As a result, Lisa has been at the forefront of the response to crises in her community, and her commitment to social impact amongst the business community has driven her to help others to do the same.
Rebecca Hamilton is the Co-CEO of Badger, an organically based skin care company. Badger is a top “Impact 150 company”that has earned numerous awards for their progressive nature. One of the key take-aways from this episode was their ability to own core values at a very high level and transition them to the business. Rebecca also discusses how they manage decision making as a family so that everyone can be heard and buy in, even though some may disagree. The strategies you will hear are insightful and worth the listen even if you do not have a family business.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The story behind Badger
- How a families values can co-exist with the products it creates
- Why “kindness” plays a role in a companies value system and employee engagement
- A daily strategy to build cohesion
- A very unique decision making process any team could use today
- How fostering feedback from all departments, cultivates an open forum that makes all parties feel heard
- Creative ways they pivoted during the pandemic and kept core values
- Why finding guidance to help navigate family business relationships concurrently is crucial
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Badger Balm
Instagram: www.instagram.com/badgerbalm
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/W.S. Badger
Websites: www.badgerbalm.com
BIO:
Co-CEO (Collaborative Executive Officer)
2nd Generation Family-Owner
W.S. Badger Company
Rebecca Hamilton is a second-generation owner and co-CEO (Collaborative Executive Officer) at Badger, a natural and organic personal care manufacturer known for its unique company philosophy, pioneering family-friendly benefits, and B Corp community engagement. The Company has received numerous awards and recognition, including Real Leaders, New Hampshire’s Business of the Year 2019, B Lab’s Best for the World, and landing a spot on Forbes’ Small Giants list.
In addition to her role as Co-CEO, Rebecca leads marketing and sustainability initiatives. An advocate for issues concerning the environment, ingredient transparency, and societal change, Rebecca has spoken at the White House, addressed the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in support of organic and regenerative agriculture, testified before Congress on safer cosmetics and raising the minimum wage, and attended Senate and House briefings on Capitol Hill in support of family-friendly workplace practices and chemical reform. Rebecca also spearheaded the passing of Benefit Corporation legislation in New Hampshire, a for-profit status that incorporates the pursuit of positive environmental and social impact in addition to profit.
She is currently serving a three-year appointment to the National Women’s Business Council, a nonpartisan federal advisory committee comprised of women business owners, policymakers, bankers, representatives of women’s business organizations, and other stakeholders. The Council is charged with discussing potential solutions to the challenges facing national women business owners and recommending solutions to the administrator of the SBA, Congress, and the President.
Steve Shifman, the President and CEO of Michelman since 2003, is a global developer of specialized sustainable chemistry. Not only is Michelman an environmentally conscious company, but it’s core values are embedded into the organization as well as its people. Steve discusses how to interview a candidate to determine if they align with their core values, which has been the cornerstone of this multi-generational family business. This episode sheds light into the pandemic and the strain and mental fatigue employees continue to endure. Michelman, with Steve at the helm, is a company that takes care of the planet, the people, but still has to drive profit. What is touched upon is how profit may be sacrificed in the short term, with the long term gain being the well-being of the employees and the planet.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How confidence levels evolve in leadership and how that relates to effective leadership
- Why skill set is just one component of leadership
- What place does humility play to staying within the “guardrails”
- What values have to do with the hiring process
- Mistakes interviewers make when speaking with new candidates
- How does employee behavior affect other employees
- Why tying action back to the value of company is critical
- What impact relational skills with customers has on your business
- Why it is vital for leaders to model expectations and right behavior
- How balancing work and life may or may not affect success
- A CEO’s perspective on worry...does it have a place
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/steveshifman
Instagram: www.instagram.com/steve_shifman
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/steveshifman
Websites: www. steveshifman.com
www.Michelman.com
BIO:
Steven J. Shifman is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Michelman, a large privately held global technology and manufacturing company. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and employing approximately 500 associates Michelman has sales and administrative offices, technology centers, and manufacturing operations in the United States, Belgium, Luxembourg, Singapore, China, India, and Japan.
Michelman’s purpose is to Innovate a Sustainable Future, providing solutions through applied chemistry in a variety of industrial market segments ranging from printing and packaging, to industrial coatings, to glass and carbon fibers. Industry leaders call upon Michelman to develop sustainable solutions that help them to address their challenges, deal with a rapidly changing global and regulatory environment, and to grow their businesses.
Steve has had a diverse career both before and at Michelman. His experience has ranged from sales and sales management, to Finance where he served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, to leadership of one of the company’s business units, ultimately culminating in his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer in 2003. During his tenure, Michelman has grown substantially in size and profitability, and has become a much more global business. Originally, primarily a North American business, over this 17-year period, the company has diversified globally with now more than 50% of its business being generated outside of the United States. The global business has been built both organically and through acquisition. For these accomplishments, Steve Shifman was named the Ernst & Young Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year for the manufacturing sector.
Shifman is a progressive leader whose results are measured not only in the impressive numbers Michelman has delivered but also in the dedication and commitment his team offers to all of the company’s stakeholders. Shifman is a firm believer in purpose driven leadership, and has worked to engage every Michelman associate in the organization’s journey. Under his leadership Michelman lives by the values of Integrity, Respect, Success, Collaboration, Curiosity, and Giving. These values inform both Shifman’s leadership philosophy and the company’s decisions around strategy, hiring, and investments.
Michelman is committed to building its business for generations to come, while at the same time delivering against aggressive annual performance expectations as measured by the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit. While focusing on sustainability and value creation, Michelman associates are also actively engaged in communities around the globe. You’ll find members of the Michelman team serving on boards, coaching, tutoring, mentoring, and raising funds for those in need.
In addition to serving on the Michelman Board of Directors, Shifman also has had extensive experience serving on both for-profit and not-for-profit boards. His for-profit experience has focused primarily on family-owned and privately-held businesses. What he brings to these boards is his experience in multi-generational, purpose-driven, people-first, and global enterprises.
The best manifestation of his personal values is the work he does in the Cincinnati community. Steve is the current Chairman of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati Board. He was called upon by members of the community, including the former board chair of Proctor & Gamble, to lead a turn-around of this struggling United Way, one of the country’s largest. In addition, he just finished his term as the Co-Chair of the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, an organization comprised of community engaged mid-cap CEOs. He helped to chair the successful tax levy for the Preschool Promise, a first-of-its kind, publicly funded universal preschool program. He then went on to serve as a board member. He also recently completed a term as the inaugural Board Chair for Teach for America in Southwest Ohio. Finally, he is currently serving on the RESTART Cincinnati task force comprised of Cincinnati business and medical leaders charged with guiding Cincinnati out of the Covid-19 crisis.
Steve and his wife Julie reside in Cincinnati, Ohio, and have four adult sons. Along with his business and community commitments, Steve is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, and runner. He is also passionate about travel, the arts, great food and wine. And, most importantly, Steve and Julie welcomed their first grandson
Nate Sanel is an entrepreneur who has built the largest bike reseller in the US National PowerSports . Nate dropped out of College and started at the family business. He left the family business with nothing and built a very successful business without his ego. Often folks who build a company become imprisoned by it, Nate was conscious enough early on to modify his approach to ensure this would not happen. This episode goes specifically into the mindset he needed to pull this off with clues in how you can also.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Learning from strained family relationships in the business
- Going from college dropout to successful business owner
- How to develop your own natural leadership abilities in unconventional ways
- The biggest misconception about what it means to be a leader
- Why meditation is often difficult for high achievers, but why it is important
- The mindset and philosophy of freedom necessary to own a business that doesn’t own you
- The prison that many entrepreneurs create for themselves and how to avoid it
- The building blocks to a centered life
- Training your mind to recognize when you are out of alignment
- How Nate solves problems in the business when he is not working
- Working with the God ( or the Universe) to grow our lives and businesses
- Integrating your core values
- The key ingredient in building a business that resonates with people
- How the current culture of fear is pushing people to their breaking point and the silver lining
Resources:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bikernate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bikernate
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bikernate
Websites: nationalpowersports.net
www.headyadventures.com
Book - Full Catastrophe Living
Book- The E Myth Revisited
This is a very powerful episode with my guest on this show, Steven Kent Mirassou. Back in 2014, Steven and his wife found out she had just two years to live. The perspective that he shares on his experience of life, love and loss are a reminder of how short life is and how important it is to live it fully right now. Steven is a 6th generation winemaker and in this show we talk about recovering from loss, pursuing your passions in life and insights into the craftsmanship of winemaking.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to identify what YOUR happy and fulfilled life looks like
- The connection between art and science in winemaking
- Turning your desire for beauty and craftsmanship into profit
- Looking at business as an emotional transaction
- The magic in valuing each and every moment of your life
- Using wine to find more meaningful moments
- Healing and living fully after the death of a spouse
- Questions to ask yourself every day to make your life fuller
- What makes the Livermore Valley special for winemaking
- Using the idea of lineage to challenge yourself with continued growth
Resources:
Steve’s Book: Life and Love and Six Generations in California Wine
https://stevenkentmirassou.com/
Bio:
Steven Kent Mirassou received his BA in American Literature from the George Washington University and his MA in Literature from NYU. He was born in the Salinas Valley and grew up in San Jose and Los Gatos before going east to college. Lineage: Life and Love and Six Generations in California Wine is his first book.
Mirassou started his wine career in sales but found his true passion after moving into the production side of the business in 1996. Steven has made the highest rated wines from the Livermore Valley, is a founder of the Mount Diablo Highlands Wine Quality Alliance, and the President of the Livermore Valley Wine Growers Association.
Steven has four adult children, April Coffey, Aidan Mirassou, Katherine Mirassou, and Sara Mirassou. He lives in Pleasanton, CA with his fiancée, Nancy Castro, and their three dogs.
Years ago I was at a leadership conference where the speaker asked if everyone in a position of leadership would raise their hands. Later I thought, everyone should have raised their hands. Leadership begins in how we lead ourselves. Additionally, the lowest level of leadership is for those who lead by their “title. “ Many of the issues leaders face stems from not operating in a way that is congruent with the values they hold. It impacts their ability to lead in a credible way.
In this episode I invited Ted Kulawiak to come back on the show for a second time to talk about some chapters in his new book, “21 Lessons Learned in Leadership” on the ethics and morals of leadership. Our goal was to get you, as a leader, to think about HOW you lead and to challenge yourself to get more from yourself and others so we can all make a positive impact.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The tenants of true, actionable leadership
- Leadership lessons from Gettysburg
- The place that core values has in your leadership
- The definition of ethical sales and why it matters
- Building trust and influence by supporting individual goals
- A common way leaders compromise relationships
- What it really means to have someone’s back
- The key to balancing people and profit
- A compassionate, humanistic approach to leadership during difficult times
- The big change in how consumers are making decisions about which organizations to support and how that relates to leadership
- Putting the mental health of your team and your own mental health first
- The trap many people in corporate America fall into that leads to burnout
Resources:
- Book- The Speed of Trust
- https://tedkaye55.wixsite.com/21lessonslearned
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-kulawiak-695a25180/
- https://www.amazon.com/21-Lessons-Learned-Sales-Management/dp/164111827X
Bio:
Ted Kulawiak holds a BS in journalism from Northern Illinois University, and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.After teaching graduate level classes in sales and advertising management for six years at Keller, Ted earned an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame. He held senior sales leadership and training positions in the advertising and media sales industry, selling television, direct mail, outdoor, and newspaper advertising space over the course of 25 years, the majority of which he spent working for the 3M Company in their national advertising division.
Post advertising career, Ted transitioned to higher education and enjoyed an 18-year career in executive leadership positions, and now serves as the president of Ted Kaye Sales Management Training LLC based in Pflugerville, (Austin) Texas. Previously he was the vice president of enrollment at Westminster College in Missouri, held the same title at Bisk Education, an online program management company in Florida, and also at DeVry, Inc., in Illinois as he led the online admissions efforts for DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management, and Chamberlain College of Nursing. He is the author of “21 Lessons Learned in Sales Management”, and expects his second book, “21 Lessons Learned in Leadership” to be published later this year.
There is so much we can learn from folks outside of our daily norm, who have different life experiences and different cultures. That is one of the reasons I invited Tsitsi Mutendi onto this episode. Tsitsi is a 3rd generation family business owner who lives just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Some of her experience includes fashion creative director, a media professional, and editor-in-chief. She grew up in a family business, studied abroad, and now owns a legacy planning business. She is also involved with African family firms and owns a Montessori school.
Tsitsi is considered an expert in helping family businesses and rightly so. In this show we talk about how our mindset, life experience model of the world impacts how we make decisions and how we show up around the family. We also talk about the idea of governance and why it's important to protect the legacy of the business. This episode is full of valuable wisdom for every family business.
What you will learn in this episode:
- The values that come from growing up in an entrepreneurial family
- Tying community service into your business
- How the African idea of family differs from the West and how it impacts relationships
- The the core values of a family business vs public sector businesses affect decision making
- Getting back to the basics of personal relationships between businesses and consumers
- Protecting the legacy of your business during succession
- What IS family governance and why it’s important
- Simplifying family governance to be attainable and impactful
- Identifying when the Next Gen is ready to take on the full responsibility of the business
- Why you should be thinking further ahead than the next generation
- Creating space within a family for deep listening
- Why giving your children abundance of resources isn’t enough
- How coping mechanisms can become toxic if not given the proper attention
Resources:
LinkedIN- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsitsimutendi/
www.tsitsimutendi.com
www.nhakalegacy.com
I first met John 15 years ago at a wine pairing dinner in Portsmouth, NH when he came out to pair his wine with each course. My wife and I decided after that dinner that we had to go to Napa and visit the vineyard. We have been raving fans of this winery for sometime.
I was thrilled when I reconnected with John and he agreed to be on the show. In my opinion, he has been a big trend-setter here in the States when it comes to farming and wine-making. John has made historical contributions to winemaking as well as doing what is right for the environment...even when it was NOT popular.
John does a great interview as he is extremely passionate about what he believes and he brings it to the table in this episode.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How John went from growing up in a dry county to falling in love with the wine industry during a work/study program
- Why the modern vintner lifestyle is changing the wine industry
- How John went from $40 on a greyhound bus to his successful Napa Valley organic vineyard
- What it was like to farm organically before it was a buzzword and why John chose to do so
- How modern, conventional farming is affecting our health
- John’s philosophy on the farming lifestyle and work/family balance
- The importance of being patient and supportive of your children’s timeline
- The importance of estate, succession planning and leaving opportunity for future generations
- How the increased wildfires affect families and vineyards in the valley and the necessity of acknowledging climate change
- Finding hope in what seems like desperate situations
- Reframing the popular negative view of borrowing money
Resources:
https://www.frogsleap.com/
https://www.instagram.com/frogsleap
https://www.facebook.com/frogsleap
BIO: John Williams was raised in western New York, and spent the summers on his
grandparents’ dairy farm. Following graduation from high school, he received a
scholarship to attended Cornell University where he planned to study fermentation
sciences in order to pursue a career in the dairy industry. While studying cheese making
under the great Frank Kozokowski, Williams accepted a workstudy position with the
Taylor Wine Company and the rest—as they say—is history.
After receiving his degree from Cornell University in 1975, John was accepted into the
Enology and Viticulture Masters Program at UC-Davis. Upon graduating, Williams
returned to upstate New York as winemaker for Glenora Wine Cellars producing several
award-winning wines before returning to California in 1980 to assume winemaking
duties at Spring Mountain Vineyards in the Napa Valley.
In 1981 Williams co-founded Frog’s Leap winery along with partner Larry Turley. He
became the sole owner in 1994, moving the winery to its current location on the
Rutherford Bench in the Napa Valley. Under Williams’ guidance, Frog’s Leap has
evolved as a provocative model of a successful, sustainable family farm.
Williams’ passion for protecting and preserving a healthy agricultural way of life led to
the establishment of the Rutherford River Restoration Project and he and the winery
team he has assembled are widely recognized for their contributions to the organic
farming movement, the promotion of alternative energy sources, and ongoing efforts to
encourage sustainable business practices.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, business owner, someone who enjoys wine, or someone in a family business, this episode has something for all of you. I spend time here with my midwestern friend Sean Minor. Sean and his wife Nicole Bl live in California and founded Sean Minor winery in the early 2000’s. Since that time they have received award after award and they have found a way to make high quality wine both approachable and affordable. In this episode we talk about not only the wine, but his family and vision for navigating a family business. We explore how he saw opportunity in an industry that already had high competition and how he really helps everyone who is involved in taking his product to the market win.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to take advantage of the chance to constantly be challenged in your industry
- Working with a spouse in a business in a way that honors their individual desires
- Finding opportunity and integrity in a highly competition market
- The difference between ego-driven business vs need-driven business
- Sean’s view on how they achieved their quick success
- Raising children in a 1st Gen family business
- Exposing children to all sides of the business
- The particular burden that can fall on the Second Gen and how to avoid it
- A creative approach to choose product offerings
- Using trust and faith to lower stress and avoid panic
Resources:
Website: https://www.seanminorwines.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanminorwines/?hl=en
Bio: Born in Kansas, Sean Minor was surrounded by agriculture, hard work, and the values responsible for the unwavering work ethic of Midwestern families. The practice of caring for the land and bringing the harvest to the dinner table has always been close to Sean’s heart, and winemaking celebrates this concept to its full extent. His career in wine began after a formal education in finance from Arizona State University where he also met his wife, Nicole. They moved to California after graduation, where Sean began his fine wine career working for Napa Valley’s Beaulieu Vineyard. He knew right from the start the wine industry was the right place for him. He began taking classes at U.C. Davis in Viticulture and Enology in hopes of developing a further understanding of grape growing and wine production.
Sean and Nicole moved to the Pacific Northwest after being recruited by King Estate Winery (widely renowned for producing some of Oregon’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) to manage the Estate. He developed an even stronger knowledge of winemaking and learned firsthand the importance of site-specific viticulture. He ended up leaving King Estate to lead Benton Lane Winery, rounding out his cool climate viticulture experience.
Sean, Nicole, and their three kids (the fourth yet to be born) returned to California in 2001 for the opportunity to manage Renwood Winery and enhance his experience growing and marketing some of the Golden State’s best Zinfandel and Syrah. Four years later, he founded Sean Minor Wines. Today, Sean Minor Wines is distributed and sold in 49 States and 15 International Countries. The wines are carried in over 11,000 accounts nationally and have grown in prestige and notoriety, while gathering accolades and high scores from the top wine critics and publications around the world.
As part of the series on family business, I invited Kimberly Eddleston to be on this show. She is recognized as a leading scholar of entrepreneurship by the Schulze Family Foundation that awarded her the nationally recognized Schulze Distinguished Professorship. She also serves as an Academic Scholar at Cornell University Smith Family Business Initiative. Her research focuses on family businesses and the careers of entrepreneurs. She is particularly known for her research that explores how the family can be a resource or constraint to the family business and how family businesses can remain innovative through generations.
She has assisted more than 150 businesses to date and also had involvement in her own family's businesses. She is someone that has the educational background, real world experience and professional experience serving other families. She has all the vantage points. We talk about what holds families back in transitioning generations, the importance of how we ready family members to be the backbone of the family, how who we are as a family impacts the business, and many other things. This is an episode you will want to listen to more than once.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- The top reasons why family businesses decide to sell
- How family dysfunction impacts the business
- The dangers of putting off conflict within the family
- How and why to create a family council
- The first things to consider when moving towards transition
- Why many family business choose advisors over a board of directors
- How to choose who is on your bench
- Getting young children involved in the business
- Best practices to create strong relationships between relatives
- The challenges American families face that families in other countries do not
- Why it’s so difficult for Founders to pass on the business and what to do about it
- What do do when family members are under-performing
- The importance of having rules for entry for family members who want to be involved in the business
Resources:
www.familybusiness.org
Bio:
Kimberly Eddleston is recognized as a leading scholar of entrepreneurship by the Schulze Family Foundation that awarded her the nationally recognized Schulze Distinguished Professorship. She also serves as an Academic Scholar at Cornell University Smith Family Business Initiative. Her research focuses on family businesses and the careers of entrepreneurs. She is particularly known for her research that explores how the family can be a resource or constraint to the family business (i.e. The Fredo Effect) and how family businesses can remain innovative through generations. She has extensive experience working with family businesses in the U.S. and abroad and is routinely invited to present at family business events for executives as well as academics. Professor Eddleston grew up working for several of her family's businesses and remains an active stakeholder.
Audiogram:
25:34 who does it mean to be an eddleston - 26:00 envision working together
29:00 as soon as you talk about succession - 29:50 that family business often are
I’ve had the honor to have Jeff Foy and his family as friends for many years. I have grown to love his family and the values they choose to live by in their business and personal lives. They navigate the waters of a family business with integrity and alignment. In this episode talk about how they make decisions around the business, their daughters, and their daughter’s potential future participation in the business. As I’ve gotten to know Jeff, I’ve seen how he consciously navigates the business and raising his family in a values-centered way and am excited to share this conversation with you.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How expectations from a young age can be detrimental in a family business
- Specific challenges of Baby Boomer leaders transitioning to Gen X leadership
- Perspective on being the last sibling to join a family business
- Raising children to decide what fulfills them without pressure to join the business
- How family businesses encourage entrepreneurship in the family
- Detaching ego from the family legacy
- How many parents with good intent actually rob their children of opportunity
- The number one rule of communication in a family business
- One of the biggest harmful assumptions in members of a family business
Resources:
Website- https://www.foyinsurance.com/
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-foy-88058a8/
Bio:
Jeff started with Foy Insurance in 1987 following a brief stint in commercial real estate after graduating from UNH. He strongly supports advocacy for Foy clients and the independent agency system. Jeff has participated for years in insurance legislative efforts for agents and consumers in NH and in Washington DC. Jeff earned the Accredited Advisor in Insurance certification in 2010 and, in 2011, the NH Hero Award. Jeff enjoys traveling and learning about wine with his wife Melissa and his adult daughters Allison and Jessica.
Emma Holmes joins us on this episode from Bridgewater in the UK. Emma has been a DJ, avid surfer, skateboarder, traveler, and life coach. I wanted to have Emma on this show because she is a perfect example of someone who has a passion for creating and living life on purpose. As a father, one thing that always bothers me is when folks ask my daughter what she wants to be when she grows. Society sets up paradigms that ties so much of our identity to what we “do” instead of who we are. We often allow history and past generations to tell us how we should construct our lives. I'm excited for this conversation with Emma Holmes because she has approached life decisions in a completely different way. She has architected a life that is extremely intentional. We go into not only her life experience so far, but also the mindset shifts that were necessary to make these decisions in an unconventional way.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How Emma created a business that allowed her to surf whenever she wanted
- How to get out of living your life on autopilot
- The importance of always doing something that lights you up and how that affects the rest of your life
- Embracing an unconventional life to find purpose
- Designing your work based on the lifestyle you want to live
- Setting the right intentions to align yourself with your vision
- Examples of ways Emma manifested specific experiences in her life
- A different and more freeing definition of “responsibility”
Resources:
Book- The Four Hour Work Week: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006X0M2TS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmaholmez
Website: www.emholmes.com
Bio:
Emma Holmes has a passion for creating and living life on purpose.
Emma has been scratching since the year 2000, when she discovered she had a love for fr-fr-fresh scratching and funky hip hop. After much time spent learning techniques and developing her flow, she found a way to break things down for anyone who wants to learn the art. She founded Studio Scratches in 2008 and opened School of Scratch in 2014 and is dedicated to assisting her students to become excellent at the art of scratching. School of Scratch is one of the world’s leading online schools and Emma has built a supportive community to help people learn how to scratch DJ, using a complete set of video tutorials which form her ultimate ‘how to scratch’ DJ course.
Emma applies these same skills as a life coach, where she breaks things down for anyone who wants to learn how to create a more deliberate life. Emma shares a philosophy inspired by this quote by Henry David Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” Emma’s coaching clients describe her as: calm, awesome, calm, kind, non-judgmental, and possessing an abundance of positive energy. To learn more about her one to one coaching, visit her at EmmaHolmesCoaching.com.
Emma is an avid surfer, skateboarder, traveler and music lover. She currently resides in the UK and considers herself most at home in Hawai’i.
My wife Jolie and I were thrilled several years ago when today’s guest, Tony Callendrello, opened a European wine bar right in our town. Tony is excellent at vetting out opportunities to enjoy something at a very high value. As we have visited the wine bar several times per month since it’s opening, I’ve had the chance to learn more of Tony's story. He has truly architected a life that draws significance, joy, peace, and longevity to his second act in life. His story is a powerful one, and one that ties firmly back to having a clear vision.
What you will learn:
- Strategies for a peaceful transition out of your business
- What happens when you follow joy
- The important of purpose and social connections in your second act
- Key factors to consider in intentionally creating your life
- How increasing your sensory acuity affects how you experience life
- Why it’s important to create meaningful experiences
- Tips to get started if you’re interested in getting educated on wine
Resources:
Book- Younger Next Year
https://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Year-Strong-Beyond/dp/076114773X
Book- The Great, Good Place https://www.amazon.com/Great-Good-Place-Bookstores-Community/dp/1569246815/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+great+good+place&qid=1624553573&s=books&sr=1-1
Book- The Blue Zones https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Zones-Second-Lessons-Longest-ebook/dp/B007WL6D60/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=the+blue+zone&qid=1624553608&s=books&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNzdHNERWMkFYOE1LJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODg0MjM1MUhDRFZVTkcyWUJOSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODc1ODI2SjEyUVhIMjROWlAwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Vino E Vivo- https://www.vinoevivo.com/
Bio: Anthony (“Tony”) Callendrello was born and raised in New Jersey moving to Exeter in 1984 with his wife, Regina Delaney. Tony and Regina have two adult children. He received a Bachelor of Engineering and Masters of Mechanical Engineering degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of New Hampshire.
Tony has spent his career working as an engineer, most recently as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer for BayCorp Holdings, Ltd., a developer, owner and operator of renewable and other energy projects. He served as the corporate Secretary and on the Board of Directors of BayCorp and several other subsidiary companies. He also was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Biogas Council, a national industry association.
From 2010 through 2014, Tony was the Chairman of the Exeter Theater Company, a not for profit organization that attempted to purchase and restore the Ioka Theater. He also served as a member and Chair of the Seacoast School of Technology’s Culinary Arts program advisory committee, which provided significant financial support to the program and its students. He currently serves as the Chair of the Town of Exeter Arts and Culture Advisory Commission and is on the board of directors of the Seacoast YMCA.
He retired from BayCorp in 2018 and, in anticipation of retirement, earlier that year opened Vino e Vivo, a wine bar and restaurant in downtown Exeter where continues to act as its owner and manager.
This show is a part two to my conversation with Tim Spang of Spang Builders. My guest today is Tim’s daughter Jamie, next gen in the family business. I had the honor of working with their family for about a year and half. In this show we talk about her perspective on where they were stuck as a family and a business, how we worked through it, and how she managed getting married, becoming a mom, and building a house all while in the operating role in the business.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Finding your place in the family business
- How the next gen can add value and bring new opportunities to the table
- Working with communication styles between generations
- The unique strengths of the younger generation in leadership roles
- Separating the business from the family unit
- Implementing change that will actually stick
- Tying personal visions into the vision of the business
- Navigating new motherhood and the business
- Deciphering if your sacrifices are aligned with what you truly want
- Replacing life balance with life integration
Resources:
Spang Builders- https://www.spangbuilders.com/
Jamie’s LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameson-spang-3475ba48/
Bio:
Jameson is a second generation addition to the family business. Jamie grew up in Kennebunkport and has always been surrounded by the construction world. She grew up going to job sites and meeting clients with her father, Tim. So as they say. “It’s in her blood!”
Jamie attended Kennebunk High School where she excelled at academics and athletics. She was a National Honor Student, a three year varsity soccer player and a four year varsity lacrosse player earning All-American Honors. While Jamie matriculated at Bowdoin College, she transferred to Babson College to pursue a degree in finance and entrepreneurship knowing that someday she may want to become part of the family business. At Babson, she continued her lacrosse career; she was a four year starter, Conference Rookie of the Year, two year Most Valuable Player, four year All Conference Player, two year All-Region Player and she was selected to play on the Division Three Senior North-South All-Star game. Needless to say, she understands the immense value of teamwork!
After graduation, Jamie worked in corporate banking for 2 years, but decided that she wasn’t ready to hang up her lacrosse stick quite yet. She became the assistant coach for the Women’s Lacrosse team at Wheaton College and then at Bates College. While Jamie still loved the game of lacrosse, she was ready to settle into a steady career and it was a natural progression for her to join the family business.
She brings a wealth of construction experience, determination and a solid educational background to her management position on the Hazelwood Handyman and Spang Builders teams. In her spare time, Jamie loves to spend time with her husband on the family farm, play with her dogs, watch sports, and read historical novels. Jamie and Kevin welcomed a son, Parsons, in January 2020. He's the light of their life!
One of the biggest challenges of navigating family succession is the fear of impacting the family negatively . I’ve seen in my work with clients that at the heart of it all, the family loves one another and wants what's best for each other. As we look at what everyone wants individually and collectively, the leaders in the family may worry about creating strife between family members or making decisions they will later regret. Not to mention, there is not a family without some level of dysfunction and communication challenges.
Tim Spang has run his company for over 40 years. Tim started with his wife and later integrated his son and daughter. In this episode, we talk about how they navigate the business without sacrificing the core of their relationships.Tim has such a big heart and open soul and his willingness to get vulnerable in this episode is invaluable for anyone looking at some level of transition in future.
What you will learn in this episode:
- What Tim learned from watching his father run a business before him
- What can happen when kids are thrown into the family business too quickly
- How Tim recognized the familial patterns in their business that were causing strife
- How to overcome the fear of the businesses pulling the family apart
- Maintaining strong family relationships during business challenges
- Why individual self-discovery is key to the success of a family business
- Establishing healthy boundaries for the family within the business
- The danger of family dynamics affecting other employees
- Developing the leadership team that allows you to take a real vacation
- Why it’s essential to look for outside help in a succession process
A real Mainer, Tim grew up in Kennebunkport at the family farm and motel/campground resort known as the Beachwood. From the age of 12, he worked for the company construction crew during the summer months and weekends. Upon graduating from Biddeford High School in 1983, Tim worked briefly for another local construction company. However, after working in the family businesses and on the farm since childhood, Tim was no stranger to hard work. And if he was going to work hard, he figured it might as well be for himself. Spang Builders was subsequently started in 1984.
Tim began his business as a jack-of-all-trades with a can-do attitude. He grew the business from odd jobs and small remodels to fine, custom home building and remodeling. Tim is proud that Spang Builders is now one of the most sought-after and well-respected construction companies in southern Maine, known for superb quality, unparalleled customer service, fiscal responsibility, and timely completion.
When Tim is not consulting with clients, office managers, sub-contractors and foremen, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Louise, and their two children, Jameson and Clayton, on their small farm or Down East camp. He enjoys dirt biking and snow-mobiling with Clayton as often as possible, nurturing his young-at-heart attitude! Tim and Louise became grandparents in January 2020 and their grandson, Parsons, is a source of daily joy. He's already getting his feet wet visiting sites and a regular in the office...the third generation!
When I first started consulting I was primarily focusing on helping companies scale, and improve sales and business development. In the last several years as we have focused more on succession and transition in business, I have noticed that many companies and families are growth directed and want to continue that growth. They want to scale a business in a predictable way. My guest on this show and friend Kevin McCann owns a company that helps businesses clarify who their market is, how to target that market in a meaningful way, and how to build a process to actually convert customers. We have some great conversation here about how many businesses get in their own way when looking at growth and what you can do about it.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to unpack your definition and roadmap to success in your company
- The commonalities between all companies that have the smoothest
successions and exits
- One of the biggest mistakes organizations make in their communication
with prospects
- The four-step framework Keven uses when helping organizations
get ready to go to marker
- How to get the attention of your ideal client
- Why advertising tools aren’t they answer to your marketing problems
- The number one missing element in most advertising campaigns
- How to break through the noise and vet out resources that can truly
help you with lead gen
- A resource that can turn around qualified leads in two weeks or less
- The three buckets to look at when systemizing your advertising
Resources:
www.Lead-launcher.com
www.revenuegrowthmastery.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinamccann/
Ken Natori is president of the Natori Company. I met Ken several years ago at a conference where we were both speaking. I immediately liked his vibe and started following him on social media. Ken’s mother founded the business in 1977. He was raised as an only child by a trailblazing mother and father. He talks about the story of pursuing his own path before joining the family business to now working today at his mother’s side. We talk about the core values of Ken and his family and how he navigates the family business with that and mind, and how the company integrated him into the business. This is a great conversation on a family that really respects one another’s differences of opinions, strengths, and desires.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How one family ran a business by respecting their individual desires
- Why children should explore other careers before joining the family business
- What being a part of a family business means for your relationship
- Why identifying and communicating core values is crucial when being part of a family business
- Tips for smoothly integrating a new family member into the business
- How to handle differences of opinions between leaders in the family businesses
- A practice that many companies use that actually encourages unhealthy artificial harmony
Resources:
Website: www.natori.com
Company Instagram: www.instagram.com/natoricompany
Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/ken.natori
Dave Hoeffel is a client who became a friend of mine and is an amazing, conscious individual. After some time working together, Dave sold his company at the end of 2020. What is most impactful about this conversation is Dave’s level of vulnerability in sharing his challenges around deciding to sell his business, what his blocks were, and the fear he had around the impact the sale would have on his employees, customers, his family, and even his own identity. This is a great episode to get you thinking about what is missing in the experience you really want to have for your life.
What you will learn:
- The prison high achievers often create for themselves around work and productivity
- Some signs to pay attention to showing you when it’s time to seek outside help
- The problems that arise when ego and significance is tied to your company
- The major challenges founders wrestle with when transitioning out of their business
- The challenges of “proving” yourself to others and a new frame to work from
- How to separate family and business life in a way that allows you to be fully present for both.
- Why having clear core values is crucial in a family business
- Changing your mindset from an “either/or” frame to knowing you can have happy employees, a successful business AND be present with your family
- The most important question to ask the Next Gen
- Strategies to disconnect from the business and actually enjoy a vacation
- How to create space in your life for the things that actually put you in flow
- Dave’s biggest three pieces of advice for family business owners
Resources:
- Website- www.Davehoeffel.com
- Email-Dave@davehoeffel.com
I look at loving relationships as one of the most important things we get to do as human beings, but it’s not something most of us were taught. We end up modelling the relationships we come from and there is so much room to grow in this area. If you truly want more rich, deep and intimate relationships, this is a must listen. When I decided to do this episode, I knew exactly who I wanted to reach out to on this topic. I’ve been following Annie for years and knew she would have incredible insights on this topic. She and her husband Eben Pagan are both entrepreneurs and she has a life-changing perspective on cultivating passion and fire in relationships while parenting and building successful businesses. Your relationship CAN be a catalyst to help you become the highest version of yourself.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How we view our parents as children and how that affects our relationships
- How to create clean lines between your relationships and your business
- The most important emotions to track in regards to your relationship
- How to shift into parenthood without compromising your relationship
- How to recognize and call out power struggles in relationships
- How prioritizing your relationship affects the rest of your life
- How to inspire your partner into more personal growth
- Dealing with a fixed mindset in relationships
- The harm in “toleration” behaviours in our relationship we don’t like
- How to turn conflict in relationship into the next beautiful iteration of your relationship
- The analogy Annie uses that perfectly articulates a strong and healthy relationship
- Looking at sex as the food of your relationship
- How sex is sometimes misused to regulate emotions and nervous systems
- How to create safety around your sexuality
Bio: Annie Lalla is a love coach specializing in deep intimacy, sex & conflict resolution, Annie has created practical tools that dissolve toxic patterns, defuse conflict, transcend blame & cultivate deep relationships that last a lifetime. She calls on her studies of philosophy, evolutionary biology, family systems and NLP in her transformational coaching practice, where she helps couples build extraordinary connections that maximize freedom & minimize shame.
Resources:
Annie’s Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/lallabird/
Website- https://annielalla.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/annielallacoaching
Book- The Power of Full Engagement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC0SWS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Ted Kulawiak is the author of “21 Lessons Learned in Sales Management”, and he was MY first sales trainer almost 30 years ago. He’s now taking the wisdom of his 30+ year experience in higher education and various sales management roles to the world. If you own any business, sales play a critical role. In my own 25+ years experience in sales, I’ve seen some of the best and some of the worst in sales management. Ted and I talk about the things most people don't talk about when it comes to sales management but make all the difference in the world. This episode has a lot of nuances in regards to what good leaders do. It’s also a great listen for anyone leading a business.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- The most important piece of advice I learned from Ted 30 years ago that I still use today
- How to know when you need a Sales Manager
- Where most businesses fail when it comes to leading their sales people
- When and how to lead sales people and when to manage them
- Why behaviour change is vital in improving sales
- Why not all data is created equal
- How to build a strong sales team based on what you are selling
- How self-worth affects sales
- What happens when you try “not to be pushy” and how this strategy does not work
- Why sales scripts are usually bogus
Resources:
Book- “21 Lessons Learned in Sales Management”
https://www.amazon.com/21-Lessons-Learned-Sales-Management-ebook/dp/B089NGS68C
Book- “The Four Disciplines of Execution” https://www.amazon.com/Disciplines-Execution-Achieving-Wildly-Important/dp/1451627068/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EKAHX84GVRJ0&dchild=1&keywords=the+four+disciplines+of+execution+book&qid=1614809033&s=books&sprefix=the+four+disc%2Cdigital-text%2C191&sr=1-1
Ted’s LinkedIN- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-kulawiak-695a25180/
Ted’s Twitter- https://twitter.com/TedKulawiak
Ted’s website- tedkaye55.wixsite.com/21lessonslearned
I got to know David Lehmann through a friend of mine and really wanted to share his story. He’s had a successful marriage, raised three kids, done really well in business and today is an Angel Investor. He enjoys working with younger CEOs and founders. His story paints a picture of how to make decisions on important transitions in life including moving to a foreign country and dealing with a potentially fatal illness and provides a much richer lense to look through.
What you will learn in this episode:
- How to make decisions as a couple with different religious backgrounds
- Parenting kids that know how to make impactful decisions
- How diving into foreign culture can change our perspective on life
- A lesson from a Dignitary
- Creating situations where you can learn from multiple perspectives
- Maintaining authenticity and vulnerability in business
- Preparing yourself mentally for major health challenges and lessons from them
- Using the pandemic to become more self-aware and having more compassion
Resources:
David had a 27 year long career on Wall Street where he worked at four firms. In an unconventional move, he took a 3 year break to move to Paris with his wife and children. Today, he is an angel investor committing capital in the pre-seed stage. He also sits on the boards of three companies in an advisory role.
Book- Mixed Blessings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BF8R5X2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Book- Think and Grow Rich
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill-ebook/dp/B0817HHZH4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ZCONRN32M4R7&dchild=1&keywords=think+and+grow+rich&qid=1614216290&s=books&sprefix=think+and+g%2Cdigital-text%2C182&sr=1-1
Quotes:
“There’s a lot to be learned from just listening and watching.”
“My interfaith marriage, moving to a foreign country with young kids, and being diagnosed with cancer showed me that it’s all in how you react. All these experiences, I wouldn’t give any of them away. There are lows, highs, bumps and kicks in the ass and sometimes you need help. Pick up the phone and call someone. That’s a positive, not a negative.”
Intro: I am thrilled to introduce Gary Mahler to you in this episode. I came across Gary on social media, by some intuitive pull. He’s lived in Paris, Japan, Hawaii, owned and sold a business and created his ideal life and now coaches others to do the same. He lives each day in such a centered and purpose driven way. He has some amazing things for you to consider. I would highly suggest having a notepad and taking some notes on this one.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Lessons from Parisians on living a slow, full life
- How our relationship with our identity impacts the rest of our life
- Disassembling parts of your life no longer serving your purpose
- Learning to recognize the judgements of yourself that are running the show
- The end result of ego-driven goals
- Why the WAY you go about getting something matters
- How to leave the “grind” behind and still reach your goals
- How to use whatever the Universe gives you and and with with rather than against it
- How to look at surrender with fortitude and dignity
- What a coach should REALLY help you do
- Understanding center and balance from a martial arts perspective
Resources:
Book- “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer https://untetheredsoul.com/surrender-experiment
Book- “Letting Go” by David Hawkins https://www.amazon.com/Letting-David-Hawkins-M-D-Ph-D/dp/1401945015
Website- https://www.garymahler.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/garyl.mahler
Steven Lawson is the founder of Monk Manual. After spending a decade pushing himself to achieve, crush goals, and increase his capacity to “do” more, he slowed down, looked around and realized something was wrong. The ways of modern productivity are making people sick. Determined to find a way of life that accounts for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—Steven began a soulful journey that has led him to develop the Monk Manual. Inspired by the wisdom of monks, and rooted in psychology, the Monk Manual 90 Day Planner is the first of several practical tools designed for peaceful being and purposeful doing. Steven lives in Buffalo, New York with his wife Lauren and their three children.
What you’ll learn:
- What most people are really searching for when they say they want to be more productive
- The benefits of taking time throughout your day to find stillness
- The difference between “feeling busy” and “being productive”
- What we can learn about productivity from monks and transcendental ideas
- How to be intentional in structuring your day
- How to make decisions that support your own well-being
- Finding your awareness gap
- How your belief about the way the world works affects your daily life
- The importance of spirituality and a “higher power” as your foundation to everything else in your life
- The first steps in creating cultural change
Links:
www.Monkmanual.com
Instagram: @monkmanual
My guest on this show is Ryan Tansom of Arkona. I had the honor of being a guest on Ryan’s podcast last year and had blast talking about the importance of vision in transition. For years Ryan worked as part of a family business started by his dad and played a major role in turning the company around and eventually selling it. He founded Arkona based on what he learned through the process. He now helps business owners improve valuation and get clear on what they want in order to build a strategic and operational plan to drive the exit outcome they are looking for.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Navigating turning your vision into a direct path
- What to do when you feel trapped in the business
- How to know If your successor is ready to run the business
- Why resilience isn't always enough
- The importance or vision as a starting point to succession
- What “vision” really means as a business owner
- What you need to be clear on in order to have a successful exit
- When is the right time to start planning your exit
- How to use the pandemic as a lesson to create leverage
- Why context is important when seeking advice on transition
Resources/links:
- Arkona- https://arkona.io/
- Intentional Growth Podcast- https://arkona.io/podcasts
- LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tansom-4a440710/
- Book- The Happiness Advantage
- Book- The Infinite Game
Audiograms:
6:22 – 7:04 Family business dynamics. Did you love the business?
8:27 – 9:22 What happens when you feel trapped?
15:05 – 15:39 What does vision mean as a business owner? Vanity metrics.
18:20 – 18:55 Your business is your vehicle. Separating your identity.
If you are someone who has dreamed of a life that allows you to travel around the world whenever you want, this show is for you. My guest on this show is Avin Kline. Avin is a former client of mine, who is an amazing example of someone who built a life by design. He and his wife have created a life that allows them to travel around the world, work from wherever they are, and create the income necessary to support this lifestyle. In this show he shares the strategies, values, and vision that made this possible.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Strategies to manage full time travel and a full time career.
- Specific paradigms that need to be addressed to build a dream lifestyle
- What you need to have in place to make a travel lifestyle work
- How structure breeds freedom
- The mindset necessary to create this structure
- A practice to improve jet lag
- How your health and wellness impacts other areas in your life
- The role core values play in relationships
- The parenting view that has helped Avin and his wife create this lifestyle
- Some of the paradigms in our society that hold parents back from creating life experiences for their family
Resources/links:
Health and wellness resource: Dr. Mark Hyman
Book: The Four Hour Work Week
Avin Kline LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avinkline/
My guest on this show is Amber Lilyestrom. Amber is a transformational branding strategist, business coach, speaker and host of her own podcast, “The Amber Lilyestrom Show” with over 100K monthly downloads. Amber exudes a “real, get-right-to-it” energy alongside an equally powerful grounded energy that is loving, nurturing, and BADASS.
In this episode we talk about the stories and paradigms holding Entrepreneurs back from true success and fulfillment and what we can do about it. Amber uses real life examples from her own journey as a new mother working a salaried job, to creating her own expansive business, working just 20 hours a week and ultimately creating a truly fulfilling life experience.
In this episode you'll learn:
-
Sacrifice vs devotion-- What it means and how to make sure you're saying yes to the right things
-
What happens when you surrender to the higher calling of your life
-
How to remove the conflict and guilt many women feel when trying to devote their energy to both their career/business and their family
-
The importance of a combined vision as a couple.
-
How to take inventory of your own value and what you have to offer to the world
-
Finding your harmful generational beliefs and how they affect your views on work and money, and how it may be negatively affecting your family and loved-ones
-
Some of the common paradigms around money and success that are keeping you stuck
-
How you might be diminishing yourself and your soul's purpose and how to turn it around to be your best teammate
-
The biggest paradigm we hold that has the most power over our outcomes
-
The massive shifts that happen in your life when you spend most all of your time in your joy
Resources and links:
Amber’s website-- https://www.amberlilyestrom.com/
Amber’s Mindset Mastery masterclass-- https://www.amberlilyestrom.com/webinar
Amber’s new book, Master Your Money Mind-- https://www.amberlilyestrom.com/master-your-money-mind
Amber’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amberlilyestrom/
Audiograms:
3:38 - 4:31 Sacrifice
6:26-7:11 Surrender
9:10 - 9:52 What is your ministry
13:30 - 14:48 Women leaving the workforce
17:20 - 17:52 - Go for it
19:44 - 20:24 - Mom Guilt
30:40 - 31:33 - Another way
43:19 - 44:00 - Remembering we’re all one
Today’s guest is CJ McLanahan. CJ is a keynote speaker, advisor, and describes himself as a recovering overachiever. For over 17 years, CJ has been helping others focus on what’s important, not defined solely by income or job title. His focus is on moving toward our hearts and the amount of kindness we deliver to others, and what happens to both our business and our personal lives when we do just that.
CJ McLanahan runs a podcast called success 2.0 and I came across him organically in looking for podcasts that aligned with my own message.I immediately knew we would have valuable conversation and content together. He has an expansive and varied background in areas such as law, politics, accounting, coaching, manufacturing, and sales to eventually realizing that running his own company was the way to create the life he really wanted for himself.
He now works with the folks who are trying to find the most peace and joy they can in life and those who know that financial success ultimately cannot bring you what you are searching for.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Where executive coaching usually goes wrong.
- The illusions high achievers hold about what creates fulfillment
- The addictive behaviour patterns of high achievers
- What most people regret at the end of their life
- The concept and impact of using leverage
- How can we use our morality to create leverage
- Why it's difficult for overachievers to recognise what is most critical to a fulfilled life
- The critical piece to start making decisions that will change your course to start living a life based on what is most important to you.
- The two questions that will immediately show if you’re ready to build a life by design
- A new perspective on being content
- What happens to your business when you start focusing on prioritizing your life experience
Resources/links:
CJ Website- https://cjmcclanahan.com/
CJ Podcast- https://cjmcclanahan.com/podcast/
My guest today is Jeff Photiades. To say Jeff is an amazing person is an understatement and I’m honored to have him on this show. He is a friend, brother, and my personal financial advisor for myself and my business. Jeff has a really interesting story of the way he started in the business, (not being the “perfect candidate” as a 23 year old painter when he started). Now, 30 years later he has built his own highly successful practice, mentors other financial advisors, lives a life that is built on freedom and congruence with his values, and helps others to do the same.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to utilize your “problems” for your benefit
- The power of paying attention to Divine Intervention
- How to let go of unnecessary suffering
- Overcoming the biggest mindset challenge of Entrepreneurs
- The part that healing plays in your “success”
- Releasing the HOW of your desired outcomes
- The process to get through discomfort and create your own narrative
- The alternative to “pushing” through resistance
- The most important thing to look for in a coach
- Finding true peace and joy outside of your profession
- Figuring out what truly drives you and what your values are
- Using internal vs external motivation
- Advice Jeff would have given himself 20+ years ago, knowing what he knows now
Resources/links:
Contact Jeff--
Jeff Website
Books--
Science of Getting Rich
Think and Grow Rich
The Untethered Soul
Mediation app-
The Breathing App
My guest on this show is Eddie Stern. Eddie is one of the top yoga practitioners and teachers in the world, having been practicing Ashtanga since 1987 and a focal point for Ashtanga in NYC, sought after by folks like Madonna and Gwentth Paltrow. He has a brilliant, scientific mind, has collaborated with Deepak Chopra and done some amazing research in regards to what we can do to lower our overall stress response. In this show we talk about specific strategies you can do for just a short amount of time every day that are proven to lower our stress response.
In the episode you’ll learn.
- Strategies to expand your level of awareness and consciousness to live a more fulfilling life.
- What is HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and why it’s relevant to high achievers
- What you need to know about your vagus nerve as it relates to stress and performance
- The largest influence in non-verbal communication
- How stress is created and how to reframe stressful events
- How a high stress load affects your decision making process- critical for CEOS
- How to develop your ability to grow and overcome adversity
- How to harness your attention
- The benefit of yoga for high achievers
Resources/links:
Eddie’s Book - One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life
The Breathing App
Whoop
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
Eddiestern.com
https://yoga365.online/