Introduction

Welcome to Let's Talk Family Enterprise, a podcast that explores the ideas, concepts and models that best serve Family Enterprise Advisors in supporting their clients.

All views, information and opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Family Enterprise Canada.

Description

In a departure from the usual format, this episode features both of our regular hosts, Ruth Steverlynck and Steve Legler, acting as both host and guest.

They decided to look back at some of their favourite episodes from 2021 and discuss a few of their greatest takeaways in the hopes of bringing back good memories and encouraging listeners to go check out episodes they may have missed along the way.

Guest bio

Steve Legler was born into a family business, and as the only son of an immigrant entrepreneur, was expected to follow in Dad's footsteps. Along the way, he also married into a business family and has seen some of the communications challenges that they have faced over the years.

He now realizes more than ever how important good communication is for families who want their legacy to continue, as it is transferred to future generations.

As a supplement to his life-long career in a family business and an MBA, In 2013, he enrolled in the Family Enterprise Advisor program, which is geared mostly to wealth managers, accountants, and insurance folks who deal with business families on a regular basis. He immediately felt more of an affinity with those at the front of the room, who were teaching the classes; people who work as family business facilitators, trusted advisors, coaches, and mediators.

You can find out more about Steve on his website and LinkedIn.

Ruth Stevelynck's great passion is working with families to help navigate this complexity — planning for the human/relational aspects of wealth transition: fostering positive communication, managing upsets, and developing key competencies needed to realize aspirations.

With an international background in Law, Dispute Resolution, Education and Governance, Ruth recognizes that no single approach works for all, so she draws upon her diverse experience and network of resources.

Her particular area of expertise is the arena of inherited wealth. She primarily consults to Family Offices and/or families whose wealth sits in Trust.

You can find out more about Ruth on Your Family Enterprise Website and LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways

[0:26] Ruth and Steve will be each other's host and guest, covering the past 30 episodes and providing an overview of all the information that was shared this past year.

[2:14] Dr. Moira Somers joined the podcast on an episode to talk about how the medical profession and family advisors play a similar role; Steve and Ruth touch on the curse of knowledge and the importance of connection.

[6:20] Dr. Lee Hausner had a two-part episode series where she asked that the questions be crowd-sourced! From success to significance, and not letting the family business be the family welfare state, Ruth and Steve share how impactful this interview was.

[11:24] Dr. Josh Baron talked about the four rooms model and the five rights of owners. The hosts share highlights from this interview and their appreciation of the fact that there are now actual models for reference.

[16:05] Scott Peppet: from law professor to Buddhist priest. Ruth shares her perspective on how the slightly provocative interview with him impacted the way she perceives family offices.

[21:38] David C. Bentall talked about learning patience and EQ. Ruth touches on honesty and the need to learn and reflect on your mistakes.

[27:34] Melissa Mitchell-Blitch shared her experience on doing exactly what the client wanted and how it can end up harming the family. Steve and Ruth reflect on the importance of finding a way to put relationships first and on the practical tools they took away from this episode.

[31:12] Ruth and Steve share their most impactful reads and advice for advisors.

[36:13] Steve and Ruth thank listeners for taking time to tune in, and invite them to subscribe!

Share your thoughts with us at [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode

The Let's Talk Family Enterprise podcast is brought to you by Family Enterprise Canada.

Dr. Moira Somers: "Advice That Sticks" — released on September 13, 2021

Dr. Lee Hausner: "In Conversation with Dr. Lee Hausner," Parts 1 and 2 — released on March 8 and April 12, 2021

Dr. Josh Baron: "Family Business Ownership: Four Rooms and Five Rights" — released on June 7, 2021

Scott Peppet: "The Family-Focused Office: Not a Family Office" — released on July 12, 2021

David C. Bentall: "Dear Younger Me" — released on August 9, 2021

Melissa Mitchell-Blitch: "Helping Families Thrive When Business is Personal" — released on January 11, 2021

Books:

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein

Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities, by Adam Kahane

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