On this edition of Ebb and Flow, we address a common and dangerous gap in estate plans of all shapes and sizes. With all the focus on the legal and financial aspect of trusts and estate—or the how of wealth transfer—many forget to consider the all important why. Our guest, Susan Turnbull, is the founder and Principal of Personal Legacy Advisors and an authority on the ethical will and its remarkably effective role as a non-binding complement to the overall estate plan. Turnbull explains the concept and the process of this 1000 year old approach to intentionally communicating one’s values, lessons, and thanks to the ultimate recipients of your wealth and to those tasked with overseeing it.

We speak with Rebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe about her company's work to help young women navigate an ever more challenging world in which a well-documented confidence gap between girls and boys has been compounded by the pandemic, cyber-bullying, and many other factors. Beyond Jes and team’s mission to “revolutionize girlhood through courage and confidence,” we also discuss the business model of this certified B-Corp and women owned business, the current climate in the world of start ups, and the evolving ways young people are engaging with great content today.

If you’ve wondered how to get your name on the back of a navy destroyer, you’ll want to listen carefully to this edition of Ebb and flow. Our guest Paul Ignatius has indeed checked that box, and while we speak to him about that experience we also focus on the fascinating life journey that has taken this 102 year young son of Armenian immigrants from a childhood in Glendale, CA, to Harvard Business School, to the pacific theater in WWII, to the most senior levels of US government where he served in roles including Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense. And while many might rest on those laurels, Secretary Ignatius went on to become President of the Washington Post. We cover all of this and also hear this remarkable man’s take on the current world order and his hopes and expectations for the future.

We speak with two accomplished architects about their fascinating, complex, and essential profession. Weezie Smith and Jennifer DuHamel both attended the same storied architecture School in New Haven, CT… but then took very different paths on their way to successful careers on opposite coasts. In a captivating conversation, Smith and Duhamel share their perspective on what first drove them to architecture, what advice they’d give those considering this career, the influences on their work, the dynamics of good and bad client relationships, and how the industry has evolved over time. And because I couldn’t resist, I asked our guests to name their favorite three architects of all time. The answers may surprise you!

This month, we explore the concept of the Community Foundation and how these organizations can help the charitably inclined put their resources to work for the benefit of communities around the country. Our guests are Jay Williams and Deborah Rothstein, the President and Vice President for Development for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in America. We ask Jay and Deborah to explain what makes the community foundation model so impactful, what draws individual donors, family foundations, and corporations to this approach, and what progress organizations like HFPG are making toward addressing major issues like structural racism in the Hartford community and beyond.

Facing a renewed period of volatility, we talk about preparing for and behaving during challenging market conditions. We use some bad words like volatility, correction, and bear market... not to scare our listeners but to address head-on these realities of investing and to emphasize that for responsible investors there are ways to prepare portfolios and mindsets to weather the inevitable storms. For this topic, we welcome seasoned investor and close colleague Ashley Martella, Long River Wealth Management Partner and Head of our investment committee.

This month on Ebb and flow, we continue our year ahead discussion, expanding from the topic of equities in our last episode to the outlook on the broader investment landscape. For this we turn to UBS Chief Investment Officer in the Americas, Solita Marcelli. Solita leads the Chief Investment Office team here in the united states and in that capacity works to bring together market and investment insights for the benefit of UBS clients around the world. In our conversation, I ask Solita about the key drivers she anticipates for 2022…a year that her team has described as playing out in two halves. I also ask Solita to take us further into the future with a look at some key opportunities and risks in the decade ahead. Not an easy question to answer, but that’s why we’re talking to one of Wall Street’s top investment experts.

This month on Ebb and flow, we are looking ahead, specifically to the year ahead for equity markets. For this outlook we turn to the Head of Equities in the Americas for UBS Global Wealth Management - one David Lefkowitz. David’s 25 year career as an equity strategist has taken him from the Warton School of Business to Credit Suisse to Goldman Sachs to, I’m thankful to say, the UBS Chief Investment Office. We ask David for his views on market drivers like economic growth, the US consumer, and corporate earnings…and on market risks like inflation, potential policy errors, and COVID itself. We also touch on broader thematic opportunities coming into focus around energy transformation and infrastructure spending and get this CFA’s thoughts on the approach to investing in markets at or near record highs.

Michael McDonald’s professional journey began selling t-shirts on the road for a then relatively unknown Dave Matthews Band. He toured with and tour managed that act for seven years, learning the trade before co-founding a record label and then his own artist management company. That company, Mick Management, now counts among its clients talented performers such as WALK THE MOON, Leon Bridges, Carly Rae Jepsen, David Gray, Mandy Moore, Maisy Stella, and Jon Batiste – among many others. In our conversation, Michael shares the story of his first big break and also describes aspects of his work, including the complex dynamic between manager and artist, the forces changing the music industry, and the heavy psychological burdens on performers today.

This month we examine the topic of infrastructure in America as congress considers and debates not one but two infrastructure bills. Our guest is Shane Lieberman, of the UBS US Office of Public Policy, who describes the history of infrastructure efforts past, the trajectory for the two bills under consideration, the politics at play, public perception, and the closely watched questions of funding and changes to the tax code.