Episode Summary:In this episode of The Enclave Podcast, host Jake Knight welcomes Dr. Michele Mikeska Jaffe, a renowned relationship and wealth psychologist. Dr. Jaffe specializes in helping individuals, couples, and multi-generational families navigate the complex emotional terrain influenced by financial wealth. With a unique blend of entrepreneurial experience and expertise in clinical psychology, she provides insights into how wealth impacts identity, autonomy, and relationships across generations.

Key Topics Discussed:

• ​Dr. Jaffe’s Background: From her upbringing in Texas and a career in strategic design at The New York Times to pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology, Dr. Jaffe’s journey illustrates the intersection of wealth, identity, and relationships.
• ​Impact of Wealth on Identity: Dr. Jaffe explores how financial wealth influences self-perception and relationship dynamics, particularly in financially diverse marriages and ultra-high-net-worth families.
• ​Challenges for Rising Generations: The conversation touches on the unique challenges faced by rising generations in wealthy families, including the struggle for identity, the pressure of expectations, and the complex relationship with inherited wealth.
• ​Role of Curiosity and Integration: Dr. Jaffe emphasizes the importance of curiosity, integration of family values, and finding personal meaning in wealth as key components of a healthy relationship with money.
• ​Women and Wealth: Dr. Jaffe shares her research on the experiences of women who inherit wealth, highlighting the relational versus transactional nature of wealth and the evolving role of women in managing and defining their financial legacy.
• ​Family Systems and Wealth: Discussion on the dynamics of family systems, how wealth can amplify conflicts, and the importance of creating spaces for self-expression and diverse conversations within families.
• ​Advice for Wealth Advisors: Dr. Jaffe offers insights into how wealth advisors and family offices can better serve rising generations by establishing connections, asking the right questions, and understanding the developmental stages of their clients.

Memorable Quotes:

◦"It's not stepping away from, but actually moving towards with everything I have that has helped me learn who I am."

◦"Success in my mind is being able to really take things in and enjoy in a way that I can cultivate and design. It's really the ability to be present"

◦"Wealth has always historically been very transactional, but women are really relational—now they’re coming together and interacting in a different way."

Connect with Dr. Michele Mikeska Jaffe:

• ​Visit Dr. Jaffe’s Website
• ​Connect on LinkedIn

Join the Enclave Community:

• ​Visit joinenclave.com to learn more about the Enclave community and join other rising gens on their growth journeys.