The Easemakers Podcast

Nick Washburn fell into private service at 18 years old, when he landed a job on a groundskeeping team. Since then, he's grown in his career to become an ultra-high net worth estate manager who oversees properties in New York City, Washington, DC, Westchester and Martha's Vineyard.

In his current role, he manages 15 properties and a wide range of assets, including 2 equestrian facilities, 3 rentals, private jet hangers, and a private pier, as well as 15 staff members and more than 100 contractors. In this conversation, he shares how he worked his way up to manage a complex and diverse portfolio, his tips for anyone overseeing a wide range of private service professionals (from tenured housekeepers to tile artisans), and how a shift in mindset and approach led to an uptick in morale for his staff and vendors.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

How do you know when to bring up conversations around healthcare, and how to minimize risk as you navigate health-related situations with your principals?

In this conversation, Wellworth Founder & CEO John Samuels explores what’s behind the curtain in healthcare – and how estate managers can support their principals in dealing with emergencies, illnesses, and aging.

Tune in to hear signs to watch for that might tell you something is wrong, and his advice for bringing up and working through this sensitive topic. 

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

How do you recognize a great family office, and choose the right environment for a long term role?

In his role as a Partner at the retained executive search firm Mack International, Brian Adams vets family offices every day, and he knows the signs of a strong organization. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, we explore the commonalities between successful family offices, and how to recognize a high performing, well-organized family office when you’re looking for a long-term fit. 

Tune in to hear questions to ask and red flags to look for when you’re interviewing, as well as Brian's take on the importance of a family's shared sense of purpose.

Plus, be sure to check out Mohamed's interview on A Modern Approach to Estate Management on Brian's show, The Mack Podcast!

Melissa Winstead spent 15 years as a private chef before moving into an estate management role, and in a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast, she's sharing how her experience in the kitchen serves her in her role today.

Tune in to hear the story of Melissa's career in private service and what she's learned along the way. Melissa shares what surprised her after making the switch, what she loves about working in an estate management role, and where she hopes her career will take her next.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

How do you find the right private chef for your household staff? Should you look for someone with Michelin star experience, or a deep knowledge of specific cuisines? And, how can you set a new chef up for success?

In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Marc Sorensen Leandro shares his tips for hiring managers based on his experience as a private chef turned recruiter. Tune in to hear his take on how to find the right private chef for your principals, what to look for in private chef candidates, and how to help a new private chef get up to speed quickly.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

Looking for inspiration for creating a luxury travel experience for your principals?

Ryan Rudolph, Co-Founder of Luxurious Getaways, joins us in a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast to share what's trending in high-end travel, from today's most popular types of travel to the simple touches that make an experience special. Tune in to hear his insider tips for booking travel, ideas for crafting a creative experience, advice for security planning before a trip, and more.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

In today's high tech estates, it's critical that both principals and household staff know where to turn when something goes wrong.

In a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Modern Life Technical Solutions Founder & CEO Juliet Prater shares her tips for building a technical estate manual. Tune in to hear why technical estate manuals are so important, what goes into them (and how specific you should be when documenting technology), and how the process of putting together a technical estate manual can create opportunities to learn more about the technology you manage.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

Hiring a team of private service professionals for your principal? Whether you're starting from scratch or inheriting a team, Brittany Dolin shares her tips for hiring managers in a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast.

Tune in to hear Brittany's tips for conducting an audit before you start the hiring process, the questions she asks every principal, and why she takes a matchmaking approach to hiring.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

How can an endowment help a family preserve a legacy property?

Mark Richards, a Principal at the independent life insurance brokerage firm Winged Keel Group, has spent decades helping families preserve their assets, and in this conversation, he shares the value of endowing legacy properties and how estate managers can support their principals in the process. Tune in to hear his take on how an endowment can help cover ongoing maintenance, the benefits of endowments when it comes to family dynamics, and tips for estate managers who want to start the conversation.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.

Can a car also be an office, a gathering place, a space to relax? 

Becker Automotive Design creates custom vehicles for VIPs in government, tech, Wall Street, Hollywood, sports and more from all over the world — always striving to say yes when clients pose creative challenges with the question, "this is great, but can you...?"

In a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Howard Becker digs into the challenges principals are trying to solve around transportation and what goes into creating a custom vehicle to meet their needs.

Subscribe to the Easemakers Podcast to hear from more experts in the private service industry, and join the Easemakers community to talk to other estate managers and PSPs on a regular basis.  Enjoying the Easemakers Podcast? Leave us a rating and a review telling us about your favorite episodes and what you want to learn next!

The Easemakers Podcast is presented by Nines, modern household management software and services built for private service professionals and the households the support.