By Chris Yonker
The podcast currently has 117 episodes available.
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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?
[19:11] Being in flow.
[21:22] The challenge-skill equation.
[25:00] Finding the balance.
[30:41] The 40-hour week.
[32:48] Forming growth rituals.
[37:19] The North Star.
[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]
“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: [email protected].
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: [email protected].
Irina Serebryakova.
www.chrisyonker.com.
Kristin Lytle is CEO of The Leader’s Edge and has significant experience in talent assessment, leadership development, succession planning, and organizational design. Over the span of her career, she has worked with top organizations, such as Vanguard, Kohler Company, Whirlpool, and Target.
Kristin has held leadership roles in business operations and human resources, in both domestic and global capacities, throughout her career. She has a proven track record for developing scalable and sustainable talent solutions that align with business priorities, while enabling leaders to unlock their full potential.
She has built a reputation for being a trusted partner to business leaders, by focusing on pragmatic solutions that drive measurable results.
Kristin is an experienced executive coach, dynamic presenter, and skilled facilitator.
What You’ll Learn
● How to develop good leaders.
● Why regulation and self-awareness are important.
● How to navigate family business secession.
● How to cultivate leadership skillsets.
Timestamps
· [04:50] A bit about Kristin’s journey.
· [07:37] Giving access to the right people.
· [09:36] How to develop leaders on a limited budget.
· [16:39] Developing self-awareness and regulation.
· [20:20] Navigating family business secession.
· [30:07] The benefits of 360s.
· [35:26] Where’s the line?
· [39:16] The top emerging leadership skillsets.
Memorable Quotes
· “You have to have leaders who are capable of making good quality decisions.” – Kristin Lytle [12:11]
· “We can’t change what we don’t notice.” – Chris Yonker [15:44]
Websites
fambizforum.com.
the-leaders-edge.com.
www.linkedin.com/in/kristinlytle.
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.
The podcast currently has 117 episodes available.