Insights

Family Meeting Handbook Our principal Ruth Steverlynck wrote this handbook on Family Meetings while under contract with a large Financial Institution in Canada. It is now a favorite download at Family Office Exchange (FOX).   Family Meeting Handbook - View PDF >

Don Opatrny recently joined Kelly Willis Green on the Serious Coin podcast. Listen to the full episode.  

#4 - Forgiveness “Resentments do not punish the other person, they punish us. They become barriers to feeling good and enjoying life. Resentments are hardened chunks of anger. They loosen up and dissolve with forgiveness and letting go.” -Melody Beattie,The Language of Letting Go “Forgiveness is letting go of hope for a better past.” -I’m…

#3 - Forming New Habits “Making and breaking habits can be diabolically difficult... A lot of us try to make or break habits, we fail, and then we tell ourselves a whole story about how we are uniquely deficient in this regard, but there’s nothing wrong with you It just means you have to come…

#2- Letting Go of Blame to Find Agency “Alcoholism is a family disease I am no longer playing my old role in the alcoholic system, and so the entire family situation begins to change. Ironically, when I give up worrying about everyone else and focus on my own health, I give others the freedom to…

When addiction is present in one or more members of a family, it touches all members of the family, and is often unconsciously perpetuated by everyone. Thus, recovery is a process that can benefit everyone and is also everyone’s responsibility, and when individuals begin to change it can positively impact the entire family system. I…

Creating Impactful Learning Programs for Families - Greg Burrows, Ruth Steverlynck and Tom McCullough     Wealth of Wisdom In this episode of the Wealth of Wisdom podcast series, co-editor Tom McCullough interviews Greg Burrows and Ruth Steverlynck. Tom, Greg, and Ruth discuss their chapter "Creating Impactful Learning Programs for Families" and how having empowered,…

Ruth Steverlynck contributed to this week's edition of FFI Practitioner, sharing her diary of some insights she has acquired as a family enterprise advisor, and outlining key principles that have guided her work over the years. Click here to view more   

Family meetings play an important role in family business governance. They are an opportunity to grow the capacity of the family to meet challenges together as a family, and create space to succeed in what we refer to as “the task of family.” In this podcast, we sat down with Amelia Renkert-Thomas of Engaged Ownership…

A collaborative piece by Don Opatrny and Amelia Renkert-Thomas of Engaged Ownership BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH MONEY IS A LEARNED SKILL The more that parents talk openly with kids while reinforcing good money skills, the earlier kids will become confident and competent in their abilities to manage their financial capital. In our first installment, we set…

A collaborative piece by Don Opatrny and Amelia Renkert-Thomas of Engaged Ownership BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH MONEY IS A LEARNED SKILL The more you talk openly with your kids while reinforcing good money skills, the earlier your children will become confident and competent in their abilities to manage their financial capital. Below are a few areas…

   Do you feel guilty? In family business, you're not alone. Explore why... In this podcast, Don Opatrny and Keith Michaelson explore the way guilty feelings are operating for many in family business both in normal times and as they attempt to respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. In our work with business…

A story by Keith Michaelson, Don Opatrny and Mark Haranzo, published on WealthManagement Why is it that just mentioning the word “prenup” can evoke a negative reaction? Working together to develop a prenup can be one of the most valuable steps a couple can take to strengthen their relationship as they plan for married life.…

The following is an excerpt from Wealth of Wisdom: Top Practices for Wealth Families and Their Advisors by Tom McCullough and Keith Whitaker (Wiley, 2022). The chapter is entitled Developmental Life Lessons for Grandchildren by William (Bo) and Suzanne Huhn. "As we all know, wonderful things sometimes grow out of the most painful experiences. In…

In bedrooms around the world couples are talking, and when one member of the pair leads a family business, the influence from the other side of the pillow is often underestimated.  Whether they run mom-and-pop stores or global businesses, what spouses are saying to each other matters. The intimate bonds between partners give them access…

"Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery." H. Jackson Brown, Jr. gave his son this piece of advice as he was going off to college, and it later became a part of his best seller, Life's Little Instruction Book. While choosing a mate…

When should I talk to my children about their inheritance? How much is too much to give?  How do I know if they are ready?  And what if they aren't? If you are like most of our wealthy clients, questions about the impact of financial inheritance on future generations weigh heavily on your mind.  In…

When you are upset and someone offers mindful attention and is truly present, you naturally open up to them. This kind of interaction results in positive feelings of being cared for, without the other person having to offer any words of advice. The greater the intensity of your feelings, the greater your gratitude for a…