Family Love and Legacy
Find a flexible balance between relationship and business, opportunity and obligation, & love and work.
Three levels of engagement
I help families integrate two critical tasks: 1) the emotional, nurturing work of relationships and 2) the rational, analytical work of strategic family decision making. I offer the following suite of engagements for families:
2-day intensive
Make collaborative decisions on critical questions that uphold your family’s values, foster deeper connections, and lay the foundation for a lasting legacy.
3-month process
Surface values, address contradictions, strengthen bonds, and make wise, values-aligned decisions that shape family legacy for generations to come.
Dedicated advisor
Through an ongoing relationship, I help your family cultivate mindsets, skills, and structures to make wise, values-aligned decisions that foster family wellbeing.
Joyful Stewardship convenings help families clearly and respectfully discuss and resolve sensitive issues. The following are examples of the Joyful Stewardship approach in action.
Inviting spouses or partners into family philanthropy
Whether and how to invite spouses and partners into family philanthropy are intimate choices. Every family is different. Every spouse and partner is different. The family is the best judge of how to approach their particular circumstances.
How might philanthropic families excel at the emotional and relational dynamics that promote healthy families and healthy family foundations?
Joyful Stewardship approach
This guide offers one example of applying joyful stewardship to this important question. It places the relationship at the center of the invitation and emphasizes discernment. The guide covers important dynamics the family will need to consider, illuminated by a fictional scenario to help “make it real” and prompt reflection.
Stewarding generational wealth transfer
A family has built a successful multi-million dollar business over three generations. As the founding couple prepares to retire, tensions have arisen between their two children about the future direction of the company. One wants to take the business in a new strategic direction, while the other prefers to maintain the status quo.
Their differing visions have led to heated arguments, hurt feelings, and a breakdown in communication. The family knows that the future they want for their business is one where family love is prioritized. The emotional relationship dynamics will make-or-break any strategic business choice. They decide to engage a Joyful Stewardship facilitator to guide them.
Joyful Stewardship approach
The facilitator helps create a safe space for open and honest dialogue, ensuring all voices are heard. Through this process, the family is able to surface their underlying concerns, build empathy, and ultimately reach a compromise that balances the needs of the business with the family’s legacy. This allows for a smoother transition of leadership to the next generation
Balancing work, family, and philanthropy
A family has built a successful family foundation to manage their substantial philanthropic initiatives. However, the demands of running the foundation, along with their individual business and personal commitments, have left the family feeling stretched thin and disconnected. Tensions are rising as they struggle to find the right balance.
Joyful Stewardship approach
The family decides to engage a Joyful Stewardship facilitator to help them have an open discussion about their priorities and how to better allocate their time and resources. Through this process, they are able to identify their foundational needs and individuals and as a family, allowing them to establish clear boundaries to protect family time.
They also delegate more foundation responsibilities to trusted staff, freeing up the family to focus on the aspects they find most meaningful. This allows the family to reignite their passion for their philanthropic work while also nurturing their personal relationships.
Navigating loss while preserving legacy
A high-net-worth family had always been close-knit, with the matriarch at the center, guiding the family’s business and philanthropic endeavors. However, when the matriarch passed away, the family was left reeling. Overwhelmed by grief and the daunting task of managing complex estates and businesses, the family began to drift apart.
Joyful Stewardship approach
Sensing their turmoil, a family office advisor recommended engaging a Joyful Stewardship facilitator. The facilitator guided the family through conversations to align on the matriarch’s vision, establish clear communication, organize the estate, and find meaning through shared activities.
Over time, the Joyful Stewardship process helped the family rediscover their unity, honor the matriarch’s legacy, and rekindle their deep bonds, finding comfort and strength in one another during this challenging transition.