Your Next Gen Friend: A Successor's Guide to Business Transition

Andrea Carpenter
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Your Next Gen Friend is the podcast for successors—whether you’re stepping into a family business, a privately held company, or simply the expectations tied to someone else’s legacy. I’m Andrea: G2, a successor in a privately owned business, and a guide for the next generation navigating identity, pressure, and purpose inside family systems. This show is for those of us in the in-between... honoring what came before while trying to build something that’s truly our own. Whether you’re blood family or the trusted non-family leader stepping in, this is your space for real conversations about what it actually means to succeed, on your terms. You’re not alone in this. And I hope that makes all the difference.

  1. 2d ago

    The Weight of a Secret You Never Asked to Keep

    When Meredith Lowe was seventeen, her dad's company went public and her family became wealthy overnight. She was also told the family didn't talk about it, so she carried the secret alone through college, friendships, dating, and decades of adult life. In this conversation, Andrea and Meredith compare notes as fellow G2s on what secrecy does to a young person's sense of belonging, why the legal paperwork is only half the plan, and what it costs a family when the emotional side gets skipped. Meredith shares the story of her dad's fall six years ago and the crisis her family walked into without his wishes written down. That regret now fuels her work as a somatic coach helping new money families open their communication lines before something forces the conversation. She and Andrea also name something inheritors rarely hear out loud, that wealth doesn't disqualify you from struggle, and your trauma isn't less real because you have money. In this episode: Why "we don't talk about it" shapes an inheritor's identity long after childhoodWhat Meredith's dad got right with estate planning and the one piece that was missingHow somatic coaching accesses what the logical mind talks itself out ofThe crisis plan conversation every family owes itself before a health event forces itOne self-reflection exercise a Next Gen can try this week Connect with Meredith: Website: safehavenlegacyadvisory.comLinkedIn: Meredith Leigh Lowe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithleighdotcom/ Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com/ Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend Andrea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/ 🎙️ Our Sister Show: The Business Transition Roadmap Hosted by Elizabeth Ledoux, The Business Transition Roadmap is for business owners planning the transition of their company. If you're the generation on the other side of the table, this show is for you. Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3MxSYA2 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux 🎵 Music Credits Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    The Weight of a Secret You Never Asked to Keep

  2. Aug 27

    The Voice Telling You You're Not Worthy Might Be Your Own

    What if the person doubting your readiness isn't your father at all? In this episode, Andrea sits down with Abhinav Jindal, an empowerment coach who works with second generation family business leaders, and a second gen himself. Abhinav's family has been in business for over a hundred years, and his own path took him from managing a jungle resort in India to building a coaching practice in Canada while staying involved in the family business by choice. Abhinav shares why positive thinking kept falling apart at the first roadblock, how releasing unresolved emotions changed his relationships and his leadership, and the two beliefs he sees in almost every second gen he works with. I'm not worthy. I'm not enough. He explains how those beliefs sabotage the very conversations next gens most want to get right, including the one where you ask for a bigger role at the table. What You'll Hear in This Episode: Joining the family business right out of university and earning his father's trust earlyHow a manifestation course in 2019 started his personal work, and where it fell shortWhy conditioning and positive self-talk collapse at the first roadblockThe two beliefs that show up in almost every second gen he coachesHow "I'm not worthy" sabotages conversations before they even startWhat being in the family business by choice actually looks like day to dayHow he communicated his part-time role to his father with calm instead of assumptionOne mindset every second gen can adopt this week Connect with Abhinav Jindal Website: https://cydir.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinavjindal47/ Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com/ Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend Andrea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/ 🎙️ Our Sister Show: The Business Transition Roadmap Hosted by Elizabeth Ledoux, The Business Transition Roadmap is for business owners planning the transition of their company. If you're the generation on the other side of the table, this show is for you. Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3MxSYA2 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux 🎵 Music Credits Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    The Voice Telling You You're Not Worthy Might Be Your Own

  3. Aug 13

    What a Real Two-Generation Transition Looks Like from the Next Gen Seat

    What does a real two-generation transition feel like when you're the one waiting on a timeline? In this special replay episode, Andrea Carpenter and Elizabeth Ledoux join Family Business Magazine for a live webinar on designing a win-win-win handoff, a transition where the transitioner, the successor, and the business itself all get what matters most to them. They introduce two of TTS's core tools, the Transition Compass (the why, what, who, when, how, and how much) and the Objectives Matrix, and explain why assumptions, not conflict, are usually what derail a family transition. Then Laurie and Brad Irish-Jones of Irish Family Companies, a fourth-generation family business founded in 1932, join to share their own story from both sides of the table. Laurie, the former CEO, describes what it felt like to be one of five sisters running the business together in their fifties with no clear timeline for who was leaving when. Brad, from the next generation, describes the frustration of deal fatigue, the consultants that didn't work, and what it took for sixteen grandchildren across the family to prepare as a unit before the handoff. Together they discuss what held the family together through the harder conversations, what it actually felt like to let go, and what they would tell any family standing where they once stood. Zach Needles of Family Business Magazine moderates an extended audience Q&A covering board governance, sibling disagreement over who wants in, and how often a transition plan needs to be revisited once it's built. If you're a next gen wondering when your family will finally put a date on the calendar, this one is for you. Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com/ Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend Andrea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/ 🎙️ Our Sister Show: The Business Transition Roadmap Hosted by Elizabeth Ledoux, The Business Transition Roadmap is for business owners planning the transition of their company. If you're the generation on the other side of the table, this show is for you. Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3MxSYA2 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux 🎵 Music Credits Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    What a Real Two-Generation Transition Looks Like from the Next Gen Seat

  4. Jul 30

    Buying the Family Business and the Flywheel Every Family Has

    What does it take to go from working in your parent's business to owning it? In this episode, Andrea Carpenter sits down with Michael Palumbos, founder of Family Business Flywheel and host of the Family Biz Show. Michael grew up watching his father serve family businesses starting in the 1970s, built on a philosophy of serve first, last, and always. When the time came for his own transition in 2018, Michael bought the family business clients from his dad while his dad's partner took the executives and retirees. It cost more than his house, and he still says he would have paid more. Michael and Andrea dig into the parts of a transition that rarely make it into the paperwork. How Michael stepped away from his dad's business to build his own approach, then came back to the table as a buyer. Why splitting a book of business based on what mattered most to each person created a deal everyone could live with. And what happened when a client relationship shifted late in the process and Michael had to decide what his true deal breakers were. They also break down Michael's flywheel framework. Every family business is balancing three pieces: the business itself, the wealth it creates, and the family behind it all. The business and the investments get one to two percent a year in fees to protect and grow them. Michael's question for every family is what percent they are investing back into the family as an asset class, so they can lead together for generations. For next gens wondering how to start the conversation, Michael's advice is to do things together. Share a podcast episode with your parents and ask what they think. Get involved with a family business center. Attend a webinar side by side. It might be a slow burn, and that is okay. In this episode: How Michael's father built a family business practice on service, starting at Connecticut General in the 1970sThe 2018 transition, twenty percent down, four years of payments, and why it mattered that it was not a giftSplitting a book of business with a non-family partner based on what each person valued mostThe late-stage revenue shift that almost broke the deal, and how Michael found his way back to itThe flywheel: the business, the family business family office, and sustainable family legacyWhy success creates complexity, and what happens when advisors are not talking to each otherOpting in and opting out: participating in the family even when the business or the wealth is not your pathMichael's challenge to next gens: find three podcasts and three books, one each on business, wealth, and family Connect with Michael Palumbos Family Business Flywheel: https://familybusinessflywheel.com/ The Family Biz Show podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1p4Vk6sClOxp54sAGsI8w6?si=4c540c7cc8fa4be3 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpalumbos/ Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/ Subscribe to Your Next Gen Friend on your favorite podcast player: Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Our Sister Show: The Business Transition Roadmap Hosted by Elizabeth Ledoux, The Business Transition Roadmap is for business owners navigating succession, from the first conversation about what's next to the handoff itself. If you're the leading generation in this transition, this show is for you. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ddKWcqvaXd7hdsdzc2tWk Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    Buying the Family Business and the Flywheel Every Family Has

  5. Jul 16

    Not an Inheritor. A Steward: Alex Radler on Identity, Wealth, and What Comes Next

    What if the label "Gen 2" was never the point? In this episode, Andrea Carpenter sits down with Alex Radler, who grew up watching his family's wealth multiply through oil, gas, and real estate, and who spent his teenage years chasing the next car, the next party, the next thing, before a DUI at 22 sent him to Uganda and South Sudan for a year of service that changed everything. Alex opens up about the fractured relationship he had with his father growing up, the counseling it took to get to real forgiveness, and the moment on a trip to Africa when his dad finally told him he was proud of him, not for a smart investment, but for who he'd become. Andrea and Alex get into what it actually means to be a steward rather than an inheritor: how that shows up across five areas (money, time, network, influence, and wisdom), why patience matters more than speed when it comes to real impact, and what Alex tells young leaders in Africa about identity before anything else. They close with concrete advice for any next gen still waiting on access to family wealth: get honest people around you, root your choices in who you are before what you'll inherit, and don't let comfort become the whole goal. Connect with Alex Radler Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-r-b1583b97/ The Radler Foundation: http://radlerfoundation.org/ Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/ Subscribe to Your Next Gen Friend on your favorite podcast player: Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Our Sister Show: The Business Transition Roadmap Hosted by Elizabeth Ledoux, The Business Transition Roadmap is for business owners navigating succession, from the first conversation about what's next to the handoff itself. If you're the leading generation in this transition, this show is for you. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ddKWcqvaXd7hdsdzc2tWk Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    Not an Inheritor. A Steward: Alex Radler on Identity, Wealth, and What Comes Next

  6. Jul 2

    You're Going to Sit on the Opposite Side of the Table From Someone You Love

    There's a moment in every family business transition where you're going to look at someone you love and realize you want something different than what they want. Not in a small way. In a way that makes the whole deal feel like it might not work. That's what this episode is about. Andrea recorded this one solo after leading an Evolve Group Lab on the same topic that morning. She walks through what it means to sit on opposite sides of the table from someone in your family or your business, why that's not only normal but inevitable if your transition is a real one, and what happens when people stop talking because they're afraid of the disagreement. She also gets into the specific tensions that show up on each side. Transitioners are dealing with identity, security, control, and the fear of letting go. Successors are dealing with autonomy, financial pressure, confidence, and the fear of disappointing people. And a lot of the time, neither side realizes what the other is carrying. Andrea shares a personal example from her own transition with Elizabeth and offers a reframe that might change how you approach your next hard conversation: it's not me versus you. It's us versus the problem. Key takeaways from this episode: If your transition is a real transition, you are going to end up on opposite sides of the table from someone you care about. That's not a sign something is wrongThe table isn't always two-sided. Multiple successors, married co-owners, and business partners can all be sitting at different angles with different prioritiesTransitioners carry fears around identity, security, legacy, and control. Successors carry fears around autonomy, finances, capability, and disappointing peopleWhen tension shows up, people tend to walk away from the table, crawl under it, or lunge over it. None of those responses move the transition forwardThe most dangerous thing isn't disagreement. It's when people stop talking and assumptions start to fill the gapsWhen someone gives you a hard no, stay curious about what's underneath it. Treat it like a door, not a wallYou don't have to figure out buy-sell agreements and valuations with lawyers first. You can work through the important pieces on your own or with a transition guide before you bring in the legal team Connect with Andrea: Instagram DM or email at yournextgenfriend@gmail.com Book a 30-minute call to talk through how to position these conversations in your family. Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/ Subscribe to Your Next Gen Friend on your favorite podcast player: Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    You're Going to Sit on the Opposite Side of the Table From Someone You Love

  7. Jun 18

    I Was an Unprepared Inheritor and I'm Not the Only One

    What happens when you grow up knowing your family is comfortable but nobody ever tells you what that actually means? And then one day in your thirties, you start learning about trusts and structures and tax implications that have been there the whole time? Celine Fitzgerald lived that. She's a G3 family member whose dad was CEO of their family's bank when a liquidity event happened in 1994. She was eight. Everyone kind of went their own way after that, and the conversation about what it all meant just never really happened. Celine spent her twenties in New York and Milan, working in fashion and luxury retail, and it wasn't until she went back for her MBA at 31 that she stumbled into the world of family business, family office, and wealth stewardship. In this episode, Andrea and Celine talk about what it's like to be an unprepared inheritor and the steep learning curve that comes with it. They get into the entitlement myth (spoiler: neither of them has ever met an entitled rising gen), what it looks like to bring a spouse into the family enterprise, and why communication and having grace for the leading gen might be the most important things you can practice this week. Key takeaways from this episode: Being an unprepared inheritor is more common than you'd think, and the learning curve in your thirties is steep when nobody talked about it earlierThe rising gens showing up to do this work aren't entitled. They want to be seen, heard, and given a chance to be responsible stewardsIf you don't know what's in your trust or how it impacts your life, you're allowed to ask. Frame it around education and what you're learning on your ownIntegrating a spouse into the family enterprise is deeply personal and every family does it differently, but openness early on makes everything easierLeading gens often don't know where to start either. Sometimes your questions actually take pressure off of themHave grace for the generation above you. They're doing this without a playbook too Connect with Celine Fitzgerald Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celine-fitzgerald-3603a18/ In Three Generations Website: https://www.inthreegenerations.com/ Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/ Subscribe to Your Next Gen Friend on your favorite podcast player: Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    I Was an Unprepared Inheritor and I'm Not the Only One

  8. Jun 4

    Entitlement. Isolation. Plans.

    Season 2 is here. Andrea kicks things off solo with a look at what she's been hearing from next gens over the past year, across dozens of calls and conversations. Three patterns keep showing up. The first is the entitlement myth. Parents and founders worry their kids will feel entitled to the business or the wealth. But when Andrea sits down with next gens, the feelings underneath are almost always shame, guilt, and confusion. Jake Knight put it directly: the next gens he meets don't feel they deserve anything. They don't even know how to talk about it with their friends. When curiosity gets labeled as entitlement, next gens stop asking questions altogether, and that's when they actually end up unprepared. The second pattern is isolation. Wealth, inheritance, family business dynamics: these aren't things most people can bring up with their college roommate or their coworker. Andrea shares her own experience of meeting her first real peer at a Tiger 21 conference and the relief of realizing someone else understood. That same feeling has come up with Evolve clients who are non-family successors buying into a business. The "you get this too?" moment matters more than most people realize. The third pattern is about clarity. Successors aren't asking for a polished strategy deck. They want any plan at all. One discovery call participant said they just wanted to know if there's something with thought behind it, instead of being completely in the dark. Andrea connects this to the entitlement theme: asking for a roadmap can feel like overstepping, so people stop asking, and that's when disengagement starts. TTS uses tools like timelines, objectives, and matrices in Evolve to get everything on the table so successors can make informed decisions about their participation. Andrea closes with a reminder: if you're a successor, you're not the only one. That's the whole point of this podcast. Connect with Andrea: Instagram DM or email at yournextgenfriend@gmail.com Book a 30-minute call to talk through how to position these conversations in your family. Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend: Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/ Subscribe to Your Next Gen Friend on your favorite podcast player: Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

    Entitlement. Isolation. Plans.
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Your Next Gen Friend is the podcast for successors—whether you’re stepping into a family business, a privately held company, or simply the expectations tied to someone else’s legacy. I’m Andrea: G2, a successor in a privately owned business, and a guide for the next generation navigating identity, pressure, and purpose inside family systems. This show is for those of us in the in-between... honoring what came before while trying to build something that’s truly our own. Whether you’re blood family or the trusted non-family leader stepping in, this is your space for real conversations about what it actually means to succeed, on your terms. You’re not alone in this. And I hope that makes all the difference.

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