The NextGen Mentor

Alexander von der Vellen
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This podcast is for you if you're a member of the next generation of a family connected to wealth. Not one of those who created it, but one of those who will one day inherit responsibility for it. It is based on the session notes of mentoring sessions I recently shared with a remarkable young woman, Clara, heiress to a substantial european enterprise, as she prepared herself to take more responsibility. If you have grown up around a family enterprise, significant capital, or a well known name, like she did, you may already have a sense that your life will be shaped by something you did not design. Expectations exist. Structures are in place. Decisions are being made. And yet very little is explained from your perspective. The short episodes offer real help on your journey. Across them we look at identity, pressure, governance, family dynamics, credibility, and the gradual shift from observer to participant. A new episode is uploaded every 2 days. I hope that they help.

  1. 13. The difference between good advice and comfortable advice

    1D AGO

    13. The difference between good advice and comfortable advice

    Not all advice is equal. Some reassures. Some reveals. In this episode, we explore why comfortable advice often leads in the wrong direction, and how well-exercised independent judgement improves decisions. Learn to question assumptions, understand consensus, and engage properly so the advice you will receive strengthens outcomes rather than simply reducing uncertainty.

    30 min
  2. 12. How to work successfully with advisors. The do's and don'ts

    3D AGO

    12. How to work successfully with advisors. The do's and don'ts

    Advisors are not just experts. They are part of the system around you, with their own incentives, perspectives, and influence. In this episode, you learn how to work with them without becoming dependent, how to ask better questions, and how to stay in control of decisions that will ultimately shape your life.

    29 min
  3. 11. How families can lose everything. Slowly. And how to prevent it

    5D AGO

    11. How families can lose everything. Slowly. And how to prevent it

    Most families do not lose wealth in a crisis. They lose it quietly, over time. In this episode, we explore the hidden process of decline: how small, reasonable decisions slowly drift off course. As complexity grows, clarity fades, responsibility blurs, and behaviour begins to shift. Avoidance, overconfidence, and passive reliance take hold. Nothing appears wrong, until it is. This episode unpacks the subtle patterns that erode capability and control, and shows why preserving wealth is not technical, but behavioural. Awareness, not brilliance, is what ultimately protects a family’s future.

    30 min
  4. 10. Governance. But without the jargon

    APR 30

    10. Governance. But without the jargon

    In this episode, we explore governance in family wealth, not as formal boards or structures, but as the lived reality of how decisions are actually made. Drawing on practical insight, he explains how influence, timing, and informal dynamics often shape outcomes long before any meeting takes place. The focus is not on changing the system, but on learning to observe it clearly. Over time, this awareness allows for more thoughtful participation and better decisions. Governance, in the end, is less about control and more about clarity, protecting both decision-making and the relationships that sit beneath it.

    29 min
  5. 9. Understanding how decisions really get made in groups

    APR 28

    9. Understanding how decisions really get made in groups

    Decisions are rarely made where you think they are. In this episode, I help my mentee break down what really drives outcomes: influence, informal conversations, timing, and human behaviour beneath the process. You will learn why meetings often confirm rather than decide, how power actually works, and how to find your place without forcing it. If you are about to step into responsibility, this will change how you listen, speak, and judge situations forever.

    25 min
  6. 8. Understanding risk and living a life between fear and overconfidence

    APR 26

    8. Understanding risk and living a life between fear and overconfidence

    In this episode, we reframe risk as behavioural, not mathematical. You’ll hear why caution can become avoidance, why confidence can hide blind spots, and how it's the small decisions that matter more than the large ones. If you’ve ever felt unsure when to speak, when to act, or when to step back, this episode gives you a clearer way to think. Not about avoiding risk, but about recognising it, understanding it, and responding with judgement.

    27 min
  7. 7. How do I live with this amount of wealth without being defined by it?

    APR 24

    7. How do I live with this amount of wealth without being defined by it?

    You grew up with wealth. But how much of what you’re building is actually yours? In this episode, we explore a question most people avoid: how to live with wealth without being defined by it. When does access help, and when does it quietly distort decisions? How do you separate what is yours from what the system makes easier? We look at the subtle ways wealth shapes perception, opportunity, and identity, often without you noticing. And how to stay grounded in social, professional, and personal situations. If you’ve ever wondered whether your path would still make sense without the wealth, this conversation is for you.

    28 min
  8. 6. Exactly how to build your own life without breaking (up with) the family

    APR 21

    6. Exactly how to build your own life without breaking (up with) the family

    You were born into a system you didn’t choose. But at some point, you have to decide how to live within it. In this episode, we move from understanding to decision-making. How do you build your own life without stepping away too far or being pulled in too quickly? How do you know if a choice is yours… or driven by expectation? We explore the small decisions that quietly shape independence, why saying no matters more than saying yes, and how timing is rarely ideal. If you feel caught between your own path and family expectations, this conversation will help you find your footing.

    27 min
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About

This podcast is for you if you're a member of the next generation of a family connected to wealth. Not one of those who created it, but one of those who will one day inherit responsibility for it. It is based on the session notes of mentoring sessions I recently shared with a remarkable young woman, Clara, heiress to a substantial european enterprise, as she prepared herself to take more responsibility. If you have grown up around a family enterprise, significant capital, or a well known name, like she did, you may already have a sense that your life will be shaped by something you did not design. Expectations exist. Structures are in place. Decisions are being made. And yet very little is explained from your perspective. The short episodes offer real help on your journey. Across them we look at identity, pressure, governance, family dynamics, credibility, and the gradual shift from observer to participant. A new episode is uploaded every 2 days. I hope that they help.

Information

  • Creator
    Alexander von der Vellen
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Alexander von der Vellen