Legacy Builders: Strategies for Building Successful Family Enterprises

  1. 3d ago

    Strong Roots, Room to Grow: The Individual Side of Family Succession

    In this episode, we’re joined by Perry Gladstone, a confidential coach, advisor, and family enterprise transition specialist at Perry Gladstone Consulting. Drawing on his experience building and selling Limited Snowboards and reinventing himself along the way, Perry brings a personal understanding to the decisions facing founders and rising-generation leaders. Our conversation considers how unspoken expectations influence the roles family members accept, what it means to honour a legacy while retaining personal choice, and why founders need support in discovering who they want to be as their responsibilities change. We also discuss Perry’s approach to an “individual succession plan” and how greater clarity about each person’s aspirations can inform governance and transition planning. Perry invites us to consider how families can make space for honest conversations about identity, purpose, and what comes next, giving each person the opportunity to contribute in a way that is meaningful to them. About Perry Gladstone Perry Gladstone is a confidential advisor and thinking partner to a small number of founders, family enterprise leaders, and people who change the world. He has done this work since 2010. Before that, he founded Limited Snowboards, which he grew into Canada's largest snowboard brand and sold. He also co-founded the branding agency Brand & Tonic, produced music videos for Sony Music and radio documentaries for CBC Radio, set a Canadian national freediving record, and toured three albums as the recording artist Prince Perry. He is the author of FAST & HOT: How to Open Hearts, Win Minds and Create a Better Life in Business and founding partner of The Moonshot Collective. He is also a member of Genius Network and the Leaders Council at the Ultra High Net Worth Institute. He lives in Toronto. Resources discussed in this episode: FAST & HOT: How to Open Hearts, Win Minds and Create a Better Life in Business (Storymine Press, 2012)Separate Coaches, Shared Vision, on parallel coaching, with Doug BaumoelThe Person in The Plan (white paper for The Ultra High Net Worth Institute) The Transition Trap (white paper)Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comPodcast: Legacy Builders Strategies for Building Successful Family EnterpriseContact Perry Gladstone | Perry Gladstone Consulting: Website: perrygladstone.com | transitiontrap.comInstagram: @perrygladstoneLinkedIn: Perry GladstoneEmail: perry@perrygladstone.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Strong Roots, Room to Grow: The Individual Side of Family Succession

  2. Sep 25

    The Succession Rehearsal: Testing Readiness Before the Moment Arrives

    In this episode, Cory Gagnon joins Gavin Brower and Gerry Meyer to discuss what really shapes a successful transition inside a family enterprise. Expectations around leadership, ownership, timing, and readiness can easily drift apart when they remain unspoken. One generation may be thinking about succession while another is still deciding whether they want a role at all. Gavin and Gerry explore how families can surface those differences earlier, create clearer accountability, and build enough trust to have the conversations that are often easiest to postpone. Drawing from their experience in organizational leadership, governance, succession, and family enterprise strategy, they look at what happens when vision has to move from intention into practice. The discussion touches on preparing successors, separating ownership from employment, creating formal development paths, making space for rising-generation leaders, and helping long-standing leaders rethink what stepping back can actually look like. Along the way, they return to a common thread: transition works better when families understand where they are going, what role each person is expected to play, and how progress will be measured. About Gavin Brauer Gavin is a versatile entrepreneur and Professional EOS Implementer who helps organizations across various industries, including health tech, manufacturing, consumer brands, professional services, and non-profits, to dream big and execute using a proven system for running a successful business. He has owned and operated three unique ventures: KindHuman Bicycles, which crafts high-performance bikes, runs a bike shop, and distributes custom cycling apparel; Pearl Interactives, a health-tech start-up co-founded with a children's hospital to develop video games that enable kids with disabilities to access wellness through play; and a turnaround business that ultimately did not succeed. Alongside his entrepreneurial pursuits and EOS implementation, Gavin collaborates with his father in managing their family office. Contact Gavin Brauer | EOS Worldwide:  Website: eosworldwide.com/gavin-brauer/LinkedIn: Gavin BrauerInstagram: @kindhuman_canuckEmail: gavin.brauer@eosworldwide.comAbout Gerry Meyer Gerry is the founder of Meyer Advisory Group. He is a highly experienced leader and enabler of organization effectiveness and transformation with 36+ years as an HR practitioner, consultant, and advisor. He provides trusted, authentic, and values-based leadership across a diverse range of business environments, including public and private sectors, family enterprises, non-profit, real estate, high-tech, and professional services industries. He advises on a broad range of business issues including HR and business strategic planning, executive/leadership recruitment, next-generation development and succession planning, talent acquisition and retention, employee performance development and high-potential programs, executive compensation and total rewards, and business and family governance.  His experience encompasses multiple business cycles in different industries, including upswings and downswings – seeing both growth and recessionary markets and addressing the realities of each. Gerry holds a CPHR (“Chartered Professional in Human Resources”) and FEA (“Family Enterprise Advisor”) designation as well as a Bachelor of Economics and Labour Relations from Carleton University.  Contact Gerry Meyer | Meyer Advisory Group  Website: meyeradvisorygroup.comLinkedIn: Gerry MeyerEmail: grjmeyer@meyeradvisorygroup.comPhone: (778) 980-0734  Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comResources discussed in this episode: Toronto Maple LeafsVision Traction OrganizerPatrick Lencioni Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Succession Rehearsal: Testing Readiness Before the Moment Arrives

  3. Sep 11

    The Resilience Tax: Why Family Businesses Invest Before They Need To

    In this episode, we’re joined by Devin DeCiantis, Managing Partner at Lansberg Gersick Advisors. Devin has spent years studying how family enterprises endure across generations, focusing on governance, risk, and resilience. Our conversation explores how culture and history shape the way families respond to uncertainty, why long periods of stability can create complacency, and what it means to build resilience before a crisis arrives deliberately. We also discuss intergenerational responsibility, migration, institutional trust, and the idea of paying a “resilience tax” today to strengthen an enterprise for tomorrow. Devin invites us to consider how families can prepare for a future that may look very different from the past, while building the capacity to adapt, endure, and continue across generations. About Devin DeCiantis Devin DeCiantis is a trusted advisor to the world’s leading family enterprises and the Managing Partner at Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA). With an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School and years of research into organizational continuity, Devin and his team help business families design robust governance systems that bridge the gap between short-term goals and long-term stewardship. He is the co-author of "The Enduring Enterprise" and the forthcoming book, "Governing Complex Family Enterprises: The Seven Drivers of Continuity". Resources discussed in this episode: The Enduring EnterpriseGoverning Complex Family Enterprises: The Seven Drivers of Continuity (Upcoming)Generation to Generation: Life Cycles of the Family BusinessSucceeding GenerationsJim GrubmanDennis Jaffe  Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comPodcast: Legacy Builders Strategies for Building Successful Family EnterpriseContact Devin DeCiantis | Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA) Website: lga.global LinkedIn: Devin Deciantis Newsletter: The Resilience Playbook NewsletterEmail: deciantis@lga.global Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Resilience Tax: Why Family Businesses Invest Before They Need To

  4. Aug 28

    Roots, Wings, and Responsibility: Developing the Judgment to Carry Family Decisions Forward

    In this episode, Cory Gagnon is joined by Judi Cunningham and Tom McCullough for a timely conversation on how families can make better decisions together. From estate plans to ownership transitions, it’s rarely the decisions themselves that hold families back; it’s the buildup around them. Roles are unclear. Assumptions go unspoken. And sometimes, one voice dominates when collaboration is what’s really needed. Judi and Tom share what gets in the way, and more importantly, how families can start moving forward with clarity, confidence, and trust. Pulling from years of experience in family systems, governance, and family office strategy, they offer practical tools for navigating complexity without losing momentum. Whether it’s building development plans for the next generation, turning good intentions into written agreements, or understanding who actually gets to decide what, this session is packed with insight. If your family is working through a transition or trying to avoid the next standstill, this conversation will help you create more alignment without overcomplicating the process. About Tom McCullough  Tom McCullough is Partner at Corient and Managing Director at The Ultra High Net-worth Institute, the leading Canadian multi-family office. He has spent over 35 years in the wealth management/family office field. Tom is a frequent speaker on issues relevant to families of wealth and is the co-author of Wealth of Wisdom: The Top 50 Questions Wealthy Families Ask and Family Wealth Management: 7 Imperatives for Successful Investing in the New World Order. He is an Adjunct Professor and Executive-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management MBA program. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Western University’s Ivey School of Business and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Wealth Management. He was recently awarded ‘Best Individual Contribution to Thought Leadership in the Wealth Management Industry’ by the 2020 Family Wealth Report Awards. Contact Tom McCullough | Corient Website: corient.com LinkedIn: Tom McCullough Email: tm@northwoodfamilyoffice.com About Judi Cunningham Judi Cunningham is the Founder and Senior Consultant at Trella Advisory Group, a consulting firm that works with family enterprises and families of wealth. With a Master’s in Family Systems Counseling and over 25 years of experience, she excels in navigating complex family dynamics and business challenges. Judi’s strategic insight and facilitation skills help families find alignment and address tough decisions. Judi is known for her innovative educational initiatives. She pioneered the Family Enterprise Advisor Program, establishing global standards for professional advisors. In addition to her for-profit work, Judi volunteers her time to support multi-generational family success. She serves as the Chair of the Board for the Purposeful Planning Institute, which helps advisors serve families of wealth and families in business. Contact Judi Cunningham | Trella Advisory Group Website: trella.ca LinkedIn: Judi Cunningham Twitter: TrellaAdvisoryGroup Email: judi.cunningham@trella.ca Phone: (604) 360-1516 Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Resources discussed in this episode Innerwealth RACI Model Wealth of Wisdom Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Roots, Wings, and Responsibility: Developing the Judgment to Carry Family Decisions Forward

  5. Aug 14

    Built to Bend: Creating Family Cultures That Can Change and Stay Connected

    In this episode, we’re joined by Katherine Bright, Family Enterprise Consultant at Trella Advisory Group. For nearly two decades, Kathy has helped family businesses navigate the decisions, relationships, and responsibilities that shape continuity across generations. Her work spans consulting, education, and board service, giving her a grounded understanding of the challenges families, boards, and advisors face when certainty gives way to change. Alongside her client work, she teaches and develops training for family enterprise professionals, focusing on leadership, succession, governance, strategy, risk, and productive family relationships. Our conversation explores the role curiosity can play when answers are not yet clear, including the fine line between anxiety and excitement, how families and boards respond to uncertainty, and what can emerge when failure is treated as part of growth. Kathy invites us to consider what becomes possible when families loosen their grip on certainty, ask better questions, and keep choosing one another even when the path forward is still taking shape. About Kathy Bright Katherine Bright is a Family Enterprise Consultant at Trella Advisory Group and has worked in the family enterprise world for nearly twenty years. As a consultant, educator, and board director, she works with family businesses to help them thrive across generations. In addition to supporting family enterprise clients, Kathy also guides advisory professionals, helping them better understand the complex needs of family business clients. From university teaching to tailored training programs for family enterprise advisors and family enterprises, Kathy’s expertise as an educator combines both technical guidance and strong interpersonal connections. She also brings extensive hands-on experience with strategy and governance through her service on multiple family business, government, and not-for-profit boards. Kathy is passionate about leadership, succession and continuity planning, strategy, risk management, governance structures, fiduciary responsibility, and helping families maintain positive and productive relationships within their enterprises. Resources discussed in this episode: Walt Whitman Built to Last by Jim Collins From Good to Great by Jim Collins Family Enterprise Canada Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Kathy Bright | Trella Advisory Group Website: www.trella.ca LinkedIn: Kathy Bright Email: kathy.bright@trella.ca  Phone: 604-617-0918 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Built to Bend: Creating Family Cultures That Can Change and Stay Connected

  6. Jul 31

    Inherited Vision, Unwritten Future: How the Next Generation Shapes What Comes Next

    In this episode, we’re joined by Kirby Rosplock, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Tamarind Learning. With more than 25 years of experience across family wealth, family business, and family office education, Kirby brings the perspective of an advisor, researcher, author, educator, and family member. Our conversation explores the often unspoken work of succession, including what happens when a founder has long been the final yes-or-no, how families prepare for decisions to be shared differently, and why the next generation needs a genuine invitation before responsibility begins to change hands. Kirby brings forward the human side of succession, reminding us that readiness is shaped not only by experience, but by trust, opportunity, and the space to grow beyond a founder’s shadow. Her perspective leaves us with a deeper understanding of why future leaders need more than a title before they are ready to carry responsibility. About Kirby Rosplock Kirby Rosplock, PhD, is the founder of Tamarind Partners, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Tamarind Learning, an online education platform for families, beneficiaries, and their advisors. With more than 25 years of experience across finance, family wealth, family business, and family offices, Kirby is recognized as an advisor, educator, researcher, author, and speaker. Her perspective is also personal: born into a complex enterprising family, she understands firsthand the responsibilities of being a beneficial owner, inheritor, fiduciary, board member, and operator. Kirby is the author of *The Complete Family Office Handbook* and *The Complete Direct Investing Handbook*, as well as numerous articles and research studies. Her work has received recognition from Family Wealth Report, the Family Wealth Alliance, and the Family Firm Institute. She holds degrees from Middlebury College, Marquette University, and Saybrook University, and continues to contribute to family office and family enterprise education through several faculty, board, and advisory roles. Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Kirby Rosplock | Tamarind Learning Website: TamarindLearning.com | TamarindPartners.com LinkedIn: Kirby Rosplock Email: Kirby@TamarindPartners.com Phone: 561-427-1330 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Inherited Vision, Unwritten Future: How the Next Generation Shapes What Comes Next

  7. Jul 17

    Return on Meaning: Rethinking Wealth Beyond Financial Capital

    In this episode, we’re joined by Grant Conroy, Portfolio Manager with Genus Capital Management, where he works with families as they think through wealth, purpose, and legacy. With nearly three decades in global financial markets, Grant brings both technical experience and a human perspective to his work. He helps families look beyond the numbers and consider how their wealth can support their purpose, their relationships, and the legacy they hope to build. Our conversation explores what it means to think about wealth not only as capital to manage, but as a resource that can shape how families live, connect, and make decisions over time. We talk about work ethic, motivation, and the moments that cause people to pause and reconsider what money is really meant to do. Along the way, Grant helps us consider family, lived experience, intuition, and the different forms of capital that shape how people define a meaningful legacy. About Grant Conroy Grant Conroy is a husband and father of three young children, and a Portfolio Manager with Genus Capital Management, serving families and clients across multiple generations. His belief that wealth is more than just a number on a statement shapes both his approach to wealth management and the way he works with clients.  With nearly three decades of experience in global financial markets, Grant has dedicated his career to helping families navigate the complexities of wealth with clarity, purpose, and perspective. His experience spans from working in Global Equity Markets at Goldman Sachs in London to advising clients across Canada. He is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the city he proudly calls home. Resources discussed in this episode: The Cycle of the Gift - Jay Hughes Family Enterprise Canada Symposium Family Enterprise Canada Purposeful Planning Institute Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Grant Conroy | Genus Capital Management:  LinkedIn: Grant Conroy Email: gconroy@genuscap.com  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Return on Meaning: Rethinking Wealth Beyond Financial Capital

  8. Jul 3

    The Architecture of Ownership: How Families Build Structures That Last

    In this episode of Legacy Builders Live, Cory Gagnon is joined by Cindy Radu and Leah Tolton to explore what it truly takes to build ownership structures that last. Together, they move beyond the technical aspects of trusts and shareholder agreements, highlighting how structure without shared understanding often falls short. They dive into the difference between preparing owners versus managers, why clarity around what’s owned (and how) matters, and how evolving governance builds resilience across generations. Throughout the conversation, a common thread emerges: enduring ownership isn't achieved through checklists or one-time planning. It's cultivated through intentional education, open dialogue, and collaborative advisor support. Whether you're navigating a leadership transition, aligning multigenerational interests, or rethinking how your family makes decisions, this episode offers timely insight into how families can move forward together, and on purpose. About Cindy Radu Cindy Radu is a family wealth transition advisor with over 30 years of global experience guiding families through complex succession, governance, and education strategies. Her multidisciplinary expertise in law, accounting, trusts, and governance allows her to support families in building effective ownership frameworks, strengthening intergenerational communication, and preparing rising generations for confident stewardship. Cindy works collaboratively with advisors to translate complex structures into clear, actionable steps tailored to each family’s unique needs. A champion of financial literacy and cross-generational education, Cindy serves as Chief Learning Officer (Canada) for Tamarind Learning and is actively involved in the global STEP community. Her work is grounded in clarity, empathy, and trust, shaped by her passion for mental health advocacy and her lived experience navigating the challenges of the Sandwich Generation. With every engagement, she helps families align values and vision, turning transition into opportunity. Contact Cindy Radu | Cindy Radu Advisory Ltd.:  Website: cindyradu.com LinkedIn: Cindy Radu Twitter: @radu_cindy Email: connect@cindyradu.com Phone: (403) 465-1926 About Leah Tolton Leah has practiced corporate law for 30 years, with extensive experience advising family-owned businesses, lending clients, and real estate clients on a broad range of matters including business agreements, tax planning, equipment leasing, mergers and acquisitions, real estate joint ventures, business structuring, and reorganizations. Her practice emphasizes serving ultra-high-net-worth families and their companies across critical areas such as corporate governance, succession planning, reorganizations, strategic planning, risk management, and navigating mergers, acquisitions, and sales transactions. Additionally, Leah negotiates and drafts commercial contracts, advises on private financing and syndicated lending arrangements, earned the Family Enterprise Advisor designation in 2023, and sits on the Board of Advisors of the Alberta Business Family Institute. This wide-ranging expertise and dedication to serving family enterprises equips Leah to provide tailored legal advice and counsel to family businesses seeking to establish continuity across generations. Contact Leah Tolton | Bennett Jones:  Website: bennettjones.com/ToltonLeah LinkedIn: Leah Tolton Email: toltonl@bennettjones.com Phone: (780) 917-4272  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Architecture of Ownership: How Families Build Structures That Last

  9. Jun 19

    The Next Chair: Governing Tomorrow, Next Generation Leadership in Family Enterprises

    In this special panel episode of Legacy Builders, Cory Gagnon is joined by Barb Schimnowsky and James Grieve for a focused conversation on how family enterprises can prepare for next-generation leadership. Drawing from their work in executive search, governance, succession planning, strategy, and family enterprise advising, Barb and James examine what leadership readiness looks like beyond age, title, or family position. They discuss how governance can clarify roles and decision-making, why succession conversations are often delayed, and what families can do before the transition becomes urgent. The conversation also looks at the balance between promoting from within and bringing in external leadership, the value of objective assessments, and the role mentorship, advisory boards, and structured development can play in preparing future leaders. Cory, Barb, and James also consider the importance of supporting founders as they step into new roles and adapt to a changing place within the enterprise. About Barb Schimnowsky Barb Schimnowsky is a partner at Watson and the leader of the firm’s board director and executive search practice. With more than 25 years of experience in executive search and human resources, she brings deep expertise in leadership selection, governance, and succession planning. Barb holds both the Certified Management Consultant and Family Enterprise Advisor designations, and is known for her ability to understand client needs and align them with exceptional leadership talent. She has led hundreds of successful placements across sectors and has twice been recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Abbotsford. Contact Barb Schimnowsky | Watson Board Advisors Website: https://www.watsoninc.ca/ | westviewsearch.ca LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/barbschimnowsky Email: barb@watsoninc.ca Phone: 604 859 8002 About James Grieve James Grieve is founder and principal at Catalyst Strategies Consulting and co-creator of Succession Ready, a practical approach to succession planning for founder-led businesses. He holds the Certified Management Consultant, Family Enterprise Advisor, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor designations. James works with organizations to uncover blind spots, reduce risk, and build long-term value, with a particular focus on family enterprises and Indigenous-owned businesses. His approach blends strategy, systems thinking, and customer service to help families and businesses navigate transition with greater clarity and purpose. Contact James Grieve | Catalyst Strategies Consulting Website: catalyst-strategies.com | valuedriver.ca LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamesnsgrieve Email: james@catalyst-strategies.com Phone: 17782146010 Resources discussed in this episode: Succession Ready 360-degree feedback Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Financial Management Ltd.:  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn Page: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Next Chair: Governing Tomorrow, Next Generation Leadership in Family Enterprises

  10. Jun 5

    Designing for the Life Ahead: How Homes Can Support Every Stage of Family Life

    In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Walker, founder and principal designer of Nuance Interior Design, where she creates deeply personalized, wellness-centred estates for families and family offices. With more than 20 years of experience and over 50 multimillion-dollar estates and compounds completed, Sarah brings a rare blend of sophisticated global taste, technical fluency, and systems thinking to her work. Her approach treats the home as a long-term operating system for health, relationships, recovery, focus, and multigenerational well-being. Our conversation explores what it means for a home to feel like a sanctuary while still supporting the full rhythm of everyday life.  We talk about how the spaces families live in can influence connection, rest, privacy, hosting, movement, and the way people feel when they walk through the door. Sarah reminds us that when a home is designed with care, it becomes a place that helps a family exhale, feel supported, and return to what matters most. About Sarah Walker Today, we’re joined by Sarah Walker, Founder and Principal Designer of Nuance Interior Design. Sarah creates deeply personalized, wellness-centred estates for families and family offices, homes designed not just to impress, but to restore, connect, and support real life. With more than 20 years of experience and over 50 multimillion-dollar estates and compounds completed, Sarah brings a rare blend of global design, sophisticated taste, technical fluency, and systems thinking. Her work treats the home as a long-term operating system for health, relationships, and multigenerational well-being. Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Sarah Walker | Nuance Interior Design:  Website: nuanceinteriors.com Instagram: @nuanceinteriors YouTube: @nuanceinteriors LinkedIn: Sarah Walker Email: sarah@nuanceinteriors.com Phone: (425) 459-4029 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Designing for the Life Ahead: How Homes Can Support Every Stage of Family Life

  11. May 22

    Where Wealth Meets Identity: Finding Voice Inside the Family Legacy

    In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre, Senior Consultant with Continuity Family Business Consulting, where she works at the intersection of family relationships, wealth, and identity. A clinically trained consultant and therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Certified Financial Therapist, Shay brings nearly fifteen years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families navigate the emotional dimensions of money. Through her work in family enterprise consulting, she supports multigenerational families as they move through questions of succession, governance, identity, and the relational complexities that wealth can create across generations. Our conversation explores how families can better understand the personal stories and inherited expectations shaping the way wealth is experienced, discussed, and shared. We talk about the space between belonging to a family system and becoming more fully oneself, especially when identity, autonomy, culture, and legacy are all in motion. We also look at what can happen when inherited expectations meet individual growth, and how curiosity, honest reflection, and openness across generations can help families find shared direction while making room for each person to understand who they are, where they belong, and how they contribute. About Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre is a clinically trained consultant and therapist working at the intersection of family relationships, wealth, and identity. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Financial Therapist with nearly fifteen years of clinical experience helping individuals, couples, and families navigate the emotional and relational dimensions of their financial identities. She also holds a certificate in Family Business Leadership and training in Her work is grounded in a single observation: what looks like a financial problem is almost always also a relational and identity problem. She brings that lens into family enterprise consulting, financial planning partnerships, and wealth advisory spaces, helping multigenerational families navigate succession, governance, and the relational complexity that wealth creates across generations. Resources discussed in this episode: Irving Allam - The Gift of Therapy Bowenian Concept Murray Bowen Strangers in Paradise Blair Tripp - Progenitor's Dilemma Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Shay Harris-Pierre | Continuity Family Business Consulting:  Website: harrispierreconsulting.com LinkedIn: Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre Email: shaywanna.harris@yahoo.com  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Where Wealth Meets Identity: Finding Voice Inside the Family Legacy

  12. May 8

    Reflection Over Reaction: How Families Improve Decision-Making in Family Enterprises

    In this episode, we’re joined by Aileen Miziolek, consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, where she works with business-owning families to design strategies and processes that support both enterprise success and healthy relationships across generations. With more than 20 years of experience in complex financial and estate planning, along with designations in financial planning, family enterprise advising, and systems coaching, Aileen brings both professional depth and lived understanding to her work. Her roots in a farming family, experience as an entrepreneur, and work as co-author of Inspired Wealth: Financial Leadership for the 21st Century all shape the way she supports families through questions of wealth, ownership, legacy, and change. Our conversation explores what can happen when families slow down long enough to notice the patterns shaping their decisions. We talk about the space between what has been inherited and what can still be chosen, especially when legacy, ownership, and relationships are all in motion. We also look at why families sometimes need to pause before they can move forward and how honest reflection, careful listening, and openness to new ways of thinking can create more room for trust, learning, and better decisions across generations.About Aileen Miziolek  Aileen is a consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, where she helps business-owning families navigate the complexities of continuity, succession, estate planning, and intergenerational wealth transfer. With more than 20 years of experience in complex financial and estate planning, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work as a Certified Financial Planner, Family Enterprise Advisor, Certified Coach, and Organization and Relationship Systems Coach. What makes Aileen’s perspective unique is that she understands family enterprise from both a professional and personal lens. Her family business roots began in farming, and as a young entrepreneur, she launched her first start-up at age 25 before selling her first business a few years later. Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Aileen Miziolek | The Family Business Consulting Group Inc. Website: aileenmiziolek.com Instagram: @aileenmiziolek LinkedIn: Aileen Miziolek Email: miziolek@thefbcg.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Reflection Over Reaction: How Families Improve Decision-Making in Family Enterprises

  13. Apr 24

    Leading Before the Role: How Family Enterprises Shape Future Leaders

    In this episode, we’re joined by Wendy Sage-Hayward, Senior Consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, where she advises family enterprises, business leaders, and boards on continuity, governance, and generational transition. She is also Academic Director at Family Enterprise Canada, leading the Family Enterprise Advisor program, and co-author of Own It!, bringing both practical and research-based insight to how families prepare the next generation and work through the questions that continuity raises across generations. Our conversation explores how families navigate expectations that are often left unspoken, why learning together matters, and what helps create more honest and mature conversations across generations. We also look at where tension can quietly build over time and how greater trust and clarity can help families move forward well.About Wendy Sage-Hayward Wendy is a senior consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, where she advises business leaders, family enterprises, and boards around the world on how to navigate the complexities of continuity, governance, and generational transition. What makes Wendy’s perspective unique is that she doesn’t just advise family businesses. She lives it. She’s an owner of Sage Hayward Vineyards, her family’s winery on British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands, and previously served as a partner and director in her family’s five-generation U.S. business. Wendy is also the Academic Director at Family Enterprise Canada, where she leads the Family Enterprise Advisor program, and she teaches in the Family Shift program at Ivey Business School. She’s the co-founder of mGen Education and co-author of 'Human Resources in Family Business' and 'Own It!', bringing both practical and research-based insights to her work. She’s based in Vancouver and is passionate about helping families build strong businesses and even stronger relationships across generations. Resources discussed in this episode: Jay Hughes David York University of Alberta Alexander Saunders John Ward - Unconventional Wisdom Own It! How to Develop Family Enterprise Ownership Skills At Every Age Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Wendy Sage-Hayward | The Family Business Consulting Group:  Website: mgeneducation.com | thefbcg.com | familyenterprise.ca | sagehaywardvineyards.com LinkedIn: Wendy Sage Hayward Email: wsagehayward@gmail.com Phone: (604) 803 7420 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Leading Before the Role: How Family Enterprises Shape Future Leaders

  14. Apr 10

    Rethinking Ownership: The Hidden Forces Shaping Family Wealth

    In this episode, we’re joined by David York, director at York Howell. David practices law in the areas of estate planning, tax, business planning, and non-profit entities. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute. Chambers and Partners has recognized him in Estate Planning, a distinction awarded to approximately the top 2% of attorneys in the field. He is also the author of The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World, Entrusted, and the children’s book Dudley’s Castle. Our conversation focuses on what it means to approach wealth, legacy, and family with deeper self-awareness and on how humility, curiosity, and stewardship can shape the way families prepare for responsibility, continuity, and long-term impact. We talk about why humility matters in the way we learn, lead, and prepare the next generation, some of the fears that can quietly shape family decisions over time, and the shift from simply owning wealth to stewarding it with greater purpose. Together, we explore what may be happening beneath the surface before families ever make the big decisions and how greater self-awareness can help families lead, relate, and navigate complexity with more intention across generations. About David York David R. York is an attorney, Certified Public Accountant, and Managing Partner at York Howell. He practices in the areas of estate planning, tax, business planning, and nonprofit entities and is widely recognized for his work with ultra-high-net-worth families. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute, and has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in estate planning. David is also the author of The Gift of Lift, Dudley’s Castle and the co-author of Entrusted and Riveted. In addition to his legal work, he speaks and teaches on stewardship, purpose, and legacy and co-founded Corenology™, a platform designed to help people connect their values with planning. He serves on the Board of Directors of Healing Nations and lives in the Salt Lake City area with his wife, Mindy, and their five children. Resources discussed in this episode: David’s Ted Talk Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World Dudley's Castle Think Again by Adam Grant Simon Sinek Charles Eckhart The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact David York | York Howell  Website: davidyork.com | yorkhowell.com LinkedIn: David York Phone: (801) 527-1040 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Rethinking Ownership: The Hidden Forces Shaping Family Wealth

  15. Mar 20

    When the Role Finds You: The Tension Between Belonging and Becoming

    In this episode, we’re joined by Alexander Saunders, Practice Director at Dialogos. Alex is a generative facilitator working at the intersection of dialogue, leadership, and complex human systems. Through work across the entertainment, venture capital, and hospitality sectors, as well as his own fifth-generation family business and other family-owned enterprises ranging from single-site operations to global hospitality groups, he brings both practical experience and scholarly grounding to the challenges of leadership, transition, and belonging within family enterprise. Our conversation focuses on what it means to find your place when identity, expectation, and opportunity become deeply intertwined, and on how families can create the conditions for people to grow into responsibility with greater clarity and readiness. We talk about the tension between being invited in and truly feeling ready, the importance of mentors and support systems during seasons of transition, and why self-awareness can be such a critical foundation for contribution and governance. Together, we explore how family enterprises can strengthen the relational fabric that helps individuals grow, lead, and navigate complexity in healthier and more sustainable ways. About Alexander Saunders  Alex is a generative facilitator working at the intersection of dialogue, leadership, and complex human systems. He has built and supported organizations across the entertainment, venture capital, and hospitality sectors, including his own fifth-generation family business and other family-owned enterprises ranging from single-site operations to global hospitality groups. He holds a Master's degree in Economics and Classics, bringing both practical and scholarly grounding to his work with leaders navigating complexity and transition. Resources discussed in this episode: Paul Edelman Positive Disintegration David Meltzer International Monetary Fund Kolbe Index James Hughes Peter Senge The Art of Thinking Together Reading the Room On Dialogue Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Alexander Saunders | Dialogos Website: dialogos.com LinkedIn: Alexander Saunders Email: alex.saunders@dialogos.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    When the Role Finds You: The Tension Between Belonging and Becoming

  16. Mar 6

    Steady Through Uncertainty: Mentors, Mistakes, and Next-Gen Growth

    In this episode, we welcome Dr. Charles Eckhart, Founder and Managing Partner of Cathexis Group, a family engagement and governance consulting firm based in Santa Barbara, California. Charles advises enterprising families and couples of significant wealth through major transitions, helping them strengthen family governance and build collaborative decision-making practices that endure across generations. He also works closely with financial institutions to train and support advisors in navigating family dynamics with greater clarity and confidence. Drawing on his background as a clinical psychologist and academic instructor, Charles brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective to the intersection of family wealth, legacy, governance, and relationships. Our conversation centres on how families can prepare the rising generation not just to inherit resources but to develop the resilience and judgment required to steward them well. With a posture of curiosity, we explore how meaningful growth often comes through “earned” experiences and how families can model vulnerability, responsibility, and even mistakes in ways that strengthen confidence rather than diminish it. Together, we consider how intentional culture-building can help families move from overprotection to purposeful preparation, supporting capable next-generation leaders with both strength and humility. About Charles Eckhart Dr. Charles Eckhart is the founder and managing partner of Cathexis Group, a family engagement and governance consulting firm based in Santa Barbara, California. He works with families and couples of significant wealth to support family transitions and build governance practices that strengthen collaborative decision-making and long-term alignment. He also partners with financial institutions to train and support wealth advisors in family dynamics and governance. Before founding Cathexis Group, Charles built his career as a clinical psychologist, including academic teaching and training roles in doctoral clinical training programs. He contributes publications, presentations, and thought leadership at the intersection of family wealth, legacy, governance, and relationships. Resources discussed in this episode: Thinking, Fast and Slow Purposeful Planning Institute Family Wealth Alliance Wilfred Bion Carl Jung - Transcendent Function Søren Kierkegaard Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Charles Eckhart | Cathexis Group Website: cathexis-group.com LinkedIn: Charles Eckhart Email: charles@cathexis-group.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Steady Through Uncertainty: Mentors, Mistakes, and Next-Gen Growth

  17. Feb 20

    Roots of Resilience: Raising Grounded Children in Families of Wealth

    In this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Savlov, Founder of Blum & Savlov, LLP. For over 25 years, Jeff has helped family businesses, high-net-worth families, and their advisors balance family dynamics with the management of shared assets across generations. Drawing from his experience in his own family’s business, Jeff brings a grounded, common-sense perspective on how families can reduce conflict before it escalates and build healthier patterns that last. Our conversation focuses on what gets passed down beyond money: the spoken and unspoken family narratives that shape responsibility, resilience, identity, and ultimately, stewardship. Jeff shares reflections shaped by both clinical training and real-world work with multigenerational families. We talk about intentional storytelling, optimal challenge, and early-life parenting choices, and how starting earlier can help families move from reactive regret to proactive stewardship, with more clarity and less friction.About Jeff SavlovJeff Savlov is the founder of Blum & Savlov, LLP – Family Business & Wealth Consulting. He advises family businesses, high-net-worth families, and family offices on balancing family dynamics with shared ownership and management across generations. He’s especially known for helping parents raise children in a family enterprise context, so wealth supports healthy, productive outcomes. Jeff speaks in the U.S. and internationally, has been quoted in The New York Times and Family Business Magazine, and writes “The Family Business Minute.” With 25+ years spanning business leadership and advanced training in family systems, group dynamics, and psychoanalytic work, Jeff brings a practical, common-sense approach to complex family-enterprise challenges. A Fellow of the Family Firm Institute, he has also consulted with Fortune 500 companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, and Schering-Plough. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children and brings creativity and a sense of humor to his work. Resources discussed in this episode: Family Business Minute Falling on Your Sword The Legacy of Inherited Wealth Habitat for Humanity Contact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.com LinkedIn: Cory Gagnon LinkedIn: Beacon Family Office Email: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.com Contact Jeff Savlov | Blum & Savlov, LLP – Family Business & Wealth Consulting Website: blumandsavlov.com LinkedIn: Jeff Savlov Email: jsavlov@blumandsavlov.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Roots of Resilience: Raising Grounded Children in Families of Wealth

  18. Feb 6

    Becoming Who You Are: Reclaiming Choice in Enterprising Families

    In this episode, we’re joined by Jennifer East, Founder of ONIDA Family Advisors. With nearly 20 years of experience guiding affluent and enterprising global families, Jennifer brings a cross-cultural lens to the inner dynamics of continuity, especially when individual identity and family legacy quietly collide. We explore why it’s so common for next-gen leaders to inherit expectations before they’ve defined their own path, and how intentional mentorship, emotionally aware leadership, and thoughtful facilitation can begin to shift that pattern. Together, we consider how families move from unspoken assumptions to shared clarity and why making space for reflection may be one of the most powerful choices they make. Jennifer shares grounded insight shaped by lived experience across cultures and decades of work with rising generations. We talk about leadership development, intergenerational collaboration, and the quiet courage it takes to name what’s true before the next chapter can begin. About Jennifer East Jennifer East is the Founder of ONIDA Family Advisors, where she empowers affluent, enterprising global families to transition their wealth, businesses, and the values that drive their success. With nearly two decades of experience, Jennifer brings a strategic, people-centered approach to helping families strengthen intergenerational collaboration, improve family dynamics, and build governance practices that support long-term continuity and meaningful impact. Having lived, worked, and raised her children across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, Jennifer offers invaluable insight into cross-cultural advising. She supports rising generations, particularly women and sibling/cousin teams, through personal and leadership development, and helps families integrate diverse perspectives into stronger governance. A Fellow of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), she holds the FFI GEN Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising (ACFBA) and has served as faculty with FFI’s Global Education Network for the past nine years. Influenced by the Wealth 3.0 paradigm, Jennifer brings a strengths-based ethos that centers the human dynamics within families. She lives in Malta with her husband and two children. Resources discussed in this episode: Us, by Terry RealRelational Life InstituteCamden EducationCamden WealthContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Jennifer East | ONIDA Family Advisors:  Website: onida.caLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferakeastEmail: jennifer@onida.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Becoming Who You Are: Reclaiming Choice in Enterprising Families

  19. Jan 23

    Still Yours to Shape: Reclaiming Identity in Times of Transition

    In this episode, we’re joined by Amy Stein, Chief Impact Officer at Generations Trusted Family Business Advisors. With over 20 years in her family’s fourth-generation business, Henry’s, and experience launching its mental health foundation, Amy brings a rare perspective on legacy, leadership, and impact. Our conversation focuses on what transition really feels like, how identity shifts, how clarity emerges through change, and how purpose can take on new meaning when familiar roles evolve. It’s a personal, layered look at the emotional side of stepping into what’s next. Amy shares reflections shaped by lived experience and thoughtful observation. We talk about resilience, voice, and the quiet work of preparing for change even when you don’t yet know what the next chapter will hold. About Amy Stein Amy Stein is the Chief Impact Officer at Generations Trusted Family Business Advisors, where she helps family enterprises and their family offices develop values-aligned philanthropic strategies that engage rising generations and create measurable impact. With a strategic, people-centred approach, she supports families in looking beyond financial metrics to integrate business, employees, customers, and community in meaningful ways. Her work focuses on designing initiatives that scale with intention, reflect legacy, and build lasting social capital. For over two decades, Amy was a key leader in her family’s fourth-generation business, Henry’s, Canada’s largest independent imaging retailer. She later spearheaded the launch of the Foundation for Henry’s, a creative mental health initiative rooted in community impact. Drawing on deep experience in governance, strategy, and operations as a family member, executive, board member, and shareholder, Amy brings insight into the complex dynamics of family enterprise. She is especially skilled at bridging generational perspectives and helping families align purpose with action. Resources discussed in this episode: Rotman SchoolPixel FoundationDavid BentallFamily Enterprise CanadaContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Amy Stein | Generations Trusted Family Business Advisors:  Website: gtfba.com/ | pixelfoundation.orgLinkedIn: Amy SteinEmail: amystein24@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Still Yours to Shape: Reclaiming Identity in Times of Transition

  20. Jan 9

    Designing the Next Chapter: Retirement Planning for Purpose, Identity, and What Comes Next

    In this episode, we’re joined by Susan Latremoille, Co-Founder and Partner at Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors. With more than 35 years of experience as a wealth advisor, including leadership roles on RBC’s Chairman’s Council and the board of Richardson Wealth, Susan now helps clients and advisors plan for the human side of life transitions. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and Retirement Coach, she invites us to rethink what comes after the sale of a business or the end of a career, not just financially, but emotionally and personally. We discuss how to clarify purpose beyond work, reignite curiosity, and shape a next chapter filled with growth, meaning, and connection. You’ll hear how Susan supports people in rediscovering dormant interests, building new social circles, and navigating the identity shifts that often accompany retirement. Whether you’re advising clients through a transition or preparing for one yourself, this conversation offers grounded, practical insight into making the most of what’s next. About Susan Latremoille Susan spent over 35 years as a wealth advisor, helping clients plan financially for retirement. Over time, she saw that financial readiness was just one part of the equation. The emotional and lifestyle aspects often had the greatest impact on whether clients thrived. This insight led her to co-found Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors, where she now works as a certified Retirement Coach (CPRC), guiding individuals through meaningful, purpose-driven transitions. She is a Certified Expert Level Practitioner of SuccessFinder, a CEPA, a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA), and holds an Executive MBA. A former board member of Richardson Financial Group, she also holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Alongside her partner, Marianne Oehser, Susan teaches at the Exit Planning Institute. She is the author of The RichLife – Managing Wealth and Purpose, It’s Not Just About the Money, and co-author of On the Shoulders of Atlas and Thriving Throughout Your Retirement Transition. Her newest book, 9 Steps to a RichLife Retirement, offers a practical roadmap for living well, giving back, and leaving a legacy. Resources discussed in this episode: Exit Planning InstituteJohn Deere DealershipHappiness Portfolio TIGER 219 Steps to a RichLife Retirement: Live Well, Give Back, Leave a LegacyContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Susan Latremoille | Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors:  Website: nextchapterlifestyleadvisors.comLinkedIn: Susan LatremoilleEmail: susan@nextchapterlifestyleadvisors.comPhone: 647-393-1785 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Designing the Next Chapter: Retirement Planning for Purpose, Identity, and What Comes Next

  21. 11/28/2025

    Finding Yourself After Leadership: The Missing Chapter in Succession

    In this episode, we’re joined by Russel Baskin, a consultant and certified executive coach with Trella Advisory Group. Drawing from her background in human development and two decades of experience with business families, Russel helps name what often goes unspoken in transition, how control, identity, and legacy quietly shape relationships and decision-making. From habitual patterns to intergenerational tension, she invites us to consider how emotional insight and structural clarity work together in succession.  Her approach emphasises empathy, shared understanding, and space for each generation to grow into their role with intention. If you're supporting a family in transition or navigating your own, this conversation offers language, perspective, and encouragement for moving forward with both steadiness and care. About Russel Baskin Russel Baskin is a Consultant and Certified Executive Coach with Trella Advisory Group. She brings a human development background and a passion for family business to her consulting work with families and advisors. Over the past 20 years Russel’s career has included advising business families, coaching professionals in transition, as well as leadership roles in marketing, business development and the not-for-profit sector. Before joining the Trella Advisory Group, she was the National Director of Education and Programming for Family Enterprise Canada a national member-driven organization supporting business families and family enterprise advisors. As a consultant with Trella, Russel specializes in relationship dynamics, governance, family continuity and individual development and growth. She brings grace and compassion to her work with clients understanding the interconnected relationship between the needs of the individual and the well-being of the family. A creative thinker and direct communicator Russel is committed to the success and excellence of all her clients. Resources discussed in this episode: Royal Roads UniversityTrella Advisory GroupContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Russel Baskin | Trella Advisory Group:  Website: trella.caLinkedIn: Russel BaskinEmail: russel.baskin@trella.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Finding Yourself After Leadership: The Missing Chapter in Succession

  22. 11/14/2025

    Silence Is Not Succession: Why Women’s Health Belongs in Family Conversations

    In this episode, Dr. Julia Edelman, board-certified gynecologist, author, and nationally recognized menopause expert, joins us to open a conversation we’ve never had on Legacy Builders: the impact of women’s health, specifically menopause, on family enterprise. A Yale, Columbia, and Harvard-trained physician with over four decades of experience, Dr. Edelman brings both clinical authority and compassionate insight to a topic that touches individuals and family systems alike. Together, we examine how menopause, often unspoken and misunderstood, can shape communication, influence decision-making, and affect readiness for leadership transitions. You’ll hear how silence around these experiences can erode trust and how clarity and conversation can restore it. Dr. Edelman reflects on how far women’s health has come, what still needs to change, and why addressing this hidden dynamic is essential to building legacies that truly last. Whether you’re navigating this season yourself or walking alongside someone who is, this is a conversation that brings science, story, and strategy into one essential dialogue. About  Dr. Julia Edelman Dr. Julia Edelman is a nationally recognized menopause expert, board-certified gynecologist, and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) with over 40 years of experience in women’s health. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, she completed her residency at Harvard and has since built a reputation for delivering evidence-based, compassionate care. She is the founder of Women’s Health and Gynecology of New England and has mentored physicians and students at both Harvard and Brown medical schools. Her contributions to the field have been honoured by the North American Menopause Society, which named her “Menopause Practitioner of the Year” following the release of her first book, Menopause Matters: Your Guide to a Long and Healthy Life. She also authored Successful Sleep Strategies for Women through Harvard Health Publications. Her latest book, The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Menopause: Before, During, and Beyond (Johns Hopkins University Press, October 2025), offers clear, practical guidance to help individuals navigate midlife transitions with confidence. Resources discussed in this episode: Menopause SocietyThe New England JournalThe Savvy Woman's Guide to Menopause Before, During, and BeyondMiriam NelsonDr. Claudio SoaresContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Dr. Julia Edelman | Women's Health and Gynecology of New England: The New England Center for Body Sculpting Women’s Health and Gynecology of New England WebsiteJuliaEdelmanMD.com - The New England Center for Body SculptingLinkedIn: Julia Edelman MDWHGNE FacebookNECBS FacebookEmail: info@juliaedelmanmd.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Silence Is Not Succession: Why Women’s Health Belongs in Family Conversations

  23. 10/31/2025

    Who You’re Becoming: How Strategy, Leadership, and Legacy Start Within

    In this episode, we’re joined by Keita Demming, Partner at The Covenant Group, award-winning author of Strategy to Action, and trusted advisor in strategy, design, and innovation. We explore how strategy becomes a lived practice through intentional behaviour, personal development, and the quality of our conversations. Keita shares his approach to coaching leaders through conflict avoidance, curating effective inner circles, and aligning day-to-day actions with long-term vision. He introduces a powerful shift in thinking from chasing outcomes to asking better questions and what it means to lead with clarity and courage. We talk about what strategy really looks like when it's practiced daily, why organizations often struggle to face hard truths, and how self-awareness, team dynamics, and sector alignment can either accelerate or stall transformation. Keita brings practical insight and honest reflection on what it takes to build something meaningful, starting with the conversations we choose to have. Whether you're growing a business, refining your leadership, or rethinking your goals, this episode offers a grounded framework for becoming the kind of leader your future needs. About Keita Demming Keita is an award-winning author, educator, and coach focused on transforming companies into idea-driven, people-centred environments. His book Strategy to Action offers a practical approach for turning bold ideas into tangible results, helping close the often-frustrating gap between strategy and execution. As a trusted advisor in design, strategy, and innovation, Keita also hosts the podcast Conversations with Keita Demming, where he explores insights from leaders across disciplines. He believes learning from others lightens our own journey. Among his proudest achievements is building the TEDxPortofSpain community, one of the most successful TEDx events globally. Resources discussed in this episode: Strategy to ActionErykah BaduThe Selfish Gene by Richard DawkinsCS LewisBrene BrownContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Keita Demming | The Covenant Group  Website: keitademming.comLinkedIn: Keita DemmingYouTube: @KeitaDemmingInstagram: kdemmingFacebook: keitademmingconversationsEmail: keita@covenantgroup.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Who You’re Becoming: How Strategy, Leadership, and Legacy Start Within

  24. 10/17/2025

    Before It’s Written Down: Why Estate Planning Is About More Than the Plan

    In this episode, we’re joined by Jenna Carvalho, Founder and Principal of Guardian Estate Company, whose work sits at the intersection of estate planning, family relationships, and meaningful legacy. With more than 100 estates and dozens of trusts under her direct care, Jenna has witnessed the full spectrum of outcomes, both smooth and strained, when families face the inevitable transitions that come with wealth, loss, and leadership. We talk about what it’s really like to act as an executor for the first time, how communication (or the absence of it) can change everything, and why estate planning is less about predicting the future and more about preparing people for it. What happens when intentions go unspoken? When roles aren't clearly understood? And when decisions once thought simple suddenly carry emotional weight? Jenna brings both experience and candour to a conversation that explores more than just documents and directives. She shares real stories that reveal how family dynamics, unclear expectations, and misaligned roles can create lasting consequences or be transformed through thoughtful planning and early dialogue. Whether you're choosing your executor or are the executor, this episode offers insight into what stewardship really looks like before, during, and after the will is read. About Jenna Carvalho Jenna Carvalho is the Founder and Principal of Guardian Estate Company, where she helps successful Canadian families navigate the complexity of estate planning, administration, and legacy stewardship. With over 15 years of experience, including a decade at BMO Private Wealth, Jenna has directly managed more than 100 estates and acted as trustee for dozens of trusts, foundations, and powers of attorney. She holds an MBA from Queen’s University, along with the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and Member of Trust Institute (MTI) designations, credentials that underscore both her technical expertise and commitment to excellence. Resources discussed in this episode: Estates Made SimpleContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Jenna Carvalho | Guardian Estate Company:  Website: guardianestate.caLinkedIn: Jenna CarvalhoEmail: jenna@guardianestate.caPhone: 403-990-3524 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Before It’s Written Down: Why Estate Planning Is About More Than the Plan

  25. 10/03/2025

    The Stories That Hold Us: Why Capturing Memory Is a Strategic Act of Care

    In this episode, we’re joined by Andrea Lekushoff, founder and CEO of CONTEXT Studios, where personal stories become powerful tools for connection, continuity, and leadership. We talk about the invisible value of lived experience, how one person’s reflections can clarify identity, honour legacy, and even shape culture across generations. What does it mean to “be seen” by the people who come after you? How do stories become more than memories, and why is capturing them now, not later, a strategic decision? Andrea shares how stories of struggle, resilience, and values often told too late can become guiding touchstones for successors, executive teams, and even entire organizations. Whether the audience is your grandchildren or your boardroom, this conversation invites a fresh look at legacy not just as something you leave, but something you live. About Andrea Lekushoff Andrea Lekushoff is the founder and CEO of CONTEXT Studios, the premier creator of high-end, episodic documentaries that immortalize the lives, entrepreneurial journeys, and multigenerational family legacies of distinguished individuals and families for generations to come. CONTEXT Studios is also proud to serve as an Alliance Partner of Family Enterprise Canada. With more than three decades of experience as a PR executive and founder of the award-winning agency Broad Reach, Andrea has been a trusted advisor to C-Suite leaders and global brands, designing bespoke strategies and amplifying their stories and influence on the world stage. Andrea’s credentials include an MBA from the Ivey Business School, a BA (Honours) from Western University, and two executive education programs at Harvard Business School through YPO. She is an affiliate partner of Women Get On Board Inc., where she elevates top board candidates through their ELEVATE program, and she serves on the board development committee for the Luminato Festival in Toronto. Resources discussed in this episode: Context StudiosHarvard Business School Family Enterprise CanadaContact Cory Gagnon | Beacon Family Office at Assante Financial Management Ltd.  Website: BeaconFamilyOffice.comLinkedIn: Cory GagnonLinkedIn: Beacon Family OfficeEmail: beaconfamilyoffice@assante.comContact Andrea Lekushoff | CONTEXT Studios:  Website: CONTEXTStudios.caLinkedIn: Andrea LekushoffEmail: alekushoff@brpr.caInstagram: Context_StudiosFacebook: CONTEXTStudiosCAPhone: 416-435-2569 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Stories That Hold Us: Why Capturing Memory Is a Strategic Act of Care