A few years back, I was running a breakout session at an International Family Conference. The topic we were focused on was how to navigate family transitions, while still celebrating Thanksgiving together. I find that is what most people in a family business really want: the ability to make decisions best for the business and the family and not have any “hard feelings.” The integrity of the family often trumps all things. During this breakout there was one particular family who raised a question about what they should do about a family member who had no desire to be part of the business. They wanted to know what they could do to persuade that person to be active in the …

  Not far from where I was born, Art Van Elslander started a family business that grew to a $725 million retail chain of furniture stores called Art Van within 50 years of its founding.  With the advent of Wayfair and Amazon, Art needed to pivot and build a succession plan. He was in his late 80s and the time was now. Art had 10 heirs yet he decided to sell to Private Equity.  Art died the year after the company was sold and he was quoted saying that he felt confident with the transition and he believed employees were in the best of hands. Yet, what unfolded was a train wreck of issues. Many of the employees were filing …

Over the last 15 years of working with business owners, Executives, and other high achievers, I’ve noticed a common thread that has a major impact on their joy and fulfillment: A strong percentage of my clients are giving their significant others their leftovers. High achievers are often motivated by the desire to accomplish more professionally, provide for their families, and create an income that will give them and their families a lifestyle of freedom, experiences, and possibly recognition. This desire can create a story about how their lack of presence is okay… because they are serving their family, after all, right? I have personal experience with this story and it took the wisdom (and frustration, let’s be real) of my …

Everyone today is inviting people to challenges and online marketers are all jumping on board. From fitness challenges and reboot your business challenges, to the come back challenge. A peer of mine recently even challenged me to start a challenge… Seriously? If you are considering a challenge, perhaps consider the following question before investing time, energy, and perhaps money. Is your ego associated with the challenge? The ego is composed of the illusions we have about who we are and how we behave. Many of us become slaves to these illusions as they often unconsciously drive our behavior. If you’re considering joining a challenge, what specifically are you looking to obtain? Is there any fear, control, or certainty behind it? …

If you are someone who desires peace, joy and fulfillment then this video is for you. The current pandemic and state of the world has caused many of the decisions that we have to make on a daily basis to be much heavier weighted than normal and the way you make decisions drives everything in your life, both personally and professionally. There is a conscious awakening happening for many people right now, but how conscious are you in the process of making your own decisions? In this video I’ll take you through the Map of Consciousness created by David Hawkins in his amazing book “Power vs. Force” and how that relates to decision making. Are you operating out of anxiety, …