Family Business Audiocast

Dr. Karen McNeill brings her unique expertise in history and culture to the world of multi-generational wealth advising. As founder of Verdandi and Associates and Dean of Family Stories at the Purposeful Planning Institute, she reveals how family narratives serve as strategic assets for family enterprise continuity. Karen discusses her research into women and philanthropy, highlighting figures like Phoebe Hearst who balanced significant charitable impact with savvy investing. She offers practical frameworks for integrating storytelling into family financial planning, governance, and next-generation engagement, demonstrating how shared narratives create coherence and flourishing across generations.00:00 Introduction and welcome 01:55 Karen McNeill's background in history and family wealth advising 03:19 The power of family stories as strategic assets 06:44 Best practices for documenting and preserving family narratives 10:53 Digital tools and platforms for family archives 13:02 The intersection of culture and corporate environment 15:51 Women's historical role in philanthropy 19:51 Using philanthropy to bridge generations 24:53 Expanding philanthropy's impact in America 27:19 The concept of flourishing in multi-generational families 30:19 Untapped potential of family narratives 32:33 Closing remarks

On Episode 51 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Rick Holton, a seasoned family business leader, investor, and advisor whose career spans operating companies, venture capital, and private equity. As President of Holton Companies, Rick has guided a multi-generational enterprise while also fostering growth for early-stage and middle-market businesses.In this conversation, Rick reflects on his experience at the helm of a family business, where he has balanced legacy stewardship with innovation and growth. He speaks candidly about the challenges and opportunities of sustaining an enterprise across generations, and the importance of creating environments where like-minded leaders can exchange ideas and support one another.Drawing on his years as both an operator and investor, Rick shares practical lessons on leadership, strategy, and the power of trusted networks. His perspective underscores the value of aligning vision and execution—not just within a family business, but also in the communities of entrepreneurs and executives he has helped build.

On Episode 50 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Jennifer East, Founder of ONIDA Family Advisors and a globally recognized advisor to family enterprises and family offices. With two decades of experience guiding multigenerational families across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, Jennifer has built a reputation for helping family businesses strengthen governance, align across generations, and prepare rising leaders to steward both assets and values. In this conversation, Jennifer draws on her unique perspective as a second‑generation leader in her own family’s Canadian hospitality business and as co‑steward of Class Afloat, a mission‑driven school at sea with a forty‑year legacy of experiential education. She shares powerful insights on defining shared purpose, designing family governance frameworks that reflect family complexity, and equipping next‑gen members to balance individual aspirations with collective goals. A Fellow of the Family Firm Institute and Chair of Campden Wealth’s European Family Office Forum, Jennifer offers a rare blend of lived experience and professional expertise—illuminating how families can thrive together across generations.

On Episode 49 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith sits down with Dr. Kimberly Eddleston, Schulze Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Montoni Research Fellow at Northeastern University’s D’Amore‑McKim School of Business, as well as a Research Fellow with Cornell’s Smith Family Business Initiative. Named in Stanford University’s top 2% of scientists and one of Family Capital’s top 25 family enterprise academics, Kim has dedicated her career to understanding how family dynamics can spark—and sometimes stifle—innovation within family firms.In this episode, Professor Eddleston reveals her most compelling research on turning family ties into a strategic advantage: crafting family business governance frameworks that evolve with each generation, embedding creative problem‑solving into everyday culture, and leveraging human capital to drive long‑term value. Drawing on examples from her own family’s ventures in real estate, construction, business services, and hospitality, she offers practical insights for next‑gen leaders and seasoned executives alike—showing how to harness family relationships not just as a resource, but as the very engine of a family enterprise.

 On Episode 48 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Roger Vincent, founder and Chief Investment Officer of Summation Capital, a new investment firm delivering endowment-style access to private equity for family wealth offices, multi-generational family businesses, and mission-driven investors. With decades of experience in private markets, Roger previously led Cornell University's $10 billion private equity portfolio, earning top-quartile performance through deep partnerships with leading GPs. In this episode, Roger unpacks the philosophy behind Summation — how he brings institutional discipline to family enterprises and family offices seeking long-term returns that preserve and grow family wealth across generations. He shares insights on alpha generation, strategic alignment, and why culture and human capital sit at the heart of private equity success for family businesses and multi-generational family enterprises alike. 

 On Episode 47 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes David W. Burleigh, esteemed family business expert, fiduciary, and author of Take Ownership of What You Own: Build Your Confidence to Navigate the World of Trusts and Family Enterprise. An attorney by training, David has spent his career helping multi-generational family businesses structure ownership—not just what they own, but how—through trusts, LLCs, corporations, and partnerships managing private businesses, real estate, investment portfolios, and legacy property. David brings a rare mix of technical acumen and deep understanding of family dynamics in family enterprises. David dives into the mechanics of ownership design—how legal structures influence control, succession, and unity within families managing family wealth. David's insights illuminate how thoughtful ownership frameworks build confidence, clarity, and continuity across generations for family businesses navigating estate planning and wealth preservation. 

 On Episode 46 of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes Laura Nanette Gambineri-Giese, LL.M. TEP, founder of Trusted Governance and expert in cross-border family estate planning, Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI), and family governance. Drawing on her experience with internationally active family enterprises, Laura shares insights on combining technical family wealth structuring with the interpersonal dynamics of decision-making, succession, and continuity in multi-generational family businesses. She covers values-based planning frameworks, key risks in cross-border family financial planning, and the need to revisit governance as laws and family needs change. The episode also highlights how rising-generation leaders are reshaping legacy with a focus on meaning and sustainability. Whether you're an advisor, family office leader, next-gen stakeholder, or interested in family business, this episode offers a look at preserving both family wealth and unity across generations. 

 On this episode of the Family Business Audiocast, R. Adam Smith welcomes two of the world's foremost experts in family enterprise research: Luis Gomez-Mejia and Ignacio Requejo. Together, they explore the often-misunderstood dynamics of family business ownership, from the foundational role of socioemotional wealth to the ways family control affects decision-making, family office management, and long-term resilience. Drawing from decades of globally recognized research, including empirical studies on succession, legacy, and control trade-offs, Luis and Ignacio offer a deeply informed conversation on why family businesses behave differently and how those differences can be a source of strength. From olive oil cooperatives in Spain to publicly listed multi-generational family businesses, this conversation redefines what makes family enterprises sustainable in an increasingly complex world of family wealth preservation and family growth. 

R. Adam Smith hosts Shelley Forsythe, Director and Family Office Lead at BMO Private Wealth. With extensive experience in family governance, Shelley advises multi-generational families on building resilient structures that balance business priorities with family harmony. She discusses how BMO's platform integrates family office services with wealth management, serving over 700 families globally. Shelley shares insights on successful advisor collaboration, creating flexible roadmaps for legacy planning, and preparing families for business succession. She emphasizes that communication is the foundation of successful family wealth succession planning, requiring ongoing practice rather than one-time discussions.

This week on the The Family Business Audiocast, host R. Adam Smith welcomes back Richard Wolkowitz, founder of Xylogenesis and trusted family enterprise advisor. Wolkowitz breaks down nine critical differences between founder mentality and family mentality that impact family business succession. The conversation explores how governance structures can bridge these differences, the evolution of entrepreneurial thinking across generations, and strategies for empowering next-gen family members. Wolkowitz emphasizes that "healthy generational continuity" requires understanding each family member's unique strengths rather than expecting them to be carbon copies of the founder.