Stop Keeping Up Appearances with Wendy Craft
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
Release Date: 01/31/2023
Finding New Purpose After Business Ownership
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
In this episode of Safe Space, host Franco Lombardo speaks with Gillian Stein, former CEO of Henry's, Canada’s largest independent digital imaging retailer, about her emotional journey of selling her family business. Gillian shares her experience of identity loss, the grieving process, and the challenges of transitioning from operations to ownership. The conversation highlights the importance of self-reflection, finding new passions, and the emotional complexities involved in succession planning. Gillian emphasizes the need for flexibility and an open mind in navigating the unpredictable...
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Smart Wealth™ with Thane Stenner - Ensuring the Legacy of Family Business Through Relational Governance with Francesco Lombardo
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
Veritage CEO Franco Lombardo was recently a guest on the "Smart Wealth™ with Thane Stenner" podcast where they covered a number of pertinent topics from the emotional side of family business. Franco explains that by asking his clients the questions they’ve been avoiding asking themselves, they can begin to better understand their relationship to money, why they behave the way they do with it and how they can then choose their behavior. The discussion then covers why the human capital asset class should be the next investment focus of business families in order to prepare all generations...
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What Makes A Family Business Last - With Veritage Founder and CEO Franco Lombardo
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
In this very special episode of Safe Space, our Founder and CEO, Franco Lombardo is in the hot seat in conversation with Veritage’s Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Clark. They cover a number of different topics including why Franco created Veritage, emotional security beyond financial wealth, turning investment strategies towards Human Capital, and offers some practical tools and key insights to help you navigate the complex family dynamics associated with being a business family. Connect with me here: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-lombardo-fea-496a7966/ •...
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The Role of the Next Generation in Driving Change
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
In this episode, Claudia Gomez of Trusted Family joins Francesco to discuss the challenges faced by family businesses and the importance of having difficult conversations. She highlights the tendency of families to avoid conflict and the consequences of not addressing hard topics and suggests greater vulnerability and self-awareness is needed in order to initiate these conversations and build trust within the family. She also explores the role of the next generation in driving change and finding their own path within the family business. Connect with me here: •...
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Challenges in Family Communication with BJ Radomski
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
What you say to yourself is as important as what you say to others, because communication begins with ourselves. The way we communicate with others is often based on our own thoughts, and is why this episode of Safe Space highlights the importance of questioning and challenging our thinking. Francesco Lombardo and BJ Radomski also discuss the challenges that arise when there is a lack of clear communication within families and offer some practical advice to overcome them. Connect with me here: • • • •
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Family Health - Protecting Family Legacy From The Inside Out with Andrew Keyt
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
With almost 20 years of working with families as the executive director of the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center and in his private consulting practice, there’s not much that Andrew Keyt hasn’t come across. But it is his personal journey of overcoming challenges as a next-generation business leader that makes his perspective so unique. In this episode Francesco and Andrew discuss many of the unspoken issues that exist within family business relationships, such as the importance of vulnerability, the need to address mental health issues and how generations can learn...
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Which Version of the Truth with Don Phin
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
Like so many of my guests, Don Phin has led an extraordinary life. Growing up in the Bronx, his journey has taken him from being a former trial lawyer to starting a HR company to now coaching CEOs. Don has gone on to use the lessons he learnt in the courtroom and specifically draws on his experience of how different versions of the ‘truth’ can cause a breakdown in communication. As a recently trained Veritage coach, Don works with a preventative approach and believes that listening and encouragement are critical to engaging the next generation and to building healthy lasting...
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Why Effective Communication is an Internal Job with BJ Radomski
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
BJ (Brian) Radomski, is executive coach and facilitator, who takes a holistic approach to coaching, by combining science and psychology with personal experience and real-life scenarios. In this episode of Safe Space, BJ shares insights he gained from his extensive career and experience in a multitude of organizations, and explains why the key to successful leadership is grounded in open and transparent communication. Connect with me here:
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A Legacy of Survival with Armen Alajian
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
In this conversation, I speak with Armen Alajian, the owner of ARTO, Southern California's artisanal brick and tile manufacturer. Armen and his brother Vod took over the business after their father Arto died in 2014, and in this moving conversation Armen shares how he navigated the emotional and practical difficulties he faced. If you are interested in learning more about how to create a healthy family culture and why investing in the people in the business is the key to success, then this episode is for you. Connect with me here: • • • •
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Breaking Barriers: Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success with Eva Fischer
Safe Space with Francesco Lombardo
Despite the recent progress in gender equality, many women still face obstacles in securing senior leadership positions within their family business. In this episode, Family Business owner, Eva Fischer emphasizes the importance of belief in oneself and urges women to avoid falling into the trap of emulating their male counterparts. Eva's insights and experiences offer valuable perspectives and strategies for women entrepreneurs in family businesses on how to cultivate personal fulfillment. Connect with me here:
info_outlineJoin Francesco Lombardo for this week's Safe Space as he speaks with Wendy Craft, a lawyer by trade, who “fell” into Family Office about 20 years ago. She is currently Chief Of Staff at Fulcrum Equities, LLC in New York City.
In this episode, Wendy & Francesco talk about how keeping up appearances will not make you more successful or happier in the family office. It took many years for Wendy to realize that trying to fit into the perceived family office professional mold wasn’t really about how she dressed or what she knew, it was who she worked for. What can you do to create a safe space in the family office or family business where you’ll be happier, can be yourself and be a better contributor? Take a listen!
Wendy’s one piece of advice to the Senior generation…if you love them let them in. Don't wait until it’s too late; hear them, teach them, let them speak their peace, and give them spaces to be involved. For the NxtGen’s, yes maybe you could run the business better but find ways to contribute, find ways to support them instead of trying to wrestle everything away from them, let them be human beings, give them time.
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