Stop Reacting, Start Strategizing with Patrick Thean
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Release Date: 03/09/2026
Preparing the Rising Generation for Succession with Jeremy Lurey
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 166: Preparing the Rising Generation for Succession with Jeremy Lurey In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker is joined by Dr. Jeremy Lurey of Family Legacy First for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on one of the most underserved dimensions of family business succession — preparing the people, not just the plan. Recorded as part of the Family Business Executive Forum, this episode moves beyond the mechanics of who gets what and digs into the real work: the relational ecosystem, the communication...
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Rethinking Succession in Family Business with Josh Baron
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 165: Rethinking Succession in Family Business with Josh Baron In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Josh Baron — Harvard Business School faculty member, co-founder of Banyan Global, and co-author of multiple Harvard Business Review works on family enterprise — for a rich, deeply practical conversation on the topic that never gets old: succession. Josh has spent 20 years advising family businesses and teaching at Columbia and Harvard, and what he keeps finding is that families...
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Unlocking Inner Potential: Tools for Sustainable Leadership with Shalin Desai
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 164: Unlocking Inner Potential: Tools for Sustainable Leadership with Shalin Desai In the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker welcomes Shailendra (Shalin) Desai, an engineer and longtime Art of Living teacher who has spent 20 years teaching breathing techniques and meditation in 64 U.S. cities, including Fortune 500 companies. They discuss shifting leadership needs, employee disengagement, and generational differences, emphasizing that calm, regulated nervous systems support trust, connection, and better...
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Wealth Is Wellbeing: Helping Families Flourish with Susan Weingartner
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
Susan Weingartner has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of capital and human behavior. Although she grew up as the daughter of a wealth advisor, Susan initially chose a different path. Her career led her through philanthropy, impact investing, sustainable real estate, and capital markets, where she came to understand a powerful truth: wealth is never just financial. It carries responsibility, and when that responsibility remains unspoken, it shapes families in ways they don't expect. As a founder of a family enterprise, former CEO, investor, and leader in philanthropy and...
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You May be Making Decisions in the Dark - Jacques Santucci on Financially Preparing your Business for the Future
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 162: You May Be Making Decisions in the Dark — Jacques Santucci on Financially Preparing Your Business for the Future In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Jacques Santucci, President of Opus Consulting, for a grounded, practical conversation about one of the most underutilized levers in family business: financial leadership. Jacques brings a rare combination of international business experience — from Ernst & Young in France to CFO roles in the US — and 17 years of...
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AI Is Coming Fast — What Family Businesses Should Do Now with Jack Potvin
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 161: AI Is Coming Fast — What Family Businesses Should Do Now with Jack Potvin In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker is joined by AI product builder Jack Potvin for a fast-moving, practical conversation about artificial intelligence and what privately held and family businesses need to do — right now — to stay competitive. Jack built his AI foundation working on one of the world’s first computer vision models for sports before the rise of large language models, and now dedicates his work to...
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The Family Factor: Why Some Families Survive Conflict and Others Don’t with Doug Baumoel
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 160: The Family Factor: Why Some Families Survive Conflict and Others Don’t with Doug Baumoel In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Doug Baumoel, Founding Partner of Continuity Family Business Consulting and co-author of Deconstructing Conflict, for a deeply honest conversation about what actually tears family businesses apart — and what it takes to hold them together. Doug’s path into this work is personal: he grew up as heir apparent in a thriving multi-generational family...
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The Story Only Your Family Can Tell
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 159: The Story Only Your Family Can Tell with Roy Moëd & Yvette Conn In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Roy Moëd and Yvette Conn, co-founders of Lifebook Memoirs, for a rich conversation about why documenting the stories of family business founders may be one of the most underutilized tools in the entire legacy planning space. Roy’s journey into this work began with a deeply personal moment — repeatedly shutting down his blind father’s stories until it was almost too...
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You Can’t Lead the Next Generation If You’re Not Around For It — Dr. Mark Su on Longevity
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 158: You Can’t Lead the Next Generation If You’re Not Around For It — Dr. Mark Su on Longevity In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Dr. Mark Su, functional and longevity medicine physician, founder of RootSeek Health and True Wellness Clinic in New England, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually means to take authority over your own biology. Dr. Su breaks down the three-category framework he uses in his longevity practice — age-related diseases, cellular root...
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The Conversation Your Family Needs to Have Before You Die — with Attorney Don Ford
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast
The Enlightened Family Business Podcast Ep. 157: The Conversation Your Family Needs to Have Before You Die — with Attorney Don Ford In this episode of the Enlightened Family Business Podcast, host Chris Yonker sits down with Don Don Ford III, estate planning attorney and founding partner at Ford Bergner in Texas, for a candid conversation about the estate planning conversations most families are actively avoiding — and what it costs them when they do. Drawing on over 30 years of working with high-net-worth families and business owners, Don shares the real-world consequences of...
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Ep. 155 - Stop Reacting, Start Strategizing with Patrick Thean
Host Chris Yonker introduces the Enlightened Family Business Podcast and interviews Patrick Thean, a bestselling author and early contributor to scaling-up methodologies, on practical planning and execution for small to mid-sized (especially family) businesses facing succession or sale. Patrick shares his journey from Singapore to the U.S., training as an electrical engineer, working at Oracle, founding and selling a transportation logistics software company, and discovering a calling to help CEOs succeed. They discuss establishing an annual strategic planning rhythm, including SWOT/aspirations and specific “winning moves”, quarterly 13-week execution plans, limiting priorities to three to five objectives, and balancing strategic vs. operational initiatives based on whether the business is in crisis. Patrick emphasizes using facilitators and outside-industry perspectives to overcome blind spots, avoiding overreliance on benchmarking, and reframing accountability as support for commitments, clarity, and agreed consequences.
· 03:06 Meet Patrick Thean
· 03:36 From Engineer to Founder
· 07:11 Selling and Finding Purpose
· 08:17 Helping CEOs Succeed
· 10:43 Family Business Transitions
· 14:33 Annual and Quarterly Rhythm
· 18:04 Three to Five Priorities
· 19:18 Strategy vs Firefighting
· 23:44 Small Tweaks Win
· 25:12 One Permanent Improvement
· 31:41 Let the Pro Lead
· 35:12 Blind Spots and Tunnel Vision
· 38:36 Accountability as Support
Websites:
Patrick Bio:
Patrick Thean is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and world-renowned strategy execution expert. He is the creator of the Think Plan Do® process and co-founder of Rhythm Systems®, helping CEOs achieve breakthrough results and scale with clarity. A seasoned CEO coach and speaker, Patrick has empowered thousands of leaders to turn vision into execution and boost company valuations along the way.