Podcast
Purposeful Planning Podcast
Hosted by Purposeful Planning Institute · EN
The Purposeful Planning Podcast Series delivers inspirational and informative conversations around legacy planning, family business succession, rising generation learning and development, transitioning leadership, governance, philanthropy, and best practices for legacy families and families in business.
Our content offers practical tips and advice for advisors and consultants serving families navigating the challenges of wealth and well-being.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Collaborating through Conflict
1w ago00:29:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Purposeful Planning Podcast, host Andy Stubblefield sits down with Jeff Savlov and Garrett Wells to explore what it really looks like to collaborate through conflict in complex family systems. Drawing from a real-world engagement involving a strained trustee-beneficiary relationship between a mother and daughter, Jeff and Garrett reflect on the challenges of stepping into a high-stakes collaboration as new partners navigating emotional tension, unclear expectations, and evolving client needs. Together, they unpack themes of ego, economics, and expectations, highlighting the importance of humility, communication, role clarity, and staying within one’s expertise while serving families in moments of transition. Through honest reflection on both the successes and disappointments of the engagement, this conversation offers practical insight for advisors seeking to collaborate more effectively across disciplines in support of families and their long-term well-being.
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Finding a Place to Stand: Dr. Ed Shapiro on Voice, Authority, and the Family System
Apr 3000:26:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the PPI Podcast, host Steve Legler sits down with Dr. Ed Shapiro, former longtime CEO and Medical Director of the Austen Riggs Center and author of Finding a Place to Stand. Dr. Shapiro walks through what makes Riggs unlike any other psychiatric setting — an open campus, intensive psychotherapy, a therapeutic community, and real roles in the surrounding town — all built around the conviction that patients are competent adults who can take charge of their own lives once they find the language for what they've been carrying. The conversation then turns to the families PPI members serve. Dr. Shapiro unpacks the "designated patient" — what PPI founder John A. Warnick calls the "designated difficult one" — and explains how significant wealth can quietly stall the development of agency in rising-generation heirs, why behavior is best understood as communication rather than something to simply suppress, and how a sibling "family champion" is often the one who first reaches out for help. For advisors, he offers direct guidance: don't try to fix the family, resist the urge to call a break when emotions spike, and recognize the red flags that signal a family's struggle has moved beyond consulting or mediation into territory that calls for deeper clinical work.
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A System's Lens Through a System's Journey Part 2: The Power of Talking about our Mistakes
Mar 3100:33:08Tap to summarizeWhat role do mistakes play in effective advising—and how can they become a catalyst for deeper learning and better outcomes? In this episode of the Purposeful Planning Podcast, Kathy Wiseman and Natalie McVeigh explore how missteps in systems work, client referrals, and family meetings can serve as powerful opportunities for growth. Kathy shares her personal journey of reframing mistakes, emphasizing transparency, clarity, and the importance of helping clients build their own problem-solving capacity rather than over-functioning as advisors. Together, they discuss creative approaches to engaging families—from experiential exercises to rethinking meeting dynamics—and offer a fresh perspective on what defines success: not perfection, but the creation of curiosity, openness, and possibility within complex family systems.
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Shaping the Field of Philanthropic Advising
Feb 2400:41:18Tap to summarizePhilanthropic advising is evolving from an informal add-on to a distinct and emerging profession. In this episode of the Purposeful Planning Podcast, host Joseph Brooks sits down with Dien Yuen, CEO of Daylight, and Marguerite Griffin of Northern Trust to explore the growing field of philanthropic advising. Together, they discuss what modern philanthropic advisors actually do, the core competencies required for excellence, and the work underway to professionalize the field through research, credentialing, and community-building. From values-centered planning and family dynamics to AI, risk management, and the future of impact, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at how advisors can unlock philanthropic capital and help families translate purpose into meaningful, sustainable social impact.
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Combining Financial Planning and Mental Health Counseling to Transform Outcomes for Families
Jan 3000:40:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Purposeful Planning Podcast, the husband-and-wife team of Sean and Jill Maher share how their interdisciplinary approach transforms outcomes for families and business owners. The goal of this conversation is to provide insights to fellow advisors, attorneys, and family office professionals about how imbedding relational connection into the financial planning process leads to more meaningful results.Sean Maher is a financial planner, and Jill Maher is a clinical mental health counselor. Through real client stories, practical tools, and candid reflections, Sean and Jill provide perspectives on why financial planning must include both technical precision and emotional clarity.
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A System's Lens Through a System's Journey
Dec 2300:28:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, guest host Natalie McVeigh of Oikonomia and a member of the PPI Education Development Committee is joined by Kathy Wiseman of Working Systems, Inc, The Family Portfolio and faculty at The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, for a reflective conversation on family systems theory in practice. Together, they explore what it means to view families and organizations through a systems lens, how this perspective shapes both personal and professional journeys, and why it is so valuable when working with complex family dynamics. Drawing on Kathy’s deep experience in systems thinking, the conversation highlights practical insights for advisors seeking to better understand patterns, relationships, and long-term impact across generations.
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Turning up the Lights: A Progressive Approach to Wealth Disclosure Conversations
Dec 100:25:36Tap to summarizeFor many people, talking about money is seen as taboo. While open communication about money and wealth is touted as a best practice in preparing the rising generation and maintain harmony, many families don’t know where to begin and when and how much to share. Often, they feel pulled toward two opposing choices: disclose everything or disclose nothing. In this sense, disclosure feels like an on/off switch. At the Merrill Center for Family Wealth®, we have developed a progressive approach that makes wealth conversations efficient and productive for families. Thus, rather than viewing wealth disclosure communications as an on/off switch, we suggest viewing it as a dimmer switch.
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Effective Family Philanthropy in Practice
Oct 2800:36:22Tap to summarizeAs families and advisors prepare for year-end giving, Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Dean of Philanthropy at the Purpose Planning Institute speaks with Nick Tedesco, President and CEO of the National Center for Family Philanthropy about what effective family philanthropy looks like today—beyond metrics and mission statements. Together they explore how clarity of purpose, equity, and family alignment can make giving both more joyful and more purposeful. Tune in for a grounded, hopeful discussion about how generosity can meet this moment with intention and impact.
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How to Deal with Setbacks - Part 2
Sep 2300:22:53Tap to summarizeWhen the going gets tough...what then? Advisors can best support clients when they know through experience what makes a real difference during tough times. Our own experience can give us so much to draw on if we've learnt how to handle ourselves better. In Part 1 Ian gave us three approaches that really make a difference. Now in Part 2 he gives us three new tools - how to cultivate flexibility, how to change perspective and how to keep going - with lots of practical examples.
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Impact with Intention
Aug 2600:26:26Tap to summarizeStephanie Ellis Smith sits down with Courtney Joyner Gage to explore her work in sustainability and impact investing through Aligned Impact and PPI. Courtney unpacks the spectrum between traditional investing and philanthropy, clarifies common misconceptions, and highlights the importance of aligning investments with personal values.
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