Category: Productivity

(with Stories, Science, and Zero “Bullshit”) Most people think intention is a feeling.A simple good or bad.But intention is not a feeling.It is a structure. A stack. A pattern that repeats under pressure. And if you know how to read it, you stop getting fooled by words, excuses, or temporary emotions.You start seeing the real…
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(With Research Notes & Clear Disclaimers) Today I was sitting on the floor with my son Alexander.He was fighting with a toy that wouldn’t cooperate.Full intensity. Full frustration. And in that moment, I saw a spectrum of choices — two edges that define what kind of parent, leader, or human you become. On one side,…
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Somewhere along the way, most adults stop playing. Not because play stops being fun,but because life teaches us that being “serious” is safer.You hear things like: Little by little, play gets replaced by pressure.We build lives around control, certainty, and safety.We think maturity means being careful. But here’s the truth almost nobody talks about: Play…
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Why Real Builders Grow Where Beauty Was Never Promised We admire roses. They bloom in curated soil, behind the protection of trimmed hedges and manicured borders. Their beauty is intentional, cultivated, expected. We don’t fault them for it — they simply grew where they were planted. But every now and then, in the overlooked corners…
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The Need: Preserving Legacy and Preventing “Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves” Wealthy families often worry that their hard-earned legacy could dissipate or harm the next generation. Research famously shows that only about 30% of families maintain control of their assets and family harmony by the third generation preparingheirs.com. This “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves” proverb – wealth gained in…
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Wealth advisors and family coaches employ a holistic mix of educational, experiential, and coaching interventions to help ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) heirs become responsible, resilient, purpose-driven stewards. Rather than just handing down financial knowledge, these programs focus on character-building, family values, and hands-on experience. Key models include family retreats, rites of passage experiences, structured coaching programs, formal…
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Maintaining both substantial wealth and close family relationships across generations is notoriously challenging – only about 30% of families successfully transfer wealth beyond the second generation truist.com. However, several Western dynasties have beaten the odds. Below we examine case studies from family business, real estate, technology, and investment-origin wealth, identifying key behaviors, succession practices, governance…
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Core Emotional Fears and Psychological Blocks Wealthy patriarchs often experience a range of deep-seated fears and mental barriers when facing succession or legacy planning. Common emotional concerns include: Each patriarch is unique, of course, but these core fears – losing control, facing mortality, losing identity, mistrust, family conflict, regret, and isolation – form a psychological…
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Powerful people secretly want to build heirs who don’t crumble under pressure, shame the family name, or blow up relationships. So, let’s fact check what really works. “At the core of every successful wealth transition is not the structure, it’s the people.” What preserves a legacy isn’t just documents — it’s character. My work helps…
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by Bryant Stratton The other day, a woman looked down at her shoes and said, “I’m wearing really ugly crocs.” Then she turned to me and asked, “Do you have an opinion on crocs?” I paused. I didn’t want to lie. So I said, “Actually, no—I don’t have an opinion on crocs.” But then I…
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