The Easemakers Podcast

How can an endowment help a family preserve a legacy property? Mark Richards, a Principal at the independent life insurance brokerage firm Winged Keel Group, has spent decades helping families preserve their assets, and in this conversation, he shares the value of endowing legacy properties and how estate managers can support their principals in the process. Tune in to hear his take on how an endo...

Can a car also be an office, a gathering place, a space to relax?  Becker Automotive Design creates custom vehicles for VIPs in government, tech, Wall Street, Hollywood, sports and more from all over the world — always striving to say yes when clients pose creative challenges with the question, "this is great, but can you...?" In a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Howard Becker dig...

How do you keep a complex development project running smoothly and bring a principal's vision to life? Peak Projects Founder & CEO Grant Bowen shares insights around complex development projects in a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast. Tune in to hear Grant's take on aligning teams around a vision, bringing in vendors with shared values, and why it's critical to talk with pri...

How do you find great contractors and work with them effectively to get projects done the right way? As a contractor himself, Loft Home Services Founder David Deray has a passion for helping people answer these questions. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, he shares the contractor's perspective to help you get the best results when working with vendors.  Tune in to hear his tips for c...

What's trending in home automation, and what's on its way out? What are principals looking for in smart home technology, and how do you ensure you're building a setup that actually works for their lifestyle? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Global Wave Integration Founder & President Kyle Steele digs into everything from home entertainment systems to cutting edge welln...

How do you support a principal who's aging in place, or navigating a terminal illness at home? Bay Area House Manager and Personal Assistant Laurie Reese has supported a number of principals through the most challenging moments of their lives, and in this heartfelt work, she's found her calling. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, we talk with Laurie about her experience supportin...

How can estate managers better support frontline staff? How can the right training benefit not only household staff, but also managers and principals? Dwight Nero, Founder of DEPN Consulting, is passionate about helping frontline household staff get the training they need. He shares his take and his tips for training what he calls "the forgotten few" in this episode of the Easemakers Pod...

How has protecting the world's most prominent families and individuals changed over the last 50 years — and what's stayed the same? Gavin de Becker & Associates Senior Vice President of Threat Assessment and Management Bryan Niederhelm digs into what's new and what remains core to executive protection in this episode of the Easemakers Podcast. Tune in to hear Bryan's take o...

What is the role of an owner's representative, and where does it start and end? What are the nuances of managing projects nearby and from afar? What skills do owner's reps need, and how do you become one? Leo Crane answers all our owner's rep questions in a new episode of the Easemakers Podcast. Tune in to hear how he manages projects all over the world from his home base in Bozeman...

How do you maximize value across an organization? As a family office specialist, a former family office COO focused on estate management, a wealth advisor and consultant, Alison Marckstadt has spent the past 2 decades honing her ability to increase efficiency, bring the best out of her teams, and deliver the highest level service to her principals. Hear Alison's tips and strategies for maximi...

What are principals really thinking? After making the transition from working within family offices to consulting for family offices, Tapestry CEO Anne Lyons and President Judy Boerner-Rule have a new perspective. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Anne and Judy share their aha moments from moving to the other side, as well as the patterns they see across families, family offices, and team...

In a special bonus episode of the Easemakers Podcast recorded live from the Estate Management Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, we explore the trend toward residential hospitality with Hannah Loudin, Director of Residences at The Tampa EDITION . What does it mean when a job description includes "5 star hotel experience"? How should estate managers prepare for roles with the title, &...

Getting organized — let alone staying organized — across multiple properties can be a huge undertaking, and no one knows that better than NEAT Method Co-Founders Ashley Murphy and Marissa Hagmeyer. In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Ashley and Marissa share their expert tips for estate managers and anyone working to minimize chaos in their homes. Tune in to hear their strategies for managi...

Today, the Easemakers Podcast is taking a break between seasons. In this episode, get a preview of upcoming conversations, and in the meantime, catch up on our past favorites! Thanks for listening!

What do private service professionals need to know about alternative citizenship? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, we explore why so many high net worth families are applying for alternative passports, and what you need to know about the process. Tune in to hear Judi Galst, Managing Director Private Clients for Henley & Partners , the global leader in alternative residence and citize...

What are the keys to providing excellent lifestyle management services to 25 different clients? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, Jennifer Quent, a director in Marcum’s family office practice, shares what it's like to manage lifestyle and concierge services within a public accounting firm. Tune in to hear the range of services Jennifer and her team provide in any given week, her tips...

Jen Laurence is an expert in helping households improve their communications and create harmony. She's spent the past 23 years in estate management, and as the owner of Luxury Lifestyle Logistics, she works with principals and the private service professionals who support them for a week at a time. Her goal: to break down siloes and implement systems that keep everyone on the same page. In th...

Private service professionals often feel like there aren't enough hours in a day — but are you falling victim to the 8 deadly time thieves? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, professional organizer and bestselling author of Unstuff Your Life and Calling Bullsh*t on Busy Andrew Mellen shares his tips for time management. Tune in to hear how you can avoid time thieves like multitasking...

In 20 years of working in single family offices, EFO Advisory Services Founder Rebecca Maguire has learned that there's often a disconnect between what principals think they need and what their teams actually need to operate effectively.  Many teams of private service professionals continue to take on more, operating on the brink of burnout but managing the chaos so well that their principals...

Your principal wants to trade the hassle of commercial flights for a world-class private jet experience. How do you find the right experience for their travel needs? Ryan Hall is a private aviation expert and the CEO of Corporate Aviation , a consulting firm designed to help individuals and corporations figure out the right private jet travel solution for their needs. In this episode of the Easema...

Do you know how to create a home inventory list? Why is inventory so important — to family members, to your insurance company and to your household staff? And, what exactly needs to be included on your home inventory checklist? Years ago, Carol Kaufman learned the hard way that failing to do inventory properly can be a huge mistake — so she launched her own company to help households and estates m...

What are the opportunities for private service professionals who want to work from home? And, what are the challenges that come with a remote position? Tara Ulrich knows the answers to these questions firsthand. She’s spent her career as an administrative assistant, working first as a remote executive assistant for a nonprofit, then taking on a remote personal assistant job with a company that pro...

Your principals come to you and say they want to buy a ranch or some kind of agricultural property, and they’d like to set it up as a business to qualify for an agricultural property tax exemption. Now what? Colorado based Director of Properties and Agricultural Manager Stephanie Galetzki has helped several families and family offices navigate the process, and in this episode of the Easemakers Pod...

What are the trends in household staffing salaries and compensation? How much does compensation affect tenure and turnover? Which employees are you most at risk of losing? Botoff Consulting wanted to help answer these questions, and provide data to help families and family offices recruit top private service professionals and retain their best household staff members. In 2022, they surveyed 300 fa...

What do you need to know about today’s insurance market, and how do you decide when to submit a claim and when  not to? In this episode of the Easemakers Podcast, we talk with Kate Norris, Managing Principal for the risk management firm, Atténuer Risk . Kate has spent her career in the family office world — first in wealth management, then at the Family Office Exchange.  During this conversation,...