Legacy Talks with Sasha Lund

Did you know there is such a thing as smart luck? And did you know that you can actually contribute greatly to creating your own luck? Sounds a bit too good to be true, right? Well, I am excited to tell you that it is possible! In today’s Legacy Talks episode, I am joined by Dr. Christian Busch. He is the bestselling author of Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck, a book that has been highly praised by people such as Ariana Huffington, Reid Hoffmann, and Brent Hoberman. Christian and I discuss the concept of good luck and how business families and family businesses can create a serendipitous mindset that can lead to stronger and more successful companies and happy family members and employees. Enjoy!

Today’s Legacy Talks episode is very open, honest and raw. I am incredibly pleased to be having a conversation with the courageous Natasha Müller, a 3rd generation family member from a textile empire. Natasha does not shy away from talking about the many difficulties, including different kinds of addictions, she had to overcome both personally and in business to get to where she is today. Today she is an avid impact investor and also strongly believes that mental health is key to happy individuals, which translates into healthy family businesses. Enjoy!

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I am joined by Robinson Brown, a 5th generation family member of the Brown-Forman wine and spirits company. Initially, Robinson did not want to join the business but once he did, he never looked back. He is sharing his family’s fascinating story, from surviving the Prohibition in the 20ies and 30ties, buying and growing the Jack Daniels company, to the company’s approach to employee recruitment and implementation of the family constitution. Want to learn more about this remarkable success story?

In today’s Legacy Talks episode, me and my guest, Rus Miller, discuss one of the most impactful challenges multigenerational families face: generational differences and what to do when the rising generation “wants out”. If you don’t want to be part of the family business, how can you convene the message without family members taking it personally? And if you are told that a family member wants out, what do you do?

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I am joined by Antonis Schwarz, a Greek-German Next Gen. The family business was sold when Toni was a teenager and he suddenly found himself in need to learn how to handle his newly acquired wealth. Instead of getting side-tracked by expensive buys, he actively chose to go down the impact route. Today he is sharing his story with us and we discuss what impact really is, the role activism might play and how next gens can find impact investments that make sense for them.

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I am joined by Franklin J. Parker, who has been advising families for well over a decade. Franklin and I discuss the importance of creating effective shareholders and what effective and responsible shareholding actually means. How can family members stay engaged with the business if they are not the operators? And how can the next generation of shareholders learn to ask the right questions to help create a thriving business and contribute to healthy family dynamics?

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I am joined by Brian Thompson, a 6th-generation family member of one of the world’s top 150 family businesses, according to this year’s (2021) Forbes Magazine. Brian and I candidly discuss identity crises and how being radically honest to yourself, will help you develop stronger communication with your family and ultimately make you a more honest and committed business owner. Embracing the – sometimes tremendous – pain that comes with growth, and being brave enough to talk about it, will help shape you. Once you find your voice, you can be a strong advocate for the family and help passing on the family’s legacy to the next generation. Stay tuned for this episode and enjoy hearing Brian’s open, honest, and raw story. It is nothing but brave!

In today’s Legacy Talks episode we examine the concept of conscious culture. Is conscious culture the secret to long-lasting family business success? I am joined by Carlos Agustín Moreno. For over 15 years Carlos was the CEO and the 2nd Gen of his family-owned business and their family office. During the last 7 years, he has been working at a company called Axialent, helping both public and private organisations achieve sustainable results by making culture the most valuable asset of the organisation. Stay tuned for this episode where Carlos willingly shares with us his personal experience and story around his family business. Maybe he will even provide an answer to what can help business families achieve long-lasting success…

In today’s Legacy Talks episode, my guest and I talk about the saving of a family business. I am joined by Octavian Graf Pilati. Octavian is a Count and comes from a family whose history dates back to before the year 1000. Count Pilati studied mechanical engineering and was not interested in joining the family business. Things changed drastically when the business hit a crisis, stemming from a failed investment. He was asked to take on the CEO position and was dealing with this crisis heads-on for three years. Carry on with this episode to find out what happens when shit hits the fan!

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I’m joined by Elizabeth Bagger, a 2nd generation family member from Denmark. Elizabeth is the former Director General of the Institute for Family Business (IFB) in the UK, where she served for 12 years. She also founded Avanti Family Business Advisory. We speak about the essence of values and how money should be a facilitator, rather than a problem. Aligning values with your wealth is a very hard task to undertake. Stay tuned to listen to her tips on how to make the journey engaging and interesting.

In today’s Legacy Talks episode I’m joined by Dominik von Eynern, a 4th generation family member. When Dominik at a young age was told that he is becoming a shareholder and started attending the shareholder’s meetings, he quickly realised that most family members did not have a voice, including himself, and hence would simply not speak up. Dominik and I talk about the difficulties of challenging the board and finding the strength and courage within to put the business first, knowing that it means friction between family members.

In today’s inaugural episode of Legacy Talks I am joined by the inspirational and courageous Swati Dlamini-Mandela. She is the granddaughter of Winnie and Nelson Mandela and on her father’s side she was born into Swaziland Royalty. Swati openly shares her identity struggles growing up and how her life had to take several turns, and sometimes unpleasant decisions had to be made until she embraced her legacy. Want to learn more about her journey into finding and claiming her identity? Start listening! And welcome to Legacy Talks!