We're talking all things Family Office. We break down what they are, how they work, how to make them work better - and why you probably already have a structure in place!
We help you understand what family office services are and guide other providers on how to serve family's in the exact way we do. We believe we all get better when the conversation is open, curious and educational!
Building Beneficiaries, Not Dependents with Rick Waggoner
Host Christi Van Rite interviews Rick Waggoner, founder of the Family Office Forum of Texas, a confidential peer-to-peer community that has grown from three families to 125 families in nine groups plus a virtual group, designed to reduce isolation and share practical solutions (including an anonymous “queries” program).
They discuss why distribution policies sit at the intersection of wealth management, governance, and family dynamics, and why relying solely on trust language or HEMS standards can lead to “dependents, not beneficiaries,” urging flexibility, context, guardrails, and a baseline-plus-exceptions approach that avoids exceptions becoming the rule and reduces power imbalances. Rick shares that members estimated family financial literacy is in the single digits, arguing basic financial understanding is essential for trust and engagement. He contrasts technical expertise with true advisory skill, shares contact details for the Forum, and previews an upcoming topic on next-generation alignment and trust.
Connect with Rick:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-waggoner-ba08a11/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-waggoner-ba08a11/)
Email address: rick@foftexas.com (mailto:rick@foftexas.com)
Phone: 972.571.1299
30 Sept 2026
Showing Value as a Family Office Practitioner
Christi welcomes listeners to the Family Office Success Podcast and interviews professional coach Michèle Soregaroli about how practitioners can show value and avoid disconnects between the value they believe they deliver and what clients actually perceive. Michèle explains that mismatches come from limited communication about what each party wants and the “filter” clients use to judge value beyond technical expertise.
She recommends asking better questions about what a successful relationship would look and feel like, what clients have liked or found frustrating before, and why the service matters, emphasizing that clients are buying an experience as much as an outcome. Using restaurant and “steak” analogies, they discuss differentiation, aligning offers to client values, and the business costs of taking mismatched clients, as well as the integrity and referral benefits of identifying fit early.
Connect with Michèle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msoregaroli/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/msoregaroli/)
Website: https://www.transformationcatalyst.ca (https://www.transformationcatalyst.ca)
Email address: m@transformationcatalyst.ca
16 Sept 2026
Building Better Trustee–Beneficiary Relationships with Amanda Koplin
Christi Van Rite interviews Amanda Koplin about how trustees can better interact with beneficiaries, drawing on Koplin’s background as a licensed professional counselor, certified hostage negotiator, and fiduciary consultant. They discuss the “arranged marriage” dynamic between trustees and beneficiaries, reframing conflict from “what’s wrong with this person?” to “what happened to this person?” and using practical language to de-escalate and build trust through consistent “small moments.” Koplin explains how trauma, mental health, and money histories shape behavior on both sides, and emphasizes empowerment, voice, choice, and financial literacy.
She shares tools like pausing escalation, clarifying foundational assumptions with a “same page chart,” and setting structured touchpoints to reduce burnout. Koplin’s book, "The Trauma-Informed Trustee," is expected mid-to-late July, and she offers consulting and training via koplinconsulting.com.
Connect with Amanda:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-koplin-lpc-3a67a13a/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-koplin-lpc-3a67a13a/)
Website: https://koplinconsulting.com (https://koplinconsulting.com)
Email address: amanda@koplinconsulting.com
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 20 / 100
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