In our second episode with Dr. Sandra Primiano, we discuss the nuances of trauma, emphasizing that it is not solely defined by major life events but can also stem from repeated minor experiences. The conversation explores how these traumas shape behaviors and relationships, the importance of self-awareness, and the journey towards transforming learned behaviors. Dr. Primiano highlights the significance of neuroplasticity in changing emotional pathways, the necessity of embracing all emotions, an...
Jun 24, 2025•28 min•Season 7Ep. 13
In this episode of Safe Space, Dr. Sandra Primiano discusses the complexities of mental health, particularly focusing on burnout within the context of family businesses. She explores the various forms of burnout, its causes, and its impact on individuals and systems. The conversation delves into the importance of emotional awareness, the influence of ancestral traditions, and the necessity of mindfulness in daily life. Dr. Primiano emphasizes the power of choice in emotional responses and the si...
Jun 10, 2025•26 min•Season 7Ep. 12
In this episode, Jen Risher shares her journey from a middle-class background to sudden wealth due to unimaginable success for her and her husband early in their careers. She discusses the emotional complexities that come with newfound wealth, including feelings of shame and guilt, and the importance of understanding one's money story. Jen emphasizes the need for open conversations about money to foster connection and purpose, and she advocates for using wealth to create equity and support other...
May 27, 2025•28 min•Season 7Ep. 11
In this episode, Francesco Lombardo and Dave Specht discuss the dynamics of family businesses, focusing on the importance of empathy, communication, and understanding between generations. They explore how the rising generation is often misunderstood and the need for them to find their own identity separate from family expectations. The conversation emphasizes the significance of relationships over financial capital and the necessity for open dialogue about wealth transfer and family dynamics. Th...
May 13, 2025•27 min•Season 7Ep. 10
In this episode, Francesco Lombardo interviews Ana Maria Guerrero Carvajal, a sixth-generation leader of the Carvajal family business in Colombia. They discuss the importance of family values in sustaining a business across generations, the role of innovation in adapting to market changes, and the initiatives taken to foster entrepreneurship within the family. Ana Maria emphasizes the significance of living the values they preach, showcasing how the family actively engages in social responsibili...
Apr 29, 2025•23 min•Season 7Ep. 9
In this episode, Tom McCullough, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Northwood Family Office, joins Francesco to discuss the evolution of family offices, the challenges faced by wealthy families, and the importance of preparing both parents and children for wealth transition. He emphasizes the need for integrated advice and the emotional aspects of wealth management, providing insights into how families can navigate these complexities for better outcomes. Connect with me here: • https://www.linkedin...
Apr 15, 2025•29 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In this episode, Vicki Furnish of Wellspring Family Group shares her insights on managing family dynamics within a family business, particularly focusing on the transition to a single family office. She discusses the importance of educating the next generation about wealth, fostering motivation, and the necessity of open communication. Vicki emphasizes the role of emotional intelligence in navigating family relationships and the impact of creating safe spaces for discussions. The conversation hi...
Apr 01, 2025•31 min•Season 7Ep. 7
In this episode, Francesco Lombardo interviews Craig Kielburger, a renowned social entrepreneur and co-founder of WE Charity. They discuss Craig's journey from starting Free the Children at a young age to his collaboration with Oprah Winfrey, which significantly impacted his work in social impact. The conversation delves into the concept of legacy, exploring how families can create meaningful legacies and the importance of self-reflection and accountability in this process. They also touch on th...
Mar 18, 2025•48 min•Season 7Ep. 6
In this episode of Safe Space, the Fidanza siblings—Paolo, Adrian, and Carmen—share their journey of navigating the complexities of family dynamics after the sale of their family business, Salerno Dairy. They discuss the identity crisis they faced, the importance of self-discovery, and how they transformed their relationships through trust and emotional intelligence. The siblings emphasize the significance of changing their mindsets about money and the value of investing in themselves as individ...
Mar 04, 2025•29 min•Season 7Ep. 5
In this episode of Safe Space, host Francesco Lombardo speaks with personal coach, therapist, and healer, Ashley Best. Ashley shares her journey from being a CPA to embracing her true self and helping others do the same. The conversation delves into the importance of listening to one's internal compass, the courage to be vulnerable, and the significance of self-love. They discuss the shift in family offices towards recognizing human capital and the impact of shame on personal and familial relati...
Feb 18, 2025•30 min•Season 7Ep. 4
In this episode, Franco interviews family business advisor and co-author of The Quest for Legitimacy , Russ Haworth, who shares insights from his work with family businesses and the rising generation. They discuss the importance of understanding family dynamics, the quest for legitimacy, and the emotional aspects of succession planning. Russ emphasizes the need for individuals to explore their identity and purpose while navigating the complexities of family businesses. The conversation highlight...
Feb 04, 2025•30 min•Season 7Ep. 3
In this episode of Safe Space, host Francesco Lombardo engages with Agathe Holowatinc, Founder of FUELLED, to explore the significance of nutritional traditions and their impact on health and behavior. They discuss practical steps for making healthier food choices, the rise of food allergies, and the importance of understanding food values. Agatha shares insights on how to empower oneself to make better dietary decisions and offers advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while honoring family ...
Jan 21, 2025•28 min•Season 7Ep. 2
In this episode of Safe Space, host Francesco Lombardo speaks with John Michael Elder, a third-generation family business member, about the complexities of navigating family dynamics, wealth, and emotional intelligence within a family business. John Michael shares his journey of marrying into a business family, the challenges of understanding wealth, and the importance of emotional intelligence in fostering a supportive family culture. The conversation emphasizes the need for open communication,...
Jan 07, 2025•33 min•Season 7Ep. 1
ORIGINALLY AIRED OCTOBER 8, 2020 We had the pleasure of hosting Renuka Baron, an internationally renowned executive coach and expert in personal and professional transformation on the Safe Space podcast back in October 2020. To this day it remains one of our top episodes. Renuka shared how she empowers individuals and organizations to embrace authentic, soul-driven leadership. Her insights on overcoming limiting beliefs and unlocking true potential were truly inspiring. Don't miss this episode! ...
Dec 30, 2024•48 min
In this episode, Christian Busch, author of The Serendipity Mindeset, explains the concept of serendipity and its importance in personal and professional contexts. He shares his journey from a troubled youth to a successful author and academic, emphasizing the role of connecting ideas and people. The conversation explores how to cultivate serendipity through trust, psychological safety, and vulnerability, particularly in family businesses. Busch provides practical advice on overcoming self-limit...
Dec 03, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 20
How do you create clear communication channels when your work and family life are intertwined? Join me for my conversation with Veritage coach, BJ Radomski where we discuss the importance of understanding oneself in order to understand another. Together, we explore the impact of clear communication on family business decision-making and how the support of an external coach can help to prevent any blockages. Connect with me here: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-lombardo-fea-496a7966/ • ht...
Nov 26, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 19
In this episode of Safe Space, host Franco Lombardo speaks with Gillian Stein, former CEO of Henry's, Canada’s largest independent digital imaging retailer, about her emotional journey of selling her family business. Gillian shares her experience of identity loss, the grieving process, and the challenges of transitioning from operations to ownership. The conversation highlights the importance of self-reflection, finding new passions, and the emotional complexities involved in succession planning...
Nov 12, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 18
Veritage CEO Franco Lombardo was recently a guest on the "Smart Wealth™ with Thane Stenner" podcast where they covered a number of pertinent topics from the emotional side of family business. Franco explains that by asking his clients the questions they’ve been avoiding asking themselves, they can begin to better understand their relationship to money, why they behave the way they do with it and how they can then choose their behavior. The discussion then covers why the human capital asset class...
Nov 07, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this very special episode of Safe Space, our Founder and CEO, Franco Lombardo is in the hot seat in conversation with Veritage’s Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Clark. They cover a number of different topics including why Franco created Veritage, emotional security beyond financial wealth, turning investment strategies towards Human Capital, and offers some practical tools and key insights to help you navigate the complex family dynamics associated with being a business family. Connect with m...
Oct 22, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 17
In this episode, Claudia Gomez of Trusted Family joins Francesco to discuss the challenges faced by family businesses and the importance of having difficult conversations. She highlights the tendency of families to avoid conflict and the consequences of not addressing hard topics and suggests greater vulnerability and self-awareness is needed in order to initiate these conversations and build trust within the family. She also explores the role of the next generation in driving change and finding...
Oct 08, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 20
What you say to yourself is as important as what you say to others, because communication begins with ourselves. The way we communicate with others is often based on our own thoughts, and is why this episode of Safe Space highlights the importance of questioning and challenging our thinking. Francesco Lombardo and BJ Radomski also discuss the challenges that arise when there is a lack of clear communication within families and offer some practical advice to overcome them. Connect with me here: •...
Sep 24, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 12
With almost 20 years of working with families as the executive director of the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center and in his private consulting practice, there’s not much that Andrew Keyt hasn’t come across. But it is his personal journey of overcoming challenges as a next-generation business leader that makes his perspective so unique. In this episode Francesco and Andrew discuss many of the unspoken issues that exist within family business relationships, such as the importance of...
Sep 10, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Like so many of my guests, Don Phin has led an extraordinary life. Growing up in the Bronx, his journey has taken him from being a former trial lawyer to starting a HR company to now coaching CEOs. Don has gone on to use the lessons he learnt in the courtroom and specifically draws on his experience of how different versions of the ‘truth’ can cause a breakdown in communication. As a recently trained Veritage coach, Don works with a preventative approach and believes that listening and encourage...
Aug 27, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 13
BJ (Brian) Radomski, is executive coach and facilitator, who takes a holistic approach to coaching, by combining science and psychology with personal experience and real-life scenarios. In this episode of Safe Space, BJ shares insights he gained from his extensive career and experience in a multitude of organizations, and explains why the key to successful leadership is grounded in open and transparent communication. Connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-lombardo-fea-496a79...
Aug 13, 2024•34 min•Season 6Ep. 11
In this conversation, I speak with Armen Alajian, the owner of ARTO, Southern California's artisanal brick and tile manufacturer. Armen and his brother Vod took over the business after their father Arto died in 2014, and in this moving conversation Armen shares how he navigated the emotional and practical difficulties he faced. If you are interested in learning more about how to create a healthy family culture and why investing in the people in the business is the key to success, then this episo...
Jul 30, 2024•34 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Despite the recent progress in gender equality, many women still face obstacles in securing senior leadership positions within their family business. In this episode, Family Business owner, Eva Fischer emphasizes the importance of belief in oneself and urges women to avoid falling into the trap of emulating their male counterparts. Eva's insights and experiences offer valuable perspectives and strategies for women entrepreneurs in family businesses on how to cultivate personal fulfillment. Conne...
Jul 23, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 8
It was 1986 and Jonathan Goldhill had just witnessed the closure of his family’s company, which was also the country’s largest men’s suit manufacturer. Not wanting other entrepreneurs and family businesses to follow the same fate, Jonathan decided to use his experience to help families navigate a smooth transition. In this intimate conversation, Jonathan shares why our early childhood experiences can shape our adult lives, and how through the discovery of emotional safety, we can all find our tr...
Jul 16, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 9
The role that advisors play in helping family businesses to fulfill their goals cannot be underestimated and is why my guest this week is Heather Falcone. A second-generation family business member and CEO of Thermal Vac Technology, Heather has more than 20 years of experience, centered in business concepts and is passionate about helping companies and individuals be outspokenly different. Together Francesco and Heather discuss the components of a successful relationship between the family and a...
Jul 09, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Working with family enterprises and business owners, Chris Yonker helps them navigate the intricate and unique aspects of both being related and owning a business. Combining his own personal experience and professional work with entrepreneurs, executives, athletes, and celebrities, Chris has created a process inspired by eastern philosophy to preserve continuity. In this episode, Chris offers his advice for both next-gen and senior-gen family business leaders on how to create a safe space to eff...
Jul 02, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Kent Johnson, is the CEO of the company that his great-grandparents founded in 1946. In a little two-room office above a car dealership, Highlights magazine was born and today it remains as true to its core as ever. A magazine encouraging children to discover their creativity and imagination, Kent explains why he believes that childhood is the critical foundation for developing happy and healthy children. A company that has embraced the concept of a Chief Purpose Officer, Kent shares why and how...
Jun 25, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 6
