Writing

Thinking on Family, Wealth, and the Conversations That Change Everything.

For founders navigating succession. For families protecting what they've built. For advisors who know the human side is the harder side.

Family Legacy

What Is Wattie Advisory? Relational Due Diligence for Founder Families

Wattie Advisory works with founder families on the relational side of business succession and legacy, led by Grant and Christine Wattie.

Succession

Family Succession Planning: The Questions Every Founder Family Is Actually Asking

The questions founder families ask about succession, estate planning, and wealth transition — and the honest answers most advisors won't give you.

Wealth Transition

Why Estate Planning Isn't Enough to Protect Your Family Legacy

Your estate plan is done. The lawyer has been paid. The documents are signed. So why do 70% of family wealth transitions still fail? Here's what the plan can't do.

Family Legacy

The Conversation Every Family Business Needs Before Succession

Most families spend months preparing the legal and financial structure of succession. Almost none have the one conversation that determines whether any of it will hold.

Family Legacy

The Question No Succession Plan Asks

Most families spend months on the legal and financial structure of succession. Almost none ask the one question that determines whether the plan will hold.

Wealth Transition

Why 70% of Family Wealth Transitions Fail (And It's Not the Money)

The research has been clear for decades. Most family wealth transitions don't fail because of bad financial planning. They fail because of something nobody wants to talk about.

Couples in Business

Can a Business Destroy a Good Marriage?

A business does not destroy good marriages, though it can accelerate whatever is unresolved in them. Here is the distinction that matters.

Couples in Business

Why Husband and Wife Business Partners Lose Connection

The loss of connection in a couple-run business follows a predictable pattern. Understanding it is the first step to reversing it.

Couples in Business

Is It Normal to Only Talk About Work When You Run a Business With Your Partner?

When every conversation becomes about the business, the marriage is quietly being replaced. Here is what to do about it.

Couples in Business

How Couples Who Work Together Can Stop Fighting About the Business

Constant conflict about the business is a signal. Here is what is really driving it and how to change it.

Couples in Business

Why Running a Business With Your Spouse Can Damage Your Marriage

Running a business together can quietly erode a marriage. Here is why it happens and what to do about it.