Why We Wrote Our Book

Our book, “OWN IT! Building an Owner’s Mindset at Every Age,” aims to shed light on the importance of intentionally developing an owner’s mindset within family enterprises. Through our own experiences and work with business families, we have developed key principles that can guide this journey at different stages of life. Our goal is to advance the claim that ownership is a critical role in a family enterprise which needs to be intentionally and strategically developed.

Our collaboration in writing this book has been a blessing. We are three individuals with different backgrounds and areas of expertise, but a shared passion for helping families navigate the challenges of owning and managing a family enterprise. Our different perspectives and experiences allowed us to provide a comprehensive view of the topic, covering the emotional, relational, and financial aspects of building an owner’s mindset.” Continue reading article: “The Importance of Building an Owner’s Mindset in Family Enterprises” | Books By Woman literary magazine

Praise for Own It!

Order on Amazon

“This book contains new, practical insights about how to develop these special, essential owners. It is the first work I have seen that describes developmental stages with both comment on the challenges faced in each stage and then a multitude of hands-on approaches so you can map your own family’s work. Thank you to Wendy, Barbara, and Gaia for sharing your vision and wisdom of what makes a great ownership of a family enterprise.” James E. Hughes, Jr., Family Wealth Author and Fellow, Wise Counsel Research – USA

“The book is not about business, it is about how business learning has a special place in business families, through each stage of the life cycle. We see how ownership learning takes place at each stage of children’s development, and how organically addressing and teaching ownership early on can anticipate and prevent difficulty, conflict and lack of preparation later on.” —Dennis Jaffe, Founder, Wise Counsel Research – USA

“Throughout the book, Barbara, Gaia and Wendy, have masterfully crafted a path that empowers families to explore the multi-faceted and complex arena known as ‘ownership’ – supporting families to envision their own unique approach to ownership and the development of competent owners within their desired framework. This will be a cornerstone of every family business library.” —Margaret-Jean Mannix, G4 Owner, Chair, Mannix Family Foundation – Canada

“This forward-thinking book provides practical strategies for learning and development at all ages and life stages. It refreshingly, uniquely, and successfully addresses ”how-tos” and “things to watch out for.” —Monica Walter, Vice President Family Governance and Development, G4 Family Office – USA

“This is the first book I read that gives a spot-on practical toolkit to help multi-generational business families develop the right ownership mindset. The Authors’ experience working directly with families all over the world, combined with their teaching background, make this book an invaluable resource for every multi-generational business family in the world that want to develop strong lifelong learning practices. Every member of my family should get a copy of this book when they turn 18!” —Edouard Thijssen, CEO & Founder, Trusted Family – Belgium

“This book provides answers to pertinent questions that I have heard from the many business-owning families I have networked and worked with over the last two decades around the world, especially from the perspective of developing the human capital of the family. Read it, self-reflect on it, and use it as a group-learning discussion tool!” —Dr. Johnben Loy., G2 Owner, YPO Certified Forum Facilitator + Family Therapist – Kuala Lumpur

“OWN IT! does a fantastic job communicating the key technical, legal, and organizational concepts of ownership in the context of the multi-generational family enterprise (and does so in a way that is comprehensible to family members that are not well versed in the concepts and language of business). More importantly, though, [this book] articulates a clear framework with practical starting points that families and advisers should use in educating family members at each stage of development, and also identifies common issues and pitfalls that should be considered and avoided. An invaluable read for family members and advisers working in the multi-generational family enterprise space.” —Thompson Turner, Esq., G5 Owner, Chair of the Advisors Committee of the Family Council, and Estate Planner – USA

In the Media

  • Get Down to Business Podcast: Barbara Dartt discusses how she got started in the family business consulting space, how to navigate the complexities of ownership within family enterprises, and how to proactively develop an owner’s mindset early within the next generation that allows for a mutual understanding of what it means to be an owner.
  • The Small Business Radio Show: Gaia Marchiso is interviewed on the topic of helping family businesses preserve their family assets and growing their capital.
  • School for Startups Radio: Wendy Sage-Hayward discusses building an ownership mindset, how it differs between generations, and how to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation by involving them to observe and learn at a young age.
  • Enterprise Podcast on Entrepreneur Podcast Network: Barbara Dartt discusses why family ownership is often an overlooked role, why the preparation of family business owners is so important, who is responsible for preparing family business owners, and how early can you begin preparing owners.
  • Mastering Your Money: Barbara Dartt discusses the complexities of family enterprises and the importance of transitioning them to the next generation. The episode explores the dynamics of preserving family wealth, emphasizing the need for collective family development and the advancement of the entire family as these enterprises grow in size and complexity.