Family Office Success

Hosted by White River Consultants

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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!

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60 recent

October 21, 202634 min

Breaking Responsibility-Driven Isolation in Family Offices with Tim Brown of Somos 22

Host Christi Van Rite discusses the often-unspoken loneliness of managing significant wealth and how “responsibility-driven isolation” leads families to become siloed and hesitant to expand their inner circle due to trust concerns. Guest Tim Brown shares how he entered the family office world, why responsibility shrinks the number of people leaders can safely confide in, and how family offices steward far more than investments - governance, relationships, reputation, values, and legacy. He explains why nice and good people can look similar until adversity reveals character, emphasizing that dependable, consistent advisors matter more than impressive ones and that there are no shortcuts to trust. Tim outlines Somos22’s approach to building curated, high-trust networks and highlights the importance of institutional memory, documentation, and stewardship to preserve judgment and continuity across generations. Contact Tim Brown: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-brown-65315811/ Website: https://somos22network.com, https://fortalezanetwork.com Email: tim@3cr8.com

October 7, 202643 min

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/ Email address: rick@foftexas.com Phone: 972.571.1299

September 30, 202641 min

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/ Website: https://www.transformationcatalyst.ca Email address: m@transformationcatalyst.ca

September 16, 202638 min

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/ Website: https://koplinconsulting.com Email address: amanda@koplinconsulting.com

September 1, 202641 min

Managing Tangible Assets and Family Legacy with Sonya Weisshappel

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, host Christi Van Rite talks with Sonya Weisshappel about helping families inventory what they own—across multiple homes and storage, so tangible assets become visible, valued, and properly managed alongside financial assets. They discuss how incomplete balance sheets, missing documentation, and reactive decision-making create insurance, tax, estate, and family-conflict risks, especially during crises or at end of life. Sonya outlines her process for organizing, room-by-room inventorying, photographing, measuring, and coordinating appraisals, then delivering results to trusted advisors for insurance and planning updates, with ongoing maintenance. They also emphasize capturing the stories behind meaningful items - often via simple phone videos -so the next generation understands context, preserves legacy, and avoids disputes over objects large and small. Connect with Sonya: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonyaweisshappel/ Website: https://www.seriatim.net Email address: sonya@seriatim.net

June 23, 202639 min

The Most Important Asset You Own? Your Health

In this episode, host Christi Van Rite sits down with Dr. Tracy Gapin, founder of Peak Launch, to explore why health is the most overlooked asset in high-performance leadership. Dr. Gapin, a board-certified urologist turned precision performance medicine specialist, shares how traditional medicine falls short for leaders experiencing subtle decline. The conversation covers advanced testing, hormonal balance, cortisol management, gut health, and early disease prevention. A compelling reminder that your energy, focus, and decision-making capacity directly impact your family office's success - and that proactive health management is non-negotiable for sustainable leadership.

June 9, 202635 min

Unlocking the Secrets of Entrepreneurial Growth

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, host Christi Van Rite speaks with entrepreneur and podcaster Chris Reynolds, who has interviewed hundreds of founders, including over 40 billion-dollar entrepreneurs. They explore the mindset shifts required at each stage of business growth, the importance of focusing on one core business, and hiring top-tier talent. Chris shares stories of persistence and success, including those of Abercrombie & Kent's founder. The conversation draws parallels between scaling businesses and managing family offices, emphasizing intentional growth, strong communities, and evolving networks as essential tools for long-term success. Listen in for a truly insightful conversation with someone whose network is unparallelled. Chris’ Websites: www.thebusinessmethod.com and www.M3.club Chris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisreynoldslive/

May 26, 202652 min

Mastering Bill Pay in Family Offices

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, host Christi Van Rite and Michelle, Lead Family Relationship Manager at White River Consultants, pull back the curtain on bill pay within family office services. They explore when to add bill pay, common pitfalls like duplicate invoices and uncashed checks, and the value of strong vendor relationships. The conversation highlights the critical role of structured processes, proactive follow-up, and clear communication. They also share practical insights on using Bill.com, including onboarding challenges and platform limitations, offering actionable guidance for family offices looking to deliver seamless, trustworthy bill pay services. www.whiteriverconsultants.com

May 12, 202641 min

Mastering the Art of Delegation for Entrepreneurial Success

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, host Christi Van Rite speaks with Terry Pham of Superpowers about when entrepreneurs and families should seek help and delegate tasks. Terry introduces the "fire extinguisher" analogy, explaining how entrepreneurs become bottlenecks by handling everything themselves. He outlines five common delegation roadblocks, including time concerns and the belief that "nobody else can do this." Terry also describes how Superpowers pairs entrepreneurs with proactive, anticipatory executive assistants through a rigorous vetting and onboarding process, helping clients reclaim time, reduce stress, and focus on their unique strengths. This episode is insightful in a way that may make you see how you operate in a different light. Website: superpowershq.com Terry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-pham-31b73321/ Visit WhiteRiverConsultants.com for more resources on integrative and administrative family office services.

April 28, 202637 min

Building a Meaningful Philanthropy Strategy

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, Christi Van Rite continues the philanthropy series with Joshua Chadajo of JEC Philanthropy to discuss helping families get to the “why” behind their giving and align gifts with clear priorities. Josh shares his background running nonprofits and explains why many donors lack organization and strategy, often giving defensively amid constant requests. He describes his approach, including a philanthropic audit of recent gifts, creating a living giving plan, and serving as a “fractional executive director” for a family’s philanthropy by tracking, budgeting, coordinating with advisors, and partnering with nonprofits on outcomes. They discuss practical examples such as avoiding misdirected gifts, using challenge grants, and a story where $950 prevented a student’s career plans from derailing. Josh emphasizes year-round planning, avoiding autopilot giving, documenting intent, and seeking expert support. CONNECT WITH JOSHUA: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachadajo/ Website: www.jecphilanthropy.com Email address: joshua@jecphilanthropy.com