Francesco Lombardo Is Helping Family Offices Create Safe Spaces
How did you get started? Share more about yourself and the environment you grew up in as a child… Tell us about yourself.
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I believe we all want to feel safe emotionally. Growing up as a child, I rarely felt safe, on the playground, at home, or with my parents. This fueled my life purpose to want to create an emotionally safer world.
What was your ah-ha moment that set you on the path you are on today?
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In working with multi-generational family owned businesses across the globe, I realized that even though these families had the financials taken care of, some of the family members did not feel safe emotionally with each other. The conversations that needed to occur were not happening. And this was getting in the way of smooth plans for succession.
Tell us about your company. What services do you provide?
Organized emotional governance relieves friction in families and ensures legacy. We assist family members to "play nice" with each other; so they can make less emotionally based decisions about the ownership and business.
Who is your target customer?
I work with multi-generational family-owned businesses who believe their most valuable asset class in their portfolio is Human Capital. They are committed to properly emotionally preparing their NextGen for ownership and leadership.
What makes you different from the others in your industry?
Family unease when repaired improves the bottom line and ensures longevity. We are not afraid to ask the obvious questions. Our focus is to create a safe emotional space for our families to have the conversations they need to have.
Do you have a book? Tell us about that.
Safe Space, Governance in Action is about the importance of addressing the emotional and behavioral issues that families have to navigate, which get in the way of successful transition and succession.
Any forecasts you predict over the upcoming 12 months?
The biggest pandemic is not Covid-19. Mental health is the true pandemic that is coming for all of us. If we don't understand our emotional self, our mental health is at risk, and this will impact all areas of our lives. By investing in your mental health, you are protecting your future, family, finances and community.
