Jennifer O'Connor
A Contemplation on Family Enterprises and Their Moms
In a family enterprise, even when mothers are not directly involved in the operation of the business, their leadership is powerful. Much...
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Resources
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Apr 13, 2021
The Language of Appreciation
After a frustrating workday, I came home and described to my partner an encounter I had. “It’s like he’s saying ‘yadda, yadda’ and I’m...
Patrick O'Connor
- Feb 9, 2021
Clarifying What Estate Documents You Need
There are countless horror stories out there from families who experienced the death of a loved one only to have that pain compounded by...
Team Blackwood
- Feb 9, 2021
Green Box Exercise
The “Green Box” is really a metaphor for a designated place to keep all your important planning documents so that people then know where...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Feb 9, 2021
Get SMART-er with your New Year’s Resolution
Full disclosure, I have never seen Field of Dreams, but I know the signature line “build it and they will come”. I’ve been thinking about...
Team Blackwood
- Feb 9, 2021
Genograms – What Are They?
At Blackwood, we utilize a tool called a genogram to help us understand the relationships and connections in each client family....
Team Blackwood
- Jan 13, 2021
Big Rocks Exercise Worksheet
Imagine you had to fill an empty jar with rocks, gravel, and sand. There are many ways you could approach this with varying levels of...
Team Blackwood
- Dec 9, 2020
The Gratitude Exercise
Gratitude has many positive effects that last far beyond the moment when you say, ‘thank you.’ According to research done by Harvard...
Jennifer O'Connor
- Dec 9, 2020
The Power of Board Games
Co-authored with Caitilin O'Connor The O’Connor family has always loved a good board game. During the pandemic, we find ourselves dusting...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Sep 2, 2020
Making Your Workplace Women Friendly
Last year, Caroline Criado Perez released her debut non-fiction book, Invisible Women (2019), in which she revealed gender bias data and...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Aug 5, 2020
Do You Know Your Partner's Love Language?
There’s a funny joke that says 90% of being married is just shouting, ‘What?!’ from other rooms. While that’s funny, and perhaps slightly...
Patrick O'Connor
- Mar 24, 2020
Playing by the Rules
When I was a kid, my siblings and I would play Monopoly for hours barely knowing the rules. We had some vague understanding of the game,...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Jan 4, 2020
A Family on a Mission
In some ways, a family is like a small company with everyone working together to create a positive culture and support successful family...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Dec 5, 2019
Navigate Relationship Conflict With These Great Habits
When I was in my early twenties, I was attending university and still living at home. One day, my mother and I got into a screaming match...
Chelsea McKee-Trenchard
- Dec 5, 2017
Budgeting for Priorities
I am not cheap, I’m frugal; yes, there’s a difference. Often when people think of saving money or having to pinch pennies, they think of...
Patrick O'Connor
- Nov 25, 2017
Immigrants and Natives to Wealth: Understanding Clients Based on Their Wealth Origins
Dr. Grubman is a clinical psychologist who works with some of North America's most affluent families, helping them to negotiate the many...
Patrick O'Connor
- Nov 25, 2017
How Much is Enough?
This is a tool that I have developed to assist my clients as they are preparing their wills. The standard will states that in the event...
Patrick O'Connor
- Nov 6, 2017
The Impact of Social Investing on the Next Generation
The concept of ‘social investing’ is not new. We have seen many versions of this over the years, starting with what was also called...
Patrick O'Connor
- Nov 6, 2017
How to Prepare Children for Wealth
Many people that I work with feel that if they have a current will completed, their estate plan is organized. While having a current will...
Patrick O'Connor
- Oct 1, 2017
Taking the Time to Teach: Raising Healthy Children Amid Affluence
A year ago I wrote about the challenges of raising “financially fit kids” and suggested a book written by Lee Hausner as a great...
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