These podcasts hit the right notes for wealth advisors

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You could blame Joe Rogan. The podcast, until recently one of the last bastions of quirky, under-the-radar creativity, today looms large on the media landscape. It’s now “really consolidated” into the hands of a small number of media outlets, says Matt Fullbrook, podcaster and executive-in-residence at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Fullbrook launched his podcast in 2020 after considering ways to explore complex governance issues. Today his One Minute Governance averages about 60 seconds per listen. It’s one of many that address topics of interest to the family-office sector.

Thane Stenner is another new voice on the scene. A senior portfolio manager and senior wealth advisor with Stenner Wealth Partners+ of Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management in Vancouver, he recently launched the BNN Bloomberg Smart Wealth™ podcast, interviewing prominent and successful people – a factor he considers key to a good podcast.

“I get into the success stories, lessons they’ve learned, how wealth has changed them, and I try to draw out some personal points. Because I know a lot of these people personally or professionally, they tend to open up to me,” Stenner says. “People love stories of success and lessons learned.”

Family offices need more relevant podcasts, says Richa Arora, senior family advisor with KPMG Family Office in Toronto. She has personally contributed to KPMG’s podcasts, and says the firm plans “a series of broader private-enterprise, family-office and ultra-high-net-worth-focused podcasts.”

Steve Legler, an independent family legacy coach in Montreal, has been a guest on many podcasts and listens to many (he confesses to speeding them up so he can get to the good stuff faster). He also regularly hosts segments of Family Enterprise Canada’s podcast Let’s Talk Family Enterprise.

Podcasts allow him to present himself in much the same way he does in his regular work, he says. “I work with families one-on-one or in small groups, so what I do is very conversational,” he says. “When people ask me to be on podcasts, I say okay, because it allows me to be the way I am with families.”

Legler expects more growth in podcasting. “People are still gravitating to this format; I think we’re still in the early growth stage,” he says, “but there’s really something for everybody in the podcast world.”

Podcast roundup

Here in alphabetical order is a roundup of podcasts of interest to family offices, family members and the advisors who work with them. Some are Canadian, others are recommended by Canadian podcasters or podcast fans:

The Artisan with Arthur Salzer: Northland Wealth Management’s occasional series on finance and family enterprise. 30-45 minutes. Sample: Open Financial Communication Strengthens Family Roots

BNN Bloomberg Smart Wealth™ with Thane Stenner: Monthly conversations with inspiring wealth-management leaders. 30-60 minutes. Sample: John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity

Canada Giving Podcast / The Caring and Funding Podcast with CAF president Ted Hart and global not-for-profit leaders: The podcasts of the Charities Aid Foundations (CAF) of Canada and America. Various runtimes. Sample: Everything You Need to Know Before Making a Charitable Gift Outside of Canada

The Connected Generation with Nike Anani: Steve Legler recommends this Texas-based podcast, which invites guests from around the world to address the concerns of next-generation members of family businesses or family offices. 30-60 minutes. Sample: Dissolving Leadership Blocks, Enhancing Influence and Millennial Leadership with Safiya Johnson

The Decibel: The Globe and Mail’s weekday dive into issues affecting Canadians. “It goes into economic and geopolitical issues that could have an effect on the family business,” says KPMG’s Richa Arora. 15-20 minutes. Sample: To the moon? Where GameStop and other meme stocks landed

Enterprising Families with Tsitsi Mutendi: Richa Arora and Steve Legler both endorse this Johannesburg-based podcast dedicated to family business and family enterprise. “This topic is global, and I think we can really learn from people in other places,” says Legler, who has guested on the show. 30 minutes. Sample: Karen McNiell Speaks on Anchoring the Family Identity When We Let Go of the Business

The Family Business Podcast with Russ Haworth: A comprehensive look at governance, succession planning, family business, next generation, family wealth and sustainability from Haworth, who is based in Britain. “He’s probably way ahead of the others, partly because he started earlier and he was able to get a lot of great guests,” says Steve Legler. 45-60 minutes. Sample: The Psychology of Succession

Freakonomics: Four channels on the economy, health and other engaging topics. Matt Fullbrook especially enjoys No Stupid Questions with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books, and Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, whom he calls “obnoxiously intelligent.” 25-30 minutes. Sample: The Art Market is in Massive Disruption

KPMG Global podcasts: KPMG’s experts speak with industry leaders and key stakeholders in series such as “Pulse of Fintech” and “Global Asset Management Perspectives.” Transcripts are provided. 15-20 minutes. Sample: Cryptoassets – Risk and Governance with Andrew Schofield and Charlotte Lo

Let’s Talk Family Enterprise: Richa Arora is among the listeners to this monthly Family Enterprise Canada podcast, hosted alternately by Ruth Steverlynck and Steve Legler. 30-45 minutes. Sample: How Philanthropy Can Support Both Family Governance and Legacy with Dr. Sharilyn Hale of Watermark Philanthropic Counsel

Money Tale$ with Sandi Bragar and Cammie Doder: This California-based podcast aims to “demystify” money. “They talk about the role money has played in peoples’ lives, how it’s a taboo subject and that it’s okay to talk about it,” says Steve Legler. 30-45 minutes. Sample: Defining Your Success, with Alex Batdorf

One Minute Governance with Matt Fullbrook: Bite-sized nuggets of wisdom for the boardroom. One minute. Sample: Family Enterprise Governance: Beware the Three Circle Model

Rosedale Family Office Wealth Podcast with Noah Djurfeldt and Rocky Bellotti: Discussions on wealth, investments, tax and other topics. 20-50 minutes. Sample: How Perspective and Travel Relate to Wealth – Redefine Your Wealth with Himalaya Jain

The Startup Women Podcast with Startup Canada CEO Kayla Isabelle: Richa Arora says this monthly podcast, a partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada, is useful for female entrepreneurs. 30-60 minutes. Sample: Building Equitable Entrepreneurship in Canada with Chelsea Prescod

Succession Stories with Laurie Barkman, who calls herself a “business transition sherpa”: Thane Stenner likes this guide for entrepreneurs “from building value in your business to letting go.” 30-45 minutes. Sample: Don’t Fail to Plan Your Exit

Superinvestors and the Art of Worldly Wisdom with Jesse Felder (The Felder Report): Thane Stenner follows this in-depth podcast dedicated to money matters; each episode links to a blog post with more resources. 60 minutes. Sample: David Hay on Balancing Risk Management with Timely Opportunism

Wealth of Wisdom Podcast with Tom McCullough, of Toronto’s Northwood Family Office, and Keith Whitaker.  In each episode, McCullough or Whitaker, authors of the book Wealth of Wisdom: The Top 50 Questions Wealthy Families Ask, interview one of the more than 50 top global thinkers on family wealth who contributed essays to the book. Sample: Peter Evans — How Much Money Should You Leave Your Children, and When?  

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