As we reflect on the tumultuous year that was 2020, we’d like to take stock of what we here at Wellth Works were able to accomplish amidst troubling times, as well as what we’re hopeful for in 2021.
Despite the stress and uncertainty we all faced in 2020, we sincerely wish—like us—you’re hopeful for big things in 2021!
2020: A Recap
When 2020 began, Michelle and I worked exclusively with female inheritors on defining their purpose, stepping into leadership roles within their family businesses, and helping them find balance and be of impact.
The early days of COVID revealed a few important items for Wellth Works:
1. We needed to shift to serving clients via an online/remote model.
This was a big one for many businesses, requiring the quick adoption of online tools, creating a foundation of digital communication, and fostering a sense of community virtually.
2. The universality of COVID brought our community of women together.
The change was swift, and there was a deep desire for connection with other women in a time of isolation. Thankfully, we already had the skills for creating those communities in place—and the willingness of our clients to foster and participate in those communities virtually.
3. We were asked by advisors, our colleagues, and peers if we could help them re-evaluate how they showed up for their clients.
Additionally, by those individuals with quotas, books of business, and/or revenue goals, we were asked how they could lead differently to achieve these goals. They also wanted to know if other women were feeling this way too—especially since most of the family office world is male-dominated.
There were no more group happy hours that facilitate connection with others, and many had additional home and/or child duties too. These women felt overwhelmed and burnt out; plus, it’s hard to know when the work day ends when you’re home all the time! (This is true for anyone regardless of sex or gender living through this!!)
What arose from this request was our silver lining of 2020: We pulled curriculum together from the work we do with inheritors and tapped into our extensive personal backgrounds as business owners, prior careers in leadership, negotiations, etc. What emerged is the magic of the RISE Creator Leadership Accelerator, a six-month small group program. We’ve run four groups of women through the program thus far and have had a blast!
Our Plans for 2021
Here’s what we’re going to be up to in 2021.
1. We’ve launched a new website
We think it makes our mission more clear. Feel free to poke around the site and see what’s new.
2. WorldWide Women’s Council
We’ve launched a Worldwide Women’s Council (W3C), an invite only, monthly membership of international, established family members and aspiring female leaders in family businesses and family offices. Together, they’re able to share their experiences, learn cross-culturally, and grow in their roles. (Think YPO or Tiger21 for established female family leaders.) We’ll be hosting a panel about Women and Power with some of them on 1/26 from noon-1pm ET via the Purposeful Planning Institute. Contact us and we’ll add you to the invite list.
3. Rising Gen Inheritors
We will continue to serve our Rising Gen Inheritors through exclusive 1:1 and group coaching programs. We’ve seen that our clients benefit from both individual customized attention and the power of group reflection; this is because:
- They’re often isolated and feel shame around their privilege.
- They want to know how they can be of impact without having to wait for decades to have formal roles.
4. Additional RISE Creators Programs
As it doesn’t look like we’ll all be back in-person for some time—with group gatherings possibly resuming midyear at the earliest—we’ve decided to do another round of RISE Creator programming beginning in January/February. This will be yet another curated group of women learning holistic leadership and confidence skills.
Thus far we’ve done the program with female:
- Financial planners,
- Insurance agents,
- Estate planning attorneys,
- Leaders in family offices,
- Healthcare technology account managers,
- And a few entrepreneurs!
We hope to continue offering community, growth, and a safe space for our clients as this year unfolds, and we want you to be a part of it. If you know of any women (colleagues, peers, friends, wives, or sisters) who work in the industry and would benefit from this type of community, we’d love to connect with them.
Thank you for all you adapted to and persevered through in 2020. No one got through the year unscathed, and yet the miracles continue to abound.