About this episode

Dr. Sara Davis discusses the evolving landscape of family offices and the importance of governance and communication in family businesses.

Dr. Sara Davis, director of the Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State, joins Adam Hatcher to cut through the confusion around family offices—a structure that once seemed reserved for the ultra-wealthy but now appears on the horizon for families with as little as $5 million in assets. The episode grounds big-picture trends in the everyday risks and decisions families face: what it means to start a family office, how to avoid drifting into complexity, and where most families go wrong when governance and communication are afterthoughts. The conversation keeps both the company and the family in view, insisting that chaos isn’t inevitable—but clarity won’t happen by accident. Key Highlights • Defines the family office: a formal organization for managing family assets, investments, and services far beyond what a CFO provides; the office sits inside the broader family business “box,” serving both investment needs and family priorities. • Names the real trend: families are starting these conversations at $5 million in assets, not $100 million—long before most advisors would expect. • Poses the essential questions: What’s the family’s goal? Who benefits—from children to cousins to…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Hatcher

Guest: Dr. Sara Davis

Topics covered

• family business
• family office
• asset management
• governance
• communication
• investment strategies

Keywords

• family office
• family business trends
• asset management
• governance
• communication
• investment
• family priorities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Family Enterprise Center, Kennesaw State

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