Family Business Advise | Family Business Professional Consultant

About Steve Legler

I was born into a family business, and as the only son of an immigrant entrepreneur, it became clear very early on, that I was expected to follow in Dad’s footsteps. So every summer of my teens and the first three years of my work life after university were spent learning everything I could about the business.

I returned again after getting my MBA, more ready than ever for the challenges that awaited me. But then, unexpectedly, within six months, we sold the business to a competitor, and went from 250 people to only four. And two of us went by the name Steve Legler.

Since I was Junior, Dad called the shots and started spending most of his time on his new venture, a small farm, leaving me to manage the remaining family assets in our holding companies: real estate, investments, and intellectual property.

It was not a bad job to have, as I learned a lot about business from my Dad, furthered my formal education along the way, and had what my sisters surely considered one of the cushiest jobs on the planet.

My Dad understood a little about the importance of keeping the entire family abreast of the business, and for that reason he once called a family meeting. Unfortunately, he never called another one over the subsequent 20 years, and then only did so after his cancer diagnosis.

Along the way, I also married into a business family, and I have seen some of the communications challenges that they have faced over the years.

I now realize more than ever how important good communication is for families who want their legacy to continue, as it is tranferred to future generations.

and respect.

“If you own a family business and want to read a fun book on how to become a business family you will enjoy this one. It is written from the business owner perspective and is straightforward. I’ve shared my copy with a number of people.”

Michael C Valdez
Tampa, FLA

If you are in a Family Business or you deal with a Family Business, and you are so busy that you cannot see the forest because of the trees, I would highly recommend you take some time and read this book. It reads very quickly and feels as if you are having a conversation with a friend of the family who understands what you are going through because he has gone through it with his own family. Very enlightening, very clear, and actually fun to read!

Tom Chinappi,
Canada via Amazon

I strongly recommend anyone that has a family business to read this book. Steve Legler will open your eyes as to what it takes to run a successful family business all while keeping family harmony. He provides lots of tips and advice in a way that is easy to understand. You can really feel his enthusiasm in the way he writes, and how he is committed to helping business families create the legacy and family spirit they really want.

Melissa Dawn,
Canada via Amazon

My father was responsible for building the family wealth, so nobody ever felt right asking him about anything, but my sisters would never cut me the same slack, which is why we have regular family meetings, along with my mother, and an independent outside trusted advisor, who we all know

In 2013 I enrolled in the Family Enterprise Advisor program, which is geared mostly to wealth managers, accountants, and insurance folks who deal with business families on a regular basis. But I immediately felt more of an affinity with those at the front of the room, who were teaching the classes; people who work as family business facilitators, trusted advisors, coaches, and mediators.

As the father of a couple of teenagers, I also appreciate the different roles we play along the way in life, and I feel as though I have found my calling, as a family business specialist.

There are plenty of people advising family businesses about their business issues, but the area that causes so much concern, in so many family businesses is not the business, but the family. I know that I have some very unique qualifications to help them take control of those important issues.

Work With Steve

Bringing in a skilled and neutral 3rd party brings in clarity, which will lead to harmony.

About Steve Legler

Some people work their butt off for their whole life trying to build a business for their family. They often dream about how great it will be for the family to work together with a common purpose. But the dream doesn’t always work out the way they imagined, because it is a LOT more complex than they ever imagined.

It isn’t usually the business part that trips them up, more often it is the family part. The roadblocks usually show up when it comes time to truly transition the business to the next generation, and this is where Steve comes in. He specializes in helping families turn their dream into a workable plan, using a step-by-step method to get everyone on the same page.

Once the family has completed his Business Family Continuity BluePrint, all family members will see the family’s goals, and they will understand their roles. Steve then helps them all figure out how they can move forward, working together.

Steve is a proud FEA Designate (IFEA) and holds ACBFA and ACFWA certifications (FFI), in addition to having an MBA (UWO-Ivey) He is also a CFA charterholder (CFA Institute), and the author of Shift your Family Business (Friesen Press, 2014)