Knowledge is Power: A Tool for Women to Take Control Of Their Family's Affairs
Women are renowned for their exceptional multitasking skills and heroic dedication to maintaining a family's affairs across generations. Family history and genealogy, bank and investment account information, passwords for online accounts, names and contact information for advisors and attorneys, health records, security codes, you name it—the list can seem endless. It’s a daunting … and exhausting task … but it doesn’t have to be that way.
At some point, even the most exceptional woman may find it challenging to manage all the intricacies of family matters solely from memory or across numerous spreadsheets, particularly when considering the diverse range of technology solutions available. Fortunately, there is a solution ...a resource that centralizes all this information in one accessible location and in doing so, helps discover critical blind spots that are vital for preserving a family's wealth and legacy. This solution is leafplanner, which interconnects the vital aspects of a family's enterprise, enhancing efficiency, fostering communication, education, engagement and succession of information among family members.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Sherry Cagan, a leafplanner client, to learn more about what appealed to her about leafplanner as the matriarch of her family and how it has brought peace of mind.
Sherry, what is it about leafplanner that appealed to you? What problems does it solve for you?
I remember attending a YPO meeting several years ago and listening to a woman share her tragic story of the catastrophic chain of events that can happen when a family’s affairs are not in order. Her husband had an accident and was in a coma for a long time. The wife didn’t have access to accounts to pay bills or power of attorney to run their business affairs while her husband was incapacitated, nor did she know where key information was kept. While they were wealthy, they were bankrupt by the time he came out of the coma. Unfortunately they did not have their affairs in order in case of an emergency, something we all put off.
I will never forget that story. And I promised myself that would not happen to me and my family.
leafplanner has been a godsend in making that fervent desire come true. To have every detail of our family archived and accessible in a safe and secure digital platform that other family members can access has been such a blessing. leafplanner makes it all so simple. Now, the whole family knows where everything is in a sort of “one-stop shop.” That is so critical during times of crisis or a family emergency. I know that firsthand after I got very sick several years ago. That experience made it very real to think about what my husband would go through if I were to pass. leafplanner has given me a sense of calmness that if something were to happen, my family would be okay. It allows me to sleep soundly at night.
To have every detail of our family archived and accessible in a safe and secure digital platform that other family members can access has been such a blessing. leafplanner makes it all so simple.
Women are legendary for their multitasking abilities and for keeping tabs on countless family affairs. How has leafplanner helped you in that role?
As a wife, mother, and businesswoman, I have a lot of roles to fill, as most women do. leafplanner helps me organize and consolidate so much information, both personally and for my family, that I no longer have to keep it in my mind or in disparate places or systems around the home and office. It’s been an incredible resource.
It has given me great relief that I won’t forget these important aspects of my life and to have the ability to share this important information with my family and advisors, wherever they are at any time. If something should happen to me, or another family member, they wouldn’t be in crisis mode.
How were you tracking and pulling together the disparate elements of your family’s affairs before using leafplanner, if at all?
Not well! Without a solution like leafplanner, I can’t see how anyone can successfully integrate all the elements of a family’s affairs in a way that is so interconnected and accessible.
Most families haven’t a clue where many of their important documents are, and that’s a huge problem, particularly in times of crisis. Bringing it all together with leafplanner is so reassuring and ensures a family’s affairs are in order in a very common sense, logistical manner. Documenting the how and why, the relationships, and actual processes are also just as important.
What stands out or has surprised you about leafplanner?
The support is what surprised me. The leafplanner team is phenomenal. They make it so easy to get started, and they support you throughout the process. The platform is incredibly intuitive to begin with, but the team makes it absolutely seamless to use.
What would you tell someone who is unsure whether they need leafplanner? Particularly for women, what do they need to know?
I would tell them that leafplanner is imperative to achieving the legacy they want to achieve.
I would tell them that leafplanner is imperative to achieving the legacy they want to achieve.
Until you begin the process of putting your affairs in order and planning for the succession of information, no one really has a clue of how difficult it can be to gather all the documents you need, summarize relationships, and communicate processes you have, especially in a situation of duress, such as an illness or a death. Of course, no one wants to think about that and puts it off. Having been in that situation, my advice is not to put it off. Don’t put your family in a situation where they don’t have the documentation and information they need. It really is a gift to your family and yourself to get ahead of that, and it helps everyone sleep better at night. As diligent as I have tried to be in keeping track of all the family affairs I need to keep track of, leafplanner has made me so much more effective and efficient. It’s just a fantastic solution for me as the matriarch of my family.
