Episode 20

full
Published on:

29th Jan 2026

Growing Into the Seat While Honoring the Legacy

What does it really mean to earn your seat in a family enterprise—especially when legacy, identity, and personal ambition are all intertwined?

In this candid conversation, Andrea talks with Ashley Dimond about growing into leadership inside her family’s operating company, family office, and foundation. Ashley shares how business school helped her fight the “nepotism cloud,” why family meetings became a cornerstone of healthy transition, and how becoming a mother reshaped how she thinks about work, legacy, and time.

This episode is a must-listen for next-gens navigating earned authority, innovation vs. tradition, and the emotional complexity of succession.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  1. How Ashley approached “earning her seat” in the family enterprise
  2. Why family meetings (with facilitators) matter more than ever
  3. The difference between fighting every battle vs. choosing the right hills
  4. How next-gens can bring innovation while honoring legacy
  5. What it means to leverage the family office as a tool—not a burden
  6. How motherhood is reshaping Ashley’s vision of leadership and legacy

Connect with Ashley Dimond:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimondashley/

Copford Capital Management: https://copfordcm.com/


Connect with Andrea Carpenter and Your Next Gen Friend:

Website: https://yournextgenfriend.com/

Your Next Gen Friend on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournextgenfriend/

Your Next Gen Friend on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournextgenfriend

Andrea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreashaver/


Subscribe to "Your Next Gen Friend" on your favorite podcast player:

Spotify: https://yournextgenfriend.com/open-spotify

Apple Podcasts: https://yournextgenfriend.com/apple-podcast


Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

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About the Podcast

Your Next Gen Friend: A Successor's Guide to Business Transition
Your Next Gen Friend is the podcast for successors—whether you’re stepping into a family business, a privately held company, or simply the expectations tied to someone else’s legacy.
I’m Andrea: G2, a successor in a privately owned business, and a guide for the next generation navigating identity, pressure, and purpose inside family systems.
This show is for those of us in the in-between... honoring what came before while trying to build something that’s truly our own. Whether you’re blood family or the trusted non-family leader stepping in, this is your space for real conversations about what it actually means to succeed, on your terms.
You’re not alone in this. And I hope that makes all the difference.

About your host

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Andrea Carpenter