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Advising

Perspective outside the family circle, guiding clarity and progress across generations.

How We Do It

Family business and wealth transitions are some of the hardest challenges you face. They mix people, money, and legacy in ways that can easily stall progress.

At BEND, we help you face those moments with clarity. You work through succession, ownership, and governance alongside advisors who have navigated transitions themselves. Every engagement is strengthened by a board that understands both family priorities and business realities. You get structured process, honest counsel, and accountability to outcomes. Advising with BEND is deliberate work designed to build enterprises and wealth structures that align with the individuals and families who built them.

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Our Approach

Too often incredibly talented CEO’s, G2 and G3 leadership, or Entrepreneurs let their design thinking skills stop at the tax, legal and financial advisor’s table. The motivations of tax, legal and finance are not YOUR motivations or your family values. Neither gives you the counsel you deserve. Bend is who you call before legal, tax and financial management. Or when performing a 10 year audit of the entire family enterprise. We love tax, legal and finance. But we swim upstream first.

Think “why” and “where." — Cut through complexity to define what your family truly stands for and where it’s heading. For example: A founder’s children are unsure if the enterprise should remain privately held or prepare for a sale. Clarifying legacy helps guide decisions that align with both purpose and the family’s financial goals.

Think “how we decide.” — Building and rebuilding what informs the structures and guardrails that protect both wealth and relationships across generations. For example: Transitioning from “Dad makes all the calls” to documented bylaws and governance processes reduces tension and prevents future breakdowns.

Think “when and who next." — Move through succession, ownership shifts, and generational handoffs more clearly and with family peace. For example: A retiring owner develops a phased leadership plan that pairs G2 operators with outside executives, ensuring continuity and credibility. <br />

Think “integration.” — Move into a clear and aligned plan for the complex family enterprise for the sake of family members, investment professionals managing assets and operators in the various operating companies. Example 1: A donor-advised fund is launched alongside the enterprise, giving the family a tangible way to express values of generosity and community. Example 2: Conflict between cousins running separate operating companies is resolved through a shared family vision that emphasizes collaboration over competition

Think “what we do with objectives we set out to accomplish / results.” — Equip the enterprise to withstand change, adapt with the vision, and execute with clear and simple accountability. For example: Operators are finally being held accountable through clear KPIs tied to family-agreed goals, ensuring the enterprise doesn’t drift from its vision.
OUR ADVISORS

Board-backed

The most impactful leaders don't rely on a single voice, but on a council of proven wisdom.

Kelly Fort
Operations & Engineering Leadership
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Kelly spent 36 years at Dow Chemical, serving as Engineering and Maintenance Global Operations Director, with 6,000 personnel across eight countries functionally aligned to his division. Kelly stewarded an annual operations budget of $400M and $2B in capital reporting. A certified Master Black Belt in DMAIC and DFSS, he built global systems for staffing, quality and project execution that helped Dow deliver complex engineering programs. Married to Jeanne, father of three, and grandfather of ten, he brings disciplined operational insight shaped by decades of leadership in global integration efforts.
Will Blackman
Revenue & Personal Design
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Will was VP of Sales at a SaaS company when Blackstone acquired it for $1.7 billion. Under his leadership, they grew revenue from $95M to over $780M+ in 7 years and built the sales playbook that made it all possible. He's a Dallas Theological Seminary grad, dad to 4 grown men, and has been married to Laura for 24 years. Will also created our "Process Your Purpose" framework which we use with clients.
John Cole
Family Enterprise & Marketing
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John and his wife Karen opened their store in 1977, rebuilding the Walker Brothers name that his grandparents had started in 1903. After turning around their struggling business, he successfully passed it to his youngest son in 2024. He's a marketing instructor at the University of Arkansas who really understands complex family dynamics and retail expertise. With 11 grandkids and nearly 50 years of marriage, he's seen it all when it comes to family business challenges.
Tod Barrett
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
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Tod invented the ONEBLADE high-end straight razor after spending over $1M in R&D. His company hit 40% year-over-year growth from 2017-2019. Before that, his Manufacturing Modes Inc. made the 1993 Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies list. He’s a former elder at Austin Ridge Bible Church, a grandparent to 3 kids, and has been married 38 years.

WHY THEY CHOSE BEND

Some kind words from our coaching clients.

Lisa Walker
Houston, Texas

“The longer you live life the more you know and uncover that life’s journey is transitory. Our family is no different. Andrew is our son-in-law. We have experienced his gentle, familiar counsel in matters that are personal and confidential. He has helped us navigate transitions as a family and within our family business. One of his greatest gifts is his creativity in assessing the issues and making a plan forward. He is affable, caring, capable, and tenacious. We are grateful for Andrew and his business acumen, and honored to call him a son."

Lloyd French
Co-CEO — WPI

“We are now four generations in and our name still means something. To the crews running the iron, the customers who count on us, and the communities we serve. Andrew kept me steady through the handoff with a clear plan and no noise. He’s lived this with his own family, so his counsel comes from experience. He knows my life is bigger than WPI—family, investments, board work—and he treats me like a person first, not a title“

WHY THEY CHOSE BEND

Some kind words from our coaching clients.

Other Services

How We Help

Coaching

For Family businesses

Resourcing

For Family businesses