Purpose is no longer a niche topic — it’s the question families expect their advisors to help answer. If you’re not guiding that conversation, someone else will.

In this episode of Visionary Advisor, Alex Kirby (founder of Total Family) , sits down with Jill Shipley, Managing Director and Head of Governance & Education at AlTi Global. Jill brings nearly 25 years of experience on the front lines of multi-generational family work. Together, Alex and Jill review the findings of AlTi’s Wealth with Intention report, exploring why “purpose” has become essential in wealth management—and what’s driving the shift from conversation to action.

They discuss why financial performance alone is no longer enough to differentiate advice, the changing expectations of rising generations, and the risks of skipping the deeper questions about legacy and intent. The conversation examines how advisors can structure their process around what families actually want their wealth to accomplish, as well as strategies to foster collaboration and autonomy in the next generation. Jill and Alex look honestly at where the industry still gets governance wrong, when outside facilitation is needed, and why a purpose statement is just the start—not the end—of impactful planning.

For any advisor aiming to retain clients across transitions, create real family impact, and stay relevant as technology commoditizes financial planning, this is essential listening.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• 00:00 Why starting with “What do you want the money to do?” changes everything
• 00:03:08 The hard shift from investments as the core value to purpose as the differentiator
• 00:06:05 What’s behind the sharp rise in families defining a purpose of wealth—and why “preserving and building” isn’t enough
• 00:09:38 How generational differences (Millennials, Gen Z) are redefining what matters in legacy planning
• 00:11:26 The right sequence: Defining purpose before writing the investment policy statement
• 00:16:05 The hidden risks when purpose work is skipped—and how fear (and failure) motivate change
• 00:22:04 Balancing individual autonomy with family togetherness in governance structures
• 00:28:43 What works—and what backfires—when engaging the rising generation
• 00:36:36 Why the magic of purpose is in the conversations, not the statement on the wall
• 00:40:08 How outside facilitation creates safer, stronger, and more actionable family meetings

Notable Quotes from Jill Shipley

“What do you want the money to do for you, for your family, for future generations, for the community and the world? Let's start there.”

“The process of creating a purpose statement is magic, but how you live it, what you do to implement it—that's really what matters.”

“If you don't have this conversation and you don't get really clear and grounded in why, unfortunately, the outcome that I tend to see… destroys relationships, it creates resentment. The next generation is not prepared.”

“I think we have to start with individual wellness before we go to force togetherness.”

“Somebody that's mired in your financials might not be the best person to help you think about your dreams.”

Resources

• Total Family (https://www.totalfamily.io/)
• Wealth with Intention: Purpose at the Center of the Modern Family Office — AlTi Global (https://www.alti-global.com/_files/ugd/9d4466_6e5e1f88bc084f7bb7221a6fb7c2f59d.pdf)
• AlTi Global (https://www.alti-global.com/)

Stay Connected with Visionary Advisor
We believe wealth is well-being. Subscribe to the Visionary Advisor Newsletter for practical tools and ideas to serve families across generations.
Explore more at totalfamily.io | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch episode clips on YouTube

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Stay Connected with Visionary Advisor
We believe wealth is well-being. Subscribe to the Visionary Advisor Newsletter for practical tools and ideas to serve families across generations.
Explore more at totalfamily.io | Follow us on LinkedIn |  Watch episode clips on YouTube