Guest commentary: Working while grieving
By Gerhard Apfelthaler I have recently lost a son in a car accident, and — naturally — I was quickly faced with a few harsh realities. While this is not the place to share personal pain, I have started to deal with questions about being a grieving father while also having responsibilities as a leader Read More →
Guest commentary: Why most family businesses aren’t prepared for transition
By Bryan Esarco Nearly six million small to midsize businesses will be ready for transfer by 2035, according to Forbes. Being prepared is the first part of the sale process; are you and your family ready? Here, I share what can create roadblocks to the transition and provide an action plan to mitigate them. WHAT DOES Read More →
Guest commentary: There’s always a bull market somewhere
By John Grace For years, investors were told one simple story: own U.S. stocks, add bonds, and relax. That worked, until leadership changed and the script flipped. In 2025, U.S. equities delivered solid gains, with the S&P 500 up in the mid-to-high teens. Not bad. But international markets didn’t just participate, they outperformed. The MSCI Read More →
Guest commentary: Tips for navigating Middle Market M&A in 2026
By Greg Bland & Luiz Vilera Anticipation is building for another dynamic year in global mergers and acquisitions (M&A). According to a January 2026 Boston Consulting Group report, global M&A values climbed 31% between 2024 and 2025 to reach $3 trillion, with 33,000 majority M&A deals closing last year. Much of that activity occurred in the second Read More →
Guest commentary: Lawsuit abuse and fraudulent claims drive up insurance costs
By Bill Phillips It is no secret that California is an expensive place to live. From our high home prices to excessive bills at gas pumps, it is hard to afford to live in the nation’s beautiful “Dream Big” state. Rather than quietly allowing bills to soar, Californians should ask lawmakers tough questions about why Read More →
Guest commentary: Economic analysis of Q1 — The war, oil and consequences for the markets
By Eric Kelley The first quarter of 2026 witnessed a mix of geopolitical and market events in rapid succession. There were major global headlines throughout the first quarter, and, on the home front, the tariff package was struck down by the Supreme Court, a new chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee was named, and Read More →
Guest commentary: The real constraint isn’t effort, it’s judgment
By Eric Zackrison “Work harder” is the default response to underperformance in most organizations. Miss a target? Increase activity. Fall behind on goals? Add more meetings, more outreach, more effort. The assumption is that results are a function of volume — and that volume is something you can simply decide to increase. In some contexts, Read More →
