unHeritage: 11 Pitfalls to Family Legacy and How to Avoid Them

by Tom Conway and Steve Gardner

Conway and Gardner, working alongside groups like NCF, set out to name the specific ways family legacies quietly fall apart. They focused on uncovering patterns, not just highlighting individual mistakes.

In unHeritage, 11 recurring pitfalls families run into during wealth and legacy transfer are identified and paired with practical ways to avoid them.

• Protecting “family brand equity” across generations
• Overcoming generational disconnect
• Investing intentionally in legacy, not just assets
• Building goal congruity among family members

Written by a group of industry experts rather than a single author, this practical field guide helps families spot these common traps before they quietly unravel what took generations to build.