This type of family dynamic is unusual these days, with many layers to consider.

The sooner you start climbing the Unicorn Employer ladder, the faster you’ll reap the many associated benefits.

How to keep secrets from being divulged to your household staff — and why this is so important.

These are essential to having smooth operations inside of your home.

This is important for any homeowner – but especially if you're new to the property.

Even though I had lists of emergency preparedness procedures and supplies for this exact situation, living through it gave me a different awareness.

We need to write more descriptive language into our NDAs so everyone understands what they're getting into when they sign them.

Whether or not the estate manager you hired works out for you, you will have gotten something for your money and your risk.

From the first day I stepped into my role as an estate manager, I had an idea of how I thought it should be. I had been working on luxury properties for more than 20 years, but not in them. And I felt like I had hit the jackpot when I was hired for this very demanding role.

What would it take to just say "thank you" and let your staff feel appreciated? King Charles is doing it.

Recent job descriptions of estate managers have become a laughable list of unrealistic expectations and impossible deliverables. As with any job, an employee should have reasonable agility to adapt to ever-changing work environments. While the growing trend of homeowners wanting fewer staff in their homes is understandable, it shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity for unethical behavior.

Whether you are firing the staff or leaving on their own accord, let’s dive deep into some areas that might help improve your staff’s longevity. Retaining top talent is a game. Are you a rookie or a seasoned pro?

"Succession" points to the frequent misalignment between service level expectations and staff investment.

Hint for homeowners with household management staff: no healthy relationship is sustainable long-term without it.

It is possible to care for someone AND maintain professional boundaries and expectations. In fact, it is the most respectful way to protect and respect a relationship. Here are six suggestions for successful boundaries, outlining performance expectations, and tracking accountability with household staff.

In private service, experience matters. In addition to saving a life, understanding HR practices, and having the skills required for high-tech homes, private service differs from almost any other industry due to the broad range of experience needed and the personal nature of working inside someone’s home. Here are 7 factors critical to an employee's success and longevity.

Let’s be honest. Our worst nightmare is the first month of new employment, where we know nothing yet expect to know everything. With job descriptions leaning towards hybrid roles, let’s get clear on expectations before we sign the deal.

The reality is that everything comes at a cost, and often, private service professionals pay the price. How do we protect ourselves and create a sustainable career in an industry where boundaries are seen as a weakness?

Having an online presence and participating in social media as an industry resource is critical to accessing the unique deliverables of our work. Not to mention, social media is one of the best sources of getting jobs, resourcing resume services, and accessing online testimonials. So how can our industry peacefully co-exist with the chaos of social media?

Although most seasoned estate managers have the skillset and experience to perform a broad range of services, including almost every aspect of luxury home management and care, they can’t do all these jobs effectively simultaneously. They might have the skillset, but they need the right resources to make magic happen.