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Adam Hatcher and Greg Silberman: The Inner Family Business

December 17, 2025 by John Ray

How the “Inner Family Business” Protects the Operating Business, Adam Hatcher, Twenty One Clear, LLC, and Greg Silberman, Ritterband & Co. (Family Business Radio, Episode 71), with host Anthony Chen

Family Business Radio

Adam Hatcher and Greg Silberman: The Inner Family Business

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How the “Inner Family Business” Protects the Operating Business, Adam Hatcher, Twenty One Clear, LLC, and Greg Silberman, Ritterband & Co. (Family Business Radio, Episode 71)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen welcomes Adam Hatcher of Twenty One Clear LLC and Greg Silberman, Ritterband & Co., to explore what it really takes for family businesses to work together and stay together across generations. Adam shares lessons from 13 years inside his own multigenerational family company and introduces the idea of the “inner family business,” the separate system inside the operating company that requires intentional attention, not just good intentions.

Adam outlines practical governance moves that prevent predictable blowups, including a cadence of dedicated family business meetings and clear ways to handle tension points like compensation, hiring family members, and what happens when a family member exits the business. He also explains why families need to decide, explicitly, how they will balance the interests of the company, the clients, and the family, because different priority orders create conflict in everyday decisions.

Greg brings the tax, accounting, and advisory perspective from his work leading Ritterband & Co., a unified firm identity formed by integrating multiple legacy practices under one structure. He discusses the industry’s shift from compliance-only work toward proactive planning, ongoing guidance, and long-term strategy. He also shares how values and giving practices can show up in wealth decisions and why his firm is building Ritterband Stewardship Plans™ designed around monthly dashboards, quarterly reviews, and audit-readiness.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

The “inner family business” is a real system inside the company, and it will not stay healthy by accident.
A steady cadence of family business meetings prevents small issues from turning into permanent fractures.
Clear rules are necessary for compensation, hiring, and exit decisions, held together by trust and follow-through.
Families need to agree on the priority order of company, clients, and family, because misalignment quietly poisons decisions.
Accounting firms are moving beyond compliance toward proactive planning and ongoing advisory relationships.
Ritterband Stewardship Plans™ reflect the market’s demand for clearer visibility, audit-readiness, and consistent decision support.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Family Business Radio
00:38 Guest Introduction: Adam Hatcher of Twenty One Clear
00:48 Adam Hatcher’s Family Business Journey
01:54 Balancing Family and Business
03:55 Joining the Family Business
07:08 Deciding to Step Back
10:53 Helping Family Businesses Thrive
14:09 Common Mistakes in Family Businesses
17:39 Contact Information and Resources
18:20 Guest Introduction: Greg Silverman
19:36 Exploring Family Dynamics in CPA Practices
19:52 Acquiring and Integrating CPA Practices
20:40 Challenges and Strategies in Modern CPA Firms
23:03 The Evolution of CPA Services
27:10 The Future of CPA Practices and Personal Reflections
32:01 The Importance of Giving and Legacy Planning
33:55 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Adam Hatcher, Twenty One Clear, LLC

Adam Hatcher is the founder of Twenty One Clear, LLC, a family business consultant with deep experience in scaling family-owned enterprises. He grew up in his family’s staffing and recruiting firm (MAU Workforce Solutions), where he established the legal office, modernized human resources, led strategic planning, served as general counsel, and sat on the board of advisors and family council for over 13 years.

Under his leadership, the company expanded from a regional $100 million firm to a nationwide $500 million organization, securing major clients like BMW, Chick-fil-A, Kimberly-Clark, Southern Company, and Truist while managing three generations of family dynamics. Hatcher drove key initiatives, including $50 million in acquisitions, performance management systems, cost reductions, and a major reorganization ahead of the company’s 50th year.

Twenty One Clear, LLC provides strategic consulting and fractional executive services to “chaos-proof” family businesses, emphasizing trust, communication, and clarity across family roles as owners, employees, and relatives. The firm helps startups and small- to mid-sized companies address challenges like hiring family members, daily collaboration, ownership transitions, and exits.

Website | LinkedIn

Greg Silberman, Ritterband & Co.

Greg Silberman, CPA, CFA, CAIA, is Managing Director of Ritterband & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia. He advises high-net-worth individuals and growing businesses on tax planning and structuring, accounting, and long-term wealth strategy, with added depth in investments, private equity and debt, and M&A advisory. Greg brings more than 20 years of global financial experience across Europe, Asia, and North America, including senior investment leadership and alternative investment portfolio management.

Ritterband & Co. is a tax, accounting, and advisory firm formed by bringing three legacy firms under one unified identity: SJ Gorowitz, Reed Quinn & McClure, and Van Huss, Hogan, McCurry & Associates. The firm’s approach is anchored in clarity, precision, and purpose, helping clients make informed decisions across tax, accounting, and financial matters while supporting long-term planning. Beginning in early 2026, the firm expects to introduce Ritterband Stewardship Plans™, featuring monthly dashboards, quarterly reviews, and audit-readiness, along with expanded tax and accounting capabilities, an upgraded client portal, and new strategic and long-term planning services.

Website | LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services are offered through OSAIC, member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned, and other entities and/or marketing names, products, or services referenced here are independent of OSAIC. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd., Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090, ext. 5075, or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY, in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA, home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance, Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

Follow this link to access the complete show archive of Family Business Radio.

From Pressure to Peace as an Expat CEO, with Bernadette Harris, The BTB Advisory Firm

March 20, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

From Pressure to Peace as an Expat CEO, with Bernadette Harris, The BTB Advisory Firm

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From Pressure to Peace as an Expat CEO, with Bernadette Harris, The BTB Advisory Firm

Bernadette Harris, the owner of The BTB Advisory Firm, joined host John Ray to share her unique entrepreneurial journey. Bernadette shared insights from starting her tax preparation and bookkeeping business in 2001, evolving into a forensic accountant and a certified fraud examiner dedicated to aiding small businesses. Her narrative includes navigating the successes and challenges of entrepreneurship, the pressure that built up over the years, how the pandemic amplified that pressure, and a health scare that led to a pivotal decision to drastically cut down her client list. Bernadette also discussed her transition towards a CEO role, moving out of day-to-day operations, and her move to Mérida, Mexico, to live as an expat. This move, she emphasized, was a crucial step in reshaping her business to focus on providing comprehensive services to a curated list of clients, significantly contributing to her firm’s evolution and her personal rejuvenation.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Bernadette L. Harris, Founder and CEO, The BTB Advisory Firm

Bernadette L. Harris is the CEO and Forensic Accountant at The BTB Advisory Firm, a small business accounting firm focused on helping entrepreneurs make confident financial decisions and propel their businesses forward. With over 20 years of experience, she has helped numerous small business leaders gain a handle on their finances, understand their financial picture, and positively impact their bottom line.

Bernadatte is not only an award-winning tax and forensic accountant, but she is also a bestselling author and keynote speaker. She holds an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and an MS from Carlow University. Her professional certifications include Certified Fraud Examiner and QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor.

Bernadette is passionate about empowering small business owners with financial literacy and expertise. Through her firm, she provides high-quality financial data, advice, and strategies to help clients make informed decisions and achieve long-term success. Her clients praise her ability to ease their fears, help them understand their financial picture, and positively impact their profits.

With a strong educational background, professional certifications, and decades of experience, Bernadette has established herself as a trusted advisor and advocate for small business owners seeking financial guidance and growth.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Welcome to The Price and Value Journey with Bernadette Harris
01:44 The Evolution of Bernadette’s Accounting Firm
04:02 Navigating the Pandemic: Challenges and Growth
06:14 A Personal Health Crisis Leads to Major Changes
10:43 Strategic Business Shifts and Becoming an Expat
15:44 The Difficult Decision to Let Go of Clients
20:46 Revamping the Team and Embracing Remote Work
22:59 Embracing Remote Work and Flexibility
24:07 The Power of Location Independence
25:59 The Role of Coaching in Business Transformation
28:40 Stepping into the CEO Role: A New Leadership Paradigm
32:33 Navigating Business and Personal Growth from Mexico
38:23 Envisioning the Future: Business Evolution and Client Relationships
42:21 Connecting with Bernadette
43:17 Closing Thoughts

About The Price and Value Journey

The title of this show describes the journey all professional service providers are on: building a service practice by seeking to convince the world of the value we offer, helping clients achieve the outcomes they desire, and trying to do all that at a price that reflects the value we deliver.

If you feel like you’re working too hard for too little money in your solo or small firm practice, this show is for you. Even if you’re reasonably happy with your practice, you’ll hear ways to improve both your bottom line and the mindset you bring to your business.

The show is hosted and produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. The show can also be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of "The Price and Value Journey" — John Ray, Author of *The Generosity Mindset* and Host of *The Price and Value Journey*

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

In his other business, John is a Show Host and Producer and owns the North Fulton (Georgia) studio of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their own podcast using The Generosity Mindset™ Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.

John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 750 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.

John’s Book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices

John is the #1 national best-selling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to those clients. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset™, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you deliver to clients and, in turn, more effectively price to receive a portion of that value.

Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver great value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.

The combination of all these elements is quite different for you compared to any other service provider in your industry. Therein lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.

If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.

The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

How to Level Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy E41

August 28, 2023 by Karen

AZ TechCast

How to Level Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy E41

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How to Level Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy E41

From SEO to paid media to website design, refining your company’s digital marketing strategy can be overwhelming. But if created intentionally, it can be a critical step towards meeting key business goals.

The August 2023 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Simon Golding, senior digital marketing consultant at Intero Digital; Rianna Lowrance, content marketing manager at Trimble SketchUp; and Andrew Smart, co-founder and commercial director at Slator. These leaders joined Bianca Buliga, director of marketing and communications at the Council, and Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, in shedding light on the up-and-coming digital marketing solutions that can give your company a competitive advantage.

In this hour-long episode, the panel of three experts discussed the evolution of marketing from a traditional or physical format to a digital modality, the most in-demand digital marketing services in today’s world and the biggest challenges that they see companies needing support with that digital marketing agencies can help tackle.

Throughout the conversation, the speakers shared specific use cases of companies that turned to digital marketing agencies to help achieve business objectives, the solutions that were implemented and the results they have seen. Finally, they suggested useful metrics to track when introducing a new digital marketing platform, highlighted the role that technology plays in improving a company’s digital marketing strategy and provided myriad tips for how to select an effective agency and build a lasting relationship with them.

Intero Digital is an agile and forward-thinking digital marketing solutions provider headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that’s dedicated to helping businesses reach their full potential.

With a passion for innovation and an expert team of highly skilled professionals, Intero Digital offers a comprehensive range of 15+ services, including SEO, SEM, content and PR, social media, video, influencer marketing, web design and development, and more.

Intero Digital’s commitment to delivering exceptional results and personalized solutions — coupled with industry-leading proprietary technology — has earned the agency a reputation as a trusted partner for companies of all sizes.

With over 10 years of experience in business intelligence, marketing strategy, and digital marketing, Simon Golding’s depth of digital marketing understanding is well-matched by the breadth of contexts in which he can actualize his wisdom.

From multinational corporates to sole traders, from neuromarketing to print marketing, and everything in between, Simon’s colorful marketing journey has given him the skills to help every kind and size of business.

When he’s not translating marketing jargon into plain English, you’ll likely find him contemplating and philosophizing over a bottle of wine, reading non-fiction, listening to intellectual debates, or playing games on his latest PC build.

Follow Intero Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

With more than 33 million users, Trimble SketchUp is the premier design software among creative professionals across architecture, interior design, construction, and more. Creativity, flexibility, and connected workflows are at the core of Trimble SketchUp and allow users to actualize big-idea concepts.

From interior projects and custom home builds to intricate, energy-efficient buildings, Trimble SketchUp makes it easy to get your creative juices flowing to define, refine, and build out those award-winning designs. Facilitate cross-functional efficiency with 3D modeling and markups, pre-built parametrically configurable objects, task assignments, 2D documentation, virtual reality viewing, clash detection, and sustainability tools to ensure your net-zero goals are met.

As a marketing and communications professional with over six years of experience, Rianna Lowrance specializes in creating and executing innovative campaigns that build brand awareness and drive engagement.

Her content creation skills and her passion for storytelling have allowed her to create impactful content that resonates with audiences and inspires action. She has a strong background in project management and cross-functional collaboration and has a proven track record of delivering results.

Follow Trimble SketchUp on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Slator is the leading source of news and research for the global translation, localization, and language technology industry. Our advisory practice is a trusted partner to clients looking for independent analysis. Headquartered in Zurich, Slator has a presence in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

Andrew Smart co-founded Slator and provided its online media strategy and business model to create what is now the No. 1 news and research site for the global translation, localization, and language technology industry. He led the development of Slator.com, defining its content, information architecture, ad products and pricing, and e-commerce sales model.

He established and runs the event business, including the SlatorCon conference series, roundtables, and training workshops. Andrew also provides business advisory and content marketing services. Most importantly, he leads sales as commercial director to a global client base and drives revenue growth.

Follow Slater on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Your Hosts

Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.

Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.

Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.

Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.

Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.

In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.

Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bianca Buliga is a trilingual first-generation American of Romanian ethnicity. A marketing professional with experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Bianca currently works as Director, Marketing & Communications for the Arizona Technology Council.

Previously, Bianca worked as Marketing Communications Lead at Proctorio, a learning integrity platform that offers remote proctoring software ensuring exam integrity for learners around the world.

Bianca also worked as Senior Marketing Manager at SEED SPOT, a social impact incubator that educates, accelerates, and invests in impact-driven entrepreneurs creating market-based solutions to social problems. In January of 2020, Bianca was selected as an awardee of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program and traveled to the African island of Mauritius to run entrepreneurship programming for 15 impact-driven ecopreneurs on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Bianca has also completed comprehensive consulting projects for IBM, ESAN Business School, and the Peruvian government, and interned at the Arizona House of Representatives and U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

Bianca earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. She is an avid reader, yogi, and world traveler always planning her next trip.

Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.

A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.

Follow Arizona Technology Council on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Cary Matthews, Opal Partners Group

April 25, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Cary Matthews, Opal Partners Group

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Cary Matthews, Opal Partners Group (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 449)

Cary Matthews, Managing Partner of Opal Partners Group, joined host John Ray to discuss his work as a fractional Chief Operating Officer. Cary shared details on the role of a fractional COO, how he amplifies and improves the operations of his clients, leadership in navigating change, exit planning, success stories, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Opal Partners Group

Opal Partners Group, LLC (OPG) is a Fractional COO and operations consulting firm.

It was founded by Cary Matthews built on his experience leading all aspects of operations in small businesses for more than twenty years.

Our services are structured based on your unique needs. We help most clients using Advisory Services, Projects, and Interim Leadership.

The goal of your operations should be to extract value from every resource you invest in the organization. Our operations assessment helps you determine where you can make improvements.

Our assessment is completed with the leadership team and OPG. During the assessment, we will apply the Operations Hierarchy to all seven essential functions common to every business:

Leadership
Revenue generation
Production
Information Technology
Finance
Human Resource
Business Preparedness

Website | LinkedIn

Cary Matthews, Managing Partner, Opal Partners Group

Prior to starting OPG, Cary was COO and EVP of Operations for several small businesses in the greater Atlanta area.

In those roles, he led the project management, support services, accounting, human resources, engineering, and logistics departments.

Some of the improvements he achieved include reducing time to invoice customers by 80%, improving cash flow, increasing gross profit by 10% while absorbing a 30% increase in sales, shortening training curriculum development time, and reducing training delivery costs by 30%.

Cary earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, both from Auburn University.

Activities include serving as a member of the MBA Advisory Board for Anderson University, board member and treasurer for Vision USA, and a member of Vistage International.

He has taken professional development classes at MIT and Georgia Tech.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

For those who aren’t familiar with fractional executives, give us an overview of what you do.
What does a typical client engagement look like?
What is one of the most significant or common issues your clients are dealing with now?
What’s been your experience in dealing with implementing changes in small businesses?
What else are you seeing businesses struggle with or issues they must face in the future?
How do managers and business owners move to results-based management?
How do these things affect the average employee of a small business from their perspective?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.