The EMS Blog
Guiding You Through the Art of Luxury Home and Lifestyle Management.
Your Staff Is Helping Raise Your Children — Whether You Realize It or Not
When household staff don’t have clear guidelines around their role in your child’s life, you risk far more than missed chores or broken house rules.
When Staff Stay Silent, Abuse Thrives: What Estate Owners Must Do
If you value your legacy, take action now to protect your family and staff. Here’s how.
Making a House a Home — When You Have Full-Time Staff
A peaceful, well-run home doesn’t happen by accident. It takes rhythm, structure, and boundaries set by you.
Why Estate Managers and Family Offices Clash—And How to Fix It
When strategy and service align, everyone wins — especially the family.
Run Your Luxury Home Like a Business with a Strategic Action Plan
Strategic planning eliminates surprises. It aligns everyone on what’s happening, when it’s happening, and how it’s being handled.
Is Your Home Running You? Our 90-Day Jump Start Plan to Professionalize Your Estate
If your estate feels chaotic or overly reactive, this plan is your roadmap back to balance.
6 Avoidable Mistakes That Disrupt Even the Most Sophisticated Households
With planning, professional leadership, and documented systems, your household can run with the elegance of a five-star retreat and the efficiency of a well-run company.
Fix or Fire? A House Manager’s Guide to Coaching Problem Staff
True leadership means offering a clear, documented path toward improvement and eventual competency, or saying goodbye.
From Siloed Staff to a World-Class Household Team
If your team feels more like solo acts instead of a five-star operation, it’s time for a change. Here's how to make it happen.
How to Run Your Home Like a 5-Star Hotel (Even When Staff Take PTO)
World-class homes don’t crumble when someone takes PTO. They stay calm and collected, and service never skips a beat. Let’s dive into how to make that your reality.
How to Plan for Household Staff’s PTO Without Disrupting Service
Learn how to maintain consistency, reduce stress, and keep everything on track — no scrambling required.
EMS vs. The Competition
With 30+ years in the UHNW service world, we offer comprehensive household support to meet your evolving real estate and staffing needs.
What You Say Matters: 5 Words That Demoralize Your Employees
Homeowners use the phrase "You’re Not A Good Fit" to dismiss staff when they want to take a chance and see what happens next. While that's their right, basing a dismissal decision on these words often reflects underlying dynamics that may not be immediately apparent from an employment standpoint.
Mega Mansion Equals Mega Changes
Owning a mega-mansion offers luxury but comes with complex responsibilities — a lifestyle shift combining prestige and new challenges.
8 Reasons Staff Evaluations Benefit Your Real Estate Investment
One hour per staff member for a review can pay dividends in operational efficiency, staff morale, and overall household harmony.
My No. 1 Secret for Getting Things Done
Implementing a proposal system ensures that staff work without assumptions while implementing homeowners' preferences.
7 Benefits of a No-Gift Policy
By establishing a no-gift policy, a homeowner ensures that the working environment remains respectful, professional, and free from unnecessary financial or emotional pressures.
Service and What It's Worth
Many luxury homeowners underestimate the importance of finding someone who makes their life more carefree and fits in with existing staff.
8 Ways to Identify Toxic Staff
Why is it important to understand and identify toxic people inside your organization?
Live-In vs. Live-Out Household Staff: Pros and Cons
This type of family dynamic is unusual these days, with many layers to consider.