More Than a Plan for Tomorrow
Aditi is bringing a fresh perspective to the estate planning industry, combining practical planning with innovative ways for people to preserve their stories, memories and messages for future generations. One aspect of the business we particularly love is their memorial messaging service, which allows people to record messages that family and friends can hear when they are no longer able to share them in person.
At Blue Amber, we’ve been supporting Jonathan and the Aditi team for almost four years, helping manage the expense side of the business through bill processing, bank reconciliations and BAS. Working together on a weekly basis keeps everything organised behind the scenes, allowing Jonathan to focus on growing the business.
Jonathan is one of those rare people who loves systems as much as we do. He has an incredible eye for detail, values accuracy, and approaches everything with a process-driven mindset. Combined with the honest and open communication we’ve built over the years, it’s made for a fantastic working relationship.
We sat down with Jonathan to learn more about his journey, the inspiration behind Aditi, and the impact he hopes to make.
Tell us about your business and what you do.
Aditi is an estate planning company, and I hold both the role of estate planner and CEO of the company. I’m one of the founders and major shareholder.
Is there a meaning behind your business name?
Yes. Our previous name was LGEN, which stood for Legacy Generational. The idea behind that name was that you pass your legacy from one generation to the next. But it didn’t work well. We couldn’t get a trademark on it. So, we engaged with Karen Birch, one of your previous newsletter interviewees, and we went through a long and diligent process with her to come up with the name Aditi.
Aditi is the Hindu Goddess of the universe. We wanted something with five letters, and we wanted something that was meaningful that would tell a story, and also have a good chance being able to trademark. So, we completed the trademark, didn’t tell anyone the new name, besides Karen, myself, and Ben Weeding (my business partner) until we launched, which was about a year and a half ago. It was fantastic.
How did you get started in your industry?
In 2018, I was a member of BNI CBD Connect and I was developing platforms. I started to go out to other networking events to increase my network in order to do the BNI thing right. I came across a guy who we now refer to as “Voldemort”. He had an idea for a wills and estates planning platform that accountants and financial planners would use to facilitate the capture of their clients wills & estate planning documents, with the work then being passed to an estate planning solicitor.
I did a couple of months research on the idea, and it looked like a viable product. From there, once we got the minimal product going, we created a sales model. It was a B2B product at that stage. From that B2B standpoint, we got it all going, found accountants that were willing to put their clients through the database and then look after the planning process. They were, in effect, handling the estate plan facilitation and we were going to educate them on the process.
We were about to launch, when COVID hit. We were supposed to be in a trade show, and I think we’ve lost about $20k on that. But that was the beginning of it. It was during those next two years of COVID, however that we began to realise Voldemort’s concept was never going to work as a business model. Maybe it was fate that intervened.
Ben and set to work, exploring how it could work. We had some investors who were lawyers. Turns out you don’t need to be a lawyer to handle estate planning, and they said they could teach me how to do it.
So, I spent the next year and a bit learning how to handle estate plan facilitation, and what to look for. Very much keeping in my lane, so no legal advice. From there it then just bloomed into what we now have as Aditi.
A couple of interesting things are important to the story. The first being my own backstory. My father died when I was just 1 year old, and my mum had to come to Australia (where she had some family) with 4 children to support. My dad didn’t have a will, which made her experience so much more difficult, on top of her grief.
That whole aspect of always having to have an estate plan in place, therefore, fit in very well with me. And it’s been part of my life, along with the German aspect of being highly organised.
What has your journey been like?
Absolutely fantastic. I went from being a CEO of a company to being a single dad, which was a huge change in my life.
It brought out the care aspect of my personality, and the importance of trust. I never considered that people might not trust me before, but now I really understand how much trust matters. Relationships are crucial in everything.
Previously I had moved countries every two to three years and worked internationally every couple of weeks, so I never really built long-term relationships. Now I’ve been settled and have clients I’ve worked with for six years. I check in with them and have strong relationships.
I’m a very different person to who I was 7–10 years ago. That’s what this journey has done for me.
What has been your favourite part of your journey?
It’s being part of a team and the gratitude we receive. People often say they can’t believe how much support we gave them. It’s not just documents – it’s someone to talk to, to guide them, and to help them navigate decisions.
What is it like working with a business partner and how do you define your roles?
Ben is very hands-off and acts as a sounding board. We both see Aditi as a disruptor business in the estate planning industry, which has brought many ups and downs.
He has been a strong support for me throughout. Our board meetings are robust, and we check in on each other regularly.
How would you describe your leadership style and how does it influence your team?
My leadership style is collaborative and driven by employees and how they prefer to work. I have a “how to work with Jonathan” document, and I ask team members to create one for themselves.
We work collaboratively, discuss challenges weekly, and I also spend one-on-one time with each staff member to understand how I can support them.
We focus on education and community involvement. Staff can take part in education time and community work as part of their employment. This includes work with young children, library programs, and community centres.
What makes your company stand out in the market?
We are the only estate planning company that goes through the process the way we do and genuinely cares. It’s not transactional. We check in every year and support clients through issues.
Our follow-up is something clients often comment on. We also encourage completion of important personal elements like guardian intentions, funeral wishes, and memorial messages.
It’s not just about documents; it’s about being part of the client’s support system when they lose capacity or pass away.
Tell me a bit more about the memorial messages that you talked about.
Memorial messages are for loved ones, such as children, partners, siblings, when there comes a time you can no longer express your thoughts or memories.
They capture love, care, and important memories so that when they are no longer able to communicate, those feelings are still clearly known.
How would you describe your core values?
Honesty, being true to yourself, and self-direction. I’m very aligned with those values.
What drives you every day?
I started collecting stories when I was 19, with a goal of 10,000 stories. I was on a boat in the Mediterranean between Israel and Crete when that idea came to me.
To collect stories, you have to live an interesting life, take risks, and put yourself out there. I don’t need to tell all the stories, but I need to live them. So, taking sensible risks is what drives me.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Marriage, in some ways. Growing up with limited understanding of relationships made it difficult to understand commitment.
Also, several business failures, which I’ve learned from. I’m good at launching and driving things forward, and I think tenacity is one of my strengths.
What’s the most dangerous risk you’ve taken?
Sailing journeys where I’ve almost died, motorbike incidents, and being in war zones, including two Gulf Wars and a Lebanese-Israeli war.
And you were a shepherd in Israel, weren’t you?
Yes. For about six months when I was 19 or 20. I would get up at 3am, take the sheep out with my donkey Jenny, and move them through different fields depending on pasture conditions. I made my own crook and learned how to manage the flock. It was a formative experience.
What feels most important about the service you provide?
It’s for the client’s lifetime.
Describe what challenges you have faced along the way and how have you overcome them.
Oh my, this could be a book. There are many – the COVID days, early business challenges, and relationship breakdowns.
I’ve always had good people around me, and talking to people has been key. I listen, get advice, and then decide what to act on. I always take action on advice.
As well as being brave, I’ve really had to work on being brave, it doesn’t come naturally to me. Being able to step out of your comfort zone and do things you don’t feel comfortable doing.
What advice would you give to others looking to solve similar challenges?
Have good people around you. Learn to communicate and listen. Focus on productivity. Learn to manage frustration and overwhelm. Always have a coach. I strongly believe in having coaching across different areas of life.
What innovations in your industry are you most excited about?
Around 80% of people don’t have estate plans in place. Many solutions are being thrown out without thinking about clients and families properly.
We are on a path to solving this, and the last five to six years show we are moving in the right direction while staying true to our values.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received from a customer?
“Thanks for following up. Thanks for checking in.” That feedback reinforces that I care and that I’m doing the right thing.
Working with Blue Amber
What were you looking for in a bookkeeping service?
An emergency service for the things I hate doing. Bookkeeping and accounting feel like unnecessary complexity. If three-quarters of the tax code disappeared, life would be simpler.
What made you choose Blue Amber?
I had known Lucy for eight or nine months, and could see how Blue Amber was very much about systems and processes. Though I don’t talk about it within my work I’m extremely process-driven, even the way I tie my shoelaces. The left one and the right one is a different process in order to get the pattern right, so they both fold in from the outside in.
How would you describe the value of our product or service?
Invaluable, but please don’t increase my rates.
How have we helped you be more successful in your business?
It’s a big relief having things I don’t enjoy handled professionally by a great team. I know it’s always looked after, even when Ryan is away. I have a good rhythm with communications, which helps a lot.
Is there anything else you can say about Blue Amber?
I recommend you all the time. Everyone should have a bookkeeper. It’s a checks and balances system, not your core business. It’s invaluable, and Blue Amber does it better than anyone I know.
