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In Episode 5 of the Living MaxJoy Podcast, ESF Co-Founder Michael Rouse and clinical psychologist Dr. Muniya Khanna sit down with family legacy expert Lee Brower for a wide-ranging conversation on gratitude, legacy, and the practices that hold families together.

Meet Lee Brower

As the founder of Empowered Wealth™ and creator of The Brower Quadrant, Lee has spent decades helping people build what he calls “enduring wealth,” a richness rooted in purpose, relationships, and the traditions we pass down.

Gratitude As a Superpower

Lee describes gratitude as one of the most powerful and most overlooked forces in a person’s life, overlooked, he suggests, because we treat milestones as finish lines instead of moments to appreciate. He offers a way to make it tangible: drawing from the people, opportunities, things, experiences, and nature already in your life, and building small rituals around them.

Nick’s Story

Lee also shares the story of his son, Nick, whose rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosis set the family on a years-long journey. He opens up about who Nick was, the day of his diagnosis, and the years that followed, including the stories, the creation of Wacky Warriors, and what Nick taught him as a father. What makes the story extraordinary is how the Brower family stayed grounded in gratitude throughout Nick’s battle. Lee talks about the traditions that anchored them and the role faith played, guided by one principle: don’t judge, stay in gratitude, even when the reason isn’t yet clear.

Traditions that Endure

The conversation opens outward to something every family can act on: intentional traditions. Lee shares which ones matter most in the Brower family and what he believes families are getting wrong today, while Dr. Khanna explains why routines and rituals give children a sense of security, and how families can stay connected in a world full of distractions.

The Gratitude Rock

If you’ve spent time in the ESF community, you know the Gratitude Rock, and it traces back to Lee. He shares where the idea originated, the meaning behind the butterfly rock, and why a simple physical reminder can be more powerful than intentions alone. It’s a tradition thousands of children have carried home to their own families.

Listen to Episode 5 of the Living MaxJoy Podcast now, and until next time, keep living with purpose, gratitude, and MaxJoy.

Living MaxJoy is brought to you by ESF Camps & Experiences in partnership with Nemours Children’s Health. Learn more about our partnership with Nemours.