Are You a UHNW Household or Family Office Professional? One Day, This Could Be You.

When I read that Larry Ellison had bought eight homes in Boynton Beach for members of his household staff, I stopped for a moment. The homes were reportedly intended for employees, including tutors for his children, about a half-hour from the family's residence in Manalapan.

I don't know the arrangements behind those homes, or how the people who live there feel about them. But the story made me think about something I have seen throughout my years working with private households: the people who care for a family often become part of the rhythm that allows that family's life to work.

The people behind the rhythm

They are there before the day begins and after it ends. They notice what needs attention, protect routines, solve problems quietly and bring skill and judgment to work that is rarely visible to the outside world.

A great household depends on more than beautiful properties and well-made plans. It depends on people.

A personal note

I read this story from both sides of the table. Over thirty years and more than 500 homes, I have sat where the families sit — as a principal myself, with residences of my own in more than one corner of the world. I have interviewed the people who would live inside my home, chosen them, and learned what it means to trust someone with the keys to your private life.

That is why the gesture in Boynton Beach did not surprise me. Anyone who has run a household from the principal's chair knows that loyalty is never bought; it is built, day after day. You see the effort with your own eyes. You acknowledge it. You treat people with tremendous respect, you give them real authority to decide, and you encourage them to grow.

Done well, that relationship holds even in the worst circumstances — the storm, the emergency at 3 a.m., the season when everything goes wrong. The people who stay then are the ones who were treated as professionals long before they were needed.

Service is a profession, not a position. Every placement we make at Valmore begins with that conviction, and every family we serve hears the same thing from me: take care of the people who take care of you.

Recognition is more than a thank-you

Housing staff close to a residence is not the right choice for every family. And buying homes is certainly not the only way to show appreciation. But this story puts a meaningful question in front of family offices and principals: Do the people who help make the household run feel that their contribution is understood and valued?

Recognition can take many forms:

• Fair compensation
• A respectful workplace
• Time to rest and room to grow
• Clear expectations
• A manager who listens
• Help with a practical need that makes daily life more stable

The right gesture will depend on the people and the circumstances. What matters is that appreciation becomes part of how a household operates—not something said only when someone is leaving.

Loyalty has to go both ways

I have never believed that real loyalty can be demanded. It has to be earned, and it has to move in both directions.

A family should be able to expect discretion, integrity and professionalism from its staff. Staff should be able to expect respect, fairness and honest communication in return. That is not a lack of boundaries. It is what makes trust possible.

And loyalty does not mean silence or blind obedience. A trusted professional must be able to raise a concern, protect the family's interests and speak honestly when something needs attention. In a strong working relationship, that kind of honesty is part of the loyalty.

"This could be you" begins with how we treat people

For household professionals

The story is unusual, but the principle behind it is not. Your work has value. Your judgment, discretion and care matter. You deserve to be treated as a professional whose contribution is seen.

For family offices and principals

You do not need to buy eight houses to make that point. You do need to ask whether the people who support your family have the respect, stability and support to do their best work.

The larger lesson

The homes in Boynton Beach are one family's reported decision. The larger lesson belongs to all of us: when care is given every day, recognition should not be an afterthought.

That is how trust deepens. That is how people choose to stay. And that is how loyalty becomes mutual.

— Mario Panizza, Valmore Management & Staffing

Looking for a household role with a family that values your work? Explore open positions. Building or strengthening a household team? Talk to us about staffing.