We are an educational consulting company focusing on Legacy Planning!


Founder and CEO

Maureen Williams

Maureen Williams

Maureen Williams is the founder and CEO of Strategic Hourglass Solutions, an educational consulting company focusing on Legacy Planning. For more than 30 years, Maureen oversaw accounting and financial operations for organizations by implementing systems and processes for efficiency and cost savings. Her corporate career in Texas included Operations Manager at an oil company in Houston, Controller for an international marketing firm in San Antonio, and
Director of Scholarships at the University of Houston, C. T. Bauer College of Business.


Upon her return to Illinois in 2007, she received her Series 6 and 63 licenses and embarked on a career in personal finance. As a financial advisor she identified the need for an organized system whereby documents could be found quickly and easily. After three years of research and writing, she published the 'Lifetime Legacy Planner' to address this need. She created the "Let's Talk Legacy Planning" series of seminars and has co-hosted talks with attorneys, funeral directors, and financial advisors. Maureen graduated cum laude with a finance degree from the University of Houston and currently travels the country speaking about her book and the importance of Legacy Planning.

What Others Are Saying

Take a moment to read these accounts of how working with Hourglass helped people to navigate the critical task of Legacy Planning. It’s a process that everyone needs to work through and we hope their stories will help you take that first step.

READ OUR TESTIMONIALS HERE


Why I Wrote This Book


The year was 2006 and I was the Director of Scholarships for the University of Houston, C. T. Bauer College of Business. At that time the thought of one day starting a company focusing on Legacy Planning never crossed my mind. But then, life happens, circumstances change and major decisions have to be made.

For me, the change was the tragic and sudden death of my 32-year-old nephew Shayne who died in a house fire. His death propelled me to leave my job and home in Houston and return to my hometown in central Illinois. I had lived in Texas for 27 years, so the move back to Illinois involved immense soul searching. After seven months of reflection, I knew I wanted to spend more time than just a holiday weekend or family reunion with my elderly parents. So, I packed up my stuff and loaded everything into a U-Haul. I said goodbye to friends and family and hit the road for what would become this new chapter in my life.

Almost everything in Shayne's house was either destroyed by the fire or covered in soot. Not only were we dealing with the grief of losing Shayne, but also the daunting task of settling his estate, a task made more difficult due to the condition of his personal records and possessions. This tragedy was the catalyst for me to start a business to help others reduce the stress and confusion inherent to major and often unexpected life changes. 

My professional work in Texas involved managing large and efficient accounting and financial systems and processes. Going through Shayne's house and records, however, made one thing abunduntly clear:

Having an organized system in place is one of the most loving and generous things you can do for your family and friends.

With my mother's blessing and encouragement, I set out to create a book to catalog important information. In my research, I heard countless stories of others who experienced surprises (some good, some sad) and frustration when having to deal with moving, downsizing, disability, and death. Each chapter of the book starts with one of these stories. Although I received permission to use these 'call to action' stories, the names have been changes to protect the privacy of the individuals.

With this book, you can start anywhere. Start with a chapter that intrigues you and/or feels more comfortable. This Lifetime Legacy Planner is yours to help document your wishes so they are respected and your legacy preserved.

Our unique product, the Lifetime Legacy Planner, provides a means to organize your personal information so you and/or your loved ones can find documents quickly and easily when the need arises.


Maureen Williams, Author of the Lifetime Legacy Planner

Because sooner or later, we all run out of time ...

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