[00:00:19] – Introduction to Story One and the Story Lens

• Kenny introduces the podcast’s second episode featuring the three partners of Story One
• Brief recap of their first episode about multi-family offices
• Key quote: “On this podcast we have John Christensen, who’s the CEO and Senior Wealth advisor for Story One, Cameron Bond, who is a senior wealth advisor, and myself, Kenny Conklin, I’m the COO.”

[00:01:24] – The Origin of the Story One Name

• The team shares how they evolved from “Project Narwhal” to Story One
• Inspiration came from a book called “The Eden Option” about following God’s path
• Key quote: “We want to walk with families and help them lean into story one… into really like what brings their heart to life, what God has for them.”

[00:06:43] – The Story Lens Process Explained

• Cameron describes their approach to understanding clients at a deep level
• Balancing detailed financial minutia with heart-focused conversations
• Key quote: “It’s all kind of on the chassis of these fundamental core questions that we lean in with families where we really want to know what brings their heart to life, what are the things that keep ’em up at night.”

[00:15:52] – Family Dynamics in Financial Planning

• Discussion of how past decisions and family history influence current financial choices
• How multi-generational perspectives shape wealth management
• Key quote: “Sometimes with families, you hit a wall and you go, why did we get hung up on this decision? And then because we spend so much time with the family and spend time trying to understand the heart and the relational dynamics, we go back and we go, oh, it’s actually because when Dad put that trustee in place 40 years ago…”

[00:24:16] – Charitable Planning and Donor-Advised Funds

• John explains how they help clients maximize charitable impact
• The benefits of donor-advised funds for tax planning and legacy giving
• Key quote: “We love donor-advised funds because they’re easy to use… you can put assets in today, and then you can grant them to charities over time.”

[00:28:34] – Teaching the Next Generation About Giving

• Discussion of how to prepare children to manage charitable assets
• Creating governance structures for long-term charitable impact
• Key quote: “How do you build that muscle over time and train them to really kind of wanna understand your heart, build their own identity in it?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• The Eden Option: Book that inspired the Story One name and philosophy
• Advocate Creative: Creative agency (Nate and Lacey Ellis) who helped develop their brand
• Switch: How to Change When Change Is Hard: Book by Chip and Dan Heath referenced when discussing emotional decision-making
• Donor-advised funds: Charitable giving vehicle discussed as a tool for clients

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Financial planning should begin with understanding a family’s heart, values, and story before addressing technical details.
  Multi-generational wealth requires intentional governance structures to ensure assets are managed according to family values across generations.
• Emotional factors often drive financial decisions more than logic, requiring advisors to balance truth with grace when guiding clients.
• Charitable planning is most effective when it includes strategies for both immediate tax benefits and long-term legacy impact.
• The compounding growth of wealth means families need to prepare future generations to steward assets responsibly.

SOCIAL MEDIA QUOTES:

• “We want to lead with the family story first. We don’t want to lead with the balance sheet or the tax return. We want to lead with what matters to the family.” – Cameron Bond
• “Whether you’re worth a hundred million dollars or you’re worth a thousand dollars, there’s a lot of times that emotion is driving the decision making.” – John Christensen
• “The planning that comes out of leaning into the heart at a very deep level is so vastly different than leading with ‘if we sell that, we can pay fewer taxes.'” – Cameron Bond

CALL TO ACTION:

• Follow the Story Lens podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast to learn more about how Story One helps families navigate complex financial decisions with heart-led strategies. If you’re seeking wealth management that begins with understanding your unique story, reach out to the team at Story One.