StoryLens Podcast

Epizodai

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  What Is a Family Office? Managing Complexity Across Generations 14.07.2026 53min

  For many families, success creates new challenges. The systems, relationships, and decision-making processes that help build wealth are often not the same systems required to steward it. What begins as a business, a portfolio, or a collection of successful investments eventually becomes something more complex, requiring coordination across entities, advisors, generations, and increasingly diverse family interests. In this episode, John Christensen, JD, CFP®, and Cameron Bond, CFP®, sit down with family office attorney Taylor Smith to explore one of the most misunderstood concepts in the wealth management industry: the family office. The conversation examines the purpose behind family office structures, the differences between single-family and multi-family offices, and the governance challenges that emerge as wealth grows. Taylor explains how family offices serve as the strategic center of complex family enterprises, coordinating assets, advisors, trusts, tax planning, charitable giving, and family decision-making across generations. The discussion also explores a reality many successful multi-generational families eventually encounter: preserving wealth is often easier than preparing the people who will eventually inherit it. As complexity increases, governance, communication, education, and alignment become just as important as investment returns and tax planning. This episode is for founders, business owners, and families of multi-generational wealth who are beginning to recognize that accumulation is only one phase of the journey. The next challenge is building structures that can support the family, the enterprise, and the relationships that connect them for generations to come. You can connect with Taylor directly at tsmith@goodspeedmerrill.com or find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorsmithtax/.
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  Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts | What Families Must Know 16.06.2026 37min

  For families of multi-generational wealth, estate planning rarely fails because the documents are wrong. There are in essence three levels of estate planning, which are defined and determined by the wealth or future wealth of an individual or family. The generally accepted levels of wealth that determine the type of estate plan are: 1) those with a net worth comfortably below the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemptions ($0 to $10 million), 2) those with a net worth approaching the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption ($10 million), and 3) those with a net worth greater than the estate, gift, and GST tax exemptions (over $15 million for an individual and over $30 million for a couple). For each level of wealth, an irrevocable trust can be a beneficial structure, which has a multitude of benefits. Whether a trust is revocable or irrevocable can be confusing and misunderstood. In this episode, John Christensen, JD, CFP®, and Cameron Bond, CFP®, sit down with Erin Anderson, an estate and tax planning attorney at Kembell Woods & Martinsen, to unpack how these structures can be so powerful and beneficial. The conversation covers grantor trust taxation, intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), valuation discounts on closely held business interests, generation-skipping structures, and the governance risks that emerge when trust design and business succession planning are treated as separate conversations. This episode is for founders managing pre-liquidity planning, trustees navigating distribution decisions, and rising-generation family members who are beginning to understand the architecture of what they will eventually steward.
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  Life After the Exit: What Comes Next for Founders and Families 19.05.2026 41min

  Succession planning is often treated as a technical process, but for many leaders and families, the real challenge begins after the plan is in place. In this episode of the StoryLens Podcast, the StoryOne team sits down with Dan Deeble of Lost Ball Consulting to explore the deeper realities of leadership transition, business exit, and life after a liquidity event. The conversation focuses on the shift from building something for yourself to investing in others, and why identity, purpose, and family dynamics ultimately determine whether succession leads to continuity or disorientation. For founders, family enterprises, and family offices navigating transition, this episode highlights why clarity of purpose is essential to making any succession plan actually work. You can connect with Dan on LinkedIn or reach out to him directly at dan.deeble@lostballconsulting.com
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  You're Their Biggest Client. That's the Problem. 05.05.2026 46min

  Most families of multi-generational wealth and most business owners believe they have the right team around them. And in many cases, they're right, for where they were ten years ago. The financial advisor who built the investment framework, the estate attorney who drafted the plan, the CPA who has handled the returns since the business was half this size, they all did real work. The question isn't whether that team served you then. The question is whether it's built for what you've become and where you're headed. Every profession has tiers. The CPA who is excellent at $3M of business income may not be the CPA who lives inside the $30M business structures with multi-entity planning and generational transfer. The estate attorney who does a great job for the $1M family may not be the attorney who has spent a career inside complex business succession and dynasty trust design. The financial advisor who built a solid practice may be working on commission, recommending products, and operating without a fiduciary obligation to the family. None of these are moral failures. They are specialization gaps, and the family that crossed the threshold years ago but never updated the team is the one bearing the cost.In this episode, the StoryOne team sits down with attorney Taylor Smith to examine one of the most structurally predictable and least-discussed failures in wealth management: the individual or business owner that has outgrown its current advisory structure, but the financial advisor, CPA, and estate attorney haven't said so. The conversation covers what those gaps actually look like, why nobody surfaces them, and what families at the $30M to $100M+ level should be asking but almost never do. 
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  When Success Stops Working 14.04.2026 37min

  Many founders and families of multi-generational wealth reach a point where the financial architecture is in place, but something is still not working. Not broken. Not in crisis. Just misaligned in ways that don't show up on a balance sheet and that nobody can quite name in the boardroom or the family meeting. In this episode, Dan Deeble introduces the concept of the "lost ball" (something you own but no longer possess) and applies it to the leadership and family dynamics that drive governance risk inside complex family enterprises. The conversation covers how financial success masks misalignment, why the self-awareness gap is the most underestimated continuity risk for multi-generational wealth, and how moving from "nice" to honest communication can change the trajectory of family governance. For families navigating succession, rising-generation preparedness, and the structural costs of avoided conversations, this episode names what most financial planning frameworks never address, and offers a path for closing the gap. You can connect with Dan on LinkedIn or reach out to him directly at dan.deeble@lostballconsulting.com
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  Generational Change is Possible 31.03.2026 36min

  Families of multi-generational wealth and family businesses operate within systems that shape behavior, roles, and decision-making across generations, often without anyone mapping these unseen relational forces. According to J.P. Morgan Private Bank's 2026 Global Family Office Report, a survey of 333 single family offices across 30 countries with an average net worth of $1.6 billion, 86% of family offices lack a clear succession plan for key decision makers, and 41% of business-owning families rank internal family conflict as a top-three continuity risk, nearly double the rate of non-business-owning peers. With $124 trillion in generational wealth expected to transfer by 2048, it's the relational infrastructure of the family and not the legal or financial architecture, that most commonly causes succession to break down. In this episode, the StoryOne team continues their conversation with Ken Howard to explore how those dynamics form, how they can become succession risks, and what it takes to change them before they do. Ken shares practical insights into identifying structural risks within relationships navigating resistance to change in business-owning families, and introducing healthier patterns that hold. Sources: J.P. Morgan Private Bank, 2026 Global Family Office Report; The Wall Street Journal (Ensign, March 24, 2026). If you'd like to connect with Ken, you can reach him directly at: ken@aspen-kc.com
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  Conflict Without Combat 17.03.2026 39min

  Families bound by shared wealth, shared businesses, or shared estates often cannot simply walk away from fractured relationships. The stakes are too high, the entanglements too deep. And yet most of those families never develop the relational skills to navigate disagreement without causing lasting damage. In this episode of the StoryLens Podcast, John Christensen and Cameron Bond sit down with Marriage and Family Therapist, Ken Howard, to examine a distinction that changes how families handle conflict: the difference between conflict and combat. Ken draws on decades of clinical experience to explain why unresolved wounds accumulate into systemic fractures, what it actually takes to rebuild trust after it has been broken, and why humility is the single most consequential variable for high achievers who want healthier relationships. If you'd like to connect with Ken, you can reach him directly at: ken@aspen-kc.com
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  The Million-Dollar Tax Strategy Most Business Owners Miss Before They Sell 03.03.2026 41min

  In this episode of the StoryLens Podcast, the StoryOne team and Evan Lange dive into the strategic side of charitable planning with a focus on presale charitable gifts. They explain the importance of timing, asset selection, and charitable entities can significantly reduce taxes while increasing impact. The conversation equips families and business owners with practical insight to approach generosity before major liquidity events. 
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  When Fraud Hits Home 18.02.2026 40min

  Financial fraud is no longer distant or abstract, it's personal and increasingly sophisticated. In this StoryLens Spotlight episode, Kenny and John share how coordinated digital scams targeted their own mothers and what families must understand about today's evolving fraud landscape. Learn the warning signs, practical safeguards, and governance strategies that create protection without sacrificing independence.
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  The Heart Behind Generosity 03.02.2026 36min

  In this episode of the StoryLens Podcast, the StoryOne partners are joined by charitable planning expert Evan Lang to explore the heart behind generosity. Together, they unpack why families give, how personal experiences and values shape charitable priorities and why clarity of purpose is essential for meaningful impact. The conversation highlights how intentional giving can strengthen families, heal past hurts and create lasting alignment across generations. You can learn more about Evan and connect with Five Star Legacy at elange@fivestarlegacyllc.com
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  Why Story Matters in Estate Planning 13.01.2026 40min

  Estate planning is often seen as technical and transactional, but Jon Daugharthy knows it is deeply relational. In this episode, Jon shares how his personal history shaped his philosophy of stewardship, why community matters in moments of transition, and how advisors can serve families with clarity and compassion. This conversation offers insight into the heart behind the work and why understanding someone's story is essential to guiding them well.
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  Choosing the Right Fiduciaries 30.12.2025 36min

  Who should you trust with your most important decisions? The StoryOne team breaks down the roles and responsibilities of fiduciaries, from managing assets to caring for loved ones. They share guidance on choosing individuals who are willing and capable. and align with your values. Discover why this decision is both deeply practical and deeply personal.
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  Kingdom-Minded Succession 09.12.2025 47min

  In this episode, StoryOne partners John Christensen and Cameron Bond sit down with entrepreneur and ministry founder Rick Boxx to explore what a kingdom-minded business transition can look like. They talk about the Great Wealth Transfer, why succession is so emotionally hard for business owners, and how to think beyond mere financial valuation to preserving culture, calling, and generosity. You will hear stories of faith at work, practical tools for including charitable giving in an exit, and a clear challenge to ask, "What would God want for this business, and these people, when I step away?" You can learn more about Rick and connect with UBN at https://unconventionalbusiness.org/
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  Estate Planning Basics 18.11.2025 36min

  What makes up your estate and why does planning matter? The StoryOne partners unpack the basics: what an estate truly is, the purpose of wills and trusts and the essential decisions that provide clarity and protection for your family. Whether you're updating old documents or starting fresh, this conversation will help you build a strong foundation.
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  The Right Mix: Finding Your Family's Asset Allocation 16.10.2025 43min

  True wealth goes beyond numbers, it's about purpose, values, and legacy. In this StoryLens Podcast episode, the StoryOne partners share how families can approach asset allocation with wisdom. Evaluating both private and public markets, they unpack opportunities, risks, and lessons for building a balance sheet that aligns with your story.
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  Investing with Purpose 17.09.2025 41min

  Impact investing is more than an asset class. It's a philosophy. Join us as we talk with Aimee Minnich about how families are using their donor-advised funds and private capital to fuel businesses that create jobs, transform communities and reflect their deepest values.
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  Your Story Comes First 14.08.2025 35min

  What's in a name? In this insightful episode, we discover the heart of planning at StoryOne and the meaning behind the name. The team explores their unique StoryLens process and approach to wealth management, revealing how understanding a family's core values and narrative leads to more meaningful financial strategies. Discover how heart-led growth drives their process of helping families create legacies that align with their deepest values.
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  Understanding the Multi-Family Office Model 16.07.2025 37min

  In this inaugural episode of the StoryLens Podcast, the partners of StoryOne explore the unique role of a multi-family office in serving families with complex wealth needs. They discuss how their approach combines deep technical expertise with a heart-led and story-focused philosophy that prioritizes family dynamics, legacy planning and intentional wealth stewardship.     StoryOne Family Office, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training, and the content of this communication has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.