Finance
How Financial Planning Has Got The Story All Wrong: Insights From StoryBrand’s Donald Miller
“Nobody wants to hear your story, they want to be invited into a story,” Donald Miller told me, in a recent interview about his new book, Building A StoryBrand 2.0.
That’s it. That’s how financial planning—or perhaps more accurately, financial planners—have got the story all wrong. And regardless of the type of business that you’re in, I’m betting that the same holds true.
What’s your story?
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We’ve made ourselves, and/or our solutions, the main character in the narrative of our client’s financial planning, rather than ceding that role to the natural actor, our client.
This wise counsel comes from the StoryBrand guy, Donald Miller, and Miller’s story deserves attention because it’s instructive. He’s not the first to talk about how to use narrative theory in branding and marketing, but it is safe to say he’s done the best job of telling us precisely how to use stories to help people better understand our businesses. And it’s not by telling our story, but by helping others to see theirs.
This is likely because Miller isn’t, or wasn’t, a marketing guru, but a practitioner. An author. Before writing StoryBrand, Miller had published seven books that fit into the memoirist category, including one of my all-time favorite titles, Blue Like Jazz. But after finding success in that genre, Miller says, “I ran out of books to write,” so he began, “an exercise in curiosity” to explicate how narrative structures work and how to use that to clarify a business’s message.
And the big takeaway? As businesses, the story isn’t about us; it’s about those we serve.
StoryBrand 1.0
In the original Building a StoryBrand, Miller shares the SB7 framework—the seven plot points in every great story, whether it’s a novel, TV show, commercial, epic movie, or yes, a business or brand. And it doesn’t take more than a second glance to see where we go wrong as business owners or developers.
Where do you find yourself in this plot?
StoryBrand
From Star Wars to Hunger Games to Top Gun: Maverick to Apple, Miller shows us how this plotline plays out in every great story and iconic brand. But nobody dreams of winning Best Supporting Actor as a kid, so we naturally default to jumping into the cockpit and calling ourselves Maverick.
And there is the fatal flaw we commit, making it too much about us. Our services, processes, and accolades—all of which matter, but only to the degree they serve the protagonist, the client, and their story.
The good news is that we play a vital role in this story—it’s just not the starring role, and the sooner we accept our rightful supporting role, the sooner we can better serve more clients. And everything becomes crystal clear when we see it that way—especially as financial advisors.
StoryBrand Financial Planning
Our clients are the main character, the hero. Our job is to get to know them well enough to understand their problem or challenge, and then we can settle into our rightful role as the client’s guide.
And there’s no better metaphor for the posture of all truly great financial advisors, by the way, than guide. We teach, but we’re not teachers who have a necessarily condescending stance toward their students. We navigate the technical, but we are not technicians who often get stuck down rabbit holes of specialization. We consult, but we’re not consultants who diagnose, recommend, and then walk away, leaving a hefty bill in their wake. We persuade, but we’re not salespeople who are driven more by transactions than transformations.
Instead, we are guides for whom experience, wisdom, and the skills of teaching, specializing, consulting, and persuading are all prerequisites.
Then comes planning, a process best navigated in collaboration with our clients. Miller also clarifies here that the plan should be delivered “in the form of baby steps,” a truth we’ve learned from the field of behavioral finance. This, too, contrasts with how most of us learned financial planning. Yet while great financial planning must be comprehensive in its scope, great financial plans must be modular, lest they overwhelm and result in inaction.
Here’s where the skills of persuasion come in handy, in calling our clients to action—actions of their own choosing and architecture—and providing the pivotal role of accountability. We grossly underestimate this as part of our role, perhaps because we love the creative planning at the center of our work. But here again, we are reminded that the plan is no more the hero than we are—and the best unimplemented plans in the world are utterly worthless unless clients take action.
Said action can result in success—Yay!—but plans succeed to varying degrees, and circumstances often change. Some plans even fail. Enter the plot twist, when new circumstances or suboptimal implementation allows us to re-engage the perpetual cycle of story all over again, as we address a new problem or challenge and strive for success anew.
And please remember, the best movies have numerous plot twists. If you’ve already run through Plan A to B, C, or even Z, it only makes your story more compelling.
StoryBrand 2.0 – The Controlling Idea
So, StoryBrand 1.0 does an amazing job helping us identify our proper role and re-write the story. I also asked Miller what was new for readers in StoryBrand 2.0, and there’s another gem that could turn our marketing on its head: the controlling idea.
He writes, “Certainly a story can present multiple ideas, and those ideas are sometimes subjective, but very few stories are commercially successful if the plot is up for interpretation.” Hmm. Can you give us an example?
“If our controlling idea involves a lost dog returning home to his family, who realize how much they loved the previously neglected dog,” says Miller, “we should not include too many scenes about a food critic attempting to start their own restaurant.”
The controlling idea, then, is the main plotline in a nutshell, which isn’t any bigger than a run-on sentence and may be much smaller. StoryBrand 2.0 describes the controlling idea of the classic Lion King plot as “A young lion must gain the confidence necessary to confront his evil uncle, who murdered his father, so that he can take his rightful place as king of the jungle and return order and life to his homeland.”
Meanwhile, Miller strategized with a client who owned a gym franchise and was struggling to differentiate from all the other gyms out there. The gym’s unique feature was targeted resistance training—20-minute trainer-led sessions twice per week—for those who didn’t have time to live at the gym. The essence of the controlling idea ended up being distilled all the way down to three words: “twenty minutes, twice.”
Bang. Then, once you’ve got your controlling narrative for your business and brand, the discipline required is to run 100% of your messaging through that singular lens. If it builds on that narrative, great. If it distracts, it’s out.
The question StoryBrand 2.0 leaves us with, then, is, “Have you defined a controlling idea?”
StoryBrand.Ai
And considering the answer for most is some version of “No,” the biggest new addition to the StoryBrand script isn’t even contained in the newly revised edition of the book—it’s a website and tool, StoryBrand.Ai, which I have trialed and must confess left me jaw dropped.
In a matter of minutes, StoryBrand.Ai delivers a brand script, tagline, product service or name, description, packaging copy, website wireframe, lead generator ideas, lead-generating PDF, domain name suggestions, sales emails and talking points, a compelling one-liner, video scripts, social media post ideas and captions, a brand or product story, and nurture emails. Not bad for $39 per month.
The goal of all of it, though, must be remembered, in what I believe is the “controlling idea” of StoryBrand itself, and the quote from Donald Miller that sparked this post: “Nobody wants to hear your story, they want to be invited into a story.”
How can you apply that wisdom in your business or practice?
VANCOUVER, BC, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ – Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) (OTCQB: SCZMF) (FSE: 1SZ) (“Santacruz” or the “Company”) reports its financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“FY 2024”). The full version of the audited financial statements for FY 2024 (the “Financial Statements”), which includes a restatement of comparative 2023 consolidated financial statements, and accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis (the “MD&A”), can be viewed on the Company’s website at www.santacruzsilver.com or on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. All amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated.
FY 2024 Highlights
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Revenues of $283 million a 13% increase year-over-year.
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Gross Profit of $57 million, a 1670% increase year-over-year.
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Net Income of $165 million, a 1594% increase year-over-year.
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Adjusted EBITDA of $53 million, a 200% increase year-over-year.
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Cash and cash equivalents of $36 million, a 622% increase year-over-year.
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Working Capital was $46 million at the end of FY 2024.
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Cash cost per silver equivalent ounce sold of $21.90, a 16% increase year-over-year.
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AISC per silver equivalent ounce sold of $26.01, a 15% increase year-over-year.
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Silver Equivalent Ounces produced of 18,651,701, a 1% decrease year-over-year.
Arturo Préstamo, Executive Chairman and CEO of Santacruz, commented, “FY 2024 was a transformative year for the Company, driven by our strong financial and operational results. Santacruz achieved a 13% increase in revenue and a 200% rise in adjusted EBITDA, supported by operational improvements and a favorable silver price environment. These achievements strengthened the Company’s balance sheet which allowed us to end the year with $36 million in cash, a 622% increase. In addition, we significantly worked on enhancing shareholder value while maintaining a disciplined operational focus and laying the groundwork for long-term growth.”
Mr. Préstamo continued, ” In preparation for the audit, the accounting team identified a series of non-cash errors booked during the tenure of the former CFO. These non-cash errors caused a significant number of related adjusting entries in the current and prior years creating additional audit work and therefore the subsequent delay in filing the financial statements. Santacruz’s competitive edge lies in the quality and efficiency of our core Bolivian and Mexican mining assets and the flexibility of our San Lucas ore sourcing model, which enables swift adaptation to market conditions and maximizes the benefits of our leverage to rising metal prices. With this solid foundation and an experienced management team, we are well-positioned to enter a new phase of sustainable growth while continuing to deliver value to our shareholders.”
Finance
Do you have the top predictor for financial well-being? Here’s what Vanguard’s research says.
It doesn’t take $1 million to achieve the top predictor of financial well-being, according to new research from investment firm Vanguard. Instead, it’s something far more attainable: Socking away at least $2,000 in an emergency savings account.
People with at least $2,000 saved for an unexpected expense report a greater improvement in financial well-being than those who have incomes of more than $500,000 or assets of more than $1 million, the survey of more than 12,000 Vanguard investors found.
The findings come as many Americans are feeling more financially stressed, with a separate study from Primerica finding that about half of middle-class households expect to be worse off financially in 2026, almost double the share in December, due to worries about the cost of living and the economy. Taking small steps to build an emergency savings account could prove to help alleviate financial anxiety, noted Paulo Costa, a behavioral economist and certified financial planner at Vanguard who co-authored the research.
“What’s so powerful about this research is that it’s not about gathering a lot of money to have that peace of mind,” Costa told CBS MoneyWatch. “That initial $2,000 makes a big difference.”
While it may seem that having $1 million in assets should boost financial well-being more than $2,000 in a savings account, the results show the importance of being prepared for an unplanned expense, Costa added. The median cost of an emergency is about $2,000, which means having that cash on hand gives people the confidence that they can handle a sudden money stressor, he said.
“When is $2,000 more than a million dollars? It’s when it comes to emergency savings,” Costa said. “The point of emergency savings is to have that money readily available if you need it. A lot of people have money, for example, in retirement accounts that may have some requirements about when you can withdraw that money and may have some tax consequences and some penalties.”
Retirement assets are generally not readily available to cover unexpected expenses, with people younger than 59 1/2 incurring a 10% penalty for taking out money. But having $2,000 set aside in a bank account means that you’ve got the peace of mind that you’ll be able to handle a surprise car repair or medical bill.
And people with $2,000 in emergency savings typically spend about 2 hours less each week thinking about their finances versus those without any savings, the study found.
How many people can handle emergency expenses?
To be sure, obtaining $2,000 in savings could prove out of reach for many Americans, especially those who are low income, struggling with debt or who reside in an area with a high cost of living. Vanguard’s survey includes only people who have investment accounts at the company, which signals they access to 401(k)s and other types of investment accounts that many Americans lack.
Almost 4 in 10 Americans say they don’t have the cash on hand to pay for an $400 emergency expense, according to research from the Federal Reserve.
Still, more Americans appear to be socking away money for a rainy day, with the Primerica study finding that 64% of those surveyed in March said they had an emergency fund of at least $1,000, up from 58% two years earlier.
Even if saving $2,000 seems out of reach, you can start small by saving as little as $10 week, Costa said. The best idea is to find a strategy that works for you, whether that’s budgeting or automating savings by directing a certain amount into a dedicated account with each paycheck, he said.
“I love the idea of, ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ so when you get paid, you immediately send money to your savings account,” he said. “By saving $50 per week, you will build up to $2,000 in less than a year.”
He added, “Saving something is better than saving nothing. So just getting started, that really makes a big difference.”
President Trump’s tariffs continued to be felt by importers in May with a measure of government receipts for “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” already topping $22.3 billion this month, according to Treasury Department data.
The monthly total is likely to rise only slightly in the coming days, with importers often depositing their tariff duties largely in a single day. A massive deposit of more than $16.5 billion appeared in government coffers on May 22.
May’s total so far has already topped April’s full-month haul of $17.4 billion — not to mention March’s haul of $9.6 billion.
It was a continuation of revenue spikes seen during Trump’s second term in office, which dwarfed recent history and Trump’s first term.
All told, more than $92 billion has flowed into government coffers since Jan. 1.
May’s surge in revenue came as many of Trump’s duties were only felt for an entire month after his biggest tariffs — 10% duties on nearly every country in the world — took effect on April 5.
The haul also came after other new concessions from Trump this month that saw a slashing of tariffs on China and a limited lowering of duties on the UK.
Trump added Tuesday in a social media post that more duties could be coming, saying of his decision to delay 50% tariffs on Europe for now, “Remember, I am empowered to ‘SET A DEAL’ for Trade into the United States if we are unable to make a deal.”
Read more: What Trump’s tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
The president is also threatening new tariffs in the weeks and months ahead, including new sector-specific tariffs to be announced on items such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals and possible tariffs aimed at companies like Apple (AAPL) and Samsung (005930.KS).
The data is significant but could be slightly overstated, with the Treasury Department reporting both customs duties and certain excise taxes as a single category from the Department of Homeland Security.
Excise taxes are different from customs duties. More precise data for only customs duties is expected to be available in a few weeks. But customs duties have historically made up the lion’s share of the combined figure.
Trump himself has regularly touted the surge of government tariff receipts, suggesting the US government is on its way to a repeat of an era in US history that ended more than a century ago when tariffs made up a significant portion of government revenues.
“We’re going to make a lot of money [from tariffs] and that money’s going to be used to reduce taxes,” Trump said on April 23. “We’re going to get big, big tax breaks.”
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:focal(0x0:3000x2000)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/c00eed6d9f45b6e1ebacbb76d9df1920/0127%20School%20Choice%20Lufkin%20CO%20TT%2020.jpg "Bill that would have banned Texas minors from social media misses key deadline")
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