Successful Chaos: How Storytelling Transforms Leaders, Legacies, and Lives – Featuring Chris Hare

What's the difference between the story you think defines you and the atomic story that actually transforms you? 
 
Today, Bryan interviews Chris Hare, founder of The Storied Future and creator of Atomic Storytelling™. Chris is a veteran of Amazon and Microsoft who has worked with clients from mid-market firms to unicorn executives to trillion-dollar titans. He specializes in The Storied Interview—deeply reflective conversations that help leaders uncover pivotal stories shaping their careers. His transformative work has helped a founder turn a $15K HELOC into $1.6B, guided burned-out entrepreneurs to find purpose, and assisted executives in discovering their true calling. 

The conversation explores Chris's journey from corporate marketing to Atomic Storytelling™ consulting, and how The Storied Interview process transforms leaders. They discuss Bryan's "Chaos Creek" origin story, the therapeutic power of narrative with combat veterans through Chris's Narrative on the Fly experiences, and how personal stories unlock post-exit purpose. Key themes include: legacy beyond wealth through values and lessons, how buried stories bring healing and transformation, the difference between story telling and story listening, AI scaling for executive storytelling, and how biographical interviews create powerful artifacts for leadership growth. 

 
About the Show:  
Drawing from over two decades in financial advisory services, Bryan Sarff brings a unique perspective beyond traditional wealth management. Through intellicents, he's witnessed how successful entrepreneurs struggle with the disconnect between business growth and personal financial organization. This podcast bridges that gap with actionable frameworks transforming financial complexity into strategic clarity. Each episode features candid conversations with industry leaders, family business experts, and wealth psychology specialists sharing battle-tested insights. From exit strategies to multi-generational wealth transfer, listeners gain practical tools aligning financial decisions with core values. 
 
In This Episode:  
(00:00) Chris reveals his career transition from Microsoft and Amazon to strategic narrative consulting 

(04:21) How an executive discovered that hearing his own story was transforming him personally 

(05:31) Chris explains atomic stories and why the most powerful moments are often hidden 

(16:19) Bryan shares the origin of Chaos Creek and how childhood experiences shaped his business mission 

(25:23) Why most people fail to pass down their stories in estate planning documents 

(33:07) The therapeutic power of reuniting combat veterans through storytelling and fly fishing 

(39:55) Chris unveils his AI storytelling coach and plans for scaling narrative transformation 

(43:04) Final insights on story listening versus storytelling and the transformative power of narrative 

 
Resources: 
The Storied Future: thestoriedfuture.com 
Chris Hare LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hareforce1/ 
Barx Project (Veterans): barxproject.org 
intellicents https://www.intellicents.com/ 
Bryan Sarff LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryansarff/