leafchat: Biograph

Communicating Legacy Through Family Storytelling

The Why Behind the Wealth: Our Discussion with Dr. Aaron Greenberg

At leafplanner, we spend a lot of time helping families organize the "what," "where," and "how" of their complex lives—from entity structures to physical assets. But as our Founder & CEO Josh Kanter often reminds us, a comprehensive family strategy is incomplete without the "who" and the "why."

Josh recently sat down with Dr. Aaron Greenberg, Founder of Biograph, to discuss how storytelling acts as the software that runs on the hardware of family wealth. Biograph is a trusted partner that guides families from the "first spark" of a memory to a finished bespoke book or film.

‍

Here are our top takeaways from their conversation on bridging the gap between data and legacy.

1. Structure Reveals Story

We often see that the process of organization acts as a trigger for memory. As you use leafplanner to catalog a vacation home or a vintage collection, you aren't just inputting data; you are surfacing the history attached to those assets.

The Takeaway: Don’t view organization and storytelling as separate tasks. Let the process of creating a leafplan guide the narrative you want to capture.

2. The "First Spark" Barrier

Dr. Greenberg highlighted a challenge we know well: the paralysis of perfection. Just as families hesitate to organize their financial data because it feels overwhelming, they hesitate to record their history because they think it needs to be a grand memoir.

The Takeaway: You don't need a finished script. You just need a "first spark"—a photo, a voice note, or a single conversation. Biograph’s model is built to catch these sparks and weave them into a cohesive narrative over time.

3. Operating Instructions for the Next Generation

Josh noted that while estate plans transfer value, they rarely transfer values. Without the context of how the wealth was built and the intent behind it, heirs are often left with resources but no roadmap.

The Takeaway: If leafplanner provides the owner's manual for your assets and the why behind them, Biograph provides the owner's manual through traditional physical media for your family’s identity. Both are required for a successful transition of wealth.

4. The Cost of Waiting

The most poignant part of the discussion was the shared agreement on urgency, lack of action leads to the permanent loss of a loved one’s voice and wisdom.