[00:00:00] Speaker A: Success isn't given, it's earned. And earning it means becoming the person who deserves it. The bottom line is where we cut through the chaos to simplify success, uncovering the strategies, mindset and resilience it takes to win. Real stories, expert insights, and practical tools. Because the only way to the top is by putting in the world. This is the bottom line.
Welcome to the Bottom Line. I'm your host, Brian Herpin. And today I want to start by saying success is not just about getting more. It's about becoming the kind of person who can carry more responsibility without losing what truly matters. And today we are talking about a few topics that I know to both me and my guests are extremely important and truly vital to what we do. And that is purpose, stewardship, integrity, and the choices that shape our legacy. Now, my guest today is Chris Nudo, an attorney, a man of faith, and a leader who helps people think more intentionally about faith, money, leadership and legacy. Now, Chris brings both that legal and spiritual, you know, perspective to the question of how everyday choices become long term consequences. So, Chris, it is my pleasure to have you on the show. I'm glad you're here,
[00:01:17] Speaker B: Ryan. Thank you.
[00:01:18] Speaker A: Now, to bring our audience into this conversation, I kind of want to set the stage here because, you know, achievement can look impressive from the outside while still feeling completely disconnected from purpose. Now, the first question is not only whether you are winning, but whether what you're building is aligned with the person you really want to become. So, Chris, to really kind of kick things off here, I know there's a million things we can really talk about, but I want to dive in deep and get right to the bottom line, as the show would suggest. But you know, when people tell you they want to be successful, what do you think? They're off. They often fail to define first.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: Well, success is a result.
And to get to the result, one first person, one. A person first has to start by analyzing who they are today and where they are trying to go and then understand how that, number one, it's not fully within their control.
While they do need to move their feet and they need, they need to take the steps necessary to plan and execute. Ultimately, it's God that is in control of it all.
And I always like to tell them that if you think there's a shortcut, that's, that's typically the poisonous pill that you're swallowing.
While I'm guilty myself of trying to find the path of least resistance to get to success, I know that the journey is better and the results are Better when you persevere and you put in the hard work.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: You know, I couldn't agree with you more.
From my perspective, you know, having a consulting firm, coaching others, speaking and writing through a course of my career, I've learned one of the things that right off the hop, people are missing is the understanding that what you think your goals are, what your plan is, might not be exactly what God has planned.
So taking the time to really have that conversation with God and to seek that and to follow Jesus into that, then you start realizing, okay, what I thought was going to happen is not really the case. And you start to see the bigger plan and the bigger picture, and it's understanding that your destination may not be the destination, but how can someone tell the difference between that healthy ambition and chasing success that no longer aligns with their deeper values?
[00:03:43] Speaker B: Well, great question. One must first start with a set of values. Correct.
And, you know, if. If your values are high integrity, spending time with family, putting family first, putting your wife first, a certain set of goals, that format the lifestyle that you want to lead, then if you don't stay on par or on the path of those because your success is taking your journey elsewhere, you need to step. Step back and really analyze that and ask yourself, okay, which is wrong? Is the path I set over here originally the right path? Or is God trying to show me an alternative path? And if it is an alternative path, how. How far off of it is from your original goals? If it's very far off, you need to take a real close look at that because you may be being misled.
[00:04:52] Speaker A: That resonates really deeply with me. Earlier in my career as a young man, I took over a large manufacturing company. And in that process, I found myself chasing the next raise, the next accolade, the next achievement. And I was slowly losing my values. And if it wasn't for having a really awesome wife, that made that point very clear and said, hey, you're no longer being the man you vowed to God to be.
So I need you to take a step back and look at really what it is you're chasing.
Is it what God has planned or is it what you have planned? And if it wasn't for that conversation, I would be in a completely different place in life today, and I probably wouldn't have my family anymore. But that resonates with me very, very well, because without those values, you don't really have a guiding force anymore. But, you know, where have you seen small, everyday decisions create much larger consequences over time?
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Yeah. So the question is Perfect, Ryan. So in my life, much like yours were, you know, we're born with this innate need to succeed. We want to be do well. We want to exercise all that God has given to us. And part of that, we start to focus on all the material things that are required to create success and in and of that self. It may sound like a problem, however many times I'm seeking for my law firm and for greater growth, like year after year, setting goals, getting things done, a bigger bottom line for the end of the year, which always means bigger tax problems, but nonetheless, I'm always chasing those kind of things. What I have to do continuously is take a step back and say, all right, Lord, I've set the goals, I've made the plans, but you need to help me understand that I'm walking in your way, that, that I'm giving the credit, the praise where it's due for when the success has come. I don't want to be Moses in the desert striking the rock and taking credit for the water coming out.
I want to be striking the rock and giving God the credit for the success. And so while we should strive for constantly wanting to be better, we have to remember where success comes from.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: I.
Once again, you're dropping golden nuggets of wisdom in this conversation. And you know something that dawned on me over the last few years as I've grown my firm and I've started to change my trajectory. When I first started in consulting, I was separating God and business,
[00:07:41] Speaker B: and
[00:07:41] Speaker A: it was tearing me apart. And I've slowly brought those two things together, realizing, okay, what I'm driving after now is no longer my success, my glory. It is greater opportunity to glorify the great works of God. It is following Jesus into a. Into a place where everything I do is works that glorify God, not works that get me any. Anything great or anything like that. No work for me has already been done, but there's still work for God and growing his kingdom. So now if I have an opportunity to. To be in front of a crowd or be in front of a group of people, it's not for my glory anymore. It's for something much bigger. And I think that also created a big alignment for me, especially in business and in those everyday small decisions that compound. It's no longer, is it about me, it's about God. And when I've changed that perspective, it's also kept me away from some of that desire to, okay, man, it'd be great to be able to buy that boat or to build that company. It takes me away from that a little bit. And it wasn't for that man, I probably would go way too deep into the sauce. But, you know, I am kind of curious because you touched base on this a little bit. You know, how does your background, both as an attorney and a man of faith, shape the way that you think about responsibility and that big scary word, accountability?
[00:09:01] Speaker B: Yeah. So, I mean, at the end of the day, you know, I'm just a man, right? So I'm filled with all my flaws that most men have and in every aspect. And so on one hand, I want to be this great leader. On the other hand, I need to make sure that I have good accountability partners that are double checking me. And guess what happens, Ryan?
It's a ping pong, right? It's a ball that goes up and down.
There's times where the people in my life have to be like, Chris, that's not really the best decision you have to make.
That decision counteracts the man of integrity that you put yourself out there to be.
And other times, you know, God's Holy Spirit resonates in me and says, you know what? Doing the right thing right now is the right thing to do. Does that mean that because I have an accountability system and that I have the Holy Spirit speaking to me, that I make all the right decisions all the time?
Absolutely not. But you know what? Having those checks and balances in my life will help me to guide the path as straight as possible, possible during this lifetime.
[00:10:14] Speaker A: You know, having that community is so important, and it's something I looked over for a long time. I, I, I've come to learn a new, new philosophy. If you want to go fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go with others. And it took a long time of, of stumbling and falling and getting lost in my own desires, of the flesh before I realized, okay, having that community of people around me to keep me in check and to hold me accountable to the things I've committed to is so vital for success.
So now one of my core principles for success, however you want to define, as a spouse, as a, as a parent, as a business person, one of those key factors is the circle you surround yourself with. So accountability is now a power. It's a tool, it's a, it's a, oh my goodness, it's like throwing gas on the fire. You got good accountability.
You're actually, you're shifting the, the reality of doing more to getting more done in any way that you look at it. But, you know, to our Audience, this is only the beginning of a powerful conversation to come. So after the break, we are getting really practical about money stewardship and why financial success can become extremely destructive when responsibility does not grow with it. So stretch out, grab coffee, get popcorn, whatever it is you got to do. We'll be right back with more of the Bottom Line.
Foreign.
Welcome back to the Bottom Line. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like, Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in both English and Spanish. You on the move. You can catch the podcast
[email protected] for business, news, lifestyle, culture and so much more. Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
So now we get to dive right back into an incredible conversation with my guest, Chris Nudo. Now, before the break, we talked about defining success and aligning achievement with values. Now I want to get into money and a very, very important word to me, and that is stewardship, because earning more is only part of really the equation.
So, Chris, it is such a pleasure to have you on the show. Thank you for being here.
[00:12:59] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: Now, to bring the audience into this part of the conversation, I kind of want to set the stage here a little bit because money amplifies options, but it can also amplify poor judgment. And I've learned this the hard way many times. But stewardship is the discipline of deciding what resources are for, not simply how much of them you can accumulate. So to get right back into the value adding conversation here, you know, what does financial stewardship mean to you beyond budgeting or simply saving more money?
[00:13:33] Speaker B: You know, stewardship is a word that requires you to look at every facet of your life because we steward everything, right? We steward relationships, we steward money.
You know, when we're raising our kids, we're being good stewards. And so as it relates to your life, you must look at the totality of it. And you know, as we discussed earlier, I'm a Bible believing Christian man of faith with Jesus at the core. And Jesus didn't want, he used a parable of a man who made lots of money and he realized he had nowhere to put all his money, and it was in the form of grain. And so what did he do? He built bigger storehouses. He just saved more because more meant more. More meant more money. And so in Jesus's parable, unfortunately, that very night that his new grain silos were built, God took him and he died. And so he never Got to enjoy the fruits of his labor. So when we talk about stewardship, I want to talk about things like philanthropy. I want to talk about.
And it doesn't have to be to a charity or a ministry, although giving to those are great if you find one with purpose. I'm a big fan of Tunnels, the Towers, and many others, but that is said you. That said, you can take your money and gift it. And to help people, you know, I don't do this all the time, but when called, you know, there's always somebody on a street corner, especially in the Chicago area where I'm at, who could use an extra $20.
And while I'm not endorsing giving your money to every panhandler on the street, I'm saying that you need to feel the call of the Lord and know that the money is. Should be held with an open hand. You know, if you're clenching your money like this, you're not being a great steward. But if you hold your hand out and let the money just flow over it and let the parts that are yours be yours and the parts that are God's be God's, and let's be honest, it's all his in the end anyway, then you are starting down a path of good stewardship.
[00:15:59] Speaker A: You know, I could not agree with you more. And you put this so elegantly. And something that I've tried to kind of keep in mind and I try to embody at this point in life is I am the owner of nothing. God has allowed me to be a manager of many things, but own, I own none of it. So when it comes to money, I think of it as, okay, God has allowed me to manage this resource. How can I honor him with it? How can I glorify him with it? It's just another opportunity to, you know, have people. The way I see it is money can buy happiness. Sure, anyone that says otherwise, they're shopping in the wrong place. But money cannot buy fulfillment. It cannot buy relationship with God.
Those are things that are found well outside of money and finance. And resource is just meant to be a tool to amplify the work you can do with God's purpose and plan in mind. But, you know, a question that does come to mind here is why do people sometimes become less disciplined as their income or success continues to increase?
[00:17:05] Speaker B: Well, first and foremost, it's because they're taking credit for their own success.
And when you start believing that you're all that you think you are and that you're great and you are successful, and that, you know, you're King Midas with everything you touch turns to gold, then you're going to become less disciplined, you're going to be more cocky is the word that comes to mind. You know, brazen of a personality. And these are all negatives. You know, I think back to Jesus teaching of the three men with the talents, you know, he gave. He gave one man one coin, another man two coins, and another man three coins, all representing different amounts of money. And we know in the parable that the man with three coins invested the money and made six coins out of it. The man who had two coins made four coins out of it. Yet the man who only had one didn't do anything with it. And this applies to our lives. If God gives us a lot, we should be very disciplined in how we steward that. You know, whether it's investing it, whether it's giving it away, whether it's protecting it, you need to do all those things, not just one of them.
And even if you don't have a lot, what you have is probably more than anybody else. If you look at us as a country, we're the most wealthiest country in this world. And so even if you don't feel you have a lot, you have more than the majority. And so what you have, you must steward. Well,
[00:18:45] Speaker A: you know, I love that you use the parable of the talents, because when I was younger, I used to think so, surface level about a lot of things like, oh, okay, you got to multiply your money. Sure. But as I've grown older, the, the, the more I also see this applies to the gifts that God gives us.
[00:18:59] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:19:00] Speaker A: The unique aspects of who we are and, and, and what he's blessed us with.
If we don't utilize those gifts, it's one of those things. It's, it's a saying that's out there, you know, if you don't use it, you'll lose it. Right. I, I really believe that the gifts God gives us, they're intended to be used to multiply, to grow, to gain, and to bring glory to him. And if it's not utilized, it's treated just like the parable of the talons. The one who buries that, that coin or, you know, those talons, and then just returns it back to the, you know, the owner. So, and it scares me in the sense of, okay, am I not utilizing the gifts, the resources and the things God has entrusted to me? Hence stewardship? Right. Try to be a good steward. But how should leaders think about the tension between enjoying what they have earned and, and protecting the future they are responsible for. Because I know this is a bit of a. There's a dichotomy here that I'm still trying to find myself.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: You will always have this struggle, Ryan.
There's going to be the struggle between enjoying yourself with the money that God has given you and then properly stewarding it. But I will tell you that spending and enjoying some of that money is stewardship. Right? Stewardship just isn't the simple act of investing money or giving it away or, you know, stewardship is the big picture. It's the, it's the whole totality of what you do with the gifts that you have. And money, like we've discussed, is just one part of stewardship. My wife and I, we, we enjoy what we have. We, we are not penny pinchers when it comes to living a good lifestyle.
But yet we're not extravagant.
You know, we, we want to make sure that we're saving for the future.
But you will, you will catch me at fine dining restaurants weekly because I don't mind spending a lot of money on a good meal and eating healthy. So all of this is a constant balance. Right. So I can eat in a nice restaurant because of the gifts that God has given me.
I can also save money that the Lord has provided, and then I can also give it away and use it wisely for the kingdom. And if you can balance that, I think you're being a good steward.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: I love the way that you put that because it does take off some of the weight of, okay, is it all about, is it, is it wrong to also enjoy some of the fruits of that labor, of that work, of that process? Right. But you know, I am kind of curious as to the bit of a bigger picture here. Right. Very few of us are alone in this endeavor. You know, what role should spouses and families play in defining, you know, that, that shared financial priority system and long term goals?
[00:21:52] Speaker B: You know, this, that's a very complicated question, but I might just use myself as an example of not getting it exactly right, but doing my best.
My wife and I, we've been married over 30 years. And in that time frame, we have learned the hard way how to steward money. That works for both of us.
And, you know, we learned through the trial and error method and now we're pretty much on our same, on the same page with regard to money. The sooner a husband and wife can be exactly on the same page regarding money, the better they're going to, the better they're going to steward their money. Where I think I didn't do a great job, but I'm doing, I'm trying to make up for it now is with my kids. I, I wish when I was younger, I would have given them other. I would have given them adult opportunities to steward money instead of waiting till they were adults and then trying to teach them, you know. But you know what? My kids are going to turn out great. They already have. They're in their mid to late 20s. And while they probably didn't learn the stewardship skill set as early as some other families would teach, as long as you get to your wife and, or spouse and your children and you make them the priority in what you teach, you'll be doing okay.
[00:23:20] Speaker A: I love that. And, you know, it's something I think about all the time, is how am I going to get my, my children that are quite young at this point to a position, you know, as they're growing to understand what stewardship is. And finance is a great way to kind of introduce that idea. But you know, to our audience, you know, financial strength is not measured only by what you earn. It's also reflected in what you protect, you know, what you resist and what you give and also what your decisions really make possible later. Now, next we will be looking at integrity under pressure. What happens when the right decision is inconvenient, costly, or invisible to everyone else? So don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with the Bottom Line. Foreign welcome back to the Bottom Line Again, I'm your host, Ryan Herpin, and I'm still here in a great conversation with Chris Nudo. Now, we have talked about purpose and stewardship. Now we are getting into the part of leadership that often matters most when nobody is applauding, Right? And that is integrity under pressure.
Now, values are easy to claim when they cost nothing. Character becomes visible when the shortcut is profitable. The pressure is real, and doing the right thing carries a significant price. So, Chris, it is such a pleasure to have you here in this conversation. Thank you for being with us.
[00:24:45] Speaker B: Thank you, Ryan.
[00:24:46] Speaker A: Now to dive right back into this conversation. And this is such a, this is an important topic and a lot of people struggle with, but really kind of doing in the dark what they want to present in the light. But, you know, why do smart, successful people sometimes rationalize decisions they would immediately recognize as wrong in somebody else?
[00:25:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, again, going back to Jesus's teaching, it's, you know, he, Jesus said, why are you looking at the speck in your neighbor's eye when you haven't taken the log out of your own.
We don't judge ourselves the same way as we judge others. And when I say we, I'm including myself. You know, like I started with, I'm just a flawed human man who, by the grace of God, has Jesus as my salvation.
And so we also know from Jesus teaching that the people love the dark.
And, and this is a, this is true, this is true today. It was true back then. It is true for you, Ryan, it's true for me. It's true for everyone that when you're in the dark, you think you can't be seen. And when you can't be seen, your mind allows you to make decisions that compromise truly the decisions that you would make if you were in the light. I always like to use the analogy of would you say it or would you do it? If it was written on the billboard of the expressway that the majority of your family, neighbors and friends drive past every day.
If your decisions in life are okay to be put on that billboard and you're okay with everybody seeing it, great. But we make decisions every day that, you know, we wouldn't be proud of if it went up on that billboard. So we have to constantly be reminding ourselves of every decision. And within every decision, is that decision that one that will withstand the light, or is it one that has to be hidden in the dark? If it's in the dark, that's when you stop, pause, and reconsider your decision.
[00:27:14] Speaker A: You know, I, I, I like how you framed that and, and using that analogy as far as like the, the billboard, you know, where everyone's driving past that you care about or people that are around you, what would they think about these things that you might do that no one else gets to see? And I, I truly think that is the basis of integrity and that is practicing in the dark. What people see in the light just, it's not changing who you are because someone can see it or not. It's, and what's helped me with this, and granted, you know, I'm also not perfect by any means. And I'm still trying to walk in that, that light, in that dust of Jesus. But I, I will say something that's helpful is as I, I believe in a bit in abiding in, in God, right? And the first bit of abiding is awareness, being aware that God is ever present. And when I have this feeling of, okay, you know, I'm not alone, I'm never alone, God is with me at all times.
I'M with the spirit at all times.
What would I be glad or proud to do this in front of God?
Tell you what, that's. That that sets me straight even more than if my family were to see it. Now, I know not everyone really thinks that way or operates that way, but it's something that's always helped me, and I'm still trying to figure that part out, but something that, you know, it was real, especially a lot of my clients and people I'm. I'm working with on a regular basis. You know what helps a leader make a principal decision? When the financial or professional cost is very real.
[00:28:42] Speaker B: That's a difficult place to be. And every leader is put in that predicament where, you know what? I could go this way and it's going to make me look good and I'm going to succeed.
But I know in my heart that the other direction is the right direction to go.
This, Ryan, honestly, is where having a good accountability team comes in. I mean, I'd like to tell you that Chris Nudo is strong enough to make all those decisions correctly on his own every time.
That's just not the case. The reality is there's many times where I'll sit back and I'll say to myself, you know, I'm going to take the path that's best for Chris Nudo, and it may not be the path that's best in the long run or what God's choice would be. And so having a really good accountability team helps redirect me. I've been called to the carpet many times by people in my organization where they're like, chris, yeah, you need to go back to your office and rethink that decision before we do it. And then, of course, like a dog with his tail between his legs, I go back, understand exactly what they're saying to me, and then because of that team, make the right decision.
[00:30:04] Speaker A: You know, I. I've got to bring this up because it's one of those things where I feel like the spirit is kind of compelling me to, to bring up and to talk about here. You know, something that I respect heavily in you, especially in this conversation, is in your profession as an attorney. A lot of people are looking for certain things. And the fact that you're able to be one, vulnerable to the reality that you're not perfect. You make mistakes, you struggle, too. And second, the fact that you're willing to share that with others, that's a whole different kind of relationship with God in faith, because it's easy nowadays, especially As a professional, to present yourself as impenetrable, as fierce, as strong as this fortress. That is unshakable. But the reality is we are all people, and part of God's community is sharing with everybody. You can be strong, you can be faithful, you can be great in the plans of God, yet you still can be imperfect, because perfection is something we'll never achieve. The only way we get perfection is through Christ, plain and simple. Now, to me, that makes my respect for you absolutely enormous because I've met a lot of business people, especially people that are involved in the law, that goodness. There's no way, no way they're not struggling. There's no way they're not suffering. There's no way they're not battling in the dark the things they won't bring to the light. And I think you're a great representation to a lot of men that are struggling to live that outwardly. So thank you for being able to share that. But I am kind of curious. How should someone respond when business pressure conflicts with a commitment they have made to family, friends, personal values, or even to God?
[00:31:53] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a tricky place to be, right? First of all, you don't want to get yourself caught in the crosshairs of a decision that is going to backfire on you. I learned a long time ago that lying is a really bad thing. And, you know, there are different degrees of lying. There are white lies, which you know are intended to hurt nobody, but make you maybe look better in the situation.
And then there's outright manipulation where not telling the truth is, you know, and it's always for some kind of personal gain.
So I want to start by saying that being in the truth in every step that you take will help you make right decisions all the time. And, you know, that means in many instances, when I'm meeting with clients and they're presenting me with a difficult set of facts, I got to stop for a moment and I got to say, listen, your perspective is really good.
I could make up an answer, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to shoot and tell you I don't have no idea what the answer is, but I'm willing to work it out. I'm willing to take your situation and come up with a solution that works well for you and use my expertise to make that happen. But quite honestly, I can't fix your problem at this moment because I don't have the right set of tools. And, you know, most of the time, clients respect that, amazingly. And it comes well, off. Others are like, well, then you're just not my guy. And I have to respect that. I'd be like, yep, I'm not your guy.
So it's. It's making sure you don't put yourself in the position of where bad decisions are made because you're trying to protect who you are.
[00:33:53] Speaker A: You know, I've been in positions where I lying used to be such a natural thing for me before I really started trying to walk with Jesus. And it was a lot of the time I recognized it was not really out of trying to harm anybody. It was always in the effort to try to help somebody. But, you know, I. I was never impervious to making mistakes. Don't get me wrong. But I can agree with you deeply. You know, being honest, even when it could hurt you, is honoring God in a whole nother way. And to me, I find value in that. Now, to our audience, where can they find you? How can they get connected with you, your work, and learn more about this incredible person that you are?
[00:34:32] Speaker B: You know, the Internet is an amazing place, and anybody who just does a search or an AI search or any kind of search on Christopher Nudo. My law firm is Integrity law, and it's integritylaw.com and so.
But. But I just. I live my life out loud, Ryan, which means that the Internet has a ridiculous amount of information out there on me. Just search and you will find.
[00:35:04] Speaker A: I appreciate you sharing that with the audience. And I'm.
I've become more that type of person to live out loud as well, to wear the heart on the sleeve and to be exactly who I am in the dark, also in the light, because it's. I've learned it is much more challenging to try to be somebody you're not, to try to present somebody you're not. There is a freedom that is found in being exactly who God has created you to be. And my goodness, my ability to serve has improved exponentially because I am just me, just who God has called me to be. So living out loud is something I aspire to continue to do. So, you know, to our audience again, you know. Up next is our final segment where we will connect all of this to legacy. You know, what remains after the title, the career and the money, you know, when it's no longer the main story anymore. So don't go anywhere. Once again, stretch out, grab coffee, maybe even grab a pen and a pad, because this part of the conversation you don't want to miss. We'll be right back with more of the bottom line foreign welcome back to the Bottom line. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media tv favorite live or on demand, anytime you like, Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in both English and Spanish. You on the move. Feel free to catch the podcast
[email protected]. from business, news, culture, law and so much more, Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
Now we are back with the last segment of an incredible conversation with my, my guest, Chris Nudo. Now, we've talked about a lot and if you've been with us, we've talked about success, stewardship and integrity. Now in this final segment, I want to focus on legacy. Not as something we plan at the end, but as something our choices are already creating today. Now, if you don't know this, Chris also has a show here on NOW Media tv. Now the show is called your life and Legacy. And I've got to say, it is worth a watch. Now, Chris, thank you for being here on the show. I know this is our last segment and we're just going to keep buzzing through this, but it's such a pleasure to have you with us.
[00:37:27] Speaker B: It's been great, Ryan. Thank you.
[00:37:29] Speaker A: Now to, to bring us into the final part of this conversation. This word, legacy, right? It's not only what you leave behind, it's what you transfer. Habits, values, financial consequences, relationships, opportunities, and a model for how the next generation should live and lead. Now, this word legacy is, it's a really important word to me. And as I've gotten to talk to you, I know legacy is something that is deep within the workings of who you are. So to kind of really hit the ground running here, when you use the word legacy, what do you want people to think about beyond money or estate plan?
[00:38:07] Speaker B: I want, I want, I want people to, to develop legacy. I think we need to take a step back. And here's the lawyer in me, Ryan, is I want to bring a definition first, right?
Legacy has to be developed around who you are. And I'll never forget my, my dad as I was growing up used to tell me, he said, chris, he said, you know, you don't have to be like that guy or you don't have to be like that guy. You need to be you, you need to define who you are and then you need to be that guy.
And you know, the first time he said it, I was like, yeah, yeah, dad. And then, you know, next time we said it, I'm like, I think there's something There, third time, fourth time, fifth time. Each time, he said, resonated greater with me that he was trying to convey something that I needed to figure out on my own. And so many people, whether they be accountants or doctors or attorneys or other professionals, they find themselves defining themselves by their profession. And therein lies the problem.
Legacy is about a person, not a profession. Not what you did, not who you help, but about you.
So now, if you can divine your purpose in life, not about who you are, not about what you do for a living, but rather who you are now, you're starting to develop something that can be left behind that when properly executed upon and defined, will become a lasting legacy. So when you take your last breath, more will continue. Why? Because in who you are, you've impacted people's lives in your stewardship, taking it all the way back to the beginning, Ryan, you've impacted people in the decisions you've made. You've impacted people's lives in so many different ways. When you take your last breath, that is your last breath on this earth. But your lasting legacy is the impact you left into all those other people.
[00:40:19] Speaker A: I. I love that it. You know, once again, you're able to break this down in such an elegant way that's easy to digest and to understand, and, you know, it kind of makes me think about something I'm not necessarily proud of. You know, there was a point in life where my biggest fear was not being remembered. When I'm gone, who will remember me? How many generations will even know my name? And I thought my legacy was the glorification of me.
And I. I read a book called Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. And it taught me that a disciple is someone who follows. Essentially, it is someone who. Their. Their objective, a disciple, is to be with their rabbi, to be like the rabbi, and to do as the rabbi does. And as I read that book, I started to understand my legacy. What I thought it was was just so wrong, really.
I want the impact of God's plan, his purpose, his relationship, and. And the love that is available to all to be remembered long after me. It's not what I do in my career that's really the big thing. It's the person I live as. And the one that I follow, I think is really what sets that legacy. And, man, I feel there's so many people that are missing what legacy really is.
And. And it's something that I'm still trying to figure out myself. But I love that you frame it as it's. It's who you are. It's how you behave.
And for me, part of that legacy is I want my children to see a life. Pursuing Jesus and serving others is not just something that makes you happy. It's something that leaves you fulfilled and leaves a legacy much greater than you'll ever be. But, you know, talking about the parenting side of things, you know, this is a. More of a potentially even a touchy topic for a lot of parents. But what are parents and leaders unintentionally teaching the next generation through the way they handle money, conflict, and responsibility?
[00:42:20] Speaker B: So let's, let's take that question and piggyback it on what you took away from the book that you're reading and talk about the fact that people always ask, when you die, will they. What will they say about you, Ryan? Will they say, oh, he was a man of God, or are they going to say, man, he was a heck of a consultant? Or are they going to say, he was the best dad ever or the best husband ever?
What is going to be that lasting mark, Ryan, that when you take your last breath, they're going to say about you?
And, you know, what you should be saying to yourself is, well, I hope they say all those things, right? And.
But the reality is you need to break it down into pieces. So step one, if you're going to be a man of God, then it shouldn't be a compartment. It shouldn't be a, okay, father, husband, man of God. No, no, no. Man of God is over the top of everything that you do. So when you're a husband, you're a husband that leads through biblical teaching. When you are a, a father, when you, you do the same. And you kind of get the point here. Now, when you pass away, your legacy is going to be defined by. You're a man of God who was good at being a consultant, being a father, being a husband. And you'll have impacted all these people in that way that they will say to themselves, that's who I want to be when I die.
[00:44:10] Speaker A: You know, you touched base on a, on a message that I've, I've developed over the last year or so. And, and I've come to understand that we are called to be like the moon. And, and when I think about this, and I break this down, the moon casts light when it's darkest. Now, the light the moon cast is not its own. It's a reflection of the light from the sun. We're called to be like the moon. We're called to reflect the light of God in the ways that we know how in the best ways possible.
And I want people to remember me as someone who did that. It was able to do that, and was also a good father, a good husband, a good leader, but a man of faith. I want that to be the first thing people see. Wow, he made me think of Jesus more. He made me want to follow more, whatever that may look like. And, you know, it's not an easy thing to do. It's certainly not always easy to talk about for a lot of people either. But, you know, how can people begin to really align their current position in life, financially, professionally, with the legacy they might now be understanding? Because I know it's not always easy to say, oh, man, I've been doing this wrong, or I'm going the wrong direction. How can people begin to align those two things?
[00:45:29] Speaker B: Well, they need to step back and they need to look at who are they impacting in their life. So many of us focus on ourselves, right?
We are the easiest people to focus on. Like, I can look in the mirror and be like, I like that guy. And.
And it's easy to like the guy in the mirror.
The problem is that that shouldn't be our focus. Our focus should be on the people God has entrusted us with. In my case, I'm entrusted with a wife of over 30 years. I'm entrusted with two kids, two boys that are young adults. I'm entrusted with a staff of 10 people in my office.
And that's just that that doesn't include the hundreds, thousands of clients that I serve. And so every one of these people God has entrusted me with and I have of the 168 hours in every work week, I must take the waking moments of my day and focus my attention on them.
And, and, you know, using the best of who I am in them, will reflect back on me as a good steward and good Stewart and all of that. Ryan will build a lasting legacy.
[00:46:51] Speaker A: I love that. You know, it's funny, this has almost been a master class that I've got to take front, you know, front row seat in to understanding, you know, success from a different light, you know, leadership legacy. And there's a lot of value in this conversation that I might not be showing on the surface here, but I deeply appreciate. And once again, you know, where can the audience find you if they want to learn more about you and what it is you do?
[00:47:14] Speaker B: Yeah, just go to the Internet, put in Christopher Nudo.
I'm in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. And they will learn about me. They can go to our website, Integrity Law, and again, there's videos out there about me. I'm I'm an open book, Ryan.
[00:47:35] Speaker A: I love it. So, once again, thank you for joining us on the Bottom Line. It's been an absolute pleasure.
And honestly, it helps kind of remind us that success is not just something we accumulate, it is something we have to really carry responsibly. And to our viewers, the bottom line is that success without alignment can become another form of chaos.
Build with purpose, steward what you earn, protect your integrity, and remember that the choices you make today are already becoming somebody else's inheritance. Again, I'm Ryan Herpin, and this has been the Bottom.
