Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Gardner.
Hi Chris, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
How Chris Gardner Is Redefining What It Means to Be Wealthy
By any measure, Chris has lived an uncommon life.
He spent his early years in the highlands of Peru, surrounded by missionaries, mountain air, and a deep sense that life was about something bigger than himself. “Growing up overseas changes how you see the world,” he says. “You learn early that people matter more than possessions.”
That truth still shapes everything he does today as a wealth manager with Arkos Global Advisors, where Chris works exclusively with business owners who want more than financial success—they want their success to mean something.
The Advisor Who Brings It All Together
Ask any of his clients and you’ll hear a familiar story: Chris is the one who sees the big picture when no one else can. He’s the advisor who connects attorneys, accountants, and buyers, coordinating complex business sales or transitions so owners can capture not just value, but vision.
And he doesn’t charge a dime for that coordination.
“That’s the part I love most,” he says. “Because that’s where strategy meets purpose. You’re not just structuring a deal, you’re shaping a future.”
Many of his clients come to him at pivotal moments. They’re selling a business, facing a liquidity event, or finally ready to translate decades of hard work into freedom, family time, and generosity. Chris helps them do all three with precision and peace of mind.
A Calling Shaped by Family
His story took a defining turn when his son was born with a cleft lip and palate. Chris and his wife, Andria, made the decision to move back to the United States from Peru so their son could receive the specialized care he needed. “I’ll never forget the gratitude I felt for the expertise of those doctors,” he says. “It reminded me how powerful it is when people use their gifts to change someone else’s life.”
That experience reshaped his mission: to use his own expertise in wealth and business strategy to help families build lives of meaning, impact, and joy.
Today, nearly 30 years into marriage with Andria, the love of his life, and raising four children, Chris sees legacy not as something distant or abstract, but as something lived every day.
“Legacy isn’t what happens after you’re gone,” he says. “It’s what you’re living right now, how you lead, how you give, how you love.”
Building Wealth That Outlives You
At Arkos Global Advisors, Chris focuses on more than investments. He helps business owners design lives that integrate their financial goals, family priorities, and faith. His work often bridges the practical and the personal, aligning portfolios with purpose and generosity with growth.
He limits his practice intentionally, working with a select group of clients to ensure that each relationship is deep, strategic, and personal. Over time, many of those relationships evolve into lifelong friendships.
“We laugh together. We pray together. We celebrate wins together,” he says. “That’s the best part of what I do.”
For Chris, wealth is simply a tool, a means to build something lasting. “I don’t just help clients grow their assets,” he says. “I help them grow their legacy.”
That philosophy has carried far beyond the office. Chris was invited to deliver a TEDx Talk in Swansea, Wales, titled “The Myth of Scarcity.” In it, he explored how generosity changes the way we see success and how abundance begins with gratitude. The talk has since been viewed by more than one million people worldwide.
He’s also the author of Check What You Are Chasing: How the Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Self Will Never Fulfill, a book that challenges readers to redefine success through the lens of meaning and faith.
Chris’s journey from the mission fields of Peru to the boardrooms of business owners across America has been shaped by faith, family, and a calling to make every resource count for the good of others and the glory of God.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Before moving back to the United States, Chris was thriving on the mission field, helping launch and lead ministries that were transforming communities. But at 36, life took a turn. When his son was born with a cleft lip and palate, he and his wife, Andria, made the difficult decision to leave everything behind so their son could get the medical care he needed.
“We owned nothing in the States,” Chris recalls. “We didn’t have resources, and we didn’t have a network to lean on. We were starting completely over.”
Building a new life, career, and community from scratch wasn’t easy, but it became one of the greatest lessons of his life. “You can spend all your time talking about how hard something is,” he says, “or you can focus on the opportunity in front of you. We chose the latter.”
That perspective, rooted in gratitude, perseverance, and faith, has shaped everything Chris does today. Instead of being defined by obstacles, he sees them as invitations to grow, to serve, and to trust that every challenge carries the seed of something greater.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Arkos Global Advisors?
At Arkos Global Advisors, we help business owners connect their money with their mission. We believe wealth has a purpose, one that goes far beyond numbers on a balance sheet. Our team helps clients grow, protect, and give from a position of clarity and conviction.
What sets us apart is how personally we serve. Chris only works with a select number of business owners so that each one receives the time, attention, and strategic depth they deserve. He becomes their trusted partner, often the one who helps bring together all the moving parts when they’re preparing to buy, sell, or transition a business. From coordinating attorneys and accountants to designing structures that maximize impact and generosity, Chris helps clients make decisions that last long after the deal is done.
Arkos doesn’t see wealth management as a product, it’s a relationship. That’s why Chris often says, “We don’t just help people manage their money; we help them manage what matters most.”
What makes him proudest isn’t the portfolios or transactions, it’s seeing clients find peace, purpose, and joy in what they’ve built. “When a business owner realizes they can use their success to create lasting impact for their family and community,” Chris says, “that’s when the work feels eternal.”
For anyone reading who owns a business, Chris’s message is simple: You don’t have to choose between success and significance. You can live your legacy now.
What makes you happy?
For Chris, happiness is rooted in gratitude and relationships. “My family brings me the greatest joy,” he says. “Andria and I have been married nearly 30 years, and our four kids are a daily reminder of what really matters.” Faith also plays a central role in his life. Chris is deeply involved in his church, where he finds purpose in serving and encouraging others.
He lights up when he talks about helping entrepreneurs gain clarity, especially when they finally see how their success can serve something greater than themselves. “Watching others succeed and find peace in the process, that’s the best part of what I do.”
Outside of work, Chris is a lifelong learner who loves to read, reflect, and play guitar. “Music has always been a way for me to slow down, think, and worship,” he says. “It keeps me grounded and reminds me to enjoy the simple moments.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.arkosglobal.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisandandria
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4chrisgardner
