The Chesney Family Business
FOR OVER 50 YEARS, the Chesney family has helped entrepreneurial families become their own bankers
Jim Chesney first launched in the Chicago area in 1975. His son, Jake Chesney, expanded it nationally and resides in the Atlanta area. Grandson Matthew lives and operates the business with his wife in the Spokane/CDA region of the Pacific Northwest.
The Nelson Nash Connection
How Infinite Banking Got Started
An Excerpt From Jake's Book, Who Is The Banker of Your Life?
I met Nelson Nash in 1995 when I was 24 years old (he was in his mid-60's) just before he wrote his classic book...Becoming Your Own Banker. A friend of mine was helping me out by giving me referrals to help get my new life insurance business started. I was told Mr. Nash 'liked life insurance' and so I figured I'd call on him to see if I might be able to sell him some! Nelson invited me to his living room where I first met his wife Mary and he told me all about his family and his life.
Being young & naive, I was a little disappointed to find out that he was not a prospective client because he had been in the profession for decades. He was retiring and moving into his next calling which included writing a book. I had no idea of the profound effect he was about to have on my life and on my budding profession!
He invited my wife, Betsy, and I to join 18 others in a 10-week series of 'think tank' sessions where we could learn about the amazing benefits of permanent, dividend-paying life insurance. Nelson wanted to use all 20 of us for feedback as we were the initial 'pilot group' leading to the printing of his book and the thousands of seminars that have taken place internationally since then on the Infinite Banking Concept™.
Nelson Nash shortly before his passing gives some words of wisdom to my son Peter
Curious About Infinite Banking?
Entrepreneurship Training
The Second Family Business
My first career began by working with friends from Wheaton College at Southwestern Advantage selling educational materials door to door. Although it can be highly profitable for students in the summer, for over 150 years, Southwestern has functioned as a personal development program more than a job or business internship, focusing on building the skills and character young people need to be successful in life.
I worked with Southwestern for 7 years in college and beyond as it developed into a calling to invest in the development of young adults. In 2000, I left Southwestern and launched my Infinite Banking practice full time. Then, in 2017, I made the decision to continue as an IBC practitioner yet return to a calling with Southwestern Advantage to mentor young adults again.
Southwestern Advantage has been in business for over 160 years, making it the oldest internship in America. It is not an easy program; in fact, it is often advertised as being the hardest. Students face difficulties and rejection every day of selling, but learn to persist, to overcome, and to succeed. Yet we have a lot of fun along the way.
All three of my children have gotten in on the action, investing multiple summers each in becoming the person God created them to be by allowing this program to shape their character and develop their skills. I'm a very proud dad!
