Maybe "Help my friends/interesting people" is less meta phrasing. But I suppose it's also a little more vague, since it could include helping them bake cookies or less story oriented things. Then again, I would totally help another party member bake some cookies.I think this is more meta? I know it is a fuzzy line, and I'm not going to say it isn't a good answer, but is "advancing the story" something specific that the PCs do in the world?
When the barbarian that slaughters your foes wants to bake some cookies, you bake some cookies!