What’s Your Legacy?

The word legacy can make people uncomfortable. Many people don’t want to talk about their legacy because they think it means they have to talk about life after death.

When I talk about legacy, I’m not talking about death.

Legacy is about what you’re creating today that will live on for years to come. The body of your work and the impact it has on others.

The work you’re doing as a coach or consultant- that’s legacy work; it’s creating a ripple effect that you might not even realize.

Let’s dive into this a bit further with a story.

I was working with a client when…

This woman kept walking back and forth, looking at us. When I was wrapping things up to leave, she came over and said, “are you, Shannon Hernandez? Do you know who I am?”

Taken a bit back, I said- “Yes, I am — but I’m sorry, I don’t remember who you are.”

Turns out, this woman was a past client of mine from 10 years ago! I had written website copy for her website in the wedding planning industry.

She told me how she made some slight tweaks to it over the years, but for the most part, all the copy has stayed the same. The words speak so clearly to her audience that even after 10 years, it still connects with the audience and brings her clients!

This is what I mean by legacy work.

Something that I hadn’t thought about in years is still impacting lives.

Visitors who land on her website feel moved to talk with her, and the ripple effect begins. Not only is the client’s life impacted by having the wedding of her dreams, but her family and friends’ lives are impacted as well by a beautiful wedding that will lead to long-lasting memories.

Do you see how this ripple effect works?

This is what I mean by legacy work, the long-lasting impact your work today has for years to come and touches many lives.

What a beautiful thing to do — creating something that lives far beyond what we know.

The ripple effect is a concept developed by the philosopher and inventor Buckminster Fuller.

He said that any action we take creates a series of reactions in response to it, like ripples on a pond.

When you donate money to charity, for example, your donation may help someone get food or housing — and their life improves as they begin to work their way out of poverty.

The next month when that person gets paid for their job and goes shopping for groceries again, they might spend half of what they earn on new clothes for their child — and now that child has food at home because mom got more hours at work this week.

So all those actions led directly back to your initial action: donating money!

The ripple effect is an amazing way to look at how our actions can create positive change in our communities — and beyond! It shows us how small acts have the power to impact lives across time and space (or even across countries).

The work you’re doing as a coach or consultant- that’s legacy work!

The people you leave behind in better spaces than when they first came to see you, that’s the impact your work has for years to come.

You’re helping people become better versions of themselves. When they do that, they also help their family, friends, and communities.

Often my client will say, “I feel so much better since I started working with you.”

That’s what is left behind — that feeling of being more confident and energized from working with someone who truly cares about their well-being.

Your coaching, and your work, leave a ripple effect!

Small changes in one place can create big changes elsewhere. You may have heard of this in the context of water. A pebble dropped into a still pond will cause ripples that spread outwards until they reach the edge of the pond.

In coaching, we can see how this works by looking at our clients’ lives as a whole system. If we make a small change in one area of their life (such as helping them set a goal), then this may have an impact on other areas (such as their relationships).

This is just one example of how your work today makes a long-lasting impact on your client’s life for years to come.

As you go about your work, think about the legacy your work is already leaving behind.

The ripples of your actions will continue to grow over time.

As you go about life, think about the legacy of those actions and how they will affect others for years to come!

If you’re a CEO coach/consultant who is ready to create a legacy, grow a world-class brand, and lead consciously and sustainably, we created The Joyful CEO™ Program with you in mind.

You’ll be in good company — with some of the smartest and most heart-centered coaches in our community.

If this sounds like you and you’re ready to make a greater impact, get more out of your business, and have fun along the way — I welcome you to check out the program and apply to be a part of it today!