In our experience, talking about legacy is often subtly discouraged by society and we find this to be deeply unfortunate. Thinking about the legacy you would like to build can help you better align your work, life, time – your sweat and tears – with your values. Below, we’ve tried to create a space for folks to start conversations about they legacies they are hoping to build.

Lauren Panoff

I hope that I’ll be remembered for always being intentional with my authenticity. Particularly after becoming a mom, it became a priority for me to truly find myself and become completely comfortable with who I am. I think that’s the only way we can live a fulfilled life. Ultimately, I want to empower others to do the same, especially my kids. After all, we’re all human, we’re all flawed, and most importantly, we all have a story that can help someone else. Read more>>

Megan Barnes

As a business owner who is still in the first few years post-launch, it’s hard to think about “legacy.” When you are still in the brick-by-brick phase, trying to envision the bigger vision is a bit challenging. However, on the days when I am just getting through until the next, or the days when the workload feels insurmountable, the thing that gets me through is the joy from writers who know that their work is being handled with care. That someone out there (me) is putting blood, sweat, and tears into making their work the best it can be. I want the writers I work with to feel empowered. To feel like their work matters. To feel like they can accomplish everything they’ve imagined for their writing and for themselves. Read more>>

Aaron Schofield

I’d first have to say that in your life you should try not to worry about what others have to say about you. Even after you’re gone. It’s the memories that people have of you that matter the most. Because those moments actually happened, They’re not fabricated or embellished they’re real and hopefully bring a smile to that person face. That being said I do what I can to create awesome moments for anyone I come into contact with. Whether you’re my best friend or a stranger at a grocery store, if I can make you laugh or help you pick something up I kinda love to do it. I think that’s ultimately why I landed on the hospitality business for my career. Read more>>

Paige Jack

A crucial lesson I’ve absorbed is the art of intentionality. Whether curating an event or embarking on a new project, I ask myself: What’s the deeper purpose behind my actions? This intention guides every step, ensuring that my work resonates beyond the surface. As I contemplate the mark I want to leave, I hope to be remembered as someone who embraced intention, empowered others, and celebrated the diverse forms of creativity that enrich our lives. When I am no longer here, I want the creative community to know that my legacy is one of purposeful artistry – a legacy that encourages others to infuse intention into their endeavors, uplifting fellow artists, and crafting a tapestry of creativity that endures. I hope they remember that at the bare minimum, I did my best and gave it my all, every time. Read more>>

Caroline Fraska

Legacy wasn’t something I’d put much thought into until recently losing my mom. Now it’s something I think about probably more than most 30 year olds because of that experience. While capturing hundreds of thousands of photos over the past ten years, I hope the face behind the camera is associated in some small way with those memories. Knowing I was able to freeze so many major life events, emotions, moments, and sometimes the last photos my clients have together with their loved ones is the core of the legacy I want to leave behind. I want to be remembered as someone who was always there. Through life’s high and lows, peaks and valleys, whether near or far I hope to always be someone who could be counted on. Who made people laugh, feel special, seen and appreciated. Read more>>

Sofia Santoro

I would hope that my legacy be centered around how I have made people feel and the impact I have made in their lives. Being a beauty business owner and an eyebrow artist, what I value the most is the way I make my clients feel after their appointment. Nothing beats seeing their eyes light up when I hand over the mirror and they get to see the final result. However, even more than that, I love being able to connect with my clients during their appointment on a deeper level. The conversations we have inside the studio are what makes what I do worth it. I know the impact my clients have made on my life; I can only hope that one day when I may no longer be walking this earth, that people, but especially my clients, remember the impact that I may have had on them. Read more>>

Julie Jones

I recently attended a training where I was asked to write my eulogy. I feel this is what I wish to leave as my legacy: The legacy of Julie Jones is woven with threads of love, hope, and inspiration. To encompass her essence in a single word, “kind” emerges as the resounding echo of her journey. Julie radiated an unparalleled zest for life, embracing every moment with unbridled passion and an unwavering commitment to living authentically on her own terms. Read more>>

April Pelton

For me, leaving a legacy means that I did enough of God’s good work that it changed at least one life. I want to be remembered as a woman who feared the Lord and positively impacted others. Every day, I am working at becoming a more God-honoring young lady and a successful person. I want to leave this earth knowing I helped change someone’s life, circumstance, heart, and more! Whether just giving someone food who needs it or making another smile, I want to leave a beautiful mark. I want my impact to continue, even when I am gone. I don’t want to be the last one doing what I do; I want others to continue and exceed. So, the legacy I want honors and lives beyond me. Read more>>

Jenna Hoekstra

Women deserve to feel beautiful and loved in their own skin. The age of flawless beauty and perfect body image was rampant when I was a teenager. Everything in the media told us that we needed to be this or that to achieve “beautiful”. It gave girls my age a very skewed view of what we were “supposed” to look like and created unrealistic ideals to strive for when it came to beauty and body image. It was always about living up to what someone else said was perfect, what someone else said was the goal. Read more>>

Yadira Mccoy

Soy + is a educational program for all those Hispanic people who feel unmotivated, insecure and disoriented in the way of communicating with others. People who want to show their gifts and talents but cannot do so effectively and assertively. Our legacy will be to help them to regain the security and confidence to expose them and sell themselves in a job market with high demands. Hopefully Soy + will be remembered for doing an excellent job educating Hispanic people and creating a big positive impact in our community. Read more>>

Ariana Zahedi

I want to evoke a blend of joy and serenity in those who discover my work. When I edit photos, I tend to reflect back to other hybrid photographers who captured the essence of film and nostalgia so well with digital, as if to bring light back into the days of film. Film was an era of truer art than today, one that creatives put more time and effort into when bringing their visions to life (or sometimes, just for fun and memory making). I aspire for others to view my work and be taken to the same state of peace where we are reminded of the simpler times we had in life – with more human connection and focus on our emotions. I hope, as a photographer, I am remembered for this. Read more>>

JodiAnn

I know what it’s like to have self doubt. I know what it’s like to believe everyone else has the answers. I know what it’s like to feel like I’ve fallen short, like I’ve missed something. My life’s journey has lead me to the truth about being this way. The truth is that your personal truth comes from your alignment with your Inner Self, not from others. When you spend time with yourself, get to know your dreams and your truths and trust your gut feelings then you can see (or feel) your true path. And when you follow it without thinking you have to fit in or have someone else’s approval then you are empowered to live the amazing life you were meant to live! Facilitating people to feel empowerment, trust in their own intuition, be kind to every living thing, living life with joy; these are what I hope you think of when you think of me! I know you are an amazing being and I want you to know it, too! Read more>>

Gary Lipsky

I live by the credo to leave the world a better place because of my actions. It’s not about how much money I’ve made or have left behind but the difference I’ve made in people’s lives. My last business we worked with 9,000 underserved youth on a daily basis throughout Southern California. We created incredibly impactful after school, outdoor education and leadership development programs. I built up an amazing team that quite frankly didn’t need me anymore when I sold that business at the end of 2016. I got into real estate full-time and improve communities and the lives of our investors by investing in workforce housing. Developers build new A class properties that charge a premium but the backbone of America can’t afford that. Read more>>

Zsa-Zsa Rosado

A legacy I want to build and be remembered as after I am gone is that I live by the concept of ” Not Given, Earned.” After I am gone, many people will remember me by being that person who creates a lasting impact through hard work, determination, and authentic contributions. Many will remember me as someone who embraces challenges as opportunities to grow and committing to my values. I consistently put in effort no matter the obstacles that come my path or seek unearned advantages, I will create that legacy that will inspire others and build that community of hard earned workers who stand on the power of personal growth and genuine achievements. Read more>>

Lydia Leclair

My hope is twofold– to leave behind beauty in the world with stunning photographs, and to continue to spread love and joy to families through family portraits. When I photograph a family portrait session I focus on capturing the love and connection between family members, as well as the individual personalities of each person. The dream in my mind is that these prints and albums will be passed down through the generations. While I have photographs from my childhood, there were not a lot of family photos, and of course my parents were left out of most of them since they were the ones behind the camera. I think it’s really special to document your family every year, and to be able to SEE everyone.  Read more>>

Sung Yoo

Living with Purposeful Design: Insights from Sung Yoo’s Approach Sung Yoo, a first-generation Korean-American, ignited a wave of inspiration by sharing actionable insights on intentional living. Through her dynamic lifestyle series and channel, she popularized a unique form of essentialism infused with eclectic style and the art of mindfulness. Read more>>

Gabriel Nagel

I’d like to be remembered as someone who put their best into everything that they did, with a sense of creativity and passion. Although I understand that my impact on climate change may ultimately be minor compared to the billions of people living on earth, I hope that I can positively impact the people and planet around me. Through finding the intersections of entrepreneurship and climate action, I’m advancing this goal. Read more>>

Sagdrina Brown Jalal

When I think of my legacy, I think of my mother (Ma’dear), grandmothers (Ma Meena and Lula Belle), and dear friends who have ascended to the ancestral realm. I think of my father, Sage Brown, a decorated Vietnam veteran who was hand-picked by civil rights leaders to desegregate Chatham County Public Schools. He went on to become one of the most respected and influential civil rights attorneys in the South. I also think of current freedom fighters, both those that I have the privilege of working alongside and those whom I admire from a distance. These people are forces who have served me, shaped my thinking, and co-authored my steps. Read more>>

Celeste Moore

I want be remembered as a hardworking artist who tries to bring the conversation of being black and working in such a privileged industry to light. Being a photographer and making connections is already hard enough as is, but being black and a woman who tries to bring out topics that make you really dig deeper into our culture is what I strive to do for my work. Read more>>

Reco Wright Jr

First and foremost everything I do is for my children to live off and be proud of. I’ve always said my life is over my children’s time is now, not in a morbid way but when I say that I mean it as everything I do is not just for me but for my children’s future. I’ve had my fun, been to many places across the globe, and experienced many things but I want my children to never go without. Secondly, I would like to leave a legacy of improving others careers who are trying to make it in the film industry. Unfortunately, this industry is majority about who you know not so much what you can do. I’ve run across numerous talented individuals who possess breakthrough talent with no chance to express their talents. I want to help end that and give those a shot in this industry. Read more>>