When we go on short trips we often know exactly what we expect at the end, but when it comes to our lives and careers we’ve seen far too often we shy away from really thinking through where we expect to be at the end and what we hope our legacy will be. So, we wanted to encourage conversations on the topic of legacy and you’ll find highlights from our conversation from some wonderful members of the business and creative community below.

Savannah Halboth

I have been thinking about legacy a lot lately, I recently read a friend’s father’s obituary and was incredibly impressed by his life and in turn the incredible legacy he left behind. That got me thinking about what my obituary would say (a bit morbid I know) but what would the highlights of my life be? What would I want people to remember about me and my accomplishments in life. I hope my legacy involves helping small businesses with their marketing and detail presence, I hope my legacy involves helping animals especially dogs find homes and fight cancer. Read more>>

Melanie Schwieterman

I hope to leave a legacy of warmth and inclusivity. I pride myself in the creation of experiences and environments that feel friendly, intentional, and accessible for everyone. I want my time on Earth spent (mostly) living in alignment with my core values, and I want to acquire experiences that cause me to grow and expand. I dream of travel, taking risks, saying ‘yes’, saying ‘no’, loving others well, asking big and hard questions, and then admitting when I’m wrong. Read more>>

Tommy Trautwein

When I started recording and producing music in Athens, GA, I immediately realized how special this town was. The amount of talented and kind musicians in Athens was always so exciting, and I was and still am grateful to be helping them create their music. I started We Bought a Zoo Records as a way to have a ‘collective’ of sorts for my friends in town that we’re recording with me or in my home studio. Read more>>

Mae Renee

One’s legacy is how the people of the world will remember how you made them feel. It is how the world remembers one’s name. I pray that my legacy is one of greatness, kindness, love, resilience, passion, empathy, and so much more. Read more>>

Tara Clark

When I hear the word “legacy”, it makes me think of what I’m leaving behind after-death or what a 95 year old me would say, reflecting on life. But I like to think of my legacy is something I’m a partner with each day. As I see it, my legacy is twofold: one in my son and two in my business. For my son, each day he grows more mature, more independent, and learns to be a kind human being. So when he grows up and I am 95 years old I can look back and be proud of the decisions that we made that helped him become the man he will be. Read more>>

Kenny Nguyen

In regards to work, I’ve always been the type of person to let my work speak for itself so I hope part of my legacy is that. I have a very strong work ethic so I take pride in everything I do. That being said, a large part of why I love my jobs is also the people. I hope that I’ve had a lasting positive effect in some way, shape, or form, with the people I’ve worked with. In life, the same goes. I used to think that having a family of my own was my ultimate legacy, but that has since changed as I’ve gotten older. Read more>>

Wade Bradford

As the owner of this business for the past 22 years, I have seen quite a bit of change in how this business operates. As the third generation owner in this business, I have always taken pride in educating myself on products and how they are used. Like I have always told everybody, you never stop learning. Although it feels good to be recognized, if I was to say what I wish my legacy would be when I am gone, I guess it would be great to be known as a man who took pride in his workmanship and had integrity in how he ran his business. Read more>>

Ryan Cagle

When I decided I wanted to have a natural birth I did so simply based on the fact that I didn’t want an epidural. I had no knowledge about how much better natural birth can be for everyone involved, I just knew I didn’t want a shot. Thankfully I had a cousin who had had a home birth who I could reach out to for guidance. Having a natural birth changed my life, I fell in love with birth, the whole pregnancy and birth process, and wanted to share it with the world. We know birth through what we see modeled for us. Read more>>

Mindy King

My business started accidently. After trying a number of other avenues to work through both PTSD and a loss of purpose after my medical retirement from the military, I started making hand stitched ornaments to represent the places I had been. After sharing a picture, a number of people reached out requesting to order their own set. I found that the repetitiveness of the stitching was a great help to my overarching anxiety. Read more>>

Amritha Joseph

I hope to instill in people a sense of belonging. I hope that the people who I reach through my writing feel seen, heard, connected, and hopeful. I learned at a young age how powerful the written word can be. When I was seven years old, I visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Walking through the Secret Annex where Anne and her family spent more than two years in hiding and reading the words of such a young girl whose entire race was being persecuted, inspired me to become a writer. Read more>>

Tammy Johnson

I hope that my legacy will be that I was an advocate for the members of my community who did not have a voice. My belief that giving individuals the access to education and teaching them how to advocate for themselves in turn led to a community of empowered individuals. Read more>>

David Muse

I want my legacy to be an example of perseverance. An illustration of someone that was fiercely determined, and never gave up on my dreams, no matter the odds. Yes, there were occasions when the road became dark, and the tasks seemed impossible. Although my belief that God had placed me on the track that He thought was best for me allowed me to keep the faith, and continue to press on! Read more>>

Dr. LaTarsha Holden

I hope my legacy will be one of inspiration and hope. A legacy that empowers others to dream of the impossible dream and to believe that if they keep going the sun will come out tomorrow. Read more>>

Raven Blair

I hope my legacy will inspire someone to believe they can achieve their goals. I face a lot of adversities learning about this business so those coming after me won’t have to. I hope the legacy of my company leaves a everlasting memories & a major change in the beauty industry. Read more>>

Tyoderick Justice

If I get to the end of my life and realize that I played it safe because I was too afraid to fail, I would be mad at myself because that’s not the type of person I am. The only way we know if life has a chance of moving in a certain direction is if we are daring enough to take the risk. I know I won’t regret taking risks. Read more>>

Zaneta Johns

My business is Zan Expressions LLC, which encompasses my poetry collections, collaborative books, and quotes. I am a truth-telling vessel of grace and light. My legacy will be a revered literary footprint, along with my kind ambitious children and grandchildren. My hope is best described by this excerpt from “My Last Prayer,” a poem from my most recent poetry collection, After the Rainbow: Golden Poems: Read more>>