Episode Summary:
We often think of legacy as something people talk about after we're gone, like it’s only visible in the rearview mirror. But what if your legacy isn’t about the grand finale? What if it’s being shaped every single day by how you show up, how you treat people, and the values you live out?
In this episode, I’m talking about the real impact you’re making as a solo entrepreneur whether you realize it or not. Inspired by a recent episode of Content with Character by Emily Aborn, I reflect on what legacy actually means, how we’re building it in the small moments, and why it doesn’t have to be perfect to matter.
Your legacy isn't just about what you’ll leave behind. It’s about what you’re doing while you’re here.
What I hope you take away from today's episode...
- Why legacy isn’t a “later” thing it’s happening now
- What small moments have to do with your long-term impact
- A simple mindset shift to live more intentionally (without the pressure)
- A quick reflection exercise to help you live your values this week.
Links to the cool stuff mentioned in this episode...
What's Your Brand Imprint: https://emilyaborn.com/brand-legacy/
Content with Character Podcast: https://emilyaborn.com/content-creationpodcast/ (know known as The Small Business Casual Podcast)
Links to connect with me...
Book a Consult HERE! (https://caffeinecreative.io/consult/)
Email me HERE! theperfectblendcaffeinecreative.io
Find me on Substack!
Detailed Show Notes
(automatically transcribed using AI Technology)
A little bit about me
Hello and welcome to The Solo Grind. I am so excited to have you here with me today. If this is your first time joining me welcome. I’m so excited you’re here. If you come back each and every week to join me for the conversation, welcome back. I love that you are here, and I love the conversations that come out of this episode, whether they are with me or if they inspire conversations with others.
Today, as I said, we are talking about legacy and what it means to me and to others. And honestly, we’re probably going to go a little bit deep into my thoughts, but I promise not to take you too deep into the weeds of my thinking because I think that could be a scary place. Hopefully, I’ll share some little nuggets of wisdom that came out of my own deep thoughts.
Before we dive in, I want to say that today I am dedicating this episode to each and every one of the solo entrepreneurs out there who are wondering if what they do really matters. If what you are doing makes a difference. Spoiler alert, my friends: it does. It absolutely makes a difference. You don’t need to have a 10-year plan, a viral post, or a brand legacy to make an impact on the world. You just need to show up and be your regular amazing old self each and every day. And that, in my opinion, is legacy.
This episode was inspired by another podcast I was listening to a few weeks ago. Those of you who've been here with me for a while, you know my good friend Emily Aborn, host of Content with Character. I listen to her podcast each and every week, highly recommend that anyone in business listen to it as well. Her episode, “Your Brand’s Imprint: Defining and Living Your Distinct Difference,” really, really got me thinking.
I’ll include a link directly to her episode in the show notes below so you can listen to it for yourself. But I do want to share how this episode really inspired today’s conversation.
As I said last week, if you tuned in, you know I love a good conversation. I don’t necessarily need to have a person there present with me either. That conversation could be with a podcast that’s challenging my thoughts or getting me to think about things in a new way. And that’s exactly what Emily’s episode did for me.
It brought up a whole bunch of questions in my mind:
- What is a person’s legacy?
- Is it something bestowed upon us when we are dead and gone and can no longer make changes?
- Or is it something we are creating right now in our day-to-day life?
I won’t bore you with all of the questions that came to my mind there were a lot. There were some journaling moments happening. And then I did what I always do when my bestie Crystal isn’t available for a phone chat. I decided to dig deeper into the question and asked Google and ChatGPT.
Specifically, I asked: What is a person’s legacy?
Here’s what Google’s AI-generated response gave me:
“A person’s legacy refers to the enduring impact, influence, and contributions they make that outlive them.”
The words that stood out most were: “that outlive them.” Honestly, that sounded kind of morbid to me, like we have no choice but to wait until we’ve left the earthly plane to discover our legacy. I didn’t really like that answer very much.
So then I asked ChatGPT, who said:
“A person’s legacy is the impact they leave behind, on people, places, and the world, after they’re gone or after they’ve moved on from a role, chapter, or phase of life.”
This response was a little better, it wasn’t quite so morbid. It focused more on phases of life, not just death. But still, it felt too final to me. Like the credits at the end of our appearance in someone’s life where we no longer have any control over what happens. Which then had me thinking even more. What if we did have control?
What if our legacy wasn’t just the ending credits, but something unfolding before us each and every day?
Long story short, that’s what I’ve decided legacy means to me. It isn’t the final bow. It’s what I’m creating each and every day in my life. Which means we are building a legacy whether we know it or not.
But I don’t think legacy is just the big moments. It’s not only about accomplishments, titles, and the stuff we own. I think it’s about:
- How we make people feel
- What we teach others
- The values we hold
- The boundaries we set
- And the ripple effect of the choices we make
This reminds me of a story my mom loves to tell about my cousin Jeff. Now, my mom loves to tell her stories she is a talker, and you can probably guess where I get that from. But she has this one story she always tells about my cousin Jeff that has made a really big impact, I think, on both of us.
Jeff is one of my mom’s favorite people in the world simply because of how he treats everyone he meets. Years ago, my parents were visiting Jeff and his wife Tara. They went to have lunch with Jeff at work. As Jeff guided them through the cafeteria, my mom shared how he had a kind word for just about everyone. Not only that, but he knew almost everyone’s name not just his colleagues, but the cafeteria staff, the people cleaning tables, everyone.
This really impressed my mom. She spent a lot of years in the service industry. She knows what it feels like to be invisible. But in Jeff’s presence, no one was invisible.
I don’t know if my cousin even realizes the impact that lunch had on my mom or on me. But it was impactful. And that, to me, is legacy.
So rather than asking, “What do I want to be known or remembered for?” maybe the better question is: “Does how I’m showing up today match the person I want to be?”
As entrepreneurs, we all love to dream big, land the big contract, have our name become recognizable, be sought after for our expertise. And that’s cool, there’s nothing wrong with that.
But I think we forget the power of the small moments.
- The chat with your client who was overwhelmed and ready to give up? Legacy.
- The way you navigated a tough conversation with respect and kindness? Legacy.
- The smile you gave a stranger who was having a really bad day? Legacy.
- The decision you made to keep showing up even when things sucked? That too is your legacy.
Don’t wait until the end of your story to wish you had done things differently.
You are writing your story. Your legacy right now.
And this doesn’t mean putting pressure on yourself to be perfect. Jeff didn’t know he was making a difference, he was just showing up to the cafeteria being Jeff.
We don’t have to do everything perfectly. In fact:
- You don’t have to be liked by everyone
- You don’t have to follow “the rules”
You just need to keep showing up in alignment with what matters most to you.
Before I leave you today, I want to give you a little exercise:
- Grab a pen and paper and write down 3 values or traits you hope people associate with you.
- Challenge yourself to live up to those this week.
Bonus step: If you use ChatGPT or Gemini, ask it what it thinks your top 3 traits are based on your content. I did this, and it was pretty eye-opening and surprisingly accurate!
That’s it for this week. I’ll leave you with one final thought:
Legacy is less about what you’re leaving behind, and more about what you’re doing while you’re here.
Every day, you get to shape what your legacy is. And I think it looks pretty damn good on you.
I’ll see you next week for the final episode of April. I haven’t picked the topic yet but I’ll be back with something good. Have a great week, my friends!
