Tag: leaving a legacy

Plan A Business Closing…If You Can

I plan to stop
releasing new novels
(producing new products)
for my Romance Novel writing business
two years from now
(unless the sales trajectory
changes).

I’m fortunate
because,
due to my tracking of sales
and the following of other trends,
I have some notice
before ‘closing’ my business.

(The books will remain
at booksellers
but without marketing activity
on my part,
the sales will soon dwindle
to nothing.)

I have the privilege
of planning my exit.

I plan to make it
the happiest exit
I can
for loyal readers
(customers)
and leave them
with smiles on their faces.

A friend of mine
plans to do the exact opposite.
She plans to leave them
with a cliffhanger.
Her thought is
she wants to leave readers
wanting more of her writing.

If we have
the ability to do so,
we should plan
our business’s closing.

It is part of
our legacy.
Put thought
into it.

Deciding On Your Legacy

We decide our legacies.

We influence
how people remember us
when we’re here
on this Earth
and after we’re gone.

If you want to be
remembered fondly,
with joy,
with caring,
do the things
that leave that legacy.

Build more
than you destroy.
(And yes,
this includes building businesses.)

Love more
than you hate.

Give more
than you take.

Support more
than you punish.

Help more
than you hinder.

It is basic math.
Positive contributions > Negative contributions
= Being Missed After We’re Gone.

It is truly
THAT easy to leave
a wonderful legacy.

Your Content Is Immortal

One of my favorite YouTube channels
features a 94 year old woman
who lived through the depression
sharing depression recipes
and stories.

The footage was recorded
14 or more years ago.
The woman has long passed.

Her videos remain.
They are immortal
and so is she,
in a virtual version.

Remember that
when you release content.

Your content could live
forever.

It could be the way
others know of you
long after you’re gone.

Ensure they view you
the way YOU
want to be viewed.

Name Dropping In Interviews

I am asked to do
a lot of interviews
over email
for my writing pen names.

There’s always a question
asking
what books I’m reading
or which writers I think are skilled
or what books I think are awesome
or something similar.

I mention at least three writers.

I mention a writer I admire.
The interviewer usually tags that writer.
That might attract that writer’s readers
and those readers might discover my books.

I mention a writer at my same level.
That’s nice to do
and that writer might return the favor
when they are interviewed.
They are also likely to share
the interview,
which makes everyone happy.

The third writer I mention is
a new writer.
This is a give back to the genre,
a way to build a legacy.
That new writer will likely
tell the world she was mentioned.
And again, it is a nice thing to do.

Name drop a variety of names
in interviews.
Spread the promotional love.

If We Want Improvement

If I wanted simply to offset
the carbon I use,
I would fund the planting
of X trees per year.

But I know some people
won’t or can’t offset their carbon usage
and
I want the world to improve
so
I fund the planting
of at least 2X trees per year.

The standard tip
for housekeeping
when we stay in a hotel
is expected.
The employee factors
that into her earnings.

Doubling that standard tip
will change her life a bit.

Seth Godin
shares

“Whether it’s splitting a check,
getting a project done
or making an impact on the culture
or a cause,
if you want things to get better,
the only way is
to be prepared
to do more than your fair share.”

If we want the world
to improve,
we should do
MORE than is expected.

Your Kids Are Not Your Legacy

A friend told me yesterday
that her kids
were her legacy.

No, they’re not her legacy.
Her kids have their own goals.
They aren’t responsible
for ensuring HER life
has meaning.
They aren’t put on this planet
for her personal purpose.

And it is a sh*tty
pass-the-buck,
maintain-the-status-quo
stance.
It gives her an out
to not do anything else
to make the world
a better place.

Having kids
isn’t an excuse
to do nothing else.

Your kids
have their own legacies
to create.
That’s a huge task.

Create a legacy
for yourself.
Take that additional task off
their shoulders.