I was saddened to hear Darren Barefoot died last week following complications from metastatic cancer. I had never put my finger on the legacy his message had on me until now; more on this in a moment.

I recently enjoyed an overdue, deep conversation with my seventeen-year-old son over dinner. We were talking about supporting causes we care about and his college plans.

One thought that has stirred in my head for years, that I shared with him, is about how knowledge workers can support the causes they care most about with money instead of time. 

I made the case that while volunteering your time is a beautiful act, supporting the cause with a healthy donation can be much more impactful. I explained that I support causes I care about by donating a small percentage of my business profits. My goal is to increase this percentage as I reach my financial goals. 

There is nothing negative with donating your time working in a food bank, for example, but if you can generate more money, that donated money can have a much more significant impact on supporting the food bank. Better to have a surplus of food than helpers to restock the shelves, right?

The thought about donating money for knowledge workers over volunteering time came from a presentation I saw in 2007 at Gnomedex by Darren Barefoot. 

What legacy will you leave?

Sadly, Darren passed away last week from cancer. His untimely death led me to rewatch his presentation. He opened his talk by empowering us to consider what legacy we will leave. This message is something I've reflected on and written about since seeing his speech so many years ago.

Subtly, Darren’s message of giving what you can stuck with me. His legacy is this point. His wit, smarts, and charm impressed the importance of philanthropy upon me. I never credited this to him until now because I never realized where these thoughts had come from.

I invite you to spend thirty minutes watching Darren’s presentation; thankfully, it's preserved on YouTube. 

Rest in peace, Darren. You impacted me, and I've already passed these ideas along to my son, so your kind thoughts live on.

My deepest condolences to Darren’s family and friends. If you knew Darren, perhaps you would like to leave a comment here about how he touched your life.

Dear reader, what legacy will you leave?

How will you be remembered?

Have you ever thought about what’s going to be in your obituary? Does this sound morbid? Stick with me for a minute. 

When I was a child, I was lucky to spend a few summers attending Kilcoo Camp. While I certainly suffered from feeling homesick, I also made new friends and learned many skills I still use today (I’m not too shabby in a canoe). 

The camp was run by John “Chief” and Peggy “Mrs. Chief” Latimer. I remember many warm moments speaking with Chief and his sons (who run the camp today) about missing home. He was always keen to help me overcome being homesick and made sure I was connecting with the other kids.  

In 2003, Chief sadly passed away. I saw in his obituary that a celebration of his life would be held at St. James Cathedral in Toronto. Everyone in Toronto is familiar with the sound of the bells ringing at St. James; it is one of the largest churches in the city with the biggest peal of bells in North America.

I mention the size of the church because when I arrived for the service, I was shocked (but not surprised) at the number of people present. There were so many people in attendance that they overflowed to the park around the church where the service was amplified through speakers. Chief touched thousands of people’s lives through his work at Kilcoo Camp. His legacy of being a kind, sweet, smart man lives on. 

Thinking about your legacy

I recently watched best-selling novelist Brad Meltzer’s TEDx talk “How To Write Your Own Obituary.” In it, he describes the different types of legacy that you will leave.

Try this exercise for yourself. Write down and separate all of the things you do for yourself versus what you do for other people. Those things for yourself will be the least remembered — your resume will fade. Your legacy is what you do for other people and the impact those actions have on their lives. This very much is in line with my approach to networking, nicely — always find ways to help others. 

Meltzer describes types of legacy.

Personal. You are your parent’s legacy. The way you interact and help your siblings will be remembered. How you raise your children and how you treat your spouse make up your family legacy.

Friends and colleagues. Helping your friends and treating them kindly will play a major role in your legacy. I believe we should find ways to support our friends beyond simple Facebook likes. Reach out over the phone or coffee.

Community. Who will remember your name? The people in your community will remember you for your participation and contributions. What have you done to help the people in your community?