2 years ago last week, my hubby, son, mom and brother migrated back to our Midwestern roots after nearly 2 decades in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The decision to move back to my hometown of Quincy, IL was multi-pronged… 

An eagerness to homestead a property of our own, a calling to bring my skills as a women’s business, leadership, and wellness coach back home, and a desire to be near our Midwest fam – including my dad who’s navigating the challenging waters of Parkinson’s Disease.

For me, this massive life transition has been layered with SO many different emotions – deep grief, sadness, excitement, longing, joy, depth, wtf did I do, acceptance, appreciation…the list goes on. 

But today, I’m filled with SUCH deep gratitude that I’m here in my hometown with my dad as he prepares to be honored tonight at Quincy Public School’s A Night to Dream Big Fundraising Gala.

My bro is the emcee of the event, there will be 800 folks in the house, and we’ll be honoring the LEGACY that my dad built as the Theatre Director of the Quincy High School for over 30 years (and 3 other A-building – Fine Arts Building teachers who were like my surrogate parents!) as we raise money to strengthen our QPS System.

My dad inspired his students like no other… he made them want to do better, be better, express themselves fully, and achieve gold. 

Many of his students went on to act, perform, or be a part of the industry professionally – including on Broadway, LA, and other major markets – but even if they didn’t go that route, the strong leadership qualities that my dad instilled into us were infused into the work that we did professionally… 

Kindness, warmth, acceptance, fierceness, passion, drive, devotion, dedication, perseverance, motivation, inspiration, love.

And as I reflect on my dad’s career and the legacy he built, I can see that so much of what I’ve woven into my own work with The Legacy Council, and my other coaching offerings – and the way that I hold space for this community stems from what I learned and gleaned from him, and my mother as well. 

This all being shared, I’ll leave you today with these 5 legacy leadership questions to chew on over the weekend:

• What do you want to be remembered for as a leader — not in terms of achievements, but in terms of how people felt in your presence and within your community?

• What core values and principles do you want to see ripple through the generations of women, teams, or communities that you’ve influenced?

• When you imagine your leadership as a living ecosystem, what qualities (trust, courage, creativity, compassion, etc.) form its roots — and what kind of growth do they nourish in others?

• How can you lead in a way that models not just success, but sustainability, wholeness, and authentic power for those whom you influence?

• If your leadership legacy were a story told years from now, what would be the central message or medicine you’d want it to carry and ripple out?

Sending you so much love for a restorative and joy-filled weekend – so glad you’re a part of this community – and off to go celebrate my pop!