What is the lasting gift of Legacy? And – who’s giving that gift? Or not bothering at all?

My guest in the Legacy Café is Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave and internationally recognized author and gerontologist. He recently released a landmark study on legacy and aging as a research project with Bank 0f America/Merrill Lynch.

In the study titled, “Leaving a legacy. A lasting gift to loved ones”, Ken discovered that 82% of us will likely be remembered with the phrase: “Well, you left a heckuva mess.” Not good!

Turns out 94% of the 3000 people surveyed said they would like their legacy to be “a life well lived with family and friends that love me,” while only 4% said their legacy is the wealth they accumulated. Hmmm…

Join my conversation with Ken for a fascinating review of his eye-opening study and what various generations are thinking of ‘legacy’, how each is acting to live it….and give it.

Boe Workman argues that many of us 50+ are living a revolution… determined to leave our mark on the world. “We want to disrupt the traditional aging process so we can spark new solutions that will allow us to live the best life we can.”

Yes, we want to be more independent, with more intimacy and fun, And yes, more legacy building. We want to lead a richer, more self-sufficient life as we age. But (and it’s a big ‘but’), are we constrained by a cultural view that aging means deterioration and dependence?

Boe is the Director of CEO Communication at AARP and has co-authored several books that shake up some outdated beliefs about aging. He recently co-authored a book with Jo Anne Jenkins, AARP’s CEO, called Disrupt Aging, well worth the read.

Will the opportunities of aging outweigh the negatives? Give a listen to find out.

As a listener to The Legacy Café, you know that a ‘Legacy’ is so much more than money and ‘stuff’ handed down to the kids.

But – many are blessed with more resources than they need to lead a happy life. With that comes questions:

• Are children and grandchildren prepared for the responsibility?
• Have family dynamics prevented you from having the tough conversations?
• Will your business thrive under the next generation of leadership?

Mostly, do you have an intentional, proactive plan to create a thriving, inspiring Legacy?

Join Jeff Rogers as Robb asks him about Stewardship Legacy Coaching for high net worth families, and the challenge of clarifying values, virtues, guiding principles, and a giving culture you want to maintain.

When a young person looks at a picture on the wall and asks parents and grandparents “Who is that?”, they’ll be off on a journey that will benefit them thru their lives.

With a little encouragement, the research and writing of the story of an unknown relative can ignite the imagination and light the fire of ‘social history’; the stories of those who came before us, and our personal relationship with them.

The act of finding and telling those stories can be the Trojan horse to change school’s normally boring social studies courses; create better communicators… and be a make-or-break asset for college and career.

Yes, our kids can find and create our legacy stories… and they will be the beneficiaries.

What’s the secret for a happy family? They talk. A lot.

Dr. Marshall Duke, a renowned psychologist, is my guest on this remarkable podcast episode.

In a research project at Emory University, he created the Do You Know Scale, which asked children 20 Do You Know questions about their family and its history.

The results were quite surprising. Turns out the children who knew more about their family’s history had higher levels of self-esteem, lower levels of anxiety, were much better at facing challenges, and a whole lot more.

Yes, family stories are a critical part of a child’s emerging identity and well-being. That’s why it’s so important to hear Dr. Duke share the remarkable story behind the study in this podcast episode.

And don’t feel left out! These stories can and should be told in any family, of any age.

A Conversation with Steve Marken

President of the Stewardship Council

So, you’ve got some resources you’d like to distribute through your estate plan? You call them your ‘Legacies’. But when you define them, do they give you fulfillment and joy Now? Do you smile as you think how they’ll affect the future?

According the Steve, 99% of family estates don’t incorporate any part of the family’s story, values, goals and characters that give the legacies you want to create the richness they deserve. Most financial and legal advisors don’t know how important this is.

How do you peel that onion and make it a rich experience discovering what those legacies can be?

My conversation with Steve will talk about the two-edged sword of money, about family stories, and about philanthropy that reflects your values.

And then Steve will give you all the questions to ask yourself and your family on this journey to discover your legacies.

Do you know where your great grandparents came from? Or what they did to live? Or where their kids went and what they did?

You might consider becoming a junior genealogist like me.

Genealogy? The dictionary says it’s “a line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor”.

I knew my great grandparents came from Ireland… but that’s all I knew. Working with a genealogist for 15 minutes I learned they landed in Halifax in 1869, the name of their ship, and the names of the seven kids they brought with them. And as we followed that ‘line of descent’, I learned the names of the next five kids they had, including my grandfather.

Join me and Billie Fogarty, President of the Association of Professional Genealogists as we learn about family trees, branches, leaves… and the stories they tell. And if you start your line of descent, have the Kleenex ready!

Starting his career in the early 1900’s, my grandpa was a cowboy, a champion curler, and a beer salesman. But I never learned any of his stories, or wisdom.

I spent some time with him in the 60’s, but I was too young to ask: “Grandpa, what do you believe in? What advice would you give me?”

75 yr. old grandpa, John Boden, won’t let the opportunity to talk to his grandchildren escape. He’s ensuring they hear his wisdom, ideas, opinions and stories. He wants to stir their young minds so they become a little wiser, a better person… and maybe grow up to lead happy and successful lives.

John’s website is a weekly ‘must-watch, must-read’ by thousands of kids at grandpathephilosopher.com

Are you a grandparent? Isn’t it time to ensure your wisdom and stories reach your grandchildren… and great grandchildren, and…

Scott Jeffrey helps  CEOs and entrepreneurs reach their full potential. And the key is that they must know their Core Values.

Do you know your core values? What’s the real benefit of knowing yours… as well as others around you knowing theirs?

Scott takes us through a seven-step process to discover our core values. We start with a clean slate… and keep drilling. When we’re finished here, and with the joy of more clarity, accept Scott’s free gifts to continue your journey.

N 1982 Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner set out to understand those times when leaders performed their personal best.  What emerged were five fundamental practices common to extraordinary leadership.

Great leaders model the way, share their vision, challenge the process, enable others… and encourage the heart.

And that kind of leadership leads to extraordinary legacies.

But first, what’s a leader look like? What do they exhibit?

And do all of us have leadership potential? (This one surprised me).

Join Jim and me… for even this chat will make us better leaders!