Your Legacy is Now
Life is not a search for meaning from others, it’s about the creation of meaning for yourself.
For over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call “means,” and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand.
Alan Weiss states:
I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked about them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me.
I found the equivalent of the “runner’s wall” in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line.
I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the “breakthrough,” don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is.
They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for “What now?” They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference.
That difference, they believe, is their “legacy.”
But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly?
Or do we leave it blank?
Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a “threshold” point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change.
In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands.
Yet our “meaning”—our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy—creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.
Jenn McGroary
Amazingly insightful. I’ve reviewed a sample proposal that you’d posted somewhere in the past to understand the concept so I loved his explanation of the 3 options. Especially #3 – the amount needs to scare everybody. 🙂
I’m going to look at introducing that concept in my next proposals. Thanks for sharing these Alan.
~ Jenn
Alan Weiss
Glad they help.
Avonelle Lovhaug
These videos are great! I really enjoyed them.
Alan, I’m wondering…do you also avoid working with vendors who use time-based pricing?
Dave Gardner
Alan…you tell us over and over that the first sale is to ourselves. You and Evan do a marvelous job bringing that to life in these videos. Thanks for sharing this with your community.
Alan Weiss
I love venders who use time-based billing. They are always less expensive, and I tell them to never read my books.
Jim Powell
Really enjoyed those videos thanks for sharing them.
I really enjoyed the authenticity of them and how fear is often at the heart of the problem and self esteem is the saviour.
Alan Weiss
He is a wonderful exemplar of building your confidence to change your behaviors and reach new levels. He felt he had no choice at that point. Most of us have choices continually.
Jenn McGroary
The part where he talked about pushing away from pain and what he was doing now, is still more comfortable to him than his fear of the past 12 years. Like the lesser of the two evils. Excellent take-away. 🙂
Alan Weiss
Good insight, Jenn.
Paul
Alan, those videos were so authentic. They triggered an involuntary reach for “Value-Based Fees” on the shelf beside me! 🙂 Thank you.
Alan Weiss
What do you know, this stuff works!
Lynn
WOW Alan! Thanks for the reminder of value based fees! I, like Evan have been surprised again and again how my clients choose Option 3! I now see the link between value based fees and confidence – duh -! Love your work! Thank you!
Curt Fowler
Alan – These videos are a great addition to your written materials on the subject of values based fees. Thanks for making them available!
Curt
Robert D. Smith
I just bought your Value-Based Fees book on Amazon based on this testimonial. Thanks for sharing!
Robert
Fred Pace
I watched the three videos showing the young man on stage in Australia.
He talked about giving clients three options, but did not explain the options.
Was he giving clients a choice three different levels of service;
or was it three different payment options?
Chris
Nice videos Alan! Been keeping up with you for the last 6 months or so, since I read MDC. The proposal model, along with the other resources have helped me gain that confidence as well. I’m picking up Value Based Fees to reinforce. These videos brought it to life! Thanks.
samantha lennon
The kind of consulting I do, is a one on one operation since the topic I consult on is generally not a popular subject in consulting. The market has serious potential for it and I have seen it first hand from what I made last year. After learning about you and keeping up with all of this information, I am going to take this “non-traditional” topic I consult on and turn it into a real legit, valuable consulting practice. When I first started my business, I did have 3 packages, but don’t laugh, the price difference was about $25 (yes dollars lol) difference and I used to freak out about that. The more I watch these videos and read your books I see how absurd I am! After almost 3 years of under pricing and over delivering I am going to rewrite my general packages and re-price them in my head. I know eventually I can find a way to bring it to an upper level with working business to business and by that time I will have the structure ready! Thank you.
Des Dougan
Alan,
Thank you for posting these videos and making them available again. I’ve been in business full-time for the past 4 or so years (after a 20+ year career in IT management) as an IT support consultant for small businesses.
I find the billing process for projects quite a challenge and these three videos have really given me something to think about.
Jeff S Turnbull
Alan, thank you for all you do. You have given my career new life and inspiration.
Alan Weiss
That’s very generous, thank you.
Jordan
Looking forward to the info. Thank you.