Brent Whiddon, Senior Lead Advisor for OneAscent Wealth, has served clients in the financial services industry for over 25 years. With 9 children and 5 grandchildren, building an intentional legacy is something close to his heart. Hear from Brent as he shares what legacy means to him, and what it looks like in his life today.
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What Does It Mean to Leave a Legacy?
Leaving a legacy is about how you make people feel and how you impact their lives. It’s about intentionally investing in other people and encouraging them in the right direction.
It’s also the answer to the question: how do you want to be remembered?
As advisors, when it comes to legacy, we are thinking about how to prudently benefit those coming after us. We want to wisely structure our financial plans so that assets are used wisely and not squandered. How can we position wealth and possessions in a way that will be carried on by the next generations?
Learning a Legacy to Leave a Legacy
My first introduction to the financial services industry was through my father. He owned an insurance company that served his community for over 25 years. A few years after graduating college, I took over my father’s business.
Although this was part of his legacy, the things he taught me through his life impacted me far more. He taught me about the value in taking risks. He was always willing to pursue his goals and interests, even if it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. He also had an incredible work ethic. When I was young, on summer breaks he would be up early for work, but before leaving he made sure I was up and had a list of things to do. It kept me busy, but also taught me how to be hardworking. This is something I have done with my own kids as well.
My dad was also generous. He was always hospitable, always giving, and always serving others. This was his legacy.
Read more about how to leave a legacy by design.
Building an Intentional Legacy Within My Family
Most importantly, my wife and I want our kids to know that we love them. We try to show that by spending time with them, being there for them, and being supportive. It’s the same with our grandkids. We want our home to be a place where everyone loves to be. We built our farm, where we currently live, to be a place where people could gather and feel welcomed and loved.
Hard work and generosity are two other traits we have made initial efforts to instill in our children and grandchildren. We want them to be givers, not takers, and understand the value of earning what they have. And all our children have become hardworking and diligent. They are past the point of needing our financial support, and I am proud of who they have become.
Thinking about the upcoming holidays, we haven’t always been great at keeping up with specific traditions, but we do always make time to get together as a family. It makes me so happy to watch our children sit out on the back porch laughing and cutting up with each other. We enjoy — and value — being together, and that’s something I hope stays with our family for generations to come.
Your legacy does include your financial life, but I love opening up conversations with clients to see how it’s about so much more.
Read more about our approach to legacy planning, or reach out to an advisor to schedule a consultation!