Who was – and is – Jenna Kutcher? She was a small-town Minnesota photographer, podcaster, educator and author with big dreams. She says she’s been “keepin’ it real since 1988”.
Her story? At the age of 23, she invested in a $300 Craigslist camera. Little did she know that camera would be her one-way ticket out of her windowless office corporate job. That single investment led her to the 7-figure empire she is running today (and a bestselling book that tells the whole story).
What lights her up? She says it is helping women harness the power to take control of their lives. Busting the myth of balance. Showing the dreamer that starting a business is closer than they think.
I share this information so you can get a picture of who she is, how young she still is (I think she’s in her 30’s), and what a powerhouse she has become. Which makes her story that I recently received in her newsletter so powerful – and why I am sharing it. Her words are best:
I recently lost my Grandpa Sulo (if you follow me on Instagram, he’s the one with the witty one-liners and jokes!).
It’s hard to describe the weight of that loss. He was the quiet strength in our family, the kind of person who made everything feel just a little more grounded.
A few days after he passed, we were cleaning out his apartment.
And there on the coffee table… not tucked away on a shelf, not stored for safekeeping, but right there in plain view… was a copy of my book, How Are You, Really?
He had visitors all the time. And in that moment, I realized he had it there, ready to show anyone who stopped by.
I picked it up and started flipping through.
There were notes in the margins. Short ones. Handwritten.
Some just two words: “So proud.”
He had highlighted the chapter I wrote about him and my grandma.
He even stuck his address label on the back cover, like he wanted to make sure it found its way back to him if it ever got lost.
The pages were smudged from where his hands had held it.
And there I sat, tears running down my face, holding one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever created.
That copy of my book is now one of my most prized possessions.
Because it’s not just a piece of content. It’s my legacy.
And here’s what I’ve realized: He couldn’t have done that with my podcast. Or my website. Or a post I shared three years ago.
But a book? A book lasts.
Did you catch that? A book! It survived and carried a personal message to his granddaughter by his written messages in the margin and his handling of it. Did he expect her to find it like that? I doubt it ever crossed his mind, but she could read his meaningful message to her in the placement of the book on the table for display and the words written in the margins. And – thankfully- she wrote out this whole story and it’s meaning to her.
What did she call it? – one of her most prized possessions because it’s her legacy. And this from a woman who is a 7-figure earner with a husband and 2 small children – a seemingly amazing life with impact and meaning.
NOW, what will you hear from me? Yes, you know what I would say to Jenna – where are you going to put your story about your grandfather and his legacy passed on to you? And where are you going to preserve his special copy of the book? Right! In the same place you put your ancestor’s legacy materials. In the FOREVER digital permanent storage which is guaranteed for your life plus 100 years. For the benefit and inspiration of your descendants – and so they will know the full picture of who her grandfather was and his impact on her life.
Those of you who have taken my Family History Bootcamp know exactly the place I am describing. And for those of you who have not taken it (but know you want to do this for saving your family’s legacy materials), you will want to jump into the Family History Bootcamp being offered in September. Here’s a big tip – it is at it’s lowest price and will be more than double that in the future offerings. You can check it out at Bootcamp – Candy McCune
What prized possession or legacy stories do you need to safeguard for those who come after you?
