14,000 Followers, Twenty Years In: Legacy and Impact Over Influence

Some time overnight, I hit 14,000 followers.

As I prepare to head to Chicago for mPowering You and MBA Annual, I noticed the number this morning.

I’m not going to pretend I’m not proud. I am!

We hear it all the time: our attention span on social media is about 1.7 to 2.5 seconds. In a world where we scroll incessantly, searching for that one nugget that catches our attention, I am honored every time someone takes a second to hit “follow.”

Now, can I share something with you? This wasn’t something that happened overnight. It took me close to twenty years to get here. Not 90 days. Not 6 months. Not a year. Twenty years.

Twenty years on this platform through getting married, earning my master’s degree and a few designations, starting my consulting practice, moving to Florida, a pandemic, writing and contributing to several books, building my speaking resume, launching podcasts, receiving awards, being inducted into the NC State Alumni Hall of Fame, all while reinventing myself and who I thought I was professionally.

I know others seem to hit 30K followers, 50K followers, or even more in the blink of an eye, and I applaud them.

But my path here looks different, and you know what? I am OK with that.

Relationships matter. While I may not know every single one of my followers, I know many, especially those in the financial services space. We engage with each other’s content, we send DMs every once in a while to check in, and when we’re in the same place, we make it a point to meet in real life.

So yes! 14,000 🎉

Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for paying attention. And thank you for seeing something in me that deserves following. I don’t take that lightly or you for granted.

I was once accused of chasing “influence.” The number was never my goal. Legacy and impact were.

They always will be.

p.s. This RETR hoodie 👇 is still one of my favorite swag!! Thanks Steven Wynands AND special thanks to LaDonna Lockard, who introduced us at #TheGathering two years ago.