032: Your legacy era | How to build without burning out

What does it look like to build a life and career that can actually hold you long-term?

There comes a moment when achievement stops being enough. When the milestones are there, the experience is there, the capability is there… but something deeper is asking for your attention.

In this episode, we’re going to dive into what it means to leave your legacy.

How to embrace the intersection of leadership and a live well lived?

After stepping away from corporate leadership and moving through a season of personal evolution, I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to build differently. Not just what we’re building, but the way we’re building it.

Because legacy isn’t something that waits for you at the end of your life. It’s the way you live, lead, and create today.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to recognize when you’ve outgrown the environment that once fit your vision
• Why legacy is embodied before it’s ever external
• The shift from chasing recognition to building infrastructure and substance
• How to protect your energy while continuing to expand your impact
• What it means to create work, systems, and structures that can both sustain you and outlive you

If you’ve been feeling the quiet pull to build your next chapter differently, this conversation is for you.

Not as a checklist.

Not as a roadmap.

But as an invitation to reflect on what your legacy might look like when you stop postponing your life in the process of building it.

If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected more deeply through my newsletter where I share reflections, resources, and behind-the-scenes thinking on topics like this.

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Transcript

 Hello, beautiful humans. I could not be more grateful and more excited to be back in conversation with all of you. For me, this coming back to my practice on the podcast, there's really been a shift in my philosophy. And to be honest, there's been a huge evolution overall, I think for myself internally, but then I'm also really seeing this collectively as well in regards to the way that I show up.

And I say that because this podcast is evolving. We'll talk about that later. I have evolved in so many profound ways. But not only that, not just what I do, but the way that I do it has shifted on such a deeper level, on such a deeper level. And this is fitting because this episode is going to be talking about legacy. This is fitting because the conversations that we're going to start having moving forward are going to be going much deeper. They're gonna be a little bit more philosophical, a lot more about strategy, less noise, less 1, 2, 3 steps and more substance. I am coming into this place with this podcast moving forward through a lens of depth. Through a lens of how are we creating the culture that this society needs moving forward as we're seeing the structures that once upheld us, slowly but surely start to crumble.

I'm diving in really deep, but I think this is important because this is the kind of energy that I want to be showing up here on the podcast. Now a couple of housekeeping things that are important to keep in mind before we talk about our topic today, which is really talking about our legacy and what our legacy truly is.

A couple of things that are going to be important to know. One. You might have seen that this podcast has made a shift. It is no longer called Leading With Intention. This podcast is now called Redefining Success. And I didn't make a huge campaign or talk about it that much publicly just because I didn't feel a need for that performance.

I knew that my work was expanding much further outside of just leadership and the way that we view leadership in this day and age. When I started this podcast originally back in 2020 and what I found is that the underlying thread of the work that I do and the way that it helps individuals shape and transform their lives.

All really starts with how are we redefining what success looks and feels like for us in our everyday lives. And how are we creating a path to recognize that success isn't just about what we achieve, but it's also about how deeply we live. So as we start sharing more episodes, as I start bringing on more guest speakers to dive into really interesting and engaging topics, what I want you to remember is that I am viewing this podcast as a body of work where we can dive deeper.

To be honest, I am getting a little bit tired of social media platforms and trying to dive into a topic that could be a three hour long lunch in the garden and trying to make that into a 90 second reel. I wanna be able to dive deeper with all of you. I want you to be able to take what you need from these conversations and leave the rest.

But I want us to do that intentionally.

And so for me, that also looks like moving forward with the podcast. I am not going to try to do it all. I'm not going to have recorded videos. I'm not going to create the clips with the captions, all of these things that I thought that I needed to be doing to be able to increase impact.

And what I realized is that the most important thing is showing up and showing up in a way that removes the barriers for you so that you can do it in a way that feels aligned.

And so for me, that looks like doing this podcast from the garden. I don't need internet. I just need my microphone and my QuickTime Audio like going back to the basics. Because the most important thing is what is the message that we're channeling?

What is the information that's being shared with all of you?

For now, my purpose and my mission is getting you what you need and removing the barriers from me to be able to get you that.

The second thing that you'll recognize is that I'm going to be going deeper on certain topics. I feel like in the past, a lot of my work has been focused on, yes, time and energy management. How do you create a life that you love, et cetera. What I realized over the last couple of years is that my superpower is being able to understand and see the potential of what it is that individuals need to build in this world to leave their impact and create a legacy and bridging the gap so that they can do that in a way that feels sustainable.

And that is everything from how are you structuring your business? How are you thinking about your offers? How are you communicating? The ideas and the thoughts that you have in your head. And how are you moving through doubt to be able to start practicing that self-trust and discernment to be able to get there faster.

And so I'm gonna be talking a lot more about that aspect of leadership, legacy, and a life well lived.

We often believe that a life well lived is when we've reaped the fruits of our labor.

But what if it's the other way around? What if integrating and creating the systems and structures to live an expansive life now is what allows for you to reach your goals even faster?

And so I wanna dive into it because at the end of the day, this all comes back to what is our legacy? And now I really wanna sit with the word legacy because oftentimes we believe, and we have been taught that a legacy is what you leave behind when you're gone. A monument, a title, your net worth, property, the quotes that people will share on Instagram when you die.

And while yes, all of that might be true. But what if legacy isn't just what you leave behind? What if your legacy is how you live while you're still here? I think there's this really impactful shift that happens when we view our legacy, not just as a monument or a moment in the future, but instead recognizing that our legacy is our way of living, is our way of leading, and it's our way of moving through the world now.

And something that I've really been thinking about and diving into conversation with friends is oftentimes we get so caught up in the work that we're doing, the progress we're making, the wealth that we're accumulating, that we often forget to enjoy the life that we're living. It's so easy for so many of us who have, especially who have reached certain levels of success and achievement, to believe that in order to go further, you need to be working harder. Or you need to be at your computer for 10 hours a day or you need to wake up at 5:00 AM to get in that workout so that then you can be at your computer at eight.

And while yes. Do whatever feels right and honest for you. But I want to ask you, how present are you actually in your life today? Do you have time and energy to prioritize spending time with loved ones? Creating space for those big expansive ideas and aha moments to happen? Going through a day without having every hour blocked or scheduled off?

We've gotten to this point where even wellness has become this detrimental culture in the same way that hustle culture has as well, right? Like sacrifice now, rest later, enjoy later, be present later.

And I think there's also this shift where it's like. Okay, well I want to take care of my health and my mind and my body and my spirit, but it's also becoming this never ending checklist. So it feels like we're always rushing to the next thing without actually being exactly where we are.

So the question that I've really been sitting with and pondering and strategizing on over the last six months is. What if your legacy isn't just about what you leave behind, but it is about the way that you lead today and the way that you live your life?

And this always reminds me of the quote by Maya Angelou that says, "I've learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel".

How do others feel when they're around you? How are you able to help them expand, see a new way of living, or just be present? And in order to have that impact, how are we able to create the time and space in our lives to actually be fully there?

And I think something that's really important, especially when we think about legacy, oftentimes it can feel like this big thing or accomplishment or milestone of am I leaving my legacy?

And I almost want to reshape that idea and, and remind you that your legacy needs to be embodied before it can be external.

When you think about building what your legacy is, oftentimes it's not about becoming someone new. It's not about a new year or September or your birthday happening and reinventing yourself or going through big quantum leaps. But instead, something that I've really been finding and understanding is that it's about peeling back the layers.

To really remember and reconnect with who you've always been. Really thinking about what is the identity that you are reclaiming and reconnecting with that throughout your life. You've drifted away from, and for me, I think something that's so important is that, again, it's not about this quantum leap of reinvention, but oftentimes it's reintegration.

So it's not always about becoming, but it's about remembering and creating the time and space to reconnect with what are those parts of yourself that really allow for you to feel most like you. Before you had to condition how that made other feel, how that made others feel. If you would belong, if you would be accepted, if you would get recognition.

But instead coming back to who you truly are. And some of you might be asking right now, okay, Sienna, this is fantastic, but I don't even know if I'm in. A season or an an era of building my legacy. I feel like I'm just trying to get through the day and I want to challenge you on that because again, the idea and the concept of the legacy that you want to leave isn't just something for.

When you're not in survival mode, but if anything, this can be your anchor to help you move from the space that you're in and step into the space that you want to be. And so I wanna share with you some. Some signs or some things that might have you recognizing that you are ready to step into an era where you really start focusing on the legacy that you want to leave.

One thing that might feel true is that achievement might not be enough. You might have the achievements, the accomplishments on LinkedIn, all of the different external celebrations, yet you still feel like something is missing. You feel like you've disconnected from your true purpose or what you're here to do on this earth.

You might stop craving external applause and start reconnecting more with alignment. Do you feel aligned with the life that you wanna be living? How you wanna be moving through this world? And this isn't because you're lost or this isn't because you're confused, but oftentimes it's because you've outgrown the container that has once served you.

Oftentimes, especially if you are a high achiever, an entrepreneur, a leader, basically someone who is really driven. You might have reached your upper limit in the container that you're in. And when you allow for yourself to recognize that and reimagine what it looks like to move out of the environment that has felt comfortable for you to then step into where you're truly meant to be, that means you're taking one step closer to focusing on building your legacy.

And the other tall tale sign that I really see when it comes to being ready to step into your legacy is that more and more you're not impressed by having proximity to power or just having the role or the title. But you're interested in saying, how can I build something to better the world, but doing it for myself instead of dedicating my time and my energy and effort to others.

And I think something that's really important to remember is that you aren't figuring it out. You aren't starting from scratch. It's about how are you learning to use the data that you already have. You have the lived experience, you have the receipts, you have the expertise.

And now it's time to figure out how do we bring it all together to build differently.

So when I personally think about the season that I am in right now, I would absolutely say that this is my legacy era. And I'm going to share with you why. I was doing some deep reflection at the end of last year and what I had realized is that every single life experience that I have had has been leading me up to this point in time.

It's so easy when they say hindsight is in 2020, where when you're in those moments, you might not see it or you don't know where it leads to. And I've never really been a big fan of five year plans or planning so much into the future. But I am, I'm more like a three year vision kind of girly, right? I'm more so someone to say, okay, well how do I want to feel?

What are the things that I want to be embodying? And then reverse engineering that.

But I think something that's really important is that what I recognized was that each season in my life, which lasted between three to five years. All had its specific purpose and all taught me very meaningful things that I needed to be able to have the wisdom, the experience, the life, and the stab.

I wouldn't even call it stability, but I think it's like the sustenance. The roots that I have now to be able to think about how am I building differently? And something that I found is that once I started really shifting to recognize that I was ready to move into reconnecting with my life's work. Is the fact that I wanted to build in a different way.

I wanted to build without sacrificing myself. I wanted to be able to scale without burning out. I wanted to be able to attract the right opportunities versus feeling as if I had to prove myself in rooms that weren't even designed for me. And what I've been recognizing specifically since I quit my role as a corporate VP in last May, is that

sitting in the wisdom and faith that I am on the path of doing something bigger has been what has allowed for me to really take the time to not just reimagine what I wanted to be building, but to be thinking about the way that I wanted to be doing it.

And I'll share another podcast episode where I talk a little bit about how that has been evolving and how I've been embodying that.

And seeing this embodied has been really interesting in seeing how I have been working with clients who are literally my dream clients, both with coaching, so working one-on-one with individuals to help them really be able to elevate their identity, their income, and their impact, and going deep over six months. To also consulting and working strategically with entrepreneurs who are doing amazing work to help them identify their core offers and their income ecosystems in a way that will allow for them to build without losing their time or their energy as they scale.

And not only that, but co-founding a nonprofit that I truly feel like is my legacy work and the invitation to how that happened was the most beautiful and aligned way. Definitely a podcast episode for a different day, but being able to have the opportunity to build an organization that does such meaningful work, but for us to be able to do it in a way that feels so sustained with the seed funding that we received.

And so when I think about this era of legacy for myself. Yes, it's about the work that I'm doing, but more importantly, it's about the way that I'm working.

If your work requires self abandonment to survive. That's not sustainable. The questions that we're asking ourselves is how can we build something that can both sustain me and outlive me?

And so stepping into your legacy era isn't just about passion or excitement or connecting the dots. It's architecture.

It's asking yourself, what are the systems that allows for me to have more time and energy? How am I protecting my peace? How am I creating a revenue model that sustains my life now in the life that I want to be living?

It's about how am I recognizing a strategy for the season that I'm in so that this can be something that's long term.

And so today I don't have. Reflection questions. I don't have three tips on how to, I don't have any of that.

I wanted to offer this conversation to you today so that you can start reflecting and really understanding if you are ready to step into the next season where you are thinking about what is the long-term impact that you want to leave on this world. And I wanna remind you that you do not need to become someone new to build your legacy, but it's about learning how to build in a way that no longer abandons yourself in the process.

And so I'm so excited to be with you on this journey. I'm so excited to be coming back in deep conversation here on the Redefining Success Podcast. And I'm so excited that you're in this world. And so I would love to have you connect on a deeper level. The best ways to do that right now are joining my email list. This is where I go much deeper on topics like what we spoke about today and really being able to help you as you navigate and move through

creating your legacy, embodying your leadership, and cultivating a life well lived. 

And I will drop the link in the description.

Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you in the next episode.