Creating Impact That Outlives You
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
By Paige Arnof-Fenn
I started a global branding and digital marketing firm 24 years ago in Cambridge, MA. For the first 5 years of my business I was scared to go on vacation for fear all my hard work would unravel. Then my in-laws, father, mom and stepdad all started to get sick and I wanted to be there for them. They all lived thousands of miles away so I started to work less. After years of decline they each died about 8 months apart (7 people in 6 years) and I became executrix which is like having another job at times. It was overwhelming so I had to take very good care of myself or I would not have been helpful to anyone else. I started working out every day. I started planning me time on my calendar. I became more comfortable with white space in my day and stopped over scheduling myself.
And guess what? My business did not suffer, in fact it became stronger. We moved up the food chain and have better clients. I do not think I could ever go back. Downtime and vacations are not optional, you need to take breaks to be productive, creative and energized. I am so much happier and more productive as an entrepreneur than I ever was working for others. It is all about controlling your calendar. I no longer try to squeeze in more meetings or hit multiple events at night. As an entrepreneur, I can be selective. Less really is more. I’ve chosen quality over quantity. It sounds trivial but it is true. I created a platform to do work I enjoy and feel energized by. I feel I have found my purpose because I used to work all the time and life was passing me by. I got raises and promotions but I was all work and no play and I did not feel fulfilled. Since starting my business I have joined boards and volunteered at several organizations. I am a mentor to the next generation of leaders and have helped build a very successful anti-bullying program that >250,000 middle school aged kids have gone through. As an entrepreneur I am able to write articles, contribute to books and speak at events to share my experience and lessons learned. .
I'd much rather be remembered by a few dear people on rainy days as the friend you could talk with for hours in front of the fireplace, in a coffee shop, on the phone or on warm days when taking a walk together than have my name on a building or plaque that thousands of people pass and never notice or wonder who I was and why my name was there. Making a lasting impression on the people who mean the most to me is what I really care about, and I want to be remembered for the right reasons: for being kind, warm, sincere, generous, unique, special, funny and fun. Being remembered as an entrepreneur or leader matters less to me than being remembered as someone who was a good listener, gave great advice, showed good judgment, and really cared about what I did and who I did it with every day.
As a result of losing my loved ones, my definition of success changed a lot. Instead of looking at finish lines like #s/job titles/houses/cars/level of public profile I factor in things like whether I get to do work that at least sometimes lets me feel like I made a genuine difference in the lives of other people. Being helpful to my husband/friends/clients/nieces/nephews/ godkids/mentees makes me happy. By touching the next generation my impact will continue long after I’m gone. It is great knowing my experience and hard fought lessons learned can be put to good use as a wife/advisor/coach/consultant/friend /volunteer/ aunt/godmother/Board member.
I am just trying to leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives. After losing my loved ones I learned firsthand no one on their deathbed wishes they worked more/made more money/won more awards.
They just want to be with the ones they love most to tell them they mattered. I think of those people often and the roles they played in my life. I want to be remembered for passing along the very best in me to others so their lives are better and happier in some way because I was part of it. That’s pretty much it. I try not to sweat the small stuff, it's just a distraction.
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