Every year after the Summer Growth Summit, we take a vacation to decompress. This year, we flew directly to Guatemala, but with a greater purpose this time.
A longtime mentor of mine, Steve Lewine, passed away suddenly last year. This week, his life was commemorated in Guatemala with the inauguration of a school and early-childhood learning center he helped build in a rural community there.
We were among 35 people who traveled from the United States to honor Steve and meet the students and teachers whose lives he touched.
Steve believed deeply in helping children and families gain access to resources we take for granted.
Early in his career, he was an investment banker working across Central and South America. Later, he became a financial planner, allowing him to travel less and invest more time locally.
That is when he came into our lives, helping my family build financial security.
The funny thing is, after Steve helped us get our finances and estate in order, he immediately started talking to us about how we could give our money away.
He was always pushing us to give more.
One tool he strongly believed in was the donor-advised fund, which allows a family to dedicate money to charity while maximizing its tax benefits. Look it up if you want to learn more.
At first, I thought Steve was being a little presumptuous. But after seeing his charitable work firsthand, I understand that he was operating from an optimistic, service-oriented view of the world.
For decades, he traveled throughout Latin America, helping build schools, hospitals, roads, and other essential infrastructure.
He could have stayed home and simply enjoyed his wealth. Instead, he invested his time and money helping others—both in the community where I raised my children and in communities across Latin America.
Steve was president of Builders Beyond Borders, an organization that takes high-school students to developing countries to work on service projects. Two of my children participated during high school.
After returning from his first trip at age 15, my son Max said, “My life has been changed forever!”
That may be the most powerful aspect of Steve’s legacy. His generosity didn’t just help people directly; it inspired many others to experience the fulfillment of giving back.
Standing at that school in Guatemala reminded me, again, that when your life is over, you will be remembered primarily for the people you have touched.
At our Summit, Troy Clogg even talked about how giving back drives his “why.”
While business success creates personal security, its greater value comes from what it allows you to do for others.
Perhaps this is the real measure of wealth: the number of lives you touch.
Your Challenge
Don’t wait until you are retired—or until you feel you have “made it”—to begin building this legacy.
You can start today by asking yourself:
- Who can I help beyond my immediate family and clients?
- How can I use my experience, relationships, and resources to create opportunities for others?
- What do I want people to say I contributed after I am gone?
Consider one of these concrete actions.
- Mentor a young leader—or a young person through an organization such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Choose a cause that your family or company can support deeply, as we have done with Son of a Saint in our new home of New Orleans.
- Share your personal or company expertise with someone or someplace that is in need; every bit counts.
Your legacy, just like your company, will not be built through a single grand gesture. Rather, it will be built through actions, big and small, repeated over the years.
Thank you, Steve, for showing me and my family what it means to give back.
Now it is our turn.
Go get ’em, Jeffrey Scott!
The view from a hillside overlooking Antigua; one of 37 volcanoes in Guatemala
The school has a vibrant music program; they played for us as part of the celebration
The students performed traditional dances for us.
Corine (my partner) dancing with one of the students.
