Sharing It All

I was moved by Victoria's blog post this week sharing her personal story. It was evident after reading it that the annual Lawyers with Purpose Practice Enhancement Retreat not only impacted our members and Victoria, but it had a tremendous impact on me as well. Keynote speaker George Ira Carroll talked about the importance of sharing with the world your personal story, unique to you, and his advice truly resonated.

As we began the first day of the retreat, George had me share my story about growing up the youngest of 10 kids in an Italian family that has now grown to a mere 54. Growing up in a neighborhood with lots of kids, and no computers or video games, forced us to play Kick the Can, Red Rover, and Red Light, Green Light. A unique element of those years involved a family business of wholesale foods, in which my mom was the CEO and my dad was the head of sales. I didn't know it wasn't normal for a woman to run a company in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. I further shared my excitement that over the 25 years they ran the business, they increased it 35-fold. I learned so many lessons along the way that now are a treasure trove for success in my life.

I was thrilled to be able to “one up” everyone at the retreat by sharing more than my personal story. On Wednesday night at the cocktail reception I shared some very special people to me: my wife, my three children, and my 88 year-old parents. Although sharing my story was great, I must admit that sharing my family with our members was more rewarding than I ever anticipated. My parents were like celebrities, as they have always been to me. The most unexpected gift occurred when my children interacted with our members, leading my 14-year-old son to say to me, “Wow dad, it was amazing. So many people came up to me and said how much they'd learned from you and how much you'd changed their lives.”

For the last 13 years of my traveling to do Lawyers with Purpose training, all my son knew was that his dad was leaving again, never understanding what I did when I traveled. Experiencing firsthand the people who came up to him compelled to share their stories, that changed his life. I must admit, I was very hesitant to share my personal story, let alone my precious family. Members were thrilled, but what I never expected was the invaluable, irreplaceable experience that changed my son’s perspective forever. Now, as I prepare to leave home again for LWP, my son tells me only to have fun. What I learned from George and from the experience overall is that the more we share of ourselves, the greater the relationships we have with those around us and the greater the love we have to share. I encourage you to share your story with your clients, co-workers, and friends, because the rewards can be amazing.

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder of MPS, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center