Living Your Legacy

What does it take to rise from homelessness to becoming one of America's most respected attorneys?
In this episode of Living Your Legacy, Ken Sterling shares the unconventional path that shaped his career in media and tech law. Drawing from experiences that began with hardship, Hollywood dealmaking, and exposure to high-stakes business transactions, Ken reveals why success is ultimately built on people, not contracts. He discusses the importance of empathy in leadership, the dangers of short-term thinking, and how entrepreneurs can create lasting impact by putting stakeholders before profits. Along the way, he offers insights into venture capital, intellectual property, business growth, and the mindset required to build a meaningful legacy that extends far beyond financial success.
Key Takeaways
• Why business is a people-first endeavor, not a deals-first endeavor
• How empathy and listening became Ken's greatest competitive advantage
• The lessons he learned from experiencing homelessness as a teenager
• What founders need to understand before entering major VC funding negotiations
• Why lasting success comes from creating value while serving others
Notable Quotes
• "The practice of law isn't a deals-first business. It's a people-first business."
• "Do well by doing good."
• "Everything is people first. So why shouldn't it apply to business?"
• "Understanding and empathizing with people is what makes me a top lawyer."
• "When people are shortsighted and focus on the dollar instead of people, that's when problems happen."

What happens when a single mother with four young children refuses to accept the future someone else planned for her?
In this episode of Living Your Legacy, Taryn Jalomo shares the remarkable journey that transformed adversity into opportunity. After escaping a difficult divorce and facing the challenge of supporting her family alone, she discovered an unexpected talent that would change everything. Guided by mentors, fueled by determination, and committed to lifelong learning, Taryn built a thriving tax strategy firm that now helps business owners keep more of what they earn.
She reveals why most entrepreneurs wait too long to think about tax planning, the costly mistakes that business owners make, and how financial education can create lasting generational impact. Along the way, she shares lessons about resilience, confidence, mentorship, and building a legacy that extends beyond business into family and community.
Key Takeaways
• How Taryn transformed a difficult divorce into the foundation for a successful business
• Why tax planning should happen before tax season, not after
• The importance of finding mentors who recognize your potential
• How specialization creates greater business growth and expertise
• Why entrepreneurs should focus on their strengths and outsource the rest
Notable Quotes
• "It's not dollars for hours. You're paying for my experience and expertise."
• "You don't know what you don't know."
• "If it's meant to be, it's up to me."
• "You should do what you love, what you're good at, and stay in your lane."
• "A tax return is just a report card."

Growing up with a single mother, Jodie Kirchofner learned early that hard work was non-negotiable. What she never expected was that a leap of faith at just 22 years old would launch a journey that transformed a small-town salon into a thriving collection of businesses and a platform for inspiring beauty professionals around the world.
In this episode of Living Your Legacy, Jodie shares how she went from feeling isolated after moving to rural North Dakota to becoming a salon owner, educator, entrepreneur, and leader who has worked New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. She reveals how embracing opportunity, leading with purpose, and empowering others helped her build far more than businesses.
Listeners will discover lessons on leadership, entrepreneurship, personal growth, resilience, and creating a meaningful legacy through service, creativity, and impact.
Key Takeaways
• Start before you feel ready and trust that clarity comes through action.
• Leadership is about building people, not just businesses.
• Opportunities often appear when you remain open and willing to act.
• Success comes from creating experiences that make people feel valued.
• Legacy is built daily through service, influence, and empowering others.
Notable Quotes
• "Things just kind of happen for me. I make them happen."
• "If you don't love what you do, you're going to not love your life."
• "I just want to inspire people."
• "My whole journey in this world is really about leaving the world better than I got here with."
• "You just have to be open to it and open your mind to it."

After losing her husband to stage four colon cancer, battling bipolar disorder, failing the bar exam, and facing overwhelming debt, Hilary Chaney refuses to let tragedy define her future. Instead, she rebuilds her life one disciplined step at a time, transforming heartbreak into purpose and creating a thriving real estate investing business. In this episode of Living Your Legacy, Hilary shares the mindset, habits, and hard-earned lessons that helped her navigate grief, mental health challenges, financial hardship, and entrepreneurship. She opens up about resilience, finding the gold in people, building wealth through real estate, and why discipline, commitment, and consistency became the foundation of her success. For anyone facing setbacks, uncertainty, or personal loss, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that another sunrise is always possible.
Key Takeaways
Discipline, commitment, and consistency create momentum even during life's darkest seasons.
Financial freedom begins when you confront the "monster under the bed" instead of avoiding it.
Building the right team of professionals can accelerate growth and reduce overwhelm.
Personal tragedy can become a catalyst for creating purpose and long-term wealth.
Receiving love, support, and help from others is often the key to lasting transformation.

Notable Quotes
"Discipline, commitment, and consistency."
"Not having money is the monster under my bed."
"Good debt builds wealth."
"There is always another sunrise."
"Find out who you are, and do it on purpose."

What does it take to build a successful law firm when you have no lawyers in your family, no roadmap to follow, and few mentors to guide the way?
In this episode of Living Your Legacy, Bethany Schneider shares the journey from a determined young student who simply loved to argue to becoming the founder of Schneider Injury Law. She opens up about navigating the legal profession, earning trial experience in high-stakes litigation, building a thriving personal injury law practice, and learning the difficult leadership lessons that come with entrepreneurship.
Bethany discusses the realities of running a business, the importance of mentorship for women in leadership, and why innovation, resilience, and strong boundaries are essential for long-term success. Her story offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs, attorneys, and anyone striving to create a lasting legacy through leadership and service.
Key Takeaways
• How a simple piece of advice from her mother shaped Bethany's entire career path
• Why trial experience became the foundation of her success in personal injury law
• The challenges of building a business in a traditionally male-dominated profession
• The importance of mentorship and creating opportunities for the next generation of women leaders
• Why entrepreneurs must continuously innovate while maintaining healthy leadership boundaries
Notable Quotes
• "Once I decide something, I set my mind to it and I'm going to achieve it."
• "You really can't ever rest on what you did yesterday."
• "Somebody's always going to be outthinking you."
• "You have to perform better than everybody else."
• "Never stop hustling."