What Legacy are You Building?

I talk to my connections a lot about the reasons why I am an entrepreneur. If you have been following me for a while, you know that what I am about is making a big impact for others and using my skills. 

I want to help people find the work that excites them, that fulfills them, and that helps them find the balance they want in their lives. Entrepreneurship has been that for me, something that has frankly shocked me. I never imagined owning my own business, even though I come from a family rich in entrepreneurship. Ellis Needham, my grandfather, is one of the most amazing business minds that I’ve ever known. 

He was born to a family that was impoverished and he, though urban located, hunted squirrels, fished and gathered dandelions to put food on the table as a child. He never graduated high school, but instead married my grandmother in 1960 when he was only 16. Their first daughter was born in December that year, my dad and his two brothers following suit soon after. 

Papa worked labor jobs, mostly in manufacturing. His father had been a laborer at a local pet food company (actually how he met my grandma as her dad was too) but the company that my grandfather worked at as a young man did custom metal plating work. I think I asked him one time what kind of work he stated out doing at ICI and he laughed and said he did it all. I don’t think he was exaggerating, that wasn’t his way. 

After many years of work, he had the chance to buy into the business as a partner, and eventually to buy out the owner. This was financially nearly impossible for him. 

Raising 4 children, with only a GED, the banks refused his loan. I don’t know how he scraped up the money to buy it or who he got to take a chance on him— but it was important to him. He saw a way to make that investment work for he and his family even when they didn’t have the money to invest. 

My grandmother once told me that she hasn’t always understood the investments that my Papa made. Sometimes they would make her angry as she would only see the sacrifices they would have to make to invest. I’m sure there have been a few that have gone badly, but on the whole, he’s been incredibly successful. He has grown his business from a small, mostly local plating company to a custom steel design and manufacturing company that serves agricultural companies the world over. 

My grandparents started their marriage with almost nothing but one another and a baby. He finally bought out the company in full around the time that I was born in his early 40’s. Even though he “retired” almost 10 years ago, he has gone to work 3 days a week and worked from home many more out of a love for his company, customers and business. In the time since buying the company, over 200 people per year have been employed by him including at various times my grandmother, all my aunts and uncles, my parents, my brothers, my cousin and even myself. 

I think especially in America, we have a perception of people who run their own businesses as those that care more about money than people or the environment. We dehumanize them for making more money than the laborers who “do the work.” In fact, I recently read a quote about female entrepreneurs and the lack of positive role models in media that said “the message is that it’s okay to be an entrepreneur, as long as you aren’t making money out of it (Denise Duffeild-Thomas).” 

I had the privilege to see a different side to entrepreneurship. To see the late nights and very early mornings. To see his pain when the agriculture industry impacted his business to the point of needing to lay off many of his workers. To hear his frustrations. And to see his unfailing energy and dedication. 

He never sat still. He never took no for an answer. And he never allowed himself to be a victim. 

A little over a week ago, I was talking with my grandma and he interrupted our conversation and asked for the phone. I had been keeping him updated about my business and the changes that I’ve been making in it— how exciting it has been, how scary but how thrilling it is to have such a big impact on people. He told me how proud he was of me for doing this business and for meeting my goals. He told me that he loved me. 

And then yesterday he died unexpectedly. 

I’m so grateful for his example of following your dreams, not giving up and taking the big chances. Everyone— and I do mean everyone— has it in them to do the same. 

Do it for yourself. Do it for your legacy.

I’m going to do it for Ellis.