Standing at the crossroads of life, I often find myself reflecting on a question that is both simple and profound: If I had to dedicate my life to just one pursuit: wealth, fame, value, or service, which would it be? This question is not just theoretical; it serves as a compass that guides many women leaders as we carve out our paths in a world full of possibilities.
Each of these goals, wealth, fame, value, and service, holds a unique meaning and power in real life, especially for women striving to make their mark.
Wealth: The Foundation of Security and Freedom
Wealth often represents security, the ability to provide for oneself and others, to create opportunities, and to live with a sense of freedom. For many women, financial independence is a crucial milestone that opens doors previously closed by societal or economic barriers. Yet, wealth alone, while important, can feel hollow if it lacks purpose or connection.
Fame: Influence as a Catalyst for Change
Fame is often misunderstood as mere recognition or celebrity status. But for women leaders, fame can be a powerful tool, a platform to influence, inspire, and drive meaningful change. It is the spotlight that amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard.
I see fame as a responsibility. It is not about being a superstar but about having the influence to shape conversations, challenge norms, and open doors for others. When wielded with intention, fame becomes a catalyst for transformation.
Value: Creating Meaningful Impact
Creating value means contributing something meaningful that enriches the lives of others. It is the work that fills gaps, solves problems, and sparks growth. Lisa Funnell, Director of Communications, G-Woman Media, beautifully captures this when she says,
“My legacy centers on creating value. My goal has always been to fill in the gaps through my books, my teaching, and my communication to help educate and inspire others to think, create, and grow.”
Value is the heartbeat of lasting influence. It sustains legacies beyond fleeting moments of fame or financial success.
Service: The Heart of Legacy
Service is the selfless act of giving back, of dedicating one’s talents and time to uplift others. Alana Sharp’s words resonate deeply here:
“If I had to define my legacy through one pursuit, it would be service to others. My current business and my books align with my passion of service.”
Service is often the quiet force behind visible success, a commitment to making the world better, one act at a time.
As a best-selling author and entrepreneur serving the trauma recovery space, Alana quotes
“In my memoir, “Was it My Fault?,” I discuss healing from trauma and how EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) helped lessen triggers associated with the C-PTSD I developed from a marriage riddled in domestic abuse.”
Frankie Picasso, Co-Founder and VP Americas of G-Woman Media, shares a heartfelt perspective on service and social impact:
“Even though I’m really happy that I have a few books and paintings I get to leave behind as legacy, I truly hope I will be remembered for saying Yes to helping causes and people in need! Social impact is something really important to me... I usually ask myself—will I miss that cup of coffee or the manicure or the blouse or the meal or can I give that money to help buy shoes for kids, or train dogs for the blind or any other cause that comes up? If the answer is yes, then it’s a good day for a cause in need!”
Her words remind us that service is not just grand gestures but daily choices to prioritize others.
Leslie Holt, founder and executive director of A Child’s Light Non-profit, echoes this sentiment:
“My life has been about trying, and through that, my life is about service to other living things. I have tried every day to be of service to someone or something. Whether it’s been putting a little spider outside to live its best life or helping a lost child feel as though someone loves them, or getting up even when all I want to do is not.”
Her dedication highlights how service can be woven into the fabric of everyday life, shaping a legacy of compassion and care.
Finding Clarity in Your Path
For many of us, clarity about which path to follow is empowering. It refines our next steps, both personally and professionally. Sujata Parashar’s journey exemplifies this beautifully:
“My legacy would be the fiction/non-fiction books I write, with a special focus on women-centric issues, as well as my talk-therapy-based platform, The Talk Buddies Club, which aims to help and encourage people to express their thoughts and emotions. When I launched my platform centred on talk therapy, I aimed to provide a space where people could express themselves more effectively through conversations and creative forms. Here, the focus is on service, to spread joy.”
Her work blends creative expression with service, showing how clarity of purpose can fuel diverse yet connected pursuits.
Similarly, Swapna Abraham, Co-Founder and VP, Middle East & Asia of G-Woman Media, and a world record holder in the field of music, reflects on the challenge of choosing one focus after exploring many:
“When you’ve dabbled with several and have to choose one, and thank you for asking, it makes you still put that one down. I’ll sum my legacy with singing and songwriting. It’s where I’ve done the most of my work.”
This honesty about the journey of exploration reminds us that clarity often comes through experience and reflection.
My Journey: When Mentorship Created Value and Service
I remember early in my career, fresh out of college, stepping into the corporate world with excitement but also anxiety. I was recruited into software testing, a role many warned me would be tedious, burnout-inducing, and with no clear path for work-life balance. Yet, a mentor opened a new door for me, offering a chance to explore different roles within the company before deciding my true calling.
He did not just offer me a job; he created value for me through his service. By giving me space to explore and reflect, he empowered me to choose a path aligned with my passion, becoming an instructional designer. This experience taught me that service creates value, and value, in turn, builds influence and legacy.
Since then, my journey has been driven by curiosity and a desire to add meaningful value. Wealth came as a side effect, and fame followed modestly within my circle of peers who believe in what I do. But it is the pursuit of value and service that continues to fuel my growth and purpose.
To me, value is the ultimate pursuit, born through service, with money and fame serving as important and natural byproducts that support and amplify that pursuit.
The Legacy We Choose to Build
The pursuit of wealth, fame, value, or service is deeply personal, yet interconnected. Fame, when embraced as a platform for influence, can amplify service and value. Wealth can provide the resources to sustain these efforts. And service grounds us in purpose beyond ourselves.
“My recent venture, Ladoowali, is also a passion project, aimed at offering a healthy alternative to high-protein, no-added-sugar sweets to people and helping them live well. There's a common thread running through the different yet connected work I do: the need to experience different shades of life and spread joy. And so that's my ultimate pursuit, to continue exploring, experiencing, and evolving, and to be happy and spread happiness,” -
says novelist and entrepreneur Sujatha.
For women leaders, having clarity about which path to dedicate ourselves to is a powerful act of self-definition. It shapes how we lead, how we inspire, and how we ultimately leave our mark on the world. When prompted with this question, Alex Okoroji, Founder and President of G-Woman Media, offers a deeply personal reflection that brings the focus back to self.
“My one quest would be ME. Finding self and merging it with purpose. The reinvention, the evolution and the knowing that WHO I AM to others ultimately becomes the real impact of my legacy. That’s what they would remember. WHO I was to every single person who crossed path with me or experienced me.”
Her words remind us that legacy is not only built through external achievements, but through presence, authenticity, and the way we show up in the lives of others.
So, I ask you: which path will you choose to define your legacy? The answer may just be the story you tell yourself, and the world, about who you are and what you stand for.
