What will you be remembered for?

I found myself over the Irish Sea in Dublin last week for my late grandfather’s funeral. A sombre occasion of course, but it was also a true celebration of a memorable man’s life.

He was an old-fashioned patriarch and a massive figure in my and my family’s life. He was a rogue, a raconteur, an entrepreneur and a family man. Only a week ago we spoke on the phone where, in his typically rambunctious brogue, he asked, “How’s the business, Girl?”.

Speaking to everyone who knew the man, one thing was clear: he made an impression, he made people feel a certain way and they remembered him for it (although he didn’t always get it right). I met so many people that he had helped on the way: helping youngsters complete their education, supporting others as they got started in ‘the trade’, setting up his trade body and so much more. What better testament can there be for a life?

And there’s a lesson there for all of us, in both our personal lives and our businesses.

Getting caught up in the wrong details

We’re so often caught up with details that simply aren’t that important in the long run. Businesses and people are looking to go viral in the latest social media craze or capitalise on short-sighted marketing strategies.

Billions are spent in marketing budgets every year on achieving these quickfire results and while there’s a place for that in marketing, both personal and professional, it’s no substitute for simply doing right by your people, providing a tangible benefit to your clients, and doing it with consistency over a long period.

Once you achieve that, it will naturally become the focus of your marketing investments and your storytelling, and will be much more effective than any quick-fire fad or social media craze.

Don’t get fancy before you can do the simple things well

Take my team at Luma Marketing.

We love all the fancy marketing methods as much as the next agency, but our bread and butter, the thing that brings us repeat business and helps us live in the memory of those we work with, is how we treat people and the results we bring.

A lesson I learned from The Old Man.

RIP Gerry.