A special editorial from AGP Principal Paul J. Bean

Flying back from Michigan amidst one of the worst cold fronts in recent memory, my thoughts revolved not around the sub-zero temperatures, but my grandfather's funeral. At 90 years of age, he lived a full and feisty life. A tall man with a John Wayne-like presence, he could be summed up in some simple terms: proud, family oriented, passionate, irascible, funny, a sportsman and an armchair detective all rolled into one. It also struck me how these were more than mere adjectives, they all pointed to a legacy of laughter, love and adventure.

During the flights I had plenty of time to reminisce, but during the layovers I found myself with plenty of time to read. Catching up on newspapers and magazines, I read all about politics, talks of a national recession looming, global angst, etc., etc.

One particular article stood out. It talked about how major financial institutions are looking to their small business clientele to "cinch their lending belts." The article conveyed that seemingly overnight, even the most generous of corporate lenders turned ultra-conservative. The backlash, of course, is a wave of small businesses going under and those in "start up" mode may be severely hindered. But who can blame these institutions? As they used to say, 'there's a depression on.'

Now, we don't have a depression. We may not even have a recession. But, if a recession does get a stranglehold on the economy, small businesses will only be the first wave of those affected. The average consumer will be next and they'll face increasingly conservative lending guidelines, among other ramifications. We will be (and have been) encouraged to spend and stimulate the economy, but really, how many big-ticket items will consumers want to finance when no one wants to lend?

The implications are scary. But, then again, I stayed awake in history class. As a nation, we've experienced "hard times" before. This isn't the first or last, so I ask:

What do you want your legacy to be?

It's actually not a tough question to answer. The bottom line is actually pretty simple: tough times don't last forever. They always pass and lead to better times. But regardless of whether you or your company is prosperous or poor, your legacy will endure.

You must ask yourself, personally and professionally: Do you want to be known as someone who was there for others when the times got tough. Or will you be known as the one whose fear drove them to make decisions that hurt and alienated others.

My grandfather never really worried about the economy. A skilled tool and die man with his own dental apparatus company on the side, he never lacked for work or good people to work with. In fact, he left behind him a trail of co-workers and clients with nothing but good things to say about him. And if he did worry about the economy or his job, he'd never show it. He never seemed afraid of things that concerned his livelihood. Maybe he stayed awake in history class, too. Or maybe he just wanted to be remembered as rising above it. In any case, congratulations, Richard Hickok, you succeeded.

Dear readers, thank you for listening to me talk about my grandfather's legacy. Now, let me ask you...what will yours be?

Paul J. Bean
Principal, Avant Garde Productions