IMPACT - The word's been wrung out by pitch decks, panel discussions, and Instagram captions until it means just about everything and at the same time, absolutely nothing. Apparently, every product launch is "impactful", every selfie is "raising awareness", and every spreadsheet tweak is "driving change."
Here's the truth: Impact Is Real! We feel it. We see it. And yet, we absolutely know when it is NOT there.
Let's talk about what impact actually means - and what it doesn't.
If I had to define it, I'd say, in simple terms, impact is the influence you have on the world around you.
Are you making things better? Or worse? Is your energy contagious in a way that lifts others, or does it quietly drain the room? Do people leave your presence more hopeful, more grounded, more...themselves? Or...are they a little more anxious? A little less confident? A little less optimistic?
Impact is not a dashboard metric. It's the ripple effect you don't always get to see.
Sometimes, even when you're doing everything right, the impact doesn't show up the way you imagined. We see this in business all the time. You work hard, you stay aligned, you pour into your community, and you model everything you want to see in the world.
And yet, it doesn't always take.
It's especially tough when it's close to home - when you're trying to instill certain values in your kids, but those values don't get reinforced everywhere they go. You want to believe your example is enough. Many days, you trust it will be. However, other days it's really hard not to wonder and worry.
So what do you do? YOU KEEP SHOWING UP!!! Not perfectly, but consistently.
THAT is impact, and unfortunately it is sometimes quieter than you'd hoped.
In today's society, especially in the age of social media, it's easy to confuse impact with applause. We've all done it. The likes, comments, shares, glowing feedback - they feel like proof that something landed. What if they're nothing more than proof that something was seen?
Sometimes the most impactful things you do are also the least visible. For example, the work you pour into a local initiative that lifts other small businesses behind the scenes. Or the hours you spend making something better for someone else, knowing no one's going to post about it.
Visibility does not equal value. Read that again - visibility does not equal value.
Yes, I know how hard that is to remember when the algorithm is giving more love to a lame pumpkin spice meme than your community advocacy. 
Soooo...who is getting it right?
Comment below with shoutouts to the people who remind us what real impact looks like. For me, it's folks like Dan Klehm over at Convict Coffee Company. Dan is someone who is building so much more than a business. He's building second chances, purpose, and something that cannot be faked. You feel it in the mission, in the energy, and in all the good Dan and his team are doing for the community.
That is influence. That is how you leave your mark on the world around you.
Keep in mind, the quiet wins matter, too! Not all impact needs to be public.
Sometimes it looks like helping a client get their finances in order, so they can finally buy their first home. Or it means walking with someone through a tough decision or a troubling time and helping them see what's possible on the other side. Sometimes it's just knowing that someone chose you to help them move from one chapter in life to the next - and not taking that lightly.
We feel that every day in real estate...and we NEVER stop being humbled by and incredibly grateful for it.
Soooo...what counts?
Coming back to my personal gut-check:
If no one ever saw what I built, would I still be proud of it?
Would I still be proud of the way we've built our home? The kind of love that fills it? Our business that's growing rapidly, out of pure passion and determination? The way we've tried - REALLY tried - to show our community how much they mean to us?
YES!! Screaming it from the rooftops, YES, I WOULD!!
If that's not impact...maybe I'm not really sure what is.
Friends, if you're chasing influence - consider pausing and asking yourself if you're also building integrity.
If you've created reach, ask if you're also creating resonance.
The world doesn't need more people who LOOK impactful.
The world needs more people who ARE impactful.
