IG@bettyannehoward Dr. Mike Robinson: Precisely what is legacy building?
Betty Anne-Howard: You know, people often think of legacy as something that happens after we’re gone — a foundation, a scholarship, a line in a will. But to me, legacy building is actually something that happens while we’re alive. It’s how we live, love, and lead in ways that reflect what truly matters to us.
Legacy isn’t about leaving money behind; it’s about living our values forward. It’s the daily practice of aligning our actions — financial and otherwise — with the story we most want to tell about who we are.When I was working as a financial planner, I saw that many people — especially women — didn’t see themselves as legacy builders because no one had ever invited them into that conversation. But the truth is, every choice we make — where we spend, give, and even how we talk about money — is part of the legacy we’re creating.So for me, legacy building is a creative act. It’s storytelling. It’s taking the threads of our experiences — the struggles, the values, the dreams — and weaving them into something that can outlast us and still feel alive.
Tara - it’s what I leave behind - wisdom and values and resources - a cache/collection of wisdom, values and resources
Jingling- different aspects to building a legacy in different ways - personal/family, professional legacy - community (social legacy)
Dr. Mike Robinson: How does one start, and what indicators show that the legacy has been built?Betty Anne-Howard: I always say: you start by listening. Not to the noise around you, but to the quiet truth inside, the part that knows what matters most. Ask yourself: What am I proud of? What am I willing to stand for?
Legacy begins there, with noticing where your joy and your values meet. Then start to align your choices with those values. It might mean using your financial resources differently, giving more intentionally, or even changing how you talk about money in your family. When your money and your meaning start moving in the same direction, you’ve begun.
And how do you know it’s working? You’ll feel it.
You’ll notice a sense of coherence, that who you are, what you believe, and how you live are finally in conversation with each other. Legacy shows up in the ripple effects: a daughter who grows up unafraid of talking about money, a community project that continues because of your early seed funding, or the simple peace of knowing your resources are now telling the same story as your heart.
That’s the sign your legacy isn’t just built, it’s alive.
Tara - you have to think about what’s important to you, like appreciative inquiry - paint the picture, what does that look like and what do I want it to look like - be intentional - it’s never done
Jingling - you have to clarify what matters most to you first, live your values intentionally
Dr. Mike Robinson: What are examples of legacies, and are there specific legacies parents should create and pass on? (Tara and Jingling - it’s the Stories we share)
Betty Anne-Howard: There are endless kinds of legacies. Some are tangible; a scholarship fund, a family business, a garden that continues to bloom year after year. And some are intangible; a family story told honestly, a relationship healed, a generation freed from shame around money.
The most powerful legacies aren’t about accumulation; they’re about transformation. If I could choose the legacies I hope every parent passes on, they’d be these:
● The legacy of curiosity — helping children ask questions, not just follow rules.
● The legacy of compassion — modelling generosity not just with money, but with empathy and care.
● The legacy of agency — showing them they can shape their own world.
● And my personal favourite: the legacy of imagination — the courage to dream beyond the stories we’ve been handed.
That last one is close to my heart because imagination is what saved me as a child, and what led me to create my non-binary alien character, Sam. Through Sam’s eyes, I explore how humans relate to money, power, and love, and how much freer we become when we allow ourselves to re-imagine those relationships.
So when I think of legacy, I think of it not as a monument, but as a movement, something living and growing that carries our essence forward in ways the next generation can build on and reshape for themselves.
BETTY-ANNE HOWARD
For over 25 years, Betty-Anne has been guiding individuals, couples, and families to realize their financial dreams. Prior to that time, she worked as a social worker and taught at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College in Kingston. She currently specializes in strategic philanthropic planning and has redirected millions of dollars to the charitable sector while dramatically reducing taxes for those clients she has assisted.
Betty-Anne is an accomplished author and speaker. She has been interviewed by many different publications including The Globe and Mail, Carleton University’s publication, Philanthropy in Action and featured in other charity newsletters. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners having been their Ottawa Education Chair Chair of the Ottawa Chapter and Chair of the Executive. For two years she served as a Trustee at the Institute for Advanced Financial Education and was actively involved on the Executive Committee with the Kingston Chapter of Advocis.
She’s been honoured with numerous awards for her public speaking and has facilitated a variety of inspirational talks to organizations such as the Ottawa Estate Planning Council, Friends of the Earth Canada, Action Canada and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners.
Betty-Anne has been an active Board and Committee member for such organizations as Queen’s University Ban Righ Foundation, the Kingston Unitarian Fellowship, the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre and the Kingston Arts Council. She has been on the Board of the Kingston District Health Council where her involvement was instrumental in obtaining Ministry of Health Funding for the first Sexual Assault Crisis Centre in Canada.
Betty-Anne lives with her spouse and adopted golden doodle, Phoenix, on beautiful Bass Lake between Kingston and Ottawa. They love spending time with their two horses, Thor and Copper.
Betty Anne-Howard: You know, people often think of legacy as something that happens after we’re gone — a foundation, a scholarship, a line in a will. But to me, legacy building is actually something that happens while we’re alive. It’s how we live, love, and lead in ways that reflect what truly matters to us.
Legacy isn’t about leaving money behind; it’s about living our values forward. It’s the daily practice of aligning our actions — financial and otherwise — with the story we most want to tell about who we are.When I was working as a financial planner, I saw that many people — especially women — didn’t see themselves as legacy builders because no one had ever invited them into that conversation. But the truth is, every choice we make — where we spend, give, and even how we talk about money — is part of the legacy we’re creating.So for me, legacy building is a creative act. It’s storytelling. It’s taking the threads of our experiences — the struggles, the values, the dreams — and weaving them into something that can outlast us and still feel alive.
Tara - it’s what I leave behind - wisdom and values and resources - a cache/collection of wisdom, values and resources
Jingling- different aspects to building a legacy in different ways - personal/family, professional legacy - community (social legacy)
Dr. Mike Robinson: How does one start, and what indicators show that the legacy has been built?Betty Anne-Howard: I always say: you start by listening. Not to the noise around you, but to the quiet truth inside, the part that knows what matters most. Ask yourself: What am I proud of? What am I willing to stand for?
Legacy begins there, with noticing where your joy and your values meet. Then start to align your choices with those values. It might mean using your financial resources differently, giving more intentionally, or even changing how you talk about money in your family. When your money and your meaning start moving in the same direction, you’ve begun.
And how do you know it’s working? You’ll feel it.
You’ll notice a sense of coherence, that who you are, what you believe, and how you live are finally in conversation with each other. Legacy shows up in the ripple effects: a daughter who grows up unafraid of talking about money, a community project that continues because of your early seed funding, or the simple peace of knowing your resources are now telling the same story as your heart.
That’s the sign your legacy isn’t just built, it’s alive.
Tara - you have to think about what’s important to you, like appreciative inquiry - paint the picture, what does that look like and what do I want it to look like - be intentional - it’s never done
Jingling - you have to clarify what matters most to you first, live your values intentionally
Dr. Mike Robinson: What are examples of legacies, and are there specific legacies parents should create and pass on? (Tara and Jingling - it’s the Stories we share)
Betty Anne-Howard: There are endless kinds of legacies. Some are tangible; a scholarship fund, a family business, a garden that continues to bloom year after year. And some are intangible; a family story told honestly, a relationship healed, a generation freed from shame around money.
The most powerful legacies aren’t about accumulation; they’re about transformation. If I could choose the legacies I hope every parent passes on, they’d be these:
● The legacy of curiosity — helping children ask questions, not just follow rules.
● The legacy of compassion — modelling generosity not just with money, but with empathy and care.
● The legacy of agency — showing them they can shape their own world.
● And my personal favourite: the legacy of imagination — the courage to dream beyond the stories we’ve been handed.
That last one is close to my heart because imagination is what saved me as a child, and what led me to create my non-binary alien character, Sam. Through Sam’s eyes, I explore how humans relate to money, power, and love, and how much freer we become when we allow ourselves to re-imagine those relationships.
So when I think of legacy, I think of it not as a monument, but as a movement, something living and growing that carries our essence forward in ways the next generation can build on and reshape for themselves.
BETTY-ANNE HOWARD
For over 25 years, Betty-Anne has been guiding individuals, couples, and families to realize their financial dreams. Prior to that time, she worked as a social worker and taught at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College in Kingston. She currently specializes in strategic philanthropic planning and has redirected millions of dollars to the charitable sector while dramatically reducing taxes for those clients she has assisted.
Betty-Anne is an accomplished author and speaker. She has been interviewed by many different publications including The Globe and Mail, Carleton University’s publication, Philanthropy in Action and featured in other charity newsletters. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners having been their Ottawa Education Chair Chair of the Ottawa Chapter and Chair of the Executive. For two years she served as a Trustee at the Institute for Advanced Financial Education and was actively involved on the Executive Committee with the Kingston Chapter of Advocis.
She’s been honoured with numerous awards for her public speaking and has facilitated a variety of inspirational talks to organizations such as the Ottawa Estate Planning Council, Friends of the Earth Canada, Action Canada and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners.
Betty-Anne has been an active Board and Committee member for such organizations as Queen’s University Ban Righ Foundation, the Kingston Unitarian Fellowship, the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre and the Kingston Arts Council. She has been on the Board of the Kingston District Health Council where her involvement was instrumental in obtaining Ministry of Health Funding for the first Sexual Assault Crisis Centre in Canada.
Betty-Anne lives with her spouse and adopted golden doodle, Phoenix, on beautiful Bass Lake between Kingston and Ottawa. They love spending time with their two horses, Thor and Copper.