There’s something both humbling and energizing about sitting at a table with a mountain of books in front of you, each one about to go into the hands of someone who will carry a part of your message into their own life. Signing 700 copies of Summits of Self for attendees wasn’t just about putting ink on paper — it was about realizing the ripple effect that leadership and storytelling can create.
In business, leadership, and life, our influence is rarely measured by the single conversations we have in the moment. It’s measured by how far those conversations travel after we’ve had them. Every decision, every idea, every story we share has the potential to reach beyond the immediate audience if we’re intentional about how we share it.
When I climb mountains, the effort is intensely personal — one step at a time, feeling every meter gained. But a book, much like a keynote, has a different kind of reach. It travels without me, landing in the hands of people I may never meet. It sparks conversations in offices, classrooms, and living rooms that I’ll never hear, but that still matter deeply. That’s the power of multiplying your message.
Leaders sometimes underestimate the value of codifying their lessons, experiences, and values into something tangible and shareable. Whether it’s a book, a mentorship program, a company-wide initiative, or a keynote address, the more accessible and repeatable your message is, the more it can create lasting change.
But multiplying your message doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clarity — knowing exactly what you stand for and the impact you want to create. It requires consistency — reinforcing those key ideas in different contexts so they stick. And it requires connection — crafting your message so that people see themselves in it and want to carry it forward.
In my leadership programs, I often encourage teams and executives to think beyond their immediate influence and ask: How can this idea live beyond this meeting? Beyond this quarter? Beyond me? Because when your message can travel further than you can, it creates a legacy of leadership that outlasts the moment.
Whether you’re signing 700 books, leading a strategic initiative, or launching a new vision for your team, the goal is the same: to ensure that what you’ve built, taught, or inspired has a life of its own. That’s how you move from making an impact today to shaping the future tomorrow.