Spoiler alert: You don’t have to be an icon to make history. You just need to build something that lasts.

“Legacy isn’t about people remembering my name. It’s about whether the structure still exists when I’m gone.”
— Kimfer Flanery-Rye, on The Luxe Leap Podcast

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Leave your mark.”

But what if your mark wasn’t a spotlight moment or a viral post?

What if it was a policy?
A pledge?
A shift in how power moves behind the scenes?

In this week’s The Luxe Leap episode, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Kimfer Flanery-Rye, the powerhouse behind Inclusion Equals and The F-Bomb Breakfast Club, to unpack a very real (and rarely spoken) truth:

Legacy isn’t created by clout. It’s created by structure.

Why So Many Women Consultants Are Craving More Than Revenue

Let’s get one thing straight: You’re not here for just sales goals.
You’re here for something more layered. More meaningful. More sovereign.

You want to:

• Build something that creates ripple effects long after the project ends
• Be known not just for your visibility, but for the vision that changed how others operate
• Create uncommon wealth—and define success on your own terms

And in this episode, Kimfer drops one of the most potent reminders I’ve heard in a while:

“A lot of icons have legacies. But most legacies don’t require icon status.”

Let that sink in. You don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room.
You just have to build something worth keeping.

The DEI Pledge That Became a National Standard

Back in 2020, amid pandemic chaos and racial injustice, Kimfer and I (along with a coalition of courageous colleagues across the country) spearheaded the creation of the DEI Pledge within the American Marketing Association.

It wasn’t flashy.
It didn’t come with press releases or brand deals.

It came with resistance. Complexity. And a very real emotional cost.

But guess what?

It still stands.

It’s now a foundational framework inside AMA chapters nationwide—woven into how they operate, hire, and lead. And while few may know the names behind it, the impact is undeniable.

That’s what I call quiet power.

That’s what happens when women consultants stop waiting for permission—and instead start building structures that outlive their LinkedIn posts.

The Real Work of Building a Legacy Brand

Too many consultants focus on building businesses that look impressive—without ever designing the backend to be impactful.

But at some point, your work has to go beyond proposals and project plans.

It has to ask:

• What systems am I leaving behind?
• What change happens in rooms I’ll never enter?
• What could thrive without me micromanaging it?

Kimfer’s decision to build legacy through structure—not ego—is a masterclass in extraordinary brand building.

Because an extraordinary brand doesn’t just get you clients.
It gets you credibility, influence, and longevity.

It’s not built just to close deals.
It’s built to change industries.

The Luxe Truth Most Won’t Tell You

You don’t have to scale to 7-figures to make your brand unforgettable.
You don’t have to go viral to be valuable.
You don’t have to be the face of every initiative to be the force behind one.

Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is create something that can’t be undone.

And that’s exactly what legacy brands do.

They shatter ceilings.
They shift systems.
They leave structures, not just stories.

Build It Bold. Build It Quiet. Just Make It Last.

If you’re a woman consultant who’s been quietly doing the work behind the scenes—you are the movement.

And if you’re craving the next layer of impact and infrastructure in your brand, this podcast episode is your blueprint.

Listen to Kimfer’s full story on The Luxe Leap Podcast—and learn how to build a brand that lasts, scales, and leaves a legacy.