LionHawk

An Ethical Will isn’t a legal document, but a meaningful memento for loved ones before and/or after you pass on.

It can accompany your will to be read as a heartfelt memento of the meaning behind the inheritance or a way to deepen your bonds with your precious people. Some folks have told me that it could be used to show your intentions more in-depth, which some might find helpful to avoid a will being contested and going to probate. They also mentioned that a trust isn’t contestable, and it will carry out your wishes as stated. Just some food for thought.

Most people create an ethical will as a written document, but it could be an audio or video recording.

Or you can use an audio or video tool to help you draft your ethical will, then create a transcript from your recording, which you could use as the rough draft of your ethical will. Keep in mind that most spoken words don’t read as complete sentences. You will need to polish and smooth out the writing.

You can use my keepsake service to record an ethical will and have three file types, an audio, video and word document to give your loved ones.

Or you can record or write your own.

Some helpful Resource Links

• What’s An Ethical Will? And Why Should You Write One?
• How to Write an Ethical Will with Examples – The Human Side of Wealth Transfer
• Susan Turnbull’s Personal Legacy Guidebooks

Ethical Will Video Playlist

In my initial research on this topic, I gathered a collection of videos about Ethical Wills.

Legacy Keepsake

Here at LionHawk Entertainment, we offer a Specialty Keepsake: Ethical Will Recording. Click the product below to learn more and purchase this service for you or a loved one.

Even though I have hearing impairment, I enjoy listening to people and their stories. Because of my hearing loss, I practice listening closely to people.

What are your stories, history, and values? Not just what you believe, but why you believe what you believe? How were you formed and shaped into yourself?

Years ago, my father, brother, and I used to work in media production. LionHawk Communications was our production company. When our father passed away in 2011, my brother and I retired from the industry to take care of our mother and live a quiet life.

Fourteen years later, I started getting back into showbiz by first starting two podcasts after writing a book. Then it led to revamping the old LionHawk website to offer Legacy Keepsakes services.

Other than building websites, I’m not the technical genius my brother is. I can’t do audio/video editing or graphic design. But what I can do, I discovered doing two podcasts, is listen.

And I would like to listen to you. Your journey in life, your victories, your regrets, your dreams, and your values. Who are you? Why are you the you, YOU ARE today?

I want to be a better listener than I am now. Life is very much about learning by doing.

Listening to you is one of the more meaningful ways I would like to serve.

I happened to find an interesting book on how to really know people, “How To Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks.

While I’ve been doing my podcasts, I’ve been trying to find books and articles on how to interview people. But most of the search results were about job interviews, not podcasts or radio/TV shows. So I wrote my own article on my research. I didn’t find this book until after I wrote that article.

This book is so very helpful and encouraging about really getting to know people. The theme of the book is learning how to truly understand by listening.

I want to be a good listener like my mother is. I want to talk to interesting people, like you.

No slick sales pitch. No clever marketing or branding. Just two people being honest with each other. Feel free to check out my personal website and/or shoot me an email. See if you’re comfortable with telling me your story.

No pressure, there’s no sales quota. You aren’t just another client. You’re a unique and precious person who deserves courtesy and respect.

If you want to sign up for one of my legacy services, great! I look forward to getting to know you!

If you opt not to take advantage of our offers, that’s totally fine. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

There’s no funnel on this website. Poke around as you wish. Do what you think is best for you and your loved ones.

Thank you for reading. I really appreciate your time and attention.

If something isn’t clear or you have thoughts or questions, feel free to send me an email.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones.

Podcast and Keepsake Interviews are very different but have a lot of overlap with each other.

In both, you want to help steer the ship but not come across as an interrogator. Most interview situations desire for the interviewee to relax and feel comfortable with you, the interviewer.

Curious Listening

The two important principles are genuine curiosity and a listening ear.

One of my strengths is curiosity; I genuinely like meeting new people and hearing their stories. One of my challenges is not to accidentally interrupt the guest.

Instead of lots of tactics and tips, try to embody a heart where you’re truly interested in what they have to say. Personify a patient receptive listening spirit. I try to be a good listener like my Mom is. Even though she has a hearing loss, she actively listens to others in a non-hurried way. To truly listen is more a matter of being at rest with yourself and others.

In doing research for good blogs and articles on the art of interviewing, I came across this article. It’s geared more for podcasters.

The balance of steering the ship, listening to what is being said while riding the waves of the conversation with the interviewee, is challenging.

The Whole Picture

As I checked out other blogs of legacy interviewers online, I came across a helpful tip to not only focus on autobiographical information but also to ask open-ended questions to explore their experiences and perspectives.

Most people don’t just want historical data; they crave the human element.

I saw an interview with a TikTok actor who plays his “grandfather” interacting with contemporary audience members and the delight and respect they had for him.

Keepsake Interviews are a way for us to interact with living history through the people we love. It can be moving and meaningful to hear them share their stories and “what things were like.”

Today I ate a fig for the first time. My first time interacting with the actual fruit. My introduction to the concept of a fig was in Fig Newton cookies in the grocery store. I had never seen what it looked like before.

Our parents and grandparents had different experiences, and the culture has shifted over time. My perspective is that the big shifts and little day-to-day things are interesting to explore. Life has those constants: joy & tragedy, hardships and suffering, the crazy road trip to the moments of serenity doing the crossword puzzle. Life is in the big and small things.

We attempt to capture some of that. But if you think about it, Life is beautiful, terrifying, and to me, a gift.

There are a bunch of more practical blogs and articles out on the internet. And I’ll link to them for you.

Love to Know instead of Pry.

Even though there are some good, wonderful folks doing heritage interviews. Maybe we are missing the bigger picture?

How we approach our guests and family is important. To remember that everyone holds that spark of the Imago Dei, the image of God.

I want to meet new people and allow them to tell their stories, but I also want to “Love to Know,” as Esther Lightcap Meek wrote about in her books.

I want to approach a person with a spirit of finesse, not the spirit of geometry. Not to manipulate or dissect, but to engage in a right relationship with them.

I’ve recently learned that curiosity can be a vice, the opposite of temperance. I did not know this.

I would caution your curiosity not to pursue useless facts in your attempt to interview your family member or guest. But approach them not as a gossiper, but as one willing to learn in love.

What would help tell the big picture story and enrich the day-to-day small things we all relate to?

I think what would help most to be better interviewers is to love your guest, your family, and your enemy as yourself.

I don’t think I can do the latter perfectly. But it puts my mind and heart in the right state and intention to do the best I can do.

Conclusion

Thank you for trying to learn about how to be a better interviewer. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

Below are some extra article links for legacy interview information you might find helpful.

Contact LionHawk

If you would like to chat, please shoot me an email.

If you would like to be professionally interviewed or want to find someone who will be kind and respectful of your loved one, please feel free to reach out to Valerie Flynn and see if she would be a good fit for your digital keepsake project.

Additional Articles

The Elephant In The Room With Traditional Legacy Videos

How to Prepare Your Parents for Their Legacy Video Interview

Guide to Recording Family Stories for Future Generations

Digital Download