Business Spotlight: Leaving Legacy Memorial
Laneisha Bennett, owner of Leaving Legacy Memorial and one of this year's Fort Wayne Business Weekly 40 under 40 winners and I caught up over zoom to discuss her business, her nomination and her future plans.
Ervin: Thanks for chatting today! I know we missed each other last month so I’m glad we can catch up now.
Please tell me about your business?
Bennett: Leaving Legacy Memorial is a business in the Deceased Care industry where I support families by creating all print media including funeral programs, sympathy cards and other items that families can use as memorabilia in honor of their loved one to remember and celebrate them. I look to be creative with my work so that people don’t just sit it aside after the funeral is over. I work with funeral homes and families both here in Fort Wayne and beyond.
Ervin: Tell me what inspired you to create a business like this?
Bennett: I have been doing graphic design for years, since college around 2002. I first started doing funeral programs for my family about 10 years ago and then I was hired locally for Scott Bent’s former company InStyle Creative Marketing where I was doing a variety of graphic and creative design work.
After that business closed, I started another business doing flyers, logos, wall paintings and more and realized I was doing too much and I was exhausted. Covid caused me to take a pause and pray to really look at what I wanted to do as well as help me to refocus.
With that, my company was born in 2019. Within my services, I try to personally connect with families to make sure to create exactly what they need. Sometimes I end up also being a shoulder they can lean on in this difficult time through conversation as we create the best funeral program and memorabilia together.
Ervin: I imagine this work can be challenging and even emotional. How do you deal with that aspect?
Bennett: I lean into my spiritual relationship and prayer. I also love kayaking and getting out on the water and in nature. I really try to make time for myself. I feel I was built for this and I work to be present with the families during their grief as we create together.
Ervin: So what does the future look like for your business and how do you look to grow?
Bennett: Right now, it's just me but in the future I look to have staff so we can do more. I am also looking into creating more sympathy gifts for families as keepsakes including urns, urn necklaces and customizing caskets. Lastly, I am a participant in the BUILD program and I am updating my website to a more e-commerce design so that people can purchase templates and put programs together themselves or I can still customize it for them.
Ervin: Thank you for your work in this industry and your care and compassion for families. Tell us how people can get in touch with you?
Bennett: I can be reached on my Facebook business page under Leaving Legacy Memorial as well as by phone at 260-387-6029 and at my website: www.leavinglegacymemorial.com
Ervin: So let’s talk 40 under 40.. Were you excited to find out you were nominated?
Bennett: I was so excited! I had heard of it over the years but didn’t know much about it. I am 39 now so I figured why not throw my name in the hat. I nominated myself but then found out that 4 others nominated me as well. I was humbled to know that people are watching me like that in the community. It was an awesome event and I am excited to be able to nominate others in the future. It's an amazing feeling to be recognized in the whole community and I had also been praying about expansion and networking for my business and this has been the greatest honor.
Ervin: I know this year they received the most nominations ever (300+) as they said at the ceremony on March 24. I received this award also in 2019 so congrats! Also, I believe this year the most people of color were able to win so that’s awesome as well. People can check out those of you who won this year online!
