I’ve spent much of these goal progress reports on my marathon and for good reason. A month from now, that project will be done. Surreal. And yet in a sea of running, working, and driving (to a new run; to work), I’ve been working away on other goals! To the void, I say: I haven’t forgotten my creative goals, exploration goals, and service goals.
Namely, I’ve been working on my upcoming LLC, ReStory.
What’s ReStory? Besides being a librarian and archive consultant, I’ve spent a decade in digital marketing, for community centers, schools, and non-profits. I had the good fortune of being one of my grandma’s informal caregivers when she was diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer’s. Memory work is my passion. Threads between these experiences include information literacy, connecting people and ideas.
ReStory promotes and preserves memories for individuals and communities.
I’m working through my mission, vision, and values. Namely, how can I combine these roles into a meaningful legacy? What services will ReStory provide? These are a work in progress:
- Personal archiving – curating, organizing, adding data to, and presenting collections
- Digital decluttering – I can help you clean your inbox
- Redesigning resumes – already a service I offer (see: https://kaylielongley.com/resume-editing/) so learning how to systemize this
- Rewriting webpages – help you get to the heart of your story now and your future legacy
- Oral archiving and perhaps visual archiving – let’s remember through A/V, such as making recipes together, taping and digitizing loved ones’ performances, and interviewing
- Scrapbooking and story-boarding – what’s your story?
So many stories are left to the dust. I’ve joked that some homes feel like museums without labels, wandering from one memory to the next. Sometimes, it can feel like memory disorders are wanderers, too. Some moments linger, like long-term memory. Ultimately, I want to help folks preserve their stories.
A shelf full of scrapbooks – even albums with acid-free paper – isn’t enough, friends.
So… why an LLC and what are the next steps?
A Limited Liability Corporation is a flexible business structure, but it’s still a business. Frankly, it costs money and makes money. I’ll pay self-employment taxes, but be self-employed! I’ll file the Articles of Organization to get the name. In addition, I’ll outline ownership and management protocols via an operating agreement, and then apply for an employee identification number.
I don’t want to do this work alone, and an LLC could also consider co-ownership. Until then, I’d love to hear about YOUR legacy work. What are you doing now to preserve memory? Do any of these potential services inspire you?