When Impact Comes Full Circle
I just wrapped up a five-city book launch for Seven Exits: Leave Behind What No Longer Serves You—from Des Moines to Boston, Dallas, Colorado Springs, and finally, Syracuse. Every stop felt like a homecoming. Each city holds a chapter of my personal and professional evolution with a trail of open hearts, sharp minds, and shared growth.
But it was in Syracuse, NY, my final stop, where something extraordinary and serendipitous happened.
A Syracuse City School District leader invited me to tour the new STEAM High School. I’d already visited the school just a month earlier on a business trip, and truthfully, I wasn’t planning to go again. My feet had been in heels for six hours, and every step shouted, “Tell him not today.” But I went anyway.
That decision changed my day, and reminded me why I do this work.
As soon as we walked into the front office, one of the two women sitting at desks interrupted the district leader’s introduction of me, “Are you an author?” Before my colleague could say my name.
When I said, “Yes, I’m Rosenna Bakari,” her eyes lit up, exclaiming "I knew it." She introduced herself as Ms. Wallace and shared that she recognized me from an online empowerment program I led for the district four years ago. She insisted that my book The Healing Journey and the program had shifted how she approached her life.
She didn’t know about the Seven Exits book or the launch happening the next day, so I invited her. To my delight, she showed up with her spouse. After the event, she told me she almost never sits at the front desk in the mornings but did that day. We both laughed and agreed it felt like destiny had rearranged our schedules so our journeys could collide.
Her spouse thanked me as well, saying that after hearing what my previous book had meant, there was no way they would miss this one.
Looking back, every ache in my feet was worth it. It reminded me that in business and in life, the measure of impact is found in moments like these, not metrics. Seven Exits leads readers back to their quiet inner voice, the one that must be trusted for serendipity to unfold. I will treasure the unfolding of all the book launch memories, but this one holds a special place.
The tour itself was both a significant time and financial investment in the success of my book and my business. While many authors rely on online meetings and virtual launches, I knew Seven Exits required something more personal.
The book is meant to be felt, not just read. That is why I chose to show up in person through The Power of Departure Tour, bringing the message to life, city by city, conversation by conversation.
There are few immediate payoffs for the kind of intimate gatherings I set up, yet Ms. Wallace reminded me that legacy is the payoff.
Her story reaffirmed that when you invest in authentic connection, the returns are not always instant, but they are lasting.
Moral of the story: When you follow purpose instead of comfort, serendipity finds you. When that happens, your impact multiplies in ways no algorithm can predict.