From generation to generation: Ari Galper

Ari Galper’s most significant lessons in business haven’t come from a boss, a course or a book – but from his 15-year-old son, Toby. After birth, Toby was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and Ari credits Toby as an inspiration to him, his family and the community. "Toby has the gift of pure love. His lessons for how to live a life full of transparency, honesty and truth have been an inspiration to thousands of people worldwide."

Ari has written a book on what he has learned from Toby about life, appropriately titled, Lessons from Toby: 52 Lessons For How To Stay Centred In Your Personal And Business Life. He highlights lessons like, ‘Choose the people you want to work with’, and, ‘Always keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to learn’. "When the book became a viral sensation online, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m capturing his story here, his legacy forever,’" Ari says.

Ari also established a publishing company called Trusted Authority, which publishes books for business consultants. He and his team then moved into the affluent executive market to capture the legacy and stories of CEOs through CEO Legacy Books, of which he is Founder and CEO.

"When most people reach the peak of their career, they see their legacy usually in one way – giving money back to charities or donating their time," Ari explains.

"We capture CEOs’ legacy stories in a beautiful, exquisite luxury coffee-table book. It’s a treasured family heirloom that can be passed on from generation to generation. Once they’ve passed, the next generation knows their story; their lessons learned, defining moments and wisdom. It’s not a biography but more of memoir, a seamless way to transfer their knowledge, capturing their wisdom and philosophy of life. It is designed strictly for family, not as a marketing piece."

It took a clear path and a clear vision to start CEO Legacy Books, which Ari says is essential for a business to succeed. "I know it’s been said many times, but it’s true," he assures.

"I make sure that the team fully understands how to over-deliver for our clients. We want to create what we call category-of-one markets. We’re the only company doing this in the market. I don’t like running a commodity business."

The experience behind receiving an invitation package to develop a personal CEO Legacy Book is luxurious, with no detail overlooked. When someone has inquired, the team carefully designs the packaging in which several gifts are sent. In the gift package is a video book telling the company’s story and a ‘visual journey’ with pictures and quotes to inspire the receiver.

There’s even a personal letter from Ari and an invitation for dinner at Sydney’s Opera House. "It’s not a business decision," Ari says. "It’s a personal decision. So, we talk over dinner about the story of their journey and bring it alive."

"It’s not a business decision. It’s a personal decision."

You could say starting CEO Legacy Books was a personal decision for Ari. It’s not just a business for him; the heart of it comes from real-life experience. His grandmother, Pearl Galper, was an entrepreneur who was CEO of multiple businesses over the course of her life.

Though she lived far away from him, Ari remembers that the times he visited her, she would share business lessons she’d learned as a business owner. "When she passed away at 101 years old, I felt not only a deep, personal loss but also a yearning for having known her detailed legacy story, which would have filled in the missing gaps of what I knew about her life," he explains. Now, Ari implores other business leaders to capture their legacy and tells them, "Your children, grandchildren and future generations need to know your story."

The book itself is a luxury, high-quality heirloom. There are photos accompanying the CEO’s story. "It’s about a personal signature and a statement of how they want to be remembered," Ari says, "including their milestones, challenges and mentors they found along their journey."

Ari revels in the sense of accomplishment that people feel when they finally have their story captured. "This is a beautiful, luxury heirloom that they can feel proud to pass on to their family, so people will truly understand their life journey," he explains. "I love seeing their story unfold into their legacy."