Southside native Dr. Gena Jones is a licensed Attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Tax Resolution Specialist. Additionally, she is licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the United States Tax Court.
She is an author, national speaker, and founder of Business Boss, a business coaching and education company. At the end of 2022, Dr. Jones released her latest book, “Legacy Made Simple: The Simple Way to Leave a Legacy Without The Guesswork, Stress, Or Overwhelm” a how and why Black people should actively work towards legacy building.
“Legacy Made Simple was created to help entrepreneurs craft their legacy and the legacy of their business, but it is relevant to anyone interested in having a generational impact,” says Dr. Jones.
Fresh off a book tour through major cities like Atlanta, Houston, and her hometown of Chicago, Dr. Jones sat down with N’DIGO to discuss her journey to becoming an attorney and the ins and outs of legacy building.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Dr. Gena Jones?
Dr. Gena Jones: Dr. Gena Jones is a Black girl from the Southside of Chicago who loves BBQ and traveling and helps CEOs make and keep more money.
What are three words your closest friends would use to describe you?
Intense, crazy, and bougie.
How did you find your way to becoming an attorney?
I’m still trying to figure that out. I never wanted to be an attorney. When I was in college, I even said that I never wanted to be an attorney. However, after college, I had no actual plans, and my friends were going to law school, so I decided to take the LSAT. I wanted a black college experience, and Howard University Law School offered me a full scholarship, so I was going to law school…..lol. However, I ended up attending Chicago Kent College of Law School…..still hoping for that black college experience.
In layman’s terms, what is legacy building, and why is it so important?
Legacy building is important because if we don’t build a legacy, future generations have to start at zero over and over again. But unfortunately, in our community, this cycle creates a disadvantage for our children. Instead of being increasingly inspired, they are increasingly discouraged.
Your new book, Legacy Made Simple, speaks a lot about legacy building and generational wealth. Please tell us a bit more about the book.
Legacy Made Simple is written conversationally to discuss what legacy means, how you should think about it, communicate it, craft it and execute it. People have so many reasons why they have no legacy plan in place. Some reasons don’t make sense (like they don’t want to talk about their legacy because they don’t want to die). But, Sir, you will die regardless of whether you talk about it.
Other reasons include people being overwhelmed by the perceived process of thinking about their legacy, creating a plan, hiring an attorney, etc. I wanted to break through the mental barriers people have built up and show them how simple the process can be. Also, people mistakenly think that legacy is about death. Legacy is about life; it’s about living your best life and leaving your best legacy.
A lot of people are living below the poverty line and struggling. How would you suggest someone with a small budget interested in legacy building get started?
I suggest that people with a small budget begin by deciding what they want their legacy to be. Then purchase a life insurance policy on their lives or the specific benefit of realizing some part of their legacy vision. You don’t need a lot of money to create a legacy of influence and impact; you do need to prioritize and focus.
Please tell us about Business Boss coaching education.
Business Boss is a coaching and education company I founded in 2018 to address the patterns I discovered in serving clients for over 20 years who had IRS problems. It didn’t matter if they owed the IRS $10,000,000 or $20,000. Lack of planning was the common thread. It was designed to be the proactive business coach putting plans and processes in place to avoid a tax problem. Business Boss helps CEOs make and keep more money. While I still save people from the IRS, I prefer that Business Boss helps them get it right the first time around. Our goal is to save entrepreneurs the stress, tax penalties, interest, and sleepless nights that tax problems can cause.
What are three principles or ideals you try to abide by in your business dealings?
Honesty, impact, and having fun.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
That I am a classically trained chef, and I have a degree in culinary and patisserie arts.
Can you name a book that changed or really impacted your life and give a sentence about why?
OMG! I can name so many. ‘31 Reasons Why People Don’t Receive Their Financial Harvest‘ by Mike Murdock was the book that really impacted my life. This book breaks down the principles that create financial harvests and what we unconsciously do to repel financial harvests.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice I have ever been given was from my father. He said,”Baby, people don’t always need to know what you think.” I was never shy about telling people exactly how I felt about them, anything, or anyone else…..lol.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
“Don’t let the blind proofread your vision.” So many times, we seek the acceptance of others when it comes to our plans, ideas, or vision. They may shoot us down, or they just don’t get it. Not because it is a bad plan or idea but because it is our vision and not theirs. They are not designed to see it, and our decisions can’t be based on their blindness.
What’s next for Dr. Gena Jones?
I plan to help 10,000 people create a legacy for their families. Reaching this goal will create several billions of dollars in cash available for education and entrepreneurship in our community. When your child or grandchild is ready to start their business, I want them to apply for a loan from your family bank. I want them to be approved or denied based on your terms and policies, which will at least give them a fair chance.
For more information on Dr. Gena Jones, please visit www.genajones.com, and for more information on legacy building, please visit www.mylegacymadesimple.com.
