Legacy, Leadership, and the Final Lesson My Father Taught Me

What my father’s final days taught me about love, clarity, and the kind of leadership no one trains you for.

The day my dad was admitted to the hospital in Maryland with COVID pneumonia, I started feeling sick too—2,000+ miles away in Los Angeles, where I was on a work trip.

Four days later, back in Las Vegas, I tested positive.
My case passed quickly, but something deeper was stirring.

I felt pulled to him.
Somewhere deep in me, I knew it was time to go.

As soon as I recovered, Lauren and I flew out.
I didn’t know exactly what I’d walk into—I just knew I had to be there.

When I first saw him, he still spoke a little. He asked about Las Vegas, Lauren, and the weather. But each day, he grew quieter, frailer, and more restless.

He began saying things like,

“Help, help, help.”
“Get me out of here.”
“Get the job done.”
And to Lauren and me: “Let’s go, girls!”

One day I looked at him and softly asked,
“Do you trust me?”
He nodded. That moment is etched into my soul.

Another night, as I was leaving the hospital, I bent down and whispered,
“I love you.”
He looked at me and said clearly,
“I love you too. I love you too.”

I will carry that forever.

On Friday, after days of advocating, we got him home.

He arrived just before 2 p.m.—breath shallow, hands trembling.
We had set up a hospice bed in the family room—his favorite space, with his dreamcatcher and decades of memories. The room where we watched movies. The room where he rested. It had to be there.

He was distressed, so I gave him Ativan and gently said,
“It’s okay, Dad. I’ve got you. Just relax.”
His body softened.
I sat with him, held his hand, and eventually turned off the light and whispered,
“Just rest.”

A couple of hours later, he passed.
Peacefully. Hands folded. Expression soft. Surrounded by love.

He no longer looked like a distressed patient—
He looked like Dad again. Just resting. At peace.

We talk a lot about leadership in business.
Strategy. Growth. Scaling. Visibility. ROI.

But let me be clear:

This was the greatest masterclass in leadership I have ever received.

Not in a boardroom.
Not behind a podium.
But in a family room beside my father, navigating hospice, systems, sorrow, and soul.

This last week has shown me what it means to lead with: — Intention
— Care
— Precision
— And a connection that is so deep it transcends business entirely

Though I’ve spent years doing personal development and shadow work,
nothing has changed me more than this.

Because when you’re called to love someone to the edge—
to be the one who helps them come home, to soften their fear, to advocate with clarity while holding your own heart in both hands—
you meet yourself at a level no mastermind could ever prepare you for.

This is leadership.
This is legacy.
And this is love.

I’ll never forget our shared sense of humor, our walks, and, most recently, pushing him in a wheelchair at Springs Preserve in Las Vegas last November—an activity he enjoyed.

I’m grieving.
But I’m also in awe.
Because I answered the call—and helped him come home.

Rest easy, Dad.
I love you always.
🕊️❤️🌺

📖 If you’d like to learn more about my father and his legacy, you can read his tribute here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ronald-ballard-obituary?id=58045567