About the founder

 Founder Bio: Debb Daughtry 

Debb Daughtry is the founder behind The Story We Leave, 

a legacy project designed to help individuals and families

preserve the stories and memories that matter most. 

Debb blends compassion and practical tools to help people of all ages capture their life stories before it’s too late. From workshops and facilitator certifications to legacy journals,

her mission is simple yet profound:

 make sure no story fades away before it’s too late.

A certified Death Doula, Debb holds a B.A. in Psychology and is retired from a career in behavioral work. Guided by a deep passion for helping others feel seen, heard, and remembered, she brings both personal understanding and professional insight to every life she touches. As a widow and an identical twin who has endured the profound loss of her twin, parents, siblings, and many loved ones, Debb knows grief from the inside out. Out of this lived experience, she created The Story We Leave™—a heartfelt invitation to honor the lives we live while we are still here to tell them.

After losing her husband in August 2023, Debb felt the powerful pull to create something meaningful, something lasting, something that could help others capture the essence of who they are for the ones they love.

The Story We Leave™ was born out of that love. It’s not just a journal or a keepsake — it’s a legacy in motion. A celebration of life. A bridge between generations and a healing journey for anyone ready to reflect, remember, and pass on the light.

 

 

Debb says, "I am uniquely qualified to create this certification because I bring together professional training, personal lived experience, and a tested program. With a background in psychology, years of working in behavioral health, and certification as a death doula, I understand the ethical and emotional complexities of legacy work. As someone who has lived through the loss of my twin, my parents, siblings, and my husband, I know firsthand how important it is to preserve our stories. That’s why I created The Story We Leave™ — not as a loose collection of prompts, but as a structured, teachable method. Certification ensures that every facilitator who carries this work forward does so with the same care, professionalism, and integrity that it was built on.

It’s the difference between following a recipe at home and being guided by a trained chef. Certification ensures the experience is delivered with the care, skill, and safety it was designed for."

 

Fun Fact about the founder's names, i.e., Deb, Debb

"Deb" is how she thinks of herself, after having the legal name Debbilynn  given to her by her paternal grandmother to differentiate her from her twin, Ebbilee.

But one morning while developing this project, an idea came that "Debb" with two b's would be appropriate for business purposes, in honor of her husband, Timm.

Timm added the extra "m" on the end of his nickname for business purposes many years ago. He would have chuckled at that idea.

So, Deb now uses "Debb" in his honor, but you will see both spellings along the way- because she forgets sometimes.