In January you saw me write about my experience in deciding to go out on my own and start my own company. Well interestingly enough, it seems that once I was in business for myself I was more in demand than when I was "on the market" so to speak.
I have always been a believer that no matter where you are in life, you can never close the door to opportunity or refuse a conversation. Little did I know that a conversation over coffee about e-discovery and litigation would turn into the biggest professional jump in my 12-year career.
Now those of you out there that are entrepreneuers know that to make any move out of your safety zone requires an open mind, confidence and one hell of an offer. My fear was, if I made a move, would people look at me as a failure? Everyone around me assured me that was not the case. Rather, it showed that I contributed greatly to a phenomenon, new trend or a business opportunity that someone else saw a value in.
So, I took the leap. As of March 3, 2008 I became a co-owner and VP of Litigation Support Services of Function5 Forensics http://www.f5forensics.com/. I no longer am the President & CEO of my own company, but now I own something bigger and better and I have a strong group of partners to grow with. So, did I loose my entrepreneurial spirit? Not in a million. I just transferred my skills into something that will keep me in business (and employed) forever.
E-Discovery and computer technology is where it is at, even in the legal field. Before Function5 actually convinced me to come on board, I wanted to make sure they understood who I was. I am not a lawyer, nor do I ever intend to be a lawyer. I am, however, a paralegal. A very good paralegal, I might add. Function5 recognized my abilities as a paralegal, appreciated my vast knowledge of E-Discovery and was set on hiring such a person to complete their matrix of professionals. They don't want to practice law. They just need someone to make sure that they are "doing it right". I guess I am that person because E-Discovery is my life. I saw this as an opportunity to do all of those things that I love about law, permanently. So this is definitely a win-win for all.
I am still a paralegal. I will always be a paralegal. But I am also a leader in my profession. The days of the paralegal tied to a desk in a law firm are few and far between. It is my job to encourage people to think about the possibilites that are around them. Sometimes our eyes are not open to it. Before you refuse that invitation to coffee or lunch, think about what may come out of it. It could change your life.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
A Little Piece of Humble Pie
I wanted to share a most humbling experience that I had last weekend. I was at a Board Meeting for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations. The meeting was held in Dallas, Texas. As I was sitting in the terminal at DFW waiting for my flight, I noticed an army troop in the gate right next to me. The gate itself was patriotically decorated with flags, balloons and signs that said "We Support Our Troops". A most appropriate setting the day before President's Day and a time to reflect on what that holiday truly means.
At about 1:45 p.m. I heard a voice over the speaker. I couldn't make out who was speaking behind the sea of camouflage. He announced that the beautiful young men and women at the gate were on their way to Iraq. Then he asked for those that were in observance to send them off with some traditional American spirit. We all clapped and cheered for our soldiers. Those men and women were about to embark on a journey and due to strict airport security and FAA regulations that we all know and love, they were forced to do so without their families and friends to bid them goodbye. At that moment, all who were in the airport terminal at that time became their families.
The mystery voice announced them rank by rank, beginning with the highest. At that point they filed elegantly, one-by-one onto the plane with the backdrop of cheers and rounds of applause from all the travelers in the terminal. It took about 45 minutes before the last soldier made it on to the plane. As I boarded my plane, I noticed that their plane titled "North American", was still at the gate alongside me to the left. Ironically enough, we pushed back at the exact same time and rode side by side until we made our way to the takeoff point of the runway. They remained on the left of our aircraft, so I could watch all of this unfold. We sat waiting for clearance to take off. With their plane sitting alongside me I gave them a private salute and said a personal prayer for their safety. At that moment, their plane made its way down the runway and took off.
This experience made me think about how very blessed we are to live in a country that allows us freedom and peace. As our days go on, we don't always think about what else is going on in the world - unless of course, you watch CNN religiously. As I was watching their plane take off, I wondered about the ways those service men and women spent the weekend. They may have spent it with family, friends or alone in some peace and quiet before they head into the deep unknown of chaos and confusion. Once they were out of sight, we were on our way.
I am very lucky for all that I have been granted, but I am even luckier to live in a land where expressing thoughts and having opinions, does not get me killed, but rather perhaps earns me a certain amount of respect. Think about all of the ways you can express dissent on an issue; how you can debate who your candidate is for President; how you can have a disagreement with your spouse; how a woman can hold a high-level position in a multi-billion dollar enterprise. All of those things don't get you killed, in fact, they make you stronger. But in some countries, women must cover their face as they walk down the street.
My challenge to you is this. Think about how you spent last weekend. Just take a half hour and write down all those things that made you happy. Then take a minute and say a word of thank you to God for being able to wake up in a land of peace, to the sound of your alarm clock and not to the sound of a car bomb. That buzzer on that alarm clock sure is annoying. But I am willing to bet it would be music to some ears.
Finally, say a prayer. Pray for those young men and women who got on that plane. Pray for those who were not on the plane but already on the front lines in Iraq. Pray for their safety and appreciate their service to our country. I am sure their parents would appreciate it!
At about 1:45 p.m. I heard a voice over the speaker. I couldn't make out who was speaking behind the sea of camouflage. He announced that the beautiful young men and women at the gate were on their way to Iraq. Then he asked for those that were in observance to send them off with some traditional American spirit. We all clapped and cheered for our soldiers. Those men and women were about to embark on a journey and due to strict airport security and FAA regulations that we all know and love, they were forced to do so without their families and friends to bid them goodbye. At that moment, all who were in the airport terminal at that time became their families.
The mystery voice announced them rank by rank, beginning with the highest. At that point they filed elegantly, one-by-one onto the plane with the backdrop of cheers and rounds of applause from all the travelers in the terminal. It took about 45 minutes before the last soldier made it on to the plane. As I boarded my plane, I noticed that their plane titled "North American", was still at the gate alongside me to the left. Ironically enough, we pushed back at the exact same time and rode side by side until we made our way to the takeoff point of the runway. They remained on the left of our aircraft, so I could watch all of this unfold. We sat waiting for clearance to take off. With their plane sitting alongside me I gave them a private salute and said a personal prayer for their safety. At that moment, their plane made its way down the runway and took off.
This experience made me think about how very blessed we are to live in a country that allows us freedom and peace. As our days go on, we don't always think about what else is going on in the world - unless of course, you watch CNN religiously. As I was watching their plane take off, I wondered about the ways those service men and women spent the weekend. They may have spent it with family, friends or alone in some peace and quiet before they head into the deep unknown of chaos and confusion. Once they were out of sight, we were on our way.
I am very lucky for all that I have been granted, but I am even luckier to live in a land where expressing thoughts and having opinions, does not get me killed, but rather perhaps earns me a certain amount of respect. Think about all of the ways you can express dissent on an issue; how you can debate who your candidate is for President; how you can have a disagreement with your spouse; how a woman can hold a high-level position in a multi-billion dollar enterprise. All of those things don't get you killed, in fact, they make you stronger. But in some countries, women must cover their face as they walk down the street.
My challenge to you is this. Think about how you spent last weekend. Just take a half hour and write down all those things that made you happy. Then take a minute and say a word of thank you to God for being able to wake up in a land of peace, to the sound of your alarm clock and not to the sound of a car bomb. That buzzer on that alarm clock sure is annoying. But I am willing to bet it would be music to some ears.
Finally, say a prayer. Pray for those young men and women who got on that plane. Pray for those who were not on the plane but already on the front lines in Iraq. Pray for their safety and appreciate their service to our country. I am sure their parents would appreciate it!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Going At It Alone
“Sometimes you have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down.” Kobi Yamada
I never considered in a million years that my passion for the paralegal profession would send me on the ultimate journey of my life. My friends and family always knew that I was destined to be my own boss. Perhaps it was my stubbornness, my need to do things “MY WAY” or simply my drive and ambition to be the best that I could be.
After ten years of law firm experience, I left for a job as a VP of Legal Services for a major document management company in Upstate New York. At the time, I was ready for some drastic change in my life and this opportunity came to me unexpectedly. Having virtually NO sales experience prior to this, I was managing legal accounts and document services across New York State. I had a full staff of people and was looked at as a leader. They sent me to sales school. They trained me on every aspect of the company, including production and graphic design. I spent 3 months traveling back and forth every day between Rochester and Syracuse, New York in the dead of winter in anticipation of opening an office in Rochester in early April. That office finally opened and it took off immediately. I was responsible for a big part of the success of this company. After almost a year on the job, I was happy - or at least I thought. I promised success and I delivered. This was something to be proud of.
While the change was good for me at the time, I felt strongly that I was still missing something in my life – and – I was exhausted. I was working VERY hard. Sometimes I pulled 18 hour days. I would go home, go to bed for 5 hours and get up and do it all over again the next day, until I finally came down with a severe illness. It took a serious illness and extensive recovery time off of work for me to realize that perhaps this was not at all what I wanted. While I was good at sales and enjoyed the relationships I was building – I realized that I made a jump into an entirely different career path that I had not intended. It was then that I started questioning my future: Can I do this forever? Was this a mistake? Did I jump too quickly? I had a great job as a paralegal in a great firm, why did I leave? What do I do now? Am I a failure?
With all the questions in my mind, I consulted the people I trusted most for guidance - my family. I had hoped that they would help me decide what was best for my future. While they did give me guidance, they also played a neutral role and wanted whatever I did, to be MY decision.
Then it hit me. I truly missed being a paralegal. The work that I did was so gratifying. I enjoyed reviewing documents, preparing for trial, managing attorneys and their practice. So what was the next logical step for me? I knew for certain I did not want to go back to a law firm. Truth be told, once you leave that environment, you never really want to return.
I decided then, that I wanted to start my own business. I brought years of legal experience to the table, and now, I had sales experience. So the choice was clear. I would start my own litigation support company and offer paralegal services to attorneys in small firm or solo practice. What a market for success this would be! An opportunity to choose my work as well as choose the attorneys I would like to work with.
Then the strategic planning came along. I found a good lawyer, a good CPA and talked to many friends who started their own businesses. I even found myself a web designer because I knew that my company could not survive without being live and on-line.
Next, I sat down to work on a business plan. I was taught a very valuable lesson that a business plan is not something that you live by, but rather, it’s a starting point that allows you to grow and expand in ways you never thought possible.
I wrote for days until it looked as complete as any business plan should be - leaving plenty of room for growth. Drafting that plan was a learning experience and an awakening. I recognized that my services didn’t have to be only geared toward the small firm or solo practice, but that I could augment a talented staff in a large firm, or offer services to corporate legal departments, construction firms, CPA’s and virtually anyone that had an in-house counsel’s office.
The next difficult decision was deciding what kind of company I was going to be. My attorney and CPA both advised that an LLC was the way to go. It was safe, limited my liability and offered me room for expansion.
Given all of this, I still needed more convincing that I was doing the right thing. There were still many things to consider: What would I do for medical coverage? Where would I work? Could I get used to not getting a paycheck every month?
I knew this would be a struggle. Certainly I could not live without medical coverage. Luckily, I live in a community where the small business entities are some of the greatest markets. On the recommendation of a friend in her own business, I discovered an independent company that offers medical coverage to sole proprietors. Perfect! Except that I did not have an employer that would be willing to pay for partial coverage or, at the very least, take payments out of my paycheck pre-tax. Instead, I was going to have to write a check for it every month!
For the time being, I decided that I would conduct my business out of my home. I know what your thinking – lucky me! Well, I thought that too for the first few months. While it is a great situation and I do have a dedicated office in my home – it takes a tremendous amount of discipline to work out of your house. I would much prefer to play in my garden, get housework completed, etc. than work. The other difficult aspect is getting used to not having anyone around to talk to. I consider myself a very social and friendly person and I always appreciated the interaction I shared with my co-workers. For the first time, I would have no one to talk to except my cat…..and….well….he doesn’t answer back. He just rolls over and asks for a belly rub!
So I needed to build solid structure in my life. I was certain to join early morning networking groups, set appointments for early in the day – whatever it took to get myself up and out of the house in the morning so I could not dilly dally in my PJs!
Once all of this was in place, I was ready to move forward with my life. Consciously aware that I was going to spend my life savings growing this business, I resigned my position as VP of Legal Services and became President & CEO of my own paralegal services firm. I literally woke up one day and became my own boss. It was empowering. But there I sat in my office on the first day and realized I had to pick up the phone and market my business. Thankfully, my sales experience came through for me. I learned how to deal with the hang-ups and the let downs, not being able to close a deal or just plain being ignored. But more importantly, I knew how to sell myself and eventually, a sales call became second nature. If it turned out to be a bad call, I hung up and moved on to the next person.
When I finally got my first client, my heart nearly flew out of my chest. When I explained my services he said “you know….I could really use someone like you”. I put the phone down, cheered silently for joy, jumped up and down, collected myself and set an appointment for the next day. I walked out of that attorney’s office with my first official case in hand. I must be doing something right, because he keeps coming back for more.
I am happy to say that I am going on my second year. There have been plenty of ups and downs. I certainly found it difficult to get used to the inconsistency of a paycheck and learned how to stretch the almighty dollar. But I also recognized that I was really good at this and once everyone else realized it too – my business would take care of itself. Word-of-mouth is the best possible piece of advertising. Most of my business is referral based and one would say I almost don’t have to pick up the phone to make a sales call anymore. I have actually had people call me. They have seen my name and print, they know someone who knows me, they heard through the grapevine. I don’t really concern myself with how they found me; I simply get excited when they call. It’s that whole “I have arrived” feeling when things just start to fall into place.
Given all of the success, I will still NEVER stop selling my business. Cold calling is the single most important way to grow. I continue to fill the funnel even though I have plenty of work to do and a solid base of clients. A very wise man once told me that if you are not out selling, you are being outsold! Words to live by.
The moral of the story is this. Everything happens for a reason and in life we have opportunities. A door opens and you have a choice. You can choose to walk through it and see what happens, or you can close it and carry on with life as it is. Did I take a risk walking through the door? Yes, a HUGE one of course. But I look at it this way. I only have one chance in life – I might as well live it doing something I love to do. This leap of faith turned out to be the best decision I ever made for myself.
Earlier, I mentioned that I worked 18 hour days on my last job. Truthfully, that hasn’t really changed. But the difference is that now, I do it for myself. I grow my own business and every cent I earn, belongs to me. I have always been, and continue to be a good paralegal. Now, I am also a good business woman. I have a great network of people, a good support system in my family and the flexibility to live life the way I want to live it. Of course, is it a struggle sometimes. But if I didn’t experience those ups and downs, I would be more inclined to question my success. Success is not about thriving all of the time. It’s about adjusting and learning how to take the good with the bad. Every day is a learning experience and I certainly am my worst critic. However, I am the only one responsible for the success of my business. So if I have a bad day, no one is to blame but me. It is hard work, but for me it is worth it. I can not tell a lie, being captain of my own ship is pretty cool!
If you have ever considered being in business for yourself, I encourage you to move forward. Do your research. Put all of your ducks in a row. Talk to the right people. Oh…and do the math! You may find that it isn’t for you after all. But, if you discover that you can be successful at it and you have the motivation to do it, then you should leap…..and as Kobi says, “build your wings on the way down”.
I never considered in a million years that my passion for the paralegal profession would send me on the ultimate journey of my life. My friends and family always knew that I was destined to be my own boss. Perhaps it was my stubbornness, my need to do things “MY WAY” or simply my drive and ambition to be the best that I could be.
After ten years of law firm experience, I left for a job as a VP of Legal Services for a major document management company in Upstate New York. At the time, I was ready for some drastic change in my life and this opportunity came to me unexpectedly. Having virtually NO sales experience prior to this, I was managing legal accounts and document services across New York State. I had a full staff of people and was looked at as a leader. They sent me to sales school. They trained me on every aspect of the company, including production and graphic design. I spent 3 months traveling back and forth every day between Rochester and Syracuse, New York in the dead of winter in anticipation of opening an office in Rochester in early April. That office finally opened and it took off immediately. I was responsible for a big part of the success of this company. After almost a year on the job, I was happy - or at least I thought. I promised success and I delivered. This was something to be proud of.
While the change was good for me at the time, I felt strongly that I was still missing something in my life – and – I was exhausted. I was working VERY hard. Sometimes I pulled 18 hour days. I would go home, go to bed for 5 hours and get up and do it all over again the next day, until I finally came down with a severe illness. It took a serious illness and extensive recovery time off of work for me to realize that perhaps this was not at all what I wanted. While I was good at sales and enjoyed the relationships I was building – I realized that I made a jump into an entirely different career path that I had not intended. It was then that I started questioning my future: Can I do this forever? Was this a mistake? Did I jump too quickly? I had a great job as a paralegal in a great firm, why did I leave? What do I do now? Am I a failure?
With all the questions in my mind, I consulted the people I trusted most for guidance - my family. I had hoped that they would help me decide what was best for my future. While they did give me guidance, they also played a neutral role and wanted whatever I did, to be MY decision.
Then it hit me. I truly missed being a paralegal. The work that I did was so gratifying. I enjoyed reviewing documents, preparing for trial, managing attorneys and their practice. So what was the next logical step for me? I knew for certain I did not want to go back to a law firm. Truth be told, once you leave that environment, you never really want to return.
I decided then, that I wanted to start my own business. I brought years of legal experience to the table, and now, I had sales experience. So the choice was clear. I would start my own litigation support company and offer paralegal services to attorneys in small firm or solo practice. What a market for success this would be! An opportunity to choose my work as well as choose the attorneys I would like to work with.
Then the strategic planning came along. I found a good lawyer, a good CPA and talked to many friends who started their own businesses. I even found myself a web designer because I knew that my company could not survive without being live and on-line.
Next, I sat down to work on a business plan. I was taught a very valuable lesson that a business plan is not something that you live by, but rather, it’s a starting point that allows you to grow and expand in ways you never thought possible.
I wrote for days until it looked as complete as any business plan should be - leaving plenty of room for growth. Drafting that plan was a learning experience and an awakening. I recognized that my services didn’t have to be only geared toward the small firm or solo practice, but that I could augment a talented staff in a large firm, or offer services to corporate legal departments, construction firms, CPA’s and virtually anyone that had an in-house counsel’s office.
The next difficult decision was deciding what kind of company I was going to be. My attorney and CPA both advised that an LLC was the way to go. It was safe, limited my liability and offered me room for expansion.
Given all of this, I still needed more convincing that I was doing the right thing. There were still many things to consider: What would I do for medical coverage? Where would I work? Could I get used to not getting a paycheck every month?
I knew this would be a struggle. Certainly I could not live without medical coverage. Luckily, I live in a community where the small business entities are some of the greatest markets. On the recommendation of a friend in her own business, I discovered an independent company that offers medical coverage to sole proprietors. Perfect! Except that I did not have an employer that would be willing to pay for partial coverage or, at the very least, take payments out of my paycheck pre-tax. Instead, I was going to have to write a check for it every month!
For the time being, I decided that I would conduct my business out of my home. I know what your thinking – lucky me! Well, I thought that too for the first few months. While it is a great situation and I do have a dedicated office in my home – it takes a tremendous amount of discipline to work out of your house. I would much prefer to play in my garden, get housework completed, etc. than work. The other difficult aspect is getting used to not having anyone around to talk to. I consider myself a very social and friendly person and I always appreciated the interaction I shared with my co-workers. For the first time, I would have no one to talk to except my cat…..and….well….he doesn’t answer back. He just rolls over and asks for a belly rub!
So I needed to build solid structure in my life. I was certain to join early morning networking groups, set appointments for early in the day – whatever it took to get myself up and out of the house in the morning so I could not dilly dally in my PJs!
Once all of this was in place, I was ready to move forward with my life. Consciously aware that I was going to spend my life savings growing this business, I resigned my position as VP of Legal Services and became President & CEO of my own paralegal services firm. I literally woke up one day and became my own boss. It was empowering. But there I sat in my office on the first day and realized I had to pick up the phone and market my business. Thankfully, my sales experience came through for me. I learned how to deal with the hang-ups and the let downs, not being able to close a deal or just plain being ignored. But more importantly, I knew how to sell myself and eventually, a sales call became second nature. If it turned out to be a bad call, I hung up and moved on to the next person.
When I finally got my first client, my heart nearly flew out of my chest. When I explained my services he said “you know….I could really use someone like you”. I put the phone down, cheered silently for joy, jumped up and down, collected myself and set an appointment for the next day. I walked out of that attorney’s office with my first official case in hand. I must be doing something right, because he keeps coming back for more.
I am happy to say that I am going on my second year. There have been plenty of ups and downs. I certainly found it difficult to get used to the inconsistency of a paycheck and learned how to stretch the almighty dollar. But I also recognized that I was really good at this and once everyone else realized it too – my business would take care of itself. Word-of-mouth is the best possible piece of advertising. Most of my business is referral based and one would say I almost don’t have to pick up the phone to make a sales call anymore. I have actually had people call me. They have seen my name and print, they know someone who knows me, they heard through the grapevine. I don’t really concern myself with how they found me; I simply get excited when they call. It’s that whole “I have arrived” feeling when things just start to fall into place.
Given all of the success, I will still NEVER stop selling my business. Cold calling is the single most important way to grow. I continue to fill the funnel even though I have plenty of work to do and a solid base of clients. A very wise man once told me that if you are not out selling, you are being outsold! Words to live by.
The moral of the story is this. Everything happens for a reason and in life we have opportunities. A door opens and you have a choice. You can choose to walk through it and see what happens, or you can close it and carry on with life as it is. Did I take a risk walking through the door? Yes, a HUGE one of course. But I look at it this way. I only have one chance in life – I might as well live it doing something I love to do. This leap of faith turned out to be the best decision I ever made for myself.
Earlier, I mentioned that I worked 18 hour days on my last job. Truthfully, that hasn’t really changed. But the difference is that now, I do it for myself. I grow my own business and every cent I earn, belongs to me. I have always been, and continue to be a good paralegal. Now, I am also a good business woman. I have a great network of people, a good support system in my family and the flexibility to live life the way I want to live it. Of course, is it a struggle sometimes. But if I didn’t experience those ups and downs, I would be more inclined to question my success. Success is not about thriving all of the time. It’s about adjusting and learning how to take the good with the bad. Every day is a learning experience and I certainly am my worst critic. However, I am the only one responsible for the success of my business. So if I have a bad day, no one is to blame but me. It is hard work, but for me it is worth it. I can not tell a lie, being captain of my own ship is pretty cool!
If you have ever considered being in business for yourself, I encourage you to move forward. Do your research. Put all of your ducks in a row. Talk to the right people. Oh…and do the math! You may find that it isn’t for you after all. But, if you discover that you can be successful at it and you have the motivation to do it, then you should leap…..and as Kobi says, “build your wings on the way down”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
