Leap of Faith

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.