Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Black.
Ashley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After graduating from law school and passing the bar, I obtained the position of Assistant General Counsel with an automobile insurance company. I witnessed the ins and outs of the claims process as well as the importance of insurance compliance. I worked with that company for two years before leaving to take a position with a life insurance company as Legal Counsel. There, I learned the ins and outs of life insurance compliance and the importance of estate planning. As legal counsel, I also worked in the employment law area, ensuring that the employees of this company were compliant with Title VII and other laws. After becoming pregnant with my first child, I decided that I wanted to start my own law firm, not only to have the flexibility of being a working mother but also to create a business that would sustain my family and create wealth not affixed on another business’ need for my expertise. I started my law firm in February 2016 while pregnant and continuing to work as legal counsel. A year later, I was able to quit my job as legal counsel to pursue my law firm full-time. I opened the doors to my law firm on April 1, 2016, as a general practice firm. Today, my firm is still going strong, specializing in the areas of business law, estate planning, employment law, and personal injury. Ironically, these are all of the areas of law that I practiced while working for my previous employers. Now, I own my firm and I am using my expertise, experience, and knowledge to work for myself.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Becoming and being an entrepreneur has not been a smooth road. I became a mother at the same time that I decided to open my firm. Juggling life day to day along with a business is challenging. Going to law school prepared me to be a lawyer but it did not prepare me to be a business owner. Learning the create process’ and procedures, marketing, customer service, and accounting have been a struggle because as a solo practitioner you have to complete these tasks on your own. However, after working through each of those areas, I learned that as the business grows you will be able to hire people to assist you in completing the tasks required of that specific skill set.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Black Firm story. Tell us more about it.
The Black Firm practices in the areas of business law, estate planning, employment law, and personal injury. We are known for estate planning and business law because those are our major practice areas. What sets us apart from other law firms is our commitment to educate in our practice areas, especially estate planning. Our firm hosts free seminars in estate planning and business law to encourage our community to start businesses and to plan for death and incapacity. AS a company we are most proud of our growth and community involvement,
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck has not played a role in my life or business. I have been blessed beyond measure in life and business and those blessings have come from God. I also believe that when you try to do good things, great things happen to you. My mission is to spread goodness through knowledge and development. I have always hoped to use my legal expertise to help someone the best way that I can.
Pricing:
- Estate Planning and Personal Injury Consultations are always FREE
- Employment Law and Business Consultations are $75.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 950 Herrington Road Suite C-114
Lawrenceville, GA 30044 - Website: www.theblackfirm.com
- Phone: 678-537-6833
- Email: info@theblackfirm.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theblackfirm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theblackfirm
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/theblackfirm
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