Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrice McQueen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Patrice. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to Atlanta from Southern California to pursue my undergraduate degree from Clark Atlanta University, where I graduated with a degree in Sociology. My initial goal was to attend law school once I graduated and become an attorney. So, after graduation, I tested the water by working for a law firm for a few years. I then found an opportunity to contract with the US Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, where I adjudicated PERM Labor Certifications as an Immigration Program Analyst. Aside from owning my own company, contracting with the US DOL was probably one of the best and rewarding jobs I’ve ever held. I met some awesome people who taught me a lot. It was working there that I became interested in immigration and foreign policy.
I left the US Department of Labor and started working as a Business Immigration Paralegal. I jumped around between a few firms trying find a good fit, but I could never get comfortable. I’m not sure if it was the field and it’s high demands or the firms that I worked for. Nonetheless, the work cultures all seemed the same… high stress, turnover, micromanagement, little to no work-life balance, gossip and closed doors etc. I’m an upbeat, unpretentious, and lively person, so I could never adjust to those types of environments. I enjoyed working in the immigration field, but I quickly learned that the law firm environment was not for me. This is not to say that all law firms are crummy because we know that just isn’t true. All wasn’t negative because I made some lifelong friends working at the firms, and I learned so much about immigration. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for my past experiences; so, I am grateful for all the baskets of lemons that were given to me… because I’ve been able to make lemonade, lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, lemon donuts and the lemon list goes on.
I knew I wanted to do immigration work and work for myself. I teetered back and forth with the idea of freelancing as a Paralegal. The indecisiveness and fear really started weighing me down. At that point, I knew it was time for a change. I was afraid of losing my job security for an opportunity that may or may not succeed. The worry of failure kept me complacent for some time. I knew that God was ready for me to move because my situation was becoming more and more uncomfortable. Finally, one day out of nowhere, I took a leap of faith. I resigned from my job effective immediately, and my Plans A, B, and C were to focus and grow my business.
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?
Starting off was very hard – definitely not a smooth road, but I was mentally prepared for it. I had to trust God. My Pastor says, “God never gives you a dream that matches your budget. He’s not checking your bank account, he’s checking your faith.” Initially, to get clients, I offered such low pricing that I lowballed myself, which wasn’t helpful to my business. I was going above, beyond and some to get clients and that got old really quick because I was losing money. Once I started to see my value and worth, things turned around for the better and I started to see a profit. One thing I can say is, challenges don’t ever just go away. You eventually develop the tools you need to learn how to succeed in overcoming them. The things that seemed so big three years ago are meager now.
Please tell us about DocuPros Management Services.
At DocuPros, we share our passion as Paralegal Consultants by helping immigration law firms achieve profitability and efficiency through legal outsourcing. Our ramp-up process is designed to empower teams and allows businesses to focus on the strategic dimensions of their functions. Our main focus is employment-based immigration. We are most known for PERM Labor Certifications, EB-1, and O-1 petitions. Most firms solicit our services to train their Paralegals on PERM Labor Certifications because it’s very hard to learn. So, with that, we are working on a program that focuses on paralegal PERM training.
The thing that sets DocuPros apart from other legal process outsourcing/management consulting firms is that we have a niche, which is immigration, and we don’t really deviate from that. Some legal outsourcing firms claim to have expertise in everything but with that, there’s not much time to focus on what you’re great at. We definitely do not want to be labeled as the jack of all trades, and masters of none. We want to be known for what we specialize in. As we grow, we will expand to consult in other fields but as of this moment, our focus is immigration. Something else that sets us apart is the fact that we vet our clients. We are very selective about who we partner with and the projects we work on have to make sense.
DocuPros was established in 2016, I am most proud that we have made it this far. When I started, it was me doing everything. Now I have a small team, so it’s finally feeling like an actual business. I have learned that slow and steady wins the race. We are currently working on winning some federal contracts, so we are very excited about that.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, my family says I was extremely bossy. My mom says as a child, I had to be the lead person in everything. If we were flying a plane, I was the pilot. If we played school, I was the teacher. My immediate household was small. My dad passed away when I was 2 months old, so for 8 years, it was just me and my mom. I was the only kid and I wanted to be wherever she was. My mom eventually remarried and gave birth to my sister. I had some newfound responsibilities because I was a big sister. Outside of my immediate household, my family is massive. I think my grandma has a hundred and something grandkids. We were always a close-knit family that did everything together. So, from that, I learned to value family.
I ran track in high school and sang in the church choir. Fontana High School and Praise Tabernacle COGIC where some of the foundations that helped to mold me. My mom and aunts kept us in church every chance they could. I honestly think I spent more time at church than in my own home. I was silly and goofy, tall and lanky. My pants would flood occasionally, and I wore a lot of turtlenecks. I was a little shy and nerdy in 9th and 10th grade but by my junior year, those insecurities went away and I became more vibrant and spirited.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.docupros-ms.com
- Phone: 404-736-7087
- Email: patrice@docupros-ms.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docuprosms
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DocuprosS
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/docupros-ms/
Image Credit:
Photo of me – Corey S. Guevarra, CYOER Photography
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