Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Smith.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a Georgia native born and raised in the rural town of Temple, Georgia where there are more cows on one road than the population of the whole town and where residents seldom locked their doors. I learned the value of family, community, and caring for others. However, in that community there were no lawyers that looked like me. When I told my parents, I was going to be a lawyer at the age of 10, they told me I could do it. Every week I watched the mom on one of my favorite TV shows and I had decided I was going to be a lawyer like her.
I attended Spelman College and that is where I began to discover my “Black Girl Magic.” Spelman constantly reinforced the idea of “To whom much is given much is required.” I graduated from Spelman with a great education and a sense of responsibility to improve the community around me. I take that responsibility seriously.
I then attended Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. I loved New Orleans and thought about staying but after surviving Hurricane Katrina I decided to come back home to Georgia.
I began my legal career as a public, criminal defense attorney. I originally went to law school with the intent to practice criminal defense law but after a few years of practicing, I soon realized that it was taking a toll on my wellbeing. I took four years off from practicing law and worked at a prominent law firm doing ethics and conflicts work. But after a few years, I was not feeling fulfilled and decided to return to the practice of law.
I believe the time I spent at the last law firm was a turning point for me. I learned some valuable lessons mostly about who I was and how I could be effective and fulfilled in my life. This put me on the path to entrepreneurship. I faced my fears, stopped complaining, and took some action by quitting my job. I decided to practice law the way I had always envisioned.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Just reading this question makes me laugh. It has definitely not been a smooth road. It has been small steps forward and large steps back and vice versa. I started out working with a friend but that did not work out. I worked as a solo practitioner for about a year before deciding to partner with my current law partner. I also tried out different areas of law.
The biggest challenge for me has been the mental part-mindset. It has been about discovering who I am and finding my purpose through my work. Being pushed out of my comfort zone has allowed me to learn myself in a deeper way.
I went into the partnership thinking outside forces would be the greatest challenge but what I have realized is the greatest challenge has been internal. I work on conquering the doubts, fears, and negative voices every day. I am more aware of my thoughts and words than I have ever been.
Please tell us about SR Law Group.
My law partner, Nicola Robinson, and I are the owners of SR Law Group. We are an estate planning and elder law firm. Our main focus is empowering seniors to plan for end of life and after they pass on. We also do Veterans Benefits, Adoptions, and Probate work.
We both have a passion for this work because of personal experiences. Nicola experienced a family member dying without a will and the toll and pain this caused her and her family. She has also been able to experience the peace of mind and relief that she was able to provide for her Godmother who was diagnosed with cancer by helping her with her estate plan.
I was very close to my grandparents growing up. They were smart, clever, industrious, and the backbone of our family. They were so busy living and helping others that they never considered end of life planning. In many ways they did not have a say in how they lived the last chapter of their life. I want other seniors like my grandparents to have their say.
This work is a calling to us. Yes, this is how we support ourselves, but it is so much more to us. We try to provide our community with resources and all the information they need. We do presentations at senior centers, churches, and any and everywhere else. We realize there is so much that people just do not know about estate planning and end of life planning.
I believe what sets us apart from other firms that practice this area of law is our belief that our work has purpose. We want our clients to view estate planning as a celebration of their life and all of their hard work. We want them to see end of life planning as an opportunity to create a legacy. Most of all we want to empower our clients to have their say.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to do it all over again, I would have believed and invested in myself by starting my own law firm sooner. I would have trusted my instincts and capabilities. I would have tuned out the conventional wisdom and considered where I would be the happiest and most fulfilled. I would have thought about how I could provide the best value and highest service to my clients.
I would have also left unhealthy work environments sooner instead of thinking I needed to stay and pay my dues even though I was miserable.
To sum it all up I would have chosen ME.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12531 Veterans Memorial Highway
Douglasville, Georgia 30134 - Website: www.srlawgrp.com
- Phone: 4044106505
- Email: info@srlawgrp.com
Image credit:
Nadja Cook – Me and my law partner’s photo
Nick Nelson – Personal Photo
Michael K Jones – My law partner’s headshot
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