Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Gomes Serafino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barbara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I took the LSAT entrance exam on a whim and on the encouragement of a woman friend back in 1979. I had no mentor or idea even what law school was all about. To my surprise, I was accepted into Brooklyn Law School and actually managed to survive three years of grueling work making my way completely on my own, Several internships finally gave me some firsthand experience in the legal world. I had anticipated having to somehow start my own practice, never thinking I’d be hired. To my delight, I was hired on my first interview as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, Brooklyn, New York. I worked like a dog there for five years, working night shifts, holidays, weekends and even twenty=four hour shifts learning to love trial work. In 1987, I took a huge risk when I left to finally become my own boss and with a friend from law school, we started the first all woman law firm on Staten Island, NY. We started with nothing, no clients, no staff and took every case that walked in the door, finding we were attracting many women clients and networked with the few female businesses associated with our law practice, In those days women were still in the minority in our field, especially as trial lawyers. I became the first woman to try a case for a criminal defendant in the Richmond County Supreme Court. After retirement many years later, I started writing a book I”d intended as a family project and upon the encouragement of women friends in a writing club, i self published my book and embarked on a second career. My first book, “The Book I Always Promised: Family Curses, Stregas & Adventures from Italy, Portugal & Brooklyn”, has been nominated for a Georgia Writer of the Year Award in the memoir category. Never run away from risks!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I always wanted to “be somebody” since I was a child growing up in a middle class immigrant family of first generation Americans .At a time when many young women my age did not attend college or seek careers, I was drawn to traditionally male dominated fields, Getting married was never my be all and end all, like it was for so many others in my surroundings. They told me to become a nurse so that I could still manage to have a family when I said I wanted to be a doctor. I always say I fell into the legal profession, having no direction or advice from family or teachers. Back then, American college students were back=packing through Europe. Unable to afford that, a girl friend and I got jobs in a hotel in Zurich one summer, so we could travel on our time off and then back=packed through Italy for 3 weeks before returning to our senior year at Brooklyn College. I learned as a young woman, where there’s a will there’s a way! For twenty=five years being an attorney was my passion and since unfortunately, I was unable to become a mother especially with the medical infertility field so new and limited in the early 80’s, I always felt like helping and guiding many of my clients was an excellent maternal outlet for me. More recently, venturing into the artistic world has given me a creative outlet I always thought was for the rich and a wonderful sense of creative fulfillment as an older woman. It’s never too late.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Years ago, I was told women don’t grow up to be doctors or lawyers or Indian chiefs because they have to raise a family. When I tried to get a job after leaving the DA’s office, I was asked if I had a family and told I would be a poor choice since I’d probably leave to start a family, so I immediately started my own law firm and I became my own boss. Now, completing my first book, I decided to self publish instead of waiting around to “be published”. Take control of your own destiny.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Having to pay bills and a mortgage as a younger person. I put aside my creative dreams, Now I”m driven to live out my second act as an author. I’m working on editing my second book and my third is in progress. No time like the present to do what makes you happy and fulfilled.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: barbaragomesserafinoauthor
• Facebook: @barbaragomesserafinoauthor

Image Credits

Photos 1 &2 taken by my sister Christina Gomes Hachtel and 3&4 taken by my husband Frank Serafino. I took the bookmark photo.