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

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

Helping my clients feel peace of mind is one of my favorite things about my job. I had the opportunity to help a young couple who were recently married and the couple reached out to me to get a will put together for the husband as he was soon going to be deployed to Iraq. This couple had an extra complexity as each had children from prior relationships and we needed to account for that with their estate planning documents. Not only did I help get a will in place, should something happen to him while he is serving, but I also assisted them in preparing and executing temporary guardianship documents for one of his minor children, who he had sole custody of. Believe it or not, while he is out of the country, his wife would not have the legal ability to help make decisions for his child without these documents being prepared as she was not the biological mother of the child. Providing clarity, security, and relief to this family by helping them get the right types of documents in place while their father was overseas was very rewarding and I saw the relief it brought their family.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a lawyer and business owner passionate about educating people about their legal options related to estate planning and business planning. I’ve been a licensed attorney in Texas for over a decade and enjoy being able to provide my clients with peace of mind they have the right documents in place. Many people are unaware of the legal protections available to them and my goal is to help make them aware of their options so they can choose the option that is best for them.

I am proud of running a law firm focused on delivering excellent client service. Whether a client needs help getting a will or a trust in place or is a new business owner that is ready to start their limited liability company, my goal is to have them feel confident at the end of the process and know they have the right documents protecting them.

In regards to estate planning, a lot of people don’t know much about it. It’s also a topic that is difficult for many people to think about. It’s not uncommon to hear a couple of awkward pauses when I ask questions to people because it’s things they’ve never thought out or may not have ever talked to anyone about. Many people know they should have a will, a trust, or medical decision documents but don’t understand what it means or how it impacts them or their family. My first goal with meeting with any client is to educate them on their options so they can make a decision that aligns with their goals and wishes. My initial consultation call with a client talk through their different estate planning options and help identify which is best avenue for them. I started my estate planning practice after seeing the turmoil my family went through with my grandparent’s estate so my goal is to make sure the families I work with don’t have a similar experience. I’m passionate about making my clients feel comfortable when discussing such difficult topics and planning for what a lot of hypothetical scenarios could look like.

I also work with business owners to establish their new businesses and help set them up on a path to business success. As I work with business owners, I regularly prepare contracts for them and review contracts they are potentially going to sign to help minimize their business risks. I thrive on helping business owners grow and succeed. I love helping a new business owner get started with an entity formation and then help discuss with them the business risks they potentially have and how to protect them. A lot of times that includes drafting and reviewing contracts for my client’s business through the different phases of its growth from inception to hiring their first employees to growing with new business partnerships and opportunities. No business is too small to be protected legally.

Whether it’s estate planning documents for individuals or families of 10 or preparing business contracts for business owners, I want my clients to feel at peace that they have the right types of documents in place. I handle each opportunity to help a client with care and compassion to make sure their goals are met.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Building connections with other business owners in my area has been very impactful for the growth of my business. I have built relationships with professionals across a wide variety of industries who then help share my contact information when they have a contact who could use estate planning or business planning services. This has been tremendously helpful as it gives you other people spreading information about your business.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

In my career, I have been in roles where I managed large teams, and one thing I always focused on was keeping a positive attitude, even on the toughest days. As the leader of the team, I felt that I helped set the tone for the group, so if I was in a bad mood, that could be contagious to more people and bring down morale. So even on stressful days, I would try to find ways to bring a little fun and lighten things up to keep morale up. Also, making sure your employees feel valued and appreciated is very important to growing a team and maintaining high morale. If employees don’t feel valued or appreciated, then they are not going to be motivated to hit goals and likely going to start looking for a job elsewhere. You want employees to feel like they can grow at your company and see a path to a successful career and life. I think it’s also critical to understand what your employees value and what’s most important to them. Finding out what their interests and hobbies are and getting to know them more as a person can help them feel appreciated and understood. It can also help you become a better leader when you know more about who they are as a person.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.speicelaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speicelaw/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeiceLaw
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/speicelaw/

Image Credits
Julie Falconi Portraits