We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heidi Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heidi below.
Hi Heidi, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Neither of my parents went to college. My mom married my dad as soon as she graduated high school. Soon after, they were told they would be unable to have children, so they adopted me when my mom was just 21.
There is no question in my mind that God hand-picked them to be my parents. They are the perfect parents for me.
For most of my life, my dad had his own business delivering milk door-to-door and to businesses. So you could say I really was the “milkman’s kid.” I spent many summer nights delivering milk with him, which was fun work, usually well rewarded with ice cream bars.
My mom worked as an administrative assistant most of her career, but spent a short season teaching early elementary at a private school before they required college certification.
My parents taught me many important life lessons in responsibility, character, faith, and drive. But one lesson stands out above them all. Try it, but don’t quit.
They provided every opportunity.
If I wanted to try gymnastics, they signed me up. Dance. Volleyball. Softball. Basketball. Piano. Cheerleading. Singing. Theater. Even baton twirling. I could try anything, but I had to finish the season. If I didn’t like it, I couldn’t just quit.
This has led to a whole lifestyle for which I will be forever grateful.
I’ve tried many careers in my lifetime.
I’ve lived in many cities and states.
I’ve tried many hobbies.
I’ve had more successes than failures.
And if I got bored, disillusioned, or just didn’t like it, I finished the season. I have very few regrets. And there are no “what if’s.”
Life is filled with seasons. No matter how bad the winter gets, if you stick it out, you will get to spring. There will be a new beginning, a new opportunity, a new joy just around the corner.
And just as interestingly, all the skills you build at your previous experiences seem to play in to the next one.
It is an outlook that makes me an eternal optimist with a grateful heart.
And it is how at 48, as a grandmother, I sat for the bar exam in a new state, and opened my own practice. When I was young, I never imagined I’d be an estate planning attorney. My skills in education, counseling, and tech, all are important components of this new adventure.
I thank my parents again and again for the worlds they opened for me.
Heidi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As an Arizona estate planning attorney, I help clients Lifeguard their Legacies. Using wills and trusts, I help clients ensure that what they’ve worked for goes flawlessly to the people they love and the causes they care about.
With my background in counseling and education, I wrote a book that helps clients navigate the complicated world of estate planning in a way that a middle-schooler could grasp. You can download your free copy at https://www.lifeguardinglegacies.com/book-freebie.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I enjoy networking.
I call it recess.
It is my chance to go out on the “playground” and sit down with other business owners. We may or may not even talk about our businesses.
And we might not remember each other’s names the first time.
But it is a small networking community after all.
The next time I see that person, I’ll remember the way they made me feel. And hopefully, they’ll remember the same of me.
Now I’ll want to know their names and all about their businesses.
And the next time a friend, acquaintance, or client is looking for that business, that person will be top of mind.
I’ve met over 950 local “friends” at networking events in the past 4 years. And nearly all of my clients have been as a result of these connections.
Of course, it definitely helps to have a professional connector who believes in you in your corner. I met Jason Bressler at the Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce within one month of launching my business. About a year ago, I traced almost 70% of my business to indirect connections from Jason. He is always marketing and networking for the people in his circle. While I love all my networking groups, only one has Jason.
For a networking event to count as a success for me–I simply need to have two deep conversations with people that I like. It doesn’t matter whether there are 10 people in the room or 1000. As long as there are two great conversations, recess was a win.
And my workday, like a good school day, needs its recess.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
I did a lot of networking to build an email list.
I was naturally afraid to lose these friends from spamming them.
This was my excuse to avoid email marketing campaigns.
Then I had a conversation with Stephanie Fleming of Ready-to-Go Copy.
She encouraged me to send out an email that was ENTIRELY outside my comfort zone to my ENTIRE list (other than attorneys.)
It felt like bragging.
The response was CRAZY. I had old contacts reach out. Lots of great comments. Very few unsubscribers. And the biggest piece? People actually signed up for appointments to start estate planning with me.
To this day–I’m still baffled. But it just resonated with people.
So I guess you can try it on for size.
In the movie Mean Girls (and don’t ask me how I know this), Amy Poehler’s character says, “I’m not like a regular mom. I’m a cool mom.”
[I included a fun image here]
Is it too cliche if I say the same thing?
I’m not a regular attorney. I’m a cool attorney.
But I suppose you want proof, right?
Okay, here goes…
Unlike other attorneys, I come to you. No stuffy office. No waiting rooms. No wondering if you are dressed right.
It’s your living room or your kitchen table. In your t-shirt and sweats, if you want.
Further, the average estate attorney will give you an intake packet to complete before you meet with them.
I am not joking when I say that the packet is 14 pages long in small print. (Have you seen that packet? It’s awful.)
Clients have admitted that they’ve gotten these forms, then never completed them to have the meeting for an estate plan.
My clients don’t complete any intake forms. All they have to do is sign their name or initials.
Finally, I have a counseling and education background.
I listen first.
I ask open ended questions like, “Tell me about your children.” Instead of just listing their names and birthdates on those intakes, this question gets to your heart.
Maybe you have a child that spends more than every penny he earns.
Maybe your child has lapses with alcohol or drugs.
Maybe you have a child who struggles with a learning disability.
Or maybe your child is in a difficult marriage (or you just don’t like their spouse).
Every one of these issues is relevant to your estate plan.
And when we’re done finding the problems, we work together to come up with solutions.
That is when I put on the educator hat to make sure you understand both the laws related to your estate plan and how your plan will work for you.
Ultimately, it probably doesn’t matter if I’m “cool” or not. What matters is how well we help you leave a gift instead of a mess to handle matters during your incapacity or after your passing.
What matters is having the peace of mind that the people you love will appreciate the legacy that we help you lifeguard.
As one client shared on a Google review: “Lifeguarding Legacies far exceeded our expectations and guided us gently through the process of doing our wills. Heidi is so knowledgeable about different options and has experience to back it up. I would and have recommended Lifeguarding Legacies to anyone looking to do a will or trust.”
Schedule a free 15-minute estate plan Q&A call and find out how you can lifeguard your legacy:
https://letsmeet.io/lifeguardinglegaciespllc/15-minute-check-in
Clicking send was one of the hardest buttons I have ever pushed. But sometimes stepping out of the comfort zone is all it takes to see results.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifeguardinglegacies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeguardinglegacies
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidithompson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2D7WpEhjD7tYYJtGh9ePQg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lifeguarding-legacies-phoenix
- Other: Book download: https://www.lifeguardinglegacies.com/book-freebie Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/phoenix-az/lifeguarding-legacies-pllc
Image Credits
Headshots by Cindy Quinn of CMQ Headshots Phoenix Metro Chamber event photo by Glenn Mire of Mire Images Photography and Videography