We recently connected with Jehan Crump-Gibson and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jehan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?
Even though I was initially a solo practitioner, it was important to establish operating procedures. I was the one handling the administrative piece to start. I needed to have something consistent in place that could become a well-oiled machine, so that when I grew and could afford help, the foundation would be in place. This ranged from establishing client intake forms and questionnaires, fee agreements, to billing procedures and more. Drafting the documents and outlining the processes/ workflow were critical,
Just as important as operating procedures was establishing key referral sources. I did not have money to advertise in the traditional sense and digital marketing/ social media was nowhere near where it is today. I had to hit the pavement. I asked to do workshops- either partnering with other professionals or churches/ civic organizations concerning my practice areas, I attended events, got involved with various organizations, and forged relationships- not only with other attorneys, but professionals that would always need a referral source for my practice areas.
As a full-time solo attorney, I experienced challenges with the natural ebbs and flows of accounts receivable. Frankly, these never end, but as you scale, the wave becomes easier to ride. This was to be expected. The real challenge came as work increased. When my efforts to build my referral network started paying off, I was like now, what? It was extremely challenging to handle the administrative piece, the actual client work and drive business. I needed help but how could I afford that? The question ultimately became how can I afford NOT to have it? Then the answer quickly followed. One day, I had to go to different courts in 3 different counties for filings (this was prior to any electronic filing), pick up client documents and handle other client matters. I spent half of the day driving. It was ridiculous. I realized I had put 40,000 miles on my car in a year. I was like a plant being over-watered- the end game was not going to be pretty. This is when I decided to hire my first part-time clerk. What a game-changer! I was freed up a bit to work ON the business, instead of just drowning in it.
I’d recommend that any young professional get their business operations down first. We take for granted how important this is because we are so bogged down with getting our feet wet with the practice side of things. Get a mentor- someone who has been where you are. There are also a lot of resources for small businesses / firms now that can assist with getting your foundation in order.
Jehan, 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?
When I went to law school, I already had an interest in contracts and transactions. That stayed with me. However, through my clerkships, I was exposed to other areas of law that frankly, I did not even know about. These areas were probate and estate planning, business law as a whole and employment law. I also got a taste of municipal law.
After I graduated, the bottom of the economy had fallen out. I took a contract with the City but hung my shingle on a part-time basis out of necessity. During this time, I attended a lot of seminars but more importantly, I contracted myself out to smaller firms and solos to do appearances and research. The firms needed the work but couldn’t necessarily afford to hire a full-time associate. In steps me- I get some extra cash in the door and most importantly- exposure and experience. Through this, I was able to hone in on what I really enjoyed doing- helping families and working with small business owners. I handled probate and estate planning from the beginning and also helped a variety of businesses with their legal issues. This included employment matters, compliance, government approvals, real estate transactions, brand protection and more. I also handled the plaintiff’s side of employment work (representing workers who experienced employment discrimination). I eventually began referring the plaintiff’s work out and focused more on helping businesses with their employment matters. I then began to niche down the services I provided.
So, what I do today: probate and estate planning matters, as well as business and commercial matters. I serve small businesses in every industry you can think of- real estate, retail, hospitality, trucking, beauty and more. I assist individuals and families with estate plan preparation, so they can avoid probate court and in the event that they do not, I assist them with the probate process.
As my practice grew, I noticed the calls did not stop for practice areas that I did not handle. In steps my law partner Ayanna Alcendor, who specializes in family, criminal and probate matters. We formed Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC. A couple of years in, we expanded and added Henri Harmon to the team, who handles a variety of civil court matters- with an emphasis in employment and commercial. April McKie joined us to handle trademark and business transaction matters.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When you are passionate and knowledgeable about what you do, and do it with excellence, the business will follow. Reputation is key. Even though we have dabbled in different types of advertising since we launched, the overwhelming majority of our business comes from referrals and repeat clients. These are people who have been pleased with the work we performed for them, a client of theirs, a family member, a co-worker or close friend. This goes SUCH a long way and was critical in building my reputation.
What was equally as important to me as I built my reputation was my clients feeling like I cared. There are a lot of smart lawyers out there but do they treat you like you are another file number? I wanted to avoid someone walking out of my office feeling that way at all costs. It shows with my client relationships. Not only am I at the grand openings and events for the business, but I’ve been to the baby showers, the graduation parties, the holiday cookouts, the housewarmings and unfortunately, the hospitals, the sick beds at home and the funerals. This was critical in building my reputation.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
This is the part that people do not like to talk about. I mentioned earlier that the ebbs and flows of accounts receivable is always a factor but in the first couple of years, I had a few moments where I thought the practice- and I- would fold. One particular year, summer time had come. Existing clients were months behind in paying bills, a steady client had their funding cut, so there went my contract and new business was not knocking down the door because people were on vacation and enjoying themselves. Handling legal matters that were not deemed necessary at the time had to wait for these people. The business bills do not stop in these scenarios. Consequently, you cannot pay yourself if there is no money left over after the business bills are paid. I was pumping my savings into the practice and remember when the well had run dry. The business bills were paid for that month but I had no clue how I was going to pay my household bills for much longer. I even sold some valuable items to consignment shops to float me. I was not anywhere remotely close to being attractive to a lender at the time, so that certainly was not an option. I remember tapping into my last reserve and frankly, just praying as I was driving home. I knew if God wanted me to be where I was, the provision would come from somewhere. And, it did. A few clients paid their bills out of nowhere and new business started coming in the door from some of those referral sources I had invested in. That was a defining moment for me. I saw what I was made of. It really changed my outlook. It is why I literally cannot operate in a place of fear today. That is the benefit of being in the valley. The best lessons come from it. They don’t feel good but sometimes, they are necessary in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://gllegalgroup.com
- Instagram: @fashionlawble1
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jcrumpgibson
- Linkedin: Jehan Crump-Gibson
- Twitter: N/A