We recently connected with Michelle Casper and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

We often think of success as something innate—something certain people are simply born with. We see someone who’s made it and think, “They’re so lucky. That could never be me.” What we overlook is the grit that underpins their success: the failures, the detours, the relentless starts and stops. Success isn’t about luck; it’s about persistence and drive. Each of us has the capacity to reach heights we never imagined. What makes the difference? The grit to push forward, no matter the setbacks. Success isn’t handed to us—it’s something we build, step by step. Grit is the way we climb.

I often think of it as a mountain. We stand at the base, staring up, and the thought hits—this will take forever to climb. It feels impossible, like we might as well not even bother. But, if we take it one step at a time, one day at a time, we get to the point where we look back and we’ve climbed that damn mountain.

I think about my business that way (and really – so much of my every day life). When I made the decision to leave large law firm life and start my own firm, it looked like a huge mountain in front of me. I had no idea how to do it or how to make it successful. But, I knew how to be an attorney, and I knew how to be a good one. So, I broke it down into steps. I started small. I asked a million questions. I learned from others who went before me. I’m not at the top of that mountain – not even close – but I’m climbing, one step at a time, learning along the way. If we never have the guts to take the first step, we’ll never climb any of those mountains ahead of us.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! I’m Michelle. I’ve been an attorney for nearly 20 years, and for the majority of that time, I’ve worked for mid to large-sized law firms – always working for someone else, until early in 2024 when I made the leap and started my own law firm: The Retail Law Group. My training is as a litigator – the end game of the law, representing business that are pursuing or facing lawsuits. It’s high stakes and high emotion.

After seeing how other firms do it for nearly 2 decades, I decided there was a better way. Practicing law should be less about attorneys telling clients what to do, and more about attorneys listening to their clients’ stories and struggles, and telling their stories in compelling ways to achieve the best results for the client.

I founded The Retail Law Group because I have a passion for representing retail businesses, large and small, and I saw a way to better serve those businesses beyond the walls of a large law firm. I love learning the stories of my clients’ businesses: how they started, what market and customers they serve, and how I can help make their businesses stronger through the lens of the law.

While my experience equips me to serve many types of clients, I intentionally niched down my firm to serve a particular industry – the retail industry – with exceptional representation. Any attorney can hang a shingle and say they do all sorts of types of work. But, when you niche down, understand your industry, intimately know your customer – that’s when you can set yourself apart in your field and serve as a true expert. My clients appreciate this level of expertise, and it’s why they trust me. I don’t take that trust lightly, and it fuels the work I do on a daily basis.

When I’m not serving the legal community, I’m passionate about fueling the success of women in law and business, and finding ways to give back to our community so that we can leave this world a better place than we found it. I intentionally set up my firm with a core value of social responsibility because I believe that all businesses can and should be a tool to make our world a better place. It’s not just about creating a profitable business – it’s also about using our success to improve the community around us.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

10 years ago, I lost my dad to suicide. It was unexpected and shattered much of my world. My dad was my biggest cheerleader. Every day, he would text or call me: “Hi honey. I hope you have a great day. Love, Dad.” His death left such an absence in my world and forced me to rethink everything I knew and believed. I was in my mid-30s when I lost him – that time in a woman’s life when she’s on her own, has perhaps built a family, is married, is working in a career – but still has so many lessons to learn. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I would need him much more in those later years, and his absence is felt daily.

We never quite understand how finite time is until it’s taken from us.

That event – the thing that shattered my world – also rebuilt me. It gave me strength I didn’t know I had. It instilled confidence to chase dreams, large and small. It helped me slow down – to appreciate the everyday beauty of life, to see the things I would have missed had I kept rushing through. And, it gave me something to hope for – to know that no matter what, he’s still out there, watching over me, rooting for me, cheering on my success.

Sometimes our greatest tragedies can also be our greatest blessings.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I could provide a long list of trusted business books and inspirational reading, but let’s keep it simple. Start with the book Grit by Angela Duckworth. It’s a must read for any business owner and entrepreneur. It will give you the foundation and the confidence to go and tackle those big dreams, and to know that you do have what it takes to achieve them.

The book combines scientific studies and inspiration stories designed to educate the reader on why it’s less about intelligence and more about grit – how hard do you work? How much do you want it? How willing are you to do the boring, mundane tasks to achieve the great things? Deliberate practice, unwavering determination, unshakeable persistence – those are the ingredients to success, and this book will teach you how to tap into what we all have inside of us to fuel your own success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theretaillawgroup.com
• Instagram: @theretailattorney
• Facebook: @michelle.casper.54
• Linkedin: @michellelynncasper @theretaillawgroup

Image Credits

Coley & Co.