We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Puglisi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Natalie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
As an attorney, most people have preconceived ideas about how we run our business and what advice we would “typically” give.
This is such a barrier to entry for most online entrepreneurs when they think about working with an attorney to get their legal in place… the cost will be too high, they will probably charge too much, they’ll tell me I need to set up all these things and I’m not ready to do so.
One of the top questions I get asked when doing an interview is how do I know where to start when it comes to legal?
My answer might surprise you…
Find what resonates with you! Use your personal energetics to guide you.
Most people think of setting up their legal like layers of a cake. You start with one layer, maybe your LLC, and then move up to the next once that’s set up.
I encourage entrepreneurs to think of legal in their business like a wall around your business castle. There are different sections of the wall that protect your business in different ways.
Your LLC is going to protect your personal assets by creating a separate entity (your business) which is separate from you personally. Your contracts limit your liability for working with clients and customers. Your trademarks and copyrights protect your intellectual property.
They all protect you and your business in very unique ways.
So when it comes to figuring out which to implement first… go with your gut!
Yup! Not your typical attorney answer… probably because I’m not your typical attorney.
When I first made the transition from an in person to an online law firm, I joined a mastermind. Although the mastermind focused on business growth, it was lead from a manifestation perspective, which is all about energetics.
I learned to learn my business with my heart and my gut, not necessarily with what the “right thing to do” was. It’s never steered me wrong.
So when asked where to start with you legal, lead with your heart.
Is your business name so unique that it fills you with excitement and you just want to talk about it? Great! Then start with your trademark!
Do you have a business that you’ve used your lifetime of knowledge to develop and that makes you a wee bit nervous? That’s okay, start with your LLC.
Leading with your energetics can serve you right when setting up the legal in your business as long as you start somewhere!
Natalie, 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 first started my law firm I was working for a small local law firm that I clerked for while in law school. We practiced bankruptcy law and you know what, I loved it!
Why? Because of the transformation that happened in my clients when they finally filed for bankruptcy protection!
I got so many cards, emails and flowers from clients thanking me for allowing them to sleep better at night, spend time with their family stress free and for enjoying life again. All because they filed.
When the partners of the firm were preparing for retirement, I was forced to start my own firm. The problem was I had no idea what I was doing because, despite what most people believe, they don’t teach you every area of law in law school and I had no clue how to legally set up a business.
I didn’t know if I needed a business license, needed to be an LLC or Corp, or how to set my website up. I ended up reaching out to other attorneys, doing research and figure it all out on my own.
Then it dawned on me, if it was challenging for me to figure it out, and I’m an attorney, then it must be hard for others as well. So I pivoted and moved into the online space to provide support and guidance to other entrepreneurs who were just starting out.
The thing I’m most proud of is the transformation I see in my clients every day. Must like my bankruptcy clients, my clients now can sleep better at night, spend time with their families stress free and worry less because they know they have their legal all set up and in place in their businesses.
I support my clients with their business entity formations (LLCs), contracts, legal templates, trademarks and copyrights, and I do it all in an affordable way and by providing a ton of free value (just take one look at my Instagram account).
I love seeing my clients step into the CEO versions of themselves and feel confident sharing their business because they are legally backed.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
This story isn’t so much about what I’ve had to unlearn as much as it is about what I’ve had to force other people to unlearn about me.
When you think of a lawyer, you image an individual in a suit (most likely a male) behind a mahogany desk with degrees and plaques on a wall behind him. When he speaks, it’s almost in a language that you don’t understand, and let’s not mention the bill you receive after only a 30 minute consultation!
I know that’s what most people think of because those are the male figures that I first worked for when I exited law school. I thought that’s how attorneys were supposed to look and act.
Then I entered the online space and learned how to just be me.
I’ve absolutely loved turning this image around and shocking people with how “approachable” I am as an attorney. My personal favorite is how affordable I am.
The online space is a fun place to be because we can all be ourselves and uniquely so. Although there are a lot of fishes in a big pond, we can all find someone to work with whom we resonate with as well.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My biggest advice for growing you social media audience is to add a ton of free value. Be the resource that people go to when they think of your service or offerings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepuglisi/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliepuglisi/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepuglisi/