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

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

As a freelance paralegal, I am often contracted by solo attorneys to assist them with managing their cases. I have a few favorite clients, but there is one in particular, that I became great friends with. They taught me a lot about family law and I really put that new found knowledge to test with the case I’m about to discuss. To protect anonimity, I will refrain from using specific identifiers. My attorney client was retained by someone facing child custody issues where one parent began abusing the legal system to deprive the other parent access to their children. Restraining orders were involved, false statements were made on the record, and the client was facing an uphill battle. I met with my client’s client to get their side of the story, and to gather facts for their representation. During our discussion, this client cried and was so broken by the antics of their former partner. I’m a sucker for tears, and this may have been a little unprofessional, but I took their case personal. That lit a fire in my belly and I had to make this right. I literally took over the case, not because the attorney couldn’t handle it, but because they trusted my work enough to let me take the reigns. I spent hours researching and reviewing every single syllable of every single piece of evidence we received, and I got to work. I tore the other party’s arguments apart, limb by limb. to the point where opposing counsel changed their tone from, “we’re going to make sure you never see your kid again” to “we’re willing to dismiss the case and settle outside of court.” This is because I did some serious digging, and found a ton of unfavorable infomation that their client “forgot” to mention to their attorney. My client’s client was so empowered by the work that we had done, that they wanted to fight. My client went to court, destroyed the opposing side, and won the case for his client. Long story short, my client’s client was able to regain custody of their children again. This is one of my favorite cases for one of my favorite clients, and I am proud to have been able to make such a positive impact.

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 will do my best not to bore your readers. My name is Pam Brooks of Brooks Notary & Litigation Support, and I am a self-made paralegal and notary public who wants to save the world and inspire others to do what I do. That pretty much sums it up. Thanks for reading. I’m just kidding. All of that is true, but there is a bit more to it. I call myself a “self-made paralegal” because no one would give me the opportunity to work for their firm as a paralegal, at the beginning of my journey. This is despite my having graduated from an ABA-approved paralegal school with magna cum lade honors. It just seemed like every firm I applied to at that time offered me either a legal secretary or legal assistant position instead of the paralegal role to which I applied. At first, I accepted the jobs because they allowed me to get my foot in the door. However, this pattern did begin to discourage me because I was more than qualified for a paralegal role but was never granted the opportunity. At a certain point, I began to feel like I wasn’t good enough for the role and that it would never happen.

However, I had to remember that I am not the kind of person who stays down for long. I eventually got fed up with being made to feel that way, so I decided I needed to do something that would allow me to “paralegal” on my own terms, which would let my work speak for itself. I didn’t quite know what to do, so I had a conversation with my father (R.I.P.) about it, and he encouraged me to start my own business. From there, Brooks Notary & Litigation Support was born.

Initially, BNLS offered offed mobile notarization services, with document preparation being added the following year. Document preparation came easy for me because I have always been my family’s go-to document person. I took that experience combined with my newly acquired legal education and began offering document preparation services to help the little guy. Eventually, attorneys began to notice my name on some of their opposing court documents. I guess they were impressed with my work because they began hiring me for freelance paralegal services. At this point, I realized that my work finally began to speak for me.

One thing that sets BNLS apart from competing companies offering similar services, is the fact that BNLS offers the element of care with each service. I genuinely care about my customers and at the end of the day, I strive to make their problems go away. This is because I am a problem solver by nature, therefore, I treat each client’s problem like it is my own. That might be my toxic trait, but it allows me to be authentic. It is my belief that my authenticity has garnered the respect of my colleagues, while also allowing me to build a loyal client base that has followed me from California to Nevada. I am in Texas now and still accept work from California and Nevada. As such, I am honored, proud, and humbled at the same time to have been able to start my business and establish such a great reputation amongst my customers and colleagues, alike.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

I will use this question to make a point about knowing your worth and doubling down on your prices. There was a gentleman who contacted me for document preparation services. I gave him my standard quote, to which he replied he had previously called around and found that my competition offered the same service for half the price I quoted him. He then asked me if I could match that price point. I had no intention of lowering my fee, and therefore thanked him for his call and recommended he proceed with the company offering the best rate for his budget. This was a risk because I refused to lower my fee to accommodate him, knowing he had other options. To my surprise, he almost immediately stated that he would rather work with me because he saw that I have great Google reviews. He further stated that he had no problem paying my fee. I giggled on the inside because I understood that he wanted to see if I would budge on my pricing. I didn’t lower my fee, and I believe it made him respect me more. I sent him my invoice, and he not only paid my fee, but he also added a $50 tip, as well. In this situation, most small business owners would not have risked losing a sale and would have otherwise accepted the price match option as to not lose that customer to their competition. My work is top-notch, and as such, my price is the price.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation was established through the positive experience I provide to each customer, which leads to referrals to their friends and family. This is because I try to make each customer feel comfortable and welcome to ask me anything, while also exhibiting patience by taking as much time as needed to answer their questions. I never want them to feel rushed or in any way unimportant. At the end of the day, my customers trust me and my ability to do the job right. Sometimes, we build such a strong rapport that many of them become life-long friends and repeat customers. Another way I have built my reputation is by making myself accessible to newbies in my industry. They often have questions about our field and don’t know where to start. I receive plenty of phone calls, random text messages, emails, and even DM’s through social media, and my information is passed around that way, as well.

Social media has also played a tremendous role in building my reputation. Having an online presence has allowed me to reach a larger audience to demonstrate that I am a credible and competent choice for document services. Over the years, I have created tons of free, informative content relevant to my industry. People find value in my videos and trust that I know what I’m doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/brooksnotary
• Instagram: instagram.com/brooksnotary
• Facebook: facebook.com/brooksnotary
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/pamalabrooks
• Twitter: x.com/brooksnotary
• Youtube: youtube.com/brooksnotarylitigation
• Other: tiktok.com/@brooksnotary

Image Credits
Photographer – Tiare Rush