We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Beth Locke recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah Beth, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Most law firms are named after their owner or law partners, so when I decided to name my firm “Every Step Law Group,” I took a less traditional route. But my law firm is a bit untraditional, so it is a good fit.

My firm specializes in estate planning services. Our goal is to ensure that every single client has a plan that will work when their loved ones need it most. To ensure this, we practice holistic estate planning, meaning we go beyond traditional, “document-only” estate planning. We want to provide all of our clients with guidance and support so that all the logistical things that need to happen for your estate planning documents to work will actually happen.

This means we include in all of our plans asset inventories to prevent assets from being lost to the Department of Unclaimed Property, legacy interviews to capture your human element and protect your legacy, support in allocating and changing ownership of assets, and regular three-year plan reviews.

We want our clients to feel cared for and receive all the support they will need for their entire lives. We want them to know their loved ones will have guidance and be provided for after they are no longer here.

So our firm is called “Every Step Law Group” as our promise to clients that we will be there every step of the way.

Sarah Beth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sarah Beth, and I am an estate planning attorney serving families throughout Southeast Tennessee. I started my practice because I am passionate about protecting families and helping them remain out of court and out of conflict after the death of a loved one. I specialize in asset protection, wealth transfer, and kids protection planning. I absolutely love what I do and want to ensure everyone has a lasting legacy to pass on to those they care about the most.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When I started my practice I was starting from zero. I had no significant personal savings and knew I would need to obtain business funding to get started. However, I was also fresh out of law school and had a basically non-existent credit score. I had never used a credit card or taken out a loan for a car, and basically, my only experience with debt was my student loan payments. I had no history of consistent income and could not show 2 years – or even 2 months – of business revenue.

So, I began my search for business funding with a great attitude and a solid business plan, fully prepared to receive denials. My goal was to get in front of people and explain how my estate planning was different and the signincant impact I could make on our community. I made an effort to target specifically local banks and credit unions, and steered away from the “big guys.” I was requesting 6 months of operating expenses as a small business line of credit, unsecured.

After a few weeks of rejections, I got in front of a banker who was willing to meet with me and ultimately approved my funding request in full based solely on my business plan and cash flow forecast. Overall, it was an incredible experience and one I could not have done without the wonderful banking relationship we created from that first meeting.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My favorite form of marketing is to host community events!

Estate planning is such a misunderstood area of law, but it is something everyone (in my opinion) needs to have at least a basic knowledge of. I mean, we are all going to die, and we all have people we want to care for and provide for.

So I try to host at least one community seminar event that is free to the public every month. I think it benefits communities by giving everyone an opportunity to come and learn, and then usually leads to well-edcuated and motivated clients for me later down the road as well. I love my community, so getting out there and sharing what I know is and will always be something I am incredibly passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.everysteplawgroup.com
• Instagram: @everysteplaw
• Facebook: Every Step Law Group
• Linkedin: Every Step Law Group