We recently connected with Yolanda Strader and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yolanda , thanks for joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My mother, Verona Paschal, is my hero because she set an example of what it takes to be a dedicated mother and business professional who never quits. My mother came to this country from Jamaica in the late 1970s and obtained her real estate license shortly thereafter. She eventually became a real estate broker with her own brokerage firm. She juggled motherhood alongside managing a successful business, and I follow her model to this day with my family. My mom sometimes missed my plays and other school activities when I was a kid because of her commitments to her business. But I always knew that she was nevertheless committed to her family and working incredibly hard to provide for us. As a result, I feel that I have permission with my kids to sometimes lean into work because they will ultimately know that I am doing it all for them.

My first job was working at my mom’s real estate company over my summer breaks. I stuffed envelopes, updated listing charts, and answered the phones. That experience taught me so much about being client-focused and professional by emulating my mother. My parents were constantly teaching me how to be the lawyer I am today.

Finally, during the Great Recession, I saw my mom lose her real estate company and struggle financially after years of hard work. What will forever stand out to me was her ability to re-build her company and finances despite multiple setbacks, including a near death experience in 2011. She is like a phoenix. I hope to have a quarter of the resilience that she has had over the years.

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

I am an attorney who focuses on resolving business disputes for a wide variety of clients, including small and growing businesses, in state and federal courts as well as private proceedings such as arbitrations. I spent twelve years practicing law in a large law firm with a national presence. I was elected to shareholder at that firm in 2019, after having my second child. I am proud of that milestone because Black women make up less than one percent of partners/shareholders at large law firms. In 2022, I decided to embark on my own journey as an entrepreneur by opening my boutique litigation law firm with my law partner and brother, Bryan Paschal. Our law firm, Strader Paschal PLLC, is dedicated to delivering high quality legal services to individuals and businesses confronting a wide variety of issues, including real estate disputes, business divorces, negligence, fraud, contractual issues, non-competes, franchise issues, and a host of other matters. Over my fifteen years of experience practicing law, I have been fortunate to be recognized by a variety of outlets. Most recently, I was included in the 2024 Edition of Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and selected as a Super Lawyer for Business Litigation in 2023 and an up-and-coming lawyer for general litigation in Florida by Chambers and Partners in 2023.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is a tool that I utilize to stay connected to people in the community who may eventually be in need of legal services or know someone who needs legal services.

I have strategically chosen to focus on only two platforms – LinkedIn and Instagram — to maintain a presence. I control and manage my social media and can only dedicate so much time to it. I find that it is helpful to narrow your focus to the platforms that best suit you. I built my presence on each of these platforms by keeping it real and telling my story in the most authentic way. For example, when I made partner at my law firm, I shared a post on LinkedIn about the milestone and highlighted why it meant so much to me to help diversify some of the least diverse spaces in the practice of law. The post went viral and helped me build a following. During the pandemic, I utilized social media to remain connected to those I could no longer see in person. I started a “Black Excellence” series in which I highlighted a different person on a weekly basis who I believed to demonstrate and/or embody Black Excellence. The posts gave me an opportunity to reach out to and connect with the person I was featuring and receive positive feedback on social media.

My advice is to be your authentic self on social media, establish a posting schedule, and be active!

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business partner is my younger brother, Bryan Paschal. He is a commercial litigator with over ten years of experience handing complex matters in a range of sectors. It means the world to me to be able to build a law firm with Bryan. He is a creative thinker with whom I enjoy brainstorming legal strategy. We’ve come up with unique ways to handle so many matters for our clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.straderpaschal.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yolanda_strader/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-strader/