Today we’d like to introduce you to Anitria Stevenson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Although I am called “The Entepreneur’s Lawyer” by my clients, most people don’t know that my dream job as a child was to become a television news reporter. I chose a high school specifically focusing on communications for that very reason. However, a school visit by a local news anchor sparked something unexpected within me. She told me that the real decision makers were behind the camera not in front of it and the power to impact lives rested with the same people. She said, “We report the news, but the network executives have the final say over what and how we report it.” She also gave me valuable insight into contracts and trademark law and owning the rights to your own name. I never knew that someone else could own the rights to your name. She was undergoing contract negotiations with the network and it was big news when she departed the station as a big legal battle subsequently ensued. I was intrigued by the whole process. I wanted to learn more about business law, contracts, trademarks and copyrights. It changed my entire perspective.
Moving forward, although I enrolled in college as a communications major, I never forgot her words about the power to impact. It was in college that I decided to pursue a legal career. After law school, I started a law practice, but I also caught the entrepreneurial bug myself and I opened a few other businesses over the years. I also gained valuable inside experience as a part of an enforcement unit specifically aimed at regulating businesses and corporations. In that role, I was often astonished to find out how many well-established business owners had not set their business up properly just because they wanted to avoid lawyers at all costs. They saw legal advice as a bill and a liability and not as a tool for success. Big mistake! I’ve literally seen the enforcement side of shutting a business down because they didn’t do their due diligence upfront. From that experience, I knew that small business and trademark law were areas that I needed to focus on. Small business owners face many obstacles, but legal advice should not be one of them. All I heard from many entrepreneurs was how expensive it was to get great legal advice and how they mostly went without it because they did not want a legal bill as the largest component of their overhead. And as a fellow entrepreneur, I get it. But I want to change the stigma. It is far more expensive to hire a lawyer after an issue arises than it is to get the right advice upfront and avoid some issues altogether. I’ve seen people struggle and put in every penny they had in their business along with blood, sweat and tears, only to later lose it all because they were not educated and never sought the right advice to put the right foundations in place.
From my desire to offer support to small business owners and still do what I love, Entreprelegal™ was birthed. Entreprelegal™ is a legal membership that I designed specifically for small businesses that allow them full-time access to an attorney at a reasonable and affordable price. It is an addition to my legal practice that I am extremely proud of. I ditched the idea of large retainers and ridiculously high hourly rates and developed a model where you can send an email or pick up the phone and ask a question without getting a $500 invoice because it’s included in your membership. No more signing contracts you don’t understand, downloading generic contracts online with no guidance or customization or going without contracts because you didn’t want to run up a legal bill to get a contract drawn up or reviewed for you. Answering questions like,” How do you start a business?”, “How do you fund a business?”, “Do I need a trademark?”, “I received a cease and desist letter, what does it mean?”, “I was served with this lawsuit, what should I do next?”, “Someone stole my business idea, what can I do” or “What types of contracts should I use in my business”, should not require a $10,000 retainer. And with Entreprelegal™, it doesn’t.
And now with the internet creating so many unconventional entrepreneurs, trademark law has become a major part of my business as well. In the words of one of my clients, “My superpower is helping people build and protect their brands and legacies.” I love helping the people in my community establish, build and protect their legacies. Whether it’s a personal brand or a business brand, you still need to protect it and I want to see you thrive.
The law can be intimidating and scary and sometimes people feel it is beyond their reach, but I’m here to let them know entrepreneurship is well within your reach. And best of all, my clients enjoy having a fellow entrepreneur advise them because the understanding and practicality is there and finally, they can afford it.
I cannot tell you the joy I have when I see an advertisement or article about a business and/or brand that I have worked with. It is such a blessing and I am grateful to be a part of and to have impact on so many.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not. There is never all sunshine and no rain. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart. My biggest struggle is balance. I’m a perfectionist and a bit of a workaholic. Because I love what I do, I find myself constantly trying to improve my processes and over deliver to my clients. However, there are times when my three-year old will say, “Mommy, can you stop working now?” I always tell my clients, you are building a legacy, but you can’t do it without balance. Take the time to enjoy your family and by all means practice self-care. You cannot pour into anything or anybody with an empty tank. I have to tell myself that sometimes too.
Entreprelegal – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Entreprelegal is a monthly or annual small business legal membership.
Enrollment in the Entreprelegal system allows entrepreneurs:
1. Affordable access to an attorney full-time,
2. The ability to run your business without fear of legal issues that may arise within your business, and
3. Brand protection through trademarks.
We partner small business owners from formation to sale and every stage in between to provide affordable legal services. Our mission is to create relationships, not transactions. Our promise is that we’ll be there, as questions or issues arise, every step of the way. Entreprelegal™ gives you your own corporate general counsel for your business. With experience in entity selection and formation, contracts, and brand development and protection strategies, we thrive on sharing our experience and knowledge to help small businesses thrive. We pride ourselves on clients being able to say, “Let me run this by my lawyer” and really mean it.
I am extremely proud of the fact that both aspiring and thriving business owners find value in the Entreprelegal™ system. Now they feel confident that they can work on their product and/or service knowing that the legal stuff is handled. They also know that they won’t receive a huge invoice every time they pick up the phone or send an email to ask a question or get a document reviewed.
But you don’t have to join Entreprelegal™ to get wise counsel. I still offer affordable rates to clients outside of the Entreprelgal™ Membership so it’s still a win-win for everyone.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is fully living your purpose and having a positive impact on those around you. We all have our God-given talents and a choice in how we use them. Sharing my time and talent in ways that create a legacy for my family, empowers and creates opportunity for my staff, and positively impacts my community is my definition of success.
Pricing:
- Entreprelegal™ Monthly Enrollment – $119/mo.
- Entreprelegal™ Annual Enrollment – $1297/yr.
- Trademark Applications Start at $1500.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anitriastevenson.com or www.entreprelegal.com
- Phone: 713-292-9411
- Email: anitria@entreprelegal.com
- Instagram: @anitriastevensonlaw
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/anitriastevenson
- Twitter: @anitriastevenso
Image Credit:
Alexa Langlais
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