IAM861- Attorney Offers Services in Family Law and Business Law

Crystal is the owner and Principal Attorney at The Gaines Firm, LLC, a boutique law firm offering services in family law and business law for entrepreneurs and small businesses. She is a Virginia native, yet no stranger to the DMV area. She is a two-time graduate of Norfolk State University and received her law degree from The University of Baltimore School of Law. Outside of work, Crystal is a member of The First Baptist Church of Glenarden and enjoys community service, spending time with her family, and having brunch with her friends.

• CEO Hack: Knowing what's trending
• CEO Nugget: The definition of yourself will change along the way
• CEO Defined: Being a visionary

Website: http://www.csgaineslaw.com/

Instagram: @dmv.esq and @thegainesfirmllc

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Transcription

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00:02 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:30 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I  have a very special guest on the show today. I have Crystal Gaines of the Gaines Firm, LLC. Crystal, it's awesome to have you on the show.

00:39 -Crystal Gaines

Thank you for having me. You're so kind for that introduction.

00:43 – Gresham Harkless

No problem. You're definitely doing some awesome work. So definitely excited to have you on the show and some of those things that you're doing, I'm going to read in your bio so people can learn a little bit more about you. Crystal is the owner and principal attorney at the Gaines Firm LLC, a boutique law firm offering services and family law and business law for entrepreneurs and small businesses. She's a Virginia native yet no stranger to the DMV area. She's a two-time graduate of Norfolk State University and received her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Outside of work, Crystal is a member of the First Baptist Church of Glendaren and enjoys community service, spending time with her family, and having brunch with her friends. Crystal, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:28 – Crystal Gaines

I am.

01:29 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome, well, let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about what led you to get started with everything. Could you take us through your CEO story? What led you to get started with the business?

01:38 – Crystal Gaines

Sure. So my journey to forming my own business is probably untraditional in that I never thought that I really would own my own business. Although my entire family is, are entrepreneur, everyone works for themselves. I don't know why I thought I would be the exception, but I started out at a mid-size law firm and it was great. I met some awesome people. I had some great networking opportunities, but I got bored with how things were moving in my life and I wanted a change. I was looking for something that would really challenge me and would consistently keep me on my feet. Talking to my family, and my friends, I figured that one thing that would really do that would allow me to continue doing what I love, which is practicing law and serving the community, is to start my own law firm.

And that saying like, you don't know what you're doing, just do it or do it scared, do it unsure, that was me 100%. And so I was literally just jumping into this journey, not knowing all that it would take, but I'm learning every day more about myself, more about my community, and I'm just growing as a person. And the uncertainty of it all, the parts that I was so scared of are actually turning out to show me that's the most beautiful part of entrepreneurship. And so that's really my story and that's really how I got to the Games Firm LLC.

03:06 – Gresham Harkless

Nice, I absolutely love that. I love that, you know, that last part that you just said and that the beauty part, the beautiful part is actually in the journey because I think so many times people forget about business and entrepreneurship and you of course having it in your veins it sounds like as well too. You really always kind of get focused on the destination when in reality, the real present and sometimes opportunities, the growth, and the marathon aspect of running a business.

03:30 – Crystal Gaines

Absolutely. And I'm still learning that.

03:32 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, we all are. So what I wanted to do is ask you a little bit more about how you serve the clients that you work with. Could you take us through a little bit more about how exactly you do that and what exactly that process looks like?

03:44 – Crystal Gaines

Sure. So we, basically clients come to me by word of mouth. I have a few networking communities that do a lot of good referrals. I'm also heavily involved in the community with community service events. So I'm always promoting my business. Generally, I offer services in family law, all things family law, divorce, separation, premarital, post-nuptial agreements, child support, modification, and things of that sort. And I also offer services in trademarks and copyrights for entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur, sorry. And clients come in and there's an intake form I like them to fill out the form ahead of time.

And then I really enjoy the conversation, that one-hour consultation. It allows me to not only hear what my client perceives to be a problem for them but also allows me to get to know them. During my consultations, I'm not just talking about the law, I'm not just talking about your problem. You know, when I find those little areas where I can kind of harp on and just get to know you more. I do take advantage of those because what you'll learn is that my firm is just built on Christian principles. And so my motto is person before problem. And I always want my clients to feel like I am a professional.

I am your attorney, but we're also a team. And so when you're on a team, you need to be able to trust the other person. And part of trusting that other person is really getting to know that other person. And so I think that's really the main process that I like to instill even down to like, my one assistant, I'm always harping on, you don't want the client to feel like they're just a client. They are a person, you're there to help them, and you're on their team. And so basically that's just how our process works with my firm.

05:40 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that person, you know, before a problem. It's so funny as often I'll say this, you definitely, you know, here, you know, interviewing people is that we forget about that human aspect of business. The numbers have a place, and HR and marketing and all of those aspects, but I think we forget that human aspect. I love that that's a part of your process but even sounds like the foundation of your process and in business and how you're running it. I think so many times people forget about that aspect.

06:11 – Crystal Gaines

Absolutely. And that was one thing that, and not to say that my prior employer didn't do that. But I felt like I wasn't able to really do that because I was always running from one thing to the next and that wasn't really emphasized there. So, you know, it's something that I very strongly in because we as humans really should learn how to connect better with one another because we're not so far different and we're not so far apart as we think.

06:40 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely, and a lot of times when we have those conversations we actually take and create space for that interaction and that connection to happen. That's when we really start to see that. So I love that you do that. And we forget that in entrepreneurship, sometimes it's building a better mousetrap, so to speak. So having an ideal, having the world the way we want it to be, we have that opportunity to create that as entrepreneurs and business owners in our organization. So I love that you do that. And so I wasn't sure does that or does that kind of Christian faith, do you feel like that is what I would call your secret sauce, the thing you feel kind of sets you or your organization apart and makes you unique?

07:16 – Crystal Gaines

Absolutely. That is one of the things that I think sets us apart because we're a faith-based law firm and not saying that when my clients come in, I'm gonna hand them a Bible and say, let's worship. But the idea is that so I can remain focused and I can provide top-notch services, you know, so every day. We're aiming to be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves, right? Others through the practice of law, mentorship, and community service. Throughout my Christian journey and learning the Bible, I find scriptures that really speak to those principles of being a voice for someone, providing mentorship, and pouring into your community. And so that's what really keeps me grounded.

And that's what helped me build my law firm up on solid principles that I believe in. And I think another thing that sets me apart is I'm a very, I'm a creator at heart. So I am, you know, I need my different color pens. I need a certain color notebook. And when it comes to trying to, I guess, for instance, with a case, when it comes to really trying to separate the issues and determine what facts support what issues, I'm a big component on the whiteboard with the different colors. We go into court, I'm the big component of the slideshow.

I am very good with pulling out tricks to engage people into the law so that it's not so hard to understand it's not so dull, because the law isn't just a black box or white box or you know just a square thing that you have to stay within the boundaries of I think that's what makes me different is that I know how to step outside of those boxes and create a creative space where the law is friendly and easy to understand and it allows you to see the law as something that you can relate to, whether you're actually experiencing the problem or you're listening to the facts and trying to help make a decision. And so I think that's really outside of the Christian principles, my creativity sets me apart.

09:33 – Gresham Harkless

I definitely appreciate that. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:47 – Crystal Gaines

For me, I think knowing what's trending, right? Even though I offer services and family law and business law, it's good to know what's going on in the world because those are other opportunities where you can tap into your network, tap into your resources, and provide some help. So I don't do voting law. I don't do anything of the sort related to politics or anything of that sort, but by staying on top of what's trending on with voting, I was able to tap into my resources and reach out to some friends and say, hey, let's do a voting registration drive in this small town where the numbers are low with registration.

And so I think as a CEO hack for me is knowing what's trending because that allows you to really make an impact in your community because it may not be related to what your practice is or what your focus is as far as what you do for a living. But that community service piece can help you grow your business. It can also help you propel your career. And so it's good to know what's going on around you, even though it's not necessarily related to what you do every day on a day-to-day basis.

11:01 – Gresham Harkless

Perfect. And so I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be like a word of wisdom or piece of advice and might be something you would tell a client or if you have to do a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

11:13 – Crystal Gaines:

I will say just Going back to just my CEO story, I would say your definition of yourself will change. You may start off thinking, you know, your life is going to look this way, you're going to achieve these things by a certain age, you're going to be this successful by this age, and so forth. But as life goes on, as life happens, as the world evolves around you, you too will evolve. And your definition of yourself, how you see yourself, how you perceive your future will change. And that's perfectly fine. That's something I too had to come to terms with is that, you know, I actually stopped writing down.

I don't even, I have a business plan and I have like, you know, certain plans I need. But as far as like these, I'm gonna be married by this age. I'm going to be, I'm going to have kids by this age. I'm going to do this by this age. I stopped doing that. There's so much pressure that you put on yourself for absolutely no reason. So I guess the CEO nugget and the one thing, the word piece of advice that I would give to my younger self and any entrepreneur, especially entrepreneurs, you know, your definition of yourself will change. And it's beautiful because evolution is beautiful.

12:27 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So Crystal, what does being a CEO mean to you?

12:40 – Crystal Gaines

Being a CEO definitely means being a leader, but I think more importantly, it means being a leader with a vision. Because when you're a CEO, you're creating, you're always creating. And so, you know, that vision, being that visionary, and being able to kind of adapt and change with the times is important because you want your business to continue to grow. You want the people working around you to continue to believe in you. And so to me, being a CEO is really just about being that visionary.

13:14 – Gresham Harkless

Nice, I absolutely love that. And I love that kind of leadership piece. And I know we had talked a little bit, or you mentioned a little bit about COVID. And I think obviously we're going through a very transformational time where everything that was up is now down. And everything that was on the left side is on the right side. So If we don't transform, we don't respect that, we don't understand and pay attention to trends and do all those things to be aware of what's happening, but still have that fluidness, I guess you can say, in what we're doing and our actions, then we're doing again ourselves a detriment, but a detriment to the world and society as a whole.

13:47 – Crystal Gaines

Yep, I agree. I totally agree.

13:50 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Chris, so truly appreciate that definition and that perspective. I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know and of course how best it can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you are working on.

14:07 – Crystal Gaines

Sure as far as anything additional I think your questions were dead on and I think they gave a good insight to me as an entrepreneur, as a CEO, and as a business owner, if I could just add anything additional, I would just say that if you are on the fence about jumping out, jumping ship and starting your own business, there's absolutely nothing that should hold you back. The one thing I will tell you that could really benefit you if you're on the fence is getting a mentor in that field and tapping into your network. You'd be surprised how many people, they may not know what you are, They may not be able to give you advice on what you're doing, but they may know somebody who can.

And so it's good to really use your network and tap into that. one quote that I found the other day, said that if content is king, then connections are the queen. So make sure you stay connected with people. Make sure that everyone knows what you're doing. Everyone knows how you're moving and what products you're putting out there so that everyone can refer people to you because a referral is a good source. And the best way to get in contact with me, you visit my website, it's www.cs gainslaw.com. Or you can give me a call at 240-241-7955. Awesome. Oh, and I'm also on Instagram.

15:34 – Gresham Harkless

Go ahead.

15:35 – Crystal Gaines

So my Instagram is @dmv.esq and my business Instagram is @thegainesfirmllc

15:46 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. I truly appreciate that, Crystal. We will have the links and information that's shown us as well too for your Instagram and your website and your contact information. So I truly appreciate that. I appreciate that last kind of reminder as well to anybody who plays chess and knows how powerful the Queen is. And I love that connections piece and how that goes right in line with that is one of the most powerful pieces on the chessboard, if not the most powerful pieces. So understanding how your network is right in alignment with what we can do on the chessboard with the queen pieces is so huge. So truly appreciate that reminder and that perspective. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:22 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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