Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lerae Funderburg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lerae, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Finding my purpose used to be something that stressed me out. I was on a hunt for this so-called purpose for years, feeling like I was living my life on autopilot, doing things that I wasn’t sure were serving me or others because I had no idea what my life’s purpose was. It wasn’t until I started working with a coach about 5 years ago that the notion of life’s purpose was defined in a way that made a whole lot more sense to me, and also took the pressure off finding this one thing that I was put on this earth to do and feeling guilty about not figuring it out. To me, purpose is not some singular thing that you focus on for the rest of your life. Your purpose may change from time to time depending on whatever phase of your life you’re in. I like to think there is big P Purpose which is the same for all of us – to live our lives to the fullest and self-actualize. And then there’s little p purpose, which is using our individual talents, skills and abilities to serve ourselves and others, and that may change at various points in our lives as we learn and grow and change. It is with this understanding that I was able to find my purpose at the time being and continue to find it as I navigate through life.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the proud mother of a 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. I am the founder of Funderburg Law, a boutique law firm that focuses on business, entertainment, and intellectual property. I’ve had the pleasure of working with top notch producers and entertainment executives and worked on projects involving Kanye West, the Migos, Cardi B, and Megan the Stallion (to name a few). I have helped black mothers transition out of their corporate gigs to pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship so that they could be more present in the lives of their families.
I am also the founder of Lawyer Mommy, an e-commerce platform that provides free legal resources and digital products (contract templates, DIY courses, guides, etc.) to entrepreneurs. I found in my legal practice that I was unable to assist everyone because as start-ups they didn’t have the capital to retain my services, so I wanted to provide a low to no-cost way for them to still be able to do things the right way.
And now, I’ve expanded my legal and life experience to begin my latest (and most exciting) venture, Elevate Legally. Elevate Legally provides spiritual retreats and wellness coaching services to lawyers and other high-level female entrepreneurs.
My newest business baby project (under Elevate Legally) is the recent launch of my new program entitled The Mother Wound Detox: A Holistic Program Designed for Black Women to Release Emotional Baggage and Build a Better Life. The Mother Wound Detox is a revolutionary program specifically curated to help you heal your mother wound and improve the overall quality of your life. This personalized program combines holistic healing tools and techniques with progressive research on the mother-daughter relationship to address and heal all aspects of your being.
My personal and professional experiences over the last few years have led me to this space where I help other women find balance in their professional and personal lives, prevent burnout, and elevate on a personal, mental, spiritual, professional, financial and relational level by providing them with proven tools and strategies to live their best lives.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I believe the qualities and skills that most contributed to my success and assisted me along my journey are discipline, perseverance, and consistency. For those early in their journey, the best way to develop discipline is to create a system of rewards and punishments to keep you motivated to achieve your goals. Perseverance requires you to keep the end result in mind. Always revisit your mission so you can reignite the fire that caused you to start in the first place. The best way to develop consistency is to take one small step toward your goals every day – no matter how small.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
An obstacle I am currently facing is feeling confident and comfortable in this wellness space. I’ve been practicing law for over 13 years and have worked in the legal system for years prior to attending law school. This means the majority of my work experience in my adult life consists of the law, logic, and analyzing facts and circumstances to come up with the best possible solution based on what’s available. Transitioning into a field where I am required to be heart-centered and not headstrong, and where I am not expected to counsel or advise but instead listen and aide people in reaching their own conclusions about what’s best for their lives is very different from what I’m used to personally and professionally. My fixer mentality is triggered immediately when people express their issues or concerns to me, and I have to constantly tell myself that I am not the expert in my coaching client’s lives – they are. Another way I am overcoming this challenge is revisiting my coaching certification course, now that I’ve passed my NBHWC exam. When I originally took my certification course, I was running my law practice, homeschooling 2 children, engaged in a Rites of Passage program. Basically, I was spread thin and I don’t feel like I gave my learning experience all that it deserved. I believe there was more I can get from it which will increase my confidence in this area. One of the biggest things I did was stop marketing my law firm practice. I shut down my website, stopped accepting new clients, and began telling people I was a holistic wellness coach when asked what I do and mentioned my attorney role as a thing of the past. It forced me to step into this new position I’ve created for myself so that I wouldn’t resort to my comfort zone of practicing the law. I haven’t given up on lawyering altogether and I still service some of my existing clients and some referrals, but for the most part, I introduce myself as the person I am striving to be instead of sticking to the person I was.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elevatelegally.com
www.lawyermommylerae.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticlawyermommy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leraefunderburg/
Image Credits
Nick Nelson (Brandprenuer)
