We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylor Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylor below.
Hi Taylor, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
When I graduated law school, I accepted an associate attorney position at a corporate and commercial litigation firm. However, I hated litigation. Cases took years to resolve, hardly ever were all parties satisfied (which is not unusual for litigation), the practice wasn’t efficient, in my opinion, and the other attorneys were cold and crass. In addition to that, I felt no sense of community within the firm I worked for. I worked ridiculous hours and, even when I (rarely) took time off, I had nagging thoughts about work. I did burn myself out working in an unfulfilling practice.
I overcame that burnout by creating my own law firm. I knew I could create a modern law firm that was not only a practice I enjoyed, but that was also one that better supported modern business owners. I knew it was possible and I knew that it would be fulfilling. So, I worked to make it happen.
I built this practice from the ground up and I take so much pride in what I’ve created. While it is still an incredible amount of work, and I still experience overwhelm and other frustrations (all of which are normal as a business owner), this practice brings me so much pride and joy and has given me the ability prioritize my own self-care too.
It sometimes feels like it’s hard to avoid burnout and to especially overcome it when you’re in the thick of it. However, when you are in that position, my best advice is to seek change. It will look different for every situation, but seek change and take steps towards making that change happen.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an attorney and the owner of Williams Law. Williams Law is a modern law firm for modern business owners. We provide businesses with tailored legal services to give them the foundation they need to confidently run their businesses. My practice focuses on intellectual property protection, including federal trademarks, and custom contracts for business owners to protect the businesses and brands they’ve created.
It brings me so much joy to help such incredible business owners not only protect their businesses and brands, but to actually make legal understandable and approachable.
In addition to my law firm, I created and launched The C-Suite, which is business separate from my law firm. The C-Suite is a contract template shop aimed at providing modern business owners with attorney-drafted, easy to use contract templates (without the hourly rate).
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey have been my self-discipline, my resiliency, and my work ethic.
I know the reality of being a business owner and know that it’s not easy. It can feel overwhelming at times and can be easy to get lost in the chaos of it all.
Anyone looking to develop or improve their own self-discipline, resiliency, and/or work ethic should first identify their strengths and weaknesses and then focus on building good habits knowing those strengths and weaknesses. Set a long-term goal and shorter-term goals that are along the path to the long-term goal. Start with small changes. Make it fun. Reward yourself for hitting goals both big and small.
This is a practice. Every day won’t be perfect but practicing it every day will bring you closer and closer to your goals.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Like I said, being a business owner is not always easy. Every business owner I’ve ever met is no stranger to overwhelm.
One of my favorite sayings is, “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” Anything that appears to be insurmountable can be accomplished one small step at a time (and rarely ever all in one shot). Anytime I am overwhelmed, I try to take a step back and think of one small thing I can do to move the needle forward, even if just a little bit.
I also try to show myself grace and self-compassion and make sure my own cup is full, so those overwhelming moments don’t feel *so* overwhelming. Again, just like anything else, this is a practice. It wont be perfect every day, but making an effort to show yourself that grace and compassion while you’re taking the small steps forward will take you a long way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://denvertrademarklaw.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denvertrademarklaw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denvertrademarklaw
- Other: The C-Suite: https://www.instagram.com/thecsuitecontracts/
Image Credits
Rachel Cox, Lumen Creative Co. (@lumencreativeco)
