Meet Mary Ross-Tarkington

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Ross-Tarkington. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mary, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I believe we are all given special gifts from God and He has a purpose for us. God also gives us free will to make our own choices. Our experiences in life may influence the directions we take, but many of us come full circle. First and foremost, my purpose is to be the best person and servant of God I can be. That includes being a wife, mother, entertainer, and helper. I have always wanted to help others and I have always felt close to the seniors in my life. Therefore, I received my Master’s in counseling and I was able to provide therapy to seniors for many years. I also have several family members who have served in the military throughout the years, so I have always been passionate about helping veterans. Thankfully, God has led me to where I am now, in which I get to help senior veterans and their families.

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 blessed I get to work for the best law firm available! Elder Veterans Legal Aid Group is a zero net profit law firm and we focus on helping Veterans and Surviving Spouses of Veterans throughout the United States with identifying availability and eligibility of VA benefits that help pay for in-home or residential care. We work differently than any other law firms in the country and I love what we do! Our sole purpose is to help as many Veterans and their families as possible. I volunteer with Alzheimer’s Tennessee and the Alzheimer’s Association and I am an entertainer. I am fortunate to be able to perform with my husband as a duo and with our band Billy Tarkington and Bona Fide Outlaw. Our band mostly covers the Middle TN area, with some occasional out of state shows. We are proud to be the featured band for the Alzheimer’s Tennessee Middle Tennessee Walk in Franklin 2023, 2024, and 2025. We hope to continue the tradition for many years to come.

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?

The three qualities or skills I have found to be most helpful in anything you do is to be coachable, serve with passion, and be flexible. Being coachable means you are willing to learn from others. Serving with passion means you are helping others with a caring heart that is genuine. Being flexible means you are able to adjust to any situation and continue to carry on. My best advice is to follow your heart and listen to your inner voice. Your passion for what you do will follow. When others see that you are passionate and genuine, then you will have more success. You have to start by listening to others and being willing to learn. Finally, you have to understand that most things in life are not perfect, therefore, you have to learn how to be flexible when things don’t go exactly how you plan. Learn coping skills to be able to adjust to each situation so you can handle it with ease and grace. This will help decrease your stress tremendously.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for others to partner and collaborate with. We receive our clients by word of mouth, therefore, it is important for us to have great relationships with our partners and collaborate for different events. I do a lot of speaking engagements to educate others about the VA benefits available and what we do. Basically, anyone who works in the senior industry is a great partner for us, but anyone in general can be a referral source. We all have family members, friends, church members, co-workers, etc. who know someone that is a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran and needs care. We can help those folks. We can be reached at 800-878-2149 or you can email me at [email protected]. Our paralegals answer the phone, so whoever answers will be able to assist you and we can start helping immediately. I am always happy to schedule an educational presentation as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evlag.com
• Facebook: Elder Veterans Legal Aid Group and Mary Ross-Tarkington
• Linkedin: Elder Veterans Legal Aid Group and Mary Ross-Tarkington