We recently connected with Shari Trahan and have shared our conversation below.
We recently connected with Shari Trahan and have shared our conversation below.
Shari, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I developed my confidence and self-esteem over the years in different aspects. How I felt about myself and my capacity is derived from the support of my parents. Every day my mother told me that I was smart, I was pretty, and that I could do whatever I want. The positive affirmations are really invaluable and have set the tone for the way I ultimately see myself.
My dad always encouraged me to challenge myself and tap into my highest potential. My granna always poured into me through her time and by always reminding me that I was enough, never to alter my physical appearance for the acceptance of others and to walk with my head held high. My stepmom always made sure to let me know how proud she was of me and they all prayed for my success. However, as life happens and you go out from under the cover of your loving and supporting parents, the world can be cruel and can chip at your esteem. Negative thoughts entered my mind, but my faith in God and my rearing always brought me back to remind me who and whose I am.
Another thing that helped to develop my confidence and self-esteem was my interest in fashion. I have always loved putting outfits together. It is how I demonstrate my creativity in many ways. Looking my best helps me to feel my best and in turn builds confidence.
Lastly, I have developed my confidence professionally by being myself. Navigating the practice of law has not been easy. I have been practicing for 9 years and I have found that you will never be confident when trying to be someone else, so it is best to be true to you.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an entrepreneur who is also an attorney. I started the Law Office of Shari Trahan in 2022. After practicing for many years at other law firms I decided to step out on faith and start my firm to represent people who have been injured against the insurance company.
Above all else, the reason I decided to start my firm was to serve. I love helping people and I wanted to do it my way. I had previously been in positions that were in some way fulfilling, but there was always something that I did not like. I finally came to terms with the fact that the only way I would be happy with the way things were done was to do it myself.
I think what is most exciting and special about me starting my firm is that this firm’s success is literally due to the community of people that support me! I could not do it without them. I also believe that what is special about the firm is that it is a testament of how stepping on fear to step out on faith can catapult you into a new world of strengths and talents you never knew you had!
Further, I had the desire to change the way personal injury attorneys are viewed and how the business of personal injury is done. My firm treats our clients with respect and are honored that they have chosen us to represent them.
We have all heard of the horror stories related to dealings with attorneys. We get a bad rep and are rarely associated with anything positive because let’s face it, we come into the lives of people during some of the most difficult times in their lives. However, I strive to impact and improve the client experience through trust, transparency, and tenacity.
This is a snippet of my journey of entrepreneurship.
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 that were most impactful in my journey are my faith, my persistence, and my personality. The advice that I would give to people who are early in their journey on how they can best develop and improve on these is to stay consistent, feelings are not facts and if you let them get the best of you, you will fail because you will not always feel like doing it, whatever it is and no matter how passionate you are about it. I would also say, whatever your faith base is, lean into it, I would not be here without my faith in God. Lastly, put yourself out there, be yourself, stay authentic, and the people that identify with you will support you.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I believe what has been most helpful in helping me to overcome challenges or build and develop essential skills, qualities, or knowledge I need to be successful has been to realize the importance of collaboration and asking for help.
When I first started, money was definitely a factor more than it is now. In the beginning, I had to do everything myself to cut down costs. However, I had a great support system and I was able to be resourceful by tapping into my network of people and ask for help! Once I got help with certain tasks, it made things so much more manageable and has allowed me to focus on other areas of my business. Being a solo practitioner is beautiful, but it can also be burdensome if you allow it, so it is my belief that you need to know when and what to delegate.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trahanfirm.com
- Instagram: @trahanfirm
- Other: Email: shari@
trahanfirm.com Phone number: (404) 919-7422
Image Credits
George Harrison, Gamma View Media, LLC, @platgamma
