Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Connell.
Hi Seth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my practice at the end of 2022, shortly after my wife and I relocated to Murfreesboro from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I had just graduated law school and was admitted to practice law in November that year. I am entrepreneurial at heart, also having been a financial coach since 2018, and decided I wanted to build something on my own instead of working for someone else.
We knew just a few people in the area at the time we got here. I decided to attend business events as often as I could to get to know new people and build referral relationships. I shared at these events how I practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, and small business legal matters. Over the years I’ve done a lot of one-to-one conversations with the people in this community sharing about my story.
Things just grew over time after going after it consistently. There’s a huge need for help in these areas, but many people don’t know who to turn to. These referral relationships have allowed me to serve many households these past few years and help people solve problems they didn’t know how to solve on their own. I love what I do and it’s a real honor being able to serve the great people of this community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No entrepreneurial road is a smooth one. Some can be more difficult than others. But difficult roads can be made much more passable by being diligent, persistent, and authentic.
The biggest struggle for me and my practice was building up sources of business. We didn’t know many people when we got here, and to everyone else we were just another household that’s come to the region as part of the “refugee movement” (as I often call the recent influx of people from other states).
It took a lot of effort to build relationships with people and gain their trust. That’s not something I take for granted, because when it comes to legal matters like the ones I handle, it’s imperative to have someone who is trustworthy. Over time, with many one-to-ones and consistently cultivating those relationships, business started to flow in.
My first year was fairly minimal. It took me about 4 months to get my first client. And then another month or two to get the next one. The second year was better, but things really didn’t pick up until the second half of that year.
Now in my third year, things took off and it’s gotten to the point where I’m needing to bring on some help. I have a team of receptionists and also now have a remote paralegal to help with the workload. Learning to delegate is going to be really hard for me, having handled everything largely on my own in two businesses since 2018.
Entrepreneurship is never the easy road, no matter the industry. There are always challenges to overcome. They are just different at each stage, and often larger and more difficult. But the good news is that if we persist, we become stronger and more capable of conquering those challenges.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Connell Law, PLLC provides the people of Rutherford County and the surrounding area with estate planning, probate, and small business legal services. What we deliver our clientele is peace of mind. Whether it’s with legacy plans or small businesses, we’re here to provide clarity, solve problems, and help our clients focus on the things that matter to them.
Connell Law is known for being an approachable firm. While I am an attorney, that doesn’t make me anything special. At the end of the day, I’m an ordinary guy. I don’t wear a suit everyday or have an office in a high rise building. I just happen to know a few niche things and can help solve certain types of problems.
I’d like to say I’m proud of where my firm is now. But I’m honestly more humbled by the fact that so many people advocate for me and my practice when they see a need for the services I provide. My clients and referral partners know the person I am and confidently refer me to their friends and family. And I always aim to deliver the best experience that I can to my clients, whatever the matter is we are working on. Seeing others so willing to entrust my practice to work on difficult legal matters is incredibly humbling, and I am so grateful to everyone who has placed their faith in my firm to get these things done.
And, speaking of faith, I also need to emphasize that my practice is guided by my faith in God and my desire to serve people with excellence. I have a small canvas hanging in my office that says “Work Hard.” Below that is Colossians 3:23, which reads: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people.” That canvas serves as a constant reminder of who I’m really serving each day. My goal is to work not just as if I am serving people, but as if I am rendering my services to my God. That always gives me the reminder to not take shortcuts and do things haphazardly. The Lord is a God of order, intentionality, diligence, and excellence. I should aim for nothing less.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m naturally rise-averse. Perhaps that comes with being wired as a lawyer. But that’s not to say I don’t take risks.
The way I view it, there’s nothing that’s risk-free. Every decision we make comes with some type of risk. Indecision is also a risk. For example, I chose to make a calculated risk of going to law school. My wife and I also decided to do it debt-free. We took on a pretty significant challenge to pay for a law degree without student loans. Many people would say that’s impossible.
I could have chosen not to take that risk. But the alternative risk is that I would not have had the honor of helping people solve difficult problems that they cannot solve on their own. I would never have known the fulfillment that comes from helping a client get an estate plan in order and seeing the peace of mind come over them after we get it all signed.
So while I do tend to be risk-averse, I take calculated risks based on knowing the pros and cons of taking a given course of action or not taking it. My wife would probably say I’m an overthinker, and she’d probably be right. But I do prefer the “measure twice, cut once” approach to life generally, and with my practice as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://connell.legal
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connelllawpllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connelllawpllc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connell-law-pllc/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ConnellLawTN
