Susan Cartier Liebel's Recent Blog Posts

Is Now The Perfect Time To Start A Solo Practice?

Submitted by Susan Cartier Liebel

The short answer: Yes. I'm totally aware of the inner hysteria most people are feeling about our economy, needing to take a Valium before they open their 401k statement this month. Watching your property taxes increase while your home value drops like an elevator with broken cables. You've either been laid off or can't get your first job. I get it. Trust me, I do.

History tells us when economic times are their shakiest, it is the perfect climate to start a new business. (No, I'm not insane :-) The following is information collected from disparate sources:

Did you know that 16 of the 30 companies which make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average were started during a recession or depression? These little companies include Disney, McDonalds, Proctor and Gamble, Alcoa, General Electric and Johnson & Johnson.

When In Doubt About Going Solo, Look for Life's Little Affirmations You Made the Right Decision

Submitted by Susan Cartier Liebel

This post is a little more intimate because I am going to share a personal story. But then, again, going solo, being an entrepreneur is a very personal and intimate decision.

Law School Learning Leaves Solos in Cold

Submitted by Susan Cartier Liebel

Connecticut Law Tribune/Law.com - June, 2005

Recently, I met a young female lawyer at an awards dinner. She had been working for a large firm for the past seven years as a litigator. She was ready to start a family, but her employer was not amenable to her cutting back her hours. When I asked what she would do, her response amazed me. "I guess I will have to leave the profession," she said.

My jaw dropped. Here was an intelligent, sophisticated, experienced litigator who had graduated at the top of her class from a reputed school and she assumed if she couldn’t work for someone she would have to sacrifice her $90,000-plus educational investment in herself; lose her seven years of litigation experience, not to mention her self-esteem.