Developing an entrepreneurial mindset, as critical as it is across all industries, does not represent a primary focus in the curriculum of most higher education institutions.
College and grad students receive thorough training on how to become skillful professionals in their respective industries. Nonetheless, students in most fields obtain little guidance on how to transform their craft into a business.
For Charlotte Christian, the founder of the family law firm Charlotte Christian Law, mastering the skills needed to run a business required switching the legal mindset she learned in law school for an entrepreneurial mindset.
“Certainly, the greatest challenge of [opening a law firm] is learning how to reinvent yourself,” said Christian during an exclusive video interview. “In law school, they teach you how to do the law, how to be a lawyer, how to be in the courtroom, but they don’t teach you how to run a business.”
Over the past years, Christian has become a nationally renowned divorce attorney and built one of the fastest-growing family law firms across America. This attorney devoted her life’s work to helping people undergoing the hardship of divorce. With the support of her team at Charlotte Christian Law, Christian has protected the rights of hundreds of clients going through complex divorces.
Back in August, Christian connected from her residence for a video interview. During this hour-long call filled with anecdotes about her career, Christian recounted how law school never prepared her for the unique challenges of being a law firm owner.
Christian asserts that her love for transforming opportunities and resources into a business was intrinsic in her from a young age. Christian’s subsequent interest in the law did not suppress her entrepreneurial vein, which remained present in her during her early legal career.
“I believe my family historically has had a business mindset that got passed down to me,” asserted Christian. “I grew up with a business mindset, and even as a lawyer, that business seed never disappeared.”
Back in 2020, when Christian transitioned from working as a solo practitioner to establishing her own law firm, she discovered that being a lawyer and being a law firm owner are two utterly different beasts.
Law school did not prepare Christian for the more administrative and logistical components of building a successful law firm. As she observes, today’s higher education system falls short in teaching students how to transform their industry-specific skills into an enterprise.
Consequently, during the early days of Charlotte Christian Law, Christian admits having felt unprepared for the challenges of running a business, a feeling that other professionals in different sectors can connect with.
“I am sure people in most practices can relate,” said Christian. “Dentists go to dental school and learn about teeth, surgery, and how to be a great doctor. However, nobody teaches you how to run a business.”
Christian’s relative inexperience in running a business did not discourage this law firm owner. Her determination to build a successful law firm outweighed the uncertainty she faced right after establishing her family practice.
“I decided in 2020 that I was going to read as many books as I could get my hands on to learn what I had not been taught in law school,” narrated Christian.
Without delayed, Christian began seeking mentors and other resources that could help her grow into an effective business leader. Books became critical tools in this stage of Christian’s entrepreneurial journey. Through the written words of business leaders from all over the world, she was progressively able to master the art of running a successful enterprise.
“I started flooding myself with as much business content as I could, reading and trying to get those foundational pieces in place of what it takes to build and grow a strong business,” said Christian.
Nowadays, Christian feels a sense of pride as she looks back at the obstacles she overcame to establish her law firm. In just two years, she scaled Charlotte Christian Law into a widely recognized multi-million-dollar family law firm.
Today, as Charlotte Christian Law continues to expand, Christian and her team remain committed to serving individuals struggling through a divorce, helping them build a better future.
By Juan Sebastian Restrepo,