Enterprenuer
Michelle Bomberger, CEO and Managing attorney of the business law firm Equinox Business Law Group.
Michelle is a co-founder of a small business and an entrepreneur.
She understands both the practical and emotional aspects of running a business.
Michelle is a trusted guide to business leaders who need to evaluate risks and opportunities to make informed decisions.
Her J.D. Michelle holds a J.D. The University of Notre Dame (cum laude) offers a degree in Finance and Computer Applications.
The Puget Sound Business Journal named Michelle one of its “40 Under Forty” in 2012.
Michelle and Equinox Business Law Group won the King County Executive’s Woman Small Business of the Year Award in 2013.
Michelle is a member of the Board for Bellevue LifeSpring and Youth Theatre Northwest.
These organizations serve youth and their families.
Michelle is an active member at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound, which offers a place for learning and networking for manufacturers.
She served on the Board of Directors and Membership Committee.
Michelle was born and raised in Panama.
She won the women’s category in the Ocean-to-Ocean Cayuco race through the Panama Canal in her sophomore year of high school.
Michelle enjoys spending time with her children, family, and friends when not helping entrepreneurs and small-business owners. She wants to read, cook, and travel.
What is the story of Equinox Business Law Group?
Equinox Business Law Group and our innovative General Counsel Services model grew out of an idea: “Business law as it should be.”
It has not done an excellent job of demonstrating its value to businesses.
The industry isn’t responsive to business needs, and it’s costly.
Even though business leaders are aware that legal reviews are prudent, they still have to decide if it is worth it.
I set out to change the way businesses see and interact with counsel within their industry.
It was a strategic tool to help them build the infrastructure necessary for a secure future.
Our General Counsel Services model is built around understanding the business’s short and long-term goals and its leaders’ tolerance for risk.
To provide timely, practical, and relevant responses to their needs, we become part of their management team.
Our services are offered at a fixed monthly price, so the team is encouraged not to avoid calling but to make calls.
We know that businesses won’t use legal services if they don’t get value from them.
The Equinox is the balance of light and dark when both hemispheres are equally illuminated.
Equinox partners with business leaders in balancing risks and opportunities, both in everyday and strategic decision-making.
How do you stay productive?
My typical day consists of working with clients to address their tactical and strategic needs, managing our internal business requirements, and building awareness about our unique business proposition.
As a client representative, I contribute a strategic perspective to discussions.
I help clients understand their goals and offer business and legal insight on the various paths they can take.
We are currently working on expanding the General Counsel Services model to meet our internal needs.
This requires us to build processes and infrastructure so that our clients receive value, responsiveness, and proactive services.
We are working to raise awareness so clients and potential clients know that robust legal infrastructure is crucial for success.
It is difficult for me to balance the three above.
While I enjoy strategic work with clients, I often find myself drawn into tactical work.
It is essential to keep in mind where my best work is and to use my team to help them grow.
We have established processes that streamline project communication.
I also use time blocking to ensure essential projects are completed.
Hard stops help me stay balanced, too. For years, my children were always picked up from school at 3:00 pm every day.
This allowed me to complete the most critical tasks of the day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
RISE UP promotes an environment that encourages innovation.
Our culture fosters flexibility and iteration, which allows the team to be creative and confident.
Our General Counsel Services, for example, were extended last year to provide a limited service that is more appropriate for smaller companies with less complexity.
A team member conversed with a client, and the idea was quickly tossed around.
Within a week, a new solution was launched. These victories are highlighted and encouraged by the team to continue to improve our clients’ experience with us each day.
What’s your favorite trend?
It is exciting to see how business owners are open to receiving outside advice that benefits their business over the long term and short term.
Professional services are increasingly offering “outsourced,” “fractional,” and “managed services” models that help to normalize the use of these services.
It’s rare to find a law firm offering this service.
However, business leaders are increasingly willing to accept it as an alternative to hourly or in-house services.
From CFO to CMO and COO, these essential services will be more accessible for smaller businesses.
This will help them feel more secure and confident about their future.
What habits make you productive?
Mornings are my most productive time. To be effective, I plan my day ahead of time and get to work early in the morning so that the hustle-ness of the day doesn’t overtake me.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
“Don’t get too caught up in the routine, be open to spontaneity.”
I can get things done, but the routine also limits me in many other ways.
My days are crammed full of tasks, and my schedule is filled for weeks during core business hours.
I don’t have the time or opportunity to go out for a quick lunch with my family or take a stroll in the nice weather.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
A great dinner option is a meatloaf.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
The business is still in its infancy, and I am open to admitting it needs help.
Their help is essential to our success.
They are encouraged to use our values and mission to add to it.
It is important to reiterate that the history we have is not gospel.
We are in an iterative cycle of improvement.
What’s your rich strategy?
We have built a team that includes business people and lawyers.
This business insight is invaluable to both our clients and our growth.
This business acumen is the basis of our service offerings, which are unique in the market.
General Counsel Services offers clients all-inclusive, tailored legal support for a fixed monthly fee.
Businesses can purchase a subscription for general counsel services.
This allows them to take a proactive approach to their top projects and has full access to our team for any additional issues.
Our goal is to change the mindset of business leaders about legal matters in their world.
How do you overcome Failure?
Our family was able to relocate to Ireland in 2014 for a few years.
I trusted my team to run the business without me. I’m proud to say that they succeeded.
While I had created a viable business, I realized that it was not built on a solid culture.
I didn’t invest in our identity and why we do business.
Although the team could keep the wheels turning, they were not invested in our success.
As I was about to leave for Ireland, I noticed the cultural differences, and by the time I returned, there had been significant damage.
We had to rebuild after losing a lot of our team members.
We have invested in understanding our culture, and we work hard to highlight it in our hiring decisions and day-to-day activities.
Can you share a business idea?
Many first-time homeowners don’t have the necessary knowledge or experience to maintain their homes.
I often wondered how my husband knew that the chimney caulking needed to be cleaned and that the filters should be changed every few months.
I wasn’t taught this, and it seems that many young adults weren’t either.
I can see a service that will take care of everything you need for homeownership, from checking for water around your foundation to making sure trees are healthy to changing air filters.
This way, you can feel confident that your house, your most valuable asset, is being maintained for your safety and future value.
What’s your recent best buy?
ReMarkable was the device I bought. The ReMarkable tablet is a digital writing device that works like a pen and paper.
It was purchased to replace the tedious scanning of handwritten notes from meetings.
It feels great, and all my notes are in one place.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Clio is used to managing all of our company’s activities, from pipeline management to project management and invoicing.
Clio is flexible, robust, and easy to use by the team for managing their workload.
Clio provides a central location where I can view all the activities relating to prospects and clients.
Because I don’t need to keep track of every detail of a project, Clio makes my mind more accessible.
The team can access it all and manage it themselves without me being involved.
This is crucial because my main job is not to manage all projects but to work on the company’s growth opportunities.
Which book would you recommend?
“Who?” by Geoff Smart, Randy Street. This is a modern version of “Topgrading” by Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D.
It has been a massive improvement in how we hire candidates and their success in the firm.
What’s your favorite quote?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
TL;DR by Michelle Bomberger
Locate the market gaps and fill them.
Failure is only a beginning point for the next opportunity.
Peter Drucker: “Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast”
Be yourself and never stop learning
