At first, it felt weird and uncomfortable. It felt wrong, but the more we did it, the easier it got. What in the world are we talking about? Handing out business cards thats what! Our buddy Tim, who recently fled Chicago for the U.S. Virgin Islands with his wife Mary and their dog Laddie, once said that I was shameless in handing out Nicks cards, and now Ive got Nick in on the action too. (Enter another shameless plug: check out his recently redesign site: www.nickrichardsonlaw.com.)

If this roller-coaster-of-a-year experience had taught us nothing else, weve learned the all-important lesson of being your own best advocate. Our approach is much like Nicks to the law: matter of fact. And, in the hundreds of instances where Ive handed out his cards, maybe one person has reacted negatively. And heres why:

We always start off by saying, We never hope you need an attorney, but if you or someone you know does, heres someone familiar to throw in the mix with other attorneys youll be considering. And, 9 times out of 10 people ask a few follow-up questions and stick the card in their wallet. How long it stays there? Who knows, but this costs us practically nothing and has resulted in some client consultations already.

Peoples reaction, we think, goes back to the fact that people genuinely want to help each other. It may not seem this way at times, but overall, once weve ask for help, our friends and family have willing stepped in and helped, and we try to do the same. Our media spends so much time focusing on whats wrong with our society that we forgot all the good that happens each and every day.

Whats the best feel-good moment of your week?

About Us: Were a married couple living in Schaumburg. Nick runs his own law office, www.nickrichardsonlaw.com, and I work in communications promoting eggs.
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