Donna B. Stepp: Age- my best kept secret, Attorney for 22 years, Law Firm Entrepreneur for 17 years
I am blessed. Truly blessed. I remind myself of this simple phrase every day, because it is true. I am a Christian first, a wife and mother second, and a lawyer third. I believe in God, in family, and in hard work, in that order. I try very hard to keep this balance, admit that sometimes, I struggle, but that is okay. Life can be difficult. I learned that long ago. Life can also be rewarding and full of blessings, and I am reminded of this every day.
I did not grow up wanting to be a lawyer. In fact, I always knew exactly what I wanted to do: I was going to be a famous artist. I was going to art school in New York. I grew up studying and creating art. It was my passion for many years. In high school, my interests changed, and I realized that I would have to work harder or settle for being less than the best, so my passion for art turned into recreation.
I went to law school for two reasons: first, because my Uncle, my Godfather, was a lawyer and is to this day one of the smartest, charming, and amazing men I know. He was not only book smart, he was engaging, a people person. He can talk to anyone. I grew up admiring him, wishing I could be like him. He was a tremendous example for me, and I wanted to have a life like his. Second, because I quite simply did not know what else to do. I was in college, had changed my major multiple times, knew I could not go to medical school because I am horrible in math and science, so law school it was!
Looking back, my decision to adventure into the unknown world of law was one of my best. Leaving home for law school forced me to be independent of my family. I had never lived away from home until that time. I chose a small southern law school 8 hours from my hometown, and this forced me to make new friends and forge new relationships. To this day, I am close to many of my law school friends, and I cherish my law school memories.
Upon graduation, I stayed in North Carolina, my new home. After a brief stay in the North Carolina Mountains, I took a position as an Assistant District Attorney in an area covering 5 counties. Again living on my own, knowing almost no one, I made new friends and forged new relationships, both personally and professionally. After almost 5 years of prosecuting, I decided it was time for the next phase of my professional career. I took a leap of faith and opened my first law practice in Union County in 1998. Although there were days in the beginning that I wondered if I had what it took to be successful, I remember fondly every experience, both good and bad, along the way, and today, in 2015, I continue to own a successful law practice here in Monroe. I am blessed with the professional success that I have enjoyed for 22 years.
Along the way of my developing professional career, I married, had two amazing daughters, divorced, and married again (to the love of my life). I mention the divorce not because it defines me, but because, like all of my other personal journeys, my divorce helped make me the woman that I am today. I am blessed every day to be a wife and mother. I am blessed to have 3 people who need me everyday and who support me everyday in return.
As I said earlier, I am a Christian. I was taught to put God first, and that when you do, everything else falls into place. I believe this to be true, although admit sometimes it is a struggle. My journey in faith is one I continue to walk every day. I mention my faith not to impress it upon others, but to share that for me, being a Christian has played a great part in my success as an attorney. I believe in giving back to others when you are blessed, and I work very hard to ensure that I give with my time, with my talents, and with my financial support in areas outside of my profession. I am blessed to be fortunate enough to have these opportunities to give back to others.
So many times in my life, I simply took a leap of faith. I believed in myself and had faith that guided me along the way. Being a Christian first, a wife and mother second, and a lawyer third has led me to great personal happiness and professional success. I know who I am, and I embrace it, and I encourage others to do the same!