I started Wool Landon on March 1st, 2020. Roughly two weeks before the first shut down. My business plan included a strong partially remote workplace. With help from Nexfirm, my back office management system (check them out!), three original team members added a few more and pivoted quickly. June was a great month.
Wool Landon is a unique law firm that cares about its clients, their families, and its community.
Then there was the Payment Protection Program (PPP) loan- Wool Landon hired its first employee toward the end of February. Loans were only available for businesses which had employees before February 15th. Wool Landon was not eligible. I decided that was no big deal. When I started Wool Landon, I didn’t expect to be eligible for any type of loan in my first year. PPP version 2 still requires your first employees be in place before February 15th, so we are still not eligible. Again, I am not complaining. We had a great Q4 and I anticipate a great 2021.
Still, the isolation has worn me down from time to time. Abby, I ask myself, what are you going to do with “doubt”? Then I plunge into a deep and dark thought abyss. You should be retiring. You should be traveling. You…were a difficult and obstreperous child and you are a stubborn and opinionated adult. And the thought spirals down from there.
Then I remember: I’ve always loved diving into a natural body of water. As a child off a raft into the Long Island Sound, are there jellyfish? Sharks? I can’t see! Into the lake off the side of the small watercraft, it’s dark, what’s down here? Then I would start upwards wondering if I would make it. Can I hold my breathe that long? In a lake with a musty bottom, and no light breaking through, what was probably 10-15 feet above my head felt like a mile. But I was a confident swimmer. After a few strokes, I would see a streak of mustard yellow light over my head. The surface was near. A few more masterful strokes and, oh, the joy of breaking through the surface, taking that first gulp of fresh air. Open water, crawl stroke, breaststroke, side stroke, sun or shade above, dark water beneath me. A landing place somewhere within reach.
So that’s my life starting a new law firm during Covid-19. I dive into strange water and find myself wondering if I will drown. I am compelled to swim towards oxygen, light, relief, and joy. I am a good lawyer, Wool Landon is a unique law firm that cares about its clients, their families, and its community. We hope you find us and agree.