Melinda Buckley is a Legal Administrator in Colorado Springs
Where I Met with Melinda
Melinda and I visited in the comfortable conference room at Buckley Law. Her office has a huge picture window with an amazing view of the Front Range and it almost feels like you’re outside. Melinda also has a Keurig which is greatly appreciated by coffee drinkers like me.
What I Really Like About Melinda
Melinda is quiet and confident and she tells me that “she knows her place” in the office. I must raise my eyebrows at this moment because she quickly explains that she is the critical “behind the scenes” person that makes the superb legal service run smoothly. She doesn’t have a need or desire to be in the spotlight and this allows her to have great perspective on what needs to be done. Melinda epitomizes a quote I learned in basic training at the Air Force Academy about doing what needs to be done and not worrying about who gets the credit.
Background
Melinda is originally from Kentucky, graduated from college with a degree in Physical Education and was married. She began with substitute teaching and found it was not the right fit for her personality so she took a position in a dental office. This small operation consisted of her and the dentist so she quickly became the office manager and was effectively running the business. This business management became her specialty as she helped found a doctor’s practice, a high end construction business, a roofing business and now she manages a law office. Melinda jokes that she used her degree to raise her kids and her hands on knowledge to run businesses. Melinda developed a pattern of learning a task whether it was payroll or taxes and then was able to smartly hire outside help because she knew how to review the quality of the work. Melinda is also a very astute people person and knows how to make people feel comfortable and clear on their business processes. Melinda tactfully shared a great piece of feed back with me that I will use. I’m a fast talker and she said it took a while to figure out who I was because the answering machine wouldn’t even pick up my name. Melinda encompasses a quality of character that is valuable and priceless.
My Ideal Client…
Melinda thought this question was not black and white because her office has a few very specific niches and she also admitted she may selfishly like or respect a client irrespective of their income-generating potential. Melinda settled on a simple and concise answer. Her ideal client is “Decisive, determined and can follow through and understand their limitations (so we can do our job for them).” Helping a client through the process of estate planning requires client-attorney interaction because it is very personal. A client needs to be engaged in the process to provide the right information to create the plan they want.
3 SECRETS of My Personal Success
1. Knowing my Place in the Office—Again I want to take the liberty of placing some context around this statement and it reminds me of Zig Ziglar’s comment that to get what you want you need to help others get what they want.
2. Have an Owner Mentality; If you think salary versus hourly then you are more creative and help a business be successful.
3. Be a Person of Character; Have pride in what you do and do what you say you will do
1 Great Recommendation for the Next Person
Be ready to be flexible in many diverse situations without compromising your ethics.
My Biggest Financial Question/Concern
Melinda told me that finances were not her interest or her strongest suit. Like many of us, she’s had some ups and downs dealing with money and she settled on her husband’s favorite statement from Ronald Regan “Trust but Verify.” The challenge is always how you learn enough to be able to verify without having to become an expert in the field. For me this always brings to mind visits to the car mechanic. I shared with Melinda my story about a recent visit for an oil change. I was told I needed to change my hydraulic fluid and they showed me a brownish/reddish fluid. Having flown a C-130 and knowing a little bit about engines, I told them I was surprised that a closed system would become dirty and asked if there was also a leak because hydraulic fluid actually is a brownish color. The attendant sheepishly came back a few minutes later and told me he must have had a dirty rag. As a high net worth advisor, I ensure my clients can ask questions and I help them locate outside sources to “trust but verify” because this service is serious business and is all about trust. I enjoy discussing investment strategy ideas and can be reached through my website www.taraenolan.com.
Contact Melinda
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