Hi, I’m Art Steele.
I make law easy.
I’m a business and intellectual property lawyer for creatives and entrepreneurs. I help you use the law to grow your business.
I’ve been practicing law for over 8 years. I spent the first 5 years of my legal career as a tax lawyer helping multi-millionaire companies restructure their business, protect their digital content and develop complex tax strategies.
Lemme guess why you’re here:
- You’re done feeling intimidated by all of the “legal stuff” and Google University wasn’t worth the money you paid for it.
- It’s time to stop freaking out every time someone puts a contract in front of you and to stop wondering if you’re leaving yourself exposed.
- You’re ready to take your business to the next level, but first, you want to feel more confident when it comes to handling the legal aspects of your business.
You’re looking for that trusted advisor to become your partner in this new exciting phase of your business. Preferably, someone who’s familiar with how YOU run your business; someone who understands the needs and challenges of running a creative business and someone who can respond to those needs with reliable legal information.
I have some good news for you: you’re in exactly the right place.
My goal is to create simple and accessible resources that will help you avoid legal pitfalls and take your business to the next level.
A little about me: A year before starting my own law firm, I worked as Global Tax Counsel at Discovery Communications where I provided tax planning for over 400 entities (yes! over 400 LLCs and Corporations.), more than half of which were international entities.
My job was to move intellectual property and entities around without tripping up tax laws. My tax and IP background give me a unique edge in helping new entrepreneurs prevent common pitfalls and use business planning strategies that will take your business to the next level.
My corporate experience taught me first-hand how important having a lawyer involved from the start can grow your business. The only problem is that most small businesses, creatives, or new entrepreneurs can’t afford a corporate lawyer (not with a starting billable rate of $650 per hour).
“All I was doing was helping a multi-million dollar company make more money.”
After just 6 months at Discovery, I was over it: I wasn’t doing anything more than just helping a company that made ga-zillions – (actual amount) – make even more millions. Then, while still at Discovery, I had an encounter with Oprah Winfrey that changed my life. I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing; I knew I was meant for something bigger! That’s when I started making plans to go out on my own. My goal was to use my tax and IP law training to provide affordable, high-quality legal services to entrepreneurs and creatives.
My law firm got off to a rough start; I made every single mistake possible and wanted to give up. That’s why I feel your pain. Everything I talked about in the podcast episode: Top Five Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make – that was me. I know how easy it is to make small mistakes that snowball into major pitfalls. I remember days of sitting in my home office crying, wondering when I’d get my next client and depending on every single client to make mortgage payments or to keep the lights on.
“I hired experts and changed the way I interacted with my clients, and it saved my business.”
I knew if I was going to last, I had to change the way I did business. I hired help and changed the way I interacted with my clients. That made all the difference and my business took off.
That’s right. Hiring people actually grew my business. I see too many entrepreneurs trying to DIY every aspect of their business. And I get it – budgets are tight and you have to be very deliberate with where you spend money. But DIY-ing the legal aspects of your business will stunt your growth.
“I wanted to provide a cost-effective way of helping more entrepreneurs, so I started a podcast.”
Business was great, but I still had a major problem, I wasn’t really providing accessible legal services. Bringing in one client at a time and charging at least $1,000 for my most basic service wasn’t the way to provide accessible, affordable legal services.
That’s when I decided to create the Legal-EASE for Entrepreneurs (formerly The Shingle Life) podcast. With the podcast, I found a way to reach thousands of entrepreneurs and spend just about the same time it takes to serve one. Plus, I love teaching others (I’m also a part-time law professor in Washington, D.C.).
The Legal-EASE for Entrepreneurs podcast is the only podcast dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs and creatives about the legal aspects of their business. The podcast includes legal tips, downloadable worksheets and features awesome guests who give strategies for growing a successful business.
So…are you ready to be a Legal Eagle?
definition of legal eagle:
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someone who is about their legal business;
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someone who is ready to soak up easily digestible legal information;
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someone who soars when presented with legal tasks because they’ve been empowered to handle the legal aspects of their business.
Sound like you? Find out if your business is legally protected.
Want more help?
If you need more specialized help with your business, send me a note and tell me all about your business. I read and REPLY to every email.
You’re still here? Okay…now you’re just being nosey OR you wanna know if you reee-ly like me (let’s be honest).
That’s fair. Here are some fun facts about me:
- I’m from Liberia, West Africa. My family migrated to the U.S. to escape a civil war. We left our home thinking we’d be gone for a month – until things blew over. The war lasted 14 years and I didn’t return until 20 years later.
- My first job was as a golf caddy at the neighborhood golf course (I was only 15 years old and that’s where I learned to hate golf).
- I bought a car I had no idea how to drive. Yep, when I graduated from law school, I had no idea how to drive a stick shift (manual transmission), but I wanted one, so I bought one and stalled all the way home.
- I love to sew. If I had all the time and money, I’d buy fabric and just sew all day. Every now and then, I’ll post a video of my current projects on Insta-stories.
- I make my own body lotion. If I can figure out how to make something, then I’d rather do that. About twice a year, I make enough lotion to last me the entire year.
- My dream job is to own a Bed and Breakfast somewhere in Maine. And of course, I’ll provide all the bath and body products, probably make all the quilts too.
….okay, that’s enough! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Find out if your business is legally protected.
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