Taly Goody is a Los Angeles native and the founder of Goody Law Group, LLP. She was raised by Iranian immigrant parents in Torrance, California and is fluent in Farsi. She attended the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where she was President of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She was heavily involved with many diverse organisations on campus, including the Associated Students of UCI, Intern for the Office of the President, Rho Lambda Honor Society, and Order of Omega Honor Society. During her college tenure, she had the opportunity to travel abroad in Arezzo, Italy to study art history as well as an intern on Capitol Hill during Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Inspired by politics and Mr Obama himself, Taly decided law school was her next step in life. Taly graduated from UC Irvine with a BA in International Studies with a focus on Africa & the Middle East.
Taly attended the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in downtown San Diego. There, she received the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence for her legal writing class. During law school, she was a member of MELSA (Middle Eastern Law School Association) and later became the President of MELSA. She graduated law school cum laude in 2014. Thereafter, Taly began working with David Steiner & Associates, specialising in art transactions and business litigation. Taly always knew she wanted to be a leader and business owner, so started her own law firm in August 2019 focusing on personal injury, business formation, and employment law.
Welcome Taly, it is great to have you with us! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Goody Law Group?
Hello, it’s great to be here, thank you for having me! I’m from Los Angeles and live in the South Bay (the beach cities just south of Los Angeles) with my husband. I enjoy living a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally and I like to stay active and meditate daily. I am always finding ways to work on my personal and spiritual growth.
I love to travel often and immerse myself in the culture of my travel destinations. I am the founder of Goody Law Group, LLP which was just formed in August 2019. My role at Goody Law Group currently includes every role you can think a small law firm/business needs – I am a lawyer, managing partner, an accountant, administrative assistant, marketing director, bookkeeper and more.
Can you tell us more about your business journey, the initial start-up, the company structure and how it is funded?
My business journey started about 5 years ago during my first official position as a lawyer. I was an attorney at a boutique firm, about 2-3 attorneys, based in Century City, Los Angeles – or better known as the legal hub in Los Angeles. My role at that firm included attorney duties, managerial duties and the countless tasks required to run a small law firm. I learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes of managing a small business or a law firm and gained many skills that have assisted me today in the launch of my own firm.
I am currently in the startup process of my own firm. As Goody Law Group officially launched a short month ago, it has been an exciting time for me. I learn something new every day. Some days there are challenges, other small victories. The company structure is fairly simple at the moment. I am the founding and managing partner. I am currently the only attorney of the firm. I am doing my best to keep overhead costs down and the firm is funded by my husband and me.
As the founding partner, can you tell us what 3 qualities we should take into consideration when looking to launch a business with someone?
- Trust is such an important factor in every relationship, whether it is business-related or not. In my opinion, if you don’t have trust – you don’t have anything.
- The second quality is having a common understanding of your goals – make sure to put everything in writing! Being an attorney, I can’t avoid this one. Sometimes we have the same goals in life, but the steps or path we take to get to those goals are completely different. If you don’t have that common understanding with your partner, you will fail to take steps together which will cause turbulence among the partnership. Of course, every partnership or relationship will have its disagreements, but you want to ensure you avoid those major disagreements to protect yourself, your partnership, and your business.
- The third quality is a creative drive to succeed! Having someone just as ambitious as you will get you motivated to keep going on those days you are feeling overwhelmed. Because the industry is constantly changing, you have to get creative in order to succeed. Having different perspectives will bring that creativity into the business and get yours to stand out from the rest.
What are your marketing methods and what platforms are you using to raise brand awareness?
My current marketing platforms include social media accounts such as Instagram and Facebook. I am working on branding myself to expand my marketing platforms to reach a greater audience within California, to begin with. At this point, I want to ensure that my law firm’s infrastructure and foundation are strong before I market to a greater audience.
In addition to those platforms, I am a member of a newly formed legal community – Justice Headquarters or JHQ currently based in California but eventually will expand nationwide. JHQ brings together elite consumer attorneys in different areas of consumer law, into a community, united in the fight for justice. JHQ is also a great marketing platform as each attorney is exposed to more cases and clients. It’s a great way to showcase my talents alongside other established firms. I am grateful to be one of the first 50 members in the southern California locations and to grow with the JHQ community.
Who is the most influential female powerhouse that you admire and why?
In my opinion, Michelle Obama is the most influential female powerhouse. From being a lawyer, a writer, and the former First Lady, she always leads with class and grace. She’s been a great role model for women of all ages. She’s a boss, but humble and relatable. Mrs Obama is an advocate for education, physical and healthy eating, poverty awareness, and more. She uses her status in society to influence women to be their best all-around – by eating healthy, staying active, and gaining knowledge to become their very own influential female powerhouse. I strive to be a leader just like her. To inspire women to maintain healthy balanced lifestyles while working hard to reach their goals through career and leadership opportunities.
The best lesson learnt throughout the business building so far?
The best lesson I have learned throughout the business building so far is to be confident and strong in my decision making. It’s so easy to doubt yourself through the process, especially when you are first getting started, and to start comparing your journey to those around you. But it’s crucial to remember every business owner has their own methods and means of reaching goals. Making small steps each day, trusting your decisions, and being confident is vital for every business owner.
What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?
It means women from all over the world collaborating with one another to positively influence, spread knowledge and guide the future female leaders of our world in being their own boss. Each woman in this community has their own special and unique qualities that make them who they are, and I believe we can all learn something from everyone. Female leadership and females supporting one another are changing lives and making positive impacts within the community.
You currently specialising in personal injury, employment law, and business formation. In which areas are you looking to grow and expand Goody Law Group within the next 3-5 years?
Within the next 3-5 years, I am looking to expand Goody Law Group to reach a greater audience on a national and international level. My goal is to be a positive influence on peoples’ lives and encourage future female leaders of the world to be their own boss.
Instagram: @goodylawgroup @talygoody
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/goodylawgroup/posts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talyesq/
Website: goodylawgroup.com
Image taken by Molly Pan
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