Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Ligon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I first moved to Orlando, Florida to attend law school. I initially started off at the Orange Avenue location of Florida A&M College of Law in downtown Orlando and have been attracted to ‘The City Beautiful’ ever since!
As a personal injury & civil rights attorney, Orlando is home to some of the nation’s top law firms which keeps business highly competitive. However, as one of the first Entertainment & Sports lawyers in the area, I’ve enjoyed my niche and the opportunity to broaden our services and serve our clients and community.
I consider myself a Southern girl, originally from St. Petersburg, FL. I love seafood, grits, and fresh fruit. And as such a diverse city and State rich in arts and culture as Orlando is, I am also passionate about the arts, nature, and of course law. Orlando has served as my second home for over 15 years and I enjoy traveling across Central Florida despite the traffic at times.
Orlando serves as the backdrop to one of my favorite, annual charity events and toy drives called @BringOutTheDolls: Beautiful in every hue, Bring a Doll that looks like you. To our women’s empowerment event ‘Women Take the Court’ with the Orlando Magic, I am excited to grow with the community here in Florida and abroad. In 2008, after graduating from law school, I opened up my law firm at age 25, and quickly settled into Downtown Orlando. I have been here so long people think the Shannon Margarita at the Neon Beach restaurant on Orange Avenue is mine… It’s not but I pretend like it is!
Orlando has been hard to leave. So much, I am making it home to the next project. As part of my next creative and collaborative ventures, I am excited to launch @PrettySMARTStudios in downtown Thornton Park, at the 420 E. Church Street building with my business partners to do all things creative, culture and retail.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been an exciting journey however entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of emotions. After 15 years of business I’m finally able to celebrate stability and being able to invest in the other projects I’m passionate about, but that did not come easy.
Law is a highly competitive business but especially in Orlando, Florida where we have so many attorneys. I am blessed to be able to work in my niche and entertainment sports and appointment discrimination while also being very competitive and personal injury and business loss through PrettySMARTLaw.com.
Being a young woman in this industry with little to no experience in business and law, I took many creative risks early; such as launching a virtual law firm decades before COVID even existed, creating a brand and culture. Secondly, it is so easy to get distracted by social media and compare yourself to others, that’s why I always try to run my own path and know what it’s for me won’t miss me!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m also known for my sunglasses and retail lines: www.PrettySMARTShades and creative & social justice brand ShopPrettySMART.com, which I hope to get into more designing and creative partnerships this year.
With sunglass fashion, it’s like trying to tap into the fashion industry…Very competitive and add the overseas markets, I started retailing when I really wanted to design. But ShopPretttSMART.com is one of the brands I’m most passionate about and as a financial tool, I hope to be able to work with other creatives and business lines to help scale those brands and also look into getting into the health, wellness and spiritual product lines.
However, as a person completely obsessed with sunglasses, not a day goes by that I don’t leave home without my PrettySMART Shades!
How do you define success?
Success is realizing your life purpose and being able to wake up everyday and do that! But also, peace is priceless. Being able to take care of your emotional, financial and physical self is important too! On days you need to rest, rest. Balance and Peace is success. Namaste.
Contact Info:
- Email: Shannon@PrettySMARTLaw.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/thatsmylawyer
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thatsmylawyer
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/thatsmylawyer
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/thatsmylawyer
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjXqLH2Qu-UzAt4fCFk86Tg
- Other: www.ShopPrettySMART.com
Image Credits
Shannon Ligon Personal ©️2008-2021
Shannon L. Clark
March 10, 2022 at 12:41 am
Shannon, I’m from St.Pete. I wrote a TV series based in Atlanta. I want to get it out there!! Will Packer is our homeboy. I heard about you through a mutual friend named Champ, or Cleteris Smith. Anyhow, I read a lot about your work ethnic online. My friend is Qiana Horsley, the mother of ShyAnn Roberts with female R&B group June’s Diary (signed with Kelly Rowland). Hit her back at qhorsley@gmail.com so we can go more into detail, OK. Take care,and I really respect your hard work!! Shannon L. Clark.
Shannon L. Clark
March 10, 2022 at 12:42 am
Oh… The name of my story is called BLACK MECCA. And it’s an original index!!!