• Sephora Gray is an attorney who started a law school admissions business after starting a podcast.
• Grey’s business helps people get into law schools and land jobs and has grown through TikTok.
• His business financially supports his family, generating more than $300,000 in revenue this year.

This essay as told is based on a conversation with Sephora Graya 27-year-old attorney and business owner from Mississippi. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

My college journey began in 2015. I attended LSU in Baton Rouge for two years and then transferred to the University of Florida.

I majored in political science and took out student loans to pay for college. I graduated third year in 2018.

Six years later, I am a lawyer provide for myself and my family.

I hadn’t done the necessary preparation to go to law school

After graduating, I decided to work for a financial investment company for eight months to earn money to pay off some of my student loans.

While I worked, I studied and prepared for the LSATthat I succeeded. Then I went to Georgetown Law School. I received a large scholarship that covered my living expenses, so I didn’t work while I was in law school.

I graduated from law school in May 2022

I studied and passed the Washington DC Bar Exam that summer. After that, I worked for a year as a federal law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. I then accepted an internship at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, also on the Federal Circuit, which ended in August.

During my internships, I started a law school prep podcast. I wanted information about law school to be freely available to people like me. I interviewed women lawyers, top law partners, top law partners, and high-level government lawyers.

Podcast led me to start my business

I have often been asked how to get into law school. This sparked the idea of ​​starting a law school admissions consulting and coaching business.

I now help individuals get into law school, perform well, and find employment after law school. I wish I had some law school mentorship in my life – there is so much I just didn’t know about the process. It depends on many people you know in the legal field.

I started sharing information about law school on TikTokincluding lessons from my podcast. People contacted me and my TikTok grew. I realized this could be a business.

I accepted my first payment and made the deal official in August 2022

The business grew as I took steps to increase it through marketing, creating more content on TikTok and telling my followers about it. At the top of the curve.

I had great success with my first set of clients: They went on to get scholarships to attend top law schools like Ohio, Boston, Georgetown, and Boston University.

Initially, I offered one-on-one coaching, charging $150 per hour.

Clients could meet with me or send documents for review. I examined their documents in depth, line by line. In my first five months, I made $15,000.

The business grew as my TikTok grew. I joined a coaching group program to help me understand marketing and grow a business. I learned how to host webinars to book more clients and build an email list, which is now over 2,000 people strong.

I eventually gave up the $150 one-on-one sessions and stopped editing documents. I now only offer more expensive, longer term packages and online courses.

This business has allowed me to provide for my family

In November 2022, my parents purchased a trucking company that we thought was successful, but later realized had many hidden expenses.

In April 2023, the company’s revenue continued to decline from $50,000 to $60,000 per month to $10,000 to $20,000 per month. High equipment and insurance expenses were also killing the business.

My family originally lived in another part of Florida, then moved to Miami for business. So there are two houses and two sets of expenses. I live in Mississippi, where my circuit court internship was based.

I started helping my parents and four siblings, giving them between $15,000 and $20,000 a month to make up for the shortfall in my business.

My law school coaching business generated over $300,000 in revenue this year and I received $85,000 for my internship. Basically, my externship income supports me and my business income supports my family.

At first, I felt pressure to provide for my family as a female breadwinner.

I sometimes worry that my business will no longer do well and that I will no longer be able to provide for my family. It can also be stressful because I still work full time while running my business.

I grew up and assumed my role as female breadwinner. I’m grateful to be able to help my family, and they’ve told me so many times that they are grateful. Even though I support my family in this way, I live a good life.

They don’t ask me for money; I send it when I have it – I’m happy to do so. My mother is still a registered nurse and works full time.

I wondered what my boyfriend would think of me supporting my family

I have a romantic partner, but we keep our finances separate. Since we are not married, we do not believe in pooling our finances until we are married.

I’m grateful that I don’t have a boyfriend who is jealous or resentful that I’m making this kind of money and supporting my family. I will not let anyone else dictate how I live my life.

I’m hoping my parents’ business can be sold, which they are actively trying to do, because that would relieve some of the stress. I am also excited to start a new full-time position at a law firm in a few months and will continue my practice.

Eventually, I would like to start a full-fledged admissions consulting business with consultants under my direction.

Are you a female breadwinner and want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at [email protected].