I knew from a very early age I wanted to be a lawyer. At least I wanted to be like the lawyers I saw on television and in movies. From Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, to LA Law, I thought being an attorney would be the coolest thing ever. Because of that I enrolled in law school, took and passed the bar exam, and started practicing law. But I soon found out it wasn't as romantic as everyone made it out to be.

What I quickly learned was that many, if not most, practicing attorneys weren't rich. And I also learned that the people that were rich got that way by devoting a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears to becoming a great Seattle DUI attorney. The information that needs to be learned and then utilized is extraordinarily great. And everyone is trying to win.

In addition to the great deal of time and effort it takes to become a great attorney, I also decided pretty early on that I wanted the autonomy, risks, and rewards that went along not only with being a good DUI attorney, but that went along with owning your own practice. It was important for me to do three thing in my career: make some cash; help some people; and have a great time.

But it also meant more work, so now, not only am I trying to be the best DUI attorney in Seattle, but I'm trying to run the best criminal defense practice in Seattle. And both have steep learning curves. All that means is more time. More time at the office. More time thinking about work. And more time away from the family.

We all know that it takes a lot of work and effort to build a business and the point of that is to provide for your family. And in many ways the time it takes is better than not working hard at all. But it's important to remember what you are working for and to take time away from being a Seattle DUI attorney and business owner to be a friend, spouse, or sibling.

So take the time to sit down and have dinner with your significant other. Schedule an early night off once a week to do something fun and new and different. And remember that it takes as much effort to have a successful relationship as it does to have a successful business.