AFJ Law Group PLLC

Full-service law firm specializing in business, commercial real estate, and construction law.

08/19/2026

You shouldn’t start a business to prove someone wrong. But I did.

When I was 20, I told my mom I wanted to start a marketing and promotions company.

Her response?
“But you don’t like talking to people.”

She wasn’t wrong. 😂 I was extremely shy and slow to open up in social situations.

So, naturally, I decided to prove her wrong.

I started talking to everyone—friends, strangers, the gas station clerk, random people at the mall. At first, it was incredibly uncomfortable.

Then something happened: I realized I actually loved talking to people.

Before long, I was walking into bars and nightclubs pitching my services, hosting weekly events at multiple venues and managing a small staff.

Eventually, that business evolved into a marketing and PR consulting firm.

But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about proving anyone wrong.

I realized I loved building things.

More than 20 years later, that hasn’t changed. I just happen to be a lawyer now.

And being a former business owner shapes how I advise business owners today—because at 20, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Contracts. Partnerships. Leases. Growth. Risk. What happens when things go wrong.

Today, I get to help other business owners navigate those things as they start, grow, protect, buy and eventually sell what they’ve built.

So no, I don’t recommend starting a business just to prove someone wrong.

But sometimes what you’re trying to prove leads you directly to something you were meant to discover about yourself.

08/13/2026

Come with me to one of my favorite CREW Detroit events: Hard Hats (no) Heels!

This year, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the University of Michigan Health Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Troy Center for Specialty Care, currently under construction in Troy and pursuing LEED Silver certification.

As a commercial real estate attorney, I always enjoy getting out of the contracts and documents and seeing how projects like this actually come together in the real world.

A huge thank you to Ron Henry and the U-M and project teams for giving us an inside look at the development—and to my fellow CREW Detroit Programs Committee members for all of the work that went into making this event happen.

I’m proud to work alongside this group to create experiences like these for Metro Detroit’s commercial real estate community.

Another great CREW Detroit event!

08/11/2026

Motivation isn’t built by waiting to feel motivated.

It’s built by keeping the small promises you make to yourself.

Consistency compounds.

08/10/2026

Posting for likes doesn’t make cents.

One client from a post with 12 likes is worth more than 1,200 likes from people who will never hire you.

I think we’ve started measuring the success of content the wrong way.

We celebrate likes.
We celebrate comments.
We celebrate going viral.

But if your goal is to grow a business, those aren’t the metrics that matter.

The questions I ask myself before I post are:

• Does this demonstrate my expertise?
• Does this speak to the clients I actually want to work with?
• Will someone remember me when they need what I do?
• Does this build trust?

Some of the opportunities that have had the biggest impact on my business came from posts that barely got any engagement.

Someone saved it.
Someone shared it privately.
Someone remembered it months later.
Someone referred a client.

Those things don’t always show up in your analytics.

If you’re building a business, don’t create content for the algorithm. Create content for the person who may become your next client.

The likes are nice.

The relationships are what make cents.

08/07/2026

What an incredible morning at DBusiness | Powered By Women! I loved hearing the stories, lessons, and takeaways from the inspiring honorees. Women doing big things in their respective fields, while planting seeds for those just starting their own path.

Thank you to my friend Tam and Mercantile Bank for the invitation!

08/03/2026

Traveling always brings perspective.

Last week, I spent a few days in Boston and Portland, Maine. The East Coast has always been one of my favorite places, especially in the summer.

If you’re a business owner, you probably know that taking time away doesn’t always look the way you imagined it would.

You tell yourself you’ll unplug.

You’ll only check your email in the morning.

You’ll finally disconnect.

Then reality happens.

An urgent client issue comes up. A deal needs attention. A deadline shifts. Your phone buzzes more than you’d hoped.

The truth is, building a business often requires sacrifices that people outside of entrepreneurship don’t always see.

Some responsibilities simply can’t be delegated yet.

Others probably could...but if you’re a founder, you know letting go isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

Even so, one lesson I’ve continued to reinforce for myself is this:

Business is important. But so is the life you’re building outside of it.

Whether that’s traveling, going for a morning walk, reading a book, spending time with family, or simply having a quiet evening to yourself, those moments aren’t distractions from your work.

They’re part of what allows you to continue doing it well.

Ironically, I almost always return from time away with more clarity, more energy, and a greater appreciation for why I started my business in the first place.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is remember that it exists to support your life, not replace it.

07/29/2026

We’ve all seen Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote:

“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”

But I have a different question.

What would you do if you knew you would fail?

Hear me out.

Failure is often viewed as the outcome to avoid. And in many ways, that’s understandable.

But failure can also be courageous. It can be mold-breaking. It can be the cost of pursuing something worth pursuing.

The thing about failure is that it’s rarely objective.

A business that closes after five years can be viewed as a failure. It can also represent five years of jobs created, customers served, relationships built, and lessons that lead to the next successful venture.

A marathon that misses a Boston qualifying time by two minutes can still result in an age group win and months of discipline that changed the runner forever.

Failure is nuanced.

That’s why I respectfully disagree with the idea that we should only pursue the things we know we can’t fail at.

Entrepreneurs don’t build businesses because success is guaranteed.

They build them because creating something meaningful is worth the risk.

The better question isn’t:
“What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?”

It’s:
“What is so worthwhile that I’d still do it even if failure were a possibility?”

Because if something teaches you, helps someone else, or moves you closer to the life you’re trying to build, it was never truly a wasted effort.

07/22/2026

A local restaurant recently announced it was closing, and it got me thinking...

As business owners, it’s easy to assume that if we have a great product or service, people will find us.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

In this video, I share two observations that stood out to me:

📍 Visibility matters. If people don’t know you exist, they can’t become customers.

🍽️ Brand consistency matters. Consumers should immediately know what you’re known for and why they should come back.

I have no way of knowing everything that contributed to this restaurant’s closure, and I’m certainly not suggesting these were the only factors. But I do think there are lessons here that apply to businesses in every industry.

If you own a business, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What do you think is one of the biggest reasons good businesses struggle?

07/14/2026

Raise your hand if you can relate…

07/08/2026

One thing I’ve learned after working with founders, investors, and business owners:

You don’t build a successful business by avoiding risk.

You build one by understanding which risks are worth taking…and having the confidence to walk away from the ones that aren’t.

Address

33533 W. 12 Mile Road, Suite 180
Farmington Hills, MI
48331

Telephone

+12482662135

Website

http://www.afjlawgroup.com/

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