Humans by nature are selfish beings. We are compelled to believe that we deserve others helping and taking care of us, without having the minute understanding that it goes the other way as well.
However, there are individuals who are dedicated towards the art of giving back and lending support to others without the faintest of expectations of getting anything in return.
Rena McDonald, Owner of McDonald Law Group, is one such individual who believes in giving back to the community.
Rena didn’t like how huge legal businesses treated their clients. And only after five years of practice, she felt that she could manage things differently. Thus, she established her own civil litigation firm, McDonald Law Group, covering Bankruptcy, Foreclosure Prevention, Real Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Contract Litigation and Review, and Small Business Development with an emphasis on Entity Formation and Real Estate Development.
As a highly motivated person, satisfying people with their legal need drives Rena every day. “Helping people is what attracted me to the legal field, and fortunately, that is what I get to do every day. Legal issues are life-changing and can definitely create some of the most stressful times of a person’s life. I am so fortunate to be able to help my clients navigate these difficult periods,” she describes.
Opening the Window of Learning
For Rena, the journey so far has been challenging yet incredibly rewarding. Her first challenge was to mitigate the challenges of the 2008 global economic crisis as it had only been a year since the establishment of her firm. Fortunately, she was able to weather the storm, which has further helped her learn how to overcome the present pandemic’s challenges.
According to her, having an open mindset has enabled her to learn a lesson from each challenge that she has faced and find a window of opportunity. She has utilized these lessons in a way that helps her in moving forward and attain unmatched success.
However, it wasn’t always that Rena had this learning mindset. She recalls how she held herself to a standard that was unreasonable; and emphasizes on being more kind to herself. “This caused me to spend too much time criticizing myself instead of learning,” she shares.
Looking back at how far she has come, she is quick to note how grateful she is for her work and for the opportunities that have enabled her to help people and give back to the community. Today, Rena makes sure to counsel new business owners to treat themselves the way they would with a friend.
Compassion is the Key
What makes Rena McDonald a compassionate leader and a great human being is her drive to help people and the community with legal needs. She exclaims, “A desire to improve my clients and my community has been the biggest driving factor in my career. I truly care about my clients and their cases. I also strive to work in my community to help others in need. This has helped me be a better leader and human being.”
It hasn’t always been easy for Rena. It was with time and experiences that she realized that not everyone comes from the same place of care and compassion. She shares that not everyone is motivated by their clients’ needs; a realization that is often difficult for her to rationalize and overcome.
Nonetheless, by perceiving the situation and keeping compassion as her primary weapon, Rena has fostered a work environment where compassion, personal & professional growth, and satisfaction mattered.
Taking a leaf out of Rena’s ideology, her colleagues and employees leave no stone unturned when it comes to serving people. The team at McDonald Law Group goes the extra mile to deliver the legal and personal care they need. Rena elaborates, “I think about how I would want my mother or best friend to be treated and strive to provide that for our clients. My team and I strive to effectively communicate what is going on each step of the way and what they can expect moving forward. This helps immensely to reduce or even eliminate their stress and anxiety.”
Making ‘HER’ Name in the Business
Rena practices work in a field that has predominantly been surrounded by men. During the early days of her professional career, she would face difficulties to receive any value on her perspective or inputs. “Some of my male counterparts assumed that as a woman I was weak, emotional or indecisive,” she recalls.
Nevertheless, Rena took advantage of these stereotypes and gained the upper hand on such individuals. Moreover, she solidified her credibility by helping fellow young women out of similar situations.
Today, Rena McDonald surrounds herself with men and women who recognize gender differentiation to have no value in creating a great work environment. This has helped her to grow and silence the preconceived notions of others that once affected her mental being. Rena practices the same attitude in helping her clients and refutes any prejudices against her gender. She sees this as a dramatic change in her career from when she began almost 20 years ago.
When asked to give advice to young and emerging women leaders in the legal space and beyond, Rena passionately exclaims, “Stand up for yourselves, your clients, and others. You will never convince anyone that you are great by saying you’re great. You must demonstrate your worth in your dealings with others. Do not let little people bring you down to their level. Throughout your career you will be dismissed and you will be judged by others ideals of what you are. Do not lose yourself in that struggle and remember your vision of why you do what you do.”
The Road Ahead
Speaking about the future, Rena McDonald looks forward to seeing the office of McDonald Law Group grow and lead the industry in terms of client relations.
On a personal front, she is determined to continue working in a manner that leads others by example. She strives to create an environment both in her office and the community that helps and supports everyone. “I am very proud of what I have built and am excited to see what else I can do,” concludes Rena.
