Good Neighbor Podcast: Palmer
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Palmer. Good Neighbor Podcast Palmer MA hosted by Liz Lemon helps residents to connection with local doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, insurance agents and other business owners in and around Palmer, and other Massachusetts Communities. Helping neighbors to become friends while introducing them to local businesses and charities is my goal.
With 29+ years of hard work, my career began in Graphic Design. Evolving to TV Production, Newscast Directing, Technical Producing, and Filmmaking. In addition, Sales, Marketing, and Advertising across various platforms, while always exceeding expectations. Then transitioning to the Entertainment and Sports Industries, I specializes in Special Events, Promotions, VIP Services, Live Events and Security, expanding Nationally at various Stadiums, and Concert Venues.
Passionate about learning and diverse topics, I love sports, especially the New England Patriots, the NFL, and NASCAR. An avid outdoors enthusiast, I also enjoy swimming, hiking, and exploring new places while photographing, digitally recording each one . Excited about my new role as PPM Area Media Executive at Podcast Plus Media, I'm ready for this new Adventure of a Lifetime, continuing to connect with people and exceed expectations in the local community.
Is your business serving the residents of Palmer? Then, we need to talk! Visit gnpPalmer.com or to schedule your free interview.
Good Neighbor Podcast: Palmer
EP# 35: Legal Lifelines: Julie Dialessi-Lafley's Fusion of Family Roots and Law Practice
Ever wondered if there's more to a lawyer than legal jargon and courtrooms? Join me, Liz Lemon, as we peel back the layers of the legal profession with Julie Dialessi-Lafley, a seasoned attorney from Bacon Wilson Law Firm. Together, we journey through Julie's transition from finance to law, and how her background in a family business enriches her approach to legal counsel in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Her stories of personal growth, like conquering aquaphobia, remind us of the power in facing our fears, and Julie's love for family, beach life, and culinary creativity paints a picture of a lawyer who is as personable as she is professional.
This episode isn't just about the human side of law; it's an open book to the services and support available at Bacon Wilson. With a simple call, you're guided through a network of expertise spanning their various offices, ensuring you meet the right person for your legal needs. We wrap up with heartfelt acknowledgments for Julie’s contributions to the community and a call to action for listeners to highlight local businesses that deserve a moment in the spotlight. Stay tuned and get ready to connect with our neighborhood in a way that celebrates professional acumen and personal triumphs alike.
This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Liz Lemon.
Speaker 2:It's a Good Neighbor podcast. Are you in need of some legal advice? Surprisingly, it might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor, julie Dylassie Laughley from Bacon Wilson. How are you doing today, julie? Good Liz, how are you? Great, thank you. We're excited to learn all about you and your business, so please tell us what you do.
Speaker 3:So I am an attorney, I'm a shareholder at Bacon Wilson, which is a regional law firm here in Western Massachusetts. We have office at Springfields, we have an office at Amherst, Northampton, Westfield, and we pretty much go wherever our clients need us. I practice in Mass and I practice in Connecticut, so we're full service for our clients. How did you get into?
Speaker 2:the business.
Speaker 3:So my undergrad degree is in finance and I always knew I would probably end up going into the law. I had family businesses that I was involved in and it was just sort of a natural segue for me to go to law school so that I could help and deal with those business issues. So it was something I always figured I would do and anybody who knows me always said that oh my gosh, I can't imagine you doing anything else but being a lawyer. So I guess it was just what I was born to do, for whatever, what are the myths and misconceptions in the legal business?
Speaker 3:Well, from my perspective, I think that we get a bad rap. I mean, obviously, like people think, oh my gosh, a lawyer is calling me. It can't be good. You know, I try very hard to make myself to be approachable, even for the people that are on the other side of my cases. For example, I do I chair the family law department at Bacon and Wilson, but I also do a tremendous amount of other work in estate planning, business, transactional real estate, and all of those areas are interrelated. But I think being approachable and being, you know, somewhat humble and someone you could talk to is probably the thing I strive for, because I think our reputation as attorneys is we're very often very unapproachable or very difficult to deal with, and I try to work hard to make sure that that's not the perception that people have.
Speaker 2:That's great. Outside of work, what do you?
Speaker 3:do for a father? Oh, I well, I have two children, so I spend a tremendous amount of time at a hockey rink with one of my sons who is a local, you know, a local hockey player who's probably got some good aspirations. We'll see where he goes. My other interests and my other hobbies that you know. I love being a beach, so if you are looking to find me and I'm not in the office and there's even a crack of warm weather, I'm probably on a beach somewhere. Love to travel. You know I cook. I'm Italian, so I mean what else I cook, right? So cook, bake, spoil everybody around me. So those are some of the things that I do for fun, but for the most part I probably spend the majority of my time looking, chasing the sunshine.
Speaker 2:Let's change gears for a moment. Can you describe one hardship or life challenges that you've rose above and can now say, because of it you're better and stronger? Well, here comes to mind.
Speaker 3:So I tell this story all the time and I've shared it with my children, I shared it with other people, I almost. So it's kind of one of those things, right? So I almost drowned when I was little and I had a irrational fear of deep water, right? So when I tell you I love the beach, I actually love the pool, I love the beach, I love water, and so that was something that kind of created this apprehension for me, I would get you know, I'm a good swimmer, but I would get into water. I knew it was over my head and I just had this irrational fear.
Speaker 3:So when I was in undergrad, I decided I was going to conquer that. I was like 20 years old, 18 years old, and I became certified as a lifeguard and a swim instructor and I spent probably six years by poolside protecting other people. But for me it was a way to overcome that irrational fear, and so I carry that forward in all different areas, right? So if you have one of those fears and those apprehensions, pushing yourself past your boundaries in order to overcome whatever that anxiety is or whatever that issue is, I think gives you such a sense of confidence and such a sense of strength and you can apply that in anything, right? So if you're afraid of heights, or if you're afraid of walking into a courtroom, or you don't like public speaking, whatever it is, I always say push yourself past your boundaries, because you really don't know where it may take you.
Speaker 2:What is the one thing you wish our listeners learn about? Bacon and Wilson.
Speaker 3:So Bacon and Wilson locally. We've been around since 1895. So we've been here for a really, really long time. I think that people often find larger law firms regional law firms to be inaccessible, but we couldn't be further from that. We represent people from all walks of life, from all social and economic backgrounds, so I really would want people to take away from this the belief or the feeling that we are accessible to everyone. I have clients, I have staff that are Spanish. I have a large Spanish speaking clientele. We speak. We have someone here who is Russian speaking. We have someone here who is Polish speaking. We have an Italian speaking person. So we have the ability to access and to provide services for anyone.
Speaker 3:I would say that people always think attorneys are too expensive or cost prohibitive or inapproachable and I would really stress, for anyone that's listening, that Bacon and Wilson really is accessible to someone who needs legal services and we provide premier legal services. So, hopefully, getting to know some of the. I'm a shareholder. I've been practicing for a while I won't tell you how long, but you know and you know if you were to just come in and chat with me, this is how you're going to get me and that's what the majority of all of us are very approachable and really try to make our clients feel comfortable when they're coming in to make sure we can take care of their needs.
Speaker 2:That's great. How do our listeners learn more about Bacon and Wilson?
Speaker 3:Well, so Bacon Wilson has a website that we keep up very, you know, pretty diligently. We have Facebook page and we obviously we're here. So if you want to learn about us, I would say you can hop onto our website, which is www or whatever www Bacon Wilsoncom. We post articles there all the time, For example and I just published an article a couple weeks ago in Business West about co-parenting for non-married couples who have children. So we are often published those types of articles and blogging is on our website. Again, our Facebook page is kept current so that you can see where we are.
Speaker 3:We're always around in the community. We do a ton of volunteer work, but if you really want to come in and meet with someone, you can just call and we will match you up with the attorney that's appropriate for whatever your legal need is. Is there a phone number you'd like to share? I'll be happy to. So a direct number to Bacon Wilson's 413-781-0560. That's the main office in Springfield. All of our offices are fully staffed. So if you're calling for the Amherst location or you're calling for Northampton Westfield, you can call into that main number and our front desk will transfer you to whichever office it is that you want to speak with, or if you don't know and you want to chat me up, call me up. I'll be happy to help direct you. If it's not something I do, I'm certainly happy to be able to refer you to one of my colleagues.
Speaker 2:Well, julie, I really appreciate you being on the show today and we wish you and your business the best moving forward. Thanks, liz.
Speaker 3:Good luck with the podcast. It's great.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPPalmercom. That's GNPPalmercom, or call 413-414-5940.