LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD
7 YEARS OF HIGHS, LOWS, AND ENDLESS LESSONS
It’s hard to believe I’m celebrating my seventh anniversary at The Button Law Firm. When I first joined, I never imagined how much we would achieve and how deeply the values we set on day one would guide us through every step. Looking back at my time here, I can pinpoint seven critical lessons I’ve learned along the way. First, family and team are everything. This isn’t just a core value on paper; it’s how we operate. Our team has become stronger, showing up for each other in every way possible. This value is evident in every decision we make, always considering what is best for the team. Leading with passion is another lesson I’ve embraced. I wear my heart on my sleeve and make no apologies for it. Plenty of lawyers will always say, “It isn’t personal; it’s business,” but for me, every case will always be personal. Being passionate about our clients’ cases shows we are willing to put the work in as if they were our own family. As a female attorney especially, there are plenty of negative stereotypes that women are too sensitive, emotional, and so on. Yet, I know this passion I have is what will have me thriving in this career for years to come. Staying hungry to learn is also vital. After seven years, I’m still eager to learn. I firmly believe that the moment you think you know everything, you’ve failed as a lawyer. Constant learning and teaching are essential for not just me but the whole team. Personally, I hope to expand my knowledge in electronic discovery, an area I can confidently say I know little about! Yet, I plan to keep learning and honing these skills and more in the future.
toward success. That’s why having such a strong team has been vital, as failure is a moment for us all to learn, collaborate, and grow together. Of course, along those lines, surrounding yourself with people who are better than you at something is just as vital. The sooner you face your weaknesses, the better you will be at finding others who can help you grow and achieve your goals. At our firm, it’s essential that we celebrate peaks to overcome valleys. In our field, we see some tough stuff. The fact is that there are going to be hard days, losses, and letdowns. When someone asks me how I do it, I tell them I allow myself to celebrate the wins and know that a life-changing success is always around the corner. Above all, maintaining a healthy life balance is essential. While I love what I do and could never imagine another path for me, I do have strict boundaries between the time I spend working and the time I spend with loved ones. I don’t have my work email or calendar on my phone, and when I plan to stop working at a certain time, I stick to it. All these lessons have primed me for the next seven years at BLF. My tenth work anniversary is on the horizon, and I couldn’t be more excited about all the changes BLF will experience until then. We’re close to having our vision come to life, and I’m thrilled to see where the journey takes us next. Here’s to many more years of making a difference! –Ashley Knarr
The concept of “to fail is to succeed” has been a key lesson over the years. I’ve come a long way in turning every failure into a step
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