I’m a 27-year-old who supports my parents and siblings. I worried what my partner might think, but I’m grateful to be a female breadwinner.
- Sephora Grey is a lawyer who started a law school admissions business after launching a podcast.
- Grey’s business helps people get into law school and land jobs and has grown via TikTok.
- Her business supports her family financially, generating over $300,000 in revenue this year.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sephora Grey, a 27-year-old lawyer and business owner in Mississippi. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
My college journey started in 2015. I attended LSU in Baton Rouge for two years and then transferred to the University of Florida.
I majored in political science and took out student loans to pay for college. I graduated in my third year in 2018.
Six years later, I’m a lawyer supporting both myself and my family.
I hadn’t done the necessary preparation to go to law school
After I graduated, I decided to work for a financial investment firm for eight months to earn money to pay down some of my student loans.
While I worked, I studied and prepared for the LSAT, which I passed. Then, I went to Georgetown Law School. I got a hefty scholarship, which covered my living expenses, so I didn’t work while I was in law school.
I graduated from law school in May 2022
I studied for and took the Washington, DC Bar exam that summer. After that, I worked as a federal judicial clerk in the US District Court for the District of Maryland for a year. I then accepted a circuit court clerkship on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, also on the Federal Circuit, which ended in August.
During my clerkships, I started a law school prep podcast. I wanted information about law school to be freely available for people like me. I interviewed female attorneys, big law partners, big law associates, and high-level government attorneys.
The podcast led to starting my business
I was often asked how to get into law school. That sparked the idea to start a law school admissions consulting and coaching business.
I now help individuals get into law school, perform well, and get jobs after law school. I wish I had had law school mentorship in my life — there is so much I just didn’t know about the process. It’s a lot of who you know in the legal field.
I started sharing information about law school on TikTok, including the lessons from my podcast. People reached out, and my TikTok grew. I realized this could be a business.
I accepted my 1st payment and made the business official in August 2022
The business grew as I took steps to increase it through marketing, creating more content on TikTok, and telling my followers about Topping the Curve.
I had a lot of success with my first round of clients — they went on to get scholarships to attend great law schools like Ohio, Boston, Georgetown, and Boston University.
Initially, I offered one-on-one coaching, charging $150 an hour
Clients could meet with me or send documents for review. I would examine their materials in depth, line by line. In my first five months, I made $15,000.
The business grew as my TikTok grew. I joined a coaching group program to help me understand marketing and scaling a business. I learned to do webinars to book more clients and build an email list, which now has over 2,000 people.
I eventually dropped the $150 individual sessions and stopped editing documents. I now only offer higher-priced, longer-term packages and online courses.
This business has allowed me to support my family
In November 2022, my parents bought a trucking business that we thought was successful but we later realized had many hidden expenses.
By April 2023, the business’s revenue continued to decline, from $50,000 to $60,000 a month to $10,000 to $20,000 a month. The high expenses related to equipment and insurance were also killing the business.
My family originally lived in a different part of Florida and then moved to Miami for the business — so there are two houses and two sets of expenses. I live in Mississippi, where my circuit court clerkship was based.
I started helping my parents and four siblings, giving them $15,000 to $20,000 monthly to compensate for the business revenue shortfall.
My law school coaching business has generated over $300,000 in revenue this year, and I was paid $85,000 at my clerkship. Roughly, my clerkship income supports me, and my business income supports my family.
At first, I felt pressure to support my family as a female breadwinner
I sometimes worry that my business will stop doing well and I won’t be able to support my family. It can also be stressful because I still work full-time while running my business.
I’ve grown and stepped into my role as a female breadwinner. I’m grateful that I’m in a position to help my family, and they’ve told me so many times they’re thankful. Even though I support my family this way, I live a good life.
They don’t ask me for money; I send it when I have it — I’m happy to do that. My mom is still a registered nurse and works full-time.
I wondered how my boyfriend would feel about me supporting my family
I have a romantic partner, but we keep our finances separate. Since we’re unmarried, we don’t believe in pooling our finances until we are.
I’m grateful I don’t have a boyfriend who is jealous or resentful of me making this kind of money and supporting my family. I won’t let anyone else dictate how I live my life.
I hope my parents’ business can be sold, which they’re actively trying to do, as it would relieve some stress. I’m also excited about starting a new full-time role at a law firm in a few months, and I will continue my business.
Ultimately, I’d like to build a full-fledged admissions consulting business with consultants under me.
Are you a female breadwinner who wants to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at [email protected].
