Before Nance L. Schick became a lawyer with her own successful New York law firm, she was a young girl who suffered abuse by a family member and a teen who attempted suicide. The hardship has weighed on her confidence. “Intellectually, I know that I am capable and smart, yet I don’t always feel like I can do anything worthwhile,” she wrote in her 1,000 Stories profile.
But these days, Schick is far more self-assured. Launching her own venture allowed her to handcraft a firm that takes on cases and clients that align with her principles. She is now a published author who’s hard at work on another book. And, as the master of her own schedule, she has had the freedom to support her mother through several surgeries and take time off for herself.
The biggest change, though, is a new sense of control over all facets of her life. For this, she credits entrepreneurship. “Having a successful business changed my life for the better because I get to choose,” she says.