Attorney Robin Vance Grows Business with Chamber Participation

Robin Vance of Watertown’s well-known Vance Law Office PLLC, started her time as an attorney late in life due to an authority figure discouraging her from going to college. But today her office has three full time employees and a full case load due to her own persistence and understanding that she "needed to throw myself in," as she says referring to her first introduction to the Watertown East Wilson County Chamber of Commerce.

"Bill Shults invited me. We had the first meeting in a circle in the parking lot of city hall because the air was out. In the Fall we had officer elections and at that meeting in knew I needed to throw myself in," says Vance. She started as Secretary and later became President where she is known for accomplishing a lot for the city of Watertown and the surrounding county.

"It was a phenomenal experience because of the name recognition. I didn’t have a lot of experience as a business owner and the connections you make are underestimated," says Vance.

The reason she didn’t have a lot of business experience fifteen years after she graduated from High School is because a guidance councilor told her with her scores she shouldn’t even apply to college that she would never get in one. She told her she should just settle on being a housewife and a stay at home mother.

Vance had no reason to think that the authority figure would give her the wrong advice so she took it and got married and had two children soon out of high school. She joined the PTA and threw all her energy into volunteering at the schools and taking part time jobs as they came along. Now her sons are twenty-seven and thirty years old.

Her break-through came when she took a part time job for attorney Jim Stallings in 1992. She said to herself, "I love the idea of helping people and I can do this," by August of 1993 she had enrolled in Cumberland University. She graduated in 1997 and started law school right away in Nashville.

On September 1, 2002 she opened her office on the square of Watertown which was her plan from the day she graduated from Cumberland. At the time the attorney on the square had just passed away and there were no legal services in Watertown. "I feel blessed and fortunate to plant roots here and maintain that office here," says Vance. Since then she has moved her office to 224 West Main Street in Watertown just a bit off the square in a single residence where she has more room.

"In 2004 I was invited to be a part of Leadership Wilson.  It was a tremendous education and exposes you to all aspects of Wilson County.  Agritourism began to come a thing at that time. There was a big cross cut of real estate agents and business owners. It had many of the same benefits as the chamber. The leadership connections launched me to be on the Lebanon Chamber than the United Way now I am the Chair of Wilson County CASA.  It all started with Watertown Chamber involvement," says Vance.

The primary focus of Vance Law Office is family law which often includes custody visitation. "It’s very satisfying to be able to help a family continue their family dynamic in spite of a divorce," says Vance, "We also do some estate planning and probate. What we don’t do is criminal or bankruptcy, although we do try to help but it is outside our wheelhouse, we give them referrals."

Vance Law Office is being featured as a business of the month at the next Watertown East Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at her office in Watertown, Tennessee from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 28. All are welcome to attend and meet local business owners and learn more about their services in a casual environment. Refreshments will be served.