"Progress is made by bringing together divergent perspectives and experiences."
Marie Sarantakis is a prominent family law attorney, bestselling author, and nationally recognized divorce coach. She is the Founding Attorney of Sarantakis Law Group, Ltd. and President of Adrikos, LLC. Sarantakis earned her B.A. from Carthage College and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.
Ms. Sarantakis concentrates her legal practice on family law. In addition to her work in the courtroom, she is versed in alternative methods of dispute resolution as a mediator and Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. She was recently recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, named as one of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, and featured as a Fellow of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
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Table of Contents
Thank you so much for giving us your time! Before we begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and take us through what exactly your company does and what your vision is for its future?
Marie Sarantakis: My law firm, Sarantakis Law Group, LTD., handles family law matters. This includes legal situations ranging from high conflict litigation to amicable collaborative law matters depending on our specific client’s needs.
My coaching practice, Adrikos, LLC, helps individuals rebuild their lives before, during, or after divorce. As a divorce attorney, I realized that what many of my clients needed more than anything was inspiration. In coaching services, I go beyond their legal situation and get to know them as an individual. People lose themselves in divorce. The primary goal of my coaching services is to help people get excited about their future and help them design a life that brings them joy.
NO child ever says I want to be a CEO/entrepreneur when I grow up. What did you want to be and how did you get where you are today?
Marie Sarantakis: Respectfully, I beg to differ. I grew up with my family owning businesses. I knew that I wanted to own my own business one day as well. On school career day, I would dress up as a lawyer, and it seemed like a prestigious profession. When the time came, I decided to attend law school, not because I had an inherent love of the law, but because I knew that my degree would open many doors.
I started my own law office immediately after law school and am blessed to own a successful divorce practice today. A good divorce attorney helps their clients view their legal matter as though they are running their own business –- making wise future-forward fiscal choices in the face of obstacles and calculating risk.
Tell us something about yourself that others in your organization might be surprised to know.
Marie Sarantakis: My love of cars runs deep. From the time I was a teenager, I worked multiple jobs to be able to satiate my desire for luxury automobiles. While most girls my age were at the mall trying on shoes, I was at the dealership checking out Porsches.
Many readers may wonder how to become an entrepreneur but what is an entrepreneur? How would you define it?
Marie Sarantakis: An entrepreneur is someone who can create opportunities out of any situation. They see where there is a need and fill the void in an innovative fashion.
What is the importance of having a supportive and inclusive culture?
Marie Sarantakis: Progress is made by bringing together divergent perspectives and experiences. The best leaders recognize that a diverse team, with a wide range of backgrounds, is incredibly valuable.
How can a leader be disruptive in the post covid world?
Marie Sarantakis: Leaders can be disruptive in a good way or a bad way. Sometimes we need to shake things up in order to improve them. For example, I believe that through the COVID-19 pandemic many employers recognized that often employees were just as, if not more, productive working remotely. A more remote workforce could potentially be just as efficient, promote employee satisfaction, and reduce overall business overhead. Remote work environments are here to stay.
If a 5-year-old asked you to describe your job, what would you tell them?
Marie Sarantakis: I guess I’d say:
Lawyering I – help grown-ups figure out how to share things.
Coaching – I help people decide what they want to be when they grow up.
Leaders are usually asked about their most useful qualities but let’s change things up a bit. What is your most useless talent?
Marie Sarantakis: I take amazing food photos. I’m a foodie and love taking images of my meals. You can follow my random dining adventures on Facebook.
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Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, we do have one more question. If you wrote a book about your life until today, what would the title be?
Marie Sarantakis: “Never Say Never.” I’m currently thirty-two years old. I have been blessed to experience so many exciting things, many of which were unexpected, at an early age. I hope to always remain open to novel experiences. We can make plans but no one knows what the future brings. That idea of the unknown can bring excitement or trepidation. I’m optimistic and remain open to the surprises that will present themselves along the way. I’ve learned that what may not make sense at a certain stage in one’s life, maybe quite fitting at another. If you are up for it, the world is your oyster.
Larry Yatch, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Marie Sarantakis for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Marie Sarantakis or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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