Small & Gutsy Features Attorneys in Motion Foundation; A Beautiful Rags to RIches to Giving Back Story!

Michelle Etchebarren shares an inspiring journey from struggling single mother of four to founder of Attorneys in Motion, a groundbreaking legal tech company that transformed how law firms handle court appearances. But her story doesn't end there. At the ten-year mark of her company's success, Michelle founded the Attorneys in Motion Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering women-owned law firms and businesses.

The episode opens with a striking reality: women make up just 39.51% of the 1.3 million lawyers in the US, and only 27% of women who graduate from law school go on to own their own law firm or become partners. The gender pay gap persists at every income level. Michelle speaks candidly about being the only female founder in her specific business space and how the legal industry remains firmly male-dominated.

Michelle's origin story is one of resilience. Starting as a single mother with no resources, poor credit, and limited financial literacy, she worked in a law firm during the 2008 mortgage crisis. There, she inspired a young attorney fresh out of law school to start her own bankruptcy law firm focused on helping people recover from financial hardship rather than making false promises. Together, they built that firm from nothing—using creative, low-cost marketing strategies like county fairs and phone book ads—before Michelle eventually pivoted to build something for herself and her children.

The breakthrough came when Michelle recognized a problem in the legal services industry: court appearance attorneys were still using outdated technology like faxes. Inspired by the Uber model, she envisioned an app-based solution where attorneys could instantly request coverage for court appearances. It took about a year to develop with web developers, but Attorneys in Motion became the first company to use technology in this way, eventually growing into a nationwide business generating millions in revenue.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit hard. When courts shut down completely, the business lost millions of dollars. But this crisis forced Michelle into deep personal development work. She realized that while she had achieved financial success, she wasn't fulfilled. Her original "why"—providing for her four children—had evolved, and she needed a new, more powerful purpose. This realization, combined with her study of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich," Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning," and Tony Robbins' Business Mastery program, led her to a transformative insight: "The secret to living is giving. When you're working for a higher purpose outside of yourself, you're living purposefully."

At the ten-year mark of her company, Michelle reflected on her journey and the isolation she had experienced. She didn't have mentors or even know what mentorship was. She remembered times she "cried herself to sleep" wondering if she would end up homeless. She didn't want other women to experience that same struggle alone. This became the genesis of the Attorneys in Motion Foundation, with a mission to help women succeed at a level above her own.

The foundation addresses a critical gap in legal education: law schools teach lawyers how to practice law, but they don't teach business acumen. When attorneys are overwhelmed by business management—accounting, marketing, systems, delegation—they can't focus on quality legal work. They fall into scarcity mindset and cut corners, which is detrimental to clients and their own integrity.

Michelle emphasizes that while psychology and business mechanics are both important, success is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. The foundation's unique approach pairs financial grants with mandatory twelve-month coaching programs. Money alone doesn't create sustainable success; women need strategic guidance, accountability, systems, and connections to resources. The foundation conducts a two-month trial period to assess commitment, requires weekly coaching check-ins, and connects recipients with pro-bono services from sponsors. The goal is to set women up for real, lasting success.

Michelle also addresses the internalized biases that even women carry about other women. She admits to her own automatic biases—like assuming a sports car driver is male—and recognizes that these thought patterns have been "bred into us" since childhood. Changing this narrative requires conscious effort and intentional retraining of our first instincts.

On practical matters, Michelle shares advice for entrepreneurs on a budget: build community relationships instead of spending on expensive Google ads, find your niche and become the "go-to" expert for a specific community, and think creatively about marketing. She emphasizes the importance of self-grace, especially for working mothers, and the need for financial literacy when starting a business.

The foundation is still in its infancy, currently working with a few grant recipients, but Michelle's vision is to help fifty women per year as funding grows. She reminds listeners that many successful businesses start small and gutsy, but if they continue to work on growth, they naturally evolve and expand.

To learn more or apply for support, visit AttorneysInMotionFoundation.org. The application process includes filling out a form, participating in an interview, and entering a two-month trial period to ensure both the foundation and applicant are committed to success.


Also, visit SmallandGutsy.org to hear episodes with other great non-profits!