Each month, we have a chance to spend some extra time with a special member, and this month we are celebrating 4 years of working together with David Dillon of Dillon Estate Council, PLC! We cannot believe it’s been 4 years already; time really does fly!
A popular term in Nashville to refer to Native Tennesseans is “Unicorn” because it seems like nine out of every ten people you meet these days is from another state! Well, David is definitely a unicorn. He grew up about 30 miles southwest of Nashville, in a little town called Linton, where he was raised on a family farm. He left Tennessee to attend Davidson College in North Carolina, and then continued his studies at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he focused on Estate Planning, and Wills and Trusts.
After graduation, David practiced Law in “the mountains of North Carolina,” where during his off time, he enjoyed hiking and camping in the Appalachians. He loved living there, and only left because a moment in time changed his life. He was part of a church small group for some time when he was asked if he would like to learn how to teach the bible study they were working on at the time. David agreed to get training in Atlanta, where he met his future wife, Carol. He distinctly remembers their first words to each other, more than 22 years ago: Carol: “Do you know how to play the piano?” David: “No.” Maybe it is not the most romantic sounding encounter, but they immediately hit it off and became inseparable very quickly. It was this relationship that drew David back into the middle Tennessee area, where he began working in a local Bank Trust department, and continued along that path for 17 years, helping to settle estates.
After some time, David decided to start his own solo practice, and began making house calls to his clients, which really lent a personal touch to his services. He had always enjoyed estate law and has wanted to stay in that field throughout his career because he sees it as an opportunity to help people who are in crisis. He also leaned automatically to it because it allowed him to work from home while meeting clients at their homes, giving him the mobility to accommodate all his future clients.
While Mr. Dillon built up his client base, and began to receive more and more referrals, he began looking for some mutual ground to meet clients in, outside of the house. He struggled to find the right fit until he toured Green Hills Office Suites! Once he saw what we have to offer, he just could not imagine himself anywhere else to conduct his business. He states that “he wouldn’t be where he is without the Green Hills Office Suites because his clients love the location and how friendly the staff is”. The professional atmosphere and being able to provide services that other competitors do not offer such as will-signing witnessing, there was no other choice for David!
When you ask David, why estate law? His response is because “It’s really an opportunity to help people when they are in crisis and making difficult situations more bearable”. People tend to feel at a loss and being able to take some of that away is what David strives to do. Being an English Major has helped David communicate different options to his clients while making sure they understand what they are signing or agreeing to.
We wrapped up the conversation asking Mr. Dillon for some advice he would give to a new business entrepreneur and his answer was, “The most important thing to know is to figure out what you enjoy and try to become good at it. Know when to say no, not everyone is a good fit as a client/customer, and it is okay to say no. Make sure you know your limits and give yourself a realistic time frame to make it work. Give yourself Grace”. He also mentioned to make sure to find the things you love in your personal life, such as reading his favorite writer, or even traveling to the beach and mountains with his family. Those things are so important not to overlook as you are building your business. You can find Mr. David Dillon on LinkedIn and through his website www.dillonestatecounsel.com.
