Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:23] Speaker B: Legacy, where we explore the stories and strategies that shape lives and create lasting impact.
I'm your host, Christopher Nudo.
Today we're joined by Alina Gonzalez Dachary, founder and principal of Life Law Planning. Serving clients in southwest Florida for nearly three decades in estate planning, probate and family law. She's passionate about fostering open legal conversations that empower people to better understand their rights.
Born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, Alina's story begins in a rural community filled with rich traditions and deeply rooted in her parents Cuban refugee journey.
Hi Alina, thanks for joining us.
So tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up in Lakeland, Florida.
[00:01:19] Speaker A: Growing up being born and raised in Lakeland, Florida. I always tease that I'm a southern sassy Cuban. I do have a southern accent.
Some friends of mine, lawyers would call me the country Cuban or Cuban cracker. But it was interesting because you don't think that a Cuban refugees would end up in Lakeland. But we did have a small, very cohesive family like group and it was really nice. I mean I grew up in Orange Grove country. I was in, I was in the south part of Lakeland, not in central where it's more city.
And there was something about being in a small town where everybody knew you, you couldn't get away with much.
I had, I have to thank my sister, my older sister and her friends. They kind of taught me how to get away with certain things. But you know, it was very much family neighborhood. Like we all vacation together. We, you know, even now, like thinking back summer times, it was like half of Lakeland would be in Anna Maria island, which is in off of the Gulf coast and I'd be in Lomboki. But we were always all together and I think that was such a magical way of growing up. And my closest friends are still those friends that I've had since, you know, since I was a baby or even, you know, elementary school.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: That's, that's, that's amazing.
I'm so, and I love hearing stories where you grew up with people and family and today you still can have that, that connection together. So, so tell me, like when your parents came over from Cuba, did they come alone? Did they come with other family? Did you end up being part of a real big family that settled in central Florida? How did that look?
[00:03:14] Speaker A: So my parents were, I mean they were newly goods and they had my brother who was a baby at the time when they came over in 62 and they came from Cuba to Miami not knowing, I mean not Knowing the language. And you have to understand Miami. For the viewers, Miami was not what it is today. Miami literally was like a little portal port city.
You had Little Havana, maybe Coral Gables, and that was it.
[00:03:42] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:03:43] Speaker A: And my sister was actually born in Miami in 63.
Well, my father educated as an engineer.
He was taking on jobs, day laboring jobs, just to make money, to be able to pay for bills, pay for food, things of that nature.
And it was interesting. He was just sharing with us, like one of his first jobs as an engineer was in Miami, but not as an engineer, because he wasn't licensed as an engineer, was a draftsman, and then he later found work in Alabama. And how they ended up in Lakeland was there was this engineer, Mr. Ham from Lakeland, who had an engineering firm.
And he recruited my father and he goes, I will sponsor you for your engineering license. You have to move to Lakeland. You have to move your family to Lakeland.
And he was also, you know, this was a time where, I mean, there, there were other Cuban engineers coming to Lakeland. So imagine you pick up this family. My, my dad was learning the language.
My mother did not know the language. My brother did not know the language because they were in Miami and they were in Little Havana, which was very cloistered and it still is very much today where you, you know, it was all Spanish still. And my brother, I think at that time was only five years old.
My sister was a year and a half, two years.
And so they come to a city where they, you know, okay, everybody thrust in, I mean, like you are thrust into the deep end of the pool. Learn English, learn a new culture is, you know, a little different.
I will have to say that it's funny that my mother. So my father's name is Jose and my brother's name is Jose. But my mother decided that she didn't particularly enjoy how the southern accent said Jose, like Jose Cuervo type of thing. So she put on their paperwork. Joseph.
[00:05:39] Speaker B: Oh, that's funny. Yeah, but. But it works.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: It works is Joseph. We can still call him Jose, you know, or whatever, but it's Joseph.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: So.
So having this, you know, amazing experience, you know, that you were just born into and you know, you're parents really forging away. How would you inspire other generational children who are here in the United States for the first time?
What would you tell them?
[00:06:12] Speaker A: My parents are the embodiment of the American dream. And it is real. It is not fictitious.
No matter what you hear today, it is still something that is absolutely viable.
My Parents who are still my greatest inspirations, my mentors. I could tear up thinking about this because they came over with nothing. They left everything behind. My mother came from an affluent family and to come here with three changes of clothing, each a baby on the hip to. Then my dad eventually created a company. It became international.
He, even at 93, he still has another company. He couldn't retire.
[00:06:58] Speaker B: I love that drive. I love that drive.
[00:07:02] Speaker A: And they really created an ability for us to not only assimilate. And I think that was the other thing is, is that my parents assimilated my dad more so than maybe my mom. And she was a stay at home mom. Sure, my mom, you know, English writes, speaks, you know, but they, their focus was always to give, to provide a foundation so that we could grow from that. So I have a doctor for a brother. My sister, she was educated as an accountant, cpa. She chose to give up her career to be a mother, which is a great career, and support her husband in creating his business, which is very successful today. But I would say that's the thing. It's take advantage of the opportunities we have in this country because truly we have opportunities in this country that others do not see. Even in Europe, it's different.
And he has like, even one of my dad's former partners who I adored. He was British, you know, or you know, and he's recently passed. But he would always tell me, he goes, he would always say, alina, this is the country that you can do anything you want. You are not constricted to what, you know, a social status or what have you. You can grow beyond that.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: That's phenomenal.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: And that's why I love this country so much, because I see it through my parents.
[00:08:24] Speaker B: Right. And, well, and honestly, you took that and you embody it.
[00:08:31] Speaker A: It's, it's, it's, it's. That is something to be grateful for. I mean, it's what they gave me, that foundation.
[00:08:37] Speaker B: That's, that's, you know what, we all have great stories about our parents.
And whether that story is engraved in some sort of tragedy or in your case, absolute inspiration from two parents that had a never give up mentality and were able to pass that on to each one of their children, where each child has come up very successfully.
That is a true testimony to your parents. Something that will live on for legacies, for sure.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: Well, thank you. And I'm, you know, and it's reflected in their grandchildren.
They see it and that's the beauty. And I am being in Lakeland, I think this is the difference. So I have cousins and second cousins. And, you know, as the Jimmy Buffett song says, everybody has a cousin in Miami. I have the whole family. Pretty much the whole clan is there with the exception of some, maybe up north. We're in Lakeland. So we're the only ones in Lakeland. But we have a family of other Cuban families. And they were doctors, engineers, you know, and like my father's 93, my mom will be 90 in a few months. So we're starting to see the old school, the original, the, you know, the original guard. The old guard is, is, yes, you.
[00:10:00] Speaker B: Will soon be the new definition of legacy, Alina. And.
[00:10:05] Speaker A: Yeah, and. But, you know, but the thing is, is like, we still all get together like the kids, and they still call us the kids. Isn't that fabulous?
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Of course, because you are.
[00:10:15] Speaker A: But it's still that sense of family. It was never just friendships. It's family. And even if we don't talk for a while or we may not be seeing each other every day, like, I don't live in Lakeland.
If anybody needs something or if there's something to celebrate, we are all there in unison. So that's, I think, one of whether it's the Cubans or even my southern friends, my school friends, that's the beauty of growing up in a small town.
[00:10:44] Speaker B: That is such a great testimony, Alina. Thank you so much for sharing.
So we'll be right back after this break where we'll dive into what motivated Alina to pursue college, law school, and how her faith has shaped her path.
[00:11:10] Speaker A: Sam.
[00:11:38] Speaker B: Welcome back to your life and legacy.
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Welcome back to your life and legacy. I'm here with Alina Gonzalez Dockery, founder and principal of Life Life Law Planning in Southwest Florida. Earlier, we talked about her upbringing in Lakeland and her family's inspiring refugee story. Now we'll look at how being a first generation US Citizen fueled her academic journey and how faith has guided her past.
Thanks again, Alina, for being here.
So Growing up as a first generation US Citizen, what was your motivation to go to law school?
[00:13:07] Speaker A: Funny story.
Well, first of all, there was no choice. We had the choice of we were going to go to college or you were out at 18 or, you know, so college was there because my parents having to abandon everything, their homes, their lifestyle, their jobs, everything. And seeing other friends and family members do the same because remember when they were fleeing Cuba, they had to release everything.
So it was always known we had to get an education because my mother, more so than my father, always held onto this fear that we would have to escape the U.S. what if what happened in Cuba happens here in the United States and we would have to flee? How could her children be able to start anew with nothing in a different country?
[00:13:58] Speaker B: What a scary, what a what? Science, scary proposition. Something that, you know, those of us that were grew up with, with out coming into this country never even consider. So that's such a heavy thing to be on somebody's head.
[00:14:14] Speaker A: Well, and that was something that she held on to all the way up until the 90s, I mean, and they came over in 62, okay, because that was that fear. And so there were prescribed careers and you could ask any Cuban that was like my brother, my sister's age, that it was either you could be an engineer, an accountant or a doctor, because those were the careers, those were the professions that assimilated into the United States and you were able to make a very nice upper middle class living.
So that being said, I am 10 years and eight years younger than my older siblings. So by the time I came around, I wanted to be a lawyer because my mother's father was a lawyer in Cuba. And I always heard, via my abuela, these wonderful stories of what a great humanitarian was he was in politics. That's probably where I get my political fervor from and how he really touched and helped people.
And he died young, so he did pass away in his 40s from cancer. But I always heard these great stories. And I still remember it was a school field trip and we actually went to go watch a personal injury lawsuit.
And I was like, that was it. I mean, I was eight years old. I was like, this is what I want to be. My mother and father were not on board with me being a lawyer because their experience was that they saw very affluent lawyers from Cuba who became janitors. Nothing wrong with that. But they were not able or allowed to practice law here in the United States. So my parents saw that there was no transfer, there was no ability to earn A living if you had to leave the country.
Well, and it still bugs my brother and my sister to this day that I was permitted to be a lawyer. But what they didn't know was I told my dad I wanted to quit University of Florida. I wanted to quit school so I could become a baker and go to culinary school.
Lawyer, no problem.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: Baker was a problem. Culinary school was a problem.
[00:16:25] Speaker A: Well, you know, he just was like, how are you going to be a baker? Because in his mind, remember, this was back in the 80s, 90s, you didn't see. We didn't have Food Network back then. We didn't have these famous bakers.
[00:16:36] Speaker B: Yes. The Internet had not polarified, did not take in everything and expanded it in mega cents.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: Right. He was looking at the immediate, like, how are you going to make a living being a baker? And. And he, you know, and now in retrospect, now that he's Food Network and stuff, he goes, wow, maybe we should have let you do that. You know, it was funny. Now he's like this. But it was the hook. And I have to say, my grandmother was a little. She. She knew how to get the hook to push them where I needed them to go. So she was like, tell them you want to quit schooling. You want to do something totally out in left field. And it was a lot. But also, we were settled.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: She knew how to. She knew what your dad's hot buttons were, how to motivate him for your benefit. And look at you today, that it, you know, your path has really taken you exactly where you want to be. It fits your personality.
It's.
It was meant to be. I can't honestly see you in the kitchen, but I could see you on the Food Network for sure.
[00:17:47] Speaker A: Actually, I do love to bake. I mean, I love to cook, but I don't. I mean, I do daily cooking. My thing is the big holiday meals.
[00:17:54] Speaker B: Baking, if that's your Cuban heritage.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: And it's also where I just Zen out. I love baking.
[00:18:01] Speaker B: That's fantastic.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: So that was it. That was the motivation, and it was.
It's a gratifying career because I've had multiple chapters in my career as a lawyer. I started off in private practice, and when my former partner was ready to retire and I was somewhat burnt out, you could say, because I was dealing with family law solely at the time, and my passion was for volunteering. And it was my then husband who encouraged me to go to nonprofit. And I was hired by a nonprofit legal aid.
And that opened a totally different aspect. And I think that really helped mold me in how I am conducting my business today.
[00:18:46] Speaker B: So that leads me to my next question then. So how has your faith and your conviction and especially having the experience of working for the not for profits, been a driving force in your life and really guided and molded who Alina is today?
[00:19:08] Speaker A: I mean, I was raised Catholic. I mean, it was kind of like you're born into Catholicism. That was basically it. But I was very blessed to have good friends of various faiths or denominations.
I am one. I know for a fact that I have. Whether you call them God, universe, whatever there, I know that I am led.
And I have a full faith that everything that I do is. Is. Is for my own good. Whatever happens is for my good. Whether it's something that may not be what I thought the end result would be, but it's. It changed.
I'm very blessed. I will say this. I am very blessed because I truly feel like there is a love that is always surrounding me in all that I do. Doesn't say that I am always acting perfectly like, you know, everything is happy. Go lucky. I'm not like, you know, rent Stimpy of Ren and Stimpy. Happy, happy, joy, joy all the time.
But I do know that once I calm down and I get back into my heart and into that place of being, whether it's through meditation or prayer, where, you know, when I get that calmness and that stillness, that's when I am truly connected. And then I know that everything is aligned and there's that alignment and looking back at my parents lives. But even like other people's stories, I know that there is something greater than. Than myself that truly allows me to experience these chapters that I've had.
[00:20:46] Speaker B: That's great. I love that.
[00:20:48] Speaker A: So.
[00:20:49] Speaker B: So then it sounds like you've really instilled some nice wisdom in just being rooted and grounded and being able to focus on who Alina is and all of the blessings that have come about.
So, talking to our viewers, what wisdom would you intentionally pass down to the next generation?
[00:21:19] Speaker A: Be true to your voice.
And I went through a transformational journey starting in summer of 18, actually, where I realized, because I went through a lot in the years before and I was so lost. I was so disconnected from my true being being in my voice. And so everybody says, oh, be authentic and authenticity. It's like, let's just be very real and just be true to your voice. Be true to yourself and realize that no matter what waves come along, what hurdles you come to, if you're true to yourself and really align yourself in that calmness that. That will provide the guidance that you need. And it's in that stillness, in the calmness, that you'll be able to realign yourself.
[00:22:08] Speaker B: And I love that. I know that that doesn't just happen in a bubble. I know that happens by experience, good and bad. So what are some of those moments that really, in Alina's life that reinforce this sense of purpose that you've been able to hold onto?
[00:22:27] Speaker A: At this point, I had to bring. I really had to be reintroduced to my true self.
I had lost my passion and my purpose. I would say about 2016, 17, 18, I was completely lost. 2018, I was out of drift. I had no passion. I had no purpose. I felt like I was a husk. I was just a shell of a person. I felt soulless.
And it was because I was wearing so many masks.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: I understand.
[00:23:01] Speaker A: I was pretending that I was completely burnt out. And it was through that burnt out, being overwhelmed, feeling undervaluing myself, putting myself last, and not feeling worthy, that when I. It's like you, you know, the rock bottom. So there's rock bottom that may get someone to become sober. And I have. I will be celebrating sobriety now 12 years at the end of this month.
[00:23:29] Speaker B: And I applaud that.
[00:23:30] Speaker A: Thank you.
That was probably one of the first steps, the divorce and trying to find myself. I moved to Fort Myers not knowing anyone, you know, and it was also that it was running away from the ghosts that I didn't want to see, but it was facing those ghosts and realizing, you know what? But let's get down to what the true thing and cleaning it out. And another valuable lesson. Don't take yourself so seriously. Have some fun.
[00:24:00] Speaker B: I mean, and that's what we're doing today, are we not?
[00:24:02] Speaker A: No. And it is. And the opportunity started flowing in once I reconnected to myself and I was having fun with myself and I was putting myself as a priority, which I really was never doing in the past. Everything else was more. And everyone was more important than my own priorities. I'm not saying talking totally be selfish, but be selfish in a way that your joy, your fun, your experiences are meant to expand that sense of adventure and thrill. I mean, that's how I ended up on this television show.
[00:24:36] Speaker B: I love it and I love it, and I'm so grateful you're here. Alina. For those who want to connect with you and follow your journey and learn more about how they can work with you, they can connect with you online, what's the best way for them to get to know your journey more well.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: First and foremost, you can always reach out to me via my website, lifelogplanning.com and it's not love. I wish I could have done that, but it's law.
Lifelongplanning.com I'm also on Instagram.
Eileena is a dashality and there's a reason why it's a dashality. I created a word and then of course my telephone number, 239-789-2533 because, well, I truly believe that the best resource or the best service I can provide to others is being a trusted advisor. And oftentimes people come to me thinking they want family law advice or estate planning or something, but it ends up we get, we really tune into what their desires are and I think that's what's most important.
[00:25:40] Speaker B: And on that note, we'll be right back to talk about the people who have most shaped Alina's life and what drives her every day.
Welcome back.
We're here with Alina and we're going to find out what shapes her life and what drives her every day.
Alina, thank you again for being here. I just need to know, like, what are you? Who are one or two people you credit shaping the person you are today?
Who are those people that really, you can say, influenced you so much that they actually molded you?
[00:26:56] Speaker A: Well, my parents, I think that is obvious from the way I spoke about them.
[00:27:02] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:27:03] Speaker A: They're my parents.
They probably mold me a little more than I like to give them credit for.
So I would say my grandmother Angelita or Maria de los Angeles, but Angelita Abuela, absolutely. I, she was the beacon in my childhood all the way through even law school. She was so proud that I became a lawyer. I was the. Because it was her husband, my grandfather, that was the attorney.
[00:27:31] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:27:31] Speaker A: She was a huge influence. And I will say that I had one of my mother's. So my mother being in Lakeland, we had that tight knit Cuban group. And so I have to credit the Cuban moms of Lakeland because I didn't have just one mother. I had multiples. I mean, we had, you know, so I had Vina, I had Rosa Hernandez Adamaria Montero. I mean there were these, these women that some people will say they were just stay at home moms, but they were more than that because while the husbands worked, while the husbands may have traveled, it was these moms that molded us and shaped us and made sure that we stayed on straight and narrow too. I mean, discipline, it was not you know, you knew if you got. Look, if. If my mother says my first, middle, and last names, I'm running for the hills.
[00:28:21] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: I'm in trouble.
But they also provided this.
This great safety net that we could explore. We could be who ourselves. And they always said, all the women said, you be who you are. You stand on your own two feet. No man can take any.
So I would say that they all mentored me in many different avenues, but, like. But also Hernandez, and she passed away some years ago. So her husband would love this and her son.
[00:28:55] Speaker B: I was gonna say, like, the very thing that's resonating in me as I listen to you is, gosh, I would love to, you know, take this content, take. Take your story and take it back to that community and make sure that they understand how they really impact.
I mean, have you had an opportunity to share this gratitude with any of them directly, recently or in the past?
[00:29:19] Speaker A: Absolutely. Like, so Rosa Hernandez, she was very much a philanthropist, and she was very proud of, like, when I became a Junior Leaguer, I am a past president of the Junior League, she was very much excited. And I think I saw through her, through philanthropy and volunteering, I. I saw how that impact you can have on the community, and that actually helped open the doors for me to become an executive director of illegal aid and grant writing and such. So that spurred it. But, you know, I would say the. The moms knew it even when they were alive, so we don't have as many. I mean, I'm blessed. I still have my mom. There's some other mothers, but I would say that that group, because they were the glue and. And they were. We. You know, some of us kids still talk about how, because our parents no longer go to the beach, we. We used to always migrate to the beach at. For the 4th of July, and we don't do that anymore because our parents aren't there. You know, they were.
[00:30:19] Speaker B: They were the glue, right? Absolutely.
[00:30:24] Speaker A: So, I mean, I would say they were the. It's not just one. It was the village.
[00:30:31] Speaker B: I understand.
So when you wake up each day, and of course I know it's different, but I know from my own personal story that when I wake up, I have something inside of me that motivates me to get going, to hit the ground running, to make the next day a great day in Alina's life, when you wake up, what is that thing that says, today's gonna be another great.
[00:30:59] Speaker A: Day that I had to learn, and I'm going to take. I'm taking you as an example. I'm going to keep you as an example. Now.
It really motivates you to get out of bed fast when you have workers coming early in the morning. By the way.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: Very practical.
[00:31:14] Speaker A: I joke around. You know, it's.
You know, my father always said, you have two choices. You can wake up and decide it's going to be a bad day or a good day. And he always tells me, he goes, alina, he goes, I have two feet on the ground, taking a breath. It's going to be a good day.
[00:31:33] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:31:35] Speaker A: My father really is the epitome of that law of attraction type of thing, because he was always very positive. He always. But I think it's also out of necessity. You know, he learned that out of necessity. But for me, and I don't.
I don't meditate as long as I used to, but that was something that I learned during this transformational from 2019, learning to meditate and really getting into it. And I'm not one of those that prescribes to, like, traditional poses or anything. I'm just saying just be having that silence. Because even if it's just having a cup of coffee, sitting in my living room, looking at some of the artwork that we had that I love having my dog sleeping. And I'm very grateful she sleeps. And she's my teenager, I say, so she doesn't need to go out immediately like our other dog used to be. I can have a moment to reset so I get to enjoy that slow process of breathing it in. I mean, yes, I make the bed. I wake up, I make my bed. I have things I do, but it's just that 10 minutes of just reconnecting with myself, my enjoying my coffee and really thinking about the love that I am and the love that I am blessed with.
I have an incredible coach that is. I say, she's my mindset coach. She is amazing. She's become a friend and. And she always. And she actually has a great story because she. She escaped communist Poland.
[00:33:05] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:33:06] Speaker A: And.
But she always looks at me and she goes, alina, everything, you know, yes, you can get into the weeds and you can go, you know, into that negativity. But if you think about the love and the abundance that we have, we have and just having the ability to, as my dad says, your. Your two feet are on the ground and you're standing up and you have breath and you have breath and it's a good day.
[00:33:34] Speaker B: So how do you take now all that you have and all that you've learned and Obviously we don't get to the end of the journey till the journey ends. But where Alina is at today, how do you pay all these lessons forward and to whom are you paying it forward to?
[00:33:55] Speaker A: I would say, I mean, just being an example, trying to, you know, I love this because honestly I don't really have that when I speak one on one to people, I tell them this, you know, if it gets done. And, and by no means, I don't want your viewers to think, oh, she's just like a Pollyanna type of person. Everything is, you know, sunshine and rainbows and butterflies. No, trust me, I have my moments.
I mean that's when you seem to keep a template come out and it's usually, you know, that built up at myself at times. But it's the biggest lessons that I learned and I think it's the most important lesson that I had. And it was in 2019.
I was roaming the streets of Athens, Greece and I was going from this beautiful Greek Orthodox cathedral. I was walking, I could see the apartheid on Athen thing and I had been dealing with a lot because I was scraping out and bringing up all of these repressed emotions and anger and really punishing myself. And I.
And it was then that I realized it's like self forgiveness. Because here's the thing, Jesus Christ, the story goes that he died for all of our sins. Whether you're a Christian, whether you're Jewish or whatever, but it's, it's even Judaism, you have the day of atonement, things like that. But the reality is, is that you have this because we have a loving God.
And through that love we are all perfect because we were created in his image. So it is perfection.
So who are we to beat ourselves up and hold on to all this, all this repressed feelings and anger and put down the bat. I never understood that. You know, pick up a feather and it was all sudden when. And I was, I mean I literally, these people around me thought I was probably lost my marbles because also I was like, oh my God, I'm in the middle of the street going, oh my God. I get it. It's about self forgiveness. It's okay that I had those moments of lesser than or downfall or where I thought I failed or it was.
[00:36:07] Speaker B: The beginning of the end of one chapter and the beginning of Alina's next.
[00:36:13] Speaker A: Exactly. But who am I to keep beating myself up? I'm going to keep doing it. So I look at it now again, I'm, you know, I still have those moments. I'M you know, hello, I'm still here. And that's part of the life lessons. But if it's. If you root yourself in love and love for yourself, love for the belief that you are, whether it is God, whether it's Jesus, whether it's, you know, Allah, universe, whomever, but you have a love that wraps around you. And so for now, actually, it's really getting my story out.
I am, you know, for so long, I used to be ashamed of the reason why I became sober and the divorce and everything like that.
And now I realize, you know what? That was the. Thank God for those circumstances because it really transformed me to the woman that I am today, which is. I am continuously growing and evolving, which is what we're supposed to be doing.
[00:37:07] Speaker B: And honestly, your story is so relatable, Alina. We all have our demons that. But we fight day by day. And your soberness, your drinking, your divorce, all of our viewers will connect so well because your life is their life. And we're just so grateful that you're able to be authentic and share the way you are.
[00:37:36] Speaker A: Trust me, if you talk to me eight years ago, I was not, I would not talk about it. It was a shame. And I think that was the biggest lesson, is to release the shame.
And it is.
It was not an easy path, but thank God I went down that road and really started that path. And it was just, it was like when you say, you know, some people say those aha moments or those moments of clarity, there were moments that truly started me on this and it was so freeing and it continues to be free.
And I love talking about this. I could talk about this because it's so much more.
I think that most people can, like you said, relate on some level in a way, but I think the most important message that you can have is self forgiveness. Release the shame. Put down that bat.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:38:32] Speaker A: And find your voice and be true to who you really are.
[00:38:37] Speaker B: I agree 100%. You know, there's this saying, you know, misery loves company. And we for sure, we're not celebrating in your misery that you had to go through to get to this wonderful place that you are today. But it is in that that so many of us can come alongside of you and really connect with not only your story, but how it relates to our own stories. And it's in that connection that, you know, we all build this life together.
[00:39:11] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:39:13] Speaker B: Well, listen, we'll be right back for our final segment with Alina where we'll discuss Alina's law firm life, law planning, and what is next for her journey.
[00:39:30] Speaker A: Sam Foreign.
[00:40:00] Speaker B: Welcome back to YOUR life and legacy.
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From business and breaking news to lifestyle, culture and everything in between, now Media TV is streaming 24 7. Ready when you are. Welcome back to YOUR life and legacy. I'm still here with Alina Gonzalez Dockery, founder of Life Law Planning. In this final segment, we'll cover what fulfills her most in her life in her work, in her law firm. And really, what about Alina stands apart, what her future holds on a both personal and professional level. Alina, thanks for being with us so far. I need to kind of unpack.
What fulfills you most about your law firm and life law planning?
[00:41:22] Speaker A: I get to define it the way I want to define it.
So as a young attorney, I worked for other partners, right? I was an associate attorney and then I became a partner, but I was a junior partner.
So there was always ground rules, you know, or how you do it. So when I created La Fluff Planning, like even the way my decor is, I wanted to create a comfortable setting someplace where somebody thought that they were coming into my home, sitting at my dining room table or something. So I have like a little mini conference room and, you know, my receptionist left because it's everything pink. But that was more because nobody comes back in my office anymore from since 2020.
So I get my artwork and stuff.
That's the aesthetic. I want people to feel comfortable. And it's not that I can be a hard, you know, litigation. You know how it is. We can, we can be tough, we can be brutally honest, we can be that. And I am usually forthright. But one of the things that I have learned, and I continue to learn for the past seven years that I've opened life while planning or seven and a half years, is that it's really about centering on what type of legacy the individual wants, what is it that they desire, especially in the estate planning mode. And I'm sure you can relate to this because that is what they, they built a legacy. What do they want to. And it doesn't matter whether you, you're, you know, a one House person or you have a. You know, what would be a small estate in your mind, it's your legacy. But even in with the family law clients, it's getting to.
To unpack what they have and let them release that weight and maybe realize, you know what, it's. It's okay to feel this way. It's okay to mourn the end of a relationship or a mar.
And try to be more mindful of that.
[00:43:20] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:43:22] Speaker A: And I just.
To me, it's like I get to. It really is something that I wanted to base it on more of a help, but also being there.
So it's interesting. So I have a lot of Hispanic clients and which I also love because then I get to see and embrace like, like what they've done to create such a great legacy or what they, you know, the foundation for their families and stuff. And. And to me, I think there's no better joy in that I can help a family, whether it's through a difficult period like divorce or, you know, a death of a loved one or having them realize, you know what, I have this amazing foundation I'm providing for my family and I get to pass that on to them and how I want them to pass it on.
It's fun.
[00:44:16] Speaker B: What was. What was so Life Law planning. I love the name of your firm. I think it really speaks to what you do and who you are. Tell me a little bit about how you came up with the name.
[00:44:32] Speaker A: Easy Law impacts everybody's lives in every way. Whether you want to admit it or not. It's true.
So it's always about the law, but it is a life and it's a planning. So here's. So I primarily started out as a divorce attorney, a family law attorney. Family law is the nicer way of saying I'm a divorce attorney for nearly 30 years. I mean, I intern as a certified legal intern at Legal Aid in Palm beach county, assisting families in family law matters, mostly divorce.
And I realized something through all these years is that there was an unmet need in the blended family because people still want to say there's a traditional family, the husband and wife and the kids, and it's the only relationship like my parents who have been married 65.
[00:45:22] Speaker B: Plus years, which is a great testimony, something that should absolutely be celebrated.
[00:45:27] Speaker A: Absolutely. And their friends similar. Right.
And. But you had. Now have more what I call the more the. The. The average family is a blended family, whether it's partners never married or somebody who's been divorced or widowed. And they're blending the family Like Brady Bunch, which I think our generation would understand. The Brady Bunch type.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:45:52] Speaker A: That's where the estate planning comes. But then there's so many unknowns.
And I think, more importantly, even though I started in 2018 with Law Flight, Life Law Planning, it's having that plan in the event that something should happen, having that plan. And I think all of us realized it more so or it became very in our face during COVID having that plan. How do you want to be taken care of? How do you want to secure this new family and this structure, but also ensure that your children reap the benefits of what you built all those years? And. And what. In the event of incapacity, how can you plan it? So I kept on going around like. And I was like, you know, it's all about the life that we lead. We have newborns, we have all these new chapters, we have grandchildren and things of that nature, and you're growing.
And then it's like the law impacts every pack, and how can you plan for it? So it's just. Nobody plans for divorce, but. But it's still. How do you plan on going from this roadblock or this divot into your next phase? And I think that's what matters, and.
[00:47:09] Speaker B: I love that, because Life Law Planning clearly helps people define their life and their legacy and write their story.
So what do you want our viewers to take away from about Life Law Planning that's different than all the other similar firms in southwest Florida?
[00:47:35] Speaker A: It's about you.
I mean, yes, I do tell, especially in family law, I will tell clients they can't do something. I mean, yes, there are boundaries. There are things.
However, when it comes to whether it's estate planning or.
Or even family, I think that one of the things I can say is I do try to meet the person where they are now and allow them to feel what they have. And just like this morning earlier, before we. We jumped on this show, I was meeting with a potential new client. And it's a difficult decision when you're realizing that it's a divorce or if you're having a loss, a loved one that is sick and needing, you know, extra help, and it's okay, go ahead and grieve and feel and take that moment.
I'm not just a checklist person. I mean, sometimes, yes, I could be like, let's checklist off, you know, to get your information, but I want to know what your background is. It's okay. And if you're being emotional, take the time to be emotional.
It's fine. I've been there, trust me. I've been ugly crying many times, you know, and is that that human type of touch point?
And I'm also one of the very few bilingual attorneys in southwest Florida that does probate, guardianship and estate planning.
[00:49:02] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:49:03] Speaker A: So I think there's the difference. You know, there's not. There's very few bilingual Spanish attorneys here in southwest Florida.
[00:49:11] Speaker B: Have you been able to actively support start the Cuban community down in southwest Florida?
[00:49:20] Speaker A: So I am a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I think it is more, it's interesting because like I'm friends with, I become friends with my clients. I think.
I don't know if that's a good thing or I like it, so it's my thing.
But like, I have some amazing former clients that are now friends that, you know, and I love hearing voice. What they have built coming here, like, I think it's now been like 13 years and, and what they're doing and, and like, yes, they're blue collar, what would be known as blue collar workers or something like that, but what they're being able to build and what they are giving their children. But even my, my, you know, I have non undocumented clients and what they're trying to do and instill for their children. So I think it's more of a heart led type of practice and I try to be involved.
It's just making that difference where I can make that difference.
[00:50:17] Speaker B: Alina, it really sounds like you're there for the people and that's what I really love because I'm sure every potential client that walks through the door meets you, falls in love with you and you know, because of your such outward expression of authenticity is why I guarantee you life law planning is successful the way it is.
So finally, what's next for you, Alina? What journey or chapter are you excited to explore?
[00:50:54] Speaker A: So I've been toying with an idea and it's funny because I've been very resistant in the past several years. Everybody's like, why don't you do coaching? You should be, you know, podcasting about your story about these transformations and stuff. And I do help. Like I've had several clients, like female divorce clients that I'd be like, look, this is what I've done and we'll talk about it. I'm like, this is what really helped me and stuff. But I always thought, I'm not a coach, I'm not a coach. Which in essence, as an attorney, you kind of do tend to coach people through.
So I'm actually going to be. I am launching a business, but I call it a dash reality. So I created a word is not in the dictionary is.
[00:51:38] Speaker B: I think this might be the second word you've created on this show.
[00:51:41] Speaker A: Yeah, probably I do that. No, it's a dashiell. I mentioned it before earlier. So it is audacious reality because I.
[00:51:48] Speaker B: Truly believe, I love it.
[00:51:50] Speaker A: Have the power to create our reality and shape it.
It's more than just law of Attraction where you think it all comes. It's really an.
An embodiment of your power to be able to create what you want and evolve what you want and. Or your surroundings. And I liken it to. If you imagine that you're in a room of mirrors and you remove everyone and everything, everything that's causing you discomfort or what have you, you remove all those structures, you remove everything out of the room. Who's in the room? Just you. It's you in the mirror. So it's like, how can you create this room of mirrors to reflect what your true passion are? So that's my. My newest adventure. Of course, I was blessed that I'm also have a show on now Media, we the people, where I get to talk. I get to interview great people like yourself, Chris Rourke, because you were one of my guests and I learned so much. But also I get to discuss politics, which is a passion of mine.
Some people would say I can't believe it, but I love it.
And I think it's also more important, especially nowadays, that we realize that it is about we the people. It's not just extremes and who's loudest. It's looking at two sides and coming together and realizing what is in the best interest for our country to move forward.
So it's a great avenue.
[00:53:17] Speaker B: I love it. I love it. You know, you've been wonderful and I'm so grateful that you were able to come on the show today for our viewers and see everything. And you've been able to share your journey and your wisdom with us today. From growing up in Lakeland, Florida, and embracing your Cuban heritage to building a respected law practice that truly serves the community, your story is a testament to resilience, vision and purpose. What I admire most about how you've used your experience, both the challenges and the victories, to empower others.
Proving that legacy is built not only on professional achievements, but also on the values and compassions we pass on for our viewers. I hope today's conversation inspires you to reflect on your own story. The people who've shaped you and the ways that you can make a difference in your community.
Legacy just isn't about the future. It's about the choices we make every single day. Until next time. I'm Christopher Nudo, and this has been your life and legacy, helping you shape the life you live and the legacy you live.
