Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Through Legal Confidence and Personal Balance
Berkley Sweetapple is an attorney, entrepreneur, and mother of three who has built a career helping women entrepreneurs protect and grow their businesses. After years in civil litigation, where she saw the damage caused by lack of legal foresight, Berkley shifted her focus to creating proactive legal solutions tailored for female business owners. Through her law firm and legal template business, she provides women with the resources to secure their brands and navigate business growth with confidence.
A master of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, Berkley’s calm, focused approach allows her to manage the demands of both worlds. She is passionate about helping women avoid legal pitfalls and achieve success on their own terms. With innovative offerings like her Legal VIP Days, Berkley continues to inspire and empower women to scale their businesses without fear.
Tell us about yourself; especially any parts we don’t already know from your online presence.
I started my law firm and legal template business about four years ago to provide women with the legal tools they need to confidently grow their businesses. Outside of my career, I’m an eternal optimist and a hopeful romantic. I’m also a huge Taylor Swift fan, and with three little ones at home—including twin girls—it’s safe to say I’m an expert multitasker!
Walk us through your journey into entrepreneurship; did you always know you would become a business owner?
Not at all. I actually didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur until a few years into my legal career. After spending years in civil litigation, I saw how reactive the legal industry was. Most of the time, I was helping people fix problems that could have been avoided with proper legal planning. That’s when I started thinking about how I could help women in business be proactive with legal protections. I realized that if I wanted a career that truly aligned with my passion for helping women and allowed me to balance my family life, entrepreneurship was the best way forward.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I’d tell my younger self, “Never settle.” You really can create anything you want. If the opportunity or the career you dream about doesn’t exist, don’t be afraid to build it yourself. That mindset has helped me a lot along the way, especially when I’ve faced challenges as a business owner. You’re not limited to what’s in front of you—you can design the life and career that work for you.
What brought you into law, specifically corporate law and trademarks?
My background is in civil litigation, where I spent a lot of time dealing with legal disputes and seeing the fallout from people not having the right protections in place. It was frustrating because many of those issues could have been avoided if people had set things up the right way from the start. That’s what pushed me toward corporate law and trademarks. I wanted to help women avoid those costly mistakes and ensure their businesses were legally protected from the ground up. Now, I focus on helping women secure their business structures, brand identities, and contracts so they can grow their companies with confidence.
Why did you decide to open your own firm?
It really came down to wanting to have more control over my life and career. I knew that if I wanted to help women entrepreneurs on a larger scale, I needed to create a law firm that prioritized proactive legal planning. So, I built my firm with the intention of empowering women to protect their businesses from the start, rather than waiting until something goes wrong. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that I’m helping women grow their businesses without the fear of legal pitfalls.
As a mother and business owner, how do you find inner balance amidst chaos?
Balance is a tricky thing, and it looks different every day. I’ve learned to embrace the chaos that comes with juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship. Some days I’m more focused on my business, while other days, it’s all about my kids. I try to be fully present in whatever role I’m playing at the moment. I also give myself grace when things don’t go perfectly. There’s no such thing as a perfect balance, but you can find harmony by prioritizing what’s most important to you.
What’s your daily routine to set yourself up for success?
My mornings start early, usually with my one-and-a-half-year-old twin girls! I try to sneak in some work during their naps, but honestly, my team is a big part of how I keep things running smoothly. I’ve learned that I don’t have to do everything myself, and delegating has been key to scaling my business. I also make sure to prioritize sleep and self-care, because without those, I wouldn’t be able to function at my best.
On manifesting big visions: What does your future look like, and what are your financial goals for 2024-2025?
Looking ahead, I’m really focused on scaling my business while maintaining the personal touch that has helped me build relationships with my clients. My financial goals for the next couple of years are ambitious, but I’m excited about growing the firm and continuing to empower more women entrepreneurs. I want to expand my reach and provide even more women with the legal confidence they need to succeed.
What’s your superpower?
I’d say my superpower is staying calm in a crisis. My experience as a litigator really helped me hone that skill. No matter how stressful things get, I can keep a level head and work through the problem. It’s a trait that serves me well, both in business and in motherhood!
What’s coming up in the next three months that we can co-promote during the launch of this issue?
I’m really excited about my upcoming Legal VIP Days! These are one-on-one sessions where I work closely with female entrepreneurs to audit their businesses, file trademark applications, and create a customized legal roadmap. It’s a deep dive into getting their legal foundations solid so they can scale without worrying about legal issues down the line.
What are your words to live by?
“I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
This quote has always resonated with me. It’s a reminder that you have the power to change your life at any moment. That’s something I’ve lived by in my career and personal life, and it’s a message I hope to share with other women as well.
Photo Credit – Andrea Colombi