Eli is the founder of TheBestNotary (www.thebestnotary.net)
and a graduate from Cañada College’s Paralegal Program. A native Kenyan, he
moved to the US in 2000 and California in 2004. He finished his first full
marathon in 2016. After a career in
corporate sales, he founded TheBestNotary which helps companies of all sizes
increase their profits by dramatically reducing the time it takes to schedule
mobile notary appointments and secure Apostilles in all 50 states. Eli holds a
Bachelor's degree in Spanish from San Francisco State University and an
Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Cañada College.
What initially made you decide to take Paralegal
classes at Cañada College?
I
was interested in exploring a career in the legal field at the time, and I
figured a paralegal education was a great way to learn about the industry and
to see if it would be a good fit for me.
Did you explore
other Paralegal Programs in the area before taking classes at Cañada College?
I checked out Skyline and SFSU, but I picked Cañada College because of
the convenient location, and because of the great reviews of the program I had
received from a few personal contacts.
What did you enjoy the most about Paralegal Program
at Cañada College?
For
me it was the instructors. I really had some great teachers at Cañada. Dario
DeGhetaldi taught a legal system foundation class, and it was profoundly
stimulating. He made the class super interesting by engaging us using real life
examples from his career and memorable stories going back to the medieval days.
I took Althea Kippes' legal research and writing class, and she made class
interesting by giving us chances to participate in various legal conferences
including one where I had the chance to meet the real Erin Brockovich!
How do you feel your courses in the Paralegal
Program prepared you for your career?
Yes,
specifically LEGL 250: Legal Research and Writing. The legal research and
writing skills I gained from the course allowed me to draft quite a few of my
independent contractor agreements as well as various agreements with clients.
What advice
would you give to students currently interested in the Paralegal Program at
Cañada College?
I would advise them to build strong relationships with their instructors
and each other because that is the key to discovering additional opportunities
beyond what is made available to the public.
What advice
would you give to students currently interested in a career in the legal field?
Try before you buy. By taking various classes and volunteering in the
field, you can get a taste for what you like and don't like. Spending time
volunteering at various non-profit legal organizations allowed me to
experience various types of law and meet numerous attorneys whom I learned
from.
What advice would you give to students who want to
start their own business like you did?
I
would first advise them to identify and then seek out the people who will help
them get there. The book "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi is an
excellent manual for skillfully building the right relationships that will end
up creating opportunities and sidestepping roadblocks. I would also recommend
developing good habits to help maintain high standards of physical and mental
health which is part of a strategy I have come to call "Protecting the
asset" after reading the incredible book "Essentialism" by Greg
McKeown. By being at your best you can be in a great position to serve others
and truly add value instead of constantly struggling to keep up.
What do you love the most about working in your
industry?
I
enjoy constantly having to explore my comfort zone.
I went from a self-employed notary to employing 6 in-house staff members
and contracting with thousands of notaries around the country. Each stage of
growth brought with it considerable challenges and a sea of uncertainty and
doubt. I have had to reinvent myself several times and feel that being an entrepreneur
is really becoming a flexible and skilled problem solver who can stay on task
even in the toughest of conditions. Thanks to being a voracious reader and an
inveterate networker, I have been able to leverage the wisdom and generosity of
others into a disruptive business opportunity while having tons of fun along
the way!
What is next in your career?
Thankfully
my business has gotten to the point where it's ready for scale. I am working on
fund-raising and hiring the key employees who will spearhead wider expansion.
I'm also working on my presentation skills to help educate the business
community about the benefits of outsourcing notarization and creating a
speaking real for my speaking career to inspire others to find their own voices
and maybe even turn their ideas into entrepreneurial ventures.
