Community Influencer & Successful Entrepreneur | Eileen Kerlin Walsh, J.D.

Eileen adds, “Estate planning is about protecting your assets, your loved ones and planning for the future, yes, but it is so much more. It is about you, your unique story, your life’s savings, your values and hopes for the future. That is what I weave into your estate plan.”

The Value of a Legacy Letter

Estate Planning is an intimate practice. “My clients and I have to trust each other. We discuss sensitive subjects. Their legal needs unfold through difficult stories. I also hear inspiring stories, memories, the countries they came from, how they built businesses, and overcame obstacles. Their story should be as much a part of their legacy as their home, money, etc.

“In rural Ireland where I grew up, we were steeped in story. I was one of 12 children, without electricity or TV.

“I remember sitting around the turf fire with the glow of oil lamps, listening to my father and grandfather as they smoked pipes and shared stories of banshees, whiskey stills, fairy rings, oppression, hunger, uprising and survival. We listened, transfixed.”

Stories, of course, don’t belong in legal Wills. Eileen took the ancient tradition of writing an Ethical Will, and created a beautiful online course to easily write a Legacy Letter. Her program is designed to dip and weave through your life, creating a picture of who you are and what your life meant, without writing a full memoir.

The intent is to leave your story as a priceless gift to those coming after. Eileen’s writers start a Legacy Letter for their family but the greatest beneficiary is themselves! It is life affirming and transformative to crystallize the purpose of your precious life while still living it.

Personal and Professional Growth

Eileen has leaned on a set of principles for her own personal growth. Teaching these principles to law students inspired her to create “Back Pocket Skills”. The aim of this program is to inspire her listeners to push their lives into better shape, form deeper bonds, stay connected to people they love, keep alive the goals they cherish, and have a terrific time in the process.

Eileen also teaches how to grow a client base around the art of storytelling. “There is a science to unity and empathy in our brain and nervous system. I teach how to release the chemical reactions that foster love and cooperation, rather than intolerance and adversity. I teach what it means to ‘have soul’, the essence of a person or business. The role of story is at the heart of lasting relationships. Armed with this unique ideology, anyone can grow their business into the stratosphere.”

Where the Road Rises

Eileen has produced and hosted a TV show, “Where the Road Rises’’ on local cable access, PHTV4, since 2011. Eileen’s guests have written books, headed Fortune 500 companies, and effected great change; from an Emmy-nominated TV presenter, United States Senator, National Newspaper Columnist, to a 95-year-old woman looking back at life and an 11-year-old girl who started a charity while in hospital for brain surgery.

Overcoming Obstacles

Throughout her life, Eileen has overcome obstacles with grace and determination, setting and achieving big goals. “I grew up poor, in a large family with limited resources, under many of the conditions that lead to lack of entitlement. My first school was called ‘the henhouse’ because it was little more than a hut. Being Catholic was considered underclass in British occupied Northern Ireland during the ‘Troubles’ of the 70s and 80s. I know first-hand how crushing the feeling of inferiority can be and how hard it is to shake.

Eileen is here to prove those feelings can be shaken. The legacy of a difficult childhood, wounds of broken relationships, feelings of shame, inadequacy, and frustration can all be dispelled. “For those of us who go within, peel back the layers and forge ahead, the prize is even greater. The adversities become powerful stepping stones advancing us higher. Scar tissue is more resilient than normal tissue; the bone is stronger, when it heals, in the broken part.”

The pandemic presented Eileen with huge logistical challenges, but also opportunity.  “People recognized their vulnerability and need for estate planning, but they also wanted to stay safe. We were forced to find creative ways for clients to complete their Estate Plan. We Zoomed and FaceTimed, witnessed documents on porches, through windows, in driveways, and in the rain.” Her clients were delighted, and business boomed.

Mentorship

Eileen has been given a hand up many times in her own life, so she now lifts those in need and “leaves the door open for others to come after”.

Mentorship is at the heart of Eileen’s mission. She mentors students at Moraine Valley Community College, and provides internships at her firm. During her tenure as President in 2021, Eileen created a Mentorship Council for the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce. Seasoned business owners mentor less experienced ones, providing growth opportunities for both.

Superpowers

“The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.”   -Rumi

Eileen is grateful for the honor of being named one of the 20 Most Inspiring Women Leaders of 2022. If she were to ponder the secret to her success, her superpower? She would name two things…the early morning and powerful manifesting.

“I attend a weekday 5:00 a.m. Club via video conference with like-minded professionals. We provide support, resources and accountability. Our commitment to that time and each other helps us focus and grow. The results have been explosive for my practice and my projects.

“I am also a devout believer in what philosophers have been teaching since the dawn of time; we become what we think about. What we plant in our minds will grow, be it nourishing or otherwise. I commit myself daily to focusing only on what is good for my business and family.

“At the end of each year, I write down my aspirations for the upcoming year and keep them with my Christmas decorations. Each December I’m amazed at how many of my goals have come to fruition. I also advocate a Vision Board. Daily reminders of our dreams help us believe in and manifest them.”

Closing thought? Let Dale Carnegie’s “winds of enthusiasm” sweep through everything you do and you will never stray far from your path.

Harvard Magazine revealed that two critical variables account for our judgment of others: warmth and competence. Eileen Kerlin Walsh exudes a perfect blend of both. Whether she is finalizing a Trust, telling a story, conducting a seminar or delivering a law lecture, she possesses the broad knowledge base and warm human touch that make her the consummate professional.   
– C. Kamp, Chicago