Ticora Davis was recently recognized on the Forbes 1000 list for 2021. But that is not where her story begins or ends. Ticora took a negative and turned it into triumph after being fired for having her first child and then launching The Creator’s Law Firm. As a “Creative Business Attorney for Experts and Entrepreneurs”, she focuses on keeping small businesses trademark ready and responsible. Ticora has proven time and time again, that sometimes your next move is your best move. Let’s meet her.
What an honor to make the Forbes 1000 list for 2021. Where did Ticora get the “infinite drive and hustle” that was highlighted in this year’s list?
I believe that was just instilled in me since birth. My mother and father pushed and motivated me. They saw the greatness inside of me, and I have always been motivated to prove myself. I was also motivated to make my parents proud. I know they are proud of me despite my accolades. Right now, I am really motivated by outdoing myself. Making sure, that I am doing amazing things. That drive is also born in part of my children. I am seeing the strength that I had to carry them and to be their mother. That is certainly something that pushes and motivates me, and never allows me to give up.
As a woman, what did you learn from the experience that launched your brand?
I realized that I am much stronger than I know. I learned that you are going to be required to put in a lot of time, effort, and energy to really work your dream and make it move forward. There’s going to be a lot of opposition that comes up because when you’re moving into destiny there’s going to be some things that come to disrupt momentum and distract you. You have to be able to discern whether it’s destiny or a disruption. I have learned throughout the experience of launching and scaling the brand that I have to trust myself, trust my voice, and stick with it and never quit.
Where did you grow up and when did you know you wanted to go to law school?
I grew up in Salisbury, NC. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer in the fourth grade, after seeing Johnny Cochran and how he famously represented OJ Simpson, I was really captivated by him. I had never seen a Black man lawyer, and I had never seen someone so cool and dynamic. I just loved how he represented his clients, so that was very telling for me and really inspired me to pursue law.
Why Trademark law and was this also your area of focus and expertise prior to
launching The Creator’s Law Firm?
Prior to launching The Creator’s Law Firm, I was an intellectual property analyst, so I actually worked heavily with patents and hundreds of inventors. This experience working with them and representing them, really helped me understand the heart of creatives. So it really made me realize that I wanted to do this type of work. However, I did not want to pursue patent law at the time, so I wanted to make sure that I focused on trademarks. I chose this area because this is oftentimes the most valuable intellectual property an organization has, but it is often the least protected. I knew that I could fill a need at the time and place where there weren’t many black lawyers practicing trademark law, so I decided to put my hat in the ring.
Did you ever doubt yourself when you were first launching? What fears did you have to overcome in order to put your best foot forward?
Yes, and I still do. I’ve always struggled with the feeling of — am I good enough? Do I have enough experience? Should I be in this room? Over time, the Lord has healed that place in me. Every room that I walk in, I belong in and I have more than enough. All that I need in order to be successful, is everything that I have. So, everything that I have — every tool, everything that I can get or already have allows me to know that God is going to provide. For me, in order to put my best foot forward, I know God is going to be there.
How has your firm grown since 2017 (client roster, employees, etc.) and what milestone would you like to achieve?
My firm has grown tremendously since 2017. We went from me being the only individual working here to having nine amazing employees and several contractors that we work with who are fantastic. Our clientele has really grown and scaled in sophistication. So, we still serve a lot of startups, but we serve clients who are in the seven and eight-figure range. We are now handling more complex legal issues that really go beyond the scope of simple trademark filings, but more so intellectual property. The next milestone I would like to hit is to build out a patent department at the firm so that we are able to serve clientele in the arena of patents.
Tell us about a time in your business when a success story let you know with confidence that you were doing the right thing.
My representation of a black brand in ensuring that they kept their trademark was a success story for me. Being able to be there for them in the midst of the entrepreneur facing dire straits and the brand even being close to death, I continued to fight for them and be a voice for them, even when they didn’t have a voice themselves. Having that tenacity and stick-to-itiveness with that case, to now seeing her registered trademark here in my home — that was such a success for me and validated everything that I did.
You have a high success rate but if you are not able to get someone’s trademark to the finish line, what is their next best move, and do you provide any assistance with that within your firm?
Yes. We really strive for excellence, but we are not perfect, right? Sometimes circumstances are outside of our control despite our best efforts. So, if we cannot get their trademark across the finish line, we can assist with rebranding. We can still advise as to whether or not they should or shouldn’t use the name. The best next move I would say in summary is, sometimes a rebrand is in order. We provide our clients with tools in order to rebrand their names and create a more sophisticated and strong mark. So, it really just depends on the unique situation.
When you think about your last or next speaking engagement, what was/is your topic?
My upcoming speaking engagement is going to be about the Creator’s DNA. I will be speaking with kingdom entrepreneurs, encouraging and edifying them. If they are being called to entrepreneurship and are being called to create, it is actually within their DNA to do so. So many of us face imposter syndrome to where we psych ourselves out of our own destiny. Ultimately, imposters do not have imposter syndrome. I learned that from Alex Charfen, and it’s so very true. The topic at hand is really to encourage, motivate and push people into their purpose and activate the entrepreneur inside of them, or activate the next level to move forward.
What have you discovered specifically about working with black women, black brands, and creatives of color? What do you enjoy most? Any misconceptions or myths debunked in the process? Have you seen a decrease or surge in black female-owned businesses start-up during the pandemic?
I’ve definitely seen a surge and increase in black brands, black female-owned brands since the pandemic. However, it has been that way for the past four and a half years. I’ve been able to have the pleasure and honor of serving so many more people, and really helping them. In terms of myths, a lot of people feel like they have to make a sale or offer their service before they can file a trademark application. And that’s not true. Other folks feel like they have to have an LLC or actually start their brand, and get that up and
running before filing a trademark. That is also not true. Those are some of the myths that we have been able to debunk. As well as just letting them know the proper channels in order to protect themselves. Many people are told that they don’t have to worry about a trademark. Our clients are very passionate and legacy-driven. They are all about generational wealth and leaving a legacy for their children.
Being fired was likely a blessing for your business career. Has having your own allowed you more time to be present with not only yourself but your family as well?
To be honest, I can do better in this area. I do know that having the flexibility that I have as a CEO allows me to take time off whenever I desire to be with my family. I know that I would not have the flexibility that I have now if I worked for someone else. So, yes, being let go/fired was the biggest blessing because it disrupted mediocrity in my life. It disrupted me potentially settling. This experience really helped me to realize that I am built for this.
Tell us about life after you close the laptop, kick off your heels and lock the doors of your firm.
I’m normally watching episodes of Naked and Afraid, or something that is a competition-based show. I love those types of shows. Game of Titans, and things like that. I love to see people overcome obstacles and odds. I tend to really root for the underdog. I play with my children a lot. So, I’m normally on the floor playing with them, whether it be cars or coloring. We also watch movies together.
What’s your favorite movie of all time? Why?
My favorite movie is Forrest Gump. I really love the story of Forrest, and how despite his circumstances and the things that he was challenged with, he lived a full life. I think that is what I am drawn to by his story.
Lastly, what would you say to a new entrepreneur who hasn’t protected her assets/brand or business properly and keeps putting it off?
Do not mistake the fact that your procrastination will be honored. Your delay is not something that is up for everyone else to honor. So, other people are moving at the speed of responsibility, and if you don’t do your due diligence, somebody else will. So, do not believe that when you get ready that your brand will still be there. Move forward.
Tell our readers how they can find you for more information about you and your firm.
Instagram: @ticoradavis
Upcoming Events & Launches:
-August 10-12: Atty. Ticora Davis will be speaking at The Signature CEO Conference
-August 27th: Trademark Packing Party LIVE on Instagram
-October: Protect Your Smarts subscription service launch
