John Gardner is a third-generation attorney. What motivated him to practice law was one of the determining factors in his decision to join LegalShield—providing equal opportunity to all people.

John accomplished a great many things in his 25 years practicing: He more than quadrupled his practice, served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, was elected to the state highway commission, tried many state supreme court cases and continued his family legacy of advocating for others.

Pursuing that mission, he met his wife, Elizabeth, who is his true partner in all things. Elizabeth took John’s single office and led the expansion of it into one of the largest practices in the state, at the time, in under five years. In alignment with the family mission, she designed a local campaign that supported many underserved segments of the community, which won the National American Bar Association award for the Most Dignified Marketing in the Nation. What became clear to both of them, though, was that the economic and personal demands of a successful law practice did not allow for helping those who most needed it or for sharing time with their own family. At the height of their success, John and Elizabeth were introduced to LegalShield, and within a year they left the practice behind to join the company full-time.

“One of the biggest blessings of being involved with LegalShield is you don’t have to make the choice between economics and helping others,” said John. “Here, the only way to be more successful is to help more people. And helping more people means we get more time for our family. It was easy then to devote ourselves to an opportunity that brings not only personal and financial rewards, but also offers someone the ability to regain true control of their life.”

John and Elizabeth have co-authored four books across a variety of topics. Elizabeth commented, “In coauthoring Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur’s Soul, I learned a lot about helping people get started in business, and I believe LegalShield is the perfect entrepreneurial incubator. Your desire, not your history, determines your success here, and our lives are a testament to how deeply we believe in LegalShield as a vehicle for making dreams a reality for anyone, of any background.”

The Gardners have been involved with the company since 1998, and they are more excited about and invested in the future of LegalShield than ever before. John was integral in the roll-out of the company’s identity theft and privacy solution, and Elizabeth now leads the women’s-focused Ladies of Justice initiative for the entire organization. Their experience with LegalShield has provided them the opportunity to be there for their children, see John through overcoming cancer, travel and continue to give back in a way that would not have been possible had they stayed the path they expected.