Successful entrepreneur and former client, D’Andrea Robinson talks with Mark about her late husband’s passing and subsequent custody battle for her two children and all while maintaining multiple entrepreneurial ventures.
See why her high-stakes family law proceedings led her down a path to find the best attorney possible, ultimately finding herself asking the question, “How do you know a custody/divorce lawyer is good?”.
Mark Scroggins
Hey folks, Mark Scroggins from Scroggins Law Group back for another edition of the reclamation transformation. And today, I am very pleased to have a former client and someone who has become a friend DeAndre Robinson. Hello, hello. Hey, how are you doing?
DeAndre Robinson
I’m great. How about yourself?
Mark Scroggins
I am great. Thank you so much. Thanks for doing this. So I’m super excited about having DeAndre here because, man, when we got together on your matter, you had a shit ton of life happening? Yes. And so not to mention all the different hats you wear, aside from being a normal employee. So despite the number of different businesses you have, and all of that, and all of the life issues that you have overcome. I’ve been blessed enough to be able to sit there and watch some of it happen over the past few years. Right. But it’s crazy to me, you know, because there’s, we had a little discussion beforehand about, you know, God doesn’t give us more than what we can handle. Although sometimes I get to the point where I’m thinking, I’m hitting the breaking point. So I’m not really sure how much more I’ve got or how much you think I’ve got, yeah, but it’s getting tight.
DeAndre Robinson
Yeah. I Just want to lay down. Take a break.
Mark Scroggins
Yeah, exactly. So one of the things I wanted to start with is all the different hats that you are wearing, and so that people can get to know you a little bit and the different businesses that you’re involved in and learn a little bit about you. Oh,
DeAndre Robinson
wow. Okay, so where do I start? Let’s see, I’m a project manager for the health care companies. I have my CSM, which is a certified scrum master. I have my Pio PM, which is a product owner, product manager. I have real estate that I’ve invested in in Georgia, I have a real estate company or realty company have to be very careful about how I phrase it. Right now we’re working on corporate leasing. My hair salon is another one, I stopped for a while, definitely to give my children more time, but then turned back around partnered up with somebody. And so now we’re working on building the brand over off of Preston in the toll road, the George Bush Turnpike. So there’s that. And then of course, a lot of people come to me and ask me for how do I start my business? How do I do this? How do I do that? So I think I think I might add business consultation to that as well. No doubt, and just a lot of opportunities just coming my way right now. And just kind of connecting people so that they can get, you know, get their projects off the ground. And with having that product project management background. Definitely write up a project plan, which turns into a full blown business plan was all said and done. So yeah,
Mark Scroggins
man, well, if anybody’s gonna have that, you know, good karma out there. Coming back around, it should be you.
DeAndre Robinson
I pray for it. I fight for it.
Well, where Iwanted to start was really talking a little bit about our relationship. And so how we met. And so if you don’t mind telling the folks how we met and, and then I’ll just ask you a couple of things. So
let’s see, we obviously met my husband passed away in a car accident randomly. And he had two children. When we first got married, I had my daughter, his two when we got married were one and two. And when he passed away, they happen to be at their aunt’s house that weekend. And she decided to try to hold on to them a little bit longer than what she should have. And she finally brought them home when we had the funeral. She asked to kind of get them away from all that was going on, and she would bring them back home. And then decided not to bring them back home. And that was that was right after we buried him so
Mark Scroggins
and to be clear, that was not Archie, was your husband
DeAndre Robinson
Archie was my husband. Correct.
Mark Scroggins
Not not his sister. But the mother to his children’s aunt.
DeAndre Robinson
Correct. And of course, you know, their mother passed away from breast cancer two years prior to him passing away. So it was a big lunch. Yeah, it was a bit much. So yeah, she decided to not bring them back home and to fall for full custody of my babies that have been with me at that time for two years. So that wasn’t going to work. Right. So my immediate response was to find an attorney to file the paperwork. And I got one attorney and then I was like, No, I need the best of the best. These are my children. So I started doing research. I came across your name. I researched you want Google the picture reviews, research, do a super lawyer. Look there, look that LinkedIn look there. And then what’s the Collin County records and pull your information from there as well? And I need to see how many wins You had? And then I called you.
Mark Scroggins
Well, and how? Let me ask you how things work out? Or you just leave it at that. That was that was a positive laugh, correct?
DeAndre Robinson
Absolutely!
Mark Scroggins
So one of the one of the questions I get, because you know, we’re not well, I’ve discussed with you the reason that I created Scroggins Law Group was really to create a concierge practice that right, practicing really high end high conflict, divorce if everybody’s holding hands and singing Kumbaya. Yeah, you don’t need us correct throwing good money after bad to do that, but if you’ve got something that is, you know, bet the business so to speak, or, you know, your kids are, are at stake, which is what the business is to me, right, and a family law proceeding. You know, then you need to hire appropriately. So how do you know, a divorce lawyer is good when you’re making that decision, who to hire.
DeAndre Robinson
So, um, definitely the reviews on Google. I seen those. I said, okay, then Super Lawyer, you came up, and I seen that I said, Okay, LinkedIn, that’s sort of counting your wins in these cases. And that’s it, okay. And then I have a really good friend who’s also an attorney, and I ran her your name past her. And she was like, phenomenal lawyer. Phenomenal. Okay, that’s why I’m going with, so when she co signed you, it was over after that. And then I walked in your office and seemed like the super lawyer of the year and, you know, all your top lawyers for the year and I was like, I’m in the right place, I’m in the right place. So yeah,
Mark Scroggins
thank you, I’m, I’m really glad things are well, and but more importantly, the manner in which you have come out of this because, you know, when I told you that I had rebuilt, rebranded our, our podcast here and wanted to, you know, in calling it the reclamation transformation, that’s something that’s really near and dear to my heart, because it’s been, it’s all about a spiritual journey. For me. So, for me, that is in the world of recovery, right. And so it was super important for me to, to find that spiritual connection and be able to maintain it, to keep from just losing my shit, frankly, and and I don’t mean physically, although that would have happened to, but you know, mentally and everything. And so that spiritual connection is so important to me. And I know, you and I know your story. And Good lord, man, you have had a ton of crap heaped upon you, but the way that you have just, it makes me think of the story of the Phoenix, you know, just rising from the ashes and what you have done, So I’d like to, I want to get into that. Yeah. Well, and I mean, it’s, every time we talk, you know, which might go a few months. But it’s, you’ve always got something else that’s going on, and you always have a positive outlook. And so, you know, when we got a chance to talk about, you know, what your spiritual life look like, or religion or whatever you are into, what do you rely on? What has been able to work for you? And has it been, you know, something that has evolved over over time.
DeAndre Robinson
So when I first started going through everything, I was meditating for, like two or three hours straight. I, for a very long time, I just meditated for two or three hours and then I got a therapist. And she was like, Whoa, that’s way too long. You’re almost sleeping during meditation. So I was like, okay, so then I started writing started working out like crazy. And when I say like crazy, I mean, two days just to get the energy off. Boxing was another thing. I was beating the hell out of a boxing bag. Like almost demolishing it, right. But now it’s more or less. I’m up at like four o’clock in the morning. I literally lay there and meditate for 30 minutes. I write to myself first thing in the morning, I work out, and then I immediately get online. Right now I’m studying e commerce so I can show my girls how to do e commerce at their age. Right, right. And that’s what I do right now. I work I go straight into working, but I also make time for them. I get up I get them ready. I make ginger shots for them in the morning. I keep I keep our bodies, right? Because the stuff that’s floating around is no good, right? Yeah. And so I’m just eating right and staying focused, definitely researching on how to make sure I stay out of a depression because that can happen easily. There were days where I just didn’t want to go to bed. It was just like, right. I don’t want to do this anymore. But that, literally, it’s been meditating, making sure I make time for myself working out eating right. I’m not a big pill fan, yes, I work for the health care companies, but I’m not a pill fan, I get it. So I have to eat right, I have to work out. So I bring my dopamine up naturally, right? And then just definitely spend the time with my girls, you know, I get a kick out of telling the truth about everything. And then what? Oh, my God, so I definitely feed off of them and feed into them, you know, but I had to find solace in what mattered.
Mark Scroggins
I wanted so one of the things that’s very interesting to me when you talk about, you know, meditation and writing to yourself. So the one thing one thing I’ve always struggled with is, is being able to maintain a spiritual connection. So I run into problems when I have a tendency to start intellectualizing God. You know, and I’m smart enough to know the number of translations that have happened to get to, let’s say, just one version, the St. James Bible or the NIV Bible, in English, okay, it wasn’t written in English, with, you know, so all the different transformation, so I can start to intellectualize everything, and when left to my own devices, where my mind goes is, this is bullshit. Now, what finally worked for me, was a process called two way prayer. And so anybody who’s interested out there two way prayer.org,
DeAndre Robinson
two way prayer.org. Okay,
Mark Scroggins
so there were at the turn of the century, there were what were known as the Oxford groups, okay. And the person who created the Oxford groups, it basically stemmed out of organized religion, but it was attempts for people to get sober. Okay. And so one of the things that began to be utilized was an was what was called two way prayer. And in that process, it’s, it’s, it’s a writing exercise, okay, so you get. So I have a problem with meditation, because I have squirrel moment after moment after squirrel moment. I’m not good at being still or quiet. And so this has, has a tendency to quiet me. And so you start out by reading something spiritual that gets you in the right state of mind being in a special place, you do this in the same place every day, unless, of course, you’re on vacation, or whatever. And you’re writing asking God for direction on something. So it might be something about if I’ve got an issue with a parent, or if I’ve got an issue in work with an employee, or how do I do this for a client or something like that, where there is a challenge to me, and it is weighing on me. And it’s writing this down, and then getting quiet and waiting for the inspiration to start writing again, and then I just write until whatever I am hearing. And it’s okay. Okay. And so I learned about this through a through seminar that was that was put on about six years ago, that I went to, and it’s led by a guy who’s an Episcopalian priest, who, who’s been sober for 40 years. And he got into it because it 20 years of sobriety, he was like, I’m about to start drinking again. Because I cannot maintain a spiritual connection, even being a priest. Right? And so, this was shared with me, I went to the seminar, and since then my spiritual life has been different.
DeAndre Robinson
Okay.
Mark Scroggins
But that was a way for me to pray and meditate at the same time without having squirrel moments. As much, okay, I’m not gonna say, completely disappeared, because that might ask be asking a bit much, right. But it has, it has made it a whole lot better. And it’s allowed me to maintain that connection. So even though it felt incredibly weird, stupid, like total bullshit when I began it, so when he was doing, he was doing this seminar, and he’s like, you just write down whatever comes to your mind, no matter how ridiculous so we get done at the end. And he’s like, so what came to you and I, of course, raise my hand. First thing is, what comes to my mind is This is bullshit. And he said, That’s good. That’s good, because you know, the ego is loud and powerful when it is dying. And so it’s that struggle, so and Wait, any time I hear somebody talking about that they meditate for any period of time, right? It’s not doing anything beyond just being able to meditate and they can do that. I am amazed. Because I am a novice, I cannot seem to be able to you know
DeAndre Robinson
what, I had so much going on inside of me that was just trying to determine what emotion I was feeling. So to just lay there and go, What am I feeling? And that’s that was literally what was going through my mind for those hours. What am I feeling? What am I feeling? What am I feeling? Do I feel mad? No, I’m not mad, am I happy? Am I, I was literally going through emotions. In those hours, I would meditate like that, right? And I was numb for years. So two, three hours is a long time to meditate, tend to fall asleep, sometimes you can look comfortable on a hardwood floor.
Mark Scroggins
Exactly.
DeAndre Robinson
So you know, now, if you ask me to meditate that long, I can’t do it, right, which sounds really crazy. Because I’m like, Oh, I gotta go do this, I have to do this, I gotta do this, I start doing this checklist in my head. And I have to literally bring myself back present, and just focusing on my breathing again.
Mark Scroggins
So I’m glad you mentioned being present. Because I think that is something that you know what, I’m not gonna speak about anybody else. For me, that is very difficult. So, you know, it’s like you can you can start tripping about things that have happened in the past, and you start having that conversation, oh, God, and he or she said this, and then I should have said, but I actually said, and so I’m thinking about all this bullshit in the past, or then I’m thinking about something else that’s going to, you know, that might happen in the future. Yeah. You don’t know what the hell is gonna happen in the future, you know, and the only time the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to me has only happened between my ears never actually happened.
DeAndre Robinson
I go through that. I think that happens, though, when you do have a lifestyle where you’re doing so much, you’re trying to predict the next move and the outcome of that move to make sure it’s the right thing. And so I do do that, right. And I have to remind myself to just remove all expectations. And that’s the one thing that I have literally worked diligently on, this has been my thing for the past six months, just remove expectations from people’s from outcome. Just remove it. If the goal is to make a million dollars, that’s the only I’m going to make a million dollars. That’s the only thing I know. I don’t know how I’m gonna get there, right. But I’m gonna make that million dollars. Right, right. So I just removed all expectations now. And I stay present and what it is that I’m working on at that moment. It’s hard, though. Very hard.
Mark Scroggins
I’m glad you said that. Because for me, it can get challenging. Interesting thing, though, for me is the amount of relief that it brings when you can really be present in the moment and just enjoy what’s going on. Right then. So like, I’m enjoying being able to talk to my friend in this scenario, too. Yeah. I’m not thinking about Holy shit, I gotta be in court tomorrow and do that. And I gotta do the other. Right, you know, because then I’m starting to freak out and future trip about something that hasn’t transpired. We’ll all be fine. Do what you know to do, right here and right now and enjoy that moment.
DeAndre Robinson
Absolutely. I think I’m probably most present. This is gonna sound crazy. I love going down to Miami. And I get on the yacht. And I literally just lay there and sit on the water. That’s it. I was going for hours to sell on the water and just lay there.
Mark Scroggins
So I understand that because I’ve been I’ve been scuba diving since I was 17. So let’s just say that’s been a little bit yeah. And so it’s the that is the the time that I am at the most peace is when I am underwater, and you’ve got you know, rhythmic breathing. Yeah, sounds a little bit like Darth Vader. Yeah. They’re breathing. But you know, enjoying the beauty that’s underwater that so few have really got to experience and absolutely, you know, so that’s when I am totally at peace. So I understand.
DeAndre Robinson
I love the water, like love the water. That is it for me. Yeah. So like when I’m here in the hustle and bustle. Yeah. Oh, I have to fight for that. Which is why I get up so early in the morning. It is dead quiet. dead quiet. I hear birds, you know, birds starting to chirp. It’s still dark outside. It’s just peaceful. Right and my children aren’t up yet. They’re not knocking at the door yet. So that is the best time to do it is yeah,
Mark Scroggins
Absolutely. So I’m gonna go back around to talking a little bit about a spiritual connection because, you know, we were having this conversation be before and I heard you make the gut that comment that you know, God takes care of the widows. Yes. So I’m gonna gather that this spiritual connection is not Not just secular in nature, but it also is very spiritual or religious depending on what you know how people view it.
DeAndre Robinson
Right. So I am spiritual. I am not religious. I am not the person who gets up every morning. I’m not going to Bible thump you either. I’m not gonna do any of that. But I do have morals. I do have integrity. And I do have a belief in a spiritual alignment. Like I see you have with Tiger’s eye on your wrist. I do. I have a ton of bracelets at home Tiger’s eye amethyst. Oh, that’s what I say. It’s a spiritual connection. For that reason. I’ve done my research behind every last one of those stones. I I have to believe in something. Yes. I have to believe in something. Right? And if you don’t believe in anything else for me, I can believe in God. Yes. And and my dad’s a pastor, right? That’s the funny person. My dad’s a pastor. And he’s like, You need to go to church on Sundays. Right from my bed. It’s on it’s online. And so, you know, he’s like, no need to get up and go. Yeah, no, I don’t. I don’t, I don’t like people. I like God. I’m like, people. So I get it. I do that. But I found so much solace in that. Especially after Archie dying. Yeah. He’s telling me all the time, babe, just show love. Just show love God, when God will take care of you. God will take care of you. And so that’s what I’ve done. Yeah, I do read my Bible. I can refer back to it. But it’s also like, okay, great. Now, how does this translate to my life now? Right? How do I apply this now? So yeah, I believe that God does take care of the widows, you can’t wrong people and think is not going to come back. So whether you call it God is gonna get you karma, whatever your spiritual belief is, it’s going to happen. So I do have a spiritual connection, I definitely make it a point to spin that time. And biblically, it states that God is in each and every one of us. So who better to spend time with thing yourself?
Mark Scroggins
Well, and I yeah, I completely agree. It’s, you know, one of the things that always impressed me about my ex wife was she always had this childlike belief in God, it was something that she never had to question. It was just always there, it was stable. And I was amazed, because that was not. That was not my story, you know. And so today, you know, my understanding of God is different. It’s really a God of my understanding of what works for me, the difference is that I don’t have any desire to try to shove my understanding or my belief system down your throat, nor do I, you know, for others who want to try to do that, that are like, Okay, well, my religion says that, if you don’t believe this, then it’s like, okay, well, if that works for you, that’s great. That’s different than my belief set. But you know, I don’t really care.
DeAndre Robinson
I take a little bit from each religion, right? Because the principles are all the same, right? Treat people the way you want to be treated, do unto others as you want done unto you. So I feel like if you just follow those things, you should do pretty well in life. You know what I mean? And, and definitely, if you’re pointing the finger at somebody, you might need to look at yourself, right? Take the time to self reflect, please do. Yeah, please. So that’s kind of where I’m at in life. I don’t I have a spiritual connection. But I don’t claim one religion over the other. My dad would probably lose his head if he heard me say that. But you know, I just don’t, I just don’t I know that. For me, God is real. And that’s just what it is.
Mark Scroggins
Right? I get it. You know, that’s, it’s, it’s interesting. My dad passed away the day after Christmas in 2000. But there’s still things that I that I remember. So he was a, he was a CPA, and had been a chief financial officer for a lot. Companies. And so I was first in the family that was going to be a lawyer, of course, he thought was absolutely the most horrific thing ever really well, because his experience was with corporate lawyers, and corporate lawyers, he’s like, you know, they want to screw up a perfectly good idea with, you know, but fours in there that, you know, all this kind of stuff, which I understand. So, but I remember when I was in college, and I would come back, and so I would be going to church with the family. It was always, you know, collection plate plates going around. And my dad would always, you know, don’t forget to buy buy got a beer. I’m pulling out what was $3 at that time, you know, which vastly different now going out somewhere. But he was another one that had, you know, was steeped in the tradition of the Episcopalian Church and, you know, almost became a priest and so, very interesting to you know, that is a place that the Apple didn’t even and fall in the same state as a tree. But it’s interesting how things come full circle, right? So I am much more connected now spiritually than I ever was previously growing up, you know, and I’ve got tons of friends who are in church every Sunday and I think that’s great if that’s what works for you. It just doesn’t
DeAndre Robinson
I’m not built like that. I’m definitely not built like that. I I believe that you do have to have something fed into you, right? That has to be the right message fit into you have to connect with that message. Right. So I might go on YouTube and look for a sermon from a different church or different pastor or something of the store. Sometimes it can be a completely different religion, just because just because I feel like you can learn something from each religion. Right, right. Like, for me, personally, yeah, I understand the whole concept of Christianity. But I love again, that foundation of Do unto others as you want them to you, but I love the discipline of the Muslims, they are at bat I have never seen a discipline. So so to get out in the middle of the street during prayer hour and put your carpet down and pray exactly where you’re at. That’s a level of discipline that I think we all can use at times, to make sure that we get to where we need to get to, right you know, just and then other religions where they don’t eat any meat, they their bodies, holy the temple. That’s something else that you can take from so I am definitely a spiritual person. Please don’t talk to me about religion and don’t browbeat me with your religion either. Because you’re gonna be sadly disappointed when I tell you if you don’t get on my face. You’re gonna see this whole, a whole other religion come about here. So..
Mark Scroggins
I totally get it. So what is next for you on the horizon?
DeAndre Robinson
So I’m apparently I’m going to Austin this weekend for South by Southwest. I got roped into something there. I’m helping my cousin with her gym. I got her a grant writer were supposed to meet next week to help her get that up and going the doors open by the beginning of the year. For myself, I don’t know I want to buy more property. I’ve been looking at multi units. So I definitely want to buy more property. Yeah. My dad is out in Arizona. He’s very, very adamant about wanting to open up something out there. He was talking about like a little lounge area in the Coolidge Arizona area. The law firm that he works for the lady that has all the liquor licensing. And he’s talking to me about NASA, you and a restaurant. And he was just like no allowed our restaurant is what do that minimum 100,000. He’s like, Well, we can you went to a restaurant. I don’t know about a restaurant, I don’t know about that. That’s that’s a little risky. So just definitely more property though. I set up my trust. So we closed on our house this week. And every and everything after that just acquiring a bunch of assets so that my children don’t start where I started teaching them ecommerce, they know the difference between an asset and a liability. Now they can tell you what that is. They all know what they want to sell from an E commerce perspective. So I couldn’t pay your own way through college, and it’s gonna be fun. So that’s where I’m at now just educating them and passing down that information to them at this point, so that I can retire at 45. I have about I have less than 10 years, so I can retire at 45 and just be very comfortable in my assets work for me and spend more time on the water.
Mark Scroggins
You know, I love that. Yeah, cuz we were talking about that what is retiring? You know, look like and I have a hard time seeing myself ever completely walk away. I don’t know that it would work for me.
I don’t think you will ever just walk away. I think you’ll always want to have that pen and pad somewhere to care about that last case that went on in the courtroom. For me, he’s well, I don’t know if I’ll ever just be able to sit around and not do anything at all, of course. But to have the luxury to move about the way that I want to and not be like ball and chained to a desk or a computer or my phone. Like, yeah, I want that. It’s coming.
I know if anybody deserves it, you know, you do.
DeAndre Robinson
I appreciate that.
Mark Scroggins
I remember where you were just a few years back on some real estate and to see what’s going on with you today. Damn you know!
DeAndre Robinson
yeah, I’m excited!
Mark Scroggins
Yeah, you should be so im excited about you going to South by Southwest I can’t believe with, you know, as much time as I spent in Austin. And That was one thing I have not done.
DeAndre Robinson
That was such a random phone call I got two nights ago was like, Hey, we’re coming there. We’re going to South by Southwest. And can you connect with somebody in Dallas? And I was like, Yeah, I’ll connect you with somebody in Dallas. So I do that right. And I’m just like, he’s I said, I’m gonna connect you guys and then you guys can talk and I don’t need to be involved. He’s like, like, hell, you right? In the middle of this shit, let’s go. You’re gonna stop by Southwest. Why are you paying? You’re driving to okay so lets go!
Mark Scroggins
Maybe Karma will be there too. But I mean, that’s just kind of the thing that I’m talking about, you know, you put out good energy. You get things that are back, down out, you allow yourself to be selfless at time and the payback is phenomenal.
DeAndre Robinson
It is it is. It’s been a blessing. You know, God has been a blessing. I, there were so many times when I was like, Oh, my God, I can’t do this. I’m just I just want to pull the covers over my head and just lay in bed for six days. And my little people were like, Yeah, Mommy, we’re hungry. Right. Tell you. All right. Let me try again later when you’re not here. But I’m glad I kept going. Yeah, yeah, you know, just keep going and keep pushing. And you stay focused. You need an alignment, like where else you need like the little folder on either the blinders like the horses had, I didn’t just just stay focused.
Mark Scroggins
That’s why there are so many other lawyers and paralegals and staff around here today, because it’s it’s like herding cats keeping me going in the right direction.
DeAndre Robinson
Yeah. Me horse blinders. Just keep you going. But I’m guilty of it, too. So I get it. Yeah, I get it. I did. Well, thank
Mark Scroggins
you for joining me. Appreciate it. And thank you all for joining us for another episode of the reclamation transformation with my good friend DeAndre Robinson so remember, that change begins with you so remember to leave your mark.
