Welcome to Business Innovators Magazine…Please introduce yourself and a brief thumbnail of your background.
My name is Gina Clark Hayes. I am the author of a book that debuted as a Best Seller on Amazon. My book “Planted by the River” presents details of some of the most difficult times in my life as well as the most rewarding, culminating with where I am today. In the book, I speak a lot about my faith. It’s the driving force that sustains me. I am a woman committed to God and to my family (my husband and two children, as well as my large extended family). I would not be the woman I am today without God and without my family. I’ve been a licensed attorney for over 25 years. I graduated from The Catholic University Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC. I am a native Washingtonian. I spent my life “inside the beltway.” I lived in Washington DC until I got married in 1993. We then moved across the line to Maryland. After our second child was born, we relocated to Virginia, completing the cycle of living in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia). A large part of that time I spent working as an Attorney-Advisor for the United States. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. After my career there, my husband and I relocated to Arizona where I worked for over a year as Senior Attorney and Practice Manager for a small law firm. I am currently working on a business project that will be launched very soon.
BI: What would you say is the area in business that you are most passionate about and why?
I am most passionate about branding businesses because it bothers me to see entrepreneurs robbed of their intellectual property.
BI: How are you different than your competitors?
I am different from my competitors in 3 ways:
1) I have more experience in the federal government agency that regulates patents and trademarks than most of my competitors. It gives me an edge and reassures my clients that they are getting quality service from someone who knows what she’s doing.
2) I like to have face time with my clients so that I can get to know them and understand their business. I enjoy Zoom calls with clients where I can share my screen or have them share a screen to show their products, labels, websites, or whatever needs to be shown for us to be on the same page. It’s also a good tool for walking them through documents.
3) My fees are extremely reasonable because I want to make my service available to as many people as I can.
BI: Please tell me about any recent business accomplishments that you are most proud of and why?
I am most proud of the 20 plus years I spent for the United States government because it was an honor. Also, I gained endurance in an organization that is known to be a high production environment with little room for error.
BI: What Leadership qualities in Leaders do you most admire and why?
I most admire humility, but I rarely see it.
BI: What has been a key element of your success?
The key element of my success has been my determination to never give up.
BI: What are some of the business projects that you are currently working on that you are excited about and why?
I am excited about my new business venture because it is a great time in my life to allow all that I have learned through the years to work for the good of my clients.
BI: What are 1 or 2 things you would like to say to a prospective client who stumbles across this interview?
- If you have a business, you need to protect your brand.
- Trademark registration is something you should consult with an attorney about before you launch your business, but if you have already launched, it’s not too late.
BI: To wrap this up, what are you most excited about in the upcoming months in your business?
I am most excited about introducing our website to the public and the opportunity to serve clients through it.
