When Jamie Bendall was 11, he remembers making business cards that read “Entrepreneur.” Today the Emory and Pepperdine grad is a lawyer, a registered civil mediator, and a substitute municipal court judge in Alpharetta. Actively involved in the community, he also volunteers for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce in the Emerging Leaders Program, sits on the Chamber Foundation Board, dabbles in real estate, is a stand-up comic and owns the Punchline Comedy Club in Buckhead.
“My father and I practice together in the law firm, and I would tell you that he is one of the best entrepreneurial small business owners I know. Many people don’t think of lawyers as being small business owners, but if you have your own office, you have your own business.”
Married with three daughters, Jamie says as soon as they were old enough to play sports, he signed up to coach and has coached over 50 youth sports teams. “I spent the first part of my professional career making choices that allowed me to be present and active in my daughters' lives.”
What does he love about Alpharetta? “I remember coming to Atlanta for the first time to look at Emory. To me, you could just feel the energy coming from the growth and the possibilities. I still experience that and I think it’s a net positive for the broader metro area.”
Now that he’s basically an empty nester, what’s next? “I’d like to think I’ll continue to grow as an attorney, as a comedian, and as a business owner. I’m always energized by the opportunities to give back, so I will continue to look for those when they are presented. My dad is in his late 70s and still working, and I think that’s in part because he enjoys helping our clients. Will I still be working 25 years from now? I hope so. And maybe someday my daughters will let me coach a grandchild’s team. I think I’d like that.”
I’ll continue to grow as an attorney, as a comedian, and as a business owner.