WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
Boots on the Ground
AREVA MARTIN ACHIEVES SUCCESS THROUGH HARD WORK, FORWARD THINKING
By Vi c k i Fr e n c h B e n n i n g t o n
G
rowing up in North St. Louis, Areva Martin knew that
she would one day, do something big.
Did she realize she would be a managing partner
in the largest female African-American-owned Los
Angeles law firm, a featured guest on “The Dr. Phil
Show,” a recurring co-host on “The Doctors,” and legal analyst on CNN
news? And perhaps, an author? Maybe not, but she knew there was
something bigger out there - somewhere.
“I saw many inequities in our lives, and as a child, I would ask myself
why we had so much less than others. I wanted to change it,” Martin
said. “I wanted to go to college, and I wanted to become a lawyer.”
With a work ethic inspired by her grandmother and godmother, a lot
of determination, and years of plain old hard work, Martin has achieved
all of that and more.
In her recently released third book, “Make it Rain, How to Use the
Media to Revolutionize Your Business and Brand,” she shares some of
her insights and life lessons to enable others to have a voice in issues
they feel strongly about.
Martin became acutely aware that others needed this kind of help
after her son, Marty, now 17, was diagnosed with autism at 18 months.
“After my son’s diagnosis, there was at first, a lot of despair. I had
my law practice, but I realized that I needed time to take care of him
and figure out his complex level of needs,” she said. That was when her
husband, Ernest, came into the firm to help. She formed the grassroots
Special Needs Network Inc., helping people navigate the myriad of
services available for children on the autism spectrum. “In California,
many services are free, but finding and getting them can be difficult,
especially in underserved areas,” Martin said.
She saw that type of imbalance growing up in poverty. Her mother
had her children very young, and had to