Business

ATMMachines.com Owner Justin Gilmore Attributes His Success to Disappointment

Published

5 years ago

December 9, 2020

Years ago, Justin Gilmore made the fateful decision to turn his life around from a future filled with struggle and resentment. Now, he’s reaping the rewards with a successful business, happy family life, and good personal health. None of it would have been possible without his strong resolve to make a success of his life and his courage to persevere despite the many stumbling blocks that were in his way. He’s the owner of ATMMachines.com, a company that provides cutting-edge ATM devices and online transaction processing to customers nationwide.

As a kid, Gilmore didn’t focus on his schoolwork as much as he should have and also developed a bad attitude, landing him in hot water. At 15, Justin was expelled from school, and he had to suddenly figure out a way to start fending for himself. This wasn’t exactly new territory for him, as he and his brother and sister had to start taking care of themselves at a young age since their mother worked two jobs to keep a roof over their heads.

After getting expelled in the first semester of the ninth grade, he had to face the disappointment of his mother and family. “My mother, who was a saint, was so disappointed that she had given up on me. She pretty much wrote me off, as far as having a successful future. This is what motivated me to become an entrepreneur in the first place. It made me realize where my life was going, and after that, I was determined to be successful,” he explains.

However, getting a business launched at 16 with no startup funds, and no skills or experience seemed like an impossibility. So Justin decided to start educating himself through business courses and self-help books in an effort to give himself every chance to succeed. He also got a real estate license when he turned 18, even though he ended up never having to use it.

At 17, Justin also started some side jobs in order to get an income. One was selling newspapers via eBay, and the other was “hucking pizzas,” as Gilmore describes it. That involved buying pizzas for cheap under the table from a local pizzeria in Atlanta and then driving around the city, pretending to be a pizza delivery boy with a canceled order. While that gig helped him earn a fairly steady income, it also taught him many valuable skills that he still uses as an entrepreneur today.

It’s been 14 years since Justin opened his business, and his life has changed dramatically in the meantime. He was able to achieve something that no one believed he could while also realizing his dream of being able to take care of his mother and his son.

He now promotes a strong message centered around never giving up and has expanded his company’s offerings to include online training to other potential entrepreneurs, as well. Gilmore feels that the ATM business is often overlooked when people are searching for a way to start making passive income, yet it’s also one of the best ways to do so. That’s why he’s been teaching others how the industry works.

Head over to Justin Gilmore’s Instagram page, @atmmachines_com, to learn more about his company, as well as their new online training program.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

5 days ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.