Eido Walny, founder and managing partner of Walny Legal Group, appeared on the Scaffidiology podcast to discuss his 25-year career in estate planning, his philosophy on building relationships, political leadership as Village of Bayside President, and his evolving perspective on what truly matters.
Career Launched on 9/11: The Power of Knowledge and Contacts
Walny’s legal career began under extraordinary circumstances. “My first day of work is September 4th, 2001,” he recalled. “I had a great first week. Second week started off a little rough.” That second week included the September 11 attacks, which disrupted the entire legal industry. Early in his career, a mentor provided advice that shaped his entire trajectory: “This firm can take everything away from you… But there are two things no one can take away from you. And that is your knowledge base and your contacts.” Walny has followed that principle for 25 years, building both through relationships and continuous learning across ten years at various firms before founding his own practice.
The Unexpected Joy of Meeting Interesting People
What surprised Walny most about estate planning was the human element. “I get to meet all sorts of different people. I’ve met professional athletes. I’ve met franchise owners. I’ve met people who do things that I didn’t even know people do. I’ve met people at the highest points of their life and the lowest points of their life.” Unlike litigation or divorce work where clients come under crisis, estate planning work is often elective, allowing deeper relationships. “I didn’t think I would like that part of it. Um, but I’ve really that’s probably been the best part of my job.”
From Diverse Childhood to Independent Leadership
Growing up in Skokie, Illinois, Walny attended a high school where 150 languages were spoken, exposing him to genuine diversity. That experience shaped his approach to leadership when he became Village of Bayside President in 2020. “I often tell people that the best thing about my job is that I get to be independent. I don’t have to be on the left and I don’t have to be on the right.” His priorities are straightforward: “We’re not there are no abortion clinics in Bayside. We’re not invading Iran. I I don’t care about any of that. I want to make sure that the snow gets plowed, the garbage gets picked up.”
Political Division: A Cautionary Trend
Walny expressed concern about increasing polarization in American politics. “I really don’t like the direction of politics now where you’re either this or I don’t ever want to talk to you or you either agree with me on this or or never speak to me or your kids or that’s not healthy and I don’t think that’s what America was built on.” He attributes much of this to social media’s instantaneous nature: “Now everybody’s a news reporter. Everything happens instantaneously. Everybody’s got their hot take and it doesn’t matter how wrong you are.”
Sports, Mortality, and Perspective
Walny’s view of sports has evolved significantly. Once a passionate collector of 1985 Bears memorabilia, he now sees athletes differently after working with them professionally. More importantly, his work as an estate planning attorney has given him clarity about life’s brevity. “One of the things that I’ve learned as an estate planning attorney is is just how finite life is. No matter who you are, no matter how important you are, if you’re the head of Apple, if you’re the president of the United States, if you’re some person I’ve never met before, there’s an end to your life and it’s coming.” This realization changed how he experiences everyday frustrations: “I’m in the third or fourth quarter of my own life and and I don’t have time to go out onto the porch and cry about a game that I had no impact on, no influence on.”
For the full discussion on career building, leadership, and perspective on life’s priorities, listen to the complete Scaffidiology episode.