Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Limardo.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Palm & Seal is a boutique notary and apostille facilitation firm just outside downtown Fort Lauderdale. My background is in corporate HR and payroll, where compliance was always my focus. After years of helping other companies run cleanly, I wanted to build something of my own.
It launched in April 2025 as a side hustle, fueled by late nights at my dining room table. I had carried a notary commission through my HR career in several states, and last year I got commissioned in Florida and decided it was finally time.
I chose this work because I have lived it. As a kid, I watched my parents handle the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and years later, when my dad got sick, my family scrambled at his bedside to put estate documents in order that should have been handled long before. My own milestones have called for a notary too, from getting married and buying a home to a divorce and remarrying last year. Through all of it, I dealt with notaries who were purely transactional. A few, though, understood the weight of the moment and showed real empathy, and that kindness is what stayed with me. It is who I want to be for my clients.
Today we offer mobile and remote online notarization, with the online side reaching clients anywhere in the world, along with apostille facilitation for people whose lives cross borders, like those moving or marrying abroad and expats updating documents for a new home country. My credentials include Certified Apostille Services Facilitator and Certified Notary Estate Planning Partner through the Notary Training Hub, plus Certified Loan Signing Agent through the National Notary Association. I also belong to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.
This work matters more now than ever. With the rise of AI and growing fraud across South Florida, people need someone in their corner, and that is what a notary does. We protect the public, often in ways they do not realize.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road, but I would not expect it to be. I do not think anything worth doing is ever truly easy, and the growth along the way has been deeply rewarding. Building this has taught me a lot about myself and about the perseverance that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone.
I am an introvert by nature, so putting myself out there has been one of the bigger challenges. My mind is also very analytical, which means marketing and social media do not come naturally to me. Those are skills I have had to learn even though they are not my favorite, and that has pushed me to be more disciplined about the parts of entrepreneurship that do not come easily. There has also been a steep technical side, from mastering the platforms behind remote online notarization to becoming well versed in state notarial law.
Still, every uncomfortable skill I have forced myself to learn has made me better at what I do and more confident in the business I am building.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Palm & Seal is a boutique notary and apostille facilitation firm, and what we really do is help people handle the documents behind their biggest life moments. A lot of that work crosses borders. Through apostille facilitation, I help people who are moving or marrying abroad, along with expats who need their records recognized in the country they now live in. I also handle estate planning documents and loan signings, and my remote online notarization service lets me be there for a client anywhere in the world without them leaving home.
What sets us apart is the pairing of precision and care. I come from a compliance background, so the details get done right, which matters enormously when a single error can derail a closing or get a document rejected by a foreign government. Just as important is how the work feels for the client. Many people only meet a notary during a stressful or emotional time, and I never want anyone to feel like another transaction on a list. They get patience and empathy alongside the technical work.
That cross-border specialty is what I am becoming known for. One family came to me to sign powers of attorney so they could settle a parent’s affairs in Eastern Europe. A recent graduate needed his diploma and transcripts apostilled so he could start his career in South America. Others have been people working far from home who needed to authorize their families to handle business for them. Each of these is a moment where getting it right truly matters.
Brand wise, I am most proud that Palm & Seal feels human. In a world where almost everything is AI now, even beauty ads, I believe humanity is a strength, and that is exactly what I want to be known for. The firm is built on the belief that careful, compliant work and genuine kindness belong together, and that a small firm can give people real peace of mind.
If there is one thing I want your readers to know, it is this. A notary does far more than stamp a paper. We protect the public, and you do not have to wait for an emergency to get your documents in order. No matter where you are in the world, Palm & Seal can help.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I must have been about eleven or twelve. My dad had recently been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and was on oxygen by then. I am one of ten kids, number nine in the lineup, and my younger brother Joseph came along almost exactly a year after me. People were always sure we were twins, and it did not help that my mom dressed us alike.
We could not have been more different. I was the family bookworm, the clumsy and unathletic one. Joseph was different, a natural who actually played basketball. The one thing we did share was a competitive streak, at least on my side. For reasons I still cannot explain, something he said set me off and I challenged him to a free throw face-off on the half court in our backyard.
My older siblings happened to be in town, so it turned into a whole family event. We dragged chairs out to the court, and my dad came out with his oxygen tank to watch. I am pretty sure everyone assumed Joseph would win, which only made me want it more. Somehow, and I still have no idea how I pulled it off, I sank the winning shot and he missed his.
My dad got so excited that he tried to stand up too fast and tipped backward in his chair. Once he was up, he pulled me into one of those hugs that is nothing like the everyday kind, the kind where you just know how proud someone is of you. I have never forgotten it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://palmandseal.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/palmandseal
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/palmandseal
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/palmandseal
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@palmandseal
