About Kanika
Founder of Cloudbreak Legal, a law practice that services businesses and individuals that reflect the right values - most of her clients are women and/or minority-run businesses
Instructor at the University of Washington’s Masters in Entrepreneurship program
Did her J.D. from Columbia University and B.A. from Yale University
A distance runner and Nordic skier
Key a-ha moments from the podcast
Businesses do not necessarily just start from ‘a-ha’ moments, sometimes it comes from need or ‘moments of fire’
“I delayed starting a family until I was almost 40, and ironically when I did have my child, my career no longer wanted me…I ended up starting my own business because of this that happened to me, almost a reactive gesture from a moment of disempowerment”
Business building requires undivided focus but do it in a way where you can limit/manage risks carefully
“We went with like full risk, no mitigation but with a limited period of time…we gave ourselves 6 months to see what happens, but those 6 months were full on. No part-time mum, part-time contractor, part-time other stuff”
The first year of business building is all about building data points for you to learn from
“I knew that I didn’t know enough about running a business vs practicing law. So, I took most of the first year to accumulate data for the business, and use the data to see where I can improve my system. I was taking any work, considering my hard-lines of course”
Think about how you can innovate / change things up in a typical, traditional industry - the status quo is not always the best way of doing things
“Legal services is a boring beast that hasn’t seen much innovation in a long time. ….pricing is an hour’s game in law and I found that while I want people to appreciate my value, I want to give them flexibility of pricing, and that is something that lawyers don’t really care about”
Personal networks can be a powerful source of referral - it is a small world!
“I don’t pay for any advertising, my client base is referral based. It is a product of my network. My personal network has been the strongest network, my professional network has helped, but not to the degree you would think…I am not going to network or go to events where I don’t feel like I belong. I have been able to connect with people I already know and love, and that has brought me referrals in a way I didn’t expect”
Kanika’s advice to women who want to build businesses on their own terms
“Talk to other people who have done it and are doing it…I was really seeking out women and minority entrepreneurs. You start to seek it out, you find one and suddenly they are everywhere. This community of women founders in particular is so strong and supportive…not only should we provide each other with tactical advice, but also support and encouragement”
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