Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Portalatin.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After law school, I worked for a business law firm where I helped businesses with their setups, contracts, and trademarks. The really ironic part about it is that I remember sitting in my business law class in law school (bored out of my mind) and saying “I will never practice this.” Here we are 10 years later and counting…
After about two years of working for that business law firm, I decided to go out on my own. Full transparency, owning a business did not come easy to me. I had no idea what I was doing. It took years for me to figure out how to market effectively, how to analyze my financials, how to hire (and fire), and I am STILL learning.
I never wanted a big firm or to have employees. I think the thought of it really intimidated me. About 5 years in of owning my business, I got pregnant. I was a team of two, (me and a virtual assistant) I had no idea what I was going to do after I had the baby. With no one to really do my sales, marketing, or legal work, I went back to work right after my baby was born. But I wasn’t effective (which obviously was going to happen as sleep-deprived as I was). I saw my numbers go down and I was exhausted. And so, I began to build my team.
Once we had the our core team in place, it was time to think about what kind of firm I wanted to build. And so, my husband and I sat and chatted about it. We knew we wanted to have a firm that served others and gave back to those in need. We knew we wanted to build a place where people felt they could be AUTHENTIC. And we knew we wanted to have a place that tried new things and pushed to be different. These core values are what created our mission to break traditional law firm stereotypes.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. I am very transparent about the struggles that I have gone through as a business owner. There are so many moving parts that need to come together when you are running a business that, is not only successful, but one that you are proud of.
Scaling was and still is tough. Finding the right people, while also making sure the business is profitable as your expenses rise. There were times, like many other businesses, that the business did not have enough cash flow to pay me.
That in itself was a lesson.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Portalatin Business Law Firm?
Portalatin Business Law Firm is a boutique law firm that helps entrepreneurs launch, scale, and protect their businesses and brands—making sure they’re built to last and ready to lead. We have a special niche working with foreign entrepreneurs helping them expand into the U.S with peace of mind and the ability to grow their business without borders. This includes helping them with business purchases, contracts, and protecting them from copycats with trademark registrations.
We are known for helping foreign investors expand, build, or buy a business in the beautiful Florida market. Our services are mostly flat fee, providing peace of mind to our clients who know what they will have to pay beforehand and allowing them to stay within budget. We also offer different levels of subscription packages for businesses that need more ongoing support.
What I am most proud of brand-wise is that we are constantly pushing to break law firm stereotypes. That includes traditional ideas like: 1. working until you burnout 2. always having to wear a suit 3. that lawyers are just trying to take and not give.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
To work with us, you can easily schedule a meeting with our team on our website www.contractlawmiami.com or call 305-702-0195.
We love collaborating with different professionals. The ways in which we do it vary depending on what is best for that collaboration, for example, co-hosting a networking event, creating social media content together, co-promoting newsletters and events, and even creating special service packages for them to offer their clients.
Please support us by following us on Linkedin and Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.contractlawmiami.com
- Instagram: @portalatinbiz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PortalatinLawFirm
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaportalatin/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@portalatinlawfirm
