Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Portuondo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Marisa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I didn’t go straight to law school after undergrad. I obtained a master’s degree in management information systems and worked for an international pharmaceutical company. After our ERP project ended, they asked me to stay on and I somehow ended up responsible for $60 Million in raw pharmaceutical materials inventory. After a while, I got tired of working a job I’d never intended to have and decided to go to law school. Having worked in corporate America for years, I was a bit older than my classmates. My experience was different, but great nonetheless. I was even talked into completing a semester abroad, which was something I thought I’d never have the opportunity to do, and I am so grateful I did it.
When we graduated, the economy tanked, the bubble had burst. Firms were closing down left and right. People, including lawyers, were having a really hard time finding jobs. I worked for a lot of people who would find they couldn’t afford to have help and I would be let go. As frustrating and scary as it was, having all those bosses taught me so much about running a law firm and a business. I learned what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. I started my own firm sooner than I ever expected to, out of necessity, and kept things small. I was still doing work for others to keep the lights on. Eventually, I took the leap and went completely on my own. It was a whole new ball game, I didn’t sleep for months because I had all these new worries. But it’s been a great ride and I don’t know that I will ever go back to working to build someone else’s dream.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think starting a business is ever a smooth road! When I first went 100% on my own, I had just moved in with my future husband. Every month, I would panic and tell him I didn’t know if I would be able to make my share of rent and the bills. Every few weeks, I’d start wrapping up cases and I’d get so nervous wondering when the next client was going to show up. But somehow, it always worked out.
Becoming a mother when you work on your own can be terrifying – it’s not like you have paid leave to help you get through those first few weeks or months, but we made it work. To make things even crazier, my husband’s employer of five years, a massive corporation, went belly-up a couple of weeks after we became parents, you have to have faith in yourself and in the people who love and support you and just keep going.
My advice to women, especially young women, is to believe in yourself. Women tend to have a hard time with this, more so than men. I see it in my profession all the time. There will be people who try to make you doubt yourself, don’t let them. Never let anyone tell you who you are, and don’t explain or apologize for your intelligence or the things at which you excel. Also, and I think this is so important – support one another. Bring other women to the table. When you climb the ladder, don’t forget to bring other women along with you. Strong women support other women.
Also, network. A lot. I didn’t network enough when I first started out. I had this image of stuffy, awkward exchanges involving strangers handing out business cards and I wanted nothing to do with it. But networking can be fun. If you can’t find a fun group of referral sources, start one. Get creative.
When you start out and you have a lot of time and not a lot of money, take that time to put systems into place that will make you more efficient and less likely to make mistakes. A lot of people have this misconception that only large organizations need systems. Smaller companies don’t have a lot of staff – the right systems and software can make you a lot more efficient and are often more affordable, and reliable, than hiring people.
Provide value to your clients and prospective clients. Make videos, write blogs, especially when you are short on clients and have a lot of time. Don’t be afraid to give information away – the vast majority of people will not take your information and run with it. But you will create goodwill and show that you are an authority in your field.
My advice to all business owners is to not get stuck in the mindset of treating your business like a job. It’s not just a job, it is a business. If you ignore that aspect of things, you won’t grow. Also, and this is so important and yet it seems a lot of people don’t do it – find out what it is that you love about your business and find a way to delegate the rest. This is the secret to growth and satisfaction.
Please tell us about Portuondo Law Firm.
We are best known for providing legal services to business owners. A lot of our business clients are in the construction industry, so that is a big part of what we do. What we take the most pride in is how we care about our clients like people and we want to see their businesses grow. Many business attorneys work at large firms and have never run a business themselves. They focus only on the legal side of things and are limited in how they can help. These attorneys can’t see the forest for the trees and can kill deals by focusing only on the legal aspect of a situation. I understand the pain points a business owner has. I learned a lot of things the hard way. I really enjoy not only keeping my clients’ businesses safe but guiding them in ways that will help them increase efficiency and grow their profit. I love to see my clients succeed and I enjoy helping them in every way possible. I consider myself a resource to them, not just for legal work, but for advice, making connections, and just being an ear when they need someone to listen.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
A mentor is a great person to have. Find someone you get along with and who respects you, but challenges you. I meet with a colleague who has become a mentor about once a month. He never hesitates to tell me when he doesn’t think my ideas are great – it really makes me think about what I am doing and it’s great to have an outsider’s perspective. Sometimes, I see his side, but most of the time it just cements the fact that I am confident about my choice.
Networking is SO important and very underrated by a lot of business owners, especially new owners who only focus on work. A lot of people work from home when they start out to keep overhead low, and there is nothing wrong with this, but it can get lonely and limit your interactions with others. You have to find a way to get out there on a regular basis and make connections. I made the mistake of taking too long to realize the importance of running a business. I was so focused on doing “my job” that I forgot I had a business to run. As soon as I changed my thinking in this regard, my business started to grow. Join groups, start groups, find organizations of like-minded professionals and make friends! Networking can be as fun as you make it, and people refer business to people they like – period. I have networked on a train, in a spa, doing yoga in a salt cave, on a cruise ship…I could go on. If no one around you is doing something fun, start it yourself. Put yourself out there doing things you genuinely like and it will come naturally. Most importantly, don’t be a taker, be a giver. Any time you meet a business owner, think of how you can help, who you can put him or her in touch with, and you will find that people, and business, will naturally gravitate towards you.
Contact Info:
- Address: Portuondo Law Firm
7700 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 607
Miami, Florida 33156 - Website: www.plfmiami.com
- Phone: 786.440.8615
- Email: info@plfmiami.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/portuondolaw
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/portuondolaw
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/portuondolaw
- Other: www.calendly.com/plfmiami
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