Shermin Lakha – A stylish entrepreneur proving that law can be cool

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

As a female lawyer working in a corporate setting, I often felt that I had to “mask” certain parts of my personality. Being inauthentic is simply unnatural to me, and in the end, it was one of the triggers that motivated me to launch my own practice LVLUP Legal. 

LVLUP Legal is a female-owned virtual law firm where attorneys can balance career and lifestyle while embracing all facets of who they are and what makes them powerful. By honoring my identity, I hope to encourage other female professionals to do the same.

How did you come up with your business idea?

Throughout my career, I have always taken what most people would consider the “right steps” to securing a successful future. After working at Goldman Sachs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and an international law firm; I knew that I wanted a career that was more fulfilling. I decided to take the risk to start my own practice so I could work with like-minded individuals who were striving to make their dreams come true. 

LVLUP Legal is focused on providing legal advice to underrepresented startups, business, and entrepreneurs, to help them “level-up” and make smart legal decisions. My goal is to modernize the legal field by changing the traditional perception of “lawyer” and creating an open and honest level of communication with my clients. What sets LVLUP Legal apart is that we care about the success of our clients and protecting them every step of the way. We offer transparent flat-fee pricing that our clients can afford. Our philosophy is to build long-term relationships with our clients as a trusted legal advisor and become an integral part of building their success. 

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

I have always been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, and my team every step of the way. Recently I spoke with an old friend, and she reminded me that I had always talked about having a successful legal career and being an entrepreneur when we were younger, and that conversation really helped put into perspective that I am on the right path. 

Being a founder can be an isolating and vulnerable experience at times, and I am truly my toughest critic. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or insecure about anything, I know that I have a strong network of people that have my back.

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

Although I have my own law practice, I am still a minority woman in my early 30’s that appreciates fashion, friends, and having fun. While some people might look at certain aspects of my life and choose to underestimate me, I have learned to look at it as their issue and not mine. 

One of the best decisions I have made as an attorney and an entrepreneur is to be transparent in both my personal and professional life. If someone chooses to judge me, that is a reflection of their own insecurities and I actively try to not let it impact me or my life negatively.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been detrimental for your success so far? And why?

When I first started LVLUP Legal, I managed everything and thought I could do it all. In addition to doing the actual legal work for my clients; I was going to countless networking events, handling all of the business and administrative tasks, managing the marketing and social media accounts, and basically doing everything and anything else that had to do with running a business. 

I was too afraid to hire, didn’t know how or what to delegate, and I didn’t really give myself the time to strategically plan for growth. While none of these things were detrimental to the business, I do feel that I had to learn how to develop these skills while under a lot of pressure

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

The most exciting thing about being an entrepreneur is the freedom and the unlimited potential to be successful on your own terms.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

The worst business advice I have ever received is to “wait until you are ready”. So many great business ideas lay dormant because people get in their own way by making excuses about not being ready. The most difficult and important step is to just START, and if you work hard and are passionate about what you do, success will come.

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

Having a great lawyer is a key element in protecting and maintaining a successful business; however, some lawyers can be unresponsive and expensive to early-stage startups and businesses. Most companies are reactive rather than proactive when it comes to obtaining legal counsel, and it is important to change that dynamic so that startups and entrepreneurs feel able and empowered to retain legal counsel to protect their business. 

LVLUP Legal is a female-owned, virtual boutique law firm dedicated to empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs, startups, digital brands, and content creators to “level up” and make smart legal decisions. We specialize in business formation, drafting contracts and agreements, representing clients in negotiations, protecting intellectual property, and providing general legal advice to suit the needs of our clients. LVLUP legal provides flat-fee pricing to our clients because we understand that every dollar counts for small businesses and entrepreneurs. LVLUP Legal has over 100 clients ranging from tech companies, restaurants, designers, beauty brands, products, event planners, and marketing companies

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

The only person that is standing in the way of your dreams is you. Take the first steps to start your own business, and at a minimum, you will know that you gave yourself a chance.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

I am hoping to continue to build out our client base, do more video content for marketing purposes, and hopefully expand to hire more attorneys on the team! 

Any final words to end this interview?

One of the best parts of working with female founders is really getting to understand all of the different strengths we possess. I feel so fortunate to be living in a time where rather than competing with one another, women have really come together to encourage each other to showcase those strengths.