What Happens In Between the Hustle

There have been a lot of changes at Kayla Moran Law in the last few weeks. Not many I can share yet or really even unpack but I promise to soon. For now let's recap some of my latest conversations and insights because as we grow the firm, there is a lot of personal growth and reflection happening too.

After an interview for Kayla Moran Law this month, a recent law school grad and new lawyer said to me, “Thank you for being transparent.” And it made me pause and reflect. Because that should be the baseline, especially in our profession.

In law, we’re trained to be precise, to spot risk, to analyze what’s working and what isn’t. But when it comes to developing people, whether that’s candidates, junior attorneys, or mentees, there’s often a hesitation to be direct and use that same training within our organizations. Feedback gets softened, expectations stay vague, and conversations that could actually help someone improve end up being diluted.

The result? People are left guessing. Candidates don’t know where they truly stand. Junior lawyers don’t know what will actually move the needle for them. And growth slows down, not because of lack of capability, but because of lack of clarity.

Transparency, when done well, isn’t about being harsh or overly critical. It’s about being specific. It’s saying: here’s what you’re doing well, here’s where you can improve, and here’s what this role actually requires. That kind of clarity is what allows people to make informed decisions, whether that’s stepping up, adjusting their approach, or realizing something may not be the right fit.

And for those of us building teams or mentoring others, it’s worth asking: are we communicating in a way that actually helps someone get better, or just in a way that feels more comfortable in the moment?

Because the lawyers who improve the fastest are usually the ones who get real feedback early and know exactly what to do with it.

At the end of the day, we all benefit from raising the standard on how we communicate. Not just in how we advocate for clients, but in how we develop people.

Clarity isn’t just a professional skill. It’s a responsibility.

Why The Network Still Matters

Part of scaling Kayla Moran Law, for me, is about having more time for myself, but another part, probably the more scary and important part, is realizing I CAN’T do everything. AND I shouldn’t have to. It’s about scaling for infrastructure and support, hiring for my weaknesses and the things that don’t have to be ME so I can focus on the things that do. More on this below👀

A major step I took in this endeavor was hiring my fractional COO last fall. Now that Q2 is fully underway and we’re prepping for a busy Q3 as the creator economy enters its next era, I knew it was time for a larger team on the legal side too. During the fall I had my first law clerk and in the spring I had two. The ability to move through agreements faster, more smoothly and handle all the ups and downs of a turbulent Q4 and Q1 would have not been possible without this support.

So it was paramount to me to continue that support into the summer and early fall before I welcome the next group of law clerks. I loved working with them in the spring and it is so special and an awe inducing moment for me personally that I recently had the opportunity to bring on my first summer associate too. I hired one of my spring law clerks for the summer and it felt so right to grow this way!

I know that as I grow business decisions will become more strategic and I will have to invest in more experienced support staff, but for now investing in the people who have bought into what we’re doing at Kayla Moran Law and who have invested in me, at the core, is the best move for this phase. At the end of the day, the initial team of a start up is all about company culture and personality fit and you work your way into a stronger team as you scale.

In the last few weeks I have also invested in my next admin/operations hire to expand not just the legal support but the actual running of a business.

As founders we have do it all at the beginning but eventually we become our own bottlenecks so while it was also terrifying, it was needed and timely, and man this process taught me a lot.

Like many potential employers, I initially assumed that a thoughtfully written LinkedIn job posting would naturally attract candidates who carefully read the role, understood the mission, and aligned with the firm’s goals. But that’s not what happened.

While online platforms certainly expand visibility, the experience showed me that digital applications often prioritize volume over fit. Many applicants apply broadly, sometimes without fully engaging with the substance of the opportunity itself.

By contrast, the most meaningful conversations and strongest candidates often came through personal connections, referrals, and trusted professional networks. Those relationships create a level of insight and alignment that resumes alone cannot capture. Skills and credentials matter, of course, but work ethic, curiosity, and long-term compatibility matter just as much when building a team.

This phase of Kayla Moran Law and how I pivoted has reinforced an important lesson about hiring and professional development: the best talent pipelines are rarely built through job postings alone.

What excites me most is not simply hiring for a single role, but building a true pipeline for the firm’s future. Working with law clerks and molding them into summer associates creates an opportunity to mentor future and young lawyers early in their careers while also cultivating a team that grows alongside the practice. It is a reminder that building a team is ultimately about relationships, investment, and shared vision, not simply filling positions.

From Founder to CEO

One of the most rewarding, and unsettling, parts of building a business is realizing that growth eventually requires a shift in identity. Starting a firm as a solo founder is deeply personal. In the early stages, every decision, every client interaction, and every success or failure rests squarely on your shoulders. There is a certain comfort in having complete control, even amid the uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship.

But growth changes the equation.

As the firm expands, so does the workload. From bringing on both legal and admin side support to adding team members to building a company culture… it’s not just about clients and owning my own business anymore. The role necessarily evolves from founder to leader. That transition can be intimidating because it requires letting go of the mindset that you must personally handle everything yourself. The skills that help launch a business are not always the same skills required to scale one.

And understanding too that the people that got you to this point in your life and business may not be the right person to get you to the next era.

Building a team means learning how to delegate, trust others, create systems, and think beyond the immediate demands of the day-to-day practice. It means shifting focus from simply producing work to building an organization capable of producing excellent work consistently and sustainably. That transition carries a different kind of pressure because decisions no longer affect only you, they affect the people who are investing their time, careers, and trust into the vision you are building. And of course your clients. Because they come first and they can’t see or feel these evolutions.

There is also an emotional component to growth that people rarely discuss openly. Expanding from a solo operation into a true team can feel vulnerable. Every hire becomes both an investment and a responsibility. You begin to recognize that leadership is not simply about ambition or strategy; it is about stewardship.

At the same time, that challenge is what makes growth meaningful. Watching the firm develop into something larger than myself, than just one individual is both humbling and energizing. The goal is no longer merely to build a law firm dedicated to the creator economy, but to build a business that can run on its own. A business with its own unique approach and culture, a company that creates opportunities for others, and establishes an institution capable of lasting well beyond its founder.

And one that allows me as a person to create a life beyond my business too. But that's the part I can’t fully expand on yet, so here’s what I have so far:

Quote of the Month 

Being Seen Beyond the Mask

The biggest unlock in my life has honestly come over the last few months, and it’s been quieter and more personal than I expected.

I used to share a lot more personal life stuff online, 1 because I felt like I “had” to in order to grow because it was “real” and people wanted authenticity but 2 because I enjoyed doing so.

But in the last 7 months I’ve gone way more quiet on social media about my day to day life and the in betweens. It wasn’t initially intentional, although now it is. It was just because I couldn't share what was happening for various reasons. And because I no longer wanted to life my life for others. Or invite commentary to my life.

We’re flying the plane as we build it here. And personally, retrospective content to me is way more beneficial and enjoyable. We can show the messy middle later, not as we’re trying to survive it.

Some of those reasons I couldn't share were just not about me alone so let’s talk about them now.

The unlocks start happening when you meet someone who truly sees you, not the version you present when you’re “on” for the world, not the curated self that shows up for your business, your career, or even your friends, but you as the person behind the brand.

The version of you that doesn’t have anything to prove. The version that is still figuring things out, still carrying weight, still learning how to rest.

I didn’t realize how much energy it takes to constantly be in performance mode until I experienced what it feels like to be around someone who doesn’t require it. Someone who notices when you’re tired without you having to say it. Someone who can sit in silence with you and not try to fill it, fix it, or rush past it. Someone who sees consistency in who you are, not just achievement.

That kind of presence changes your internal world. It doesn’t just make you feel supported; it makes you feel understood in a way that lets you put things down you didn’t even realize you were carrying. It gives you permission to be less armored. More honest. More human.

And maybe most surprisingly, it starts to shift how you show up in every other part of life. Work doesn’t feel like it requires as much proving. Success feels less like something you have to chase at the expense of yourself. Even ambition starts to feel more grounded, less anxious, more intentional.

I hope everyone gets to experience that kind of love, respect, and friendship in this lifetime, the kind that doesn’t ask you to shrink or perform, but simply meets you where you are and stays there.

Especially my fellow eldest daughters. The ones who learned early how to hold everything together, how to be capable, how to be the one others rely on. You deserve spaces where you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. Where you’re allowed to be soft, uncertain, and fully seen and still completely valued.

Side note - I don’t think they read this but I’m beyond grateful for this friendship and I’m glad I get to share these insights with you all here. 

Outro

What ties all of this together, at least for me right now, is the realization that growth, whether in a firm, a career, or a personal life, is never just about output. It’s about people. It’s about how honestly we communicate with them, how intentionally we build with them, and how willing we are to let ourselves be seen by them.

Whether it’s giving clearer feedback to help someone grow, choosing networks that actually lead to aligned teams, or learning to step from founder into leader, the common thread is clarity and connection. The kind that doesn’t just make things easier in the moment, but makes them better in the long run.

And then, on the other side of all the structure and strategy, there’s the quieter work, learning what it means to be fully seen, and how rare it is to find spaces where you don’t have to be “on” to belong.

If there’s a lesson in all of this, it’s that building anything meaningful requires both: precision in how we lead, and softness in how we let ourselves be known.

The goal, ultimately, isn’t just to build something successful. It’s to build something we’re proud of and to live a life we love. A reality where both precision and softness are true at the same time.

Keep Up With Kayla and Kayla Moran Law

Let’s make May a month of purpose, passion, and productivity.

Thanks for reading!

Talk soon,

Kayla