Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:47 — 25.7MB) | Embed Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
When Kristen Porter launched O*NO Legal, she almost didn’t go through with it.
The world was shutting down, uncertainty was everywhere, and starting a new business seemed like a huge risk.
But what looked like terrible timing turned out to be the perfect opportunity.
In this episode of Courageous Conversations with host Leanne Pilkington, Kristen shares how she built a new type of law firm that offers real estate professionals flexible legal solutions, plain English advice, and a new approach to compliance.
She also reveals her secrets to scaling a business, setting strong boundaries, and embracing AI while keeping the human touch.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to navigate challenges, build smarter systems, and future-proof your business, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned? Stop asking ‘How do I do this?’ and start asking ‘Who can help me do this?’ Delegation is the key to scaling any business.” – Kristen Porter
10 things you’ll learn in this episode:
- How COVID-19 unexpectedly benefited Kristen’s virtual legal service model
Timestamp: 1-minute - The origin story behind the name “O*NO Legal”
Timestamp: 2-minutes
- How Kristen’s guided DIY approach makes legal services more accessible
Timestamp: 4-minutes
- The innovative “traffic light system” for simplifying legal advice
Timestamp: 6-minutes
- Kristen’s journey from marketing student to legal entrepreneur
Timestamp: 7-minutes
- The importance of documentation and procedures for business growth
Timestamp: 9-minutes
- How a six-week European holiday forced team independence
Timestamp: 10-minutes
- The challenge of letting go as a “perfectionist control freak”
Timestamp: 10-minutes
- Kristen’s strategic approach to AI implementation in legal services
Timestamp: 12-minutes
- Future plans for O*NO Legal’s membership model focusing on HR and compliance
Timestamp: 15-minutes
Links
LinkedIn
O*NO Legal
Zenovate Marketing IG
Detailed Episode Guide
This episode of Courageous Conversations is hosted by Leanne Pilkington, who welcomes Kristen Porter, founder of O*NO Legal. The two have a history, having both worked with Lang and Simmons in previous roles before embarking on their respective ownership journeys around the same time.
The Birth of O*NO Legal
Kristen launched her firm in March 2020, just as COVID-19 was beginning to reshape the world. What might have seemed like terrible timing turned out to be fortuitous. As Kristen explains, the pandemic accelerated the acceptance of virtual meetings, eliminating the need for physical offices and in-person consultations. This shift perfectly aligned with her vision for a more accessible legal service model.
The name “O*NO Legal” originated from a day when multiple executives and agents came to Kristen with problems they needed fixed, prompting her to repeatedly exclaim “Oh no!” The name stuck, reflecting the firm’s personality and brand attribute of not taking life too seriously while helping clients avoid their own “Oh no” moments of regret.
Reimagining Legal Services for Real Estate Professionals
Kristen identified a significant gap in the legal services market, particularly for real estate professionals. Traditional law firms often dictate service delivery through hourly rates or fixed packages, leaving clients with little choice and sometimes surprising bills.
O*NO Legal’s innovative approach allows clients to choose their level of service, including a guided DIY option at a lower price point. This model makes quality legal advice accessible to smaller businesses with limited budgets, empowering them with the knowledge and tools to handle certain legal matters themselves.
Clear Communication: The Traffic Light System
One of O*NO Legal’s most distinctive features is its communication style. Kristen has developed a straightforward approach that provides clear “yes or no” answers followed by more detailed explanations if needed. For contract reviews, the firm uses a traffic light system with colour-coded sections that allow clients to quickly identify critical issues (red), potential concerns (orange), and acceptable terms (green).
This approach stems from Kristen’s own experience as a client, recognising that real estate professionals typically want direct answers without wading through pages of legal jargon. As Leanne notes, this clarity is refreshing compared to traditional verbose legal communications.
From Marketing to Law: A Dual Passion
Kristen’s journey began with a marketing degree before her mother suggested law might be a good fit. This dual background has influenced her unique approach to legal services and led to her latest venture, Zenovate Marketing, which will provide marketing services to professional service businesses.
Her marketing expertise is evident in O*NO Legal’s distinctive brand presence, which stands out from traditional law firms. Encouraged by a business coach to “unleash her personality” in her marketing, Kristen has created a memorable brand that reflects her approachable style.
Learning to Let Go: The Path to Scalable Growth
When asked about what she would do differently, Kristen highlights two key lessons: clearer messaging about the full range of services offered and earlier delegation through documented systems and processes.
The turning point came when Kristen took a six-week European holiday, forcing her team to operate independently. This experience taught her the importance of creating comprehensive documentation and establishing boundaries that prevented team members from defaulting to asking her for answers.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect was resisting the urge to critique different approaches when she returned. As Kristen explains, “Just because someone did something slightly different to the way I did it, I wasn’t to comment… If everything was fine, it just wasn’t exactly how I did it, don’t comment on it. Congratulate them because next time I take leave, if I came in and ripped everything apart, no one would make a decision ever again.”
Embracing AI While Maintaining the Human Element
O*NO Legal is strategically implementing AI in its operations, primarily in marketing functions currently. Kristen emphasizes the importance of balancing automation with human oversight: “I think we have to be embracing AI, but we cannot remove the human element. You can tell if AI has written something and someone hasn’t come over the top of it.”
For legal services specifically, Kristen notes additional considerations around privacy, confidentiality, and legal privilege that require careful implementation. The firm is exploring AI applications for due diligence tools that could analyse management agreements for consistency and compliance.
Future Vision: Expanding Membership Services
Looking ahead, Kristen is focused on stabilising after 64% growth last year before embarking on the next phase of expansion. A key priority is enhancing O*NO Legal’s membership offering to create an “irresistible offer” that includes HR support and guidance on upcoming regulatory changes such as anti-money laundering rules and privacy law reforms.
This membership model aims to provide small real estate businesses with compliance support without needing to employ dedicated compliance personnel—a timely solution as regulatory requirements increase.
Summary
Kristen Porter’s journey with O*NO Legal exemplifies how innovative thinking can transform traditional service models. By combining legal expertise with marketing savvy and a client-centred approach, she has created a firm that makes quality legal advice more accessible to real estate professionals.
Her willingness to embrace technology while maintaining the essential human element positions O*NO Legal at the forefront of legal service innovation. As regulatory requirements continue to evolve, Kristen’s vision for comprehensive, accessible compliance support through an enhanced membership model offers a valuable solution for real estate businesses navigating increasingly complex legal landscapes.
FAQ for Episode with Kristen Porter
1. Who is Kristen Porter?
Kristen Porter is the founder of O*NO Legal, a law firm specialising in real estate legal services, and the newly launched Zenovate Marketing. She has a background in both marketing and law and previously worked as legal counsel for the owners of Lang and Simmons.
2. When did Kristen launch O*NO Legal?
Kristen launched O*NO Legal in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Despite initial concerns about the timing, the pandemic actually benefited her business model by normalising virtual meetings with legal advisors.
3. Where did the name “O*NO Legal” come from?
The name originated from Kristen repeatedly saying “Oh no!” when executives and agents would come to her with problems they needed fixed. The name stuck as it reflected the firm’s personality and its mission to help clients avoid their own “Oh no” moments of regret.
4. What makes O*NO Legal different from traditional law firms?
O*NO Legal allows clients to choose their level of service, including a guided DIY option at a lower price point. They also use plain English communication with a “yes/no” format followed by detailed explanations if needed and a traffic light system for contract reviews that colour-codes issues by severity.
5. How does Kristen approach delegation and business growth?
Kristen learned to document processes and procedures, often through videos, to enable team independence. A pivotal moment was taking a six-week European holiday, which forced her team to operate without her immediate guidance. She also emphasises the importance of not criticising different approaches when they achieve the desired outcome.
6. How is O*NO Legal implementing AI in its operations?
Currently, AI is primarily used in marketing functions. For legal services, the firm is exploring applications like due diligence tools that could analyse management agreements for consistency and compliance while being mindful of privacy, confidentiality, and legal privilege considerations.
7. What is Zenovate Marketing?
Zenovate Marketing is Kristen’s newly launched business that provides marketing services to professional service businesses, leveraging her background and passion for marketing.
8. What are Kristen’s plans for O*NO Legal’s membership model?
Kristen plans to enhance the membership offering to include HR support and guidance on upcoming regulatory changes such as anti-money laundering rules and privacy law reforms. This aims to provide small real estate businesses with compliance support without needing to employ dedicated compliance personnel.
9. How has Kristen’s background in marketing influenced her approach to legal services?
Her marketing background has influenced O*NO Legal’s distinctive brand presence and communication style. It has also led to her latest venture, Zenovate Marketing, and informs her strategic approach to growing both businesses.
10. What growth has O*NO Legal experienced?
Kristen mentioned that O*NO Legal grew by 64% last year. She is currently focused on stabilising after this growth period before embarking on the next phase of expansion, particularly enhancing the membership offering.
