Latest / The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson / Pivot with Purpose: Letting Go to Grow With Krystal Hanks

Transcript

Pivot with Purpose: Letting Go to Grow With Krystal Hanks · The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson

0:37
Jennifer Johnson: The word pivot gets thrown around a lot in business.
0:41
Jennifer Johnson: But let's be honest.
0:43
Jennifer Johnson: Pivoting is one of the scariest and most challenging things that we can do in life and in business.
0:50
Jennifer Johnson: Whether it's changing direction in your business or making a major life change, pivoting requires courage, adaptability, and often a willingness to let go of what's familiar.
1:02
Jennifer Johnson: But here's what I've learned some of the most successful people and businesses are those who've mastered the art of strategic pivoting.
1:12
Jennifer Johnson: Today we have this pleasure of speaking with Krystal Hanks, who is not your typical attorney.
1:20
Jennifer Johnson: Before entering the legal profession, before entering the legal profession, she spent 20 years building and operating a multi-million dollar business in construction and roofing.
1:34
Jennifer Johnson: We're going to explore how to recognize when it's time to pivot, how to do it successfully, and why pivoting might be the most important skill in thriving in today's business world.
1:46
Jennifer Johnson: Welcome, Krystal.
1:48
Jennifer Johnson: Thank you for having me.
1:50
Jennifer Johnson: Absolutely.
1:51
Jennifer Johnson: Now I know our listeners are probably like, what?
1:55
Jennifer Johnson: Roofing construction to an attorney?
1:58
Jennifer Johnson: We're going to delve into that in just a minute because I am equally as intrigued.
2:03
Jennifer Johnson: I'm very curious as to how that happened.
2:06
Jennifer Johnson: But I want to start with the basics.
2:09
Jennifer Johnson: What do you consider as a pivot?
2:13
Jennifer Johnson: What's your definition?
2:15
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, um, I would define a pivot as a substantial, um, significant change in direction.
2:23
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, um it doesn't have to be a complete turnaround, but definitely a significant change in direction from you know where you're currently going.
2:33
Krystal Hanks: Okay.
2:34
Krystal Hanks: That's how I would would view it as well.
2:37
Jennifer Johnson: You know, we all have uh smaller pivots that we don't really think about in the time.
2:42
Jennifer Johnson: And then later we look at it and we're like, wow, how did I connect the dots there?
2:47
Jennifer Johnson: What what uh what uh what was that path?
2:51
Jennifer Johnson: So I'm curious, as I know our listeners are, what is your personal experience in doing that pivot?
2:57
Jennifer Johnson: I I talked at the very beginning about how you went from construction and roofing to the law profession.
3:03
Jennifer Johnson: How did that look?
3:04
Jennifer Johnson: How did that transpire?
3:07
Krystal Hanks: Well, um, I have wanted to be an attorney for about 20 years prior.
3:11
Krystal Hanks: It's something that was like kind of always in my heart, but really something that I thought was kind of an unobtainable goal.
3:18
Krystal Hanks: Um, I could never really lose leave my business for longer than five days.
3:22
Krystal Hanks: And so it kind of came about I began um interviewing um for a CEO.
3:29
Krystal Hanks: And in that interview, it kind of reignited like this dream of going to law school.
3:35
Krystal Hanks: And so I was already at the time like doing a lot of um, you know, corporate representation.
3:41
Krystal Hanks: You know, we had a lot of AOBs in Florida.
3:44
Krystal Hanks: So I was constantly what's an AO in the roofing industry, it was an assignment of benefits.
3:49
Krystal Hanks: So we would get these assignments of benefits, and then basically we would be the ones suing the insurance company.
3:55
Krystal Hanks: So I was constantly doing like arbitrations and depositions.
3:59
Krystal Hanks: So that kind of reignited it as well.
4:02
Krystal Hanks: And then, you know, I thought, well, I'm never gonna go to law school if I don't take the LSAT.
4:07
Krystal Hanks: So I decided I was gonna take the LSAT.
4:09
Krystal Hanks: So I, you know, set time aside, I did that, and then I was like, okay, well, I'm not gonna go to law school if I don't apply.
4:16
Krystal Hanks: So I applied and then I got accepted.
4:18
Krystal Hanks: And I was like, well, I'm guessing I'm going to law school.
4:21
Krystal Hanks: So it kind of really just happened just like that.
4:24
Jennifer Johnson: How did that feel?
4:26
Jennifer Johnson: Because you said that you've wanted to do this for 20 years.
4:29
Jennifer Johnson: And let me go back to before how do you feel?
4:33
Jennifer Johnson: What was the reason?
4:35
Jennifer Johnson: Why for 20 years was it that specific thing that you wanted to go to school for?
4:40
Jennifer Johnson: What was it that intrigued you with that?
4:42
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, I think it's because um I love business and um I've worked with many attorneys over the year, and I like really respect the legal profession.
4:51
Krystal Hanks: But a lot of attorneys are attorneys who have never had any experience in business.
4:56
Krystal Hanks: I've had a lot of bad experiences with attorneys, or just if they had known how to ask the right questions, then like I would have made a different decision in how I pursued, you know, litigation or how you know what my strategy would be, or do I want to deal with this?
5:12
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, I think a big part of it is just you know, wanting to be able to provide that excellence and service as an attorney.
5:21
Krystal Hanks: And, you know, as a roofer, also, you know, doing AOBs and you know, working with attorneys all the time.
5:27
Krystal Hanks: It's like we were, you know, I was like the middleman, or you know, the the attorneys were the middleman, really.
5:33
Krystal Hanks: So I really wanted to kind of cut out the middleman.
5:36
Krystal Hanks: But I thought I would be doing a lot more property insurance claims, but I'm doing a lot more business law.
5:41
Krystal Hanks: I'm doing a lot more litigation.
5:43
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, I'm doing less property insurance claims than than what I thought.
5:47
Krystal Hanks: So the path has kind of changed, but that's kind of you know what made me want to, you know, be in that profession.
5:55
Jennifer Johnson: So, how did it feel once you made that decision and you started on that path?
6:00
Krystal Hanks: I mean, it was scary.
6:02
Krystal Hanks: You know, I mean it was a huge sacrifice for my family.
6:05
Krystal Hanks: I've been the CFO, I've been the COO of our businesses for, you know, 20 years.
6:10
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, for my family, it was gonna be, you know, my absence from the business was very evident, you know, and so everybody having to kind of pick up the pick up different, you know, roles, wear different hats, and fill in the gaps from where, you know, I couldn't be there.
6:27
Krystal Hanks: And I did, you know, continue to work in our businesses, but that first year was really, really hard.
6:33
Krystal Hanks: I mean, it was typical for me to, you know, go to bed at 12 or one o'clock in the morning and have to wake up at five or six in the morning just to finish my work.
6:42
Krystal Hanks: Like it was, it was very like, can I do this?
6:45
Krystal Hanks: Like it was it was scary, it was hard.
6:47
Krystal Hanks: I there were definitely times I thought, oh my gosh, am I too old to do this?
6:52
Jennifer Johnson: Oh wow.
6:53
Jennifer Johnson: Oh my gosh.
6:54
Jennifer Johnson: And I'm sure that people, I mean, I went back to school, I know what it feels like where you think that.
6:59
Jennifer Johnson: Right.
6:59
Jennifer Johnson: But we're never too old to learn.
7:01
Krystal Hanks: Absolutely, yeah.
7:02
Krystal Hanks: And going through it, it's like like it's I think it was so good for my kids to see as well.
7:08
Krystal Hanks: Um, it was really inspiring to them, and I think they really respect that.
7:12
Krystal Hanks: And I think it's really helped them to know that like you can do hard things.
7:15
Jennifer Johnson: Right.
7:16
Jennifer Johnson: You know, you know, how did that feel being an adult learning?
7:21
Jennifer Johnson: Do you think you got more out of the experience and maybe learned more because you had more experience?
7:27
Jennifer Johnson: Or I I'm curious about that part of being a student later in life.
7:31
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, I mean, the you know, the average age was like 26.
7:35
Krystal Hanks: So I was like, you know, almost could be a mom to some of these, you know, kids that were, you know, I mean, a lot of them were 21, 22 years old.
7:42
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, I'm going to school with a lot of young kids, but I do feel like it definitely um, you know, I had insight that other people didn't have when it came to, you know, to answering questions and just the thought process of this of like, okay, but this is like, you know, maybe very educational.
7:58
Krystal Hanks: It works like in in in, you know, in theory, but in the real world, it doesn't work like that because, you know, it's not, uh, it's just different in the real world.
8:08
Krystal Hanks: And so I definitely think that that contributed a lot to my experience at law school.
8:14
Krystal Hanks: And I mean, I loved it.
8:15
Krystal Hanks: It was a journey of growth and you know, proving that, you know, I'm not too old, and proving, you know, that if I'm not too old, guess what?
8:23
Krystal Hanks: You're not either.
8:24
Krystal Hanks: So I I think it's it's been a great experience.
8:27
Jennifer Johnson: It's a good lesson, like you said, for your kids and for anybody else who is an older learner and wanting to consider, well, you know, oh, I'm too old, and then they hear your story.
8:39
Jennifer Johnson: No, I'm not.
8:40
Jennifer Johnson: Like you went to law school.
8:42
Jennifer Johnson: You went to law school, which that's a long process.
8:47
Jennifer Johnson: That's very admirable.
8:49
Jennifer Johnson: Now, what are some of the signs for our listeners out there?
8:53
Jennifer Johnson: What are some of the signs that maybe it's time to do a pivot in their business or maybe it's in their life?
9:00
Jennifer Johnson: Did you have any signs like that?
9:02
Jennifer Johnson: Or have you seen signs that other people have said, you know what?
9:06
Jennifer Johnson: I realized this.
9:08
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, I think some of the signs um are that you're well, first of all, what you're work, what you're what you've always been doing, or what you're currently doing is no longer working.
9:19
Krystal Hanks: Um, also signs of, you know, I'm not passionate about this anymore.
9:24
Krystal Hanks: Like what I'm doing, like I'm burnt out.
9:26
Krystal Hanks: Like I feel like I need to do something different.
9:30
Krystal Hanks: Like the thought of, you know, you know, it's scary, but at the same time, it's like I'm tired of doing what I used to do, and I feel stuck, and you know, and my growth feels stagnant.
9:40
Krystal Hanks: And I don't like that.
9:42
Krystal Hanks: I'm a person's always learning and growing and wanting to be better.
9:45
Krystal Hanks: And so with learning and growing, then pivot is natural because you're not going to, you can't stay where you are.
9:53
Krystal Hanks: You know, you have to pivot in order to continue that that path of growth.
9:59
Jennifer Johnson: Would you say so that it's more of a natural feeling, like a gut feeling?
10:03
Jennifer Johnson: I think so, yeah.
10:05
Jennifer Johnson: So you talked about fear.
10:08
Jennifer Johnson: You just said something about fear.
10:11
Jennifer Johnson: And how how was that process?
10:15
Jennifer Johnson: Because I can't even imagine leaving the company that your, you know, your main company to go do something like law school and and break out and do your own thing.
10:26
Jennifer Johnson: What role does fear play in that that pivoting process?
10:31
Krystal Hanks: I think it's um it's a very natural, um, it's a very natural feeling.
10:37
Krystal Hanks: And especially for me, I'm a person that um I like to know what's like next.
10:44
Krystal Hanks: I'm a I'm a planner, I like to be in control.
10:47
Krystal Hanks: So the fear of the unknown and like, oh my gosh, like, are my businesses gonna make it without me?
10:53
Krystal Hanks: Like, what's gonna happen?
10:54
Krystal Hanks: Like, everybody depends on me.
10:55
Krystal Hanks: I don't want to let anyone down.
10:57
Krystal Hanks: I mean, there's you know, that constant, you know, gibberish in your head that's going on.
11:02
Krystal Hanks: Um, and so I think that's fear is a very real part of making that change.
11:08
Krystal Hanks: And I think you have to just you have to overcome it because if you don't, it paralyzes you and then it prevents you from you know fulfilling your destiny.
11:17
Krystal Hanks: So you have to do it even if you're afraid.
11:19
Krystal Hanks: Like you just have to, I feel like it's like you just have to be a hundred percent committed and then just do it even if you're afraid.
11:26
Krystal Hanks: And then as you start doing it, then it's like that fear dissipates, and you know, it starts feeling like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad.
11:34
Krystal Hanks: I'm so thankful that like I decided to step out and do this.
11:38
Jennifer Johnson: Looking back in retrospect, absolutely, it was the right decision.
11:42
Jennifer Johnson: Uh, you know, I I am sure you've heard the saying, do it scared.
11:46
Jennifer Johnson: And sometimes that's the fuel, I think, that that moves us forward.
11:51
Jennifer Johnson: So moving from fear to judgment, I am sure, as you know, everybody's on the outside looking in and going, why is she doing this?
12:03
Jennifer Johnson: Why is she doing that?
12:04
Jennifer Johnson: Right, there's always people who are going to be judgy.
12:07
Jennifer Johnson: How do you handle the judgment from other people, from whether it's it within your company or maybe it's family who are in the background having those conversations?
12:18
Jennifer Johnson: How do you deal with that?
12:20
Krystal Hanks: Well, um, I guess for me, I have I'm I'm like who I am all the time, right?
12:26
Krystal Hanks: So I don't I don't really have an issue with people not understanding what I'm doing or you know, a fear of their judgment.
12:35
Krystal Hanks: And I also, I mean, my my husband and my kids were very supportive.
12:40
Krystal Hanks: My team was very supportive, so I'm really thankful for that.
12:43
Krystal Hanks: But for me, it was like one of those things that like I had to make a decision, and other people aren't going to always understand what your journey is, they don't understand, you know, what is best for you, and so you can't be paralyzed by what other people think, like they don't live your life, you know.
13:00
Krystal Hanks: You have to get past that.
13:02
Krystal Hanks: So for me, it's it's easy because it's like I'm gonna be who I am no matter what, and you can either come alongside me and support me and be happy for me, or don't, but I'm still gonna do it either way.
13:13
Jennifer Johnson: That's a really great message.
13:15
Jennifer Johnson: It's I'm doing it.
15:42
Jennifer Johnson: I'm doing it my way.
15:44
Jennifer Johnson: So looking back or looking forward to somebody who's listening to this, we all go through rough patches in our businesses and our lives.
15:59
Jennifer Johnson: At what point?
16:01
Jennifer Johnson: Now I know we said that you know you feel it in your gut and everything, but at what point do you think somebody should move on or stay the course on something when you know what it's just it's not working?
16:16
Jennifer Johnson: It's not working.
16:16
Jennifer Johnson: Like, how long do you try?
16:20
Krystal Hanks: I think that that is like a very personal decision, right?
16:25
Krystal Hanks: I think you have to weigh the pros and the cons.
16:27
Krystal Hanks: And um, you know, have you have to look at like what is your what is your goal?
16:33
Krystal Hanks: Are you doing, are you doing, are you working toward your ultimate destiny?
16:41
Krystal Hanks: Like, what is that?
16:42
Krystal Hanks: What is your ultimate goal?
16:43
Krystal Hanks: What is your ultimate destiny?
16:45
Krystal Hanks: And sometimes, you know, everybody goes through rough and patches, but is that rough patch part of what you have to go through to get where you're going?
16:53
Krystal Hanks: Or is that just the constant like nothing's working?
16:57
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, it's like it's time to make a pivot.
17:00
Krystal Hanks: So I think you have to, that's a very like personal decision to look at.
17:04
Krystal Hanks: And I think for you know, for you know, anyone watching this, I would say that you know, looking at the pros and cons, and also um, you know, that's still something I feel like that you have to follow peace.
17:18
Krystal Hanks: You know, you have to know in your heart that like, okay, like this is really uncomfortable.
17:23
Krystal Hanks: You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable because that's how you grow and and that's how you don't stay stuck and stagnant.
17:30
Krystal Hanks: But I think it's a personal decision of am I fulfilled here?
17:35
Krystal Hanks: Am I, you know, is this part of the journey?
17:37
Krystal Hanks: And so I just have to stay committed and go through it.
17:40
Krystal Hanks: Because even when I was going to law school, it was like it was really hard, you know.
17:44
Krystal Hanks: I mean, there was definitely times that, like I said, I mean, there were times that I thought, gosh, am I too old to do this?
17:50
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, and and also seeing the effect on like my family and my business.
17:55
Krystal Hanks: I mean, there was a lot of sacrifices there, right?
17:57
Krystal Hanks: So it could have been like, is this a mistake?
18:00
Krystal Hanks: Like, maybe I shouldn't be doing this.
18:02
Krystal Hanks: And that definitely crosses my mind, you know, during that process.
18:06
Krystal Hanks: But I think that's a personal decision, and you just kind of know whether, you know, you are going through a rough patch, and it's like, okay, maybe we need to regroup and make some changes here, but I'm still happy and doing what it is that I'm doing and pursuing this, or I'm not, I'm not, I'm not passionate anymore.
18:24
Krystal Hanks: I'm not satisfied, I'm you know, I'm not fulfilled.
18:27
Krystal Hanks: And then it's like, okay, then you have to make that change, and that way you can, you know, you can start feeling that, and you're gonna feel pain either way.
18:36
Krystal Hanks: So, do you want the pain of regret, or do you want the pain of going through something very difficult, you know, to obtain your goal and to like get the reward of that?
18:47
Jennifer Johnson: Because regret is a very different feeling than having to go through the pain of of actually doing.
18:53
Jennifer Johnson: Do you think a lot of it helped you when you sat down and asked your why?
18:58
Jennifer Johnson: Why am I doing this?
19:00
Jennifer Johnson: Why do I want to do this?
19:02
Krystal Hanks: Definitely.
19:03
Krystal Hanks: I think so.
19:04
Krystal Hanks: Because it's it's easy, like for me for our businesses.
19:07
Krystal Hanks: I mean, these were my babies, like to step away from them.
19:10
Krystal Hanks: Like I said, I mean, previous to me going to law school, I could never, I mean, if we even if we went on vacation, like I was always working on vacation, I could never step away for longer than five days.
19:22
Krystal Hanks: And even then I was working, right?
19:24
Krystal Hanks: You know, it's like I was oh, so the thought of like, oh, like going to law school is like like that's a joke, you know what I mean?
19:31
Krystal Hanks: How can I ever step away?
19:33
Krystal Hanks: But then when I kind of just started moving in that direction, it's amazing how like like God like puts his super to your natural and he meets you like where you are.
19:44
Krystal Hanks: And so I really believe that's a big part of you know the process of just stepping out and moving in that direction, and then God meets you where you are, and somehow it just works out.
19:55
Krystal Hanks: It's it's a God moment, really.
19:58
Jennifer Johnson: It is for sure.
19:59
Jennifer Johnson: So once you actually decided to make that pivot, what was your first step and and what would you suggest to our listeners as to the first step that they can take before they execute this big change that they're thinking of?
20:19
Krystal Hanks: Well, I think the first step would to be a hundred percent committed, like you know, clarity, you need clarity to make a pivot.
20:27
Krystal Hanks: And so you need to know like, what is this going to take?
20:30
Krystal Hanks: And am I going to be willing to be 100% committed to this?
20:35
Krystal Hanks: And then, you know, knowing what it is, okay, this is what I need to do.
20:40
Krystal Hanks: Like, I've got to take the LSAT, then I've got to apply, like, this is gonna take time away from my business, this is gonna take time away from my family, knowing this, this is a three-year commitment, right?
20:50
Krystal Hanks: Like, I think that knowing that and saying, am I willing to do this?
20:54
Krystal Hanks: Because once you commit, like you need to be 100% committed and follow through with it.
20:59
Krystal Hanks: And so then you can start taking, you know, even baby steps towards that.
21:03
Krystal Hanks: You know, like I said, I took the LSAT first, and then, you know, I'm moving slowly in that direction before I even really pivoted truly, you know, before I actually took the step of going to law school.
21:14
Krystal Hanks: So it's like in between that time, I'm getting my ducks in a row.
21:18
Krystal Hanks: I'm, you know, saying, okay, you know, financially, what do I need to do here?
21:22
Krystal Hanks: Like, how is this going to work with my family?
21:24
Krystal Hanks: Like, who's going to fill in the gaps for our business?
21:26
Krystal Hanks: And I mean, there's a lot of work that went into it.
21:28
Krystal Hanks: A lot of people, you know, really did step up and, you know, support me.
21:33
Krystal Hanks: And that is helpful.
21:34
Krystal Hanks: Like, if you don't have that, you know, then you have to plan a little bit more.
21:39
Krystal Hanks: But, you know, don't be afraid to do it alone.
21:41
Krystal Hanks: I mean, there's lots of pivots I've made in my life that like I had to just do it on, you know, on my own alone with no support.
21:48
Krystal Hanks: So you can do it.
21:49
Krystal Hanks: You can do hard things.
21:51
Jennifer Johnson: Well, I think that's that's really the the crux of the story here is you can do hard things and and you have all along.
21:59
Jennifer Johnson: The one thing that really intrigues me is the practicality of what it was that you had to do within your business to make this pivot to going to law school because you were running a successful business.
22:13
Jennifer Johnson: You had a lot of people that you had to make sure that they were taken care of financially, not just in your family, but also in your business.
22:22
Jennifer Johnson: I mean, did you put together like a uh a playbook as to how people were supposed to do all of their jobs so that you could step away?
22:31
Jennifer Johnson: Or or what did that look like?
22:34
Krystal Hanks: I would love to say that I did that.
22:36
Krystal Hanks: But you know, once I started like taking the ill site, I mean, you could just kind of see me disappearing.
22:41
Krystal Hanks: Like, I mean, I was really like, you know, I really was more checked out at this point.
22:46
Krystal Hanks: It was like I was kind of already a hundred percent committed.
22:49
Krystal Hanks: But we did hire a CEO, and I'm really thankful for that time.
22:52
Krystal Hanks: Um we ended up letting him go like after the it was about uh a month before my finals of the first year.
22:59
Krystal Hanks: And so that didn't work out, but that first year was really, really important, like in law school, because like you don't really have time to like, you know, I couldn't really manage our business or anything, you know, during that first year because there just wasn't enough hours in the day.
23:15
Krystal Hanks: I didn't even have enough hours in the day to sleep, you know.
23:18
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, but it's like it's funny how that worked out.
23:21
Krystal Hanks: Like year two and three were much easier to manage, and I could be much more involved in our business.
23:27
Krystal Hanks: And so it's like, you know, God brought somebody in for you know the time that we needed it, and then it didn't work out, but it was okay after that.
23:36
Krystal Hanks: I was able to still, you know, contribute and then you know, build up to the time when you know I was um finishing law school and because everybody knew like I'm not coming back, I'm starting my own firm, and so you know, and I still, you know, I still have input, I still, you know, oversee, you know, some things and help in that because it's my husband's business.
23:56
Krystal Hanks: So sure um, you know, my work's never done.
24:00
Jennifer Johnson: Right.
24:00
Jennifer Johnson: So the other part that I'm really interested in is as you were doing this pivot, how did you leverage the existing skills that you had and maybe existing relationships or resources?
24:14
Jennifer Johnson: How did that all fit into the pivoting picture?
24:18
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, I think that that's like a natural part of you know, pivoting is that you are bringing with you these skills.
24:27
Krystal Hanks: You're bringing with you these resources.
24:29
Krystal Hanks: They not they might not be great, right?
24:31
Krystal Hanks: And the the relationships as well.
24:33
Krystal Hanks: I mean, when I became an attorney, like in Naples, I really didn't have the relationships.
24:38
Krystal Hanks: I mean from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
24:40
Krystal Hanks: I have, you know, I we know everybody there, like everybody knows us there, right?
24:44
Krystal Hanks: So I actually am a licensed attorney in in Tulsa and Oklahoma.
24:48
Krystal Hanks: Um, I'm saying Oklahoma and Florida.
24:51
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, the relationship building was not something that I mean, I started doing that after I became an attorney.
24:58
Krystal Hanks: And, you know, um, the Lord like really opened a lot of amazing doors.
25:02
Krystal Hanks: And I've had amazing mentors, and he brought those into my life after the fact, right?
25:07
Krystal Hanks: That's not something I brought with me.
25:09
Krystal Hanks: But the skills of just, you know, being in business for 20 years, having a different perspective, like going through lawsuits, understanding the real stress, the pain, the you know, difficulty of going through that, the financial stress, just the stress of keeping you up at night.
25:23
Krystal Hanks: Those things, like I had already been through that, and also seeing what attorneys did wrong, you know, that I'm like, okay, well, I can learn from this.
25:31
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, and me as an attorney now, that really helps me because I have a different perspective and insight that I bring to my clients, but I also like, you know, talk to them about like the real, you know, do you want to pursue this?
25:45
Krystal Hanks: You really need to understand what the risk is and you need to understand what this is going to cost.
25:50
Krystal Hanks: And I think that's an important, it's an important thing that a lot of attorneys don't really, you know, talk to you about.
25:56
Krystal Hanks: And I think that's why there's so much distrust, you know, in the legal profession is because there's a lack of um, there's a lack of just openness.
26:06
Krystal Hanks: And maybe it's because they don't have that experience and they haven't gone through it themselves and they don't have the business background, but that just, you know, that comes natural to me.
26:14
Krystal Hanks: So I it works really well for what I do and how I would serve my clients.
26:19
Jennifer Johnson: And that is a competitive advantage.
26:21
Jennifer Johnson: And when you were saying that, I was thinking in my head, oh my gosh, your competitive advantage is the fact that you are a business owner first and foremost.
26:28
Jennifer Johnson: Right.
26:28
Jennifer Johnson: You understand that whole microcosm.
26:31
Jennifer Johnson: Whereas somebody who goes, you know, and does the traditional path of going through law school right after college and so on and so forth, they have no idea.
26:39
Jennifer Johnson: They they haven't been immersed in that.
26:41
Jennifer Johnson: So it's very hard to just to talk about that.
26:44
Krystal Hanks: It isn't even understanding like the subject talk, you know, the subject of what it is like, you know, you have a case and you know, it's about construction.
26:52
Krystal Hanks: Well, you know, I'm I'm the qualifier.
26:54
Krystal Hanks: I'm you know, I'm a Florida qualifier for you know, roofing contractor.
26:57
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, with that, it's like I have a very technical, I understand roofing, I understand roofing businesses, I understand the struggles they go through.
27:07
Krystal Hanks: I, you know, there's I understand the permitting process.
27:09
Krystal Hanks: Like there's a lot of things that I understand that if you don't understand, like you aren't gonna necessarily best serve your client because you don't you don't understand like how you know that basically it helps me strategically know what steps to take, right?
27:25
Krystal Hanks: It makes you competitive.
27:27
Krystal Hanks: Absolutely.
27:29
Jennifer Johnson: So what are some of the unexpected benefits that came out of this pivot that you really didn't anticipate at the forefront of it?
27:38
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, so I feel like you know, I've been the CFO and the CO of our businesses for, you know, 20 years.
27:44
Krystal Hanks: And um, you know, with that, I've all I'm the person that's always in the background making everything work, right?
27:51
Krystal Hanks: So I've never really had, you know, I I would have told you like prior to law school that like I was a naturally social introvert.
27:59
Krystal Hanks: And then, you know, after going to law school, and then like I'm doing a lot of networking, I'm like meeting attorneys, I'm doing all these things, and like my personality type, like when you have I've taken the 16personalities.com tests, like prior and then after law school, two completely different, you know, I was a defender now with with a naturally social introvert, and now I'm a um an executive and I'm like um I'm very extroverted.
28:26
Krystal Hanks: And look at you blossoming.
28:28
Krystal Hanks: Isn't that funny?
28:28
Krystal Hanks: I think that's what it did.
28:30
Krystal Hanks: It got me out of my shell, and like, you know, naturally like nobody wants to go somewhere where like where they don't know anyone, and it's like, oh, I have to go make friends with people, and like that's scary, right?
28:40
Krystal Hanks: You're like just biting your nails.
28:42
Krystal Hanks: I don't want to do this, and I still get nervous about it if I know I'm going somewhere that I don't know anyone, but it's like, guess what?
28:48
Krystal Hanks: I force myself to do it anyways because you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable because that's how you grow.
28:54
Krystal Hanks: And if you don't do those things, like I can't tell you how many relationships have been forged and like really beneficial, like mentor relationships, relationships where they've given me referrals that like I thought, why am I doing this?
29:06
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, I've already, you know, had lunch with this person twice, like they're not gonna give me referrals, like you know, and I do it anyways, even though because I'm like, I'm going, right?
29:15
Krystal Hanks: I'm just I'm committed, and then you know, beautiful things come out of that relationship and they end up being like very, very valuable relationships and mentorships, and it's like doing it afraid, doing it anyways, even though you feel like like you don't want to, and it's like oh I'm nervous, my tummy is hurting, like you know, all of that.
29:34
Krystal Hanks: Taking a screaming, yeah.
29:37
Krystal Hanks: And then when you go, you start getting used to it, you meet you know, more people that you actually know, and like you know, it then it's like it's actually it's actually fun, right.
29:47
Jennifer Johnson: So, what what would you say the biggest lesson that you learned about yourself throughout this journey was?
29:57
Krystal Hanks: I would say that the biggest lesson that I learned um is that I can genuinely do hard things.
30:05
Krystal Hanks: And I I've always been a diligent and um just fully committed person that like you know, everything I do, I do with my whole heart is just how I was raised.
30:15
Krystal Hanks: But I think, I mean, I'm the first person in my family to, you know, go to college, first person to ever go to law school, right?
30:22
Krystal Hanks: So, you know, these are things that um, you know, were not really passed down to me.
30:27
Krystal Hanks: And so knowing that I could do this, and not only that, but doing it as a second career and then starting my own law firm straight out of law school.
30:37
Krystal Hanks: I mean, everybody, like, you know, every professor, all the people are like, oh, you can't do that.
30:41
Krystal Hanks: You have to go work for a firm for a year or two.
30:44
Krystal Hanks: You gotta do it, right?
30:45
Krystal Hanks: And I'm like, you know, I I did an interview and I thought, um, literally, I pay some of these people, you know, in my own company a lot more money than what they offered me.
30:56
Krystal Hanks: And I'm like, it's I I can't do it.
30:58
Krystal Hanks: Like, it's just it, it's not worth it for my family.
31:01
Krystal Hanks: Like it's gonna be another huge sacrifice.
31:03
Krystal Hanks: And I'm like, I I just to me, it was like the piece that I knew that God gave me that like this isn't for you.
31:10
Krystal Hanks: I actually counteroffered a um a firm who gave me an offer and they withdrew their offer.
31:15
Krystal Hanks: And I was like, Well, God, you answered my question.
31:18
Krystal Hanks: I'm starting my own firm.
31:20
Krystal Hanks: Sometimes they hit us over the head, right?
31:23
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, so sometimes not so much, but it was scary, and it's it's it's been amazing.
31:30
Krystal Hanks: Like um, we actually our first year, we already um our law firm has already won Best of Florida in two different categories.
31:38
Krystal Hanks: So I think that's really cool.
31:40
Krystal Hanks: Um, I'm really excited.
31:42
Krystal Hanks: I'm really excited about the future what God has for us.
31:45
Jennifer Johnson: That is so wonderful.
31:46
Jennifer Johnson: So as we start to wrap up, if someone listening right now feels stuck but they're still scared to make any changes, what would be your advice to them for their first step?
32:00
Krystal Hanks: For their first step, if they feel stuck, is start do the pros and cons list, really, and like say, like, is this where I want to be in 10 years from now?
32:13
Krystal Hanks: And when you really look at it like that, like then I think that that helps you make a decision.
32:20
Krystal Hanks: You know, is where I'm at right now and what I'm doing right now, am I gonna be okay with this in 10 years?
32:25
Krystal Hanks: Because if you don't make the pivot, you're gonna be where you are right now in 10 years.
32:31
Krystal Hanks: So it's like I said, it goes back to that pain of the pain of regret, the pain of staying the same, or the pain of going through.
32:39
Krystal Hanks: It's gonna be really hard.
32:40
Krystal Hanks: You're gonna have to do hard things, just gonna be really uncomfortable.
32:43
Krystal Hanks: And but on the other side of that, there's gonna be this great benefit of accomplishing your dream and you know, becoming this stronger, more capable person.
32:55
Jennifer Johnson: Great advice, really great advice because sometimes the and most of the time, the pain of regret is far worse than actually going through the thing, whatever the thing is.
33:06
Jennifer Johnson: Yes.
33:06
Jennifer Johnson: Are you ready for our final four?
33:08
Jennifer Johnson: Sure.
33:09
Jennifer Johnson: All right.
33:10
Jennifer Johnson: The final four is something that I do with every guest that I have on the show, and I just love hearing people's answers.
33:16
Jennifer Johnson: So the first question is what is your favorite book that you have read and what made it stick with you?
33:24
Krystal Hanks: I would say a favorite book that I've read recently, I'll say recently, okay, is The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins.
33:32
Krystal Hanks: Oh yes.
33:34
Krystal Hanks: I really like a lot.
33:36
Krystal Hanks: Great book.
33:37
Krystal Hanks: I I really like that because for me, I I'm I like, you know, I like to control.
33:44
Krystal Hanks: Um, you know, I want everybody, like I want to be the best version of myself.
33:48
Krystal Hanks: I want, you know, I want other people to live, you know, to be the best versions of themselves, but you can't change other people.
33:55
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, I think what made it stick is just the fact that when you let them, whatever that is, right?
34:02
Krystal Hanks: You know, if it's a relationship with your dad, if it's a relationship with your mom, what you know, your child, and they're not doing the things that you think that they should be doing, um, but you let them and you just see them where they're at, then it releases you from resentment, bitterness, you know, that um judgment against them, and it helps you just love them the way they are.
34:24
Krystal Hanks: It doesn't mean that you have to, you know, continue, you know, putting up with things that you should not continue putting up with, but it's just, you know what, if that's the if that's the life that you're gonna choose, choose it.
34:35
Krystal Hanks: But I don't have to be part of that.
34:37
Krystal Hanks: And I don't have to, um, I don't have to be um affected by that.
34:41
Krystal Hanks: I can choose to let you do that, love you anyways, even if it's from afar.
34:46
Krystal Hanks: And so I think that's that's that was really helpful to me.
34:50
Jennifer Johnson: Yeah, it was a great book.
34:51
Jennifer Johnson: It really was.
34:52
Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a favorite quote or piece of advice that you find yourself coming back to time and time again?
35:00
Krystal Hanks: Um, yes, definitely.
35:02
Krystal Hanks: Um, I'll have to, I'd have to say probably a couple.
35:07
Krystal Hanks: If can I say two?
35:08
Krystal Hanks: Okay.
35:09
Krystal Hanks: One of them is um be true to thine own self.
35:14
Krystal Hanks: And so that comes from a play, um, a Shakespeare play in Hamlet.
35:18
Krystal Hanks: And really what it means is that like if we are not true to ourselves, we can't be true to other people.
35:24
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, so many times people are living a life or they're, you know, doing the things they're doing for everybody else.
35:30
Krystal Hanks: They're not being true to themselves, and we have to be honest with ourselves, and then a result of that is that we will be honest with other people, and so I think I love that, but also um my mom who passed away unexpectedly, she had a quote, and her quote was, Mama, don't take no shit.
35:48
Krystal Hanks: And so I incorporate that as well because you know what?
35:54
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, I'm too old to put up with some of these things, and I'm just not gonna do it.
35:59
Krystal Hanks: And so I mean that's a good one.
36:04
Jennifer Johnson: That's really good.
36:05
Jennifer Johnson: Um, what habit or practice that you have used over the years has genuinely changed your life for the better?
36:17
Krystal Hanks: Oh, that's hard because I feel like I've um I've had a lot of you know practices and a lot of habits.
36:24
Krystal Hanks: Um when I commit to something, I'm 100% committed.
36:29
Krystal Hanks: So I would say for me, I give my all to whatever it is.
36:34
Krystal Hanks: If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right.
36:36
Krystal Hanks: And so I think that that has been life-changing for me.
36:40
Krystal Hanks: And it's a big part of how I have been able to accomplish what I have.
36:44
Krystal Hanks: And, you know, I use it with my kids as well.
36:46
Krystal Hanks: Like, you know, anything worth doing is worth doing right.
36:49
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, give your all to whatever it is.
36:53
Krystal Hanks: And even if you're not being rewarded where you're at, like God will reward that and you will be promoted.
36:59
Jennifer Johnson: Mm-hmm.
36:59
Jennifer Johnson: That's great.
37:00
Krystal Hanks: Love it.
37:01
Jennifer Johnson: And if you could have dinner with anyone, who would you choose and why?
37:07
Krystal Hanks: If I could have dinner with anybody, it would be my mom who passed away unexpectedly.
37:11
Krystal Hanks: And I would do um anything just to see her face and to hug her, and you know, to hear her talk about anything that she wanted to talk about, where I was fully engaged and not too busy, you know, with life and you know, business and everything else that I just wasn't listening.
37:29
Krystal Hanks: And so, you know, never take your family for granted.
37:32
Krystal Hanks: And I would do anything just to have dinner with my mom again.
37:36
Jennifer Johnson: That's beautiful.
37:37
Krystal Hanks: That is beautiful.
37:39
Jennifer Johnson: Krystal, I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together today.
37:43
Jennifer Johnson: I just I love your journey.
37:45
Jennifer Johnson: I love how bold you were to say, you know what, no, this is what I want, and I'm going for it.
37:50
Jennifer Johnson: And I love it.
37:51
Jennifer Johnson: It's such a great lesson for our audience and such a great thing for them to hear.
37:56
Jennifer Johnson: If our audience would like to connect with you, how can they do so?
37:59
Krystal Hanks: Yeah, find me on social media.
38:01
Krystal Hanks: They can also reach out to me by email.
38:03
Krystal Hanks: My email is kh like krystalhanks@ krystalhankslaw.com.
38:09
Krystal Hanks: But I'm always happy, like, you know, when people reach out to me and they just are like, you know, they need a little, they need a little kick, they little need a little encouragement.
38:18
Krystal Hanks: Um, you know, there I've had lots of people that, you know, the Lord has brought across my path who are just, you know, needed that inspiration.
38:25
Krystal Hanks: And so yeah, you can find me on social media.
38:28
Krystal Hanks: I'm I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram, as well as, you know, my email.
38:32
Krystal Hanks: Fabulous.
38:33
Krystal Hanks: Thank you so much again, Krystal.
38:34
Krystal Hanks: Thank you for having me.
38:36
Krystal Hanks: And thank you to my listeners.
38:38
Krystal Hanks: Thank you.