We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Welch and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kim, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success in opening my own personal injury law firm is that I am genuinely concerned for my client’s well being and helping them get their life back. A lot of personal injury law firms, or law firms in general, have a traditional model that is centered around the lawyer’s needs and makes the lawyer seem aloof. My law firm is client focused–everything we do is to make the experience better for the client and to take some of the stress caused by being in an accident off of their plate.
What should our readers know about your business?
I am a personal injury attorney that has been described by others, including clients, as authentic, smart, caring and fun. Being accessible and transparent with my clients is what sets me apart. I’m proud and excited that my firm is a client centered law firm.
It was not easy taking the leap to open my own law firm, as I had worked for other firms and was always an employee. I overcame the challenges, which are mostly finding the right staff and getting new business steadily in the door, by reading and absorbing as much as I could about how to run a law firm and a business in general and by following the lead of other successful business owners. It is scary going from getting a regular really good paycheck to not knowing where your next dollar is coming from. However, the rewards have far outweighed any challenges. I have a lot of freedom that I would not have working for an employer.
The biggest lesson I have learned is that you have to keep at it and keep trying to improve. You have to show up everyday and give it 110%, but you also have to have work-life balance so that you don’t burn out. I think I’ve managed to achieve the sweet spot of work-life balance on most days.
I want the world to know that my law firm is client focused. We are not focused on money. Of course, we have to keep the lights on and make sure everyone gets paid, but we first and foremost want the client to have a satisfactory experience from the time they walk in the door until their case is resolved. We do everything in our power to make sure the client is satisfied because we genuinely care.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to take people to Garden of the Gods, as it is an awe striking place. Of course, it would depend on someone’s fitness level, but there are many great places to take people to hike, such as Red Rocks or the Manitou Incline.
A few of my favorite places to dine include the Skirted Heiffer, Jose Muldoon’s, and MacKenzie’s Steak and Chophouse.
I also like to hang out in downtown Colorado Springs, Manitou, or Woodland Park, as there are many very cool local shops and eateries to visit in these areas.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have worked in the legal field for almost 30 years, and I have been fortunate to have had many great attorneys as mentors. They propelled my career onto the right trajectory and without them I would not be the attorney that I am today. My favorite mentor was attorney Niels Pearson. I started working with him in 2001, while law clerking and attending law school. I lived and worked in Las Vegas at the time. Not only was he the best attorney that I have ever had the pleasure of working for, he is also a very kind and compassionate person. He brings out the best in everyone around him. He has since retired, but he made an indelible mark on who I am as a lawyer, as well as a person and a boss.
Website: kimwelchlaw.com