Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystell Pujol.
Hi Krystell, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
As any or many law interns, I started filing, preparing copies, delivering lawsuits, and putting in the extra work to make myself visible. I would stay more hours at the office to give a sense of reliance to my manager or anyone with a higher position than me. I wanted to be seen, trusted, and considered for a job eventually.
Through the years, I have lived many experiences and noticed many things while being an employee at a law firm for more than 7 years. I have never gone on vacation without bringing my laptop along. I have spent more nights not sleeping doing some reading, analyzing, and writing than I could count with my fingers and toes altogether. After many years of being part of a medium-range (size-wise) firm, but very well known at what it does, I felt there wasn’t more field for me to walk through or an opportunity for a better position. Aside from feeling stuck, I didn’t feel appreciated. My superiors kept changing the rules of the game even though I had proven my loyalty for years. Since I started law school, I knew I wanted to be my own boss, and after how I felt at my job, I decided (in a bit of a rush) to quit.
Right now, after a few years of making that decision, I do admit I should’ve been smarter and plan ahead of my decisions, but sometimes life makes a choice for you. In February 2020, I said goodbye to my steady job and embarked on this entrepreneurship adventure.
Life also didn’t go as expected and it put me through COVID as I was starting to build my own Company, but living past the situation has shown me that I am capable and strong enough to survive almost anything.
Right now, I won’t say it is easy, or that it is a steady thing, there is still so much road to travel, but I know the effort I am doing is for myself and for those believing in me, either to work with me or work for me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like I said before, it hasn’t been smooth at all. My first struggle was definitely COVID. Not only did COVID make it hard to reach out for clients, but it made it hard to collect payments from the clients we had. Mexico is not known for the simplicity of doing anything as a business, for some reason, any process takes longer here, and with COVID, it was almost impossible to finish establishing the Company.
Once the Company was ready (in paperwork) to function, my partner decided he really didn’t want the life of an entrepreneur and he decided to leave. It was hard enough to start something, but to finish the process of starting it and keeping it alive by myself sounded even harder.
It is still hard up to this day, sometimes you land a great project, and sometimes you don’t. It has been three years of rough work, and some days are still a real struggle, but the end product relies on the attitude you bring to the table and the persistence you are willing to put to everything you do.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a lawyer, but also, I am a cool lawyer.
I have my own firm. I won’t limit it to a law firm because we do other things aside from taking cases and going to court. We are located in Tijuana, which is the most visited border in the world because of its proximity with San Diego. As such, it is a city with many industries that take advantage of the different existing Free Trade Agreements, specially the USMCA. My firm specializes in everything regarding foreign trade and customs; either the legal defense, compliance, consultancy, preventive schemes, internal audits, among others.
What sets me apart from others?
Having spent many years at a firm that is very well known for what it does, up to this day, I learned from the good and the bad. I try to bring the real Krystell to the office every day, with both the clients and the people that work for and with me.
At my former job, I always felt everything was a secret. I felt like a robot that was only supposed to do a certain thing and make every minute count.
I try to portray and convey trust and reliability to anyone I have contact with, but above all I safeguard the humanity in everyone. Sometimes it is confusing because in a world where I am not a lawyer that has to carry and solve the problems of people, I am constantly found laughing about anything and everything even by myself (especially by myself and at myself). So, when I am at work, I try to be and am as serious as possible.
I have two dogs that are practically my daughters and I have them tattooed on my body. I love them more than I could love anyone else. I love to ride my bicycle, and sometimes I ride to court. In Mexico, this is not usual for a lawyer that wants to be taken seriously, but I have decided to live life as my real self and let my work talk by itself.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Confidence and practicing as I preach. My word should never be doubted.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.apconsultoreslegales.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apconsultoreslegales/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APconsultoreslegales
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com./company/ap-consultores-legales
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJufj9d1UZSTgsVzVmkLXSg
