“Taking care of yourself is taking care of your business.”
Alexandra Isenegger is the founder and CEO of Linkilaw – the legal platform for startups. While working in a corporate law firm, Alex spotted a gap in the legal sector and inefficiencies in the fees charged by large firms for services provided to startups. Leaving a secure job and founding her own company at the age of 21 was no mean feat. From not having enough staff to cater to client needs to being nominated as one of the top tech startups at LegalGeek, Alex has had quite the journey.
Speaker of seven languages, Alex is also passionate about meditation and the effect it has on all aspects of life and believes in honest, effective communication as the key to success in both business, and our personal lives.
Alex’s number one piece of advice to other entrepreneurs is “Choose who you work with carefully. The startup journey can be a very enjoyable one, especially if you surround yourself with the right people”.
Where did the idea for Linkilaw come from?
I had the opportunity to see both sides of a flawed relationship.
On the one hand, lawyers work in a manner that is not efficient, wasting a lot of time, and therefore money. These factors make for an industry that lacks transparency and is therefore disconnected to its clients’ needs.
On the other hand, friends and acquaintances starting businesses and encountering legal issues came to me looking for answers. From their feedback, I understood that there was a clear gap in the legal industry for a client-focused service that is cost transparent, speedy and still can provide quality, commercially astute advice.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I enjoy waking up very early, usually between 5 and 6AM to ensure I get as much done as possible. I plan my day according to what I need to what is both urgent and important, and aim to accomplish all my working goals by noon. In that way, I am then able to have the headspace to deal with team challenges, or one of the many tasks that fall on my desk without notice!
How do you bring ideas to life?
I love to ideate with people who are as creative as I am, or those who are able to be a good sounding board. I thrive on human energy and have developed some of my best ideas in unconventional places – late night bars with friends, at the beach, in airplanes with strangers, or even once in a cinema (I wasn’t very popular that day!)
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I am very excited by anything that is conscientious of our planet and environment. I am particularly impressed with Tesla’s new electric truck which I am sure will have a lasting impact on the way our society views electric cars.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Definitely to-do lists and prioritising – it brings clarity in my mind as to what needs to be achieved on any given day and what can be carried out to the next day. I have an A-D system of prioritising and will not go to bed until at least my As and Bs are completed.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Allow yourself to be exactly what and who you are.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Happiness does not mean feeling good. Happiness means being at peace and allowing whatever circumstances or challenges arise in life. True happiness is contentment.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Exercise and eat healthy. Everything is connected – start with the basics and see for yourself the influence it plays in your life.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Bootstrapping. When you don’t have much money to spend on marketing, it pushes you to try many different growth strategies. Even now that we are funded, the strategies we learnt earlier have dramatically decreased our customer acquisition costs and have provided us with invaluable insights!
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
There have been many! One particular challenge has been not to hire people fast enough when needed, and as a result to have an over-worked and dissatisfied team. I learned from my mistakes and developed a streamlined hiring process, but also a clear communication route with team leaders to ensure an active rather than reactive hiring process was put in place.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Coming from someone who wears a white t-shirt almost every day – anyone who invents a great quality t-shirt that lasts has me as a client for life.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
On groceries – I hosted a small dinner party amongst friends. It was one of the best times we had spent in years. I am grateful for that evening. $100 well spent!
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
MixMax – calendar scheduling, polls and so much more!
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – it simply explains the nature of human experience, within which all is built.
What is your favorite quote?
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t you are right. – Henry Ford.
Key Learning:
- Planning your day and prioritising tasks is key to achieving your goals and getting more done.
- There is always a gap to grow from.
- Your idea of happiness doesn’t need to be the same as everyone else’s.
- Taking care of yourself is taking care of your business.
- Little things do matter!
Connect:
Linkilaw on LinkedIn:
Linkilaw on Twitter:
Linkilaw on Facebook:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.