Maryna Herman

From being laid off in 2008 to a law firm with a team and clients in 6 countries

Today I am — a practicing attorney and entrepreneur (Herman and Partners Law Firm) who has built her own business at the intersection of legal support for businesses, litigation, and intellectual property rights protection.

My professional journey began with an early, deliberate choice to pursue a legal career. It was followed by studying on a state-funded scholarship at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, working for a large company, being laid off during the 2008 financial crisis, and deciding not to look for another salaried position but to start my own business.

Over the years as an entrepreneur, I have experienced changing cities and relocation, balanced business development with motherhood, built and restructured teams, rebranded, and gradually transformed from a practicing attorney into a business leader and owner.

For me, entrepreneurship has never been about one big breakthrough. It is daily, systematic work on myself, my processes, and my team. It was consistency, the ability to adapt to change, and a willingness to take responsibility for decisions that enabled me to build a sustainable business that continues to grow even in the most challenging times.

A forced decision that became a distinct professional path

How did the business idea come about?

The idea of starting my own business came in 2008 after I was laid off from the legal department of a large company. At the time, the labor market was in crisis: employers were laying off staff en masse rather than hiring new employees.

I did not want to wait for the situation to change, and I could not see myself in a salaried role. Working for myself, taking responsibility for results, and building my own business felt natural to me.

At first, everything happened intuitively: I found clients on my own, held consultations, studied extensively, and quickly realized that a team was essential for sustainable growth. In this way, a forced decision gradually became a distinct professional path and a successful business.

Determination, flexibility, and CRM — what really builds a legal business

What key skills helped you launch your business?

Determination, ambition, and high personal standards were the foundation of my growth. Communication skills also played an important role: the ability to persuade, sell my services, and connect with people.

In business, the ability to stay focused, take on complex projects, and see them through to completion proved especially useful. Flexibility was equally important: when circumstances changed, I did not dwell on the problem but looked for practical solutions.

Over time, I also developed skills in team management, delegation, financial discipline, building business processes, working with CRM systems, and combining high standards of work with respect for people.

Three challenges without which there would be no law firm

What were the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the first years?

1. Starting my own business

At the beginning, I had to study, find clients, build a reputation, and develop professional connections all at once. Learning to ask for help was a separate challenge, as I was used to relying solely on myself.

2. Moving from practicing attorney to manager

As the team grew, I faced the need to delegate, share responsibility, manage finances, and let go of the habit of personally controlling everything.

3. Managing a team

Another challenge was working with people of different ages, experience, and personalities. That was when I realized that effective collaboration depends not only on professional skills but, above all, on values, accountability, and attitude toward work.

Relocation, rebranding, and war — three crises that did not stop the business

What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?

Moving to Dnipro in 2011

I had to adapt to a new city, go through pregnancy, let go of some Kyiv clients, and rebuild my client base, all at the same time.

The crisis during the 2016 rebranding

During the business transformation, one employee issued an ultimatum on behalf of the team, demanding a stake in the business. I made the difficult decision to let the entire team go. Within a month, I had formed a new team and, through active communication with clients, preserved the business without losing key contracts.

The start of the full-scale war

Some team members left the country, while others joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I stayed in Ukraine and had to support my family, ensure business stability, and manage operational processes at the same time.

In every crisis, I was supported by my readiness to adapt quickly to new circumstances, restructure the way we worked, and accept reality as it was.

Toxic people, delegation, and coaching — what really helped the company grow

What decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

One of the most important decisions was parting ways with toxic people who tried to impose their own rules and influence the company's management. This helped preserve a healthy corporate culture.

The second important step was realizing that a business cannot be built solely on the owner's personal exhaustion. Scaling requires a team, processes, and delegation.

The third strategic decision was to systematize our work by implementing a CRM system, procedures, instructions, metrics, and communication standards.

Investments in coaching, strategy sessions, and team training also had a significant impact on the company's development, allowing us to maintain growth without professional burnout.

Trying to control everything myself — a manager's most costly mistake

What mistake do you now consider your most valuable experience?

The most valuable lesson for me came from a period when I tried to control everything myself and did not delegate in time.

I could take on the roles of founder, manager, marketer, accountant, and lawyer all at once, but that approach proved ineffective and exhausting.

Another mistake was believing that I had to rely only on myself. Over time, I realized that asking for help — is not a sign of weakness but a sign of mature leadership. This change in mindset became one of the most valuable professional lessons for me.

From helping out at the market as a child to earning my first million in my own business

How did you earn your first $100?

I earned my first money as a child and teenager, filling in for my mother at the market. Thanks to my communication skills and ability to work with people, selling came easily to me.

As for my first approximately 100 dollars as an adult, I earned them by writing essays and coursework when I needed to quickly raise money for a trip.

How did you earn your first $1 000?

I earned my first thousands of dollars through my own professional work. Before that, I spent several months actively looking for clients, sending out commercial proposals, and developing my own practice.

My first major project brought in a substantial income and confirmed that I had chosen the right path.

How did you earn your first $10 000?

I earned my first $10 000 in my own business through a complex court case that our team worked on for about a year.

This was not a lucky break, but the result of systematic work, deep expertise, and professional resilience.

How did you earn your first $100 000?

I reached my first $100 000 over several years of growing my business, around the fifth or sixth year of operations.

This result came from steady growth: I gradually expanded my practice, built a team, increased my income, and began paying closer attention to financial accounting. That was when I stopped seeing the business as a professional passion project and began treating it as a fully fledged system.

How did you earn your first $1 000 000?

As of today, I cannot claim to have reached this figure. I do not have exact confirmation of that amount, since I only began systematically keeping financial records and tracking key financial indicators about ten years ago.

A legal business that has survived three crises — and can teach others

My practical experience will be useful to entrepreneurs building a service business where professional expertise matters, but so do effective management of people, processes, and client trust.

I have gone from solo practice to a law firm with a team, weathered crisis-related layoffs and relocation, adapted the business to wartime conditions, and introduced systematic management.

I can share practical approaches to retaining clients during team changes, managing growth, addressing toxicity within a team, and building long-term client relationships.

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

I began systematizing my business by implementing a CRM system. Before that, a significant amount of information was stored in Excel files, which created a risk of data loss.

The next step was to create a system of metrics, procedures, instructions, client communication standards, processes for delivering work, and internal work protocols.

The process took about six months and required discipline from both me and the team. Through regular planning, reminders, and oversight, we developed the habit of working within a unified system. Over time, these processes became a natural part of our daily work.

Your experience: how do you grow x2 in a year?

In my view, doubling business results in a year requires three things: a clear growth strategy; flexibility in implementing that strategy; and a strong, engaged team.

An owner cannot achieve this kind of growth alone. It is important not only to set goals, but also to help the team understand their contribution to the shared result and become brand ambassadors.

For me, the key to scaling is not one person's heroic efforts, but the coordinated work of the entire system.