Nadiia Shuliak, 46 years

My name is Nadiia Shuliak. Today, I head the Crown Law Firm, the flagship of a group of companies, and work as a practitioner often seen as a troubleshooter.

When people or businesses face complex, crisis-driven, or unusual situations, they call, seek advice, and look for solutions.

I live and work in Ukraine, in Kyiv, and consciously stayed here in 2022 despite the war, understanding my responsibility to my clients, my team, and my own choice. My path to entrepreneurship was not romanticized. It began with employment: I worked in private companies and a government institution, held various positions, and had different levels of responsibility and pay. Moving into my own business was, above all, a change in mindset.

For almost three years, I was literally ‘torn apart’ by the fear of losing a steady paycheck on the ‘fifth and twentieth’ of each month, as well as by very practical questions: how to pay for an office and equipment, support a team, plan expenses, and take full responsibility for results. We started in a small office in Podil—first sharing it with other lawyers, then opening our own and gradually expanding. This journey taught me the most important lesson: business is not about emotions, but about structure, financial flows, discipline, and the ability to make decisions even when you are struggling internally. I follow a clear principle at work: emotions must not run the process. I do not see a legal dispute as a personal story.

For clients, a professional win-win solution is usually more beneficial than an expensive, exhausting war fought on principle. I constantly remind my team that even when absurd or humiliating procedural obstacles arise, we do not stop—we ‘repackage, sign, and send,’ use qualified electronic signatures, work through the electronic court system, and look for tools rather than excuses for why the result the client needs is impossible to achieve. What advice could I give women just starting their entrepreneurial journey? First and foremost, get ‘vaccinated against illusions.’

It is worth finding practitioners in the field that interests you, inviting them to talk, asking honest questions, and listening carefully to the answers—even when they are painful. It is better to understand where the weak points are at the outset than to encounter them when the stakes are already too high. Second, always have a financial safety net. Anything can happen in life: illness, family circumstances, a psychological crisis, or simply a period when you have no resources to move forward. This is critical, especially when starting a business. And third, talk to people who have already been through a similar journey. The everyday challenges are usually very similar, even if everyone chooses their own path. I believe that every business is founded on a well-designed organizational structure and a clear understanding of financial flows: where your money is, how it comes in, and how it is allocated. If you do not account for this at the beginning, later you will have to endlessly ‘patch and paint over’ something that will keep falling apart anyway.

When it comes to my philosophy of life, I do not use the concept of happiness in its popular, imposed sense. I relate more to the ideas of satisfaction and inner peace. Satisfaction comes in brief but genuine moments: from a job well done, a court case won, a good decision, comfortable relationships, and caring for myself and those close to me. Order grounds and replenishes me: a list of priorities, exercise, and quiet in the morning. These are simple things, but they help me keep a clear head in difficult negotiations.

Today, I would put my level of life satisfaction at approximately seventy percent, because I still have many ambitious goals and projects ahead. I believe my team will grow alongside me—in professional terms, in opportunities, and in well-being.

Looking ahead, I clearly see the business developing at X10 scale, a strong team of like-minded people, systematic charitable initiatives, and myself—healthy, emotionally balanced, and able to think strategically. I am well aware that as we age, this takes more discipline and attention to physical and mental health, exercise, sleep, and regular work with specialists. But that is precisely what gives me a sense of grounding and control over my own life.

How did the business idea come about?

The idea of starting my own business came about very simply and honestly: I wanted financial freedom. I worked as an employee for a long time, but several clients in a row asked me the same question: ‘When will you have your own company? What will you be doing there?’ I talked it over with my husband, who is also a lawyer, and his support gave me the courage to take that step. The hardest part was making the psychological shift from the mindset of an employee to that of an entrepreneur. It meant anxiety, uncertainty, and no guarantees of regular income. But that transition became a turning point for growth.

What key skills helped you launch your business?

Three things became the foundation. First, an inner confidence that I could truly deliver valuable, high-quality results for people. Second, continuous learning. I believe that any field can be mastered; the only questions are how much time and what resources you are willing to invest to achieve the result. Third, complete honesty with myself. If I know I can do the work well, I take it on. If I see that someone else can do it better, I do not. The client’s interests must always come first, and the principle of ‘do no harm’ is fundamental, especially in legal, medical, and consulting businesses.

What were the 3 most difficult challenges you tackled in the early years?

The first challenge was maintaining respectful, professional relationships with the companies where I had previously worked. I made a point of not building my own business on conflict or poaching clients. The second challenge was keeping my family together while launching the business. I had a strong partner by my side, who is also my husband. It was a test both professionally and personally. The third challenge was simply getting through the beginning. We worked very hard and did high-quality work, gradually moving from small to bigger and more ambitious projects. .

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

Crises are growth modulators—they can lead to scaling up or decline. The first was a crisis driven by the need to grow. We were a small company, and clients began to feel a disconnect between the level of service they expected and the office’s appearance and space. This called for change, and we decided to move to another office.

The second crisis was 2022. Some clients left the country, some lost their businesses, and we ourselves did not know how to move forward. We felt an acute cash flow shortfall: regular payments that usually came in at the beginning of the month simply did not arrive in March. It was an extraordinarily difficult period, and my husband and child supported me through it.

The third crisis was an actual pivot in our work. Until 2022, we worked with military personnel mainly on social security matters, including military pensions. After the full-scale war began, our focus changed significantly: we received many inquiries about mobilization, exercising the right to deferment, and unlawful detentions. In particular, there were cases where we literally had to get fathers of three children—who had a legal right to deferment—out of a military enlistment and social support center distribution point.

What decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

The decision to build win-win partnerships and avoid getting drawn into infighting had the greatest effect on growth. When I see professional lawyers on the opposing side, we reach a peaceful resolution in approximately eighty percent of cases, through settlement agreements, mutual concessions, or ending court disputes. I do not take on cases where I see a conflict of interest. I always document the options, risks, and projected timelines, in writing whenever possible, so the client has clarity and control.

I have experience with both confrontational strategies and peaceful resolution, and I always choose the approach that is more economically beneficial to the client. But I am absolutely convinced that a softer, professional solution is often more effective for the client. Fighting is always more expensive. It is worth noting that sometimes fighting really is necessary, but it is a last resort. If you are dealing with a situation where calm, confidentiality, and a clear plan matter, I usually start with a short briefing and develop a risk map and possible solutions. Clients come back to me because I speak plainly, do not promise the impossible, and keep the process under control.

Clients need to know that the situation is under control. Another growth strategy is changing roles. In the legal business, increasing income sometimes means ceasing to be only a service provider and joining a project as a partner. For example, you can invest your own expertise by conducting due diligence, obtain a stake in the project, and then participate in the deal with a different level of responsibility, risk, and income.

One missed attachment—and two weeks of the team’s work went to waste

What mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?

My most valuable mistake happened early in my career, when I prepared a package of documents for a client but failed to include one of the attachments. The documents were returned, and two weeks of work by the legal team—developing the application strategy, consultations, calls, and checks—went to waste because of one detail. I drew a clear conclusion: details can destroy even the biggest and strongest piece of work. I turned this lesson into a tool and a skill. If I can make a mistake, others can too, and I need to be able to spot those mistakes and use them to benefit the client. It is like a game of chess, where the outcome can turn on the most unexpected details.