MEET KRISTIN ROBERTS
MEMBERS PAYING IT FORWARD
Kristin Roberts, founder and managing attorney of Trestle Law APC in San Diego, started her firm to help seven and eight-figure businesses take their intellectual property and turn it into revenue engines. When she joined How to Manage a Small Law Firm in 2018, she was 13 weeks pregnant, unsure of what was next, and worried her firm would fail. “It was a panic attack at the end of every month,” she said. “I thought we were going to lose everything, and I would drag my whole family down.” Kristin wanted the freedom to take time off with her baby without worrying that the business would collapse. The pressure created a constant cycle of feeling like she had everything under control, and then spiraling when another challenge came along. As the firm grew, so did the complexity of her problems, and she realized she couldn’t continue alone. Since joining, Kristin has grown her firm an average of 50% per year, going from the $200K range to $1.2 million, even while taking four months of maternity leave in her first year. Hitting seven figures came with its challenges. She made a string of bad hires, including a high-salary attorney who wasn’t a good fit, which hurt profitability and morale. In 2024, she overhauled her hiring process using DISC assessments, intentional interview questions, and involving her team to ensure culture fit came first. She also solved a profitability problem in
her trademark department by hiring a paralegal, which freed up her associate to focus on revenue- generating work. “One of the biggest things that helped me was getting the DISC analyses done. It became a hiring tool to prescreen them and ensure they know what’s required. Now I have an actual set of questions I go in with, ready to ask them.”
The payoff for Kristin was more than just numbers. She took a 30-day sabbatical as a litmus test to see where systems break down. That month became the highest-grossing in the firm’s history, proving the firm can thrive even when she’s not there. When you know your numbers and have a thoughtful hiring and training system in place, there’s no need to approach hiring with fear. You’ll be able to see clearly where you need new team members and bring them on with confidence. And if it turns out someone isn’t the right fit, let them go. Hire slow, fire fast when needed, and you’ll protect your time, energy, and peace of mind while building a firm that can flourish.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
90- LOOK
9/1
Labor Day
9/10
Business Plan Boot Camp Start (Runs for five weeks)
9/12–9/15
Unleash the Beast Mastermind led by Erika Ferenczi (Dallas, TX) Iron Sharpens Iron (RJon Groups 1–3, Oscar Group #1)
9/15–9/20
“My name is Michelle Rober Bay Area. At my law firm, we fighting fo
9/17
HTM Town Hall (Internal)
10/17 Discovery Day 10/18–10/19 Live Quarterly Meeting (San Diego, CA) 11/20–11/23 Workshopalooza 11/24–11/28 HTM Closed for Thanksgiving
“I joined How To Manage in October 2024, and w ran my revenue numbers for Q1, I was already at program didn’t just increase my earnings; it helpe “I decided to stop hoarding cash because I knew it woul San Francisco, so I currently have zero debt. Now, I’m look me to look at my numbers, I caught a $57,0
“I’m not just growing my business, I’m building a foundation fo
MICHELL
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