KYLA LEE PAUL DOROSHENKO

Kyla and Paul are leading criminal defence lawyers in Vancouver, British Columbia. They practice in the area of driving offences. Together, they also run a successful marketing agency focusing on SEO, web design and development, video and podcast production, and social media marketing for busy professionals.

What led you to become partners? What were the leadership qualities were important to you?

KYLA: I think Paul and I both view our roles as making law accessible and understandable but also making it interesting for the audience. So we kind of play off each other in a way to find innovative ways of doing that.

PAUL: Yes, our ethos is to be lawyers of the people and that means being a little silly and a little fun. But we can be serious when we need to be. We buckle down and get to work when it matters.

How has this partnership benefited your business?

PAUL: Kyla drives the engine of the firm. She has innovative ideas for legal challenges, arguments, as well as marketing that have increased our profile and our brand. She doesn’t back down from a challenge.

KYLA: And Paul has really given me the space to grow and flourish. Rarely does he say “no” — or at least not a hard no. He’s been really great about taking a back seat and letting others succeed and be recognized for their success.

What do you admire about your business partner?

PAUL: Her tenacity and her innovativeness. Sometimes this is a negative too - she believes so strongly in her positions that she can sometimes not see when it’s time to call it. But that attitude has helped her to win cases that seem unwinnable.

Seeing women succeed makes other women feel safe to occupy those spaces and create space for others.

KYLA: His open-mindedness to new ideas and his willingness to take on a series of challenges even when they may be doomed to fail. Dream big, right?

Why is it important now more than ever for women to be visible leaders?

KYLA: In the last few years we’ve seen a real resurgence in attitudes that undermine women, visible minorities, and people with disabilities. There is an uprising of men who think that women are taking opportunities from them. Women see it differently - we see the success of one another as making more opportunities for everyone. Seeing women succeed makes other women feel safe to occupy those spaces and create space for others.

PAUL: Women are consistently undermined at every turn. Seeing women succeed helps other women overcome those dogged attempts to drag them down and keep them “in their place.”

How can men play a role to advancing women in the workplace?

PAUL: Make space for them to shine. Everyone in the workplace is enhanced and uplifted when one person is. So if we consistently make space for women to succeed we all will succeed by contrast. Women tend to uplift and acknowledge others more than men who have been socialized to be competitive and “line wolves.” Making sure women in your organization advance and succeed helps to eliminate these stereotypes and role model important behaviour for men.

How can we inspire change for equity, diversity and inclusion and to support the advancement of women in leadership roles?

KYLA: I think it’s less about inspiring and more about doing. The only way change happens is if we make it. It’s one thing to say we want to see more EDI but it’s another to actually put that in practice. Actively seek out talent from diverse backgrounds and make that a priority in hiring, advancement, and opportunity.

PAUL: It involves a daily obligation to recognize that the more opportunities for everyone the better the world will be. There is no shortage of work for any organization or in any industry. The more people who succeed the more demand there is for everything - whether it is supply chain, labour, office management, marketing, or anything else. There is an untapped market of people who are being overlooked for advancement because of a lack of EDI initiatives and that market will grow the economy, not shrink it, if greater advancement occurs.

What is your definition of a SupportHER™?

KYLA: Any person - male or female - who champions the success of other women. Not just celebrating when they succeed but making space and creating opportunity for them to do so.

PAUL: A person who supports a woman or women generally. This can mean by celebrating their success or by giving them opportunities they would not have otherwise had or that would have been occupied by a man. It also means stepping out of the way when there’s a choice between your own success and that of a female counterpart.

Making sure women in your organization advance and succeed helps to eliminate these stereotypes and role model important behaviour for men.

How important is it for women to be visible in leadership roles?

KYLA: It is so important. When I look around at boards and partnership announcements and speaker panels I see waves of men. Having women visible at the helm helps younger women see that these spaces are not just accessible but available. Programs like the UWN Women-Led Certification also help to identify businesses where the information may not be outwardly visible. When I shop or frequent a business I always look for logos or information that tell me this is a business run by women, and I am more likely to give them my business if they are. The UWN Women-Led Certification is an important piece of that.

What can we help you celebrate (hint, the new office)?

KYLA: Haha well, I guess like and share our photos on social media and post nice reviews?

PAUL: Yes, and spread the word that Acumen Law is open for business and ready to get to work.

It is so important. When I look around at boards and partnership announcements and speaker panels I see waves of men. Having women visible at the helm helps younger women see that these spaces are not just accessible but available.