Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Polina Ivko, founder of Ivko LLC., located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Ivko LLC is a full-service law firm for people, entities, and nonprofits in the creative industries. What sets us apart from other firms is our ability to analyze not only clients' problems but also context behind them. We take into consideration all intricacies of each matter––that allows us to spot critical aspects (otherwise not visible to others) and to ultimately produce both short-term and long-term results for our clients.

Tell us about yourself

I am an arts and entertainment attorney based in New York City, who has been recognized as a 2022 Top Women Attorney and 2021 Rising Star in Entertainment and Sports by Super Lawyers and named a 2020 Rising Voice of Entertainment & Sports Law by the American Bar Association. My contributions to various web productions also earned me the 2021 Miami Web Fest Award.

I am a native of Ukraine and a New York transplant with a "true story" about an immigrant's path to success. As a lifetime artist and a musician, I was faced with an unusual challenge for a creative––I had to rebuild my career and name from scratch upon arrival in the U.S. in the early 2000s. None of my previous hard-earned accomplishments and qualifications carried any weight here. After working multiple jobs while attending a university full time, I finally opened my own business delivering creative fitness solutions across South Florida and I have been a serial entrepreneur ever since. Being a business owner was rewarding but not easy as I stumbled upon multiple legal conundrums, including nonpayment of invoices, vendors' failure to comply with regulations, and complex contract negotiations. I had to deal with all of those issues independently, as most attorneys could not fully understand the practicalities and nuances of the creative business I was running. Eventually, my experience with handling the legal needs of my company inspired me to seek an attorney's license so that I can help others, who find themselves under similar circumstances.

My unique business perspective, extensive experience in creative industries and international background enable me to represent multinational creatives and businesses alike expertly. In addition to being an attorney and an entrepreneur, I am also a mediator, a board member, a philanthropist, a speaker, and an artist. My team of similarly experienced professionals has also been instrumental in aiding creatives and cultural institutions throughout the war in Ukraine. Indeed, we are set to launch a charitable foundation designed to support them not only during the war, bur for a long time after that. These are the values that guide me and my team.

My involvement in the legal and creative communities does not end there. For instance, I currently serve as the National Sponsorship Chair for the ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, where I secure business sponsorships and speakers for the Forum's bi-annual national conferences and other activities. I am also a member of the New York City Bar Association's International Law Committee, where I have been spearheading the International Art Law Subdivision. Furthermore, I am the chief legal research consultant for the esteemed International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR). I consult the foundation on legal disputes and legislation involving art, cultural property and heritage, civil procedure, intellectual property and other issues on international and domestic levels.

As a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, I frequently speak and lecture for diverse audiences––most recently for the ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, Columbia University, Cardozo School of Law, myCLE, Baltimore Webfest, Miami Webfest, and California Western School of Law. I am currently scheduled to speak at Deloitte, Harvard, the ABA, and the University of Miami School of Law. Nothing motivates me more than seeing creatives thrive in every way!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Since our inception in 2018, I have single-handedly closed over 150 clients and grown the firm from a solo practice to a team of 10. Our combined experience of more than 20 years as firm lawyers, judicial clerks, in-house counsel, legal fellows, TV/film/music producers, artists, business managers, agents, consultants, board members, tour managers, art dealers, and lecturers gives us the ideal background to handle any client's needs. We represent a multitude of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits––from emerging to major. To us, as a team of passionate professionals, no client is ever too small or too big.

I also have been proudly representing key players within the NFT industry since before it became mainstream and I have now become an expert in the field.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Building a solid infrastructure for your business, but once it's done, you end up thanking yourself many times later.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Do not let anyone push you around at any time.
  2. Budget for a good accountant, bookkeeper, and attorney. They will be an integral part of your business infrastructure. There are many things you can save on during the startup stages, but these are not it.
  3. Rest and recharge. You can always make time for this if you organize your schedule. There will inevitably be a situation during which you will need all the energy and sanity you accumulate in your storage.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We appreciate all those who helped us to build our practice and strive to pay it forward. If you know anyone looking for an internship or an assistant/junior position, have them contact us at info@ivkoesq.com. Note also, that we do not care where you went to school or where you come from. We see talent and not gender, race, ethnic background, age, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Hard work, passion, business ethics and results are the only factors that matter.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ivkoesq.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivkoesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/polina-ivko/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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