"Motivation is the spark that ignites action, fueled by the diverse desires of individuals."
Pia Hallidri is the first-ever CEO of DarrowEverett LLP and has more than two decades of C-suite experience, having served in roles overseeing data, finance, and operations for a variety of businesses.
After first serving as a consultant to DarrowEverett from 2019–2023, she has seen the firm nearly double in size since 2020, as the needs of its nationwide client base have increased significantly.
As she focuses on overseeing the growth and administration of the firm, its legal practitioners have the fullest capacity to provide clients with excellence in practice.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Pia Hallidri: As CEO of DarrowEverett, I am delighted to bring my background in numbers and finance to this exceptional business law firm. I’m thrilled to be part of a firm with a unique perspective on building a law practice, viewing it as a business first and foremost.
DarrowEverett LLP is a full-service business law firm committed to providing clients with the highest level of personal commitment and attention to detail in addition to efficient and effective legal advice. We pride ourselves on our sophisticated yet practical approach in counseling our clients, with a strong emphasis on prompt responses and execution.
My start at the firm was in the role of consulting as a fractional CFO for many different companies across multiple industries, and DarrowEverett was one of my clients.
It wasn’t until last year, when the last of my children became an adult, that I joined as the firm’s first CEO. Witnessing all we’ve achieved has been immensely gratifying, and I’m excited to take it even further.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Pia Hallidri: We have a unique perspective on building a law practice by viewing it as a business first and foremost. That means conducting a sophisticated yet practical approach in counseling our clients, with a strong emphasis on prompt responses and execution.
We live our values and every day fulfill our vision to be a partner to our clients by assisting them in making well-informed, productive and ultimately successful decisions on all issues confronting them.
With several members of the firm having served not only as partners at other highly regarded law firms, but also as executives with premier regional and national companies, it gives us the ability to advise from all sides of the issue.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, are an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Pia Hallidri: In my experience, there isn’t one thing that motivates and engages everyone in the workplace.
Different people value different things — sometimes it’s purely an economic motivation, sometimes it’s a chance to be a voice at the table, or sometimes it’s recognition for accomplishments and contributions.
The important thing is to understand what motivates your top talent and provide those motivators as appropriate to get the results needed and to keep the team engaged.
Asking the question of what each team member values and listening to the answers is the best way to ensure engagement and loyalty.
Meanwhile, as you push to get the best out of your team, setting realistic targets is crucial. Unrealistic goals can be demoralizing, so it’s important to establish objectives that are challenging yet attainable.
Here is a two-fold question: What is the book that influenced you the most and how? Please share some life lessons you learned. Now what book have you gifted the most and why?
Pia Hallidri: The book that influenced me the most in my life is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book when I was in high school, and the themes have always stuck with me and influenced me in my personal and business life.
To Kill a Mockingbird deeply touched me in that I was frustrated about the injustices depicted in the novel as well as inspired by the way the characters had such courage and empathy in the face of such ignorance and prejudice.
It spoke to me in a way that no other book before or since really has. It taught me that it was OK to stand up for what I thought was right even if it wasn’t the popular opinion.
As far as what book I have gifted the most, the only book I can recall giving in any significant volume was Good to Great by Jim Collins. I read this book in the early 2000s, which was pretty early on in my career. At the time, it was trending as a must read for business people and I passed it around to my leadership and management teams to see what we could glean from it.
The hedgehog principle described within and getting the right people on the bus were a big focus for me and my team at that time.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Pia Hallidri: Success as a business leader requires embracing and leading with traits that can make a difference in the morale of your workforce and fulfilling your mission.
There are three that I believe are the most important and will serve you well when you’re at the top.
- Be confident in who you are. It’s essential not to let one decision define you.
- Be humble and acknowledge mistakes when they happen, make necessary corrections, and move forward. Humility is key; recognizing your strengths and weaknesses allows you to surround yourself with talented individuals who complement your skills.
- Be collaborative because it’s crucial to understand that success cannot be achieved alone. Leaders must recognize the strengths of their teams and create a culture of support across the team of dedicated professionals. Embracing this mindset fosters a workplace of accountability, humility, and realistic goal-setting, ensuring continued growth and success for the organization.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Pia Hallidri: Decision-making. Not enough leaders walk through the steps needed. For myself, I walk through preliminary steps that include identifying the problem at hand, understanding the various options available to address it, and assessing how each option will impact all stakeholders involved.
It’s essential to clarify the objectives behind the decision-making process and the underlying reasons driving it.
The “why” behind the decision holds significant importance, guiding the entire decision-making process and ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals and values.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Pia Hallidri: I would want the power to have everyone I work with join me in being a naturally positive person.
I have discovered that when this is at your core and you are faced with challenges and are able to overcome them, you believe in yourself even more. Adversity, whether encountered personally or professionally, is inevitable, but it’s crucial to persevere.
There’s simply no alternative. You have to gather yourself, brush off the setbacks, and forge ahead. This resilience is ingrained in my character, and I would like the superpower to give it to others as well.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Pia Hallidri for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Pia Hallidri or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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