Get to Know Our Team Member, Kelly Jesson

In our third installment of Meet Our Team Members, we are interviewing Kelly Jesson. 

Q: ​Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?  
Kelly: I've wanted to be a lawyer since freshman year of college, when I took some government and politics classes.  The type of lawyer I’ve wanted to be has changed over the years, though.  

Q: What is the best part of your job? 
Kelly: Helping people with something they cannot do themselves, and helping people have comfort.

Q: What is the worst part? 
Kelly: Long hours associated with running your own business.

Q: What does your family think about your job? 
Kelly: I think they’re proud!

Q: What do you think are the most important qualities of a good lawyer? 
Kelly: Be a good listener, ask lots of questions, and be able to see more than one side to every situation.

Q:  What is one misconception that the general public has about lawyers? 
Kelly: They all make a ton of money. (laughs)

Q: What are your future plans?  Where do you see the firm heading in the next few years? 
Kelly: We hope to upgrade our office space in the next year or two.  Long-term, we want to continue growing to a team of 15 or so, but we never want to be a huge, uptown law firm.

Q:  What is your favorite meal?  
Kelly: I love Indian food!

Q:  What do you like to do outside of work?  
Kelly: I like to dance, antique shop, attend festivals, visit wineries and breweries, and go the beach or mountains.  I wish I could do more serious traveling.  I think a trip to Spain or Italy is in the near future.

Q: Tell us about your dancing. 
Kelly: I’ve taken dance classes since I was 4, and after college I even became a part-time dance teacher.  I took a break during law school and for a few years after, but I have recently begun dancing again!

Q: How do you and Ed manage the work/home balance?  It’s challenging to run a business with your spouse and keep balance.  Any advice for people who want to do the same?  
Kelly: I hate the phrase “work life balance.”  There’s no such thing.  There’s no 50/50.  I read that “every business is a family business” and it stuck with me.  Even if I wasn’t in business with Ed, the business would be a family business because if you put 110% into something, you’re not going to leave it at the office when you come home at night.  We just need to make sure we’re making time for ourselves, and we’ve been doing better about that lately.  Since hiring Danielle, I’ve been able to leave the office at 6 pm and go to the gym.  I’ve been able to only work a few hours on the weekend and enjoy my time with Ed.

Q: What are some things that you like about Charlotte? 
Kelly: I like Charlotte because it feels like a small town, and it still has friendly Southern charm, but it has the amenities of a major city.  My least favorite part is the airport.  Did you know that it is the 10th busiest airport in the country?  How is there only one terminal?  And no long runway for those huge international airplanes? I almost saw people get trampled trying to load buses to get to the parking lots one Sunday night.

Q:  What’s your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?  
Kelly: This is a tough one.  I have a few.  Maharani, Jaipur, 300 East, Tupelo Honey, Yafo, Bonterra, and Heirloom.

Q: What’s a pet peeve of yours?  
Kelly: I guess the airport? (laughs) I also don’t like poor grammar in text messages and on social media.