Carmen García Gancedo

Tell us a little bit about yourself (where you’re heading professionally, your personality, etc.)

I’m 27 years old and was born in Asturias. I’ve always been quite a laid back person with a vivid imagination. Although I would have liked to study something like history or literature, I chose law in the hope that one day it would eventually feel like the right profession for me.

I graduated in Law from the University of Oviedo after a five-year program.

I have to say that during my time as a student, I tried to get away from the legal world. It all seemed so dull and gray to me back then. Instead, I took up any hobby that came to mind: I created a broad variety of blogs, I read hundreds of books, I wrote articles and stories that were published on Amazon. I also devoted myself to drawing and playing my guitar. Then, in my list of “things to do during this course” I had the spark of an idea that became Falling in Law.

Why did you decide to study a Master en Derecho de los Negocios at IE Law? And what tools has the Master (and IE) given you to continue as an entrepreneur in the legal world?

When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I had no idea what to do. I researched many master’s programs until I found one that best suited me and I ended up studying a Master en Derecho Transnacional de los Negocios at IE. There were two main things I liked about the program. Firstly, IE takes a practical approach to its classes. This means that you can get closer to the reality of the sector than in a masterclass with two hundred people. Secondly, there was a strong emphasis on new technologies and entrepreneurship, which is something that appealed to me. It was very different to other master’s available at that time.

If I had to pick a highlight of the program, it would be that it has helped me to overcome my fear of challenges and the unknown. The IE mindset is: I have the tools and, if I need anything else, I have the resources to learn.

Tell us about the company that you launched: Where did the idea come from? What was the process like? Who forms part of your team?

As I said previously, in a bid to make my degree more bearable, among other things, I drew, I wrote a few quotes… and, from there, Falling in Law came to be (although it didn’t have that name at the beginning). For a long time, I was coming up with ideas… like legal texts merged together, students trapped under the weight of their study notes, jurists chasing alien bees or lawyers sifting through case studies better than Google does.

It took a long time to get all of the resources that I needed to start the project. To begin with, it isn’t that easy to find people who are willing to collaborate on a project. They have to sacrifice their free time and devote it to starting a business from scratch, including the possibility of failure. You just have to accept that sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don’t.

Beatriz joined the team first. She had already made a small contribution to the project and I loved the way she drew. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Architecture, and currently divides her time between working in an architect studio in Valladolid and giving shape and color to Falling in Law’s ideas. She has always been interested in the world of graphic design and illustration – she doesn’t just think about buildings all day! Beatriz always gets involved with something that mixes intelligence with creativity in order to produce her graphics.

When the project took off, I was wondering how I would be able to do everything else by myself. Then Miriam, who worked in the Legal Department of Samsung Electronics, came on board. Miriam graduated in journalism and specialized in corporate communications, and is part of the tech giant’s public relations and communications team. I am so lucky to be able to leave interviews and social networking in the hands of such an expert!

The process was… long. I spent many months drawing up test designs, looking for suppliers, asking for product samples (some of which arrived broken…), and learning about all of the legal steps required to register our trademark, intellectual property, domains, employees, set up the website, etc.

Nevertheless, I have to say that I had lots of support and help from my friends and loved ones.

What is Falling in Law?

The idea of Falling in Law is to add a touch of humor to the daily lives of lawyers and jurists.

When I was at university, I missed out on having a representative brand such as, for example, the one the nurses had. I also would have loved to know the true reality of the profession, which is something we are trying to get across in our blog posts and cartoons.

Ultimately, we want to create a community of lawyers who share their experiences and show that, contrary to what’s in the movies, lawyers are people who have a sense of humor, who enjoy their free time and who do so much more than read laws all day long.

I understand that you’re also a practicing lawyer. How do you combine your professional activities, both practicing as a lawyer and being an entrepreneur?

Indeed. I’m currently a lawyer of new technologies at the Ejaso Law Firm. As I’m right at the beginning of my professional career as well as my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve been very enthusiastic and excited in pursuing both

Nevertheless, it is true that combining both professions means sacrificing a lot of free time, including weekends. I’ve had to accept the fact that, as soon as I leave one job, there is always something else for me to do: boxing up orders, making arrangements on the website, talking with suppliers, paying bills, marketing, etc.

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from starting your own company?

The most valuable thing has been realizing how difficult it is to launch a business, even one as small as this. Doing things properly means meeting many requirements, which takes lots of time-consuming paperwork and, even once you have everything in place, risking it all.

Working full-time like I do is hard, but doing it without a fixed monthly salary or a safety net, while betting all your time and savings on one outcome, seems worthy of admiration to me.

I think that people who are trying to progress with their own ideas should be given more appreciation, more opportunities and, in some cases, proper training.

What are your hobbies?

What I like most is reading and writing, but honestly, I don’t have much time for my hobbies anymore. In those few moments I have for myself, I prefer to spend time with my loved ones, who, at the end of the day, are our greatest wealth.