021: Monique D. Hayes (Partner, Goldstein and McClintock LLLP)

Monique D. Hayes on Innovation City

“Miami is young enough that you can come in today with your amazing idea, in any sector, and leave a mark.” — Monique D. Hayes

Welcome to Innovation City—powered by Venture Cafe St. Louis and Venture Cafe Miami—where Tyler Kelley and Michael Johnson, Co-Founders of SLAM! Agency, interview innovators, creators, and disruptors to discover how business is evolving in the modern world.

Innovation City gives you a behind-the-scenes look into the next generation of world-changing organizations. As business and culture continue to change at an extraordinary pace—thanks to increasing diversity and inclusion, greater connectivity, and heightened creativity—you can stay ahead of the curve, find out what’s coming next, and who’s going to bring it to market.

On today’s episode of Innovation City, Tyler and Michael are at the eMerge Americas conference in Miami, broadcasting from The University of Miami’s booth. Their guest today is Monique D. Hayes.

Monique is a partner at Goldstein and McClintock LLLP, where she practices business law, focusing on commercial transactions, business litigation, and corporate restructuring.

Monique’s honors include 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of Miami-Dade County, IWIRC Rising Star Award, Top 20 Professionals Under 40 by Brickell Magazine, “Top Up And Comer” by Florida Trend Magazine, “Florida Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine, and most notably, Monique received the Kathryn Heidt Award from the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association. Monique’s professional focus is centered on serving the law, social justice, innovation, economic development, and conscious capitalism. Find Monique on Twitter at @MoniqueDHayes and at MoniqueDHayes.com.

They discuss:

• Being passionate about, and inspired by, other people
• Turning around businesses in financial distress through corporate restructuring
• Her connections to entrepreneurs and creatives
• Being passionate about being a lawyer
• The University of Miami School of Law
• Being from Miami
• The importance of doing well and doing good at the same time
• Helping business owners protect their business and their space for creativity
• Building something out of nothing
• Why bankruptcy shouldn’t be thought of as failure
• Conscious Capitalism and being aware of your economic footprint
• Working with Venture Café and other nonprofits
• Preparing and supporting innovators for fiscal responsibility
• Building sustainable nonprofits and businesses
• Going to undergrad at The University of South Florida
• How Miami has changed in the last 10 years
• Miami’s dedication to hustle
• A constant influx of people hungry for the American Dream
• The heavy representation of Latin America at eMerge Americas
• The incredible business opportunities available in Miami
• The importance of communication in business relationships, and how it relates to legal relationships
• The importance of establishing a legal groundwork at the beginning of your business
• The importance of negotiating with partners, vendors, landlords
• Leases as a sticking point or problem for young businesses
• Funding is not free money, it’s an investment, it’s debt, it’s a piece of control over your business
• Don’t be blindsided by your investors
• The importance of being comfortable seeking help, and asking for explanations when you need them
• Don’t just rely on the experts; don’t take things for granted when you don’t understand them
• Know your obligations, and hold the people responsible to you accountable