97. Changing the System: How Janelle Kerrisk Built a More Human Way to Support Construction

In this episode of Building Doors, host Lauren Karan sits down with Janelle Kerrisk, founder of Helix Legal, a construction lawyer, business owner, and leader reshaping how legal services support the construction industry. From making partner at 30 to leaving a large firm and building Helix with one-year-old twins at home, Janelle shares the personal and professional decisions that shaped her approach to leadership, flexibility, systems, and success. Janelle reflects on the confidence it took to build her career in construction law, the doubts that still exist even after decades of experience, and the unusual ways she pushed herself outside her comfort zone — from public speaking to a comedy course at The Paddo Tavern. She also explains why the systems inside a business matter so deeply, how they influence behavior, collaboration, and trust, and why changing the way people work often starts with changing the infrastructure around them. Tune in for a thoughtful, practical, and deeply human conversation about building a business differently, challenging hustle culture, creating flexibility that actually works, and reimagining the role of legal services in construction — from reacting to disputes to helping projects, people, and businesses achieve better outcomes. **What You’ll Learn in This Episode:** **Building Confidence in Construction Law:** - How Janelle found her way into construction law almost by chance - Why early hands-on experience helped shape her confidence and capability - How public speaking, leadership roles, and even comedy helped her find her voice - Making Partner and Choosing a Different Path: - What it meant to become the youngest partner and the first woman around the Queensland table - Why success inside a traditional system does not always mean the system is right for you - How Janelle reached the point where she knew she wanted to build something different **Building Helix Legal:** - Why Janelle left equity partnership to establish Helix Legal - How her long-term collaboration with Dayna Gilbert helped shape the business - Why founding a business with one-year-old twins was both challenging and purposeful - Systems, Infrastructure, and Human Behavior: - Why the systems inside a business shape the way people behave - How early decisions around cloud-based systems gave Helix flexibility from the beginning - Why business infrastructure should support trust, transparency, and collaboration **Flexibility, Trust, and Modern Work:** - Why flexibility at Helix is immediate, not something people have to earn over time - How systems can create accountability without micromanagement - Why flexibility is about more than school pickup,  it is about allowing people to be fully human **Human-Led Leadership:** - Why Janelle encourages people to explore interests outside of work - How personal goals, family life, and professional growth can exist together - Why knowing and trusting the people inside your business can become a powerful leadership advantage - Construction, Contracts, and Better Project Outcomes: - Why traditional adversarial approaches can make construction delivery harder - How Helix Legal, Helix Compliance, and Helix Impact support construction businesses in different ways - Why legal services should help prevent problems, not only respond after disputes arise - Challenging Hustle Culture: - Why Janelle wanted her time away from her children to mean more than “selling time for money” - How happiness became a success measure inside Helix - Why building a business does not have to mean sacrificing family, identity, or wellbeing Key Quotes from Janelle Kerrisk : - “There’s still always that little bit of doubt, no matter how old you get, no matter how experienced you are.” - “You really need to make that side of you be quiet, or have some strategy for hushing that voice inside you.” - “The infrastructure of major law firms makes it really a challenge to innovate.” - “If everything that you touch every day, everything that’s measured, is pushing towards one agenda, how are you ever going to go in the other direction?” - “Flexibility isn’t just about the person who needs to go and pick their child up from school. It’s about so much more than that.” - “My time is worth more than whatever money that you could possibly pay me.” - “Happiness was a success measure.” - “The friendship and that collaboration has been the foundation of the success of Helix.” **About Our Guest:**  Janelle Kerrisk is the founder of Helix Legal, a construction lawyer and business leader with more than two decades of experience across construction law, dispute resolution, business design, leadership, and industry support. After becoming an equity partner in a large law firm, Janelle chose to build Helix as a more human, flexible, and commercially focused alternative to traditional legal practice. Through Helix Legal, Helix Compliance, and Helix Impact, she helps construction businesses navigate risk, improve systems, prevent disputes, and create better outcomes for projects and people. **About Your Host:** Lauren Karan, founder of Karan & Co. and host of Building Doors, is dedicated to helping professionals unlock their potential. Through insightful interviews and real-life stories, Lauren empowers listeners to create opportunities and thrive in their careers. How You Can Support the Podcast: Subscribe and leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Share this episode with anyone interested in construction leadership, legal innovation, business design, flexibility, and building more human workplaces. Connect with  Janelle Kerrisk and Helix Legal to learn more about construction law, compliance, impact, and better project outcomes. **Stay Connected:** - Follow Lauren and the Building Doors podcast on LinkedIn. - Subscribe to the Building Doors newsletter for exclusive content. **Let’s Connect:** - Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email us at reachout@buildingdoors.com.au. Thank you for listening! It’s time to stop waiting and start building.