What drove Khiem to conveyancing
Australian Conveyancer brought some of the sector’s most effective practitioners and form owners together to get an insight into the professional journeys. Here in a special series called DRIVE Khiem Lam shares his values and lessons in business.
PROVEY Legal founder Khiem Lam pivoted from criminal law into conveyancing during the era of paper settlements.
To him, the process seemed “over-complicated” and ripe for change.
“I thought I’d have a good crack at simplifying the process, creating better systems and building out a different kind of conveyancing business, challenging the old-school way of doing it, and bringing it to the 21st century,” Lam said.
The self-confessed “nerd”, who enjoyed building websites, created an informational conveyancing website around 2008 as a university side project.
“I built it and left it there. It wasn’t really a real business,” he said.
“The website gained some traction. That’s how I jumped into it officially when we were able to get actual clients.”
Lam invested early in online marketing and search engine optimisation, when digital marketing was still in its infancy.
“We ended up getting about 20 clients per week,” he said.
Operating solo, he developed digital systems to manage the growing workload “so I wouldn’t drown”, before opening a physical office in Victoria.
One lesson he learnt is to trust his instincts. Conservative by nature, he once worried he wasn’t taking enough risks as competitors grew quickly.
“I saw myself as not risk-taking enough but, in hindsight, with almost 20 years of experience, I’ve seen that conservative nature actually benefit me,” he said.
“The lesson for me was to trust my own strategy, my own approach and being patient.”
Problem solving has also been central to his success.
“I enjoy thinking of new ideas and novel ways to solve a real life problem,” he added.
“In conveyancing, there’s always a new issue.”
Running helps him manage stress and keep perspective.
“In the last five years I’ve really struck the right balance with physical and mental health,” he said.
He acknowledges business owners rarely switch off completely.
“Work-life balance for an owner is different from the work-life balance of an employee.
“I have time with my kids, where I just completely switch off. But I definitely work on weekends and after hours and early mornings as well.”
Lam said setbacks are learning experiences and credits his team for helping him navigate challenges.
“Having a sounding board allows you to not suffer in silence,” he said.
“There’s always something to tweak after the end of a disappointing setback. I always find a few golden nuggets I can extract.”
He also prioritises supporting staff by recognising their strengths and investing in their development.
Some employees have progressed from legal clerks to lawyers.
“They already have enough pressure on themselves, so for them to thrive, they need to feel supported, and the business has benefited from investing in our people’s growth.”
By matching people to their strengths, he has built a loyal team.
“They care about the business, and now we feel very unstoppable because everyone is in the right place doing the thing that is their strength,” Lam said.
Key behaviours of highly effective people
- Treat setbacks as learnings
- Protect mental and physical health
- Nurture employees
KHIEM LAM
My first real car after a Holden Commodore hand-me-down was a Japanese spec Nissan 200sx
The car I’d really love to have is Porsche 356 speedster
