Transcript
Katie Frey: Welcome to Law Meets Life presented by Pond Lehocky, where conversations go beyond the courtroom and into the people, experiences, and moments that define who we are. I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today I’m sitting down with someone who quite literally grew up alongside Pond Lehocky, but has also built a life and career very much his own. Dylan Pond is a partner and chief revenue officer here at the firm, an attorney, an avid traveler, a serious car enthusiast, and someone helping shape the next chapter of Pond Lehocky. Dylan, welcome to Law Meets Life.
Dylan Pond: Thanks for having me.
Katie Frey: Thanks so much for being here. Now, obviously, your last name has been connected to this firm from the very beginning. What did your dad’s career look like to you as a kid?
Dylan Pond: It was a lot of work. Um, you know, being so small and being young, watching him take phone calls at any time of the day, during the weekends. Um, for me it was just seeing him on the phone talking with clients. But at the young age that I was, I didn’t know who he was talking to. I didn’t know that he was talking to clients. Um, and now as I got older, I realized like how much of that work that he was doing was really focused on helping people during the hardest times of their life. And I had a real more of an understanding of that. Um, I didn’t really want to be a lawyer when I was younger, seeing him take all those phone calls and understanding the time commitment that it was. Uh, but now, you know, looking back, it’s I had great times with him. Um he was there for all of my games even though he may have been on the phone for some of them. Um but he he was there always and for me it was it was great. Uh it was a great time growing up in the Pond household.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Now do you remember the early days of Pond Lehocky?
Dylan Pond: Sure.
Katie Frey: And at what point did you realize okay what my dad and these other two guys are building is becoming something pretty significant?
Dylan Pond: Yeah. I mean, I think I always had faith in them from the beginning. Like, I had faith in my dad. I think I just saw who he was. And obviously, everyone’s going to say that about their dad. So, for me, I I I felt that um you know, Jerry and my dad’s had a partnership for 40 years. So, I you know, Jerry’s like family to me. Um same with Tom during that time, but Tom was a lot younger. But, you know, I I had full faith that it was going to get big. I know my dad when he sets out to do something, he’s going to do it to the the biggest possible way he can do it. Um, so, you know, there was always faith from from me knowing where Pond Lehocky could go. But I think it was only until later, um, you know, probably about five years in when I was going to college that I really realized like, wow, Pond Lehocky can be something bigger than just a regional work comp firm. like there’s there’s a real opportunity here to take our hard charging way of litigating to other markets. It doesn’t just have to live in Pennsylvania or Philadelphia.
Katie Frey: Wow. And I’m excited to get into that a little bit more later on, but I’m curious if you ever thought I that you would eventually work here.
Dylan Pond: Yeah, I didn’t know. Um I think I kept trying to push it off.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: So I first started doing some I was working uh helping do facilities here. Um I was in the accounting department.
Katie Frey: You were in accounting here.
Dylan Pond: Oh, I was every every single every different summer I do a different little internship here. I really saw pretty much all the roles. Worked in marketing one summer as an intern.
Katie Frey: Okay.
Dylan Pond: Um so I was kind of doing that because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um, I had some other jobs where I was doing a sales broker thing for Esquire Bank. Um, I had some other things I was doing on the side. So, I was exploring, you know, different different options, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. And I always knew Pond Lehocky at some point could be an option for me.
Katie Frey: But what was that point then?
Dylan Pond: That point was probably my last year at USC. So, I was an international uh relations major at USC. I’m just very obviously from my bio, you can tell I like to travel a lot. I’m pretty interested in uh history and and foreign politics and and stuff like that. So, for me, it was at that moment where what’s the next step? You know, do I want to go out into the business world? Um do I want to go to Pond Lehocky? Do I want to go back to school? Um, and in that moment I kind of realized, well, maybe I can do everything I want to do at Pond Lehocky. Maybe I can expand, do business, and go back to school. So, for me, it was, let’s go to law school. Um, I may not want to be a lawyer, but it will help with understanding the business of Pond Lehocky and moving forward with it.
Katie Frey: What did your parents teach you about work success and how you treat people that has stayed with you?
Dylan Pond: Yeah. I mean, what was great was uh my mom’s a great influence on me, too. I think my mom’s always kind of told me, you know, just be be kind to others. And at certain points in my life, like I needed to know that. And my mom’s a pretty religious person. Um so going to Catholic school growing up and just hearing, you know, some of those Bible verses and the prayers and everything else, like I think it was a really good foundation to have. Um, and a lot of the teachings, you know, about how to treat others and, you know, be kind to people is important, but at the same time, you know, my dad was very hard charging. Um, I boxed growing up, um, at Joe Hand’s boxing gym, kept boxing out in California at Manny Pacquiao’s gym. Um, and for me, you know, the having both of those has really helped me kind of figure out where I want to go with life and have a different kind of value system. Also, my value system, I think the Philadelphia area has a really good value system. I just think, you know, um, people instill these these good values. The way people treat, we’re what do they like to say? We’re um we’re kind but not nice.
Katie Frey: But not nice.
Dylan Pond: Exactly. So, you know, I’ll go and I’ll help somebody out no matter what. Like, if I see someone who who thinks they need help, like I I’ll go and help them out, but you know, I’m not going to be say the nicest things to people all day long. Like, just to say like that’s not something I’m going to do. So, when I went to California, it’s very much not like that. Um, so I think going out to California for me, I saw a different kind of geography, a different kind of value system, which didn’t really mesh with mine. But at the same time, there was certain things that I realized that I could cut out too and I could grow on and be better about. So my going to California was definitely um not the easiest path I could have chose, but it was a transformational path for me.
Katie Frey: I’m curious about what made you choose USC.
Dylan Pond: I wanted um I liked adventure.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: From growing up, I just think, you know, I want to go as far away as possible. So, I didn’t want to go to school outside the country just because I thought the options in country are better than outside the country, but the farthest place away from Philadelphia is, you know, Southern California. So, I applied to nothing but schools in Southern California and then U Miami. So, I got into Miami and USC on the same day. I decided to go to USC. I was a spring admit at USC. So, I did my first semester of college in Paris, actually.
Katie Frey: How did your parents feel about that?
Dylan Pond: I mean, I I think for me, they kind of knew that I just wanted to go somewhere. I mean, yeah, we had a senior project in our high school, which was uh, you know, you could go do an internship, you could build something if you were good at building, you could do a million different things. But it took up your last month of school, which was in that May. and me and my buddy went and it took us a lot of convincing but we were able to convince the faculty to let us go to England to walk from London to Canterbury and do the Canterbury Tales pilgrimage. Now go I wasn’t really obsessed with the Canterbury Tales book but I did recognize that hey if I tell them this I could probably just walk through England and go on like a pub crawl through it. So for me that was like you know that was a way that I could get out. So I think after I started doing stuff like that, I mean, we used to drive to Montreal on the weekends. We tell my parents we were going down the shore in the middle of February and we’d drive eight hours up to Montreal. So I was very much like, let me push the envelope. Like I want to go far. I want to see things. I want to, you know, we have cars, we have planes, I can just get on one of these things and I can go to somewhere that, you know, is is out there.
Katie Frey: So now speaking about there, you and I talked a little bit about this before we started rolling, but I am extremely impressed with your travel resume. Out of all of the places that you have been, do you have a favorite?
Dylan Pond: I do have a favorite. Um, I think I’ve been asked this question so much that I created an Excel spreadsheet.
Katie Frey: Did you really?
Dylan Pond: I did. I did. And I’m not that kind of personality either, but like I had to I had to give a proper answer to it. So I scaled it with, you know, what I think was um
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh.
Dylan Pond: certain criteria cuz I didn’t know what criteria. It’s like nightlife, it’s history, it’s natural, like you know what kind of the landscape is it look like, food, culture, a bunch of different a bunch of different things. Um safety.
Katie Frey: Yeah, 100% completely in-depth like that.
Dylan Pond: Um, and then personal feel. I have a giant weighted thing for personal feel because a lot of these places could really miss on most of that stuff, but I could be like, I really like my time there, so like I can’t not put that as a huge weight on. And my number one’s Japan.
Katie Frey: Really?
Dylan Pond: Yeah. I think I spent a month after college living in a van there, surfing the whole country, so I got to really see the country inside and out. And uh that to me was one of the best ones for sure. Um but then I mean Brazil’s up there.
Katie Frey: Oh, I love Brazil.
Dylan Pond: Korea is great.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um it’s kind of a hot take right now, but I really do love Russia. Um just to visit. It’s you know, it’s super interesting. I mean, it’s it’s a really cool place. The architecture is amazing.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: I It’s actually the first the second place I went to in Europe when I was 16. I my dad me and him made an agreement and he was like he knew I like to travel like I was just so interested in stuff and he was like if you get all A’s then you can pick anywhere you want to go we’ll go on a father-son trip in June so I do it and he’s like where do you want to go and I say Russia and he was like all right well I mean I wasn’t expecting that like I don’t really want to go to Russia so um we ended up going when I was 16 and it was uh it was a a wild trip it was very it was very cool. Um, he has a pretty good essay about his experience there. Um, which he he didn’t not nearly like it as much as I did, but you know, it was very, uh, it was very cool.
Katie Frey: It’s cool that he stuck to his promise even though he was like, I wasn’t expecting that answer, but uh, that’s awesome. So, chief revenue officer isn’t exactly a title you hear at every law firm. What does your job actually look like day-to-day?
Dylan Pond: Yeah, so my job varies. Um it’s really jumping into different projects. So for example, I mean I’m definitely in all the strategy meetings. So there’s a lot of strategy talking about um from a high level. My week is filled with all the expansionary offices with Fran. So Fran’s doing the operations about it and I’m kind of sitting there listening and seeing like okay this is a tweak we have to make. This is a tweak. The real chief revenue officer title really comes from the fact that we have this massive referral network. Um, and at some point, very slowly, we are picking certain states in which we haven’t had a home to refer work comp cases to. So, that’s why we’re in New Mexico, that’s why we’re in Washington. Um, and some of the other nation partners that we also work with, they don’t have homes to send their work comp cases to in those states. So, it’s like, how much revenue are we being is being left on the table? How much are we losing by not doing this or not having a home for it?
Katie Frey: And the home doesn’t exist.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Um, so we got to go make offices there. Um, the other thing now is really looking at um, our attorneys and seeing about what their conversion rates are. That’s kind of been my thing for the last two weeks and making sure that everything’s going well and the piping is working well so that we’re not leaving value on the table.
Katie Frey: Sounds like a multi-hat position.
Dylan Pond: Oh, it’s definitely it’s definitely a multi-hat position.
Katie Frey: It’s really at this intersection of lawyer but also business person and strategist. So I’m curious about which part comes most naturally to you.
Dylan Pond: It depends. It depends who it depends who you ask. I think my dad would say I’m a natural lawyer because I’m pretty good at negotiating um with all of our vendors and everything else. Like I kind of handle the negotiation process of it. Um, but I don’t I don’t love um certain aspects of lawyering as well. Uh, I love talking to clients. So, for me, you know, I may not be a lawyer. I’ve never ran a comp case from start to finish, but I’ve probably talked to more clients than the majority of lawyers we have here. Uh, because I was on ref for so long and I was taking intakes myself. I was looking at certain uh looking at all the intakes and determining where they should be sent, what firms should get those cases. Um you know, I was looking at over 120 to 200 emails of leads with intakes in them a day. Um and working that kind of job, your eyes open to what we do in this profession. You see so many horrific injuries. You see so many people going through the worst times of their life. And the worst part is is when you see certain cases, you know they’re not a case, but you know that the damage is still there and people have been, you know, their lives have been turned upside down.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Now, we talked a lot about Pond Lehocky’s roots in Philadelphia. Now, we’re talking about a national footprint, as you mentioned. When you’re evaluating a new state, what are you actually looking for?
Dylan Pond: Yeah, I mean I think it goes into multiple different things. The first being who’s there, you know, is there an outlet? Is there a good comp firm that’s already exists that we’re already partnered with that can provide the level of service that we want for our clients? That’s the other thing. It’s like, you know, I it’s hard for me to sit back and send a client to a different firm in another state if they haven’t been vetted.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: You know, most all of our referral partners have been vetted. Um, but there’s certain states where I have to tell the client like, “Hey, like you’re going to have to go to the bar and ask them where to go because I don’t have somebody that I can trust to really run the case for you.” And those are the places where we have to be first. That’s where we have to be first. Um, because there’s a gap. Um, and then we’ll we’ll start adjusting for for other areas and what what we want to look for in in certain states to go into comp. you know, if um what we do, we take comp serious. Um and a lot of the time right now in our industry, people are focused on the PI. People aren’t as focused on on comp.
Katie Frey: So, it’s interesting to me that every person that I’ve had on this show since we’ve started that works for this firm has this connected line of caring about the client more than anything. And so it’s amazing to hear from somebody in your position that’s this business person, lawyer, and strategist brings it back to that client at the end of the day and what is the best for them. It’s not what’s necessarily the best for the firm in terms of numbers. It’s how can we best serve these individuals who are going through this horrific time in their lives.
Dylan Pond: Well, I mean that that’s Jerry, Tom, and Sam.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um, so that’s the ethos. I grew up with it my entire life. So I had it at the work and then I also had it at home. But for us it’s, you know, they came from these families. They came from, you know, there’s everyone we know people who have lived through this. Um it’s it’s not like this is something that’s just said on a podcast. For us, it’s if it’s just the six of us and we’re out to dinner, we talk about it.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: If there’s the seven of us, we we we maintain that this is and look growing at scale and having volume. It’s it’s not it’s a it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge to keep that level of service and we are always focused on that. That’s our biggest focus. Reputation is everything. You know, bottom line and numbers and business, it’s great, but it’s not there’s no reason to to try to make a buck over somebody, especially over a client. No way.
Katie Frey: Now, if you and I are sitting here five or 10 years from now, what does Pond Lehocky look like to you?
Dylan Pond: Oh, man. Um, Pond Lehocky international firm.
Katie Frey: Wow.
Dylan Pond: Not just national. Um, so I I think we can help people in other countries. I think we can bring uh our expertise. We can help workers around the world. So, I I I see it as a global thing. um where that is in for our country. You know, I think it will be a mix of really good referral partners in some areas that really know those laws and then uh we’re going to be in all the gaps. So, we will have a work comp where it’s a hard place to find uh a work injury attorney. So, that’s what I see.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Global Pond Lehocky. We’ll be back here in 5 years and we’ll check in. We’ll be back with more Law Meets Life after a quick message from our sponsor.
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Transcript Continued
Katie Frey: We’re back now with Dylan Pond, chief revenue officer at Pond Lehocky. Do you think of the future as building a larger law firm or building something bigger than a traditional law firm?
Dylan Pond: I think bigger than Yeah. I mean, I think a larger law firm, but you know, the business side of me is always a chomping at the bit for uh new new ways of doing business and new ventures and everything else. Um, so I think it’s bigger than that. I know we are helping out right now and and for some projects to increase jobs in Pennsylvania. Uh, I think we can be doing that elsewhere as well. Um especially good union paying jobs.
Katie Frey: Yeah. You’ve said that you’re not someone who just wants to land somewhere, take a picture and check it off the list. Why is actually experiencing how people live in different countries so important to you?
Dylan Pond: I mean the biggest reason it’s important to me is appreciation. Um we have everything in this country.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: This country is the best country. Um, I’m so thankful for for where I’m from and seeing how other people live, you know, and understanding it, it makes me more appreciative of of everything that I have. And, you know, getting to go live differently. It slows down time. I mean, you you’re you’re experiencing something new every time. And the cultures and having that you can think a little bit the way that these people think. Um, you can eat the food that they eat. You can see the things that they see. Uh, you can live, you know, in their kind of shoes for a little while, which gives you a broader perspective on everything. Um, I love I love traveling. I love meeting people. Um, I don’t think you can meet somebody in the capital city of these countries because they’re so international these cities and people come in with preconceived notions of all sorts of people, especially Americans.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um, so when you get out in the countryside, when you get out to places that aren’t frequented by American tourists, like that that’s how you that’s how you actually meet somebody from there because they’re not in the big city. They’re not, you know, uh, switched up because of it.
Katie Frey: I love that statement. Traveling slows down time.
Dylan Pond: Yeah.
Katie Frey: What’s a place that completely changed the way you saw the world?
Dylan Pond: I mean, I think Japan’s one of them because it’s just so different and the culture and everything else is is that different. I think I spent three weeks living in a pickup truck in Africa. Um, so I was in Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho, all throughout South Africa. Um, that was pretty wild. Um, climbing Kilimanjaro um with food poisoning, losing 20 pounds on the mountain.
Katie Frey: Are you kidding?
Dylan Pond: Yeah. So, um,
Katie Frey: oh my gosh,
Dylan Pond: that I think the Africa, some of my times in Africa has been pretty eye opening. And then, you know, there’s Central Asia is a is a really interesting there’s just so many places that are I don’t want to say forgotten about, but it’s just it’s just so far removed from from here that you know, you it makes understanding like what what’s really going on in the world different. You know, you’re not you’re not looking at it from a news story. You’re you’re seeing for your own eyes and how different those narratives can be.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. And that might be a hard question for you to answer because it sounds like your entire philosophy on traveling is that each time you do it, it does change your world.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Yeah. Completely.
Katie Frey: Now, what’s something that you’ve learned from your travels about people that you now use in this business?
Dylan Pond: That I use in this business. I think just in general about people is, you know, there’s there’s good people out there. Um, and then also there’s there’s bad people. So, um, I don’t think I don’t think it’s really changed anything that much for me because it’s it’s the same everywhere in that regard. Um, you know, I think there’s certain areas of the world where people act more towards one thing because culturally that’s just something that they do there and then others different. So, it’s all it’s all different.
Katie Frey: All right, Dylan, give me one best meal, best drive, and most beautiful place you’ve experienced anywhere in the world. One each.
Dylan Pond: Mhm. Um, best meal.
Katie Frey: Best meal.
Dylan Pond: I Okay. São Paulo Market. They have this mortadella sandwich that it’s mortadella. Uh, I think it’s mozzarella cheese on like some homemade bread. That sandwich is the best sandwich in the world. And it’s probably one of my favorite meals ever.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: So, I have to put that on a list. I have to make it. a big cheesesteak guy and like it blows a cheesesteak out.
Katie Frey: Whoa. Okay, so best meal now. Best drive.
Dylan Pond: Best drive. Oh, that’s that’s a harder question actually. Um, best drive. There’s some great roads in the Alps.
Katie Frey: Okay.
Dylan Pond: In France. Um, they’re amazing. Um, that’s probably my best like a performance drive to really let a car go. That’s the best. Malibu has some really solid ones, but those are between the two are very similar.
Katie Frey: Now, most beautiful place you’ve ever experienced.
Dylan Pond: Most beautiful place I’ve ever experienced. Um, country in Africa called Lesotho, which is an enclave of South Africa. So, it’s completely surrounded by South Africa. It’s very hard to get to. Um, you literally have to take a dirt road up to get to get to it. It’s up in the mountains, so it has a high elevation. They have this freestanding waterfall. Um, I believe it’s one of the the largest freestanding waterfalls in the world, and there’s no one there because it’s impossible to get to. So, I we woke we slept in our pickup truck, and then we woke up there that morning. We’re the only people there. Um, and they had the the waterfall is amazing and you know, it’s just a really it was really cool.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Wow. After 100 plus countries, what’s still at the top of the list that you haven’t gotten to yet?
Dylan Pond: New Zealand.
Katie Frey: You haven’t been to New Zealand?
Dylan Pond: Yes. That’s an that’s the easiest question you’ve asked.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Wow.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. New Zealand.
Katie Frey: I would love to go to New Zealand as well. That would be Isn’t that where they filmed Lord of the Rings?
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Yeah.
Katie Frey: That would be neat. All right. Now, another Dylan Pond interest that I want to talk to you about is cars. Where did your love for cars start?
Dylan Pond: Um, it started with driving. It didn’t start with cars, which is interesting. Which is definitely a little interesting. Um, I don’t think a lot of people that get into the hobby like I do, that’s where they start. But for me, it was I love the idea of just driving. You know, I’ve driven across the country six times. I’ve driven all throughout I’ve driven all over Europe. Uh, I’ve driven up to Alaska. uh driven all through Canada. For me, it was I love driving. So, I was used to driving really slow cars fast. And then, you know, as developed, it was like, why don’t I tried doing some of these drives in some different cars, not just pickup trucks and
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: you know, old vans and stuff. Maybe it’d be cool to do it in something faster. Um something that can go more than, you know, 50 miles per hour.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Dylan Pond: So, that’s amazing. But I still do like the slow stuff. So yeah, in Japan, they have these Kei trucks, which are these little um these little trucks that only go about 50 miles an hour. So I have one I’ve had one down the shore for the last couple years, and I’ve actually driven it from Delaware County down to the shore.
Katie Frey: Neat.
Dylan Pond: Um so now I’ve I I don’t know if it’s been done. I haven’t done enough research, but from preliminary research, no one’s ever driven one of them across the country. So, in May, I think I’m going to get a couple more and then do a convoy, maybe have Pond Lehocky wrap the the the trucks and then drive it from New York to LA, do the Cannonball Run.
Katie Frey: So, cool.
Dylan Pond: And see if we can do it.
Katie Frey: So, well, if you need someone from a social media standpoint to um film that, you know, I’m here. What is it about driving that you love? Because you’re talking to someone that despises driving. I do. I’m tensed up. I’m worried I’m gonna get hit, but that’s I guess that’s fair because I’m in Philadelphia. What is it about driving for you?
Dylan Pond: For me, it’s just you can go wherever. You know, you’re not tied to you’re tied to your own schedule. That’s my biggest thing. You know, I hate flying. I hate flying.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um and as someone who’s been to as many places as I have, there’s I think I’m closing in on a million miles flown. Um it’s uh something I don’t like because you have schedules, you have delays, you can’t see anything on the way. you know, you’re just up and you’re you’re sitting there. For me, it’s you’re driving and sometimes from point A to point B, that’s where you you find something really cool. You know, that’s where you run into something you you wouldn’t see. That’s when people are like, why are you here? That’s when you walk into a random bar and you have a drink and everyone’s like, why are you here? How did you get here? Why? Like, I love that question. That to me is the best. I remember I was sitting in a in a bar in Lerwick, Scotland, which is on the Shetland Islands. So, they have these islands that are north of Scotland, the mainland. Um, they’re kind of near Norway. No one goes to them. Like, they’re just not people don’t people don’t visit them really, especially from America. So, I went in January, which is definitely not the time to visit them, you know, in the cold of January. So, I remember sitting in a bar and someone’s like, “Oh, where are you from?” Because they have really thick accents. And I was like, “I’m I’m living in Los Angeles.” And they were like, “You’re in Los Angeles. Why are you here?” And I was like, “Vacation.” Like you came on vacation from Los Angeles to Lerwick in January. Like there’s no way you did that. Like that to me like that’s the best. Like I don’t like I love that kind of interaction.
Katie Frey: I feel like that is the definition of it’s about the journey not the destination.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s cool.
Katie Frey: Oh that’s neat. Dream Garage. You can only have three cars. What are they?
Dylan Pond: Only three cars.
Katie Frey: Only three cars.
Dylan Pond: Well, I have to have a pickup truck. So, um I’d have a pickup truck, probably a Raptor. Um or maybe an old one. Uh then I need a classic. So, probably have an old Porsche 911 80s or 90s. Um and then a McLaren. Um McLarens are Yeah. So, you know, 765LT is a great great one.
Katie Frey: Good answer. What’s one car you would never sell?
Dylan Pond: One car I’d never sell. Easy, easy, easy answer. Um, when I first moved to California, I got a 2004 Chevy Avalanche with about 80,000 miles on it. Um, got it from CarMax there and it I had it all throughout college. Uh, I still have it. I, you know, I drove it across country three times, been to 35 different states with it. Um, you know, it’s been hit by a bunch of different people. Never me. Always. I’d always lend my car out to people.
Katie Frey: Oh, yeah.
Dylan Pond: And it would just get dinged up. So, I I put a bunch of money that I could probably put more money than a I could
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: No, not even buy no one, just to sell it. Um, just to just to fix it up because of the emotional attachment I have to to that truck. It’s uh all people that have pickup trucks don’t look at as a pickup truck. They all think it’s not one. Um, it’s not the most beloved car model by any means, but for me, it is one of the best drivers I’ve ever had, and I love that car.
Katie Frey: How many miles are on it now?
Dylan Pond: Now, it’s like got to be pushing at like 160, 170.
Katie Frey: Okay. Yeah. Okay. Not too bad.
Dylan Pond: No.
Katie Frey: Now, with everything that you have going on professionally, what does family mean to you at this point in your life?
Dylan Pond: Everything. You know, I think uh I stopped traveling really. I mean, I don’t travel as much because I have two kids now. So, um, that’s definitely taken a backseat. But for me, it’s it’s everything. You know, my parents have given me everything. I would have nothing without them. Um, and that’s something in the forefront of my mind all the time. Um, and how can I how can I give back to them? You know, what can I do for them? I had I’m 31. Um, I had my son when I was 28. I got married at 26. Would I have not got married so early? Um, maybe. I love my wife. So, for me, it was an easy thing to get married when I did, but like at the same time, I may have pushed it a couple more years and got married at at 28, 29 to her. Um, but instead, I went early because I want to give my parents grandchildren and and my wife wanted to have kids early, too. So, for me, it was an easy decision to to go do that because I know that’s all they wanted. Um, so for me it’s it’s about honoring honoring them. Um, so family’s everything from me and my parents’ relationships to me and my my own family’s relationship.
Katie Frey: And you have two kids, you said they’re two and a half and one.
Dylan Pond: Yeah.
Katie Frey: Oh, that’s such a precious age.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. It’s not I I think for the father, at least for me, you know, I’m I uh when they’re real young, it’s it’s hard for not hard, but it’s like there’s not a lot that I can do. like I’m not this, you know, uh, this guy who’s going to be like the child rearer. That’s just not that’s not my personality. So, but now like with my son being at at two, it’s been like it’s been awesome. Like I don’t want this age to really end. Like he’s he’s he’s a lot of fun.
Katie Frey: What’s he into right now?
Dylan Pond: I mean, he’s into everything. Like he’s just he’s a lot of energy. He talks a ton. So, he’s just saying the funniest stuff. Um, he’s big into into certain sports. He loves uh he loves the beach. loves the beach. Loves the beach. I want him to get more in the water because I’m a surfer.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Dylan Pond: Um and I love being in the ocean, but you know, I’ll take the beach for now.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Next summer the water.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Katie Frey: What has been the greatest lesson that you’ve learned since becoming a dad?
Dylan Pond: The greatest lesson I’ve learned since becoming a dad? It’s a hard That’s a hard question. Um, you know, I think I think I understand, you know, my parents a little bit better. Um, and understanding, you know, you have to have you have to have a lot of patience with with certain things. And it’s not it has doesn’t have anything to do with the kids. It’s just about your life changes a lot. And for me, my life changed pretty dramatically from going to traveling the way I did to to not traveling at all. Um, so for me it’s like, you know, understanding that there there’s joy in in all this, even though there are sacrifices that have to be made.
Katie Frey: Yeah. What’s something your family knows about you that the people who only know you professionally probably don’t?
Dylan Pond: See, it’s it’s so hard because like family and business here, it’s it’s pretty intertwined. like everyone that I work with from all the the the C-suite executives even a lot of the attorneys here you know know me pretty pretty personally so I just don’t think there’s
Katie Frey: you don’t have a secret like gamer tag you’re not like secretly ranked in Mario Kart
Dylan Pond: I mean from a video game standpoint which no um I think people probably I have I’m a big history guy um I read a read a lot of of war books is, you know, I’m I read nothing a lot of World War II, German, Eastern Front, um, and then the Pacific side of things. I’ve probably read over 400 to 500 books on just those that those topics. Um, so that’s, you know, that’s a good one.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Yeah. What does success look like to you personally now? Has that definition changed as you’ve gotten older?
Dylan Pond: Yes. Yes. Um I think success to me at when I was a younger age was was monetarily. Um I you know I think I wanted to have a family. I think that’s what success and then also wanted to you know be very successful monetarily. That that was it. Now it’s changed where success to me looks like growing Pond Lehocky and keeping our customer service and client satisfaction at its highest and helping people while also you know if we do that everything will follow with that the the monetary success follows that if we stick to that mission everything else will take care of itself. Um so that’s that’s that’s my biggest thing.
Katie Frey: Now, I love playing a game towards the end of our podcast episodes with all of our guests. So, I would love to do a session of rapid fire questions with you.
Dylan Pond: Okay.
Katie Frey: First answer that comes to your mind. No overthinking. Are you ready?
Dylan Pond: Sure.
Katie Frey: Philly or LA?
Dylan Pond: Philly.
Katie Frey: Correct answer. Window or aisle seat?
Dylan Pond: Window.
Katie Frey: Carry-on or checked bag?
Dylan Pond: Carry-on.
Katie Frey: H. Why? Why?
Dylan Pond: I’m not trying to wait for for my bag.
Katie Frey: I guess that’s true.
Dylan Pond: Yes. And also, I don’t need a lot of stuff.
Katie Frey: Road trip or first class flight?
Dylan Pond: Road trip.
Katie Frey: Manual or automatic?
Dylan Pond: Manual.
Katie Frey: Vintage or brand new?
Dylan Pond: Vintage.
Katie Frey: Country you’d go back to tomorrow?
Dylan Pond: Brazil.
Katie Frey: Most underrated place you visited?
Dylan Pond: Uh, Uruguay.
Katie Frey: Best advice anyone’s ever given you?
Dylan Pond: Best ad I got to think about this one. Um, best advice anyone’s ever given me? It’s a hard one.
Katie Frey: It is a very, very, very, very hard one.
Dylan Pond: Um, I mean, the best advice anyone ever give me is just go see the world. Go travel. Like multiple people have said that. My aunt told me that, you know, I think that’s that’s the best advice that anyone’s ever given me cuz I took it.
Katie Frey: One word your family would use to describe you.
Dylan Pond: Uh, a lot.
Katie Frey: That’s two words, but yeah.
Dylan Pond: Yeah. Yeah. I don’t think anyone would ever say a lot. That’s That’s I mean it was brutal was the first one, so I didn’t want to say that. So, um yeah, we’ll go with that.
Katie Frey: One car you’re buying tomorrow if money is no object.
Dylan Pond: Uh Koenigsegg,
Katie Frey: great job. You did it.
Dylan Pond: Yeah,
Katie Frey: you passed the rapid fire, I guess, with flying colors. You didn’t get any questions wrong. Now Law Meets Life is really about the person beyond the title. So when you take away partner, chief revenue officer, attorney, and even the Pond name, who is Dylan?
Dylan Pond: Who is Dylan? I think Dylan is uh just a normal guy trying to, you know, figure out life like everybody else. I don’t think I have anything figured out. Um, I think I’ve experienced a lot and I think I’ve had the opportunity to experience a lot, but for me, you know, it’s it’s just another day. Um, I like to to be with the family. Um, and I like to to grow the business and help people. So, that’s that’s really it’s really what it is.
Katie Frey: When you think about the life you’re building and the legacy you eventually want to leave behind, what do you hope people say you contributed?
Dylan Pond: I’d love for people to say that Pond Lehocky has helped them. And I don’t, you know, if somebody in Washington, one of our clients there who we’ve already received a massive amount of thanks, even though we haven’t settled a lot of their cases yet, just being, hey, you’ve listened to me. I couldn’t find an outlet. I couldn’t find anyone else that would listen to me. The uh experience I’ve had with other firms has not been good. Um, thank you. I Taylor has a million emails from from clients saying that just people in the Washington or some of these other states we open up that are injured workers that are saying Pond Lehocky helped them Pond Lehocky changed their life. I that that to me is I can take some personal, you know, gratification that I was a very small part of getting us over to those spots and we were able to help people.
Katie Frey: Dylan, thank you so much for joining us today.
Dylan Pond: Thank you.
Katie Frey: And thank you all for watching another episode of Law Meets Life. Until next time.
