Last
week,
I
presented
Part
I
of
my
written
interview
with
Lindzee
Barrera,
a
former
Division
I
college
golfer
turned
entrepreneur.
That
column
presented
her
answer
to
the
first
of
my
three
questions
and
focused
on
the
current
state
of
play
for
Lindzee
and
her
company,
Birdie
Girl,
on
the
trademark
litigation
front.
What
follows
are
Lindzee’s
answers
to
my
remaining
two
questions.
As
usual,
I
have
added
some
brief
commentary
to
her
answers
below,
but
have
otherwise
presented
her
answers
as
she
provided
them.
Gaston
Kroub:
Is
there
a
message
you
would
offer
other
female
founders
that
find
themselves
in
a
similar
position
vis-à-vis
an
IP
case
with
a
competitor?
Lindzee
Barrera:
First
and
foremost,
know
your
rights
and
don’t
let
anyone
intimidate
you
out
of
what’s
rightfully
yours.
It
can
feel
extremely
overwhelming
when
you’re
up
against
a
bigger
or
more
aggressive
opponent. If
we
want
to
see
more
thriving
women-owned
companies,
we
have
to
push
back
against
tactics
designed
to
wear
us
down.
Build
a
strong
legal
team,
but
also
tap
into
your
network
for
insights
and
different
perspectives
on
the
best
path
forward.
When
I
first
reached
out
to
my
female
founder
network,
I
was
met
with
overwhelming
support
and
valuable
connections
that
helped
guide
my
decisions.
Whenever
possible,
pay
it
forward
by
supporting
others
who
may
find
themselves
in
a
similar
position.
GK:
As
a
male
business
owner,
albeit
one
with
a
bit
more
of
a
comfort
level
when
it
comes
to
litigation,
I
think
Lindzee’s
advice
rings
true.
When
confronted
with
an
unplanned
business
crisis,
it
is
important
to
lean
on
trusted
advisors,
including
with
respect
to
the
selection
and
engagement
of
the
right
outside
counsel.
Here,
Lindzee’s
company
is
in
very
good
hands
with
her
litigation
team.
And
I
am
sure
that
she
will
live
up
to
her
suggestion
of
paying
good
advice
forward
to
other
founders
once
she
has
put
this
dispute
behind
her.
GK:
What
did
your
athletic
career
teach
you
about
dealing
with
adversity,
in
life
and
in
business?
Anyone
who
plays
golf
knows,
golf
has
a
way
of
humbling
you. As
a
college
golfer,
I
had
my
fair
share
of
ups
and
downs.
At
times,
it
felt
like
my
entire
worth
was
tied
to
whether
my
score
started
with
a
7.
But
the
biggest
lesson
I
learned
is
that
tough
moments
don’t
define
you,
how
you
respond
to
them
does.
I
also
watched
my
dad,
who
was
my
only
golf
coach,
navigate
his
own
challenges. He
was
dealing
with
a
legal
battle
for
his
own
small
business
and
he
ultimately
lost.
Seeing
that
as
a
kid
stuck
with
me
and
showed
me
that
even
when
you
do
everything
right,
things
don’t
always
go
your
way. With
hindsight,
I’ve
realized
setbacks
are
never
wasted. They
teach
you
to
toughen
up
and
push
hard
for
something
better.
GK:
Lindzee’s
comments
about
the
humbling
nature
of
golf
will
resonate
with
many
litigators,
who
also
operate
in
a
high-stress
and
challenging
environment
that
often
results
in
the
feeling
that
their
professional
life
is
a
roller-coaster
ride.
But,
like
golf,
it
is
the
unpredictability
of
results
in
litigation
coupled
with
the
importance
of
preparation
to
place
oneself
in
the
best
position
of
success
that
provides
the
moments
of
satisfaction
that
can
offset
all
the
frustration
inherent
in
the
pursuit.
At
least
for
the
lawyers,
that
is.
As
a
litigant,
the
challenge
of
navigating
an
unfamiliar,
costly,
and
uncertain
process
can
be
a
daunting
one.
Lindzee’s
experience
as
an
athlete,
as
well
as
her
recollections
of
watching
her
dad
struggle
through
a
similar
experience,
should
serve
her
in
good
stead
as
her
case
proceeds.
Her
skilled
legal
team
that
is
also
empathetic
and
committed,
coupled
with
her
own
beliefs
in
the
rightness
of
her
cause
will
hopefully
position
her
for
success
in
her
case.
My
thanks
to
Lindzee
for
the
insights
and
cooperation,
and
I
wish
her
and
her
legal
team
the
best
of
luck
with
their
pending
SDNY
lawsuit
and
TTAB
proceeding.
While
the
legal
processes
play
out,
I
hope
that
Lindzee
will
continue
to
find
success
with
Birdie
Girl,
hopefully
in
a
way
that
takes
her
business
to
new
heights. I
am
always
open
to
conducting
interviews
of
this
type
with
other
IP
thought
leaders,
so
feel
free
to
reach
out
if
you
have
a
compelling
perspective
to
offer.
Please
feel
free
to
send
comments
or
questions
to
me
at
[email protected]
or
via
Twitter:
@gkroub.
Any
topic
suggestions
or
thoughts
are
most
welcome.
Gaston
Kroub
lives
in
Brooklyn
and
is
a
founding
partner
of
Kroub,
Silbersher
&
Kolmykov
PLLC,
an
intellectual
property
litigation
boutique,
and Markman
Advisors
LLC,
a
leading
consultancy
on
patent
issues
for
the
investment
community.
Gaston’s
practice
focuses
on
intellectual
property
litigation
and
related
counseling,
with
a
strong
focus
on
patent
matters.
You
can
reach
him
at [email protected] or
follow
him
on
Twitter: @gkroub.