It is fair to say that Afton, Okla., is not a destination Maria Carmona would typically seek out for a work holiday.
But when the Rivas & Associates public relations manager and some other key Rivas & Associates team members showed up in Afton at the Shangri-La Resort earlier this month for an end-of-the-year work retreat, Maria Carmona knew good things would be happening in Afton.
“Afton is one place I had never been to before,” Maria Carmona said. “I knew the retreat would be work-related, but once I saw how beautiful the resort was, I knew it wouldn’t be super stressful.”
Carmona, along with firm founder Lorena Rivas and higher-ups in the firm’s marketing, production, administrative, litigation, human resources, and other departments made the hour-trek to Shangri-La for a two-day retreat to go over the firm’s vision for 2023 and what was accomplished in 2022.
Turns out, a lot was accomplished in 2022 and there’s more to come in 2023!
In 7-page report sent out to her firm, Lorena Rivas stated:
“When I look at the year 2022, I see a very sturdy number, consisting of numbers that can be evenly divided—a year that can be evenly divided into a team of numbers. Appropriately, Rivas & Associates grew to a “sturdy” company in 2022. While in the past it felt shaky, young, and held up by only a few individuals, this year our company has grown into a healthy ecosystem that is comprised of many departments and individuals that give it momentum to keep moving forward without using me as the primary source of fuel. I can proudly say that our company is a team-led company.”
Rivas quickly went on to add that … “Overall, I can proudly say that 2022 has been the most successful year of our company. Our revenue and staff doubled, our production department is in rhythm, we have served much more clients, and more importantly, changed more lives for the better by getting them work permits, lawful status, kept them in the U.S., or closing their removal case. Lives changed every day.”
2022, A Year to Remember at Rivas & Associates
As Lorena Rivas indicated, 2022 was a year to remember. The well-known immigration law firm continued to expand its roots in Tulsa but also developed a more national and international presence to serve more clients.
Nowhere was this more apparent than with Rivas traveling to locales such as California, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, and other states to advocate for a support her clients’ American dreams. The firm’s growth became even more noticeable when Rivas virtually joined her staff in Venezuela during their holiday gathering.
“Our firm is not so little anymore,” Lorena Rivas said. “We are growing and will continue to grow. There are a lot of people out there who need our help.”
Whether on the radio airwaves or billboards greeting traffic into the Tulsa area, Rivas’s message remains consistent to her current and potential clients: “realize the American Dream.”
For her efforts, the national-known immigration attorney has been named to Super Lawyers® Rising Stars List for a fifth consecutive year.
The firm also brought in multiple attorneys including Hayley Lutz and Grisel Wilson while adding multiple positions like public relations director, and marketing director to streamline the firm’s efficiency while continuing to infuse culture into a dynamic workplace.
“I work at a great firm and with some amazing people,” immigration attorney Elissa Stiles said. “The work we do is fueled by our passion to help others less fortunate.”
Expect Even More From Rivas & Associates in 2023
Lorena Rivas and her staff have big plans for 2023. Many of these were hashed out in her 7-page 2022 Annual Report.
Simply put: “Looking forward to 2023, our focus must be in increasing efficiency and productivity. Those words probably sound big and scary, but what they really mean is to be able to work smarter and being able to service more clients. The numbers below show a snapshot of our company and its health. We are healthy, but, if we want to continue to grow and provide transformative service to immigrants, we need to be healthier. Also, we need to keep in mind the political climate that may affect our ability to serve our clients in the future. It is always wise to keep possible trends in mind.”
Rivas continued by saying,
“To be more efficient, productive, and innovative in the way we serve our clients, we will continue to be open to innovative technology, services, processes, and staffing decisions. And, we will likely strike out on some of these things. No great discovery is made without some failures, but every failure gets us closer to the right solution. I ask for your patience and trust as we continue to improve things. Further, I am always open to hear from your ideas to improve things. So are your supervisors. Your supervisors are always looking out for you and want you to succeed. Please give them their due respect and appreciation. Without those leaders, our year would not have been as successful.
Lastly, I leave you with a last message derived from the playbook of Ted Lasso—believe. Believe that our clients deserve more and better. Believe that we can always help our clients faster and better. Believe that your teammate is here to support you succeed. Believe that you are capable of more. Believe that you are an awesome possum. You are.”