More Than an Award: Natalie Murray on Confidence, Community and Finding Her Tribe

Some awards recognise business success. Others celebrate exceptional achievements. But at Opendoorz, we believe how you behave, support others and contribute to your community matters just as much as what you achieve.

And that is exactly why Natalie Murray, Co-Founder and Director of Lawbox Group, was voted our Overall Achievement Award winner at our 15th anniversary celebrations.

Recognising someone who embodies all seven Opendoorz values, this award is about far more than professional success. It’s about generosity, respect, bringing out the best in others and, of course, remembering to have a little fun along the way.

For Natalie, the announcement came as a complete surprise.

“I think what made it particularly lovely was that it wasn’t an award for one particular piece of work or business achievement. It was about the way you show up and the values you bring to the group, which somehow felt much more personal.”

And there’s something rather special about being recognised by people who know you, not just your business.

From the post room to building a different kind of law firm

Natalie’s professional journey didn’t begin with a grand career plan in a grand office.

Starting in the post room of an Oxford law firm, she worked her way through the business before qualifying as a solicitor. Her career took her from litigation into corporate, commercial and regulatory law, before working more closely with businesses and start-ups, including in-house.

That experience changed her perspective.

Sitting inside a business rather than advising from the outside helped Natalie understand what owners really need from their legal advisers.

Together with her husband Jamie, Natalie co-founded Lawbox Group, building a legal business around a shared ambition to do things differently.

Their approach? Excellent legal advice, certainly. But also, accessibility, commercial understanding and a genuine interest in becoming part of a client’s team.

As Natalie explains:

“I think there is still a perception that lawyers tell you all the reasons why you can’t do something. I much prefer starting with, ‘What are you trying to achieve?’ and working backwards from there.”

Today, one of Natalie’s greatest sources of pride is seeing the Lawbox team develop. Watching younger lawyers find their confidence, take ownership and receive wonderful feedback from clients means just as much as the business milestones.

It’s a philosophy that fits rather nicely with Opendoorz: success is even better when you’re helping others achieve it too.

Finding her tribe when she needed it most

Behind many successful business owners is a story that rarely makes it into their professional biography.

For Natalie, joining Opendoorz came at a particularly difficult time.

Following a significant family bereavement, she found herself feeling lost in the business she and Jamie had spent years building.

Like many business owners, she was still turning up, making decisions and keeping things moving. But personally, she’d lost some of her direction and confidence.

That’s when Opendoorz entered the picture.

“Opendoorz gave me back the confidence I needed. Frilford’s full of such an amazing group of people, so you could say that I found my tribe! Everyone in the room has helped me to grow personally and that in turn has helped me to grow Lawbox.”

It’s a powerful reminder that running a business can sometimes be a lonely place.

Even when you’re surrounded by a great team, there are challenges, decisions and doubts that only another business owner can truly understand.

And sometimes, the most valuable thing isn’t somebody giving you the answer.

It’s having people around you who will listen, challenge your thinking, share their experiences and remind you that you’re more capable than you think.

Relationships first. Business follows.

Of course, Opendoorz is a business networking organisation, and Natalie is clear that membership has created significant commercial opportunities for Lawbox.

New clients, introductions, collaborations and unexpected opportunities have all come from the relationships she’s developed.

But what stands out is how her approach to business development has changed.

“People tend to refer you when they understand how you work and trust how you’ll look after somebody they’ve introduced.”

That trust doesn’t appear after one meeting and a polished 60-second introduction.

It’s earned through conversations, consistency, generosity and showing people who you really are.

Natalie has experienced the commercial benefits of Opendoorz, but she’s equally enthusiastic about the personal value of belonging to a group of business owners who genuinely care about each other’s success.

And that, for us, is where the magic happens.

Bringing out the best in others

Ask Natalie what she won’t compromise on, and the answer comes without hesitation.

How people are treated.

She believes commercial strength and kindness should go hand in hand. You can make difficult decisions, have challenging conversations and hold high standards without losing empathy or respect.

It’s an approach that runs through her leadership at Lawbox and her relationships within Opendoorz.

She’s particularly passionate about helping others find their confidence.

“I really enjoy watching the point where somebody stops looking over their shoulder for reassurance and starts trusting their own judgement.”

For Natalie, great leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about helping people discover that they’re capable of finding their own.

And when those people go on to encourage somebody else? Even better.

It’s easy to see why her fellow members felt she represented the seven Opendoorz values so brilliantly.

Serious about business. Not ourselves.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Opendoorz story without a little laughter.

Away from Lawbox, Natalie’s happiest moments involve family, long walks, good food, cooking something that takes far too long and gathering people around a table with a glass of wine.

And when asked about an Opendoorz moment that still makes her smile?

An annual boat trip sitting alongside fellow member Elina Brown Skromane gets an immediate mention.

Plenty of giggles and a glass that’s always full.

Because while we’re serious about supporting great businesses, we firmly believe enjoying the journey matters too.

What would Natalie say to another business owner considering Opendoorz?

Perhaps the most telling part of our conversation came when we asked Natalie what advice she’d give someone attending their first Opendoorz meeting.

Her answer sums up everything we believe about successful networking.

“Enjoy it! Talk to people about how you see your business rather than trying to give them the polished version. Then give it time.

The value isn’t walking out of your first meeting with a referral. It’s walking into a room six months later and realising that you’ve built relationships with people you trust, who understand your business and who you would happily introduce to somebody you care about.”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

Fifteen years of Opendoorz has taught us that the strongest business relationships aren’t built by collecting contacts or counting introductions.

They’re built by showing up, contributing, being yourself and investing in people.

Natalie’s story demonstrates what can happen when you find the right room, with the right people, at the right time.

Confidence returns. Perspectives change. Friendships develop. And business opportunities follow naturally.

Congratulations, Natalie. A thoroughly deserving winner, a wonderful ambassador for our values and a brilliant example of what being part of Opendoorz is really about.

Could Opendoorz be your tribe?

If you’re an established business owner who values honest conversations, shared experience and building relationships that go beyond business, perhaps it’s time we met.

We’re not promising an instant stream of referrals. We’re offering something far more meaningful: the opportunity to become part of a community where people get to know you, understand your ambitions and genuinely want to see you succeed.

Come along as a guest and discover whether Opendoorz is the right room for you.

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