Community Highlights: Meet Mackenzie Bondo of KRLG Injury Lawyers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Bondo.

Hi Mackenzie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m an Arizona native, born and raised in Glendale. After graduating high school during COVID in 2020, I went to ASU and eventually earned my Bachelor’s degree in Digital and Integrated Marketing. It took me a while to find the right path, though. I started as a psychology major because I loved learning about people and why we behave the way we do. But once I realized that the only true career path required a PhD, I knew I needed to pivot.

I then switched to business data analytics after hearing it was a “smart” field with great job security. But after countless nights crying over homework and trying to force myself to love something that didn’t fit me, I realized that having a high-paying job wouldn’t matter if I hated the work. So, you guessed it…I switched majors again! This time by actually listening to myself. I’ve always been creative and crafty (I filled at least 20 Top Model books growing up), and I wanted a career that brought that creative side back. Marketing ended up being the perfect fit! Thankfully, most of my credits transferred, and I was still able to graduate a semester early in December of 2023.

After graduating, I gave myself six months to breathe. I babysat, did some promotional modeling, and just enjoyed life while job searching. I applied for countless marketing roles, but every interview turned out to be a sales position disguised as marketing. And the ones that weren’t, didn’t want a freshly graduated 22-year-old with almost no prior experience (fair, I guess). So, I kept searching.

Eventually, I decided I just needed to gain some real-world experience (& make enough money to pay for rent), so I accepted a job as a marketing specialist at a property damage company. The job wasn’t ideal, I had no real mentorship, and the work didn’t help me grow in the ways I hoped. The silver lining was the connections I built with personal injury attorneys across the Valley. While many weren’t exactly the most pleasant people I’ve met, a few stood out as genuinely kind and passionate about what they do.

Everything changed when I attended a PI networking event called Putt Putt Palooza and met the attorneys running it: Austin Kurtz and Brian Riley from KRLG Injury Lawyers. They immediately struck me as different: genuine, grounded, fun, and nothing like any attorneys I’d met prior. They invited me to join a small group getting pizza afterward, and during that conversation, they told me they saw so much potential in me and felt I could be doing more with my career. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

We met again shortly after to discuss a potential role at their company. At the time, their firm was less than a year old and didn’t have any marketers. The firm was doing great but the majority of the cases they were getting were referrals from other attorneys.They needed someone who could build their brand awareness, originate more cases, and take some of the work off their backs (because let’s be real, attorneys who are litigating cases don’t have time to show face at an industry happy hour twice a week). I was ready for the challenge. After some discussions, I officially started at KRLG in January 2025, and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

Austin and Brian are truly the best people to work for: kind, supportive, and exceptional at what they do. They challenge me, trust me, and celebrate my wins. I never originally pictured myself working in legal, but I’ve grown surprisingly passionate about this field and believe that the work our attorneys do is for the good of others.
As the sole person in the marketing department, I get to wear a lot of hats. Internally within the legal community, I build our brand by attending events, maintaining relationships, and organizing our own firm events. I oversee two major charity events each year: Putt Putt Palooza (yes, that one that I attended that eventually landed me this job), benefiting Fore The Kids, and Barristers’ Bar Battle, benefiting Almost There Rescue. Both are large-scale events that helps us to stay connected to the community while supporting causes we care about!

Externally, I’m focused on building our brand to the general public and potential clients. I run our social media, manage partnerships, grow our reviews, email market, assist with SEO and website improvements, and am currently working with a partner company on our Local Service Ads and possibly a few other exciting things to come.
I genuinely love what I do, and I’m excited to keep growing KRLG’s presence, both in the legal community and with the clients we serve, while continuing to grow as a marketer right alongside the firm!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. When I first started this job, I had no idea just how many different hats I’d end up wearing. Sure, I knew I’d be running our events, but I didn’t realize how much time, planning, and pressure comes with making sure our sponsors feel their investment is truly worthwhile. I knew I’d be handling social media, but I didn’t realize how tough it actually is to get a video to “go viral” or how little time I’d have to sit down and brainstorm fresh reel/TikTok ideas. And yes, I knew I’d be creating new marketing campaigns, but I didn’t expect how intimidating it would feel to make big decisions about where to spend our budget: radio, sports partnerships, billboards, you name it. Anyone can throw money at marketing, but figuring out what will actually bring the best ROI can feel like a calculated gamble.

As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve gotten better at delegating, but it’s still a work in progress. That’s probably been the biggest challenge. There are a million things I could do to help increase signed cases, but at the end of the day, I’m still just one person with 24 hours (nine of which are spent at the office).

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about KRLG Injury Lawyers?
KRLG Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm based in Scottsdale, AZ, serving clients across the entire state. We focus exclusively on personal injury cases, and unlike many firms in Arizona, we actively litigate. That’s been a huge part of what sets us apart.

Our brand is built on authenticity, transparency, and real results. Everyone at our firm is young, driven, and highly experienced. We’re not your typical lawyers; we genuinely enjoy what we do, and we want our clients to feel like they’re part of our family. They can reach out to us anytime for updates, and they always have easy access to the co-owners/ founding attorneys. That level of communication and trust is something we take seriously and are known for.

In just two years, KRLG has made a strong name for itself in the industry. We’ve built solid relationships with attorneys and firms across Arizona who trust our work and refer cases to us because they know we deliver. Within the legal community, we’re also known for hosting two of the best (in my opinion) PI networking events each year, where everyone has a great time connecting and raising money for charity.

Our presence in the community continues to grow, and the general public is starting to recognize our brand as well. We’re incredibly proud to have won Phoenix Magazine’s Best of the Valley awards for Best Lawyers and Best Personal Injury Lawyers, especially after unseating the long-standing winner of nearly a decade.

At KRLG, our mission is simple: deliver exceptional results, treat clients like our own family, and continue raising the bar for what a personal injury firm should be!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
As Gen Z gets older, I think the personal injury industry is going to shift heavily toward authenticity. People are becoming less trusting of traditional advertising: billboards, radio spots, bus wraps, etc. And more trusting of real recommendations and real people. The idea that a “good lawyer” has to be an older, stuffy, Harvard-educated man is fading fast. Clients want someone relatable, someone they feel comfortable with, and someone who communicates openly.

Access and transparency will also become major expectations. People will want to reach their attorneys online more easily and see what’s happening with their case in real time. Firms that don’t adapt to that level of communication will fall behind.

And of course, the influence of social media and AI will only continue to grow. We’re already seeing it with viral personal injury attorneys whose content feels human and entertaining, like the ones dancing on Zoom with their staff. I think the firms that lean into tech, transparency, and authentic branding are the ones that will thrive over the next decade.

Pricing:

• We work on a contingency fee which means we don’t get paid until our client gets paid.
• Our lawyer fee is a percentage of the client’s settlement in a successful case, and if the client loses, we are not paid a fee.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kurtzriley.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k_r_l_g/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kurtzriley/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/99289135/

Image Credits
Jessica Juniper
James “Slim” Green
Mackenzie Bondo