BE THAT LAWYER: Recent Episodes
Steve Fretzin
BE THAT LAWYER is for attorneys who want more freedom, enjoyment and most importantly, control in their career. Topics will include business development, marketing, branding, technology, and law firm growth. The goal is to educate, entertain and share best practices related to these topics, so that you, the listener can get real value. This is primarily an interview show with great guests (attorneys and legal marketing professionals), sharing stories and analogies, as well as engaging in personal discussions that will keep you entertained and coming back week after week.
What’s really holding your law firm back isn’t a lack of leads—it’s how you spend your time and handle the ones you already have. In this episode, you’ll learn how smart hiring, offshore staffing, and a professional intake process can free you from $10-an-hour tasks and unlock real, sustainable growth.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brett Trembly discuss:
- Mindset shift from saving to spending for growth
- Early-stage law firm struggles and first key hires
- Offshore staffing in Latin America and founding Get Staffed Up
- Broken intake systems and the client’s first experience with a firm
- Delegation, KPIs, and freeing managing partners from billable work
Key Takeaways:
- Clinging to a “safe” bank balance before hiring often traps owners in low-value tasks and slows growth dramatically.
- Hiring support—especially before you feel fully ready—is usually the only way to stop doing admin work and start focusing on higher-value activities.
- Law firms frequently don’t need more marketing; they need to fix intake and conversion so leads actually become clients.
- A professional, structured intake process signals competence, builds trust, and can transform the client’s experience from chaotic to “white glove.”
- Using KPIs, scorecards, and results-focused metrics is more effective than obsessing over every minute your remote or salaried team members work.
"Doing all the little things yourself prevents you from ever building up your money." — Brett Trembly
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Brett Trembly: Brett Trembly, Esq., is the founding partner of Trembly Law Firm in Miami, Florida, where he focuses on business law, franchise law, and commercial litigation under the firm's mission of "Protecting the Economy, One Business at a Time." He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Eastern New Mexico University in 2005 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2008. In addition to managing his legal practice, Trembly co-founded Get Staffed Up, a virtual staffing company that provides offshore support personnel to law firms across North America, and authored books on business growth including 24 Months to Freedom and The Danger Zones. Active in the South Florida legal community, he has served as President of the Miami Kendall Bar Association and Vice-Chair of the Florida Bar 11th Circuit Grievance Committee, earning recognition as a Florida Super Lawyer and an Inc. 5000 honoree.
Connect with Brett Trembly:
Website: https://tremblylaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
When everyone’s chasing the latest shiny marketing tactic, what does it look like to grow a law firm by doing less but better? In this episode, Elliot Johnson shares how “addition by subtraction,” disciplined strategy, and deep content can transform both your firm’s brand and your client experience.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Elliot Johnson discuss:
- Addition by subtraction and prioritization in marketing
- Career journey into legal marketing and CMO role
- Jujitsu as a framework for leadership, patience, and strategy
- Personal branding for lawyers vs. firm branding
- Content, SEO, AI, and aligning marketing with client experience
Key Takeaways:
- Focusing on a small number of high-impact initiatives—and cutting everything else—is often the fastest path to meaningful growth.
- Mastery in any discipline, whether jujitsu or marketing, comes from deliberate fundamentals, patience, and long-term commitment rather than quick wins.
- Lawyers who intentionally build personal brands online give clients confidence, create future career options, and support their firm’s broader marketing efforts.
- Aligning your external marketing promises with a genuinely strong client experience is essential for generating trust, five-star reviews, and referrals.
- Strategic, expert-driven content now serves not only human readers but also AI and search engines, making it a crucial long-term investment for any law firm.
"We want them to be able to confidently recommend us." — Elliot Johnson
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Elliot Johnson: Elliot Johnson is the Chief Marketing Officer of Angel Reyes & Associates, one of Texas’s fastest-growing personal injury law firms — and one of the few in the industry to build a truly world-class SEO and paid media operation entirely in-house.
Where most firms outsource their digital marketing and hope for the best, Elliot has assembled and developed an elite internal team spanning paid search, SEO, content, local search, digital PR, and lead generation — with a hard focus on attribution, ROI, and performance that can be defended in a boardroom. His operating philosophy is AI-first and data-obsessed, built for a marketing landscape that is changing faster than most teams can keep up with.
When he’s not optimizing campaigns or debating LLMs, Elliot is a professor of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a cinephile with a watchlist that never gets shorter.
Connect with Elliot Johnson:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotjohnsonks/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Discover how small and midsize law firms can stop being “revenue rich but cash poor” by building real systems, leveraging AI, and tracking the right numbers. In this episode, you’ll hear how to plug profit leaks, tame AR, and design a law firm that runs like a business—not a burnout machine.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Jakovenko discuss:
- Career path from HR to fractional law firm COO
- Why systems are critical for efficient, profitable law firms
- Practical AI use cases for billing, timekeeping, and intake
- Revenue vs. cash flow, debt, and financial blind spots
- Lead capture, AR strategies, and creative pricing/payment models
Key Takeaways:
- A law firm can have impressive revenue and still be “cash poor” if systems, expense control, and debt management are ignored.
- AI should be treated as a teammate, not a threat—offloading first drafts, admin tasks, time entry, and pre-bill review so attorneys can focus on higher-value work.
- Profitability depends heavily on cash velocity: how quickly work is billed and money actually hits the account, not just what’s on paper.
- Most firms waste a significant portion of their marketing spend because they lack proper lead capture, follow-up, and accountability metrics.
- Creative product mixes (e.g., adding flat-fee or subscription-style services) and structured payment plans can smooth out revenue and reduce financial stress.
"You might be revenue rich but cash poor, and that comes from not having your systems in place, but it's also not knowing your numbers." — John Jakovenko
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About John Jakovenko: John is a leading expert on all things business of law. Since 2006, John has devoted his career to law firm management, working with firms of all sizes and in various states. He also teaches the Association of Legal Administrators Business of Law HR courses as well as the HR section of the Legal Management Fundamentals course, helping new administrators navigate their first five years in law firms.
Connect with John Jakovenko:
Website: https://jakovenko.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakovenko/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Discover how a jazz pianist turned niche entertainment work into a powerhouse advertising, privacy, and tech practice—and why treating business development as a marathon, not a sprint, has allowed him to build a loyal, decades‑long client base. In this episode, you’ll hear practical, battle‑tested strategies for specialization, client relationships, and training the next generation of rainmakers.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jamie Rubin discuss:
- Lawyer’s journey as a marathon, not a sprint
- Building a niche/specialist practice and moving firms
- Impact of legal operations, budgets, and alternative fee arrangements
- Personal branding vs. firm branding and the “Info Law Group way”
- Training younger lawyers in organized, non-salesy business development
Key Takeaways:
- Treating a legal career like a marathon allows room for ebbs and flows in work while staying confident that consistent effort will pay off over time.
- Specializing deeply in a niche practice area or industry builds trust and makes it easier for clients to follow you, even when you change firms.
- Modern in‑house legal operations demand sharper budgeting, clearer estimates, and more flexible fee arrangements, forcing outside counsel to become better business partners.
- Strong client loyalty grows from genuine personal relationships—helping clients succeed, understanding how they are judged internally, and making them look good in front of their own stakeholders.
- Younger lawyers can learn business development by following a structured, organized process that avoids pushy “sales” tactics and instead focuses on thoughtful questions, careful listening, and well‑practiced messaging.
"My big mistake is not truly understanding my client's perspective." — Jamie Rubin
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jamie Rubin: Jamie Rubin is an advertising, technology, and privacy lawyer who guides clients through bringing traditional and emerging campaigns from initial concept to execution. Ranked as a Leader by Chambers and Partners and recognized by Best Lawyers, his practice covers national and digital advertising, celebrity agreements, sweepstakes, social media marketing, and claim substantiation. Certified as an Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) and a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Jamie previously practiced as a partner at Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon LLP and was named one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch" by Law Bulletin Publishing Company.
Connect with Jamie Rubin:
Website: https://www.infolawgroup.com/jamie-rubin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrubinadlawyer/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Even high-earning attorneys can feel financially stuck when taxes, lifestyle creep, and poor planning collide. In this episode, you’ll learn how to fix the most common money mistakes lawyers make and build a financial plan that actually supports your life and career.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Niraj Chhabra discuss:
- Taxes as the biggest financial pitfall for attorneys
- Lifestyle creep and savings habits for high earners
- Balancing kids’ education, family support, and retirement
- Retirement, deferred compensation, and long-term care planning
- Unique financial challenges for solo and small-firm lawyers
Key Takeaways:
- Taxes are often the largest and most overlooked threat to an attorney’s long-term wealth, especially when income rises, but tax strategy doesn’t evolve.
- As income increases, spending almost always follows—but savings rarely keep pace unless it’s structured and intentional.
- Funding children’s education and big life events is important, but it must be weighed against the very real risk of extending your own working years.
- Tools like deferred compensation plans, 529s, and properly structured insurance can dramatically improve both tax efficiency and retirement outcomes when used correctly.
- Solo and small-firm lawyers face unique cash flow and risk issues and need different emergency reserves, retirement structures, and income protection than firm employees.
"You should have three to six months' worth of expenses set aside in cash. If you're a solo, you need 12 to 36..." — Niraj Chhabra
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Niraj Chhabra: Niraj Chhabra is the Managing Director of SideBar Advisors. Before launching the firm in 2022, he was an advisor with Ameriprise Financial since 2005, concentrating on clients in the legal profession. His central focus includes family finances, tax and estate strategies, retirement, and financial planning for small businesses. His goal is to help attorneys navigate their unique tax challenges and modify their financial plans as their careers evolve. He does this by offering attorneys holistic financial planning and complimentary educational workshops.
Connect with Niraj Chhabra:
Website: https://sidebaradvisors.com/
Show: https://sidebaradvisors.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirajchhabra/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidebaradvisors/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SideBarAdvisors/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
High-performing young lawyers are more willing than ever to walk if a firm won’t invest in them. In this episode, Steve and Cheryl unpack what it really takes to build a culture of connection, mentoring, and resilience that keeps top legal talent thriving instead of burning out.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Cheryl Donaldson discuss:
- Mark Twain quote, risk-taking, and non-linear careers
- Early travel, psychology training, and “Lead from the Soul”
- Parenting, modeling behavior, and long-game training with kids
- How Gen Z and young associates think about big law, AI, and mobility
- Law firm culture, connection vs. disconnection, and practical retention strategies
Key Takeaways:
- Taking risks and embracing non-linear career moves creates depth, perspective, and resilience that ultimately make professionals more effective and fulfilled.
- Whether with children or associates, change comes from consistent training over time, not one-off conversations or quick fixes.
- The newest generation of lawyers is highly thoughtful about how they want to live and work—and they will leave if a firm’s culture doesn’t align with their values.
- Connection, structure, and clear expectations are the three pillars of a healthy firm; without all three, feedback and performance demands quickly backfire.
- In a tech-heavy, hybrid world, leaders must intentionally replace lost in-person contact with deliberate relational touchpoints if they want loyalty, sustainability, and long-term talent.
"They're going to be confident to leave if they're not getting what they need or what they want. They're going to be mobile." — Cheryl Donaldson
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Cheryl Donaldson: Cheryl Donaldson is a licensed marriage and family therapist, consultant, international speaker, and author of Lead from the Soul. Drawing on more than 30 years of clinical experience, she works with individuals, organizations, and legal professionals to strengthen leadership, wellbeing, and workplace culture through the integration of psychology, spirituality, and self-leadership.
Connect with Cheryl Donaldson:
Website: https://cheryldonaldson.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-donaldson-ma-lmft-lcpc-3b9254292/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
When in-house counsel are “hair on fire” busy and severely resource constrained, why should they choose you as outside counsel? In this episode, you’ll hear a former GC and big‑law partner break down exactly how to become the trusted, go‑to lawyer that general counsel actually want to hire and introduce to their peers.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chaka Patterson discuss:
- Adaptability and rainmaking in a changing legal market
- The real day-to-day life of in-house counsel
- What GCs value most in outside counsel relationships
- Using investment banker and consultant strategies for BD
- Deepening and expanding relationships inside client organizations
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term success in private practice is less about raw legal talent and more about adaptability, relationship depth, and how well you understand your clients’ business realities.
- In-house counsel are often overwhelmed and resource-constrained, so outside lawyers who proactively leverage their firm’s tools, people, and knowledge to lighten that load stand out quickly.
- Treating in-house lawyers as whole people—with careers, families, and aspirations—rather than as “a piece of business” is a major differentiator and often the true reason work moves firms.
- The best rainmakers think like investment bankers and management consultants: they invest early in relationships, arrive with insight (not “What’s keeping you up at night?”), and burrow into organizations so they’re never reliant on a single contact.
- Asking satisfied clients for warm introductions—and systematizing how those introductions are made and followed up—turns existing matters into a steady pipeline of new in-house relationships.
"Anytime you can help somebody solve a problem of any kind, you have delivered real value." — Chaka Patterson
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Chaka Patterson: Chaka Patterson is an experienced attorney and business strategist with over three decades of leadership spanning private practice, public service, and corporate executive roles. Highly educated with degrees from Amherst College, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago (M.B.A.), he has served as a partner at leading law firms and held key executive roles, including General Counsel at Adtalem Global Education and Vice President of Treasury and Investor Relations at Exelon Corporation. Today, he leverages this deep expertise in law, finance, and corporate governance through Chaka Strategy, where he coaches and advises legal professionals navigating complex career and business transformations.
Connect with Chaka Patterson:
Website: https://chakastrategy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaka-patterson/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Stop wasting billable hours on admin work. In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify hidden bottlenecks in your firm and turn them into reliable automations that save you hours every week—without tripping over AI ethics or security rules.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeff Arnold discuss:
- Process mapping before automation and AI
- Common admin bottlenecks in law firms and HR
- Practical examples of email, billing, and document automations
- ABA Formal Opinion 512 and AI risk in legal workflows
- Agents vs. workflows and why most firms aren’t ready for agents yet
Key Takeaways:
- Automation should be built on top of clearly mapped, efficient processes; otherwise, it only helps you make mistakes faster.
- The best automation wins often come from small, repetitive tasks—like email responses, filing documents, or parsing PDFs—that quietly consume hours every week.
- Many legal professionals underestimate how much of their day is administrative; even saving ten minutes per day can translate into an extra workweek of time each year.
- There is a critical distinction between automation and generative AI in law: once client data touches AI, additional ethical and security requirements are triggered.
- Most firms don’t have an “agent” problem; they have a workflow problem—reliable, well-defined automations should come first, with AI layered in only where it truly adds value.
"The most important thing is to get your processes down and get a solid foundation. Work on automation first, then you can work on implementing AI." — Jeff Arnold
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jeff Arnold: Jeff Arnold is the Founder and President of 4Spot Consulting, an automation and AI implementation firm, and a two-time Amazon Best-Selling author. With more than 20 years implementing automation and 40 years of leadership experience, Jeff helps law firms and professional services teams find and eliminate the manual, repetitive work that quietly drains billable hours, then convert that reclaimed time back into high-value, client-facing work. His core message: technology doesn't replace your people; it elevates them. Through his flagship keynote, "Stop Logging. Start Leading.," Jeff shows organizations how to reclaim 25% of their work week through strategic automation.
Connect with Jeff Arnold:
Website: https://4spotconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwarnold/
Book (The Automated Law Firm) - Pre-register: The-Automated-Law-.com
OpsMap™ Quick Audit - a one-pager to help people get started: https://4spotconsulting.com/opsmap-quick-audit/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
How did a young partner go from “no plan, no book” to doubling his business year over year—without ever feeling like a salesperson? In this episode, you’ll hear how deliberate preparation, mentors, and genuine relationships can transform a legal career into a true rainmaking engine.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alex Karasik discuss:
- Family values and early influences on career and character
- The power of preparation and the Muhammad Ali mindset
- Learning business development from elite mentors
- Relationship-based rainmaking and “sales-free” selling
- Starting early: advice for law students and young lawyers on BD
Key Takeaways:
- Success in law—whether in the courtroom or in business development—is largely determined by the preparation you do when no one is watching.
- Treating business development as relationship-building and problem-solving, rather than “selling,” removes the anxiety many lawyers feel around sales.
- A strong network, built on kindness, favors, and “mitzvahs” with no expectation of return, often becomes the foundation of a durable book of business.
- Carving out protected time for business development—evenings, early mornings, or weekends—is essential if you want to stop “running someone else’s race.”
- The biggest regret for many successful lawyers is not starting earlier: law school and even college are not too soon to begin building a network and presence.
"If you don't make time for business development, it's not going to happen. It's not something that just happens by chance or by luck." — Alex Karasik
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Alex Karasik: Alex W. Karasik is a core member of Duane Morris’ Class Action Defense Team and multiple artificial intelligence committees, specializing in high-stakes employment law and privacy matters. He represents a diverse clientele—ranging from Fortune 500 multinational organizations to local Chicagoland businesses—across major industries including hospitality, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. Recognized as an industry thought leader, Mr. Karasik's legal analysis has been featured in Forbes and Law360, and he has been honored as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2024–2026) and in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch.” Prior to his seven years as an associate at an international law firm, he earned his J.D. from Notre Dame, where he served as President of the Sports, Communication & Entertainment Law Forum. He also holds a Master of Communication Management and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California, where he spent over five years working with the USC Trojans football team under Coach Pete Carroll.
Connect with Alex Karasik:
Website: https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/alexkarasik.html
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
High-performing lawyers are drowning in billable hours, perfectionism, and constant interruptions—but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, you’ll learn practical strategies to delegate better, protect your time, and manage stress so you can build a sustainable practice without burning out.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ellen Cohen discuss:
- Transition from in-house entertainment lawyer to leadership coach
- Biggest stressors and billable-hour pressure in modern law practice
- Delegation myths and the real cost of “it’s easier if I do it myself”
- Time management, prioritization, and managing interruptions
- Perfectionism, neuroscience of stress, and practical self-care habits
Key Takeaways:
- Treating every task as equally urgent and important is a fast track to burnout; you must distinguish between high-value, urgent work and tasks that can be delegated or delayed.
- The mindset of “it’s easier if I do it myself” hides a massive hidden cost in lost billable hours, lost growth, and lost personal time.
- Truly effective delegation requires training others, tolerating imperfection in the short term, and focusing your time on work that matches your highest value and rate.
- Perfectionism may look professional on the surface, but it often comes from self-limiting beliefs and dramatically slows productivity while increasing stress and risk of burnout.
- Chronic stress pushes you into fight-or-flight, which makes clear thinking neurologically harder and raises the risk of malpractice—regular breaks, movement, and joy-producing activities are therefore performance tools, not luxuries.
"When you're stressed out, when you're in fight or flight, when you're in your sympathetic nervous system, you actually cannot neurologically think clearly, and it elevates your risk of malpractice, making mistakes, errors, reactivity, emotional responses that are not in line. You cannot work as efficiently." — Ellen Cohen
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ellen Cohen: Ellen B. Cohen is a seasoned executive coach, organizational consultant, and former attorney who brings over 25 years of senior executive experience at major media and tech companies like Disney, Sony, Fox, Microsoft, and Viacom to her leadership development practice. Leveraging over 2,500 hours of coaching experience, she partners with C-suite executives and high-achieving professionals to help them expand their influence, manage stress through neuroscience, and transition from reactive execution to strategic leadership. Ellen holds a J.D. from Emory University School of Law, a Master’s in Organization Development and Leadership from Fielding Graduate University, is admitted to the state bars of CA, NY, FL, and GA, and holds multiple elite coaching credentials (PCC, CPCC, CPQC). As a Core Guide for the executive women's network Chief, she combines her deep corporate background with mental fitness practices to help leaders break through mental glass ceilings and build sustainable, high-impact careers.
Connect with Ellen Cohen:
Website: https://ebccoaching.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebccoaching/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Lawyers are taught to practice law, not build a book of business—yet their careers depend on it. In this episode, discover how to reframe “sales” into problem-solving, develop sustainable BD habits, and turn everyday relationships into real opportunities.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lauren Paxton discuss:
- Mindset shifts for lawyer business development
- Reframing sales as solving client problems
- Getting out of the “friend zone” with potential clients
- Targeting ideal clients, industries, and strategic partners
- Building consistent BD habits and leveraging existing relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Business development becomes far more sustainable when it’s treated as a long-term journey of experimentation rather than a pass–fail test.
- Reframing “sales” as solving real problems makes outreach feel aligned with professional identity instead of pushy or manipulative.
- The most effective business development starts with clarity on where you want to end up in your career and then working backward to design the path.
- Narrow, specific targeting and curiosity-driven conversations make you memorable and referable in a way that “I do everything” never will.
- Consistency wins: small, habitual BD actions—especially with existing clients and colleagues—compound over time and smooth out the feast-or-famine roller coaster.
"Business development involves a mindset of: ‘this is a journey, and there's no failure, there's just figuring out all the different ways it doesn't work until you fall into the one that does’." — Lauren Paxton
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Lauren Paxton: Lauren Paxton is an executive coach and consultant, working primarily with lawyers and law firms.
Lauren’s work integrates mindset and neuroscience-based tools, working with her clients’ natural strengths to build the businesses and careers they envision.
Lauren’s coaching and consulting approach is informed by her experience as a former Chambers & Partners-ranked law firm partner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Bar Association leader, and media contributor cited in Forbes, Newsweek, and CFO Magazine. Throughout her career, Lauren has been a trusted thought-partner to lawyers and executives, and she understands firsthand the ever-changing landscape her clients are navigating.
Connect with Lauren Paxton:
Website: https://www.laurenpaxton.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
When is legal recruiting “simple but hard”? In this episode, a former BigLaw attorney turned recruiter pulls back the curtain on how associates can become highly marketable and how firms quietly lose top candidates—plus what both sides must do differently in today’s ultra-competitive legal market.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris White discuss:
- Transition from law practice to legal recruiting
- Why credentials and experience shape lateral options
- Common mistakes associates make in their careers and job searches
- How firms lose strong candidates and what great hiring processes look like
- Market trends, compensation pressure, and lifestyle trade-offs in law
Key Takeaways:
- Legal recruiting looks straightforward on paper, but in practice, it’s a complex, often difficult matchmaking process between firms and candidates.
- Credentials, law school performance, and the caliber of prior firms heavily influence how many and what kinds of lateral opportunities an attorney will realistically have.
- Associates quietly hurt their own marketability when they neglect their LinkedIn, allow their materials to go stale, and fail to build a network while billing heavy hours.
- Law firms routinely lose top candidates by moving too slowly, failing to tell a compelling story about what makes them unique, and not putting prospects in front of the right partners.
- Smaller and mid-sized firms can’t always compete on salary, but they can win by offering better lifestyle, lower billable requirements, and real upside for business generators.
"The more information a candidate has, the more likely they are to accept." — Chris White
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Chris White: As a former practicing attorney, Chris White leverages his firsthand experience and business acumen to effectively recruit, place, and advise attorneys nationwide from his base in Chicago. After earning his BBA from the University of Michigan’s Steven M. Ross School of Business in 2004 and graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 2007, he began his legal career handling corporate and securities matters at the international firm Drinker Biddle & Reath, later practicing at the mid-sized Chicago firm Pedersen & Houpt. Today, Chris has successfully placed attorneys across a vast array of practice areas—including litigation, corporate/M&A, real estate, and tax—at numerous law firms and companies. Also, the founder of a small beer tasting company, Chris combines his dual background in law and business with a genuine enthusiasm for teaching and helping others to uniquely guide candidates through their legal careers.
Connect with Chris White:
Website: https://www.navigatelegalsearch.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbrucewhite/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What if your legal career didn’t have to feel like a grind, you just survive? In this episode, you’ll learn how to pause time, beat burnout, and intentionally design a solo practice and life that actually fit you.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Wendy Meadows discuss:
- “Forever is composed of nows,” and pausing time
- Journaling, gratitude, and intentionally replaying “yesterday”
- Leaving litigation for mediation and coaching lawyers
- Burnout vs. a career that no longer fits
- Young lawyers, work-life integration, and treating yourself as the CEO
Key Takeaways:
- Being fully present in the “now” moments of your day is how you ultimately shape the career and life you’ll look back on.
- Simple reflection practices like journaling about “what was great about yesterday” can anchor gratitude and reduce the feeling of life rushing by.
- Leaving litigation or a firm isn’t always about hating the work; sometimes it’s about aligning with a role and business model that feels ethical, sustainable, and enjoyable.
- Burnout will recur over a career, but recognizing your personal warning signs and having tools—like movement, boundaries, and intentional scheduling—can shorten its duration and impact.
- Treating yourself as the CEO of your practice (and life) means owning the decisions, direction, and standards, rather than passively letting circumstances or other people steer you.
"The biggest mistake in my business is when I forget that I'm the CEO." — Wendy Meadows
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Wendy Meadows: Wendy S. Meadows is a Maryland-based family law attorney, certified life coach, and mediator who runs the Law Office of Wendy S. Meadows, LLC in Phoenix, Maryland. After graduating cum laude from Franklin & Marshall College in 2002 and the American University Washington College of Law in 2005, she spent years as a traditional family law litigator before intentionally shifting her focus entirely to out-of-court alternative dispute resolutions. Today, her legal practice specializes exclusively in mediation, collaborative law, prenuptial agreements, and parent coordination to help families resolve high-conflict custody and divorce issues with minimal friction. Alongside her law practice, she runs a professional coaching and consulting business called Lawfully Lean—informed by her own experience with professional burnout—where she acts as a strategic coach, author, and speaker helping high-achieving women, lawyers, and firm owners optimize their habits and build sustainable careers.
Connect with Wendy Meadows:
Website: https://www.wendymeadowslaw.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What happens when a big law partner walks away from a “wonderful job” to build an AI-powered solo practice? In this episode, you’ll hear how one construction lawyer is using AI to slash hours of work to minutes—and why lawyers who stay on the sidelines risk being left behind.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Baker discuss:
- Leaving big law to launch a solo practice
- How AI is practically used in day-to-day legal work
- Efficiency, billing models, and the future of big law
- Ethical and strategic considerations around AI adoption
- Encouragement for lawyers to experiment and get AI-literate
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t need to be a coder to benefit from AI; the willingness to experiment and basic skills like copy-paste are enough to start transforming your workflow.
- Tasks that once required staff support, days of delay, and high cost can now be compressed into minutes with the right AI tools.
- Traditional big law business models built on leverage and large billable-hour teams are likely to face serious disruption as AI boosts individual productivity.
- Market forces will push firms toward more efficient, smaller teams and alternative fee structures, rewarding those who embrace technology early.
- Waiting for institutional permission or a “starting gun” is risky; individual lawyers must proactively get literate in AI to secure their future in the profession.
"The only skill that I really needed was the desire to get started, and then the ability to cut and paste, because there's no coding required to play with [AI]." — Jeremy Baker
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jeremy Baker: Jeremy S. Baker is a Chicago-based attorney and the founder of Baker Law Group LLC, specializing in construction law, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. Admitted to practice in 2002, he has extensive experience representing architects, developers, engineers, and property owners in complex contract negotiations and construction disputes. A former partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP (formerly Schiff Hardin LLP), Baker has served as an adjunct professor of construction law and is a frequent speaker and writer for industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He has been consistently recognized by Thomson Reuters as an Illinois Super Lawyer, a distinction he has held consecutively since 2019.
Connect with Jeremy Baker:
Website: https://designbuildlaw.com/, https://operationpalmtree.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysbaker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Tired of paying for “more clicks” and getting zero real cases? In this episode, you’ll hear how strategic market research, real social proof, and case-study-driven content can turn a law firm website into a revenue engine instead of a digital brochure.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Cooper Saunders discuss:
- The real goal of digital marketing for law firms (revenue, not clicks)
- Market research and choosing markets you can dominate
- Building targeted content around real client cases and questions
- Personalization, video, and human connection on law firm websites
- Social proof, reviews, and the “Dream 100” referral strategy
Key Takeaways:
- Marketing success for law firms starts with showing up where people are already searching for the exact services you provide, instead of broadcasting to everyone and hoping for the best.
- Smart lawyers look for markets they can dominate, choosing niches and geographies with solid demand but manageable competition rather than jumping into oversaturated metro battles by default.
- Case-based content that walks through “this client, this problem, this solution, this outcome” is far more powerful than generic articles that could apply to anyone and no one at the same time.
- Prospects convert at a higher rate when they can see and hear the attorney: simple, honest video on an About page often beats polished but faceless branding.
- Social proof, including reviews, testimonials, and concrete case studies, is no longer optional; it’s the proof skeptical clients need before deciding you’re the right firm to trust.
"I think the market research goes into identifying a pond you can dominate, rather than being a minnow in an ocean or fighting an 800-pound gorilla." — Cooper Saunders
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Cooper Saunders: Cooper Saunders is the owner and founder of WiseGuys Digital Marketing, a Kansas City, Missouri-based agency specializing in SEO and Google Ads. Recognized as a business growth expert, he has authored three national bestselling books—including Quit Competing Start Dominating and Marketing Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy—and hosts The Growth Secrets Podcast. Under his leadership, WiseGuys Digital Marketing operates without year-long contracts and was named a Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Small Business Superstar for three consecutive years from 2021 through 2023.
Connect with Cooper Saunders:
Website: https://wiseguysdm.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coopersaunders/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
A potential client rarely picks up the phone to call a law firm on their best day—and how that first moment is handled can make or break the relationship. In this episode, you’ll learn how to turn branding, digital footprint, and intake into a consistent, human experience that wins trust and converts more of the right clients.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Fiona Stevenson discuss:
- Unreasonable hospitality and the “2%” difference
- Brand vs. marketing for law firms
- Defining mission, values, and ideal clients
- Consistent intake and first-impression systems
- Human connection vs. AI in client intake
Key Takeaways:
- A law firm’s brand is defined less by its logo and more by what people say when the lawyers aren’t in the room.
- Clarity on mission, values, and the types of clients you do and do not want to serve should act as a north star for all marketing and client interactions.
- Consistency across every touchpoint (including your website, email, phone, live chat, and in-person conversations) is essential for building trust and a recognizable brand.
- The first phone call often happens on one of the worst days in a client’s life, so warmth, empathy, and active listening are non‑negotiable in intake.
- While AI can enhance efficiency behind the scenes, real humans at the end of the phone line remain critical to delivering the kind of experience that truly reflects a firm’s reputation.
"Brand is what people are saying about you when you're not in the room. You might not have even spoken to that person, and they've already got a perception about what your brand is." — Fiona Stevenson
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Fiona Stevenson: Fiona Stevenson is Associate Director of Marketing at LEX Reception. She brings 20 years of B2B marketing experience across SaaS, professional services, retail, and the public sector. Her particular interest is customer insights - she believes good marketing starts with an honest understanding of what buyers actually need. She writes about legal operations, client experience, and practical growth for law firms.
Connect with Fiona Stevenson:
Website: https://www.lexreception.com/blog/author/fiona/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionahstevenson/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Stuck on the “wrong mountain” in your legal career but unsure what to do next? In this episode, career coach and former lawyer Sherry Mason breaks down how ambitious attorneys can separate prestige from true fulfillment, avoid burnout, and plan a smart, strategic exit instead of a panic-fueled leap.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sherry Mason discuss:
- Ambition vs. prestige in legal careers
- Skills, situation, and identity as sources of dissatisfaction
- Burnout, autonomy, and control for lawyers
- How spending 20% of your time on aligned work drastically reduces burnout
- A five-step framework for planning a career transition
Key Takeaways:
- Many high-achieving lawyers climb career “mountains” chosen for them by others, only to realize later that prestige alone doesn’t guarantee a fulfilling life.
- Career dissatisfaction typically stems from one of three areas (skills, situation, or identity) and it’s critical to understand which one is actually driving your unhappiness before you make a big move.
- Burnout often reflects a loss of autonomy and misalignment between daily work and personal values, not just long hours or compensation.
- Research suggests that if just 20% of your time is spent on the work that most lights you up, your risk of burnout can drop dramatically, even if the other 80% is less enjoyable.
- A thoughtful, stepwise approach of clarifying your criteria, forming hypotheses, testing them through conversations, reaching the right decision-makers, and weighing trade-offs can turn a vague urge to quit into a strategic, lower-risk transition.
"You can do anything, but you can't do everything, and a lot of times we work on climbing to the top of a mountain, and sometimes it is a mountain that someone else has told us would be the right mountain for us to climb. " — Sherry Mason
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Sherry Mason: Sherry Mason is the founder and principal coach at Daymark Career Coaching, where she has been advising and guiding professionals through career transitions since 2005. Grounded in an 18-year background in higher education, her experience includes serving as the former Dean of Students at the University of Maine School of Law, as well as a decade working as a Career Coach and Pre-Law Advisor at Bowdoin College and Tufts University. She holds a B.A. in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University and a J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Maine School of Law, where she graduated first in her class. Sherry brings a deeply multi-disciplinary approach to her practice, holding credentials as an Accredited Financial Counselor alongside specialized training in navigating transitions, public speaking, racial equity, and intergroup dialogue facilitation.
Connect with Sherry Mason:
Website: https://daymarkcareers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryfm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, you’ll hear how an immigrant entrepreneur leveraged authenticity, storytelling, and smart content strategy to turn a resume platform into a powerful engine for referrals, hiring, and personal brand.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jimmy Lai discuss:
- Using LinkedIn as an “Instagram” for lawyers and professionals
- Immigration journey, E-2 visa risk, and launching a law firm from scratch
- Clarifying goals on LinkedIn: clients, brand, or relationships
- Authenticity, lived experience, and personal storytelling in content
- Hooks, comments, and practical tactics to grow reach and engagement
Key Takeaways:
- Treating LinkedIn as a place to learn, be entertained, and build real relationships can transform it from a static resume into a dynamic growth channel.
- Before posting, get crystal clear on whether your primary goal is client acquisition, personal branding, or relationship-building, and let that drive your strategy.
- Consistent content built around a few focused pillars and rooted in lived experience tends to outperform generic, “professional-only” posts.
- Engagement doesn’t start with posting; thoughtful, value-adding comments can be the safest and most effective way to warm up and build relationships.
- Sustainable business growth often requires letting go of the need to do everything yourself and delegating to capable people who can reliably handle 80% of the work.
"My big mistake as an entrepreneur was thinking that I'm the best at everything, and I need to do everything myself… we didn't hit exponential growth until I was ready to let go." — Jimmy Lai
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jimmy Lai: Drawing from a diverse, multicultural background and a multilingual K-12 education spanning Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Germany, and England, Jimmy has always possessed a global perspective. This unique background, combined with his experience as an international student, fueled his passion for immigration law and his desire to help others achieve the American Dream. After earning his undergraduate marketing degree from the University of Central Oklahoma—where he was honored as the sole recipient of the prestigious Top Central Man award—he went on to complete his JD/MBA at the University of Oklahoma in 2021. Rather than taking the conventional route of joining an established firm as a junior associate, Jimmy co-founded Lai & Turner Law Firm PLLC in 2022 alongside his close friend Braden Turner to "do law differently." As the firm's managing attorney, Jimmy has guided Lai & Turner through rapid growth, expanding its services from immigration to include estate planning, criminal defense, real estate, and personal injury, all while ensuring every client receives premier representation rooted in the firm's core values.
Connect with Jimmy Lai:
Website: https://www.laiturnerlaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmylai-jdmba
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Law firms are spending heavily to recruit great lawyers, then losing them because of broken culture, unclear paths, and weak leadership. In this episode, discover how intentional hiring, smart onboarding, and authentic leadership can transform retention and performance at every level of your firm.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Karlton Butts discuss:
- Phil Jackson’s team quote and Bulls-era leadership
- Law firm culture, mission, and values
- Attorney development plans and onboarding strategy
- Cross-practice communication and breaking down silos
- Transparency, compensation, and listening to associates on retention
Key Takeaways:
- Retention begins long before someone thinks about leaving; it starts with how firms recruit, interview, and assess for alignment on values like work ethic and culture.
- Effective onboarding includes personalized development plans, clear growth paths, and early conversations about strengths, aspirations, and what success looks like at the firm.
- When leaders invest time in one-on-one conversations and cross-practice connections, lawyers feel a stronger sense of belonging to the entire firm rather than a single siloed group.
- Even in firms with closed compensation systems, consistent transparency about expectations, investment in growth, and visible support can significantly increase loyalty and engagement.
- The most impactful retention work often comes from examining the data on why people leave, listening to those who stay, and quickly fixing the core issues that cause avoidable departures.
"If they maximize their potential, it strengthens the team, but also the strength of the team is each individual." — Karlton Butts
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Karlton Butts: Karlton Butts is a Certified Executive Coach, keynote speaker, and the #1 Amazon bestselling author of The Soundtrack of Leadership, who leverages over 25 years of diverse industry experience to help organizations eliminate operational friction and build high-performing cultures. His unique professional perspective spans engineering roles at NASA and McDonnell Douglas, Fortune 500 consulting with Booz Allen Hamilton, practicing intellectual property law at Loeb & Loeb, and serving as a tech startup CEO and entertainment executive. Today, through his signature Leadership Soundcheck™ framework, Karlton masterfully blends powerful music metaphors with practical business strategies to help leadership teams realign their vision, strengthen team harmony, and stay perfectly in rhythm with their mission.
Connect with Karlton Butts:
Website: https://karltonspeaks.com/ , https://karltonbutts.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karltonbutts/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Learn how to turn complex legal services into clear, compelling marketing that actually converts. In this episode, you’ll hear practical strategies for repurposing content, strengthening your online presence, and building referral relationships that consistently feed your law practice.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sylvia Garibaldi discuss:
- Niche marketing for divorce and legal professionals
- Positioning, messaging, and understanding your ideal client
- Repurposing podcasts, webinars, and video for multi-channel marketing
- Why referrals aren’t converting like they used to
- Building referral partnerships through webinars and LinkedIn
Key Takeaways:
- Growth comes from consistent, repeated action paired with learning and improvement, not just doing more of the same.
- Clear positioning and messaging are critical so referral partners and prospects instantly understand who you serve, what you do, and the results you deliver.
- Repurposing a single piece of content like a webinar or podcast into social posts, articles, and lead magnets is “marketing 101” and dramatically reduces the content burden.
- Referral conversion now depends heavily on your curated online presence, including your website, social media, podcast appearances, and especially a strong LinkedIn profile with social proof.
- Effective referral relationships require intention, follow-up, and the right partners; they’re built over time through trust, value, and consistent communication, not one-off meetings.
"In business and life, we tend to want to have the outcome first, but in reality, it does take time, it takes doing those reps and consistency, and so for me, doing that repeatedly has helped me build that habit." — Sylvia Garibaldi
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Sylvia Garibaldi: Sylvia Garibaldi, CEO and Founder of SG and Associates, is a business strategist and speaker who helps service-based entrepreneurs around the world to grow their business to 6 figures and beyond, in a way that is aligned and authentic to them. She is the creator of the Serve First, Sell-to-Many Program that has helped many of her clients achieve outstanding results.
Over the course of 14 years, Sylvia has helped hundreds of financial, legal, mediation, and divorce professionals to grow their business and become leading experts in their field through results-driven marketing.
Sylvia is a featured expert and speaker in leading publications and professional associations across the globe.
Connect with Sylvia Garibaldi:
Website: https://im-campus.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviagaribaldi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sylvia.sgandassociates/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What would you be willing to risk for “full aliveness”? In this episode, leadership coach Clay Stelzer unpacks radical responsibility, unconscious fear patterns, and how courageous self-awareness can transform the way you lead, work, and live.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Clay Stelzer discuss:
- The meaning of “full aliveness” and positive selfishness
- Radical responsibility vs. victim, blame, and hero patterns
- Unconscious fears around security, approval, and control
- Feedback, delegation, and leadership blind spots
- Handling triggers, anger, and emotional energy as a leader
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t create a fulfilling life or career without first getting radically honest about what you truly want and what you’re currently sacrificing to please others.
- Most of the outcomes people dislike in their lives are driven by reactive, fear-based decisions made without intention.
- Leaders are constantly influenced by three unconscious fears: threats to security, approval, and control, and these fears quietly shape decisions around feedback, delegation, and team dynamics.
- Taking radical responsibility means noticing your patterns, acknowledging your part in any situation, and choosing to learn rather than blame, shame, or play the hero.
- Emotional triggers and anger shouldn’t be buried; when you move that energy in healthy ways, you regain access to clarity, curiosity, and better leadership choices.
"If you could be absolutely selfish and hurt no one's feelings, what would you want? Just understanding that is so important, because then you can get clear about what am I sacrificing or what am I compromising." — Clay Stelzer
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Clay Stelzer: Clay Stelzer is an executive coach, public speaker, and founder of 15sixty, where he helps high-performing leaders, founders, and senior teams get unstuck, reclaim professional alignment, and take radical responsibility for their lives and businesses. Grounded in the principles of Conscious Leadership, Clay draws on a rich professional background that includes building a global team coaching practice at Salesforce, where he supported over 150 international teams and leaders. He pairs his extensive coaching credentials—including an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation, ORSC certification, and a Conscious Leadership Group certification—with a BA in Psychology from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Known for his deep presence, fierce honesty, and rare ability to challenge leaders without judgment, Clay creates the vital conditions for trust, clarity, and bold collective leadership from his home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he lives with his family and their black lab.
Connect with Clay Stelzer:
Website: https://15sixty.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Trapped in a “successful” legal career that still feels miserable? In this episode, Scott Mason reveals how toxic myths, rigid roles, and fear-based stories quietly sabotage lawyers’ happiness, business development, and long-term success, and how to rewrite your narrative into a heroic one.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Mason discuss:
- Storytelling, symbolism, and the narratives lawyers live by
- The five “toxic myths” and how they trap attorneys
- Identity vs. role and redefining who you really are
- Mindset, risk-taking, and breaking through fear in business development
- Revenue diversification, near-death wake-up calls, and life lessons
Key Takeaways:
- The stories you tell yourself about business development, success, and your career become the symbolic scripts that ultimately define your identity and legacy.
- External validation and social expectations can trap lawyers in careers and lifestyles that look impressive on the outside but feel empty or misaligned on the inside.
- Confusing your professional role with your core identity creates fragility; separating the two opens space for growth, reinvention, and more authentic choices.
- Mindset work is not “optional” if you want sustainable business development. Unexamined myths around risk, failure, and sales can quietly sabotage your efforts.
- Overreliance on a single revenue stream or professional lane is dangerous; diversifying how you create value and income is both a business and a life-preservation strategy.
"You're living out the ritual myth when you engage in behaviors or ways of being over and over and over again, even though they no longer serve you." — Scott Mason
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Scott Mason: Scott Mason is an executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, and founder of My Freedom Rocks, where he specializes in helping attorneys and corporate leaders transform their careers by dislodging "toxic myths" and unlocking professional freedom. A graduate of Columbia Law School, he spent over 25 years working as an attorney and C-suite executive in the government and non-profit sectors, including serving as second-in-command of New York City's central administrative law court, before successfully scaling and running a multi-city manufacturing company. Today, he channels his deep corporate, legal, and entrepreneurial experience into a signature, mythology-inspired coaching framework designed to catalyze personal charisma, build resilience, and ignite authentic leadership.
Connect with Scott Mason:
Website: https://www.myfreedomrocks.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Myth_Slayer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themythslayer/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
The real challenges begin when your solo practice finally starts to take off. In this episode, you’ll learn how to manage growth, hire wisely, protect your time, and build a profitable, sustainable firm instead of drowning in low‑value work.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Jordan Ostroff, and Jeremy Baker discuss:
- Constraints and growing pains of a solo law firm
- Time management, delegation, and letting go
- Revenue vs. systems and when to build processes
- Finding clients through networks, content, and clear positioning
- Hiring strategy, vetting candidates, and building for profit
Key Takeaways:
- Growth brings new constraints, and the job of a solo is to constantly identify which constraint matters most right now and address it without creating a bigger problem elsewhere.
- Tracking time and ruthlessly eliminating low‑value tasks is essential; answering phones and doing your own books will keep you stuck in first gear.
- Revenue should come before heavy process-building, but documenting how you do things early makes onboarding future hires dramatically easier.
- Defining an ideal client and then going where those people already gather turns scattered marketing into focused, repeatable business development.
- Profitability and the kind of life you want should drive decisions about firm size, hiring, and practice areas—not what other lawyers around you are doing.
"The beauty of life is you get to make your own scorecard for 99% of things, so make sure you have the right scorecard." — Jordan Ostroff
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jordan Ostroff: Jordan Ostroff is the CEO of Driven Law and Carpe Diem Consulting. A former prosecutor and the first lawyer in his family, Jordan overcame $200,000 in early business debt to build a thriving, low-volume personal injury practice. Now the best-selling author of Love Your Law Firm, he works 20–25 hours a week, allowing him time for family and coaching other attorneys to achieve a similar high quality of life.
About Jeremy Baker: Jeremy Baker is a veteran construction attorney and litigator representing owners, developers, and design professionals. In his sixth year of solo practice, he specializes in cost-efficient solutions for issues like contract negotiation and sustainable design. While an experienced litigator in 30+ venues and dozens of arbitrations, Jeremy prioritizes dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution. An early proponent of the Guided Choice Dispute Resolution System, he provides strategic advocacy to resolve high-stakes claims without the need for traditional litigation.
Connect with Jordan Ostroff:
Website: https://www.legaleasemarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-ostroff/
Connect with Jeremy Baker:
Website: https://designbuildlaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysbaker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Thinking about going solo but stuck in anxiety and overplanning? In this episode, two lawyers who successfully left prosecution and big law share the real math, mindset, and first 90‑day moves that make or break a new solo practice.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Jordan Ostroff, & Jeremy Baker discuss:
- Deciding when and why to go solo
- Leaving a firm the right way and preserving relationships
- Planning for cash flow, costs, and the first 90 days
- Using AI and lean tech instead of heavy overhead
- Common mistakes with hiring, planning, and business development
Key Takeaways:
- The decision to launch a solo practice often comes from a clear moment of misalignment, realizing the “next promotion” or status quo is not the life or career you actually want.
- A realistic financial and marketing plan, what you’ll spend, how you’ll earn, and where new files will come from, is more important than a perfect logo, office, or tech stack.
- Maintaining integrity and open communication when you leave a firm protects your reputation, preserves referrals, and can turn former colleagues into long-term allies.
- Early-stage solos should prioritize cash flow and relationships over tinkering with systems; networking your existing contacts usually beats waiting on websites and ads to work.
- AI tools can dramatically reduce startup costs and speed up execution, but they are a supplement to, not a substitute for, consistent outreach and business development.
"What I did wrong in year one was I didn't hire people, and what I did wrong in year two is I hired people the wrong way." — Jeremy Baker
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jordan Ostroff: Jordan Ostroff is the CEO of Driven Law and Carpe Diem Consulting. A former prosecutor and the first lawyer in his family, Jordan overcame $200,000 in early business debt to build a thriving, low-volume personal injury practice. Now the best-selling author of Love Your Law Firm, he works 20–25 hours a week, allowing him time for family and coaching other attorneys to achieve a similar high quality of life.
About Jeremy Baker: Jeremy Baker is a veteran construction attorney and litigator representing owners, developers, and design professionals. In his sixth year of solo practice, he specializes in cost-efficient solutions for issues like contract negotiation and sustainable design. While an experienced litigator in 30+ venues and dozens of arbitrations, Jeremy prioritizes dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution. An early proponent of the Guided Choice Dispute Resolution System, he provides strategic advocacy to resolve high-stakes claims without the need for traditional litigation.
Connect with Jordan Ostroff:
Website: https://www.legaleasemarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-ostroff/
Connect with Jeremy Baker:
Website: https://designbuildlaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysbaker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What happens when a trial lawyer stops replicating the traditional firm model and starts treating her practice like a business? In this episode, Simone Fulmer Gaus shares the five-part framework that took her from burnout and cash-flow crises to a scalable, values-driven law firm.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Simone Fulmer Gaus discuss:
- Facing hard truths and business challenges in law practice
- Leaving the traditional firm model to build a different kind of practice
- The five pillars: people, pipeline, process, product, profitability
- Delegation, time blocking, and working on the business
- Values-based hiring and retaining the right team
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot build a healthy, scalable practice if you insist on personally controlling every aspect of the firm.
- Treating the firm as its own “entity” that needs care and strategy, separate from the legal work, changes how you make decisions.
- Structuring the business into clear buckets (people, pipeline, process, product, profitability) gives clarity on what’s broken and what to fix first.
- Setting aside dedicated time each week to work on the business, not just in it, is essential to moving out of chaos.
- Hiring and retaining the right people depends less on résumés and more on alignment with clearly defined core values.
"You can automate so much of what you could do, you can delegate so much of what you do, and you can definitely, whether you believe it or not, eliminate a whole lot of those hats you're wearing." — Simone Fulmer Gaus
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Simone Fulmer Gaus: Simone Fulmer Gaus is a nationally recognized plaintiff trial lawyer and co-founder of Fulmer Sill, with nearly three decades of experience in high-stakes civil litigation. Specializing in insurance bad-faith disputes and catastrophic injury cases, Simone brings a unique "insider" perspective to her practice, having begun her career in the general counsel’s office of a major insurance company. Since 1998, she has leveraged this knowledge to hold powerful insurers accountable, ensuring they honor their obligations to policyholders and injured individuals.
Beyond the courtroom, Simone is a respected author and speaker, focusing on law firm leadership and operational structure. Her work is informed by both professional rigor and personal experience; after a family member sustained a traumatic brain injury, she deepened her commitment to families facing life-altering harm. Today, she balances her role as an advocate with her work as the author of The Set-Up, helping other trial firms achieve sustainable growth through disciplined preparation and strategic clarity.
Connect with Simone Fulmer Gaus:
Website: https://www.fulmersill.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonefulmergaus/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Most lawyers are taught to color inside the lines until they realize that won’t build the book of business they want. In this episode, you’ll learn how to move from random acts of marketing to a focused, scalable rainmaking strategy using relationships, visible expertise, and a true support team.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Elise Holtzman discuss:
- Mindset shift from “born rainmaker” to “learned skill”
- Getting started: moving beyond random acts of marketing
- The three pillars of business development (relationships, visible expertise, thoughts/time/team)
- Breaking through plateaus at $500K+ and $1M+ books of business
- Delegation, building a team, and the role of a “lieutenant”/sponsor
Key Takeaways:
- Business development is a learnable skill, not an innate talent reserved for a select few; lawyers who treat it like any other competency they’ve mastered can grow serious books of business.
- Hope is not a strategy. Clarity on ideal clients, referral sources, and where they “hang out” must replace scattered networking and random acts of marketing.
- Visible expertise is essential: becoming “famous in your niche” through speaking, writing, and thought leadership ensures you’re not the best-kept secret in your practice area.
- As a book of business grows, time, team, and the courage to say no become critical levers; lawyers must deliberately delegate and build a trusted support structure if they want to scale beyond early successes.
- Every revenue level introduces new, different challenges; plateaus are not signs of failure but signals that it’s time to reassess, refine strategy, and upgrade how you use your time, team, and leadership.
"Stepping outside the comfort zone with support is the way to go." — Elise Holtzman
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Elise Holtzman: Elise is the founder and CEO of The Lawyer’s Edge, a coaching and consulting firm that helps lawyers and law firms strengthen business development, leadership, and communication skills. A former practicing attorney with experience at Am Law 100 firms, including Fried Frank and Morgan Lewis, Elise combines her legal background with executive coaching to help attorneys grow profitable practices and build healthier firm cultures. She is a frequent speaker on leadership and rainmaking, host of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, and has been featured in publications including Law360 and The New York Law Journal. Elise earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Connect with Elise Holtzman:
Website: https://thelawyersedge.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliseholtzman/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In a world where technology and AI are reshaping legal services, simply doing great work is no longer enough. In this episode, you’ll learn how leveraging content, personal brand, and community can keep you relevant, visible, and in demand as the market rapidly evolves.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rob Hanna discuss:
- Health, habits, and intentional self-care for high performers
- Legal career journey, recruiting, and launching a podcast
- Thought leadership, content creation, and personal brand for lawyers
- The rise and power of online and offline communities
- Technology, AI, and the shifting expectations of legal clients
Key Takeaways:
- Treat your health as a non-negotiable business asset; intentionally scheduling exercise, sleep, and recovery fuels better performance, energy, and longevity in your career.
- Content is not a vanity play. It’s how you stay visible, demonstrate expertise, and become the “go-to” choice when clients are finally ready to buy.
- Community gives law firm owners and lawyers a safe space to be seen, heard, and supported, breaking the isolation that comes with leadership and entrepreneurship.
- Technology and AI are eroding the value of pure grunt work, making human judgment, brand, and community presence more crucial than ever to remain relevant.
- You don’t need to build a massive empire to benefit from community; starting small, with a few peers, a simple WhatsApp group, or light-touch LinkedIn activity, can compound into powerful opportunities over time.
"I've never met anyone who's built a community who's regretted it.” — Rob Hanna
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Rob Hanna: Rob Hanna is the founder and host of Legally Speaking Podcast, one of the leading platforms spotlighting legal professionals and industry innovators around the world. With a background in legal recruitment and a passion for storytelling, he has built a global community by sharing insightful conversations on careers, leadership, and the future of law. Known for his engaging style and commitment to adding value, Rob connects lawyers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders through content that informs, inspires, and elevates the legal profession.
Connect with Rob Hanna:
Website: https://legallyspeakingpodcast.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What does it really take to move from overworked service partner to trusted rainmaker—without feeling salesy or inauthentic? In this episode, you’ll hear a candid breakdown of career missteps, relationship-first business development, and how patience and consistency can transform a legal practice.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jason Stiehl discuss:
- Transitioning from service partner to rainmaker
- Relationship-based business development
- Honesty, trust, and cross-marketing inside a firm
- Content creation, podcasts, and visibility for lawyers
- Career mistakes, firm moves, and learning from missteps
Key Takeaways:
- Developing a real book of business starts with owning client relationships directly, not just doing great work behind the scenes.
- The most effective business development feels less like selling and more like building genuine, long-term relationships based on trust.
- Honesty about what you and your firm can and cannot do is a powerful differentiator—and sometimes means referring work elsewhere.
- Consistency in follow-up, presence, and outreach matters far more than one-off networking “sprints” or scattershot emails.
- Before making a big firm move, dig deeply into culture, capabilities, and expectations; the wrong platform can cost time, clients, and momentum.
"You have to go to different markets. You have to go to different people. You have to realize that if the audience you’re reaching is the same all the time, you're never going to grow." — Jason Stiehl
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jason Stiehl: Jason Stiehl is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Chicago office, where he focuses on class action defense and trade secret protection. An experienced trial lawyer with a nationwide practice, he represents clients across industries in complex litigation, including consumer class actions, advertising disputes, and intellectual property matters. Known for immersing himself in his clients’ businesses, Jason develops strategic defenses to protect their most valuable assets, from brand reputation to proprietary technology. His work spans high-stakes domestic and cross-border disputes, and he has been recognized for his role in securing major dismissals in consumer fraud class actions.
Connect with Jason Stiehl:
Website: https://www.crowell.com/en/professionals/jason-stiehl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-stiehl-22a82b4/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Most lawyers treat networking like a necessary evil, but what if you approached it as a science of human relationships instead of sales? In this episode, you’ll learn how to build a small, powerful circle of trusted relationships that drive referrals, opportunities, and long-term career security.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dillon Zwick discuss:
- The Harvard study on adult development and why relationships drive happiness
- How to reframe networking from “selling” to genuine relationship building
- Finding common ground and “natural affinities” to build trust
- Prioritizing and qualifying strategic partners using likability and referability
- Using systems, Dunbar’s numbers, and cadence to maintain a high-value network
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term health, happiness, and even business success are far more correlated with the quality of your relationships than with money, status, or genetics.
- Networking works best when it is treated as a relationship-building exercise rooted in curiosity and service, not as a pitch or sales event.
- Common ground, including shared background, interests, values, or experiences, is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to create authentic connection and trust.
- Because time is limited, you need to intentionally prioritize relationships based on both how much you genuinely like someone and how capable and inclined they are to create opportunities for others.
- A simple, consistent follow-up system and a realistic understanding of how many relationships you can truly maintain, based on Dunbar’s research, can ensure you are never forgotten and rarely without work.
"Relationships don't happen just by happenstance. You have to invest in your relationships and the people around you to develop them." — Dillon Zwick
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Dillon Zwick: Dillon has spent about 5 years in the field of corporate renewal with a background in heavy industrial design and manufacturing. Dillon’s primary team role has been finding opportunities, solving difficult problems, and figuring out whatever needs to get done. He has helped numerous client companies successfully work through the corporate restructuring process. In that capacity, he has worked closely with CEOs, CFOs, and their respective accounting staff to support cash-constrained situations, providing transparency and strategic analytical support to the restructuring process.
Dillon earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in History from the University of North Texas in 2011. He serves as President on the Turnaround Management Association – Central Texas chapter board, along with being a Director of the Association of Corporate Growth NextGen – Austin/San Antonio chapter board.
Connect with Dillon Zwick:
Website: https://meadowlarkadvisors.com/about/bio-dillon/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-zwick/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In a world where lawyers are drowning in billable hours and generic marketing, this episode breaks down how to build an authentic brand, escape time traps through delegation, and use content strategically instead of reactively. Discover how small shifts in mindset and marketing execution can unlock both growth and a better life outside the office.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nick Augustine discuss:
- The Ferris Bueller mindset and lawyer work-life balance
- Authentic branding vs. “monkey see, monkey do” legal marketing
- Choosing the right content format based on personality and strengths
- Consistency, LinkedIn, and the rise (and risk) of AI-generated content
- Outsourcing, ego, and overcoming limiting niches in law firm growth
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers run so fast on the billable-hour treadmill that they never stop to question whether their practice is actually supporting the life they want, rather than consuming it.
- Copying what “successful” peers appear to be doing is a trap; real differentiation comes from leaning into what genuinely makes you unique instead of being a polished imitator.
- The most effective marketing channel is the one you’ll willingly stick with—whether that’s writing, podcasting, answering Q&A, or being the “behind-the-curtain” expert with a bit of mystique.
- Consistent, thoughtful content can cut through the noise on platforms like LinkedIn, especially when it’s clearly human and not just generic AI output churned out to check a box.
- Over-niching and letting ego dictate who you serve and how can cap your growth; expanding your perspective beyond one industry, geography, or format can unlock far more opportunity.
"Outsourcing... it helps people begin to understand that they have put themselves in a limiting box where they're limited financially by time versus dollars with hourly billers." — Nick Augustine
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Nick Augustine: Nick Augustine is the founder of Lone Star Content Marketing, where he helps law firms grow through strategic, story-driven content that attracts and converts the right clients. With a background in journalism and digital marketing, he brings a clear, conversational style to complex legal topics—making them accessible without losing their depth or authority. Nick has worked with attorneys across the U.S. to build content systems that generate consistent leads, strengthen brand positioning, and support long-term growth. He is also a frequent podcast guest and educator, sharing practical insights on content strategy, SEO, and ethical marketing for legal professionals.
Connect with Nick Augustine:
Website: https://lonestarcontentmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickaugustinetx/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Tired of the “fight to the death” model of family law? In this episode, you’ll hear how a modern family law founder rebuilt the divorce practice playbook with intentional branding, low-conflict strategy, and a subscription model that puts families—and profitability—first.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and I'Asia Scarlett-Jones discuss:
- Origin story and career path into family law
- Mindset: opportunity in difficulty and intentional practice
- Niche branding and attracting the right family law clients
- Subscription model vs. hourly billing in divorce matters
- Delegation, systems, pricing, and common law firm mistakes
Key Takeaways:
- Viewing setbacks as lessons rather than losses creates resilience in both law practice and leadership.
- Treating a law firm like a true business—brand, systems, pricing, and niche—separates commodity lawyers from sought-after advisors.
- A low-conflict, highly strategic approach to family law can protect families from the financial and emotional cost of endless litigation.
- Subscription-based pricing, when designed thoughtfully, can improve client affordability, predictability, and trust while still being profitable.
- Undercharging, under-delegating, and delaying systems are expensive mistakes; investing early in support, structure, and proper pricing pays off.
"You have to charge what you're worth. Do not be afraid. Charge it. They will pay it." — I'Asia Scarlett-Jones
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About I'Asia Scarlett-Jones: I’Asia “Asia” Scarlett-Jones is the Founder and Managing Attorney of ASJ Law Office, a New York City–based family law firm dedicated to guiding individuals and families through complex legal transitions. With experience in public interest work, court attorney service, and litigation, she brings both deep legal expertise and a client-centered approach rooted in empathy and clarity. Asia focuses on family law matters, including divorce, custody, mediation, and prenuptial agreements, with an emphasis on resolving disputes outside the courtroom whenever possible. An Amazon bestselling author, as well as a wife and mother, she draws from both professional and personal experience to support, inform, and empower her clients while advocating for outcomes that prioritize their well-being.
Connect with I'Asia Scarlett-Jones:
Website: https://asjlawoffice.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Cyberattacks against law firms are exploding, and most firms are far less protected than they think. In this episode, you’ll learn how to close the biggest security gaps, modernize your tech, and treat IT as a growth engine instead of a necessary evil.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Frank Stephens discuss:
- Technical debt and outdated systems in law firms
- Cybersecurity attack vectors and real-world threats
- Cloud, backups, and the myth of “it’s secure because it’s in the cloud”
- Practical protections: MFA, training, SOCs, and remote access
- Evaluating vendors, cutting tech waste, and learning to delegate
Key Takeaways:
- Many law firms operate with significant technical debt and outdated workflows, which limit accessibility, flexibility, and security.
- A “we have a firewall and the cloud” mindset breeds dangerous false confidence; modern firms need layered protections across endpoints, email, cloud, and user behavior.
- Phishing remains the dominant entry point for breaches, making ongoing security awareness training just as critical as any software tool.
- Cloud platforms do not automatically guarantee robust backups or security, so firms must take ownership of their data retention, MFA, and backup strategies.
- Treating IT partners as strategic advisors, reviewing licenses, roadmapping upgrades, and delegating implementation, can both reduce risk and unlock significant cost savings and scalability.
"If you're don't have MFA on all your cloud solutions, you might as well just leave the doors open, and you'd be surprised at how many people don't put that in place." — Frank Stephens
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Frank Stephens: Frank Stephens founded Computing Technology Solutions (CTS) in 2001 with the idea that small and mid-sized businesses deserve the same IT proactive support, cybersecurity, and strategies that Fortune 500 organizations receive. Before starting CTS, Frank worked at several enterprise businesses such as Abbott, AT&T, CNA Insurance, and Microsoft.
He is passionate about giving back to the community and has served on several boards, including the Salvation Army. Frank is married with three children, and his hobbies include boating, international travel, outdoor activities with his family, and coaching his sons’ teams.
Connect with Frank Stephens:
Website: https://www.onlinects.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankstephens/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
How can lawyers build genuine trust, stand out through strategic thought leadership, and future‑proof their practices with value-based fees and AI—all without burning out on marketing? Learn in this episode how you can move from winging it to working with a clear, repeatable plan for visibility, credibility, and consistent growth.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Susan Guthrie discuss:
- Strategic planning vs. “winging it” in legal careers
- Building trust and brand through targeted thought leadership
- Consistency and content repurposing across platforms
- Flat-fee and value-based billing as trust builders
- Using AI tools for marketing, planning, and efficiency
Key Takeaways:
- Trust is the “golden thread” that should run through every interaction, from networking to content creation, and it must often be rebuilt when a lawyer shifts roles or practice areas.
- Thought leadership only works when it’s strategic—aimed at the right decision-makers, on the right platforms, with a clear message about what you do and who you help.
- Consistency in showing up, even on just one or two platforms, beats a scattered “spaghetti on the wall” approach to marketing every time.
- Moving from hourly billing to flat-fee or value-based models can dramatically increase client trust by reducing uncertainty and aligning incentives.
- AI can act as a behind‑the‑scenes collaborator for planning, branding, content, and even websites, helping lawyers amplify their expertise without compromising ethics.
"Simplicity actually is much more effective as long as what you're doing is consistent." — Susan Guthrie
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Susan Guthrie: Susan Guthrie is a nationally recognized family law attorney, mediator, and legal tech innovator with over 30 years of experience helping individuals navigate divorce and family transitions. Known as “The Divorce Coach,” she focuses on empowering clients through education, mediation, and more peaceful, cost-effective alternatives to litigation.
Susan is the host of the award-winning Divorce & Beyond podcast and a leading voice in the intersection of family law and technology. She is a strong advocate for online dispute resolution and innovative legal solutions that make legal services more accessible and client-centered.
In addition to her work with clients, Susan is a speaker, trainer, and consultant, helping legal professionals modernize their practices and better serve today’s evolving needs.
Connect with Susan Guthrie:
Website: https://susaneguthrie.com/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susaneguthrie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie/
Twitter: https://www.x.com/susan4biz
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Want to know how top law firms scale without losing culture or trust? Steve Fretzin sits down with the founders of Omega Law Group to reveal the systems, partnerships, and strategies that turn strong teams into high-performing firms.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Shahab Mossavar-Rahmani, Robin Saghian, and Edwin Saghian discuss:
- Measuring performance and managing by data
- Forming and sustaining a strong law firm partnership
- Delegation of duties and staying in your lane
- Building culture, trust, and low-turnover teams
- Systems, structure, and mistakes made while scaling
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t effectively manage or grow a firm if you’re not rigorously measuring performance and outcomes.
- Shared values, trust, and low ego are the real foundations that allow partnerships to survive disagreement and big decisions.
- Delegating duties based on strengths—and then staying in your lane—unlocks scale in a way that “doing everything yourself” never can.
- A strong culture is intentional: clear expectations, honest feedback, and genuine investment in employees dramatically reduce turnover.
- Many growth bottlenecks come from hanging onto tasks too long; cutting your losses on mis-hires and outdated processes is essential.
"Our philosophy is, if you take care of the people that work with you, they'll take care of the clients." — Shahab Mossavar-Rahmani
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Omega Law Group:
Shahab Mossavar-Rahmani – Shahab is a founding partner at Omega Law Group, specializing in personal injury law. He brings extensive courtroom experience from his time as a deputy public defender in Orange County and has earned recognition from Super Lawyers and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 for his litigation expertise.
Robin Saghian – Robin co-founded Omega Law Group and focuses on personal injury and employment law. Known for his strong advocacy and client-centered approach, he has built a reputation for skillful litigation and successfully representing clients in complex civil cases.
Edwin Saghian – Edwin is a founding partner at Omega Law Group, concentrating on personal injury cases, including car accidents, wrongful death, and class actions. He is recognized for his commitment to clients and hands-on courtroom experience, helping individuals secure favorable outcomes in challenging litigation.
Connect with Omega Law Group:
Website: https://www.omegalaw.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Tetlow discuss:
- Designing a legal career around fulfillment, not just ambition
- Managing time, attention, and workload with intentional systems
- Reframing legal work through project management thinking
- Reducing overwhelm by structuring email, tasks, and daily routines
Key Takeaways:
- Success without alignment leads to quiet dissatisfaction. Steve shares how chasing scale made him miserable, while simplifying his practice brought clarity and joy. Sarah echoes this by leaving a “fine” but unfulfilling role to build something more meaningful.
- Lawyers must think like project managers, not reactive order-takers. There will always be more work than fits in a day, so the goal is intentional prioritization. Taking a high-level view helps you focus on what truly matters now and plan ahead.
- Most emergencies are not real; they’re the result of poor systems and expectations. Defining true urgency, setting communication boundaries, and using your team to filter interruptions allows you to stay focused on high-value work.
- Strong systems create clarity and control, especially with email and tasks. Treat your inbox as triage, track commitments outside your calendar, and use a simple shutdown routine to prioritize tomorrow. Small habits like this reduce stress and improve consistency.
"Without a system, your inbox becomes a distraction instead of a tool." — Sarah Tetlow
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Big news for ambitious attorneys: on April 15, we’re launching a new resource to help you be confident, organized, and a skilled Rainmaker. This is the tool I use to help my clients grow every year—don’t miss it, you’ll want to check it out as soon as it’s live.
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Sarah Tetlow: Sarah Tetlow is a productivity consultant, trainer, and speaker who helps attorneys and busy professionals improve efficiency, reduce stress, and increase focus and revenue. Drawing from her background in law firms, she provides personalized strategies through consulting, workshops, and training that help clients manage their time with a proactive, structured approach. She is also the creator of the ARTT® Email Productivity system, which has helped hundreds of professionals take control of their inbox, reduce distractions, and build better communication habits that lead to stronger responsiveness and results.
Connect with Sarah Tetlow:
Website: https://www.firm-focus.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firm-focus-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Firm-Focus-2133715496717831/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Reid Zeising discuss:
- Letting experts elevate your business
- Streamlining operations to unlock scale
- Embracing AI as a force multiplier
- Releasing control and focusing on what matters most
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t need to master every discipline to build something great. Real growth comes from casting vision, staying close to the customer, and surrounding yourself with people who are truly exceptional in their craft.
- Efficiency is built through intentional systems like consolidating updates, centralizing records, leveraging provider networks, and simplifying lien resolution. These practical shifts remove bottlenecks and free up significant time for your team.
- AI is not a replacement for lawyers but a tool that removes redundancy and enhances decision-making. Those who integrate it into their workflows gain speed, insight, and a clear advantage over those who resist it.
- The biggest barrier to scaling is often the inability to let go. Defining your highest-value roles and delegating the rest allows you to operate where you are most impactful while others execute at a higher level.
"AI is not going to replace humans. AI is just replacing humans unwilling to utilize AI." — Reid Zeising
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Big news for ambitious attorneys: on April 15, we’re launching a new resource to help you be confident, organized, and a skilled Rainmaker. This is the tool I use to help my clients grow every year—don’t miss it, you’ll want to check it out as soon as it’s live.
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Reid Zeising: Reid Zeising is the Founder and CEO of Gain Servicing, where he helps plaintiff personal injury law firms improve efficiency and outcomes through streamlined revenue cycle management and operational strategy. With a background in finance and investment banking, he brings a data-driven perspective to scaling businesses, specializing in areas such as lien resolution, medical record consolidation, and workflow optimization. Reid is known for his emphasis on delegation, hiring top-tier talent, and focusing leadership on high-value activities like strategy and client relationships. He is also an advocate for the practical use of AI in legal operations, viewing it as a tool to eliminate bottlenecks while preserving the essential role of human judgment and trust in legal representation.
Connect with Reid Zeising:
Website: https://gainservicing.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Danny Decker discuss:
- Putting the client at the center
- Building your brand around real client needs
- Turning client questions into content
- Taking action and refining along the way
Key Takeaways:
- Strong legal marketing shifts the spotlight away from the lawyer and toward the client’s problems, emotions, and desired outcomes. Messaging that builds trust acknowledges what clients are going through and offers a clear, supportive path forward.
- Credentials and accolades matter less than demonstrating empathy and relevance. The most effective personal brands show clients that you understand their situation and can guide them from uncertainty to resolution.
- The questions asked in consultations are the same ones potential clients are searching online and through AI. Transforming these into blogs, videos, and posts builds visibility, authority, and trust over time.
- Progress in marketing comes from execution, not perfection. Moving quickly, learning from mistakes, and adjusting direction creates far more momentum than waiting for the perfect strategy.
"Your customers should be the hero of your marketing." — Danny Decker
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Danny Decker: Danny Decker is Partner & Cofounder of Spotlight Marketing & Branding. In addition to building his team, he frequently speaks at events and workshops and hosts multiple podcasts on business and marketing. His books, The Automatic Marketing Machine and Marketing Simplified, are available on Amazon. Danny lives in Huntersville, North Carolina, with his wife & their two kids.
Connect with Danny Decker:
Website: https://spotlightbranding.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljdecker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian LaCien discuss:
- Building systems that create consistency
- Growing your practice through relationships
- Learning through mentorship and mistakes
- Knowing when to push and when to stop
Key Takeaways:
- Every case is different, but your process should not be. Strong systems like checklists and workflows help you stay organized and reliable, especially in long and complex litigation.
- The best cases come from trust, not volume marketing. Building genuine relationships and staying visible in the legal community drives consistent referrals and long-term growth.
- Becoming a great trial lawyer requires experience, guidance, and room to fail. The right mentors and real courtroom reps shape your skill far more than theory alone.
- One extra question can hurt your case. Great lawyers understand timing, knowing when they’ve made their point and having the discipline to stop.
"Every case is different, but how you approach it should be really similar, so that you may not remember doing something six months ago, but you know you did it because that's the way you do things." — Brian LaCien
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Brian LaCien: Brian LaCien is a trial lawyer and co-founder of Smith LaCien LLP, where he represents individuals in complex personal injury and wrongful death cases. With nearly two decades of experience, he has built a reputation for handling high-stakes litigation with a disciplined, detail-oriented approach rooted in strong case strategy and preparation.
Before co-founding his firm, Brian spent 17 years at a leading plaintiff trial firm, where he developed his skills under experienced litigators and gained extensive courtroom and deposition experience. He is committed to the civil justice system as a way to hold powerful institutions accountable and advocates for his clients with both precision and persistence.
Connect with Brian LaCien:
Website: https://www.smithlacien.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Megan Hargroder discuss:
- Building trust over chasing tactics
- Positioning with clarity and specificity
- Showing authenticity to attract the right clients
- Using story and proof to strengthen credibility
Key Takeaways:
- Modern marketing is shifting away from quick SEO tricks toward real human engagement. When people genuinely connect with your content and stay on your site, it signals trust. That trust is what drives visibility and long-term growth.
- Trying to speak to everyone weakens your authority. Focusing on a clear niche helps people understand what you do and see you as the go-to expert. Repeating one core message consistently builds recognition and trust.
- Relatable language, personality, and even humor make you memorable. The goal is not to impress peers but to connect with people. When you show who you really are, you naturally draw in the right clients and filter out the wrong ones.
- Your bio and reviews are powerful trust builders when done right. Sharing why you do what you do and highlighting specific results helps people see themselves in your story. Detailed proof builds confidence far more than generic praise.
"You want to be turning the right people on, and you want to be turning the wrong people off at all times." — Megan Hargroder
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Megan Hargroder: Megan Hargroder is a legal marketing strategist and entrepreneur known for helping law firms grow through authentic, relationship-driven marketing. As the founder of Legends Legal Marketing, she specializes in building systems that connect attorneys with referral partners and drive consistent business development.
With a background in both marketing and operations, Megan brings a practical, results-focused approach to scaling professional services. She is passionate about mentorship, community building, and helping lawyers create sustainable growth by aligning strategy, systems, and personal strengths.
Connect with Megan Hargroder:
Website: https://heyitsmegan.com/ , https://legendslegalmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyitsmegan/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Armando Leduc discuss:
- Building authority through podcasting
- Overcoming mindset barriers
- Leveraging content strategically
- Maintaining consistency for compounding impact
Key Takeaways:
- Hosting a weekly podcast allows lawyers to create a systematic referral network, strengthen relationships with industry partners, and position themselves as trusted authorities over time.
- Addressing fear, self-doubt, and perceived market saturation helps attorneys gain confidence on camera and embrace personal branding as a growth tool.
- Repurposing podcast recordings into articles, social posts, and even books multiplies visibility and ensures each interview provides long-term business development value.
- Persistently producing niche-focused content over months and years compounds authority, relationships, and opportunities, turning podcasting into a long-term growth engine.
"If you're an estate planning attorney, start a podcast... but number two, bring in financial advisors and family lawyers and wealth advisors and CPAs and people that are in the space that can refer you business." — Armando Leduc
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Armando Leduc:
Armando Leduc is the CEO of Leduc Entertainment, a social media management company.
Armando is a multifaceted and driven artist who has carved a niche for himself in the entertainment sector through determination, hard work, and an innate gift for storytelling.
With a growing list of achievements and a steadfast commitment to his craft, Armando continually strives for excellence, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating his next creative endeavor.
Connect with Armando Leduc:
Website: https://www.leducentertainment.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leducentertainment
Twitter: https://twitter.com/armandoleduc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducentertainment/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ0BozS4ZM-1TqOcwSl2l0Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armando-leduc-16ba4940
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Hansen discuss:
- Planning before marketing
- Specializing in impact
- Prioritizing practical channels
- Using AI and content wisely
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should focus on strategy, clear goals, and growth plans before jumping into ads or SEO. Thinking like a business owner prevents reactive, scattered efforts.
- Narrowing focus to niches ensures higher-quality results and avoids mediocrity. Saying no to misaligned work preserves reputation and effectiveness.
- Local Service Ads, SEO fundamentals, Maps visibility, and strong reviews drive results. Smaller firms may rely more on networking, referrals, and credibility than on heavy SEO spend.
- AI accelerates work, but expertise remains critical. Authentic, experience-based content on platforms clients actually use delivers lasting value.
"We only want to do what we're really good at… don’t do anything that you're going to do with a C plus or a B minus." — Brian Hansen
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Brian Hansen: Brian Hansen is the founder and CEO of Rocket Pilots, a San Diego-based digital marketing agency specializing in helping law firms grow through targeted SEO, Local Service Ads, and paid media strategies. Since launching the agency in 2016, Brian has focused on delivering measurable results, ethical practices, and client-centered strategies that prioritize real business outcomes over vanity metrics. With expertise in niche marketing, strategy-driven campaigns, and consultative client relationships, he helps law firms navigate competitive markets and achieve sustainable growth while sharing insights on legal marketing and technology trends with the professional community.
Connect with Brian Hansen:
Website: https://rocketpilots.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianghansen/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Owili Eison discuss:
- Thinking like an intrapreneur, not just an employee
- Balancing legal skill with business development
- Networking intentionally to build referral pipelines
- Using technology and AI to stay competitive
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers who rely entirely on their firm for work risk having little control over their future. Building a personal brand, developing referral relationships, and generating your own clients creates long-term career security and flexibility.
- A successful legal career has two sides: practicing the law and building the firm. Lawyers who focus only on technical legal work often miss the larger opportunity, since referral relationships and originations frequently generate the greatest long-term value.
- Effective networking is targeted, not random. By focusing on lawyers in complementary practice areas and building genuine, reciprocal relationships, attorneys can create steady referral partnerships that grow over time.
- Modern legal practice increasingly relies on tools that improve efficiency and insight. Lawyers who adopt technologies like AI for document review, intake summaries, and research can work faster, scale their impact, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing profession.
"There’s two aspects to our business and the law operation. There’s the law and the firm… You need to focus on both and have a holistic approach to the business and practice of law, otherwise I think you’re going to find yourself in a tough position.” — Owili Eison
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Owili Eison: Owili K. Eison is a Los Angeles-based personal injury attorney and Partner at BD&J, where he focuses on catastrophic injury litigation. He also supervises a team of 20 associates and staff, helping train the next generation of trial lawyers to advocate for those harmed by negligence.
A graduate of the University of Southern California and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Owili participated in Loyola’s Trial Advocacy Program and later completed both the CAALA Plaintiff’s Trial Academy and the Jack Daniels ABOTA Trial Academy.
Owili was inspired to pursue personal injury law after suffering serious injuries when he was struck by a negligent driver in a crosswalk. Since then, he has handled thousands of cases involving automobile accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and medical malpractice. In just over nine years at BD&J, he has recovered more than $500 million for his clients and built a reputation as a tenacious yet pragmatic advocate.
Connect with Owili Eison:
Website: https://www.bdj.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owilieison
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Colleen Young discuss:
- Building trust through consistent visibility
- Growing through relationships, referrals, and the right fit
- Aligning marketing and intake to convert the right clients
- Using time and resources more strategically
Key Takeaways:
- Consistent marketing builds recognition and credibility over time. Because legal services are intangible and high-stakes, potential clients rely less on impulse and more on trust, familiarity, and a sense that the lawyer understands their needs.
- Many successful firms grow through community presence and strong referral networks rather than pure advertising. The most sustainable practices are built around clients, partners, and team members who are the right cultural and professional fit.
- Marketing should nurture and educate prospects before they ever contact the firm. Intake then acts as a strategic filter, qualifying leads and converting the right, profitable matters rather than simply accepting every potential case.
- Lawyers should focus on legal expertise and relationship-building rather than trying to execute every marketing task themselves. Delegating content production, intake, and administrative work allows firms to maintain consistent marketing while using time and budget more effectively.
"Marketing should be teeing up, not cold leads, but nurtured leads for the sales team." — Colleen Young
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Colleen Young: Colleen Young is the Chief Marketing Officer at Get Staffed Up, where she helps law firms grow through smarter marketing, stronger intake systems, and strategic delegation. With more than 25 years of experience across professional services and B2B industries, she specializes in helping attorneys turn marketing into real client relationships by focusing on trust, community presence, and well-nurtured leads. At Get Staffed Up, Colleen also advocates for using virtual assistants and remote teams so lawyers can spend less time on administrative work and more time practicing law and building meaningful client connections.
Connect with Colleen Young:
Website: https://getstaffedup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-young-marketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Hartmann discuss:
- Taking ownership of the business of law
- Building rainmaking skills through empathy and responsiveness
- Preparing for independence before you need it
- Networking strategically, not randomly
Key Takeaways:
- Law school prepares lawyers for doctrine, not for marketing, leadership, or running a practice. Lawyers must take responsibility for learning how to generate work and build a book of business. The safest career path is being able to stand on your own if circumstances change.
- Empathy, honesty, and fast communication are powerful differentiators in a crowded market. Treating clients and referral sources with care strengthens reputation and repeat business. Soft skills practiced early, especially as an associate, lay the foundation for becoming a future Rainmaker.
- Every lawyer should be financially and operationally ready to go solo if necessary. That includes savings, strong professional relationships, and clarity around overhead and support systems. Leaving firms well and preserving bridges can turn former employers into future referral sources.
- Effective networking focuses on finding a small group of true strategic partners, not collecting business cards. Let others speak first, listen well, and align your value to their needs. Consistent systems and intentional follow-through turn relationships into long-term referral engines.
"Everybody has the ability with a few simple soft skills to become a good Rainmaker." — Robert Hartmann
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Robert Hartmann: Robert Hartmann is the founder of Hartmann Law Firm and an advocate for helping attorneys develop the soft skills needed to build successful legal careers. With years of experience practicing law and running a boutique firm, Robert emphasizes the importance of networking, relationship-building, and business development, skills often overlooked in traditional legal education. Through his work, he encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers by building their own books of business and cultivating meaningful professional relationships. Robert is also the author of the upcoming book Making It Rain, which provides practical guidance and checklists for attorneys who want to become effective rainmakers and prepare for starting their own practice. Passionate about mentorship and professional growth, Robert regularly shares insights on networking, empathy in client relationships, and strategic career planning for lawyers.
Connect with Robert Hartmann:
Website: https://www.hartmannlawfirm.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-hartmann-565a5919/
Email: bob@hartmannlawfirm.net
Phone: 714-381-1366
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Leah Miller discuss:
- Run your law firm like a business, not a hobby
- Use accurate financials to avoid hidden risks and overpayment
- Track key metrics and benchmarks for people, operations, and marketing
- Leverage metrics to make strategic growth decisions
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term growth requires regular attention to financials. Cash in the bank is not a strategy; data should guide hiring, marketing, and operational decisions.
- Bad bookkeeping masks problems and can cost in taxes. Early investment in a bookkeeper or financial team yields high ROI and clarity.
- Monitor payroll, operating costs, and marketing spend as percentages of revenue. Focus on trends over time and adapt to what works for your firm.
- Financial data informs hiring, marketing, and process improvements. Treat new hires as investments, plan for cash gaps, and track time spent on business development for accountability.
"If you're not paying attention to the dollars and you're not operational decisions based on the finances, you are not going to have that long-term, sustained growth that you're looking for as a lawyer in a firm." — Leah Miller
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Leah Miller: Leah N. Miller, MBA, is the founder and CEO of Firmly Profits, a firm providing fractional CFO and bookkeeping services to law firms across the United States. Starting her career as a paralegal, Leah rose to become a firm administrator and CFO at a personal injury law firm in Fort Myers, Florida, where she recognized the need for law firm owners to gain confidence in their finances. Passionate about helping attorneys achieve financial clarity and sustainable growth, she now leads a team dedicated to offering expert financial guidance, process improvement, and strategic planning for firms of all sizes. Outside of work, Leah teaches paralegal courses and enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters in sunny Southwest Florida.
Connect with Leah Miller:
Website: https://firmlyprofits.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LNMFinancialServices/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firmlyprofits/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/LNM-Financial-Services/100091343407958/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah_lnm_financial/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gary Miles discuss:
- Facing fear with clarity
- Owning your internal authority
- Focusing on the process, not the outcome
- Building freedom through micro-shifts
Key Takeaways:
- Fear is common in legal careers, often hidden behind competence. Recognize that much of it is imagined, not reality. Facing it openly allows lawyers to act with clarity and confidence.
- Internal authority matters more than external validation. Measure success by your own standards, preparation, and effort, not by others’ opinions or metrics. This mindset creates professional freedom and peace of mind.
- Enjoying the process improves performance more than obsessing over outcomes. Focus on preparation, relationships, and skill-building instead of constant comparison or pressure to “win.” This approach fosters growth and satisfaction.
- Small, practical shifts build lasting change. Replace self-critical thoughts with supportive ones, set clear boundaries, and evaluate progress by skill, enjoyment, and well-being. Over time, these micro-actions compound into meaningful professional freedom.
“There’s fear everywhere. Unfortunately, the reality is that we have to lean into it… We have to lean into the fear and make mistakes, and that’s how we improve." — Gary Miles
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Gary Miles: Gary Miles is a trial attorney and former managing partner with over 40 years of legal experience, now dedicated to coaching lawyers to thrive. Drawing on his own journey managing complex cases and running a successful firm, he helps attorneys overcome fear, limiting beliefs, and burnout while building practices aligned with their values. Gary is the host of The Free Lawyer podcast and author of Breaking Free: A Guide to Achieving Personal and Professional Freedom as a Lawyer, combining mindset strategies with practical tools for professional and personal fulfillment.
Connect with Gary Miles:
Website: https://www.garymiles.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-freedom/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gary.miles.75641
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golfinggary52/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcfaTWo17uxmYS9hfAdiaQ
Free Lawyer Assessment: https://www.garymiles.net/the-free-lawyer-assessment
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Hodges discuss:
- Turning challenges into determination
- Finding opportunity in small markets
- Building influence through consistency and service
- Leading with accountability and learning
Key Takeaways:
- Unconventional paths and high-stakes personal challenges build resilience and drive. Success becomes non-negotiable when urgency is present.
- Leveraging local connections and analyzing lawyer-per-capita dynamics uncovers untapped opportunities. Diversifying practice areas ensures financial stability and community impact.
- Treating marketing, content creation, and networking as long-term habits fosters credibility and goodwill. Prioritizing service-first approaches generates multiple professional opportunities over time.
- Investing in systems, mentorship, and operational structure strengthens sustainable growth. Making timely personnel decisions maintains firm performance and prevents operational strain.
"If you wait until you're not busy or things slow down to start networking, you will retire one day, and it never will occur." — Josh Hodges
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Josh Hodges: Josh Hodges brings a unique blend of life and professional experience to his practice. After working full-time factory jobs while completing his undergraduate degree, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, serving as Student Bar Association President and National Treasurer of NLLSA. He gained experience at a major Midwestern law firm, handling complex civil litigation and high-stakes personal injury cases.
Now based in Hamilton, Ohio, Josh focuses on personal injury law throughout Southwest Ohio as managing partner of Kruger & Hodges Hometown Injury Lawyers. He has personally handled hundreds of cases and leads a team that has successfully managed over 1,000 cases, securing more than $10 million for clients in 2025 alone.
Josh is also a sought-after speaker on national legal podcasts and conferences, teaching lawyers to serve their communities and build stronger practices. He actively mentors younger lawyers, emphasizing the value of guidance and community support in building a successful career.
Connect with Josh Hodges:
Website: https://thehometownlawyers.com/attorneys/josh-hodges/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-hodges-hplaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brooke Lively discuss:
- Recognizing that law firms must master the business of law
- Prioritizing rocks before everything else
- Building culture through the right people and real accountability
- Understanding personal wiring and stage fit
Key Takeaways:
- Law school teaches legal doctrine, not leadership, systems, or execution. Firms that struggle often lack clear vision, aligned people, and real accountability. Frameworks like EOS provide structure for turning intention into consistent results.
- You cannot pursue every opportunity at once without diluting impact. Identifying quarterly “rocks” forces focus and determines what gets a firm’s time and attention. Without clear priorities, “urgent” noise will crowd out important progress.
- Success depends on having the right people in the right seats and refusing to tolerate toxic high performers. Clear metrics, documented processes, and regular follow-through create traction. When accountability becomes normal, execution improves across the firm.
- Leaders thrive in different environments, whether scrappy growth or mature stability. Misalignment between personality and company stage can create friction and unintended chaos. Self-awareness allows both the leader and the firm to operate at their best.
"The urgent overtakes the important, and the important never gets done." — Brooke Lively
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Brooke Lively: Brooke Lively is a speaker, author, and profitability expert, and the founder of Cathedral Capital, a team of CFOs and Profitability Strategists dedicated to helping entrepreneurs transform their private practices into profitable, well-managed businesses. With an MBA in Investments and Corporate Finance, Brooke has leveraged her experience growing multiple companies to guide clients—from law firms to marketing agencies—in understanding financial statements, making data-driven decisions, and increasing profitability. She is the author of the 6 Key Numbers series, providing accessible financial guidance for business owners, psychologists, and attorneys. Known for her approachable yet candid style, Brooke also delivers engaging keynote presentations that educate entrepreneurs on financial stability, growth management, and sustainable profitability.
Connect with Brooke Lively:
Website: https://brookelively.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathedralCapital
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg1JD7XBFwGjizaa9_566sg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralcapital/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Persich discuss:
- Investing time instead of just spending it
- Fixing systems before layering on automation
- Building a connected tech stack that talks to itself
- Using AI strategically while managing risk
Key Takeaways:
- High-performing firms focus on building systems that multiply their time rather than endlessly grinding through tasks. Automation, documented workflows, and thoughtful process design “buy back” hours every week. The goal is long-term leverage, not short-term busyness.
- Most lawyers do not have an automation problem first; they have a clarity problem around roles, processes, and workflows. Undefined responsibilities and undocumented systems cause time leaks long before software can solve anything. Strong foundations make automation effective instead of chaotic.
- A solid CRM, practice management system, and an integration layer like Zapier allow firms to eliminate repetitive manual work. Open APIs and thoughtful integrations turn scattered tools into a coordinated system. When payments, contracts, intake, and follow-ups connect seamlessly, administrative drag disappears.
- AI becomes powerful when prompts are specific, voice is clearly defined, and systems are documented with tools like Loom and structured SOPs. Custom prompts or GPT setups help maintain brand consistency and save substantial time on drafting and research. At the same time, firms must weigh confidentiality, compliance, and ethical considerations before deploying AI at scale.
"I still stayed in my comfort zone for a little while, and I finally allowed myself to accept being uncomfortable… the big mistake was not going out on my own sooner, and staying in that safety zone and accepting the uncomfortability. And it's been really, really great ever since." — Sarah Persich
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Sarah Persich: Sarah Persich is a law firm automation strategist and operations expert known as “The Automation Lady.” With nearly a decade of experience inside a small law firm, she began her career as a legal assistant. She grew into the integrator role, serving as the operational second-in-command responsible for systems, technology, and process design.
Her hands-on experience managing IT, workflows, and firm infrastructure gave her a front-row seat to the inefficiencies that quietly drain time and profitability from growing practices. Over time, she transitioned from internal operations leadership into marketing and automation strategy, helping firms move beyond reactive task management and toward intentional system design.
Today, Sarah works with law firms to implement CRMs, streamline practice management systems, build automations, and document scalable processes. She helps attorneys distinguish between high-value strategic work and repetitive administrative tasks, enabling them to reclaim time, improve client experience, and build firms that operate with clarity instead of chaos.
Connect with Sarah Persich:
Website: https://www.automationlady.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpersich/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Evelyn Ackah discuss:
- Reframing challenges as opportunities
- Building security through owning your book of business
- Designing a firm around delegation and technology
- Protecting culture by hiring and leading with intention
Key Takeaways:
- Success begins with asking whether challenges are happening to you or for you. A growth-oriented mindset is not optional for entrepreneurs and rainmakers. Those who thrive train themselves to see obstacles as openings, not endings.
- Relying solely on servicing others’ clients limits mobility and control. Developing your own clients creates long-term security and professional freedom. Rainmaking is a learnable skill built through systems, discipline, and study.
- High-value leaders focus only on work they alone can do. Everything else can be delegated, automated, or systemized through tools and virtual teams. Intentional tech stacks and strong delegation enable autonomy, even four-day workweeks.
- Skills can be trained, but values and attitude determine long-term fit. Toxic hires damage momentum and must be addressed quickly. Great leaders invest in coaches, mentors, and team development to sustain growth.
"Your staff are your dream builders. They help you create your dream. And so you want to invest in them just as much as they're investing in your success." — Evelyn Ackah
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Evelyn Ackah: Evelyn Ackah is the Founder and CEO of Ackah Business Immigration Law, a cross-border firm representing corporations and professionals in Canadian and U.S. immigration matters. With more than 25 years of experience—including leadership roles in Big Law and at Ernst & Young—she delivers strategic, business-focused immigration solutions tailored to her clients’ goals.
Originally from Ghana and raised in Canada, Evelyn brings both personal insight and professional depth to her work in global mobility. She is passionate about legal entrepreneurship, leveraging technology and innovative systems to build a scalable, client-centered practice.
Evelyn is also the host of the Ask Evelyn Ackah Immigration Lawyer podcast, where she interviews industry leaders on immigration and related business topics.
Connect with Evelyn Ackah:
Website: https://www.ackahlaw.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AckahBusinessImmigrationLaw/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ackahlaw/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ackah-business-immigration-law/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynackah/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ackahlaw/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw7M2pQKwsRteq-nThuaELQ
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ted DeBettencourt discuss:
- Making prospects feel heard before they hire
- Fixing intake as the real growth lever
- Optimizing website conversion channels
- Adopting a builder’s mindset in business development
Key Takeaways:
- Emotional needs matter as much as legal expertise when someone is choosing a lawyer. If prospects do not feel listened to or cared for, they continue shopping. Human connection is often the deciding factor in a crowded legal marketplace.
- Many firms invest heavily in marketing but lose revenue at the intake stage. Speed of response determines success, as delays of even 24 hours can cost the case. Clear criteria for qualified leads protect attorney time and improve conversion rates.
- Law firm websites must make contact effortless through visible phone numbers, live chat, text, and forms. Human-powered chat and SMS are increasingly driving higher engagement and signed cases. Firms that reduce friction in communication dramatically improve conversion outcomes.
- Opportunities rarely arrive on their own, even with strong credentials. Growth begins when professionals stop waiting and start creating value. Taking initiative and solving real problems can open entirely new career paths.
"Running a law firm 101: don’t answer your own phone, because you’re never getting any work done." — Ted DeBettencourt
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ted DeBettencourt: Ted DeBettencourt is the founder and CEO of Juvo Leads, a human-powered intake and chat service helping law firms convert more website visitors into signed clients. With a JD/MBA background, Ted shifted from pursuing traditional legal roles to building solutions that improve law firm marketing and intake performance. He focuses on speed, connection, and ensuring prospects feel heard — proving that human engagement remains a powerful differentiator in a digital world.
Connect with Ted DeBettencourt:
Website: https://juvoleads.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Colleen Breems discuss:
- Letting a niche form over time
- Earning trust through depth and preparation
- Using competence as the foundation of marketing
- Positioning intentionally with the right relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Niching down is a gradual process shaped by consistency, passion, and earned trust. Being focused does not require rejecting all other work, only clarifying what you are known for. A clear niche strengthens credibility and often opens doors to adjacent opportunities.
- Strong niches are built by mastering statutes, procedures, and expectations within a specific role. Every case should be treated as reputation-defining, regardless of size or visibility. Reliability, preparedness, and professionalism compound into long-term trust.
- Visibility is effective only when it reflects genuine skill and consistent performance. Writing, speaking, and sharing expertise help decision makers remember you for a specific strength. Marketing should amplify substance, not replace it.
- Focused networking outperforms broad, unfocused relationship building. Clear positioning makes it easier for others to understand, remember, and refer to you. Niching is strongest when aligned with real demand and access to decision makers.
"Don’t wait until you’re ready… Letting fear or doubt stop you from going after a niche is really the biggest roadblock." — Colleen Breems
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Colleen Breems: Colleen M. Breems is a partner practicing exclusively in matrimonial and family law. She represents clients in divorce, parentage, post-decree matters, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and related family law issues, with a focus on practical, client-centered solutions.
In addition to representing adults, Colleen is frequently appointed by Cook County judges to serve as a Child’s Representative or Guardian ad Litem, advocating for the best interests of children in family law cases. She is also a trained mediator and parent coordinator.
Colleen is deeply committed to public service, dedicating significant time to pro bono work through Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and serving as Co-Vice President of the Advocacy Council for the Junior League of Chicago.
Connect with Colleen Breems:
Website: https://beermannlaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-breems-a8a4631b/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Conner discuss:
- Treating note-taking as professional insurance
- Using discomfort to set daily priorities
- Choosing relationships as the foundation of business development
- Letting character determine long-term success
Key Takeaways:
- Relying on memory is a gamble, especially when ideas, tasks, and details arrive constantly. Writing everything down ensures nothing important slips through the cracks. The tool matters less than the habit of capturing thoughts before they disappear.
- Starting with the task you least want to do lowers anxiety for the rest of the day. Avoidance only prolongs stress, whether with paperwork or difficult phone calls. Momentum is built by confronting discomfort early, not managing it away.
- Referrals grow out of trust earned through service, generosity, and long-term presence. Bar involvement and community leadership create credibility that no marketing tactic can replace. Strong reputations are built quietly and often pay dividends years later.
- Integrity functions as a filter for clients, colleagues, and career decisions. Fairness and honesty build trust even with opponents and judges. The same clarity guides how to retire, whom to trust, and how to leave a legacy.
"Your reputation is everything, and it's hard to build, and it's easy to destroy." — Tom Conner
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Tom Conner: Tom Conner is a fourth-generation Texan and veteran trial lawyer whose life and career span more than four decades of courtroom practice. Raised in a small West Texas farming community, he brought grit and resilience from his early years into a distinguished legal career in Houston, where he handled high-stakes civil and family law cases and earned a reputation for integrity and advocacy. His memoir, From Cotton Fields to Courtrooms, blends personal history with reflections on major trials, life lessons, and the discipline that shaped his path from rural beginnings to respected attorney and storyteller.
Connect with Tom Conner:
Website: https://tomconnerbooks.com/ , https://www.lawcl.com/lawyers/thomas-r-conner/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Gillman discuss:
- Building rainmaking as a sustainable, early-career practice
- Shifting mindset to overcome fear and unlock visibility
- Using small, consistent actions to compound business development
- Gaining autonomy by moving from service partner to rainmaker
Key Takeaways:
- Becoming a happy rainmaker is not a late-career scramble but a long game that should begin as early as law school or the first years of practice. By consistently maintaining relationships with classmates and peers, lawyers build familiarity and trust over time. This approach replaces transactional job-seeking with organic, referral-based growth.
- A core barrier to business development is the fear of judgment, captured by the reminder that what other people think of you is none of your business. This mindset shift frees lawyers to show up on LinkedIn, speak publicly, and introduce themselves without self-consciousness. Confidence grows through action rather than perfection.
- Rainmaking does not require massive time blocks but thrives on small, intentional habits repeated consistently. Even 15 to 20 minutes a week spent nurturing relationships or learning LinkedIn and AI tools can create long-term leverage. Like compound interest, steady effort builds momentum and results.
- Rainmakers gain control over clients, schedules, and priorities, while service partners remain dependent on others for work and timing. Building a book of business early reframes BD as an investment in future autonomy rather than an added burden. This shift creates greater flexibility and career control.
"If you can develop one dollar of business, you can develop a million dollars or ten million." — Jennifer Gillman
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jennifer Gillman: Jennifer Gillman is President and Founder of Gillman Strategic Group, a legal recruiting firm that helps law firm partners find the right fit so they can thrive and enjoy practicing law. A former lawyer herself, Jennifer spent 12 years in practice before becoming a recruiter, and she is known for her candidate-focused, confidential, and thoughtful approach to career matchmaking. She earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University.
Connect with Jennifer Gillman:
Website: https://gillmanstrategicgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gillman-law-firm-matchmaker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Noel Bagwell discuss:
- Prioritize profit over revenue
- Cultivating virtue and adaptability in leadership
- Rethinking traditional metrics
- Building resilience through self-awareness
Key Takeaways:
- Sustainable law firms focus on true profitability, not just top-line revenue, ensuring resources for reinvestment and owner compensation.
- Effective leaders build moral character, listen deeply, transform failure into feedback, and create psychologically safe environments while holding teams accountable.
- Billable hours are outdated; value-based, flat-fee, or subscription models paired with results-oriented KPIs align incentives with client outcomes and firm sustainability.
- Perseverance, reflection, and deliberate self-leadership are essential for navigating personal and professional challenges and for leading others effectively.
"Profit is what happens when you get everything else right." — Noel Bagwell
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Noel Bagwell: Noel Bagwell is the founder of Counsel & Clarity™, where he helps leaders and organizations build resilient leadership, profitable legal relationships, and effective legal operations. His work focuses on supporting startups, growth-stage companies, and executives navigating complexity, change, and high-stakes decision-making.
Through Leadership Resilience Coaching, Noel works with leaders recovering from personal or professional setbacks, helping them rebuild capacity, strengthen self-leadership, and lead with clarity under pressure. His coaching emphasizes resilience, reflection, and sustainable performance rather than short-term fixes.
Noel also provides Legal Coaching and Services, guiding clients through complex legal challenges with a practical, business-aligned approach. He helps organizations better understand the legal landscape, make informed decisions, and create legal strategies that support long-term goals rather than reactive problem-solving.
In his Legal Operations Coaching, Noel partners with legal teams to optimize processes, streamline workflows, and improve how legal functions deliver value. By aligning operations with business priorities, he enables legal departments to become more efficient, effective, and strategically integrated.
Connect with Noel Bagwell:
Website: https://counselandclarity.com/home-page
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbagwell3/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Robert Armstrong, and Sandy Fisch discuss:
- Legal expertise without systems limits growth
- Focus outperforms expansion without infrastructure
- Value-based models outperform time-based billing in an AI-driven future
- Future-proof firms are systemized, collaborative, and diversified
Key Takeaways:
- Most firms are built by technicians who understand legal work but not business operations. Sustainable firms require deliberate work on systems, strategy, and management.
- Deep specialization strengthens results, clarity, and scale. Expanding practice areas too early dilutes effectiveness and increases operational drag.
- Hourly billing weakens as automation accelerates legal work. Flat-fee pricing combined with strong human relationships aligns better with efficiency and client outcomes.
- Recurring revenue, acquisition-ready structures, and trusted peer communities reduce dependence on individuals. Long-term resilience comes from systems, relationships, and adaptive business models.
"There's a difference between working on the business and working in the business." — Sandy Fisch
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Robert Armstrong: Robert Armstrong is President of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and co-founder of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, a leading San Diego estate planning firm. A U.S. Navy veteran and summa cum laude graduate of UC San Diego, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego in 1976.
A recognized thought leader in estate planning, Robert has authored several books, including The E-Myth Attorney, and has been quoted in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal. He frequently appears on television as an estate planning expert.
Robert lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jennifer, and enjoys reading, daily workouts, and time outdoors with his family.
About Sandy Fisch: Sanford Fisch is a principal at Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, a leading San Diego estate planning firm recognized nationwide for excellence. He co-founded the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys to help attorneys and law firms improve their skills and practices.
Known for expertise and enthusiasm, Sanford seeks more effective ways to serve clients, support fellow attorneys, and advance the practice of estate planning law across the United States.
Connect with Robert Armstrong & Sandy Fisch:
Website: https://www.aftattorneys.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Deirdre Nero discuss:
- Action can precede clarity
- Growth requires delegation, not endurance
- Authenticity strengthens leadership and trust
- Expertise must be valued to be sustainable
Key Takeaways:
- Starting a firm without certainty can still create momentum and direction. Waiting for perfect readiness delays growth more than risk does.
- Handling every task personally creates a hard ceiling on scale and sustainability. Hiring support is the necessary step to move beyond survival mode.
- Hiding core aspects of identity fractures credibility and connection. Openness creates deeper trust, healing, and stronger professional relationships.
- Giving away high-level knowledge undermines both business viability and professional worth. Confident pricing is essential for long-term independence and freedom.
"I think honestly that was probably the biggest crime I committed in my firm… trying to do it all myself." — Deirdre Nero
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Deirdre Nero: Deirdre D. Nero is the founder of NERO Immigration Law, which she established in 2009 after practicing for several years at large domestic and international law firms. She previously led the immigration practice of a major international firm’s Coral Gables office and has deep experience advising individuals and small to mid-sized companies.
Her practice focuses on business and family immigration, including employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, PERM labor certifications, and naturalization. Deirdre represents clients nationwide and around the world, working closely with them to execute immigration strategies before U.S. immigration agencies.
Fluent in Spanish and certified at the highest level by the Spanish government, Deirdre is a passionate advocate for immigration reform. She frequently lectures and writes on immigration topics and has lived, studied, and worked in Spain, where she completed legal internships and comparative law research.
Connect with Deirdre Nero:
Website: https://neroimmigration.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdrenero/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neroimmigration
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Noel Andrews discuss:
- Prioritizing others to drive long-term success
- Delegation as a lever for higher-value work
- Hiring and managing support effectively
- Shifting from doing to thinking as a leader
Key Takeaways:
- Sustainable business growth comes from helping team members, clients, and referral partners achieve their goals first. Celebrate client milestones, develop your team, and make introductions without expecting immediate returns. Focusing outward builds trust, loyalty, and lasting relationships that compound over time.
- Lawyers often get stuck handling admin, marketing, and operations alongside legal tasks. Listing tasks to delegate frees you to focus on work only you can do and grow the firm strategically. Delegation transforms busywork into leverage and career impact.
- Start with clarity: define tasks first, then map them to a role, location, and level of support. Remote talent in regions like Eastern Europe or South Africa can provide high-quality work at a lower cost. Clear KPIs, meaningful projects, and trust are more effective than micromanaging hours.
- Resist the urge to control every detail; hire capable assistants to own outcomes. Delegating at a high level frees time for strategic thinking and future planning. Leaders must balance action with observation to maximize impact and firm growth.
"Every single time I’ve ever done the next stage for me, or the next step in really investing in supporting my team, particularly in their personal lives, the results are just huge." — Noel Andrews
"Profit is what happens when you get everything else right." — Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Noel Andrews: Noel Andrews is the CEO of JobRack, a global recruitment company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners hire high-quality remote talent, primarily from Eastern Europe and South Africa. With a background in online business and operations, Noel specializes in building systems that allow founders to delegate effectively, scale sustainably, and reclaim time for higher-level thinking.
Through JobRack, he has helped hundreds of companies move beyond founder overload by hiring experienced, proactive team members who can truly own outcomes. Noel is known for his practical, clarity-first approach to hiring, leadership, and remote team management, emphasizing trust, accountability, and long-term leverage over micromanagement.
Connect with Noel Andrews:
Website: https://jobrack.eu/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelandrews/
Ashley Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrobinsongcm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay Harrington discuss:
- Reframing business development as relationship-building
- The power of owning a book of business
- Clarifying motivation to overcome resistance to business development
- Executing business development with focus, structure, and preparation
Key Takeaways:
- Business development is not selling or persuasion but consistent, helpful relationship-building over time. The myth of “natural rainmakers” keeps lawyers from starting when business development is actually a learnable skill. Approaching business development like legal training makes it practical, repeatable, and less intimidating.
- After several years of practice, firms expect lawyers to have portable client relationships. A book of business creates leverage, autonomy, and flexibility across firms or career paths. Without one, even strong lawyers may find their options limited.
- Many lawyers avoid business development due to fear, overwhelm, or discomfort with selling. Sustainable effort starts by defining a clear personal “why,” such as freedom or stability. Because client work always takes priority, business development only happens when time is protected intentionally.
- Consistent actions like scheduled outreach, focused contact lists, and light thought leadership compound. Effective networking prioritizes generosity, warm introductions, and strategic communities. Securing a meeting is only the start; preparation and process determine whether opportunities close.
"Business Development is not some secret. It truly is just relationship building, being consistent, being helpful to people." — Jay Harrington
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jay Harrington: Before joining Latitude, Jay spent more than 25 years in the legal industry as a practicing attorney and entrepreneur. He began his career in corporate restructuring with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Chicago and later practiced at Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. In 2009, he founded his own boutique law firm in Detroit, where he represented companies and executives in complex business disputes and restructuring matters.
For the past decade, Jay has advised lawyers and law firms on business development, marketing, and strategy through his own consulting firm. He is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader at law firm retreats, bar association events, and professional conferences, focusing on topics such as productivity, leadership, and practice growth.
Jay is also the author of three books for lawyers—The Productivity Pivot, The Essential Associate, and One of a Kind—each focused on helping attorneys build rewarding, sustainable, and successful practices.
He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Bowling Green State University, where he played Division I baseball and competed in the 1998 College World Series Regionals.
Outside of work, Jay is a U.S. Soccer–licensed coach and manages his twin daughters’ competitive North Storm club team. He and his wife, Heather, live in Michigan with their three daughters. He enjoys spending time outdoors—hiking, mountain biking, and paddle boarding—and experience has taught him that the best ideas often come while on the trail or on the water.
Connect with Jay Harrington:
Website: https://latitudelegal.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayharrington/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mathew Kerbis discuss:
- AI’s impact on billable work
- Recognizing the limits of hourly and flat fees
- Using subscriptions to create stability and scale
- Positioning lawyers for long-term resilience
Key Takeaways:
- AI is set to automate most billable legal tasks, collapsing the hours firms rely on for revenue. Continuing to bill time while effort shrinks creates ethical and financial strain. The profession must rethink pricing before the model breaks entirely.
- Hourly billing punishes efficiency and leaves clients unable to budget. Flat fees help, but often trigger resistance when AI makes work appear “too easy.” Both models strain under faster, AI-driven workflows.
- Subscription pricing offers predictable costs for clients and recurring value for firms. Changing needs are handled through tier shifts instead of constant renegotiation. This approach opens access to the vast unmet legal market.
- Solo and small firms can thrive by pairing subscriptions with purpose-built AI tools. Clear value mapping enables strong good-better-best service tiers. Sustainable growth requires leverage, focus, and letting go of doing everything alone.
"The flat fee or fixed fee model… hasn’t supplanted the billable hour… because of exactly this problem I call the under‑scoping and over‑scoping problem. You don't know if you're going to overscope or underscope the work when it's on a fixed‑fee model." — Mathew Kerbis
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Mathew Kerbis: Mathew Kerbis is the founder of Subscription Attorney LLC and co-founder of practi.ai, where he helps lawyers move beyond the billable hour and build sustainable, client-friendly practices. A longtime advocate for subscription-based legal services, Mathew pioneered one of the earliest low-cost legal subscription models and has since expanded into fractional general counsel work for small businesses. He also hosts the Law Subscribed podcast, where he explores alternative fee models, legal innovation, and the future of law in an AI-driven world.
Connect with Mathew Kerbis:
Website: https://www.practi.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerbisverse/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mandy McCormack discuss:
- Recognizing business development as a critical legal skill
- Aligning coaching with motivation and execution
- Building authentic personal branding
- Creating lasting impact through structured support
Key Takeaways:
- Marketing, planning, and relationship-building are essential for long-term career success, not optional extras. Structured coaching transforms these skills into sustainable, high-ROI practices.
- Coaching works best when goals, gaps, and willingness to act are clear. Alignment between the lawyer’s needs and the coach’s methods drives meaningful results.
- Sharing personal stories alongside professional expertise strengthens trust, deepens relationships, and attracts clients who resonate with values, not just credentials.
- Combining training, personalized coaching, and on-demand guidance enables lawyers to internalize skills, stay focused, and achieve long-term growth without dependency on the coach.
"I don’t think anybody wants to follow someone who talks the talk but isn’t walking the walk. I have to be doing those things at an incredibly high level to be able to coach my clients on it." — Steve Fretzin
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Mandy McCormack: Mandy McCormack, Esq., is the founder of McCormack Law LLC, where she specializes in estate planning, tax law, and related advisory services. She helps clients navigate complex financial and legal decisions with clarity and confidence, creating tailored plans that protect assets, minimize tax liability, and provide peace of mind. Mandy is dedicated to combining technical expertise with a personal, approachable style, ensuring that every client understands their options and feels supported in the planning process. She is committed to helping individuals, families, and business owners prepare for the future while aligning legal strategies with their goals and values.
Connect with Mandy McCormack:
Website: https://mccormacklawllc.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mccormack-law-brookfield-2
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamccormacklaw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568230072605
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Earley discuss:
- Treating consistency as the real competitive edge
- Building trust through authenticity over achievement
- Matching platforms to where your audience already lives
- Playing the long game of value before promotion
Key Takeaways:
- Showing up every day with content is not a tactic but the game itself. One post a day over time compounds into trust, visibility, and separation. Most lawyers will not endure the discipline, which is precisely why it works.
- Audiences respond more to struggle, growth, and honesty than polished wins. Sharing mistakes, personal history, and lessons humanizes the professional brand. Credibility grows faster when vulnerability comes before accomplishment.
- Effective content starts by knowing who you serve and where they spend their attention. B2B audiences tend to gather on LinkedIn, while B2C clients live elsewhere. Posting everywhere is fine, but focus belongs where attention already flows.
- Education, insight, and generosity must outweigh direct selling over time. Promotion works only after value has been delivered consistently and visibly. Your brand strengthens when service leads and asks follow.
“I think the practitioner should be posting, if you really want to get serious, once a day on LinkedIn… One post. Can you do that for a year and stick with that? I’ve done that for like four or five years, and the flywheel just expands." — Chris Earley
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Chris Earley: Christopher Earley is a Boston-based personal injury attorney and founder of Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers, where he has devoted nearly two decades to advocating for injury victims and standing up to powerful insurance companies. He holds a J.D. from New England Law (2004) and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. Chris is also an accomplished author of multiple consumer guides, a legal columnist for the American Bar Association and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and a frequent speaker on law firm business topics. His work has earned recognition, including multiple Massachusetts Super Lawyer honors. Beyond law, he serves his community through youth sports coaching and local partnerships, all while emphasizing clear communication, client education, and relentless advocacy.
Connect with Chris Earley:
Website: https://www.chrisearley.com/
Justia Lawyers: https://lawyers.justia.com/lawyer/christopher-earley-1335943
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisEarleyLaw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisearleylaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Law-Offices-of-Christopher-Earley-104980886333/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earleylawgroupinjurylawyers/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matthew Fornaro discuss:
- Making solo practice more accessible than ever
- Using AI as a force multiplier for small firms
- Practicing ethical and intentional AI adoption
- Rethinking legal business models and skill sets
Key Takeaways:
- Starting a firm no longer requires a large office, full staff, or major upfront investment. A focused LinkedIn presence paired with a simple, low-cost website can be sufficient early on.
- Matthew relies on AI for email triage, document review, and marketing support across his practice. These tools increasingly replace costly vendors while delivering speed, consistency, and scale.
- Responsible lawyers review and verify AI outputs instead of submitting them unchecked. Those who ignore AI entirely or misuse it are falling behind or facing real professional consequences.
- AI-driven efficiency puts pressure on traditional billable-hour structures in Big Law and beyond. Matthew emphasizes that business education is as critical as legal skills for long-term success.
"In dealing with some of the attorneys I deal with who don't use AI or whatever, they're getting consistently outworked and beat by people who do use AI, particularly people who use AI correctly and responsibly." — Matthew Fornaro
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Matthew Fornaro: Matthew Fornaro is a business law attorney serving South Florida since 2003. He began his career at two AmLaw 200 firms, focusing on civil litigation, before founding his own practice.
His work includes complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, construction law, intellectual property, and business formation and documentation. A member of the Florida and District of Columbia Bars, Matthew also mentors new attorneys and entrepreneurs through the Kaufman Foundation’s FastTrac NewVenture Program and Florida State University’s Jim Moran Institute.
As a small business owner himself, he is proud to support and represent businesses throughout his community.
Connect with Matthew Fornaro:
Website: https://fornarolegal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fornarolegal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfornaro/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZn4sEROz6hErV5Fb5vvOtQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fornaro_legal/
X: https://twitter.com/FornaroLegal
Additional Resources: Jeremy Baker - https://operationpalmtree.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Wes Lungwitz discuss:
- Adapting to change in legal marketing
- Strengthening the website as the foundation
- Optimizing for AI-driven discovery
- Evaluating partners and acting proactively
Key Takeaways:
- Law firm growth now depends on adapting to AI, new search behavior, and shifting marketing dynamics. Firms that remain static risk losing visibility as discovery moves beyond traditional SEO.
- A law firm website must be fast, technically clean, accessible, and well-structured. Personalized practice-area content and visible social proof reinforce trust and conversion.
- Search is shifting toward AI assistants and answer engines that reward clarity and structure. Conversational content, deep practice pages, and schema markup increase AI visibility.
- Agencies must actively address AI visibility, schema strategy, and changing discovery behavior. Google Business Profiles remain essential for legitimacy and intent capture.
"You have to adapt in life and change and keep up with the times, and it's just so important in our industry and just life in general." — Wes Lungwitz
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Wes Lungwitz: Wes Lungwitz is the co-founder and managing partner of Civille, a digital marketing and technology company focused exclusively on helping law firms grow. With a background in highly competitive, data-driven digital marketing, he brings modern website, SEO, and analytics strategies to an industry that has traditionally lagged behind other verticals. Wes regularly speaks and writes on the future of legal marketing, including AI-driven search and evolving discovery behavior.
Connect with Wes Lungwitz:
Website: https://getciville.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-lungwitz-1b532432/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alefiyah Lindo discuss:
- Planning the future by evaluating what actually worked
- Supporting happiness without trying to control it
- Using energy as a diagnostic tool for alignment
- Treating burnout as feedback and adjusting accordingly
Key Takeaways:
- Reviewing the past year reveals which habits, strategies, and commitments deserve to continue and which do not. Entering a new year without reflection leads to repeating default patterns rather than making intentional choices. Sustainable growth comes from consistency and long-term relationship building, not one-off efforts.
- You cannot create happiness for others, only support their ability to create it themselves. Taking responsibility for other people’s emotional outcomes leads to exhaustion and blurred boundaries. Healthy leadership and parenting require allowing others to experience discomfort and self-direction.
- Alignment exists when beliefs, words, actions, and emotions are consistent with one another. Chronic fatigue, burnout, and self-sabotage are indicators of misalignment rather than laziness or failure. Tracking what energizes and depletes you provides clearer guidance than what you think you “should” enjoy.
- Burnout signals a need to realign priorities, responsibilities, and expectations. Bringing subconscious patterns into conscious awareness is a prerequisite for lasting change. Different results require different actions, even when those actions challenge long-held assumptions.
"Energy work really is when what we believe, what we say, what we do, and what we feel are all on the same page. That’s what energy alignment is." — Alefiyah Lindo
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Alefiyah Lindo: Alefiyah Lindo is a Mind-Body-Energy Intuitive and licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience, integrating holistic, non-dual approaches to healing that address the mind, body, and energy system. Her work blends intuitive guidance with practices such as mindfulness, breathwork, EFT, and energy medicine, shaped by early Buddhist practice and trauma-informed training. Alefiyah holds degrees from Purdue University and the University of Illinois, is licensed in Illinois, and provides personalized care rooted in both extensive professional training and lived experience, guided by the principle of Namaste — honoring the light in each person she serves.
Connect with Alefiyah Lindo:
Website: https://www.alefiyahlindo.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alefiyahlindo/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alefiyah-lindo-6a158a83/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alefiyahlindo9955
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Deborah Farone discuss:
- Using business development as a path to influence and autonomy
- Starting relationship-building early in your career
- Aligning marketing with authenticity and personality
- Deepening trust by focusing on long-term relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Business development gives women greater control over their careers, choices, and leadership opportunities. A strong book of business shifts power dynamics and opens doors that talent alone often cannot.
- Business development is most effective when it begins in law school, not at a partnership. Early relationships compound over time and prevent habits that isolate lawyers from future clients.
- The most effective business development reflects who you are, not generic networking scripts. Choosing methods that fit your interests builds consistency, credibility, and long-term momentum.
- Client loyalty grows from empathy, understanding, and sustained connection beyond transactions. Investing in existing relationships delivers greater impact than constantly chasing new clients.
"They say it's five times more expensive to get a brand new client than it is to grow an existing client. So it's a better use of your time." — Deborah Farone
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Deborah Farone: Deborah Farone is a strategic advisor, author, and speaker specializing in business development and marketing for law firms. She is the founder of Farone Advisors, where she helps lawyers build strong client relationships and sustainable practices. Deborah previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Debevoise & Plimpton, and is widely recognized as a pioneer in legal business development. She is the author of Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing and a frequent lecturer at law schools and legal organizations worldwide.
Connect with Deborah Farone:
Website: https://deborahfarone.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charlie Gaudet discuss:
- Moving beyond hard work toward sustainable growth
- Escaping the founder-centered business model
- Outperforming talent using systems
- Protecting time as the highest-leverage asset
Key Takeaways:
- Hard work eventually becomes a liability when it replaces strategy, systems, and recovery. Sustainable growth requires designing the business so it scales without destroying the founder’s health or capacity.
- Businesses stall when the founder becomes the bottleneck for decisions, delivery, and growth. Long-term scale only happens when systems and teams replace heroic individual effort.
- Top performers win not because they work harder, but because their systems reduce variation and create consistency. Documented, measurable processes turn small improvements into repeatable, compounding gains.
- Return on Time matters more than effort, activity, or hours worked. Delegation, automation, and pricing strategy free leaders to focus on high-impact thinking instead of constant execution.
"They have to look at ROT, which is return on time… Where are they spending the time, and how do they maximize their time?… Raise your rate… leverage AI… More and more attorneys are able to get more done in less time when they can leverage AI in the right way." — Charlie Gaudet
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Charlie Gaudet: Charlie Gaudet is the author of “The Predictable Profits Playbook: The 7- and 8-Figure CEOs’ Guide to Generating Consistent and Sustainable Growth“ (voted #1 Book on Sales & Marketing by Indie Excellence) and host of The Beyond 7-Figures Podcast.
The International Business Times called him “The Go-To Business Coach for 7- and 8-Figure Businesses” and perhaps the “busiest sales coach in the US.“
GritDaily said Gaudet is: “regarded in entrepreneurial circles as one of the top coaches for helping entrepreneurs surpass the seven and eight-figure mark.”
Yahoo Finance referred to him as: “The CEO Whisperer.”
CEO Weekly said he was one of the top 10 “Innovative CEOs to Follow.”
And he’s listed at the top of several “Best Business Coach” lists.
He’s been an entrepreneur since the age of 4, created his first multi-million dollar business at 24, and has helped others generate millions with his strategies.
He’s received numerous awards and recognition (including founding a company named as “One of the Best Seed Stage Companies” by Ernst & Young), received his Certificate of Leadership Development from The US Army War College and has his business advice featured around in the world – including Inc., Forbes, Salesforce, Success, Entrepreneur, and Fox Business – as well as on podcasts and radio.
He was named one of American Genius’s Top 50 Industry Influencers.
He trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (two gold medal finishes) and is a 3-time wrestling state champion. He lives in Florida with his beautiful wife, three adorable kid-preneurs, and one badass dog.
Connect with Charlie Gaudet:
Website: https://predictableprofits.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Colleen Joyce discuss:
- Failing fast while managing risk
- Building a competitive legal practice intentionally
- Treating sales as listening and diagnosis
- Leading and adapting for the future of law
Key Takeaways:
- Test ideas quickly and learn from small, recoverable failures. Avoid high-stakes decisions that can jeopardize the entire business. Fast iteration builds resilience in a rapid attention and news cycle.
- Strong branding is essential in a crowded legal market. Lawyers must understand marketing and business, not just legal skills. Personal brand and visibility increasingly determine growth and opportunity.
- Effective sales begins with asking questions and listening deeply. Clients commit when they feel understood, not when they are pitched. A clear diagnosis must come before proposing solutions or pricing.
- Know your strengths and hire to cover gaps. Transparency and honesty strengthen leadership and team trust. Investing in technology, efficiency, and learning is required to stay competitive.
"I know lawyers don't like to hear this, but they are salespeople, just like every other job." — Colleen Joyce
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Colleen Joyce: Colleen Joyce is the Chief Executive Officer of Lawyer.com, the leading U.S. legal directory and lawyer-matching service that connects consumers with qualified local attorneys. She has spent over a decade building and scaling Lawyer.com’s offerings, from foundational directory services to expanded products, marketing education (including CLE courses), and industry events focused on lawyer growth and digital strategy. Joyce previously served as President and Senior Vice President of Lawyer Services, developing deep expertise in management, online legal marketing, and business development before becoming CEO in 2024. Under her leadership, Lawyer.com has experienced significant growth and expanded its role in helping lawyers with client acquisition, thought leadership, and industry engagement. Joyce also brings a background in marketing and publicity from earlier roles, including directing marketing and public relations at PopStar.com, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois, graduating magna cum laude in liberal arts and sciences.
Connect with Colleen Joyce:
Website: http://www.lawyer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenjoyce/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Amy Wood discuss:
- Cultivating inner balance
- Training your career like an athlete
- Building the four pillars of success
- Managing energy and embracing growth
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on inner balance rather than chasing work–life balance. Intentionally manage your energy, mindset, and relationships to sustain long-term professional performance.
- Treat your career like elite athletic training by consistently prioritizing physical health, restorative sleep, and daily self-care as essential foundations for mental sharpness.
- Surround yourself with the four pillars of success: a genuinely supportive network, a solution-oriented mindset, deliberate self-care, and engaging, nourishing diversions that spark creativity.
- Protect and invest your energy wisely, design environments that actively inspire focus, and embrace mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth, reflection, and learning.
"When you're thinking about your energy, look at it like a battery that needs to be recharged." — Amy Wood
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Amy Wood: Dr. Amy Wood is a licensed psychologist, certified executive coach, and award-winning author who has devoted her career to helping individuals and organizations articulate and arrive at new and more empowering versions of success.
In particular, she is known for helping individuals and organizations to edit down overwhelm to their own customized productivity and happiness essentials. With a doctorate from Adler University and a prior career in communications, she inspires transformation with a unique blend of humor, directness, and psychological insight. Dr. Wood’s intention is always to live and work in ways that bring out the best in herself and others.
Connect with Amy Wood:
Website: https://amywoodpsyd.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoodpsyd/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Susan Filan discuss:
- Reclaiming life before life demands it
- Asking the questions that change everything
- Stepping off the professional hamster wheel
- Choosing authenticity over performance
Key Takeaways:
- Near-death experiences show how fragile, temporary, and precious life truly is. Fulfillment starts when we stop postponing purpose and intentionally live each day in alignment with what truly matters most.
- Fear often hides our deepest desires, but asking the right questions clearly reveals them. Imagining our future self at the end of life helps guide decisions toward what we genuinely want and value.
- Overwork often masks misalignment with our own integrity, health, and needs. Sustainable progress begins by recognizing limits, slowing down, and making intentional changes that honor both well-being and meaningful work.
- Long-term fulfillment cannot grow from roles we play to please others or meet external expectations. True joy and inner peace emerge when we live, work, and lead consistently in alignment with our authentic selves.
"I can't outsource my happiness. So if I'm not happy today with what I have, where I am... I'm not going to be happy then when I get it." — Susan Filan
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Susan Filan: Susan is a former prosecutor and MSNBC Senior Legal Analyst turned transformational speaker and life strategist. With over 30 years in high-stakes arenas—from prosecuting cold-case murders to defending clients on death row and analyzing national cases on cable and network television—she has faced some of the toughest challenges imaginable. Her greatest trial, however, came in a near-fatal accident that became her ultimate wake-up call, inspiring her to help others transform crisis into clarity and purpose. Susan blends legal grit, neuroscience, and spiritual insight to guide high achievers in breaking free from limiting beliefs, reigniting their deepest dreams, and creating lives of joy, fulfillment, and impact. Known as The Wake-Up Call Speaker and The Architect of Reinvention, she delivers keynotes, private strategy sessions, immersive retreats, and media appearances designed to awaken potential, spark transformation, and help people reinvent their lives from the inside out.
Connect with Susan Filan:
Website: https://susanfilan.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanfilan/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dustin Ruge discuss:
- Strategic decision-making in choosing clients
- Communicating value through intentional sales processes
- Adapting to AI-driven shifts in legal labor
- Rebuilding legal services through integrated ecosystems
Key Takeaways:
- Choosing which cases to decline becomes a powerful profitability strategy. Disciplined selection protects focus, energy, and long-term growth. The strongest outcomes come from working only with motivated, well-aligned clients.
- Modern legal sales depend on uncovering client needs rather than presenting credentials. Deep qualification shapes tailored solutions that build trust and clarity. Firms that master value communication thrive as outcomes matter more than hours.
- The billable hour strains against rising expectations for efficiency and transparency. Automation is absorbing routine intake and associate-level work. Firms that embrace value-based pricing gain an advantage in a reshaped landscape.
- AI is transforming a fragmented industry into cohesive, streamlined platforms. New business structures and investments accelerate disruption and innovation. Lean, automated operations create opportunities in underserved markets.
"The first meeting is all about the client, the second meeting is all about you." — Dustin Ruge
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Dustin Ruge: Dustin W Ruge is known as one of the most respected and trusted sales, marketing, and business growth coaches in the nation. In addition to his numerous books and publications, Dustin frequently appears and is referenced in major news and trade publications, business shows, and trains and keynotes at conferences across the nation. Dustin’s career includes over 27 years’ experience, ranging from technology startups to Fortune 500 companies, where he has received numerous awards and recognition for his work.
Dustin graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Connect with Dustin Ruge:
Website: https://dustinruge.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinruge/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Pam Meissner discuss:
- Aligning strengths with strategy
- Addressing operational challenges
- Clarifying compensation and career paths
- Maximizing long-term firm value
Key Takeaways:
- Successful firm growth depends on matching personal strengths to business goals. Chasing clients or revenue alone does not ensure satisfaction or long-term success. Intentional planning creates a foundation for sustainable growth and fulfillment.
- Lawyers often face cash flow issues, staff management, and unclear compensation. These operational gaps can lead to stress and sleepless nights if unchecked. Recognizing and addressing challenges early safeguards both firm and personal well-being.
- Open conversations about pay and partnership tracks motivate legal professionals. Transparency fosters equity and encourages long-term commitment from team members. Clear structures help attorneys understand their role in firm growth and success.
- Profitability, efficient systems, and reducing single-owner dependency matter most. External guidance, such as fractional CFOs, can help firms overcome growth plateaus. Strategic planning ensures the firm remains valuable for exits or future opportunities.
"Everybody wants more money, and they don't realize it comes with problems, and they don't realize that we all get paid for solving problems, but you have to pick the problems you're really good at solving, because if you're solving problems that you're not good at, you're going to be miserable." — Pam Meissner
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Pam Meissner: Pam Meissner is the COO, Director of Client Services & CFO at CathCap. She is a seasoned CPA and financial executive whose career spans public accounting, multinational corporations, and entrepreneurial ventures. She has served as a CPA, CFO, COO, CEO, and even a stay-at-home mom, bringing a rare combination of technical expertise and real-world business insight to every role. Now at CathCap, Pam leverages her decades of experience to guide clients in financial strategy, operational excellence, and coaching, helping businesses achieve sustainable growth and success.
Connect with Pam Meissner:
Website: https://cathcap.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adam Williams discuss:
- Planning taxes proactively
- Exploring creative tax strategies
- Building a professional team
- Implementing actionable year-end steps
Key Takeaways:
- Most law firms wait until filing to address taxes, missing savings opportunities. Working with a tax strategist year-round aligns decisions with long-term goals. Proactive planning uncovers ways to reduce liabilities and strengthen financial outcomes.
- Techniques like the Augusta rule, hiring family members, and royalty setups save money. Advanced structures such as captive insurance can provide additional tax benefits. Knowing these options allows law firms to tailor strategies to their unique situation.
- Successful tax and business strategies require bookkeepers, advisors, and strategists. Delegating responsibilities reduces personal burden while improving firm performance. A strong team empowers owners to focus on growth and long-term success.
- Year-end is ideal for accelerating deductions and making tax-advantaged purchases. Prepaying vendors or investing in marketing can reduce taxable income efficiently. Evaluating current practices ensures every opportunity for savings is captured.
"If they don’t bring you ideas throughout the year, you don’t have a tax strategist. You have a tax preparer." — Adam Williams
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Adam Williams: Adam started this business out of frustration with accountants who congratulated him for having a large tax bill.
As a serial entrepreneur, Adam is inspired by entrepreneurship and small business, direct response marketing, non-traditional and unexpected solutions, mindset & personal development, helping create businesses that serve the owners, and high-performance driving.
Adam received his undergraduate degree in Business from Penn State Behrend and his MBA and J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. A Cathedral Prep graduate and active member of the community, Adam has served on the Board of Directors for the Erie County Bar Association, Lakeshore Community Services, the Innovation Collaborative, and the Erie Art Museum. He was named to the 2013 Erie Reader 40 Under 40, and has also been listed as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Connect with Adam Williams:
Website: https://www.pennywise.tax/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Dach discuss:
- Prioritizing layered mentorship
- Strengthening firm culture for development
- Maintaining clear communication in mentoring
- Using delegation and varied experience for growth
Key Takeaways:
- Professionals should pursue multiple mentors with complementary strengths to build balanced legal and leadership skills. Proactive outreach broadens perspective and accelerates growth across stages of a career. Treating mentorship as a continuous discipline ensures steady, long-term development.
- Growth is amplified in environments that value collaboration, approachability, and shared learning. Supportive cultures help young attorneys apply feedback with confidence and consistency. When mentorship is part of a firm’s values, long-term development becomes more sustainable.
- Clear expectations and honest conversations create stability and direction in mentor relationships. Early resolution of misalignment strengthens trust and accountability for both sides. Consistent feedback loops reinforce progress and keep development moving forward.
- Delegation offers meaningful opportunities to build judgment and independence through real responsibility. Structured tools provide quality and clarity as workloads expand over time. Diverse experiences and firm environments round out long-term professional capability.
"Just do the things and fail. Fail a lot, because you won't know until you do the things, and then you fail, and then you learn." — Ben Dach
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ben Dach: Benjamin Dach, Ph.D., Esq., is an accomplished patent attorney with extensive experience in intellectual property litigation, prosecution, and counseling. With experience in patent, copyright, and trademark litigation, procurement, and licensing, Ben focuses on development, protection, and monetization of patent, copyright, and trademark portfolios, strategic licensing, commercial agreements, diligence, and enforcement strategies. He has represented clients in numerous actions in U.S. courts, administrative proceedings, and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Connect with Ben Dach:
Website: https://pierferd.com/benjamin-i-dach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamindach/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Allison Williams discuss:
- Developing business skills beyond legal training
- Balancing legal work with true leadership roles
- Strengthening sales and client relationships with structure
- Reducing stress through systems, communication, and metrics
Key Takeaways:
- Law school doesn’t teach the core business, sales, and time-management abilities required to run a successful firm. Lawyers must intentionally build these skills to avoid overwhelm and stagnation. Growth begins when practitioners embrace authenticity, process, and systemization.
- Many lawyer-owners struggle to act as both practitioner and CEO, leading to stress and inefficiency. Strong operational leaders and a capable C-suite can restore focus and improve firm performance. Delegating business responsibilities is essential for long-term sustainability.
- Sales shouldn’t feel like auditioning for clients; the goal is to understand needs and build genuine rapport. Structured processes help qualify leads, nurture relationships, and improve conversion rates. Starting with reliable referral sources and existing channels leads to better outcomes.
- Systematized communication—from clear policies to automated updates—prevents client-driven chaos. Tools like workflow systems or SaneBox support better task and email management. Tracking metrics such as conversion rates and lead quality ensures informed, data-driven decisions.
“Being authentic is the easiest, fastest, most profitable way for you to get to the outcome that you desire.” — Allison Williams
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Allison Williams: Allison C. Williams is the owner of not one, but two multimillion-dollar companies. She is the Founder of Williams Law Group, a full-service family law firm where she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, and is certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Family Law. After taking Williams Law Group from a start-up to a multimillion-dollar law business in 3.5 years, she decided to help other law firm owners do the same by starting Law Firm Mentor. Today, Law Firm Mentor helps law firm owners across the country grow their revenues, crush chaos in business, and make significantly more money in less time!
Allison is a LawFirm500 award winner, ranking 14th out of the fastest-growing law firms in the nation. She has also been named a Stevie Award Finalist for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 and 2018, voted NJBIZ’s Top 50 Women in Business, and designated as one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners.
Allison has been featured in The Law Entrepreneur, Above the Law, and Modern Solo, along with other leading legal publications. She is also the host of the Law Firm Mentor podcast, where lawyers go to learn how to crush the chaos in their business.
Connect with Allison Williams:
Website: https://lawfirmmentor.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncwilliams/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Danielle Hendon discuss:
- Embracing perseverance
- Shifting mindsets for sustainability
- Transitioning toward flat fee models
- Balancing finances for growth
Key Takeaways:
- Perseverance shapes long-term success by turning setbacks into momentum rather than defeat. Continuing the work is what separates progress from failure. Stopping, not struggling, is the only real loss.
- Firms thrive when they prioritize profitability and long-term health, ensuring they can keep serving clients with excellence. This mindset shift strengthens stability. It helps legal teams build a practice that lasts.
- Moving from billable hours to flat fees boosts efficiency, scale, and client trust when managed with clarity and intention. Careful rollout keeps expectations aligned. The shift can transform the client experience.
- Monitoring vital metrics like the rule of thirds helps maintain healthy revenue distribution and protects profitability. This supports passion projects and pro bono work. Clients benefit from transparency and lower stress.
"You are never a failure until you stop trying. Everything is an opportunity to win and move forward. You haven't failed until you stop persevering. When you've given up, that's failure." — Danielle Hendon
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Danielle Hendon: Danielle Hendon is the Founder and CEO of 4 Corners CFO, where she helps small business owners make smart financial decisions. She has over a decade of experience in corporate finance and accounting, and once led an audit team through a corporate bankruptcy.
Danielle believes that financial statements tell a story, not just numbers—and that entrepreneurs should be empowered to write their own chapters. She started 4 Corners CFO to give business owners clarity and confidence so they can build profitable and sustainable legacies.
Before her finance career, she studied music. Today, she draws on that creativity to bring both discipline and vision to her work. At the heart of it all, Danielle is a mom—and her children inspire her daily to do work that matters.
Connect with Danielle Hendon:
Website: https://4cornerscfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hendon/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Tim Semelroth, Casey Grabenstein, and Neil Dishman discuss:
- Treating business development as essential
- Using systems and empowering teams
- Building a culture of growth
- Learning through resilience and honesty
Key Takeaways:
- Integrating business development into daily routines and tracking it like billable work ensures steady growth. Making it non-negotiable builds consistency and prevents unpredictable cycles.
- Leveraging CRM tools, spreadsheets, and point systems keeps outreach organized and accountable. Involving junior lawyers in relationships and strategy builds future rainmakers.
- Firms that reward, support, and normalize business development create sustainable success. Encouragement at every level strengthens engagement and results.
- Focusing on process over outcome turns setbacks into lessons and maintains momentum. Honest communication and reflection foster better relationships and continuous improvement.
"For me, making myself feel satisfied that I’ve put in enough in that week to get good results, and then not worrying about whether the results come in… Try to stop worrying about the results and focus on the process is the best that I can do." — Casey Grabenstein
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Tim Semelroth: Tim Semelroth is Iowa’s only board-certified truck accident attorney and a partner at RSH Legal. With over 25 years of experience, he provides trusted expertise in trucking litigation and collaborates with attorneys statewide and beyond. Known for his strategic approach and commitment to fairness, Tim offers consultation to help chart the best course for complex truck accident cases.
Connect with Tim Semelroth:
Website: https://www.timsemelroth.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsemelroth/
About Casey Grabenstein: Casey Grabenstein is a litigation partner at Saul Ewing LLP, handling complex commercial disputes and class actions involving securities, consumer fraud, and ERISA. He also advises clients in the cannabis and litigation funding industries, serving as both due diligence and primary counsel. A frequent writer and speaker, Casey brings deep insight into emerging issues in litigation finance and commercial law.
Connect with Casey Grabenstein:
Website: https://www.saul.com/professionals/casey-grabenstein
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-grabenstein-a375094/
About Neil H. Dishman: Neil H. Dishman is a principal at Jackson Lewis P.C. in Chicago, where he helps employers prevent and resolve workplace disputes. His practice spans discrimination, retaliation, and wage-hour compliance, with extensive experience across multiple industries. A sought-after speaker and published author, Neil is known for his practical guidance on employment law and risk management.
Connect with Neil H. Dishman:
Website: https://www.jacksonlewis.com/people/neil-h-dishman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsemelroth/
Email: Neil.Dishman@jacksonlewis.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Tim Semelroth, Casey Grabenstein, and Neil Dishman discuss:
- Building consistent habits
- Tracking meaningful metrics
- Repurposing and leveraging content
- Cultivating strategic relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Dedicating time, using accountability systems, and leveraging support drives sustained business growth. Consistency and structure keep focus sharp and opportunities within reach.
- Monitoring key indicators and focusing on high-value relationships ensures well-directed effort. Data-driven strategy prevents waste and maximizes measurable results.
- Sharing content across channels expands reach and strengthens brand visibility. Strategic reuse multiplies impact without overextending resources.
- Nurturing peers, colleagues, and referral sources yields lasting dividends. Balancing expertise with connection builds trust and opens new opportunities.
"It starts with knowing your numbers. You have to know where your cases are coming from. You have to track very carefully. You know what the average case value is. And once you start doing things like that, then the answers become obvious." — Tim Semelroth
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Tim Semelroth: Tim Semelroth is Iowa’s only board-certified truck accident attorney and a partner at RSH Legal. With over 25 years of experience, he provides trusted expertise in trucking litigation and collaborates with attorneys statewide and beyond. Known for his strategic approach and commitment to fairness, Tim offers consultation to help chart the best course for complex truck accident cases.
Connect with Tim Semelroth:
Website: https://www.timsemelroth.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsemelroth/
About Casey Grabenstein: Casey Grabenstein is a litigation partner at Saul Ewing LLP, handling complex commercial disputes and class actions involving securities, consumer fraud, and ERISA. He also advises clients in the cannabis and litigation funding industries, serving as both due diligence and primary counsel. A frequent writer and speaker, Casey brings deep insight into emerging issues in litigation finance and commercial law.
Connect with Casey Grabenstein:
Website: https://www.saul.com/professionals/casey-grabenstein
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-grabenstein-a375094/
About Neil H. Dishman: Neil H. Dishman is a principal at Jackson Lewis P.C. in Chicago, where he helps employers prevent and resolve workplace disputes. His practice spans discrimination, retaliation, and wage-hour compliance, with extensive experience across multiple industries. A sought-after speaker and published author, Neil is known for his practical guidance on employment law and risk management.
Connect with Neil H. Dishman:
Website: https://www.jacksonlewis.com/people/neil-h-dishman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neildishman/
Email: Neil.Dishman@jacksonlewis.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lee Rudin discuss:
- Aligning business with purpose
- Preparing financially before independence
- Marketing actively and creatively
- Leveraging systems, technology, and people
Key Takeaways:
- Building a law practice around shared success creates deeper fulfillment and stronger client relationships. Choosing work that serves others transforms daily effort into long-term motivation and genuine impact. Purpose becomes the foundation that sustains growth beyond profit or recognition.
- Launching a firm requires a clear understanding of cash flow, expenses, and delayed revenue cycles. Planning for at least 120 days without income establishes realistic expectations and stability. Financial awareness and discipline ensure resilience during the early, uncertain stages of growth.
- Obscurity, not competition, remains the greatest risk in professional services. Consistent visibility through digital campaigns, community engagement, and creative branding drives trust. Distinct messaging turns curiosity into recognition and recognition into opportunity.
- Efficiency grows when repetitive tasks are automated and skilled support is used effectively. Strategic use of offshore staff and fair compensation creates scalable, sustainable operations. Generosity, structure, and smart tools combine to amplify performance without excess cost.
"You’ve got to give people a reason to pick you. If you’re the same as everyone else, you’ll just disappear." — Lee Rudin
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Lee Rudin: Lee Rudin is the Founder and Principal Attorney of Rudin Law, a New Orleans–based personal injury firm recognized for its bold and client-centered approach. A graduate of Tulane University and Tulane Law School, Lee began his career in insurance defense before founding his own firm to better align his work with his values, helping people while running a modern, efficient practice. Known for his innovative use of technology and offshore talent, Lee combines sharp legal skill with entrepreneurial creativity. His signature brand motto, “Stop Being Polite. Get Rude.”, captures his fearless style and commitment to standing up for clients.
Connect with Lee Rudin:
Website: https://www.getrude.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leerudin/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/rudin-law/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rudinlawnola/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getrudelaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Walt Hampton discuss:
- Following what lights you up
- Mastering time instead of managing it
- Saying no to create freedom
- Preventing burnout through alignment
Key Takeaways:
- Fulfillment doesn’t come from doing what seems logical but from pursuing what makes you come alive. Many lawyers achieve success yet feel empty inside. True success begins when you align your career with your values, strengths, and passions.
- Time can’t be managed, only mastered. Working in focused 60–90 minute blocks, minimizing interruptions, and protecting white space helps restore clarity and productivity. How you use your time reflects how much you value yourself.
- Every yes dilutes your energy and focus. Learning to say no with grace allows you to set boundaries and prioritize what truly matters. The word “no” is not rejection—it’s an act of self-leadership that protects your well-being.
- Burnout fades when your choices reflect your purpose. Create white space, delegate with trust, and honor your physical and mental health. The goal isn’t just endurance—it’s building a life and practice that truly sustains you.
"No is a full sentence. Every yes we give dilutes our effectiveness." — Walt Hampton
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Walt Hampton: Walt Hampton, J.D., is the Founder & CEO of Summit Success, LLC, a global personal and professional development firm dedicated to helping high-achievers design meaningful work, master time, and live with purpose. A 1984 graduate of Cornell Law School, Walt spent nearly 25 years as managing partner of a commercial litigation and criminal-defense law firm before transitioning to full-time coaching, consulting, training, and speaking. He is the bestselling author of books including Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters and The Power Principles of Time Mastery: Do Less, Make More, Have Fun. He has trained under Tony Robbins’ Results Coach program, and is a sought-after speaker on topics of leadership, time mastery, and sustainable peak performance. Beyond his professional work, Walt is known for his adventurous pursuits—high-altitude mountaineering, ultra-distance running, and blue-water sailing—underscoring his belief that personal transformation and professional mastery go hand in hand.
Connect with Walt Hampton:
Website: https://www.walthampton.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walthampton/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walthamptonjr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whamptonjr/?hl=en
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Haugh discuss:
- Navigating a selective legal market
- Preparing for a lateral move effectively
- Building control through specialization
- Approaching interviews with intention
Key Takeaways:
- The current recruitment landscape favors lawyers with portable books and proven client relationships. Service partners without clear revenue streams face fewer interview opportunities than before. Understanding this shift helps lawyers position themselves strategically for lasting success.
- Before making a move, gather concrete data on your clients, billables, and performance metrics. Research each potential firm to assess culture, support systems, and compensation structure. Avoid counter-offers and be ready to explain your motivation with confidence and clarity.
- Developing a focused niche and growing a book of business provides leverage and stability. Lawyers with established clients can earn up to 20% more while shaping their own trajectory. Becoming a market master turns expertise into opportunity and independence.
- Strong interviews center on curiosity, alignment, and authenticity, not just compensation. Show genuine interest in the firm’s mission while understanding its support for your growth. Preparation and presence create trust, leading to stronger and more strategic offers.
"All you got to do is focus on the next second, the next minute, the next hour, the next day, the next week-whatever it is, you don't have to solve the world's problems right now." — Brian Haugh
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
HireParalegals: https://hireparalegals.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Brian Haugh: Brian G. Haugh is a Partner and Senior Partner at Shapiro Legal Search, a member firm of the Sanford Rose Associates network. He helps lead the firm’s legal recruitment services, specializing in identifying top legal talent and placing senior-level attorneys who bring both technical excellence and business insight.
With years of experience in legal search, Brian’s work sits at the intersection of law practice strategy and executive recruiting. His approach emphasizes integrity, transparency, and long-term relationships, helping candidates and firms navigate complex career transitions with clarity and confidence.
Outside of his professional role, Brian is a certified private pilot and an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization – Chicago. He holds a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and remains committed to continuous learning and high-performance leadership.
Connect with Brian Haugh:
Phone: 312-593-0810
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dr. Rachel Boehm discuss:
- Building systems that support adaptability
- Redefining peak performance for longevity
- Clearing mental clutter for growth
- Pursuing fulfillment through reflection and learning
Key Takeaways:
- Sustainable success in law combines strong organizational structures with personal flexibility. This balance allows attorneys to navigate change, manage chaos, and stay grounded amid demands.
- True performance isn’t about short-term output but about consistency and well-being over time. Intentional rest, stress management, and self-care sustain excellence without leading to burnout.
- Unhelpful “head trash” often limits progress more than external pressures or workload.
- Addressing mindset challenges builds clarity, resilience, and openness to new possibilities.
- Regularly reassessing goals and definitions of success keeps one aligned and purposeful. Continuous improvement, mentorship, and meaning-centered work lead to lasting contentment.
"Culture is a verb. You have to keep creating it." — Dr. Rachel Boehm
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Dr. Rachel Boehm: Rachel Boehm is an award-winning journalist turned workplace-wellness advocate who helps individuals and organizations redefine success, mental clarity, and sustainable performance. With a background in communications and well-being, she guides clients past “head trash,” builds adaptive systems, and cultivates lasting contentment rather than short-term fixes. Rachel’s work blends empathy and strategy, equipping professionals to lead with heart, purpose, and resilience.
Connect with Dr. Rachel Boehm:
Website: https://rachelboehm.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelboehm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charles Gallaer discuss:
- Simplifying communication for clarity
- Building systems for an organization
- Investing in professional growth
- Learning resilience through experience
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers who communicate simply build stronger connections with clients and colleagues. Clear language removes confusion and makes legal concepts easier to understand. Simplicity earns trust and enhances professional credibility.
- Effective systems keep information, tasks, and deadlines in check. Tools like OneNote, Remarkable, and frameworks like “Second Brain” support focus and structure. The organization ensures consistency and reliability in client service.
- Continuous learning and adopting new technologies strengthen long-term success. Investing in tools, systems, and skills helps lawyers stay efficient and relevant. Growth-minded professionals turn adaptation into an advantage.
- Setbacks are learning opportunities, not reasons for regret. By reflecting instead of reacting, lawyers can grow wiser and more confident. Resilience transforms challenges into lasting professional strength.
"It's important to keep things simple...anything we can do to boil it down into as simple as terms...through that simplicity, it can really give you a level of clarity that you didn't think was possible." — Charles Gallaer
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Charles Gallaer: Charles Gallaer, Esq., is an attorney focused on automotive retail and dealership law. He is licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida and serves as an associate advising manufacturers, dealer groups, and franchised operators.
Before law school, he held roles at Ford Motor Company and served as general manager of his family’s Lincoln-Mercury dealership, giving him hands-on operational insight into the industry. He earned his J.D. with distinction from Brooklyn Law School and holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Charles advises on transactions, litigation, compliance, data privacy, EV mandates, and vendor contracts. He speaks regularly at industry events and contributes to publications on dealership law and regulation.
Connect with Charles Gallaer:
Website: https://www.afslaw.com/attorneys/charles-gallaer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgallaer/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stacey Brown Randall discuss:
- The realities and misconceptions of referral marketing for professionals
- Building genuine, relationship-driven client experiences that foster loyalty
- Balancing efficiency, personalization, and automation in client communication
- Mindset management and learning from business failures in professional growth
Key Takeaways:
- Doing great work alone doesn’t automatically generate referrals—intentional relationship-building and structured referral strategies are essential.
- A strong client experience combines excellent work output with emotional connection and proactive relationship touchpoints across the “new,” “active,” and “alumni” stages.
- Only about 20–30% of clients are typically referred; managing expectations and distinguishing between repeat and referred clients prevents misleading assumptions about referral rates.
- Protecting one’s mindset and resisting external pressure or comparison—especially regarding success metrics—is crucial to maintaining authenticity and preventing burnout.
"Doing great work does not equal referrals." — Stacey Brown Randall
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Stacey Brown Randall: Stacey Brown Randall is the author of the new book, The Referable Client Experience, the award-winning book, Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, and the host of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast. Stacey teaches business owners how to generate referrals naturally...without manipulating, incentivizing, or even asking. She has been featured in national publications like Entrepreneur magazine, Investor's Business Daily, Forbes, and more. She received her Master’s in Organizational Communication and is married with three kids.
Connect with Stacey Brown Randall:
Website: https://staceybrownrandall.com/
Book: The Referable Client Experience: https://referableclientexperience.com/
Show: Roadmap to Referrals: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roadmap-to-referrals/id1405302350
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybrandall/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Addison Watson discuss:
- Building and sustaining a law practice through intentional business development
- The challenges of transitioning from large firm life to independent or entrepreneurial practice
- The influence of mindset, discipline, and mentorship on legal career growth
- The evolving role of technology and AI in shaping modern legal careers and firm structures
Key Takeaways:
- Failing to invest time in networking and business development early in one’s career can severely limit future autonomy and opportunity.
- Setting aside even one weekly breakfast, coffee, or lunch meeting can spark lasting professional relationships that later generate referrals.
- Attorneys who treat themselves as entrepreneurs—outsourcing low-value tasks and tracking ROI—free more time for growth and client work.
- Lawyers who own a portable “book of business” gain control over their careers, whether moving laterally or launching a solo practice, and are less threatened by AI or firm instability.
"If you feel the anxiety of being an entrepreneur, it might not be for you." — Addison Watson
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki: https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194
Tees and CLEs take place April 15–17, 2026, at the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa, uniting legal professionals for accredited education, networking, and a round or two of golf: https://www.teesandcles.com/
About Addison Watson: Addison Watson is the founder of Summit Legal Consulting, a Birmingham-based firm that helps businesses and law firms close deals efficiently and build smarter legal operations. Leveraging his background as a corporate attorney at Balch & Bingham LLP and his current role as General Counsel at ClickFunnels, Addison brings a dealmaker’s mindset to every client engagement. He’s also the co-founder of Tees and CLEs, an annual event combining accredited legal education with networking and golf for attorneys nationwide. A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, Addison is passionate about blending legal strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation to redefine how modern lawyers practice and connect.
Connect with Addison Watson:
Website: https://www.teesandcles.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addison-watson/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/slc205/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Raquel Gomes discuss:
- The importance of setting boundaries and saying no to maintain focus and balance
- Overcoming perfectionism and developing trust through delegation and leadership
- Building sustainable business systems that support both growth and personal well-being
- The mindset shift required to transition from burnout to passion-driven entrepreneurship
Key Takeaways:
- By performing a detailed time audit and identifying tasks that don’t align with your priorities, you can reclaim control of your schedule, eliminate low-value work, and create space for what truly drives personal and professional growth.
- Effective delegation depends on replacing micromanagement with structured onboarding, clear expectations, and consistent communication so your team feels empowered and capable while you stay focused on leadership and strategy.
- Long-term business success requires building systems and processes that allow your company to operate smoothly even in your absence, ensuring both stability and the freedom to take restorative time away without anxiety or burnout.
- The decision to leave corporate life before feeling fully ready underscores the importance of self-trust — embracing uncertainty and believing in your own capability can lead to transformation, purpose, and sustainable fulfillment.
"Rest is revenue generated as well." — Raquel Gomes
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Raquel Gomes: Raquel Gomes is the visionary Founder and CEO of Stafi, a virtual staffing company transforming how law firms operate and grow. A former psychologist with an MBA and a background in corporate America and technology, Raquel brings a rare combination of emotional intelligence and business acumen to leadership. Inspired by her own journey balancing motherhood, burnout, and ambition, she built Stafi to empower busy professionals—especially women—to scale their firms without sacrificing their well-being. Under her leadership, Stafi now supports hundreds of law firms worldwide, connecting them with skilled virtual assistants and sustainable systems for success. Raquel’s mission is rooted in redefining work-life balance and proving that thriving in business and in life are not mutually exclusive.
Connect with Raquel Gomes:
Website: https://getstafi.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-gomesstafi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetStafi
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Elise Buie discuss:
- Using data-driven decision-making to manage and grow a modern law firm
- Redefining work-life integration and employee well-being within professional culture
- Building brand identity and marketing strategies rooted in authenticity and measurable ROI
- Leadership through adaptability, empathy, and alignment between values and performance metrics
Key Takeaways:
- Reframing “billable hours” as “build-on-invoice hours” can close significant financial gaps by ensuring all productive time is accurately tracked and billed.
- Setting clear KPIs for every team member creates transparency, objective performance evaluation, and alignment with organizational values.
- Structured delegation and workflow redesign can reduce working hours without sacrificing productivity, improving overall employee satisfaction.
- Combining quantitative data with qualitative narratives allows leaders to make informed decisions that support both profitability and people.
"If you have good data, I don't care where my people are. They could be in New Zealand on a black beach, and I know exactly what's happening." — Elise Buie
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Elise Buie: Elise Buie, Esq., is a Seattle-based family law attorney and founder of Elise Buie Family Law Group, a law firm devoted to divorce, family law, and estate planning. A survivor of Hurricane Katrina, her own divorce, and many dish-filled sinks piled high after lively family dinners with her husband, Doug, and their blended family of six (six!) now-adult children, Elise knows firsthand what it means to juggle work and parenting, finding balance in between, even if it means a lot of late nights. When she’s not advocating for her clients, the best interests of their children, and civility in divorce, you can find her sailing on Puget Sound.
Connect with Elise Buie:
Website: https://www.elisebuiefamilylaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-buie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisebuiefamilylaw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisebuiefamilylawgroup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What if the final piece of the puzzle for your growth was right here?
This is the second and last part of a powerful two-part conversation on Be That Lawyer Live, where Steve Fretzin sits down again with Daniel Scola, Eido Walny, and Karl Seelbach. Together, they dive deep into rainmaking, relationships, and leadership in ways most lawyers never discuss publicly. You’ll hear candid stories, real mistakes, and strategies that connect directly to your own journey. Don’t miss this closing segment — it’s your chance to take the full picture and turn it into action.
In this episode, Steve, Daniel, Eido, and Karl discuss:
- Authentic business development through personal passions
- Building and sustaining client relationships
- Gaining visibility with thought leadership
- Lessons from mistakes and missed opportunities
Key Takeaways:
- Aligning personal passions like music, car restoration, or cufflink-making with client connections creates natural and sustainable business opportunities.
- Avoiding the “too busy” perception is critical, since clients and prospects may hold back opportunities if they think you’re overwhelmed.
- Speaking engagements, timely PR responses, and consistent online presence remain the most effective ways to stay top of mind and be recognized as a leader.
- Complacency, failure to delegate, and clinging to unproductive organizations can stall growth, while being proactive ensures long-term success.
"It’s not like you have to go 100% all the time, but you should go at a nice speed. You shouldn’t rest on your laurels." — Daniel Scola
"You gotta love it, or else you’re not going to be good at it." — Eido Walny
"No matter how busy you may be, if you want to bring in more work… don’t talk about how busy you are." — Karl Seelbach
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About our Guests:
- Daniel Scola is the Managing Partner of Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and global IP protection [LinkedIn | Website].
- Eido Walny is the founder of Walny Legal Group, a nationally recognized estate planning and asset protection practice [LinkedIn | Website].
- Karl Seelbach is the Managing Partner of Doyle & Seelbach, specializing in personal injury defense and legal technology innovation [LinkedIn | Website].
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What if you could finally understand what it really takes to grow as a lawyer beyond just practicing law?
In this first part of a special two-part Be That Lawyer Live, Steve Fretzin brings together Daniel Scola, Eido Walny, and Karl Seelbach for a candid conversation you won’t hear anywhere else. You’ll be pulled into their stories, their struggles, and the strategies that shaped their careers in ways most attorneys never talk about openly. As you listen, you’ll discover how much of this applies directly to you, wherever you are in your own journey. This episode isn’t just about hearing from successful lawyers — it’s about helping you see what’s possible for yourself.
In this episode, Steve, Daniel, Eido, and Karl discuss:
- Challenges lawyers face in business development and rainmaking
- Importance of consistent habits and time management in client growth
- Role of personal passions, networking, and authentic connections in practice-building
- Lessons learned from mistakes that shape long-term legal careers
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers struggle with rainmaking because they aren’t taught marketing skills, and mentorship or coaching is often the turning point in learning business development.
- Time-blocking, using a CRM, and accountability partners are crucial for keeping business development efforts consistent and measurable.
- Combining personal passions (like car restoration or music) with client relationships creates authentic connections that naturally lead to new business opportunities.
- Asking directly for business and following through on promises builds trust, while overpromising or relying on others’ client relationships can backfire.
"Not overpromising is a really important one for me… you’ve got to deliver what you say." — Daniel Scola
"There are two things that this firm can never and no one can ever take away from you. That’s your knowledge base and your contact base." — Eido Walny
"Clients aren’t going to remember every case you handle, but they’re never going to forget how you make them feel." — Karl Seelbach
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About our Guests:
- Daniel Scola is the Managing Partner of Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and global IP protection [LinkedIn | Website].
- Eido Walny is the founder of Walny Legal Group, a nationally recognized estate planning and asset protection practice [LinkedIn | Website].
- Karl Seelbach is the Managing Partner of Doyle & Seelbach, specializing in personal injury defense and legal technology innovation [LinkedIn | Website].
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nancy Fox discuss:
- The importance of mindset shifts in professional growth
- Strategic approaches to networking and business development
- Navigating uncertainty and change in the legal industry
- The role of consistency, agility, and technology in building relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often fail at networking because they choose events or groups without a strategy; instead, they should target where actual decision-makers gather, even if it requires greater investment.
- Relying solely on referrals is risky; building a balanced portfolio of referral sources and direct decision-maker relationships creates stability and growth.
- Practicing “daily consistent activity” in 15-minute chunks—such as emailing contacts or engaging on LinkedIn—can meaningfully grow a practice without overwhelming time demands.
- Shifting focus away from oneself and toward listening to others during networking conversations reduces fear, builds confidence, and creates deeper connections.
"Agility is not necessarily what lawyers are trained in, but being agile and being flexible is something that I think all of us really need to look at." — Nancy Fox
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Nancy Fox: Nancy Fox is the founder and President of The Business Fox, a consulting and training company that helps law, accounting, and service firms grow through smarter networking, business development, and niche marketing strategies. A former corporate executive with over two decades of marketing experience at Warnaco and VF Corporation, she launched her coaching and training business in 1999 and has since worked with firms such as Sheppard Mullin, Latham & Watkins, and Citrin Cooperman. She is the author of Make Rain Without the Pain and Network Like a Fox™, and is currently writing Make Rain Like a Fox, blending mindset with tactical strategies for rainmaking in the digital era. Known for her “Daily Consistent Activity” approach, Nancy is also a keynote speaker, community builder, and trusted advisor to professionals seeking to build stronger business relationships and sustainable practices.
Connect with Nancy Fox:
Website: https://www.wyzerainmakers.com/ | https://thebusinessfox.com/
Book: Network Like a Fox: https://www.amazon.com/Network-Like-Fox-Successful-Relationships/dp/1928782442
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyfoxwyze/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Darner discuss:
- Challenges attorneys encounter in chasing overdue client payments
- Building strong systems, processes, and roles to keep law firms efficient
- Psychology and communication dynamics that shape how clients pay their bills
- Lessons learned from business mistakes and the growth unlocked by niching
Key Takeaways:
- When lawyers delay or inconsistently send invoices, clients subconsciously perceive the firm as disorganized, which weakens professionalism and makes collecting payment significantly more difficult later.
- Establishing transparent expectations with clients about how billing and payments will work from day one creates accountability, prevents confusion, and reduces the risk of overdue receivables.
- Shifting accounts receivable follow-ups away from attorneys and onto trained specialists or outsourced support ensures that lawyers can focus on high-value legal and business development work rather than chasing payments.
- Narrowing focus to serve a single type of client—such as law firms—can dramatically accelerate growth, create clearer messaging, and lead to deeper expertise that builds stronger client trust and results.
"If you’re not invoicing regularly, it is communicating something is wrong with your business, whether you know that or not." — Matt Darner
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Matt Darner: Matt Darner is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development at CollBox, a platform built to help law firms and professional service businesses recover what they’re owed without straining client relationships. Over the past decade, he has focused on blending technology with a human touch to simplify accounts receivable and give attorneys back their time. With a background in sales and business growth, Matt understands the challenges firms face in scaling while staying profitable. His mission is to ensure that hard-working professionals get paid faster and more reliably, allowing them to focus on the work they do best.
Connect with Matt Darner:
Website: https://collbox.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdarner/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eric Ritter discuss:
- Shifts in digital marketing strategies for law firms
- The growing role of AI and answer engine optimization in client acquisition
- Common mistakes lawyers make in online marketing
- Practical tools for improving websites, reviews, and advertising effectiveness
Key Takeaways:
- Law firms should invest early in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) by writing FAQ-style content and using schema markup to rank in AI-driven search results.
- Building topic clusters around specific practice areas (e.g., motorcycle accidents instead of broad personal injury) increases authority and visibility while avoiding wasted traffic.
- The most effective time to request reviews is immediately after a successful case or client outcome, making it a standard part of the closing process.
- Local Service Ads and remarketing are cost-effective ways for law firms to attract qualified leads, with remarketing offering quick wins by re-engaging prior website visitors.
"SEO gets you seen, but that answer engine optimization gets you quoted." — Eric Ritter
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144463
About Eric Ritter: Eric Ritter is the CEO of Digital Neighbor and a trusted partner in building smarter, stronger marketing strategies for law firms. Known as “The SEO Sommelier,” he specializes in simplifying SEO, AI-powered client acquisition, and digital transformation for attorneys, helping firms not only achieve top rankings but also build sustainable, scalable marketing systems that deliver results.
He founded Digital Neighbor to fill a critical gap in the market by offering transparent, data-driven SEO solutions tailored specifically for the legal industry. From enhancing Google visibility to optimizing for ChatGPT search rankings, Eric ensures that law firms remain competitive, compliant, and top-of-mind.
He is also the host of The Search Bar Podcast and the founder of Sip & Search, a unique networking experience that blends professional growth with wine tasting for attorneys.
Connect with Eric Ritter:
Website: https://digitalneighbor.com/ & https://helloericritter.com/
Show: The Search Bar: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-bar-law-firm-growth-wine-optional/id1696121990
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helloericritter/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Haddadin discuss:
- The importance of cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset in professional growth
- Building and maintaining strong client relationships through communication and transparency
- Managing and mitigating risk while pursuing opportunities
- Leveraging marketing tools and personal branding for visibility and credibility
Key Takeaways:
- Being proactive is essential because waiting for the “perfect time” to act often delays progress and causes missed opportunities, while those who start early gain momentum and reach their goals faster.
- Creating and maintaining accessible online profiles across LinkedIn and legal directories allows professionals to be easily found, build credibility, and attract clients who would otherwise never discover them.
- Providing excellent client care requires consistently clear communication, setting realistic expectations, and educating clients so that they not only feel informed during the process but also appreciate the value of your work.
- Instead of trying to eliminate risk, professionals should identify potential risks, apply mitigation strategies, and continuously monitor and refine their approach so they can confidently move forward rather than remain stuck.
"[Entrepreneurship is] about creating your own opportunities. It’s about finding out what you can do in the marketplace that’s different than others." — Steve Haddadin
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Steve Haddadin: Steve Haddadin is a Real Estate Attorney, Broker, and Entrepreneur with over a decade of Real Estate experience, and is the Founder and President/Broker of King Real Estate Group in Brea, CA. He entered the industry at 18 and built a diverse background in Commercial and Residential sales, property management, lending, and development in Orange and Riverside Counties. In 2025, he passed the California Bar Exam on his first attempt, was sworn in on May 9th, and was admitted to the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Court | Central Court of California. Haddadin has also developed electric car charging stations, created National Wagyu Day, and completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, American Whiskey Trail, and the B-Line tour while traveling to all 50 states. He is a graduate of Capital University Law School and CSUF College of Business & Economics with numerous designations, including CCIM®, CPM®, CIPS®, and SFR®, and currently serves as an active board member of the CSUF Center for Real Estate, where he established the Student Travel Endowment to support students attending national conferences.
Connect with Steve Haddadin:
Website: https://www.stevehaddadin.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevehaddadin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and K'Lee Terrazas discuss:
- The importance of lead generation for building and sustaining a business
- Common blind spots lawyers face in marketing and business development
- How intake processes affect client acquisition and law firm growth
- The role of coaching, auditing, and systems in scaling effectively
Key Takeaways:
- Many law firms fail because they do not track essential numbers like ROI, cost per acquisition, or client lifetime value, leaving them “flying blind.”
- A poor intake process—such as calls going unanswered, being handled unprofessionally, or staffed with undertrained employees—can turn high-quality leads into lost opportunities.
- Investing in skilled coaches and quality marketing services often yields exponential returns, whereas cutting corners in these areas leads to wasted money and lost clients.
- Scaling requires breaking through discomfort by improving systems and recognizing when existing strategies or staff can no longer take the firm to the next level.
"People have to feel like they are heard and that they’re cared about, or they’re going to go somewhere else." — K'Lee Terrazas
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
- Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley: https://www.amazon.com/Oversubscribed-How-People-Lining-Business/dp/0857088254
- Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley: https://www.amazon.com/Key-Person-Influence-Revised-Five-Step/dp/178133109X
- Fireproof by Mike Morse and with John Nachazel: https://www.amazon.com/Fireproof-Five-Step-Unpredictable-Wildly-Profitable/dp/1544508530
About K'Lee Terrazas: K’Lee Terrazas is the founder of Legal Lead Sharks and co-founder of Intake EQ, where she helps law firms turn more clicks into signed cases through smarter client acquisition and modern intake systems. With 15+ years in sales and marketing, she and her team specialize in Google Ads while focusing just as much on what happens after the lead—building end-to-end systems that eliminate bottlenecks and convert at a higher rate. Intake EQ uses AI Voice Agents that sound human, work around the clock in multiple languages, and handle overflow without adding intake staff. Alongside her husband Jason, K’Lee also launched PayLynx Global to support firms with backend automation in payroll, HR, and compliance.
Connect with K'Lee Terrazas:
Website: https://legalleadsharks.com/ & intake-eq.com
Legal Lead Sharks Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalLeadSharksPodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/k-lee-terrazas-9366b31b4/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/klee.terrazas & https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578128520758
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalleadsharks/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ed Alexander discuss:
- Challenges and risks in forming and managing law firm partnerships
- Strategic considerations and planning for succession and law firm exits
- The importance of communication, expectations, and alignment in business relationships
- Diversifying marketing and building sustainable value in a law practice
Key Takeaways:
- Many law firm partnerships collapse because they lack a clear strategic purpose, and poor communication during both the honeymoon phase and long term creates conflicts that are nearly impossible to resolve.
- Setting clear expectations early—on contributions, compensation, growth, retirement, and lifestyle philosophies—can prevent disputes where one partner feels undervalued or overburdened.
- Selling or transitioning a law practice requires years of preparation, including transferring goodwill, maintaining referral trust, phasing into an of counsel role, and positioning the buyer as a trusted successor.
- The 2008–2009 global financial crisis showed how fragile referral-dependent firms can be, as many lost business overnight, underscoring the need for diversified marketing, consistent development, and team-based client service.
"Partnerships, it’s interesting, because they’re marriages, right? They’re business marriages, and that’s what they should be called, business marriages." — Ed Alexander
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ed Alexander: Ed Alexander is an attorney, author, and founder/CEO of Alexander Business Law, PLLC in Orlando, where he has practiced business law since 1993 after an early career in technology that earned him a U.S. patent. He is the author of several notable works, including The Guide to Selling Your Florida Law Practice, The Guide to Partnerships and Partnership Agreements, and 10 Common and Costly Business Killing Legal Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. He is recognized for professional excellence and community service and has also taught at the University of Central Florida. In his free time, Ed enjoys cycling, kayaking, sailing, hiking, and traveling with his wife of 38 years, Faith.
Connect with Ed Alexander:
Website: https://orlandobusinesslawyer.com/
Email: ed@alexanderbusinesslaw.com
Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ed-Alexander/author/B0C2QXJG7K
Show: Law Deals: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/law-deals-succession-planning-partnerships-purchases/id1724776380
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attorneyedalexander/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ral West discuss:
- The importance of measuring and tracking the right business metrics
- The challenges and necessity of delegation for growth
- Using automation and systems to save time and increase efficiency
- Identifying ideal clients and aligning business with long-term vision
Key Takeaways:
- Profitability isn’t guaranteed by high revenue alone; entrepreneurs must actively track expenses, understand their financial statements, and focus on the bottom line to ensure their business is truly making money rather than just looking successful.
- Delegation is not simply about handing off tasks but about providing clear instructions, defining the desired outcome, establishing feedback loops, and ensuring accountability so that the work supports long-term business growth without creating new inefficiencies.
- Leveraging automation, from bookkeeping software to AI tools that organize email, allows entrepreneurs to reclaim significant hours each week, reduce overwhelm, and free themselves to focus on higher-value activities that actually grow the business.
- Sustainable business growth requires entrepreneurs to deliberately define their ideal client persona, align services with long-term goals, and be disciplined enough to decline work that doesn’t fit, so their time and resources are invested where they matter most.
"You cannot grow your business if you don't learn to delegate, and if you don't learn to get some of these pieces off your shoulders." — Ral West
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ral West: Ral West is a Visionary Business Leader and Systemization Expert who draws on over four decades of entrepreneurial experience in her newest endeavor, “Ral West Livin’ The Dream.” She teaches entrepreneurs how to be owners rather than operators of their businesses, creating both success and the freedom to live the life they deserve.
Through her online course and Mastermind program, Ral shares strategies refined from founding several companies, including one that achieved eight-digit annual revenue before being acquired by Alaska Airlines in 2008. With extensive experience in scaling businesses and mastering systemization, she excels at turning business theories into practical processes that drive transformation and sustained growth.
Ral and her husband split their time between Alaska and Hawaii when not traveling the world on new adventures.
Connect with Ral West:
Website: https://www.ralwest.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralwest/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/98796211/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ralwest & https://www.facebook.com/RalWestLTD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwestakmaui/ & https://www.instagram.com/ralwestltd
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Phyllis Sisenwine discuss:
- The importance of networking and relationship-building for professional growth
- Effective time management and productivity strategies
- How to leverage speaking engagements and visibility opportunities
- The role of follow-up, asking for referrals, and accountability in business development
Key Takeaways:
- Interruptions can cost lawyers over an hour of billable time each day, so using strategies like time blocking, decluttering workspaces, and tackling the hardest tasks first ensures greater focus and productivity.
- Networking becomes far more effective when approached strategically by going early to events, bringing a buddy for support, wearing a professional nametag, and consistently following up multiple times to turn introductions into trusted relationships.
- Speaking engagements generate real business opportunities only when lawyers prepare by connecting with attendees beforehand, personalizing their talks with stories, gathering contact details, and following up afterward to continue the relationship.
- Lawyers often miss out on referrals because clients assume they are too busy, so they must directly but naturally ask for introductions by framing it as a way to be helpful and showing they want more clients like the ones they already serve.
"You really can’t be afraid to swing that bat. You want to be a successful lawyer. You can’t be afraid to network, to reach out to big referral partners and just take risks." — Phyllis Sisenwine
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating/dp/162656941X
How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox: https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Rainmaker-Getting-Cust
About Phyllis Sisenwine: Phyllis Sisenwine is certified by the International Coaching Federation with the highest designation of Master Certified Coach. She is in the top 4% of the 50,000 credentialed coaches. She provides coaching services to lawyers who want to achieve greater professional and personal success. For over 25 years, Phyllis has worked with lawyers to focus on client development and creating strategies to increase performance and profitability.
Connect with Phyllis Sisenwine:
Website: http://thelawyerscoach.com/
Email: Phyllis@TheLawyersCoach.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllissisenwine
https://www.facebook.com/people/Phyllis-Sisenwine-Powerful-Coaching/100066793183035/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jerold Rothkoff discuss:
- The importance of time management and daily structure for lawyers
- How networking, marketing, and relationship-building drive law practice growth
- The role of delegation, staff investment, and team-building in sustaining a firm
- Learning from mentors, conferences, and coaches to avoid reinventing the wheel
Key Takeaways:
- Tackling the most difficult or uncomfortable task first thing in the morning, whether it’s a dreaded client call or writing a newsletter, not only builds momentum but ensures the rest of the day feels easier and more productive.
- Sustainable law practice growth does not come from waiting for opportunities but from actively creating them by showing up, networking, volunteering, and consistently putting yourself in situations where “luck” can happen.
- The real challenge is not launching a law practice but learning to manage its growth, which requires letting go of perfectionism, embracing that “good enough” from staff is often sufficient, and shifting focus from doing everything yourself to leading others.
- Investing in yourself through coaches, conferences, and professional development creates a long-term competitive advantage because the ideas, systems, and connections gained can be implemented in ways that most other attorneys in your area will never pursue.
"You create your own luck. Luck just doesn't happen. You will not get lucky no matter what type of business, including being an attorney sitting at your desk, 24/7, hoping the phone rings." — Jerold Rothkoff
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating/dp/162656941X
About Jerold Rothkoff: Jerold E. Rothkoff is the founder and managing attorney of the Rothkoff Law Group, a Philadelphia-area elder care law firm, where he dedicates his practice to serving clients in the areas of elder law, life care planning, asset protection, veterans’ benefits, estate planning, and long-term care advocacy.
Jerry Rothkoff is an outspoken advocate for the rights of the elderly and disabled. He writes for and gives presentations regularly to attorneys and other professionals about elder law. Jerry has received numerous awards both locally and nationally for advocating for seniors, including the Alzheimer’s Association Kaleidoscope Award for philanthropic excellence and community service, the Mae Krier Award from the Twilight Wish Foundation as Senior Advocate of the Year, and the Artz Philadelphia Community Catalyst Award.
Connect with Jerold Rothkoff:
Website: https://rothkofflaw.com/
Email: jrothkoff@rothkofflaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-rothkoff-9a19b921/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/rothkofflawgroup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Ducker discuss:
- The role of coaching and masterminds in personal and professional growth
- The importance of niching down in business and branding
- Balancing lifestyle design with entrepreneurship and long-term success
- Learning from mistakes and validating ideas before scaling
Key Takeaways:
- Niching down to serve a very specific audience allows you to attract ideal clients while repelling the wrong ones, making growth easier and more sustainable.
- Accountability in mastermind groups is critical because peers will hold you to your commitments and prevent you from operating in isolation.
- Building a life-first business means setting boundaries, like working only Monday to Thursday and pre-scheduling family time before business commitments.
- One of the biggest entrepreneurial mistakes is failing to validate an idea; rushing into a business without testing the model can waste significant money and months of effort.
"Burnout isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a warning sign that you’ve been doing what you’ve been doing wrong, and maybe for too long as well." — Chris Ducker
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Chris Ducker: Chris Ducker is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of Virtual Freedom and Rise of the Youpreneur. As the founder of three multi–seven–figure businesses over the course of his 20-year entrepreneurial career, he has helped thousands of entrepreneurs build personal brand businesses that stand the test of time. His work has been featured in major media outlets, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and INC.
Known for his straight-talking style and British humor, Chris is passionate about helping leaders avoid burnout while building careers they love.
Connect with Chris Ducker:
Website: https://chrisducker.com/
Book: The Long-Haul Leader: https://longhaulleader.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisducker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joanne Black discuss:
- The challenges and misconceptions around asking for referrals
- How language and specificity shape successful client introductions
- The role of accountability, systems, and consistency in business development
- Building stronger client relationships through follow-up, gratitude, and personal touches
Key Takeaways:
- Asking vague questions like “if you know anybody” rarely works, because clients don’t know where to start, so the key is to guide them back to the original problem you solved for them, and then ask who else they know facing a similar situation.
- A referral isn’t just a name tossed over email—it works best when the referrer is given the right language, context, and a short, business-focused reason for the introduction so that the new contact immediately understands the value of meeting with you.
- When a referred contact goes silent or “ghosts,” the most effective strategy is to circle back to the person who made the introduction, ask for clarity, and if necessary, use a polite but direct subject line like “referrals on hold?” to spark closure or next steps.
- Referrals are sustained not just by doing great work but also by building ongoing trust and goodwill through systems of accountability, consistent follow-up, and thoughtful personal touches like handwritten thank-you notes that make clients eager to refer again.
"Asking for help is the strongest thing you can do." — Joanne Black
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
About Joanne Black: Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling. (She's not bragging—her publisher gave her that moniker, and she's taking it.) Some of Joanne’s views are contrarian and, in the established school of traditional business, considered heretical thinking. But for Joanne Black and her clients, the only smart approach to client acquisition is referral selling.
“Your clients can be your biggest competitive advantage,” she says. “They will be thrilled to refer you. Having your clients advocate for you is your strongest form of client acquisition and retention.”
She works with sales leaders and their teams to drive revenue with referrals. In particular, she works with attorneys who want and need to grow their practice, but don't want to sell.
Connect with Joanne Black:
Website: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/
Email: joanne@nomorecoldcalling.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What separates lawyers who struggle from those who thrive? In this special Part 2 of Be That Lawyer Live, you’ll discover how our guests integrate authenticity, focus, and thought leadership into their daily practice to create long-term growth. You’ll hear how staying true to yourself, choosing opportunities wisely, and turning passions into professional strengths can open unexpected doors. This is not about chasing quick wins—it’s about building a practice that’s sustainable, rewarding, and deeply connected. Lean in, because what you’ll hear today will challenge how you see your career and your future.
In this episode, Steve, Tina, John, and Leslee discuss:
- The importance of authenticity in building and sustaining client relationships
- Balancing personal life, career demands, and business development commitments
- Creative strategies for leveraging events, panels, and thought leadership
- Maintaining consistency and momentum in rainmaking efforts over the long term
Key Takeaways:
- Sharing authentic parts of who you are—whether it’s your passions, personal stories, or even hobbies—creates deeper connections with clients and colleagues, making business development feel more natural and sustainable.
- Learning to say “no” to opportunities that don’t align with your goals or values is just as critical as saying “yes,” because it protects your time, energy, and ability to excel in the areas that truly matter.
- Positioning yourself as a thought leader through speaking on panels, moderating events, and writing articles not only demonstrates expertise but also consistently attracts the right kind of clients and referrals.
- Long-term success in rainmaking comes from treating business development as an ongoing habit integrated into daily life, rather than a separate task, so it becomes part of who you are and how you work.
"Bottom line, listen. You have to listen to what people are saying… because that is how you end up developing an authentic relationship." — Tina Martini
"You can’t underestimate the trust factor here, the likability factor here, the authenticity factor here… when somebody trusts you and believes in you to such a degree that you can handle their legal matters all under one roof." — John Sciaccotta
"If someone invites you to an event, go… if someone wants you there, be there… and then for me, the biggest thing… is just constant giving. And I’m really, I’m not even like, this is authentically me… always thinking about how to help someone else. " — Leslee Cohen
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, launching August 25, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About our Guests:
Tina Martini is a partner at McDermott Will and Schulte, specializing in intellectual property. [LinkedIn | Website]
John Sciaccotta is a partner/lawyer at Aronberg Goldgehn, a business litigator, and past president of the Chicago Bar Association [LinkedIn] | Website].
Leslee Cohen is the managing partner at AllRise Legal, working with startups from seed to exit [LinkedIn | Website].
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
What if your legal career could shift from unpredictable to unstoppable simply by changing your approach to relationships and opportunity? In this special Part 1 of Be That Lawyer Live, you’ll hear how our guests weave business development seamlessly into their daily lives, turning everyday interactions into potential gold mines. You’ll discover how being intentional, showing up in the right rooms, and giving more than you take can open doors you never saw coming.
This conversation isn’t about quick hacks—it’s about building a sustainable, thriving practice while staying authentic to who you are. Stay tuned, because what you’ll hear today could completely transform the way you think about your career.
In this episode, Steve, Tina, John, and Leslee discuss:
- The mindset required for consistent and effective business development
- Time management and prioritization strategies for building a book of business
- Networking and relationship-building approaches, both in-person and online
- Leveraging unique strategies, associations, and presentations to generate opportunities
Key Takeaways:
- Integrating business development into daily routines—such as keeping a recurring BD calendar reminder—ensures consistent action and prevents missed opportunities.
- Targeting groups, associations, or events where competitors are absent can create unique opportunities for both direct work and valuable referrals.
- Building a referral-rich network through bar associations, community boards, and alumni groups can yield substantial long-term results.
- Creating and offering a targeted, educational presentation to relevant audiences can consistently produce new clients.
"Seeing the opportunity even when it looks when it doesn't necessarily look like opportunity is what's so important here." — Tina Martini
"If you don't make the time to build your own book a business, you are always going to be beholden to someone else." — John Sciaccotta
"Anyone is a potential client, and that just has to always be in your mindset." — Leslee Cohen
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, launching August 25, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About our Guests:
Tina Martini is a partner at McDermott Will and Schulte, specializing in intellectual property. [LinkedIn | Website].
John Sciaccotta is a partner/lawyer at Aronberg Goldgehn, a business litigator, and past president of the Chicago Bar Association [LinkedIn] | Website].
Leslee Cohen is the managing partner at AllRise Legal, working with startups from seed to exit [LinkedIn | Website].
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jordan Whelan discuss:
- The evolving landscape of legal marketing and SEO strategies
- Identifying and targeting the right audience through buyer personas
- Leveraging video, local SEO, and low-cost marketing tactics for visibility
- The role of mindset, metaphysics, and visualization in business growth
Key Takeaways:
- A law firm’s website must be technically optimized and emotionally resonant, clearly communicating its unique value proposition to convert visitors.
- Targeted marketing—such as divorce ads placed during peak conflict hours on female-dominated radio stations—can dramatically improve campaign effectiveness.
- Inexpensive tactics like geo-targeted short videos, active engagement on platforms like Quora and Reddit, and cross-platform posting tools can generate steady traffic.
- Building SEO authority, particularly in local search, creates long-term assets that not only drive business now but also increase the firm’s valuation for future sale.
"If you see yourself as someone who’s struggling, you’ll see that reflected to you in the outside world constantly." — Jordan Whelan
Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, launching August 25, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Jordan Whelan: Jordan Whelan is the founder of Grey Smoke Media. With a background as a TV and radio producer and a publicist, he has managed over $3 billion in class action claims communications. He spent a decade mastering media buying (managing over $50 million in spend) and digital marketing, achieving the proverbial 10,000 hours of practice.
Under his leadership, Grey Smoke Media helped Diamond and Diamond Lawyers grow from a small practice to Canada’s top injury and real estate law firm. Before rebranding Grey Smoke Media as a legal marketing agency, Whelan worked with publicly traded pharmaceutical companies, the Pan Am Games, Brookfield Asset Management, Intact Financial Corporation, and crypto powerhouses such as Coinsquare.
Whelan’s insights have appeared in over 100 international outlets, including The New York Post and Forbes. In his personal time, he is an accomplished singer-songwriter with over 3 million streams on Spotify.
Uniquely, Whelan provides metaphysics-based business coaching that blends mindset mastery, wealth expansion, and energetic alignment to help his clients unlock their highest potential.
Connect with Jordan Whelan:
Website: http://www.greysmokemedia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanjpower/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Viktoria Altman discuss:
- Risk and mindset in legal marketing
- How to evaluate and choose marketing vendors
- Niche focus and ideal client definition as a growth strategy
- The emerging impact of AI on search, ads, and brand identity
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should stop chasing random acts of marketing and instead copy proven tactics used by competitors who serve the same client profile and budget.
- Vet agencies should ask to speak with their clients in the same practice area and budget bracket and avoid unrealistically low-priced proposals.
- Concentrate marketing spend on one prioritized niche or ideal client profile first, then expand once that channel is sustainably profitable.
- AI-driven search will increasingly assemble a practitioner’s brand from published content and reviews, shifting the long game toward owned content (transcripts, guest posts, reviews) and away from manipulable paid placements.
"If you are doing anything on social media, it has to come from your heart." — Viktoria Altman
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Viktoria Altman: Viktoria Altman is the founder and CEO of BSPE Legal Marketing, a digital agency dedicated to helping attorneys boost visibility in both AI-driven and traditional search results. Beyond her role as a business leader, Viktoria is also the voice behind the Law Firm Accelerator Podcast and a sought-after keynote speaker, specializing in topics at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital marketing.
At BSPE Legal Marketing, the mission is clear: to generate qualified, conversion-ready leads that connect lawyers directly with their ideal clientele.
As an experienced public speaker, Viktoria has presented at prestigious venues such as the New York City Bar Association, served as a guest lecturer at Arizona State University and National University’s JFK School of Law, and shared her insights on search engine optimization at the SEO Mastery Summit in Saigon.
Drawing from her practical experience as an entrepreneur, Viktoria has honed a proven system to enhance websites, fine-tune AI-based strategies, and support small law firms in staying competitive. Her overarching goal is to empower attorneys to grow thriving, future-ready practices while maintaining the personal well-being and balance they deserve.
Connect with Viktoria Altman:
Website: https://bsplegalmarketing.com
Email: viktoria@bsplegalmarketing.com
Show: Law Firm Accelerator: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/law-firm-accelerator/id1760159502
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktoria-altman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viktoria.tralala
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traveltipster/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Dixon discuss:
- Client relationship dynamics in professional services
- Shifts in legal business development and rainmaking strategies
- The role of value creation in winning and retaining clients
- Evolving mindsets and habits of successful professionals
Key Takeaways:
- Top rainmakers (“activators”) don’t wait for paid work to provide value — they proactively deliver business, trust, and personal value before being hired.
- Client loyalty is rapidly eroding; only about 50% of clients today automatically return to incumbent providers, compared to over 75% five years ago.
- The most predictive variable of long-term client loyalty is whether clients think of you even when not actively engaged — a sign of strong personal value.
- Lawyers should send LinkedIn invites to all prospects and recent contacts to trigger platform algorithms that surface client activity for timely, value-added outreach.
"The best partners lead to their capabilities, not with their capabilities." — Matt Dixon
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X
What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently (published in Harvard Business Review): https://hbr.org/2023/11/what-todays-rainmakers-do-differently
About Matt Dixon: Matt Dixon is a Founding Partner of DCM Insights—a boutique consulting and training firm that uses research-backed methods to help organizations better attract, retain, and grow their client relationships. A noted business researcher and writer, Matt is a sought-after advisor to leadership teams around the world.
He is best known as the co-author of several of the most important business books of the past twenty years, including The Challenger Sale, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and his other notable books include The JOLT Effect, The Challenger Customer and The Effortless Experience. His latest book, The Activator Advantage: What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently, was released by Harvard Business Review Press in May of this year.
In addition to his books, Matt is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review on topics ranging from business development effectiveness to client experience. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and currently resides in the Washington, DC area with his family.
Connect with Matt Dixon:
Website: https://www.dcminsights.com/
Book: The Activator Advantage: https://www.amazon.com/Activator-Advantage-Todays-Rainmakers-Differently/dp/B0D8V4SFGP
Other books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0058M2ORW
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcm-insights/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stephen Seckler discuss:
- How lawyers can better align their personalities with business development
- Navigating career transitions within the legal profession
- How meaningful networking creates long-term career momentum
- Leveraging authenticity and consistency to build a professional brand
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers who struggle with traditional selling can ease into business development by focusing on small, genuine actions like reconnecting with familiar contacts and writing about subjects they care about.
- Clarifying which types of clients, cases, and activities energize or drain you is an essential first step before deciding where and how to focus your marketing efforts.
- The most productive networking conversations happen when lawyers ask clear, focused questions, such as “What’s a good introduction for you?”—and balance listening with intentional follow-up.
- Professionals can avoid wasting time in aimless meetings by preparing a loose agenda beforehand, staying focused on mutual goals, and knowing what specific outcome they want to achieve by the end of each interaction.
"You don't have to have an entrepreneurial mindset to act with entrepreneurial intent." — Stephen Seckler
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Stephen Seckler: Stephen E. Seckler, Esq., is the President of Seckler Attorney Coaching and an award-winning coach who has spent over 25 years helping lawyers nationwide achieve greater career satisfaction. He works with attorneys at all stages—from those pursuing partnership to others exploring career changes or leadership roles—through programs like The Next Stage. Steve brings deep experience in legal education and recruiting, and he collaborates with both individual lawyers and legal leaders. He hosts the Counsel to Counsel Podcast, contributes to multiple ABA publications, and regularly speaks at bar associations and on legal podcasts. His book Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur was published by the ABA in 2025. A member of the Mindfulness in Law Society and ProVisors, Steve has been recognized as a top coach by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and enjoys squash, parody, behavioral economics, and singing with a rock choir.
Connect with Stephen Seckler:
Website: http://www.seckler.com/
Book: Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Lawyer-Act-Entrepreneur/dp/1639056025
Show: Counsel to Counsel Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counsel-to-counsel-career-advice-for-lawyers/id1344814079
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Earley discuss:
- Shifting the lawyer's mindset from traditional practice to intentional business building
- Using content and social media to establish visibility and credibility
- Leveraging coaching, mentorship, and masterminds to level up professionally
- Bringing authenticity and consistency into legal marketing and personal growth
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers who develop consistent daily marketing habits—like posting on LinkedIn, asking for speaking gigs, or emailing newsletters—are far more likely to build lasting visibility and client pipelines.
- Podcasting serves as both a relationship engine and a powerful way to generate long-form, repurposable content that can drive compound exposure across multiple channels.
- Coaches, mentors, and mastermind groups accelerate growth by providing accountability, guidance, and fresh strategies that lawyers don’t learn in school or from peers.
- Prioritize personal growth and emotional balance to avoid burnout and sustain momentum, creating space for better decisions, more effective client interactions, and stronger business leadership.
"The lawyer who creates the most content today is going to come out ahead in the future." — Chris Earley
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Chris Earley: Christopher Earley is the founder and CEO of Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers, a personal injury law firm located in downtown Boston. He is a thought leader in the legal field who writes monthly for the American Bar Association, and he is also a frequent speaker to audiences of attorneys throughout the country.
He hosts The Earley Show Podcast, where he brings on some of the very best attorney-entrepreneurs in the legal industry.
He recently released his memoir, Scaling the Wall: One Man’s Journey of Healing Childhood Trauma to Find Fulfillment and Success.
When not working on growing and scaling his firm, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
He is also a really bad drummer.
He strongly encourages lawyers and law students to contact him because he loves teaching and mentoring.
Connect with Chris Earley:
Website: https://www.chrisearley.com/
Show: The Earley Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-earley-show/id1703274158
Book: Scaling the Wall: One Man's Journey of Healing Childhood Trauma to Find Fulfillment and Success: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Wall-Journey-Childhood-Fullfillment/dp/B0DQWFM2DY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bostonpersonalinjurylawyer/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/earley-law-group-injury-lawyers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawofficeofchristopherearley/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/104980886333/earley-law-group-injury-lawyers/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nick Werker discuss:
- The importance of proper phone handling in law firm intake processes
- How customer experience begins with an intentional communication strategy
- Shifting lawyer mindsets around sales and client engagement
- The evolving standards of professionalism and wellness in legal practice
Key Takeaways:
- Solo and small law firms often lose clients due to missed calls or lack of call-forwarding plans, which can be easily fixed with tools like rollover call forwarding.
- Answering services should align intake scripts with law firms’ CRM systems and help pre-qualify callers without turning anyone away, allowing for both client conversion and effective referrals.
- Intake staff should prioritize empathy and rapport over data collection, allowing callers to fully explain their problem before asking for details.
- Lawyers frequently lose potential clients not due to pricing or competence, but due to a lack of communication and failure to follow up after the initial contact.
"Don’t pressure people, but let them know that you have a solution to their problem and that and why you're the best solution to that problem." — Nick Werker
Unlock the secrets of rainmaking success—join Steve Fretzin and four powerhouse legal experts for Be That Lawyer LIVE on August 27; reserve your spot now at fretzin.com/events.
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Nick Werker: Nick is the founding marketer and current marketing leader at Answering Legal. Since 2014, Nick has been working to help lawyers improve the way they communicate with their clients, strengthen legal intake, organize messages, create workflows for CRMs, and spread awareness on all things happening in the legal community.
When he's not podcasting, building custom GPTs, or thinking about ways to spread the Answering Legal message, he is a strong proponent of self-improvement. He also loves helping friends and community members find business success using marketing strategies.
Connect with Nick Werker:
Website: https://www.answeringlegal.com/
Phone: (631) 686-9700
Email: nick@answeringlegal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-werker/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/answering-legal-inc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/answeringlegal/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ruby Powers discuss:
- The role of content creation in modern legal practice
- Building a personal brand as a legal professional
- Leveraging technology and AI in law firm marketing
- The intersection of entrepreneurship and legal career growth
Key Takeaways:
- A thoughtfully created core asset—such as a podcast episode, webinar, or article—can be broken down and reimagined into a wide range of content like blog posts, LinkedIn updates, short videos, newsletters, and downloadable resources, maximizing effort while expanding reach across platforms.
- Having digital workflows, remote communication systems, and flexible client service models in place early on allows a practice to stay fully functional and even thrive during major disruptions like relocations, global crises, or shifting life circumstances.
- Maintaining a well-organized archive of previously created materials—ranging from PowerPoints to articles and recorded webinars—makes it easier to consistently publish client-facing or educational content without always starting from a blank slate.
- Enhancing video content with subtitles, multilingual accessibility, and platform-specific formatting dramatically increases engagement, reach, and brand recall, especially in a mobile-first world where most viewers scroll with sound off and attention spans are short.
"If we’re not repurposing, if we’re not maximizing all of this content, then I’m upset." — Ruby Powers
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ruby Powers: Ruby L. Powers, a Board-Certified Immigration Attorney and founder of Powers Law Group, P.C., brings over 16 years of expertise in law practice management. She is the author of AILA's Build and Manage Your Successful Immigration Law Practice (Without Losing Your Mind) and Power Up Your Practice, available on Amazon. Ruby shares invaluable knowledge on law practice management and small business consulting. Through Powers Strategy Group, LLC, she offers strategic consulting services and hosts the informative podcast Power Up Your Practice, launched in 2024. With a commitment to excellence and empowerment, Ruby inspires legal professionals to thrive in their practices and grow their businesses.
Connect with Ruby Powers:
Website: https://powersstrategygroup.com/ & https://rubypowerslaw.com/
Book: Power Up Your Practice: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Up-Your-Practice-Deserve/dp/B0DJB1FL5R
Show: Power Up Your Practice: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/power-up-your-practice/id1727939889
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubypowers/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/powersstrategygroup/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubyfortexas/ & https://www.facebook.com/PowersStrategyGroup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubylpowers/ & https://www.instagram.com/powersstrategygroup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Barbara Kaplan discuss:
- The importance of storytelling in building a compelling professional brand
- How lawyers can identify and attract their ideal clients
- Strategies to overcome self-doubt and inner critics in professional development
- The role of niching and differentiation in legal marketing and client acquisition
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can strengthen their marketing by identifying a compelling client success story, positioning the client as the main character who overcame a challenge, and sharing that story across platforms like LinkedIn and websites to attract similar clients and build trust without feeling like they’re selling.
- Defining an ideal client involves a clear understanding of that client’s pain points, values, lifestyle, and behavior patterns—often revealing shared traits with the lawyer themselves—so they can intentionally market to and attract more of the right fit.
- The Red Velvet Rope theory empowers lawyers to direct their time, money, and energy only toward clients who align with their values and expertise, allowing them to build a more satisfying and profitable practice while filtering out those who dilute their brand.
- Overcoming inner critics and self-doubt requires recognizing limiting beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “no one will call,” and deliberately reframing them with empowering self-talk and bold action steps, such as finally launching a business or asking for high-value referrals.
"Facts tell, stories sell because of the human connection… You want the client to see themselves in the story you tell." — Barbara Kaplan
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Legalverse Media: https://legalversemedia.com/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Barbara Kaplan: Barbara is Founder & CEO of BSK Strategies, a business development consulting practice. Lawyers and law firms hire Barbara to guide them in building their brands, winning new and higher-value work, establishing thought leadership, and developing innovative strategies and approaches to distinguish themselves in a competitive and uncertain marketplace.
She has over 20 years of experience helping clients define, pursue, and win the business they want. Barbara has worked with firms of every type and style, each with a unique culture and set of challenges. She is devoted to helping them make that skill second nature.
Prior to founding BSK Strategies, Barbara held senior-level marketing and business development roles at a global AmLaw 50 firm, as well as small and mid-sized firms, making her uniquely skilled at walking in the shoes of her clients.
Connect with Barbara Kaplan:
Website: https://www.bskstrategies.com
Email: barbara@bskstrategies.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarakaplanprofile & https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsk-strategies
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Schnurman discuss:
- Building a resilient mindset through optimism, reflection, and habit formation
- Lessons from career pivots and entrepreneurial problem-solving in the legal space
- Cultivating emotional regulation through gratitude, compassion, and non-judgment
- Embracing technology and AI to repurpose content and increase professional impact
Key Takeaways:
- Journaling and identifying recurring mindset blocks can help lawyers recognize patterns of imposter syndrome and emotional burnout, giving them the self-awareness and clarity needed to shift their thinking and take purposeful steps toward resilience.
- When faced with the sudden loss or burnout of a critical team member, initiating an honest, values-based conversation centered on purpose, mutual respect, and long-term impact can be the difference between salvaging a project or watching it collapse.
- Implementing a simple but consistent daily practice of writing down three gratitudes, avoiding all outward complaints for 21 days, and giving five genuine compliments can rewire your stress response and gradually create a more positive, grounded internal state.
- Delaying your instinct to judge setbacks as inherently negative by using the mantra “good thing, bad thing, who knows” allows you to stay emotionally balanced, maintain perspective, and remain open to positive outcomes that may not be immediately visible.
"If you compliment somebody else, and it's authentic, it helps you get through the stress of the wave." — David Schnurman
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath & Don Clifton: https://www.amazon.com/How-Full-Your-Bucket-Rath/dp/1595620036
A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen: https://www.amazon.com/Complaint-Free-World-Complaining-Enjoying/dp/0770436390
About David Schnurman: David Schnurman is a seasoned entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author of The Fast Forward Mindset: How to Be Fearless & Focused to Accelerate Your Success. As the CEO of Lawline, a leading online education platform for attorneys, David scaled the company from startup to industry leader while developing a powerful framework for personal and professional growth. Through his work and writing, David empowers others to break out of their comfort zones, manage fear, and focus their energy on making a meaningful impact. He’s also a past president of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) New York Chapter and a passionate advocate for fearless leadership.
Connect with David Schnurman:
Website: https://www.lawline.com/
Book: The Fast Forward Mindset: https://www.ffwdmindset.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidschnurman/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Jones discuss:
- The transition from traditional legal practice to entrepreneurship
- Strategies for evaluating and managing professional risk
- Tools and systems that support solo and startup legal ventures
- The mindset and preparation needed to pursue legal tech innovation
Key Takeaways:
- Successfully transitioning from law firm practice to a tech-driven startup can be less daunting when done gradually, by maintaining income and slowly validating the new concept before fully stepping away.
- Fear of entrepreneurial failure can be reduced by building out clear backup plans—even unconventional ones—to provide psychological safety and optionality during uncertain times.
- Implementing automated scheduling systems and encouraging clients to use them can significantly reduce administrative burden, lower phone interruptions, and create a more organized and prepared client experience.
- New product ideas should be tested not by pitching, but by asking target users how they currently solve the problem, which leads to more honest feedback and uncovers existing competitors or gaps in the market.
"There’s just so many tools out there that you can get that aren’t very expensive, that take a huge headache away from you." — Joe Jones
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Test-customers-business-everyone/dp/1492180742
About Joe Jones: Joe Jones is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, the Co-Founder and CEO of StreamSettle, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a driving passion for resolving conflict. From his early days in his law school's Mediation Clinic to serving as a Judge Advocate in the Marines, Joe has been helping people find solutions to their legal disputes.
After a successful run managing a Houston office for a top Texas personal injury firm and making partner, Joe's entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch Joe Jones Law Firm. But he didn't stop there. Seeing a need for innovation, he co-founded StreamSettle with his wife Chrysa—a software solution shaking up the dispute resolution world.
When he's not working, Joe is all about family, cheering on Texas A&M and Houston sports teams, playing music, and hitting the slopes.
Connect with Joe Jones:
Website: https://streamsettle.com/
Email: jjones@streamsettle.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-jones-9802a3a/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/streamsettle
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Lear discuss:
- The evolution of modern sales philosophy and methodology
- Relationship-building and persistence in business development
- The impact of information access on buyer behavior and expectations
- Qualifying clients and aligning offerings with real needs
Key Takeaways:
- Hard-selling and product-pushing tactics no longer resonate in today's market, where the more effective approach is to guide prospects through a personalized, trust-based buying process that prioritizes their needs and decision-making journey.
- To avoid wasting time and energy, sales professionals must rigorously qualify prospects early on by confirming they have a compelling reason to change, a genuine commitment to act, decision-making authority, and the financial means to proceed.
- In a world where buyers have access to the same data and pricing transparency as sellers, attempts to manipulate or pressure them are counterproductive and often backfire, as credibility and authenticity now matter more than persuasion.
- Sustainable business development stems not from being aggressively persistent but from cultivating genuine relationships, staying consistently engaged without being overbearing, and building trust through listening, relevance, and patience.
"If you don’t know what you want, be clear about that. And second, even if it’s in the short term, put together a plan to help you... move in that direction." — Dan Lear
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
- To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink: https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Human-Surprising-Moving-Others/dp/1594631905
- The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns: https://www.amazon.com/Win-Without-Pitching-Manifesto/dp/1605440043
About Dan Lear: Dan Lear heads up partnerships at InfoTrack. InfoTrack is a tech-enabled litigation services provider focused on court filing and service of process. Dan has started and run many legal technology ventures and has a passion for marketing, branding, business development, sales, and growth.
Connect with Dan Lear:
Website: https://www.infotrack.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danlear/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/infotrack-us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gavin Sharpe discuss:
- The role of emotional intelligence and mindset in personal and professional growth
- Challenges and misconceptions around business development for lawyers
- The importance of authenticity and strategic networking in rainmaking
- Personal evolution through coaching, self-awareness, and internal firm collaboration
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers struggle to grow their book of business, not due to a lack of talent but because of internalized fears, self-imposed pressure to conform to extroverted norms, and a misunderstanding of what rainmaking truly requires.
- Introverted lawyers can excel at business development when they lean into structured systems, authentic communication, and consistent habits that align with their personality rather than trying to emulate traditional sales-driven approaches.
- By breaking down ambitious goals into small, specific, and manageable actions—such as reaching out to just five contacts instead of a daunting hundred—lawyers are far more likely to follow through and build lasting momentum.
- Significant untapped business opportunities often exist within a lawyer’s firm, where cross-disciplinary collaboration and internal networking are overlooked despite their potential to unlock valuable client relationships and referrals.
"The traits that most lawyers share is that instinctively... we’re low in empathy... we’re thin-skinned... we’re not that resilient." — Gavin Sharpe
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Gavin Sharpe: Gavin Sharpe is a seasoned advisor with nearly 30 years of experience working with global law firms, corporations, and senior leaders. He began his career as a lawyer with Allen & Overy before founding SSQ, a leading international legal search firm. He played a pivotal role in launching the London offices of several U.S. law firms and led some of the most prominent partner and team moves of the decade. After selling his shares in 2010, Gavin retrained as an executive, team, and group coach, as well as a psychotherapist. He specializes in collaborating with international law firms looking to maximize their talent potential. He resides in the French Riviera, in Monaco.
Connect with Gavin Sharpe:
Website: https://www.rivierawellbeing.com/
Email: gavin@rivierawellbeing.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinsharpe/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Janet Falk discuss:
- The evolving role of public relations and marketing strategies for legal professionals
- Maximizing visibility and credibility through content and media engagement
- Leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and newsletters to strengthen personal branding
- Understanding AI’s impact on online search and credibility in the legal services marketplace
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should use the "Marketing RBI" approach—Networking, Speaking, Writing, Trade Associations, and Online Promotion—to test what resonates and build visibility.
- "Content multiplication" means repurposing one piece of content across different channels (e.g., newsletters, podcasts, articles) to expand reach and influence.
- The “confirmation process” is a three-step framework that helps online visitors verify if a professional is the right fit, based on identity, qualifications, and peer/client trust.
- AI search tools now evaluate online credibility using writing style, emotional tone, authorship, and references, making it essential to produce consistent, high-quality content.
"If you're not going to [put yourself out there], then someone else is going to take the bat out of your hands and they're going to be the one stepping up to the plate." — Janet Falk
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Janet Falk: Janet Falk is a strategic communications professional with over 30 years of experience in public relations and marketing communications across law firms, financial services, businesses, and nonprofits. She helps attorneys, executives, and consultants gain media coverage, attract clients, and strengthen their professional visibility through targeted PR strategies. Known for her expertise in media relations, networking, and content marketing, Falk offers tailored guidance to position her clients as go-to industry sources for reporters and prospective clients alike. Based in New York City, she works with clients locally and globally, providing strategic consultations that guarantee actionable ideas for business growth.
Connect with Janet Falk:
Website: https://janetlfalk.com/
Email: Janet@JanetLFalk.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetlfalk/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Walker discuss:
- Navigating the complexities of government contracting and responding to requests for proposals (RFPs)
- Strategies for effective employee retention and building long-term professional relationships
- Lessons learned through costly mistakes in vendor selection and employee hiring
- Marketing and sales tactics for growing service-based businesses in highly regulated industries
Key Takeaways:
- A structured “go or no-go” system helps companies quickly evaluate whether to respond to a request for proposal by screening for essential fit criteria such as pricing compatibility, service capabilities, and competition scope.
- Government contracting success often comes from proactive outreach, including attending local procurement events and targeting check-writing buyers to build relationships long before proposals are even announced.
- Past mistakes in hiring and vendor engagement revealed the critical importance of conducting thorough reference checks and background investigations to avoid long-term financial and operational damage.
- Customizing every proposal by adopting the agency’s language, tone, and acronyms dramatically increases the likelihood of success by signaling subject matter expertise and genuine alignment with their needs.
"If you're not hiring people that are getting other offers, then I think you might be hiring the wrong people." — Ben Walker
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Ben Walker: Ben Walker is the founder and CEO of Ditto Transcripts, the leading global provider of transcription services to the legal, law enforcement, medical, academic, financial, and general business industries. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Ben attended Creighton Prep High School in Omaha and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he earned his degree in Economics.
Connect with Ben Walker:
Website: https://www.dittotranscripts.com/
Phone: (720) 287-3710
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkwalker/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/ditto-transcripts/
Twitter: https://x.com/benjaminkwalker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000712517059 & https://www.facebook.com/Transcription.Services.Company/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sue Kirchner discuss:
- The role of personal and firm branding in professional services
- Differentiation strategies in a competitive legal marketplace
- The evolving dynamics between name-based and value-based branding
- Branding’s impact on mergers, acquisitions, and business longevity
Key Takeaways:
- Law firms that remove individual names from their brand and adopt a more strategic, memorable identity are better positioned for scalability, talent acquisition, and potential future sale or merger.
- Before spending on marketing, professional service firms must first define their brand strategy by clarifying their core values, audience, messaging, and differentiators to ensure efforts resonate and generate ROI.
- In a saturated legal market, individual lawyers must actively build personal brands—often rooted in authentic personality traits or interests—to stand out and create emotional connections that drive client decisions.
- During mergers and acquisitions, brand strategy is essential at every stage—from making the firm attractive pre-sale, to managing messaging consistency on day one, to ensuring smooth internal integration post-deal.
"The best you can do is to have your messaging and your actions best reflect what you want them to take away from your brand." — Sue Kirchner
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Sue Kirchner: For over 25 years, Sue Kirchner, Founder of Brand Strong Marketing—a brand strategy consulting firm—has helped thriving businesses create Wow! brands, allowing them to scale faster, easier, and more successfully.
Her proven Brand Strong Methodology has enabled organizations to attract the right customers and employees, enter new markets successfully, create an amazing customer experience, and increase sales to consistently take the business to the next level.
She is also the host of The Turbo Branding Show, a podcast and video series designed to help Founders and CEOs of thriving businesses gain the insights and inspiration they need to ignite growth by leveraging their brand.
Connect with Sue Kirchner:
Website: https://brandstrongmarketing.com/
Show: The Turbo Branding Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-turbo-branding-show/id1771868942
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suekirchner/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-strong-marketing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandStrongMarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandstrongmarketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rafi Arbel discuss:
- Persistence is a key element in long-term marketing and outreach
- The impact of in-person networking on professional relationships
- Blending digital tools with personal follow-up strategies
- System-building as a solution for scaling and stabilizing a business
Key Takeaways:
- Attending legal trade shows and following up with structured CRM tools like HubSpot or even a spreadsheet is crucial for relationship-driven client acquisition.
- AI tools like Fathom are effectively used post-Zoom calls to generate meeting summaries, action items, and even tailored follow-up emails.
- A major operational failure—losing a key employee without SOPs—led to the implementation of structured daily team meetings and detailed task documentation using ClickUp and SweetProcess.
- Personalized outreach, such as sending curated articles based on someone's interests or social media activity, is a highly effective way to maintain engagement with referral sources.
"The reason the water cuts through the rock is that it is a constant, constantly hitting it with small forces. And that's really what we're doing in marketing." — Rafi Arbel
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Rafi Arbel: Rafi Arbel is the founder of Market JD, a digital marketing agency for consumer law firms. A former trial attorney, Rafi helps personal injury, criminal defense, family, and immigration lawyers grow their practices through SEO, PPC, and high-converting websites. He’s a recognized voice on legal marketing strategy, referral network building, and law firm growth.
Connect with Rafi Arbel:
Website: https://marketjd.com
Email: rafi@marketjd.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafiarbel/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-jd-inc-/
Twitter: https://x.com/rarbel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rafi.arbel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafi.arbel/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Seth Price discuss:
- Challenges of marketing and business development for lawyers and law firms
- Strategic differences between B2B and B2C legal marketing
- Importance of content creation and personal branding in legal marketing
- Lessons from entrepreneurial growth and mistakes in legal and digital ventures
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers in B2B markets should avoid SEO as a first strategy and instead build relationships through networking, targeted events, or personalized outreach.
- Creating consistent, niche-specific content on LinkedIn is a powerful yet underutilized strategy for establishing authority in legal fields.
- Delegating legal versus business responsibilities within a firm can allow for more focused and scalable growth, as seen in the speaker's dual-leadership model.
- Trying to network with senior lawyers often yields less return than building long-term relationships with peers who grow into referral sources over time.
"If you create great content over time... you may not get a ton of interaction, but the people that are interested are going to find it, and you're going to be that guy." — Seth Price
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Seth Price: Seth Price is a seasoned marketing and branding expert with over two decades of experience in digital marketing. He has consulted for more than 300 companies, including 19 of the Fortune 500, and has helped build four multimillion-dollar companies from the ground up. As VP of Marketing at Placester, he has guided tens of thousands of real estate professionals through social media and content strategies, and he also founded the Real Estate Marketing Academy, which reaches over 75,000 marketers monthly. A recognized thought leader, Seth is a frequent keynote speaker and contributor to outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, and REALTOR.com. He is also the author of The Road to Recognition, a go-to guide for building personal brands in the digital age.
Connect with Seth Price:
Website: https://pricebenowitz.com/
Book: The Road to Recognition: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Recognition-Z-Accelerating-Professional/dp/1940858364
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethprice
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Claire Parsons discuss:
- Integrating mindfulness into high-pressure professional environments
- Navigating mental health challenges while maintaining demanding careers
- Rethinking traditional views on business development for introverts
- Building emotional resilience and clarity through intentional daily practices
Key Takeaways:
- Starting with just one minute of daily meditation can create subtle but lasting shifts in emotional regulation, clarity, and resilience under pressure.
- Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate stress but reshapes how it’s processed, making space for more grounded decisions and healthier coping habits.
- Emotional regulation skills gained through meditation reduce fear of rejection, making business development feel less risky and more authentic.
- Practices like breathwork, body scans, and loving-kindness help professionals stay centered during conflict, reconnect with purpose, and act from intention rather than reactivity.
"A lot of law practice involves a gut check… and you have to consistently check in with your values to make sure you're representing your client as best you can." — Claire Parsons
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Claire Parsons: Claire E. Parsons is a Cincinnati-based attorney practicing in school law, employment law, and litigation. In addition to her legal work, she teaches mindfulness and compassion to lawyers and professionals and frequently shares her insights on these topics through her blog, Brilliant Legal Mind, and her published books. Claire draws on both personal experience and formal training to make mindfulness practices accessible, practical, and effective for busy professionals. Her work blends deep legal expertise with a commitment to well-being, helping others find clarity and resilience in high-pressure environments.
Connect with Claire Parsons:
Website: https://brilliantlegalmind.com/ & https://www.brickergraydon.com/team/claire-parsons
Book: How to Be a Badass Lawyer: https://www.amazon.com/How-Badass-Lawyer-Development-Mindfulness/dp/B0BLQYNBXZ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireeparsons/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricker-graydon/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Shireen Hilal discuss:
- Navigating modern law firm strategy in a rapidly evolving legal market
- Improving internal operations and team culture to boost law firm performance
- Enhancing client engagement and retention amid budget constraints
- Leveraging cross-selling and business development tactics within law firms
Key Takeaways:
- Law firms that prioritize understanding and responding to their clients' future needs instead of mirroring competitors can unlock unique opportunities for differentiation and growth.
- Clear and value-based billing practices—paired with proactive scope, time, and budget alignment—are essential to reinforcing client trust and maintaining healthy payment cycles.
- Structured programs like internal expert briefings and strategic client lunches can make cross-selling more natural and effective by focusing on solving client problems rather than pitching services.
- Communicating pricing changes with context and care rather than through generic finance memos helps strengthen client relationships and reinforces long-term loyalty.
"The problem with obsessing about your competition instead of your clients is that, if you do, you are almost, by definition, falling in the middle. So the better way to get ahead, I think, is to be client-obsessed." — Shireen Hilal
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Shireen Hilal: Shireen is the CEO of Maior, a boutique consultancy that helps law firms with their pain points and plateaus with strategic and operational support, ranging from go-to-market solutions and profitability programs to process improvement and enhancing employee engagement.
Before starting Maior, Shireen spent a decade practicing at AmLaw100 firms and then had the privilege of serving in several executive roles: COO of a national law firm (where she increased revenue by 20%, profits per partner by 30%, and achieved "best place to work" accolades), pivoting strategy and operations for enterprise firms (KPMG and BDO), and building out the growth division of a communications consulting firm.
Through Maior, she now helps growing firms skyrocket, early-stage firms maintain their "special sauce" as they scale, and mature firms with a fresh perspective.
Shireen also serves on the advisory board of a Top 100 accounting and advisory firm and writes a quarterly column for Law360 answering law firm leaders' questions.
Connect with Shireen Hilal:
Website: https://www.maiorconsultants.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenhilal/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/maior-consultants/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Christopher Anderson discuss:
- Urgency and intentionality in how professionals approach time and life decisions
- Operational and structural challenges faced by small and large law firms
- Personal clarity and value-driven goal setting in legal careers
- Misalignment between perceived business needs and actual areas for growth
Key Takeaways:
- Many law firms suffer from an inefficient cycle of over-marketing when caseloads are low, followed by frantic hiring when they surge, resulting in chronic instability.
- The most common and damaging mistake lawyers make is hiring help in areas they enjoy, rather than where they truly lack capability, such as fixing the "butterfly stroke."
- True work-life alignment comes from clearly defining three things: how much income you need, how much time you're willing to trade for it, and what you're trying to accomplish personally and professionally.
- Holding on to underperforming team members not only hurts your business but also deprives them of the opportunity to thrive elsewhere, and it's often best addressed through a third-party assessment.
"Too many people just go after the money, and then they realize, okay, I’m trading time for money. So the more money I want, the more time I trade, and that leads to misery." — Christopher Anderson
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Christopher Anderson: Christopher T. Anderson is a lifelong entrepreneur and attorney with a deep passion for helping law firm owners build practices that align with their goals, values, and vision. With nearly 30 years of experience, he draws from both wins and lessons learned across his ventures—including New Leaf Family, AndersonDodson, and Sunnyside Services, where he remains actively involved.
Known for testing every strategy on his firm before advising others, Christopher combines business acumen, legal insight, and a pilot’s clarity of focus to help law firm owners take control of their time, teams, and trajectory—on their terms.
Connect with Christopher Anderson:
Website: http://www.sunnysidelaw.com/
Email: christopher@sunnysidelaw.com
Show: Un-Billable Hour: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-billable-hour-business-management-strategies-for/id335971413
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawfirmbusiness/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/sunnysidelaw
Twitter: https://x.com/LawFirmBusiness
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLeafFamily
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newleaf.family/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adam Ouellette discuss:
- The long-term impact of unmanaged stress in the legal profession
- Shifting from reactive to responsive behavior in work and life
- The necessity of integrating systems, organization, and delegation in law practices
- Exploring effective breathing and mindfulness practices for emotional regulation
Key Takeaways:
- Most lawyers suffer from nervous system dysregulation due to chronic stress, which leads to physical symptoms like migraines, arrhythmia, and burnout.
- Heart-focused breathing, specifically the “Quick Coherence” method, can physiologically shift the body from fight-or-flight into healing mode in just minutes.
- Using modern legal tech tools like CRMs, automation software, and client management systems can drastically reduce workload and prevent burnout, but most lawyers resist adopting them.
- Implementing micro-pauses every 50 minutes for breathwork and short breaks can significantly reduce mental fatigue and boost long-term performance.
"It's so critical that lawyers start to quiet their mind and regulate their nervous systems, because if you don't, you're gonna hit a wall at some point in your practice, and you're not gonna like it. Most people won't change until they have to." — Adam Ouellette
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Getting Things Done by David Allen: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280
About Adam Ouellette: Adam Ouellette, Esq. is a former law firm owner turned transformational consultant for lawyers. With over 28 years of experience in the legal field, Adam now helps law firm owners eliminate stress, increase productivity, and build balanced, fulfilling practices. He is the creator of Esquire Academy, the Stress Less Plus course for lawyers, and author of Raising the Bar – Turning a Law Career You Hate Into a Life You Love, In or Out of the Law. His new book, Transform Your Law Firm, Transform Your Life, will be published later this year. Adam specializes in law firm growth, time management for lawyers, lawyer wellness, and stress reduction for attorneys.
Connect with Adam Ouellette:
Website: http://adam.law/
Raising The Bar by Adam Ouellette: https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Bar-Turning-Career-Hate-ebook/dp/B00I9K1J58
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamJOuellette
Email: ajo@adam.law
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjouellette/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esquireacademy
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Viki Johnston discuss:
- Navigating the transition from individual contributor to effective leader
- Developing communication skills that foster trust and clarity
- Understanding how mindset and self-awareness shape professional success
- Using behavioral tools to improve collaboration and team dynamics
Key Takeaways:
- Role-playing in training helps managers safely practice difficult conversations, allowing them to fail, debrief, and improve without real-world consequences.
- Poor listening is a critical leadership flaw; most people are merely waiting to talk instead of truly hearing others, especially in virtual settings.
- Paraphrasing not only shows active listening but also gives the speaker space to correct misunderstandings, reducing conflict and enhancing clarity.
- Undervaluing your services, often due to internal narratives or low self-worth, can hurt both your business and client relationships—a lesson learned after undercharging for years.
"We think we can multitask. We really can’t. We can’t think and listen to somebody at the same time." — Viki Johnston
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
About Viki Johnston: Viki Johnston is an entrepreneur, Training Consultant with over 25 years of her career dedicated to professional training. She designs and delivers soft skills classroom training that is customized to a client’s exact requirements, across a range of subjects. Her in-depth knowledge of Customer Service and Business Management allows Viki to provide an exceptionally high level of learning facilitation and consultancy across a wide range of industries.
Viki is British, a Master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), DiSC certified, and Certified in Applied Improvisation. She currently lives in Irvine, Southern California, with her husband and daughter. She is a self-confessed lifelong learner with a passion for helping others experience light bulb moments and achieve their own goals.
Connect with Viki Johnston:
Website: https://www.exelorate.com/
Email: viki@exelorate.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikijohnston/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vikiajohnston
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exelorate2015/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Chiriboga discuss:
- Career reinvention for lawyers beyond traditional legal roles
- Relationship-building as a foundation for personal and professional success
- Internal mindset shifts needed for meaningful career growth
- Fear as a driving force behind both success and stagnation
Key Takeaways:
- Building a sustainable legal career requires deliberately cultivating professional relationships rather than relying on coincidence or default connections.
- Success in and beyond law depends not only on delivering excellent work but also on ensuring others perceive the value of that work.
- Many lawyers unknowingly use fear to fuel perfectionism or people-pleasing behaviors, which ultimately leads to emotional burnout and professional dissatisfaction.
- Embracing authenticity and aligning your work with personal strengths creates more meaningful opportunities than following narrow conventional paths.
"Some way, somehow you're going to have to face your fear. Either reality will come crashing on you, or... you work with the fear... but there's no getting around it." — Ben Chiriboga
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
This Legal Life: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-legal-life-lessons-learned-from-a-life-in-legal/id1679451845
About Ben Chiriboga: Ben Chiriboga is a lawyer turned legal technology executive at Nexl, an all-in-one legal CRM that helps lawyers, marketers, and business development professionals turn their growth ambitions into action.
Alongside his work at Nexl, Ben speaks, writes, and podcasts about the evolution of legal careers. A seasoned conference speaker, Ben presents to legal professionals around the world about the future of law.
Check out Ben’s podcast, This Legal Life, where he interviews legal professionals about their lives in legal.
Connect with Ben Chiriboga:
Website: https://nexl.cloud/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benchiriboga/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nick Augustine discuss:
- Authenticity in legal careers and professional identity
- Branding, marketing, and business development in law
- Career reinvention through personal values and experience
- The connection between human storytelling and client trust
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should humanize their brand by sharing personal interests (e.g., hobbies, family life) on social media to create relatability and trust with clients.
- Many attorneys fail at marketing because they attempt to outsource it without contributing their personality or narrative, which is what really attracts referrals.
- To identify your authentic brand, listen closely to client compliments and peer feedback—these often reveal your true differentiators.
- Attorneys overly dependent on digital marketing (like Google ads) should step back and re-engage in grassroots relationship-building to avoid a fragile business model.
"Your brand is how people know you, who are the types of people who call you, who are the types of law firms who give referrals to you, who you are, differentiated among the others in the community." — Nick Augustine
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The Joe Rogan Experience: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-joe-rogan-experience/id360084272
About Nick Augustine: Nick Augustine is a lawyer who doesn't practice law and instead launched a digital marketing agency in 2005 to create the best content for lawyers and business professionals.
Connect with Nick Augustine:
Website: https://lonestarcontentmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickaugustinetx/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/2884978/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnNicholasAugustineJD
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Howard Ankin discuss:
- The strategic use of media and marketing in legal services
- The evolving role of lawyers in both legal practice and business development
- Building personal and firm-wide brand equity in competitive industries
- Adapting to modern client behaviors and expectations
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on ethical, long-term brand visibility rather than chasing the latest marketing gimmicks. Consistency and integrity build lasting trust.
- Use traditional and digital media together to reinforce brand recognition, especially by being present where your audience already is.
- Develop deep professional relationships by aligning your identity and messaging with authenticity, so clients know exactly who you are and what to expect.
- Stay current on technology and regulations impacting outreach, but avoid tactics that risk client privacy or cross ethical lines.
"There’s no question that the success of any lawyer, anywhere and anytime, comes from having and associating with great people." — Howard Ankin
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996
About Howard Ankin: Howard Ankin is the principal owner of Ankin Law, a leading Chicago-based firm he co-founded with his father in 1997. A third-generation attorney, Howard has deep roots in the legal community and longstanding relationships with many clients. Ankin Law has grown to become one of Illinois' largest filers of injury and workers’ compensation cases, supported by over 90 attorneys and staff. Howard is also a recognized legal leader and active community member, serving on multiple legal boards and earning numerous professional honors.
Connect with Howard Ankin:
Website: https://ankinlaw.com/
Phone: 3126000000
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-ankin-9671743/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankin-law/
Twitter: https://x.com/ankinlaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnkinLawOffice/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankinlaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Cecilia Poullain discuss:
- The intersection of personal transformation and professional identity
- Navigating and overcoming fear through self-expression
- The power of storytelling in reclaiming one’s voice
- Shifting from traditional career paths to more authentic, purpose-driven lives
Key Takeaways:
- To overcome fear of public speaking or visibility, engage in practices like vocal training or performance-based activities that reconnect you with your physical voice and sense of self-expression.
- Before pursuing a major career opportunity, reflect deeply on whether the role aligns with your true values and identity, rather than simply accepting it based on prestige or external validation.
- Avoid falling into perfectionism by giving yourself permission to make mistakes, take small experimental steps, and speak up even when your contribution feels imperfect or incomplete.
- Create intentional professional communities where you can actively contribute, connect with aligned individuals, and develop visibility, rather than waiting passively for recognition or advancement.
" A real destroyer of confidence is perfectionism." — Cecilia Poullain
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed: https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Ideas-Power-Diverse-Thinking/dp/1473613949
About Cecilia Poullain: Cecilia Poullain is a certified executive coach and former finance lawyer who helps women in law make partner and lead with confidence. Qualified in Australia, the UK, and France, she brings decades of legal experience to her work coaching female lawyers on the path to partnership.
Cecilia supports women in building confidence, navigating firm politics, and developing a strong client base to succeed at the highest levels. Through her 1:1 coaching, Pathway to Partnership program, and Firm Women breakfasts in Paris, she empowers women lawyers to rise, lead, and drive change in the legal profession.
Connect with Cecilia Poullain:
Website: https://www.ceciliapoullain.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliapoullain
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Murphy discuss:
- The challenges and nuances of hiring the right talent for law firms
- The critical distinction between attitude and skills in recruitment
- How leadership traits can hinder effective hiring decisions
- Practical strategies for improving the legal hiring and interview process
Key Takeaways:
- Eighty-nine percent of new hires fail due to attitude issues like entitlement or resistance to feedback, not because of technical skill gaps, showing why firms must prioritize attitude in hiring.
- Top-performing teams rely on five key roles—director, trailblazer, harmonizer, achiever, and stabilizer—each providing distinct behavioral strengths that drive success.
- Interviewers can quickly spot problem solvers by asking about a past mistake and seeing if the candidate naturally explains how they resolved it without prompting.
- High performers use first-person and past-tense language when describing real experiences, while weaker candidates rely on vague, hypothetical answers using second-person phrasing.
"I always tell leaders this: ironically, the better the leader you are, often the worse hirer you are, because you have to dial down your natural optimism and desire to see everybody be great." — Mark Murphy
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Think Again by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Again-Power-Knowing-What/dp/1984878107
About Mark Murphy: Mark Murphy is a New York Times bestselling author whose groundbreaking book Hiring for Attitude has transformed the way companies hire and build high-performing teams. His pioneering research revealed that nearly half of new hires fail within 18 months — and a staggering 89% of those failures result from attitude, not a lack of skills. His insights have reshaped hiring strategies for Fortune 500 companies, fast-growing startups, and government agencies worldwide.
Connect with Mark Murphy:
Website: https://www.leadershipiq.com/
Book: Hiring for Attitude: https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-Attitude-Revolutionary-Recruiting-Tremendous/dp/1259860906
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamurphy/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-iq/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Susie Pontefract discuss:
- Evolving leadership across generational landscapes
- Embedding purpose-driven organizational strategies
- Building cultures of human potential
- Personal values shaping leadership impact
Key Takeaways:
- Leadership requires letting go of ego and creating intentional space for others to step in, lead, and grow through a foundation of trust, mutual respect, and genuine empowerment.
- Effective leaders must prioritize understanding and supporting their team's holistic development by recognizing individual potential, nurturing personal growth, and creating environments that transcend traditional workplace boundaries.
- Organizations should transform their approach from treating employees as human capital to cultivating human potential by embracing each individual's unique strengths, aspirations, and capacity for meaningful contribution.
- Successful leadership demands continuous learning, deep empathy, and adaptive strategies that bridge generational differences, foster inclusive communication, and create collaborative environments where diverse talents can flourish.
"If you want to be a rainmaker out there doing your own thing, then give your people the power to get the rest of it done and make sure you're giving them the kudos and credit when they do." — Susie Pontefract
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Good Boss, Bad Boss by Robert I. Sutton: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Boss-Bad-Learn-Worst/dp/0446556076
About Susie Pontefract: Susie is a dynamic and results-oriented leader and mentor with over 20 years of demonstrated success in strategic leadership, team management, and value delivery across a wide range of industries and company sizes. She is recognized for empowering teams, inspiring leaders, and building strong, collaborative partnerships across all organizational levels—from front-line employees to executives, board members, and external stakeholders. As the founder of Cohearence Consulting, Susie is dedicated to helping small to mid-sized companies strengthen their organizations through cohesive strategies, aligned teams, and exceptional execution.
Connect with Susie Pontefract:
Website: co-hear-ence.com
Email: susie@co-hear-ence.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiepontefract/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohearence-consulting
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Morgan discuss:
- Business growth and scaling strategies
- Importance of partnerships and accountability
- Technological innovation in professional services
- Entrepreneurial mindset and vision
Key Takeaways:
- Successful businesses balance proactive growth (“catching fish”) with strong operations (“cooking fish”) for sustained efficiency.
- Clear, data-driven systems with dashboards and accountability can transform culture and boost individual and team performance.
- AI adoption should be cautious, tested, and iterative, with room for learning from early-stage mistakes.
- Long-term resilience requires financial reserves, backup strategies, and readiness for unpredictable “Black Swan” events.
"What 'Only the Paranoid Survive' means is: be aware. Do [not just walk] down the street with blinders on and not see it coming, because it can come from anywhere. A problem can come from anywhere, and so you just have to be prepared." — John Morgan
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X
About John Morgan: John Morgan moved to Central Florida as a teen and was forever changed when his brother Tim was paralyzed while working at Disney and mistreated by both the company and legal system, inspiring him to fight for the powerless and seek justice against big corporations. He earned his law degree from the University of Florida in 1983 and, with his wife Ultima, founded Morgan & Morgan in 1988; over 34 years, it became the nation’s largest injury law firm, recovering over $13 billion for 300,000+ clients. John authored two books — You Can’t Teach Hungry and You Can’t Teach Vision — reflecting the principles behind his success, and he’s also a political advocate and philanthropist supporting marijuana reform, minimum wage increases, and aid for abuse survivors and the hungry.
Connect with John Morgan:
Website: https://www.forthepeople.com/
Email: jmorgan@forthepeople.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmorganesq/
Twitter: https://x.com/johnmorganesq
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnMorganESQ
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gerard Virga discuss:
- Navigating emotional complexity and client crises in family law
- Evolving business development practices in solo and small firm legal settings
- Expanding legal services through education, technology, and content creation
- Managing personal and professional balance to prevent burnout in law practice
Key Takeaways:
- Direct, relationship-focused communication—such as sharing personal contact info—can build trust, drive referrals, and deepen client loyalty.
- Implementing educational tools like AI videos and podcasts helps clients understand legal processes and significantly lowers their anxiety.
- Developing and signing a litigation strategy plan early in the case helps align client expectations, reduces unnecessary conflict, and clarifies legal goals.
- Carefully qualifying clients based on emotional stability and willingness to follow advice helps reduce burnout and improve case outcomes.
"If we don't alleviate that pressure early, we don't answer those questions, we don't get to the root of the problems, then it's going to fester." — Gerard Virga
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The Game Changing Attorney by Michael Mogill: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Changing-Attorney-Competition-Obvious-ebook/dp/B07JWGX3YB
About Gerard Virga: Gerard Virga is a seasoned family law attorney and the founding partner of The Virga Law Firm, where he leads a team of dedicated legal professionals across offices throughout Florida. With a passion for advocating for families during life’s most challenging transitions, Gerard has built a firm known for its commitment to excellence, personalized client care, and aggressive representation in family law matters.
Connect with Gerard Virga:
Website: http://www.thevirgalawfirm.com/
Phone: 850-818-0236
Show: The Florida Family Law Attorney Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-florida-family-law-attorney-podcast/id1799493137
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerard-virga-006a9263/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/thevirgalawfirm
Twitter: https://x.com/TheVirgaLawFirm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerard.virga.5 & https://www.facebook.com/virgalawfirm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevirgalawfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tim Sawyer discuss:
- Mentorship and mastermind groups as catalysts for professional growth
- Universal business models shaping success across industries including legal
- Emotional authenticity as a foundation for impactful branding and client engagement
- Discomfort as a necessary stage in the journey toward meaningful progress
Key Takeaways:
- Professionals who admit their blind spots and join mastermind groups grow faster by learning from shared experiences and direct peer feedback.
- The simple model of finding, converting, and keeping clients consistently drives growth across industries, including legal.
- Lawyers who lead with authenticity, such as personal storytelling or community involvement, build trust and stronger emotional resonance.
- Intentional preparation and embracing discomfort during networking lead to better conversations, more opportunities, and long-term business impact.
"AI will not replace lawyers, but lawyers who are using AI are definitely going to have an impact on lawyers who don’t." — Tim Sawyer
Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Mazing-ebook/dp/B004CR6AM4
About Tim Sawyer: Tim is a two-time Inc. 500 co-founder with two successful private equity exits, a professional speaker, and an expert in business sales and growth strategies. As EVP of Sales and an investor at FasterOutcomes, he helps law firms leverage AI-powered legal intelligence to drive efficiency and profitability. With a strong background in digital marketing, Tim has led high-performing sales teams and scaled businesses through innovative strategies. He is also the host of the Legal Keys podcast, where he explores the intersection of law, technology, and firm success.
Connect with Tim Sawyer:
Website: http://www.fasteroutcomes.com/
Email: tim@fasteroutcomes.com
Show: Legal Keys: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-keys-unlocking-time-revenue-and-results/id1791762308
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sawyertim/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/faster-outcomes/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tyson Mutrux discuss:
- The importance of cultivating the right mindset for professional growth
- Building and scaling a law firm through strategic hiring and systematized operations
- The power of networking and targeted referrals in developing a legal practice
- Utilizing peer groups, coaching, and mentorship as tools for continuous improvement
Key Takeaways:
- Mindset is the number one limiting factor for lawyers—without overcoming mental barriers, no strategy will work, even with a step-by-step million-dollar blueprint.
- Many law firms suffer from cash flow problems because lawyers pull too much money from the business too early, preventing reinvestment and sustainable growth.
- Effective hiring requires a thorough, systematized process—using tools like Zoho Recruit and strategies like “topgrading” ensures better long-term talent fit and retention.
- Networking should be laser-focused—meeting with professionals who are in a direct position to send targeted referrals, like volume PI firms or chiropractors, yields better ROI than general networking.
"You can ruin a good hire just by having bad processes or no processes." — Tyson Mutrux
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Modern Wisdom Podcast by Chris Williamson: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/modern-wisdom/id1347973549
About Tyson Mutrux: Tyson Mutrux is the owner and managing partner of Mutrux Firm LLC, a personal injury law firm based in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. He is also the co-founder and owner of Maximum Lawyer, a community where law firm owners connect, collaborate, and grow their firms.
Connect with Tyson Mutrux:
Website: http://www.maximumlawyer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tysonmutrux/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/maximum-lawyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maximumlawyer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximumlawyer/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Greg Eisenberg discuss:
- How law firm business models are quickly shifting due to tech and market forces
- Why branding and visibility are critical for firms of any size
- Ways small and solo firms can compete with major legal players
- How legal entrepreneurship is evolving through collaboration
Key Takeaways:
- Small law firms can remain competitive by joining collectives that centralize branding, marketing, and operational tools while allowing them to retain full ownership of their businesses.
- Repeating a strong personal brand message through short-form video content across the right platforms helps attorneys become top-of-mind in their niche.
- The most effective business development strategy combines strong referral networks and relationship-building with a smart digital advertising approach.
- Law firms must stop treating marketing as a standalone fix and instead adopt a unified strategy that integrates operations, technology, finance, and client experience for long-term success.
"They say they don't teach business in law school. I went to business school. They don't teach business in business school—it didn't make a huge difference. There's just some stuff they can't prepare you for." — Greg Eisenberg
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The GaryVee Audio Experience: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-garyvee-audio-experience/id928159684
About Greg Eisenberg: Gregory Eisenberg won the award for “Worst (or Best) Doppelgangers” thanks to his resemblance to Beaker, Shaggy, and Screech. A failed comedian and worse political candidate, he found his calling helping law firms grow. With 10+ years in marketing, he’s worked with brands like Cinnabon, Carvel, and major universities. After starting LegalEase Marketing, he realized firms needed more than leads—they needed infrastructure. That led to Ready Firms, built to help small firms scale and stay competitive.
Connect with Greg Eisenberg:
Website: https://readyfirms.com/
Email: greg@readyfirms.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryseisenberg/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/readyfirms/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readyfirms
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readyfirms
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lindsey Busfield discuss:
- The nuances and strategic use of SEO for law firm marketing
- The importance of selective client intake for long-term success
- Evaluating the effectiveness of social media versus SEO in legal marketing
- Utilizing modern website tools and AI-driven bots for better client engagement
Key Takeaways:
- SEO can be a game-changer, but only for firms in the right geographic and competitive conditions—others should consider niche targeting or different marketing strategies entirely.
- Social media rarely drives real case volume for law firms, unless it's used with intention, high-quality content, and deep community alignment.
- Choosing the right clients is just as important as hiring the right team, because poor client fit leads to burnout, financial issues, and strained relationships.
- Website platforms should match your marketing goals, with WordPress offering the best SEO flexibility, while simpler tools like Squarespace are fine for credibility-focused sites.
"I have never talked to a lawyer who has said, 'Yes, I am getting half of my caseload through social media because it's so great.' That being said, social media can be really helpful as part of a grassroots campaign." — Lindsey Busfield
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Intaker: https://intaker.com/
LinkedIn Tutorial for Business Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EWfLRtUL0g
About Lindsey Busfield: Lindsey Busfield is a leading legal marketing expert and recognized industry disruptor, featured in publications like Benzinga, USA Today, and Attorney at Law Magazine. As Vice President and partner at Optimize My Firm, she has helped dozens of law firms boost revenue through strategic SEO and content marketing.
Connect with Lindsey Busfield:
Website: http://www.optimizemyfirm.com/
Show: Personal Injury Marketing Minute: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/personal-injury-marketing-minute/id1536073987
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-busfield/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimizemyfirm
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jody Glidden discuss:
- The evolution and growing impact of AI in professional services
- Challenges lawyers face in client relationship management
- The limitations and future of traditional CRMs
- Strategies for maintaining and expanding client relationships
Key Takeaways:
- 43% of clients leave law firms not because of service quality but due to poor communication and lack of follow-up.
- AI-powered tools like Postilize can monitor relationship gaps and generate personalized outreach suggestions for lawyers to approve and send.
- Keeping in touch with clients through relevant life or business events — like promotions, layoffs, or funding rounds — can significantly boost retention and trust.
- Many lawyers miss business opportunities by failing to engage multiple contacts ("multi-threading") within a client’s organization, risking total loss when one contact departs.
"If you can ever move [a relationship] to personal, I think then you’ve probably got them for life." — Jody Glidden
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
About Jody Glidden: Jody Glidden is a seasoned entrepreneur, AI innovator, and the driving force behind Postilize, an AI-powered business development platform for professional services firms. With over two decades in tech, he's best known as the founder of Introhive, which he scaled to a $500 million valuation, delivering 40x returns for early investors. Under his leadership, Introhive grew to over 250,000 users at firms like PwC, Deloitte, DLA Piper, and Baker McKenzie. At Postilize, Jody applies his expertise in CRM, ERM, and AI automation to tackle challenges like missing relationship data, manual processes, and inconsistent client engagement. He integrates Generative AI and real-time event detection to craft personalized outreach and drive scalable relationship management, retention, and client acquisition.
Connect with Jody Glidden:
Website: https://www.postilize.com
Email: jody.glidden@postilize.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodyglidden/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/postilize/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kyle Hebenstreit discuss:
- The evolving legal industry landscape due to institutional capital and Big Four involvement
- Rising competition and channel fragmentation in legal marketing
- Strategic marketing approaches tailored to client personas and firm types
- Operational and budgetary decisions that influence long-term law firm growth
Key Takeaways:
- Private equity and institutional capital are transforming the legal industry, creating new acquisition and exit opportunities for small, consumer-facing law firms.
- Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Meta hold high potential for law firms, yet are underutilized, especially with organic content for referrals and paid campaigns for brand awareness.
- Law firms should begin their marketing strategy by analyzing successful recent clients and understanding how they found them before setting a marketing budget.
- When choosing a marketing partner, inquire about client-to-manager ratios, review actual KPIs, and check references, much like when hiring a full-time employee.
"If you're staying top of mind for your professional network... you can help augment referral traffic that way." — Kyle Hebenstreit
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsor!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205
About Kyle Hebenstreit: Kyle Hebenstreit is the Chief Executive Officer of PracticeMadePerfect (PMP), where he leads a team dedicated to helping law firms grow through tailored, data-driven marketing solutions. With nearly 20 years of experience across consulting, media, and entrepreneurship, Kyle brings a strategic mindset and a passion for client success. Before joining PMP, he held leadership roles at Deloitte Consulting, Skydance Productions, and served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at NextGen Growth Partners.
Connect with Kyle Hebenstreit:
Website: http://www.pmpmg.com/
Email: khebenstreit@pmpmg.com
Phone: 3174109640
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hhebenstreit/
& https://www.linkedin.com/company/pmpmg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmpmg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pmpmarketinggroup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ed Levy discuss:
- Building and nurturing authentic client relationships in professional services
- Increasing referrals through trust and engagement
- The psychological value of personalized client appreciation
- The role of networking and peer communities in growing a legal practice
Key Takeaways:
- Small, personal gestures—like handwritten notes or thoughtful gifts—can leave a lasting emotional impact and increase client loyalty.
- Lawyers who genuinely engage with clients beyond transactions are more likely to receive organic referrals.
- Membership in curated networking groups like Provisors can create structured opportunities to both give and receive high-value referrals.
- Understanding what truly matters to a client—personally and professionally—helps legal professionals build trust and long-term partnerships.
"The most important thing, even with no budget at all, is to separate the business from the appreciation and the emotional connections that you're trying to build." — Ed Levy
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Got Your Attention? by Sam Horn: https://www.amazon.com/Got-Your-Attention-Intrigue-Connect/dp/1626562504
About Ed Levy: Ed Levy is the owner and president of Edventure Promotions, a company built on two core principles: spend clients’ money as if it were our own and exhaust all possibilities to deliver exceptional results. With over 20 years of experience, Ed has led the company to become a trusted partner to globally recognized brands and organizations of all sizes. He created I Love My PI Lawyer—a groundbreaking program that uses curated gifting experiences to help personal injury lawyers deepen client relationships, increase referrals, and stand out in a competitive market. Ed’s approach emphasizes promotional products as strategic communication tools that drive measurable engagement and campaign success. He remains passionate about helping PI lawyers and professionals elevate their marketing strategies through innovative, results-driven solutions.
Connect with Ed Levy:
Website: https://www.edventurepromotions.com/ilovemypilawyer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlevy/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/edventure-promotions/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alex Geisler discuss:
- Building long-term client loyalty in legal practice
- Structuring legal work around client expectations and needs
- Improving legal service delivery through lean process thinking
- Developing deeper relationships through proactive, strategic communication
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term client loyalty is built through the TREE approach: Transparency in communication, Reliability in service, Efficiency in delivery, and clear Expectations that align with the client's goals.
- Lawyers can create stronger, “stickier” client relationships by going beyond transactional work and offering value through strategic thinking and curiosity.
- A structured approach to legal work—planning, executing, reviewing, and improving—can lead to better results, stronger client trust, and greater efficiency.
- Understanding the client’s definition of success early on, and tailoring the legal approach accordingly, is key to exceeding expectations and retaining business.
"There's no substitute for knowing yourself and knowing your purpose. There's no substitute for knowing your client. And just keep checking in on yourself and checking in on your client." — Alex Geisler
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: https://terebess.hu/english/tao/mitchell.html
About Alex Geisler: Alex's career was spent in three environments: in-house, at Big Law, and with manufacturers. He then harnessed these experiences to create Lean Law, a consultancy devoted to helping lawyers turn new business into repeat business. In addition to personal coaching, his ideas can be accessed through the acclaimed Lean Adviser online curriculum, his Lean Briefing—which receives 40,000 hits each week—and his books and papers.
Connect with Alex Geisler:
Website: https://www.leanlaw.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-geisler-05b5761a/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions.
You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Judy Barton discuss:
- Cultivating meaningful and lasting business relationships
- Effective networking techniques for lawyers and financial professionals
- Establishing credibility and attracting opportunities
- The importance of integrity in business
Key Takeaways:
- Effective networking is not about collecting contacts but about fostering genuine, mutually beneficial relationships that lead to long-term success.
- Lawyers and financial professionals should focus on providing value first, rather than immediately seeking business, to build trust and credibility.
- Personal branding plays a crucial role in professional growth, as a strong and authentic presence can differentiate individuals in competitive industries.
- Integrity and consistency in business interactions build a solid reputation, making people more likely to refer and work with you over time.
"You have to make yourself memorable, but you also have to know why you're different from everybody else and why that person should hire you or engage with you as an attorney." — Judy Barton
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Each week, Raise the Bar delivers expert insights on business development, legal tech, and the strategies top rainmakers lawyers use to build thriving practices. No fluff—just actionable tips to help you work smarter and grow faster. Subscribe for free at RaiseTheBarMedia.co: https://content.raisethebarmedia.co/raise-the-bar-newsletter-sign-up/?cid=679b5ad89eeed
About Judy Barton: Judy Barton is a Senior Client Strategist for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. In this role, she works directly with clients to address their investment and wealth management needs. Judy joined the firm in 2014 and has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, as well as being a business owner for 10 years. Her previous corporate experience includes serving in finance at EDS, Nortel, and Sodexho Marriott in Boston, DC, and London. Judy received her Master in Legal Studies from the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Oklahoma.
Connect with Judy Barton:
Website: http://www.bny.com/wealth
Email: judy.barton@bny.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-barton
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Vater discuss:
- Growth and networking beyond traditional legal marketing
- Leveraging legal tech and AI to enhance efficiency
- Building strategic partnerships for sustainable growth
- Effectively balancing leadership, operations, and legal work
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should build strategic partnerships with realtors, title agents, and medical professionals who connect with potential clients needing legal services instead of relying solely on attorney referrals.
- Generative AI tools enhance legal research by cross-referencing case law and statutes, helping attorneys find crucial precedents faster and more accurately.
- Zoom court appearances reduce travel time and create "bonus time" for attorneys to focus on business development and client acquisition.
- Law firms often let accounts receivable grow unchecked, but strict payment policies like upfront retainers or automated billing prevent financial strain and ensure cash flow.
"The world is constantly changing. If you fail to change with it, you will be left behind." — Michael Vater
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Each week, Raise the Bar delivers expert insights on business development, legal tech, and the strategies top rainmakers lawyers use to build thriving practices. No fluff—just actionable tips to help you work smarter and grow faster. Subscribe for free at RaiseTheBarMedia.co: https://content.raisethebarmedia.co/raise-the-bar-newsletter-sign-up/?cid=679b5ad89eeed
Episode References:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519
About Michael Vater: Michael Vater, Esq., Managing Partner of The Ticktin Law Group in South Florida, has successfully litigated complex cases across the U.S. and abroad, including over 20 Florida counties, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, and Iceland, where his victory set a European Union precedent on consumer rights in aviation disputes. Since joining the firm in 2010, he has specialized in entertainment, personal injury, and real estate litigation, serving as lead counsel in over 1,600 cases and litigating 100+ Jury and Non-Jury Trials. Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, awarded to only 2.5% of Florida lawyers, he has also been featured in Authority Magazine, Lawyers of Distinction, Business Daily Media, and PacerMonitor.
Connect with Michael Vater:
Website: https://legalbrains.com/
Email: mvater@legalbrains.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ticktin-law-group-p.a./
Twitter: https://x.com/LegalBrains
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTicktinLawGroup/#
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalbrains/#
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Ciesielka discuss:
- The role of public relations and reputation management in the legal industry
- The importance of media visibility and thought leadership for lawyers
- Balancing legal ethics, confidentiality, and public exposure in marketing
- The impact of social media on modern public relations strategies
Key Takeaways:
- Media outlets prioritize availability and recognition over legal expertise—being well-known and responsive is often more important than having the best case results.
- Lawyers should integrate the PESO model (Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media) into their marketing strategy to create a balanced and effective public presence.
- Addressing negative media coverage should be handled with a focus on advocacy, emphasizing key legal issues and potential next steps rather than becoming defensive.
- Thought leadership and PR require a long-term commitment—lawyers should expect a minimum six-month investment before seeing meaningful results in recognition and business growth.
"Your first obligation is to your client, not to publicizing your firm. That’s just the reality of it." — Tom Ciesielka
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
LawHer Podcast by Sonya Palmer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawher/id1599413853
Personal Injury Mastermind Conference (PIMCON), October 5–8, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona: https://www.pimcon.org/
The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib: https://www.amazon.com/1-Page-Marketing-Plan-Customers-Money/dp/1989025013/
About Tom Ciesielka: Tom Ciesielka, President of TC Public Relations, has over 25 years of experience in public relations, marketing, and business development. He helps clients manage their reputation through crisis communications, thought leadership, and media coverage in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, and Fox News. Before founding TC Public Relations, he worked in film sales—representing Paramount, MGM, and New Line Cinema—and as marketing director for the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Originally from Philadelphia, he built his firm in Chicago on integrity, strategy, and innovation. Now in its third decade, TC Public Relations continues to refine media strategies that elevate client visibility.
Connect with Tom Ciesielka:
Website: https://tcpr.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasciesielka/
Twitter: https://x.com/Tomciesielka
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcpublicrelations/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jim Ries discuss:
- Why business development is a critical yet often overlooked skill for lawyers
- The role of networking in long-term professional success
- How adopting a giver’s mentality leads to stronger professional relationships
- Best practices and common mistakes in networking and relationship-building
Key Takeaways:
- Taking a few minutes to research a common connection before meetings and using the "FORD Method" (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams) leads to more engaging and productive networking conversations.
- Effective networking is about quality over quantity, so instead of collecting business cards, aim for three meaningful conversations that lead to valuable follow-ups.
- Trust is built through consistent action, so always follow through on promises like introductions or shared resources to strengthen credibility and relationships.
- Business development requires patience and persistence, as long-term success comes from continuously nurturing relationships and staying top-of-mind for future opportunities.
"The phrase I like to use is not "give to get"—that sounds like expecting something in return. The phrase I use is "give to give"—give because you want to… because it feels good… and just keep giving. That’s when people know you, like you, and trust you." — Jim Ries
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Giver-Expanded-Little-Powerful-Business/dp/1591848288
The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Red-Book-Selling-Principles/dp/1885167601
The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Bible-Ultimate-Resource-Jeffrey/dp/B00DEK8F8M
About Jim Ries: Jim Ries, Director of Business Development at Offit Kurman, connects business owners with the right attorneys across 30+ practice areas. Known as the "Legal BD Guy," he ensures clients aren’t underserved, overcharged, or ignored. As a trusted legal concierge, he helps business owners frustrated with their current representation. A passionate networker, Jim loves one-on-one Zoom meetings to build connections and provide legal solutions.
Connect with Jim Ries:
Website: http://www.offitkurman.com/
Email: jries@offitkurman.com
Phone: 410-733-6133
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimrieslegalbdguy/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/offit-kurman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.ries
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Ackert discuss:
- The importance of strategic networking
- Leveraging existing contacts for business growth
- The role of influence and prioritization in business development
- The psychology behind relationship building
Key Takeaways:
- Attendees should prioritize learning about others, finding strategic partners, and providing value instead of aggressively selling, as networking is about relationships, not transactions.
- Rather than amassing connections, professionals should build a “shortlist” of key clients, dormant contacts, and high-value prospects for deeper, more meaningful engagement.
- Research shows it takes about 14 interactions from first contact to first contract, so business developers must stay consistent and strategic instead of giving up early.
- The best strategic partners should be assessed on chemistry (rapport), commerce potential (key contacts), capabilities (competence), and collaboration (willingness to reciprocate).
"What we found is that it generally takes our successful users about 14 interactions between first contact and first contract." — David Ackert
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Smart Collaboration by Heidi K. Gardner: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Collaboration-Professionals-Succeed-Breaking/dp/1633691101
About David Ackert: David is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ackert, Inc. and PipelinePlus and a respected business development thought leader. For over two decades, he has pioneered revenue acceleration programs for professional services firms and founded ventures like Legal Lift, the MLR100, and PipelinePlus. His award-winning programs and software have been featured in NLJ’s Technologies on the Rise. A sought-after speaker, he keynotes partner retreats, industry conferences, and lectures at USC, Carnegie Mellon, and UCLA School of Law. He is also the author of The Short List and a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, and Law.com.
Connect with David Ackert:
Website: http://www.pipelineplus.com/
Email: david@pipelineplus.com
Book: The Short List by David Ackert: https://www.amazon.com/Short-List-Business-Development-Focusing/dp/B0DCQ2Q8MS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidackert/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kyle Harbaugh discuss:
- Challenges in law firm business operations
- The importance of business strategy in law firms
- Hiring and leadership in law firms
- Leveraging AI and technology for growth
Key Takeaways:
- Many attorneys excel in legal practice but struggle with business management because law school does not prepare them for running a firm, resulting in inefficiencies and unnecessary stress.
- Most law firms lack a clearly defined and well-communicated vision, leading to misalignment within their teams and making it harder to attract and retain the right talent.
- Hiring mistakes often stem from relying too much on gut instinct instead of structured assessments and long-term goal alignment, which leads to high turnover and poor culture fit.
- AI-driven tools can help law firms make smarter business decisions by identifying growth opportunities and ensuring new hires align with the firm’s culture and objectives.
"Just because they are very successful in one role, it doesn’t mean they’re going to be successful when you elevate them." — Kyle Harbaugh
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Game with Alex Hormozi: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-game-with-alex-hormozi/id1254720112
$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi: https://www.amazon.com/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying/dp/1737475731
About Kyle Harbaugh: Kyle Harbaugh is the co-founder of Chief GO Officers, LLC, a business consulting firm specializing in law firm growth, operations, and organizational development. With 14+ years of experience, he focuses on management, business planning, and coaching to help firms scale while improving efficiency and client satisfaction. His approach integrates business intelligence, automation, and AI tools like STEP Ai and Right Hire Ai. Offering group and 1:1 coaching, fractional implementation, and strategic growth systems, Kyle helps law firms optimize profitability, branding, and client acquisition for predictable revenue and leadership excellence.
Connect with Kyle Harbaugh:
Website: https://www.chiefgoofficers.com/
Email: KyleH@ChiefGoOfficers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-harbaugh-chief-go-officers/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/chief-go-officers-llc
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dennis Meador discuss:
- How lawyers can market themselves effectively in an increasingly competitive industry
- The role of personal branding in helping attorneys differentiate themselves from competitors
- Why podcasting is a valuable tool for business development and client acquisition
- Adapting to changing trends in SEO, social media, and content marketing
Key Takeaways:
- Most potential clients check out a lawyer’s website before making contact, so their online presence should authentically reflect who they are and how they can help.
- Lawyers should avoid “random acts of marketing” and instead build a cohesive strategy centered around their ideal client profile, jurisdictional realities, and brand identity.
- Podcasting is not about going viral; it’s about targeting the right audience—50 engaged listeners in a lawyer’s market are more valuable than 50,000 global views with no conversion potential.
- The best marketing doesn’t just tell potential clients what a lawyer does; it shows how and why they do it differently, using real-world examples and insights that make them the obvious choice.
"We're not trying to get you to be the foremost American divorce lawyer—we want you to be Chicagoland's high-net-worth or father-focused divorce lawyer... or one that focuses on the men's side. And when you become that—now you're owning your market, and it's a huge benefit to you." — Dennis Meador
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Office Ladies Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/office-ladies/id1480311435
About Dennis Meador: Dennis Meador is the CEO and Founder of The Legal Podcast Network, dedicated to providing turnkey podcasting solutions for professionals, particularly attorneys. With over 20 years of experience in legal marketing, he is passionate about helping attorneys engage more clients and establish authority in their practice areas. An entrepreneur since 14, he has built multiple businesses and successfully scaled companies to multi-million-dollar revenues. Based in Austin, TX, he enjoys traveling, snorkeling, and making BBQ on his smoker—The Notorious P.I.T.—while spending time with his wife and three grown children.
Connect with Dennis Meador:
Website: http://www.thelegalpodcastnetwork.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismeador/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-legal-podcast-network/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053762623075 & https://www.facebook.com/legalpodcastnetwork.lawyers/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diem.today/ & https://www.instagram.com/lpnlegalpodcastnetwork/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Blake Strautins discuss:
- The importance of business development for lawyers
- How accountability and culture shape a law firm’s success
- Time management and delegation for legal professionals
- Personal and professional growth in legal leadership
Key Takeaways:
- Building connections early with strategic partners, attorneys, and clients creates long-term opportunities, referrals, and career growth.
- A workplace culture that holds team members accountable improves productivity, reduces inefficiencies, and strengthens collaboration.
- Leaders who delegate effectively gain more time for key decisions, enhance firm efficiency, and empower their teams.
- Keeping an inbox organized by addressing, delegating, or categorizing emails prevents overwhelm, streamlines tasks, and ensures nothing important is missed.
"You can learn the law, you can write great briefs, you can research out of something, but running a business is completely different; managing people is completely different. Being a good manager, a good leader—those are skills that, sadly, [law schools] just don't teach you." — Blake Strautins
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman: https://www.amazon.com/Multipliers-Best-Leaders-Everyone-Smarter/dp/0061964395
About Blake Strautins: Blake A. Strautins is a co-owner and managing partner of Kluever Law Group, LLC, where he heads the firm’s litigation department. Blake has been practicing in the field of complex litigation his entire legal career, beginning with class action litigation in 2007 and transitioning to commercial and real estate litigation in 2014, where he continues to hone his legal skills to this day. Beyond helping clients solve problems through creative solutions, both before and during formal litigation, Blake is also an accomplished appellate lawyer with numerous published decisions under his belt. Blake takes great pride in charting the firm’s path forward into continued growth and success in partnership with its diverse client base.
Connect with Blake Strautins:
Website: http://www.klueverlawgroup.com/
Email: bstrautins@klueverlawgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-a-strautins/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mina Haque discuss:
- Overcoming challenges in growing a law practice
- The impact of digital tools on professional success
- Essential skills lawyers need beyond legal expertise
- The mindset shifts necessary for entrepreneurial success
Key Takeaways:
- Solo law practice has become significantly more accessible due to virtual offices, law practice management software, and online marketing, reducing overhead costs and easing client acquisition.
- Lawyers should resist the temptation to accept every client and instead focus on a defined practice area to build a strong reputation and avoid operational inefficiencies.
- Effective delegation, including outsourcing bookkeeping, marketing, and administrative tasks, allows solo practitioners to maximize billable hours and focus on client service.
- Developing an online presence through SEO, blogging, and thought leadership is crucial for standing out and attracting clients in a competitive legal market.
"Show your value to your client. Sometimes it may be outside the scope of the service, but go above and beyond and try to have that servant leadership mindset, because the right client will recognize your talent, and you may find yourself in the right place." — Mina Haque
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Likeable Badass by Alison Fragale: https://www.amazon.com/Likeable-Badass-Women-Success-Deserve/dp/0385549148
About Mina Haque: Mohaimina "Mina" Haque, CEO of Tony Roma’s, leads its strategic transformation, focusing on restructuring, growth, and global expansion. She also runs a law firm specializing in immigration and corporate law, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. An Adjunct Professor at American University Washington College of Law, she teaches law practice management. Recognized for her leadership, Mina was named one of Women We Admire’s Top Women Leaders of DC (2024) and IAOTP’s Top Attorney of the Year (2023). Washingtonian Magazine honored her as an Outstanding Woman in DC (2021), and she is a member of Chief, a premier network for senior women leaders.
Connect with Mina Haque:
Website: https://attorneymina.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minahaque/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attorneyminadc/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Belle Walker discuss:
- Why law firms struggle with inefficiencies and miscommunication
- The impact of unclear roles and accountability gaps in law firms
- How legal technology and AI are changing law firm operations
- Why structured processes are essential for business growth and client satisfaction
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often assume their team understands their expectations, but without clear and explicit communication, misalignment can lead to inefficiencies, missed deadlines, and frustration for both staff and clients.
- Law firms aiming for maximum efficiency sometimes eliminate too much redundancy, making them less resilient when unexpected challenges arise, so finding the right balance between streamlining and maintaining flexibility is critical.
- Leveraging automation tools and legal technology can significantly reduce manual workload and improve accuracy, but firms must carefully assess their processes and ensure proper adoption to avoid resistance and implementation failures.
- Successfully implementing operational changes in a law firm requires leaders to communicate the ‘why’ behind the change, focusing on goals and benefits rather than simply dictating new processes, which helps secure team buy-in and long-term success.
"Documentation goes a long way, and the lawyers themselves don't need to be the ones doing the documentation." — Belle Walker
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Perform To Win by Mark Powell & Jonathan Gifford: https://www.amazon.com/Perform-Win-Unlocking-Personal-Business/dp/1910649252
About Belle Walker: Belle Walker, Founder and CEO of Belleview Consulting, takes organizations from Friction to Function, recapturing lost efficiency and engagement for companies across industries. Now the international bestselling author of Generation Innovation and a TEDx speaker, Belle has also built several successful teams for HERE Technology, including one responsible for the quality of maps for autonomous vehicles, and received two patents. Belle’s career began at Google, building a nation-wide aerial photography operation, and she has led numerous different teams since. Belle holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Harvard and a Systems Engineering master’s from the University of Southern California, where her research studied organizations as systems.
Connect with Belle Walker:
Website: https://belleviewconsulting.com/
Email: belle@belleviewconsulting.com
Book: Generation Innovation: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Innovation-Business-Journey-Success/dp/B0CP5RYFKH/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellekwalker/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/belleview-consulting/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve, Nicola, and Shereen discuss:
- Building strong relationships between in-house and outside counsel
- The importance of business acumen in legal practice
- Networking and business development for lawyers
- Adapting to the evolving legal industry
Key Takeaways:
- Outside counsel should recognize that in-house lawyers often make rapid decisions with limited information and need concise, actionable legal guidance rather than long memos.
- Many lawyers lack business literacy, making it harder for them to align legal advice with corporate goals; in-house counsel appreciate those who can bridge the legal-business gap.
- Instead of just asking for work, outside counsel should offer value by staying informed about the company’s initiatives, supporting their causes, and engaging in genuine conversations.
- In-house counsel prefer different modes of communication (text over email, early breakfast over lunch), and outside counsel should adapt to their client’s preferences to strengthen relationships.
"A lot of times, I took for granted that outside counsel understood how in-house counsel worked, and then one day I realized, ‘Oh, that’s really not the case.’ If they did, it could really elevate not only the relationship but how they connect and how they maintain those relationships." — Nicola Hobeiche
"If you can’t ask your friends, how are you going to ask strangers?" — Shereen El Domeiri
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Lawyers Behaving Badly by Karen Delaney and Jennifer Judge: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawyers-behaving-badly/id1654960102
About Nicola Hobeiche and Shereen El Domeiri: Nicola Hobeiche and Shereen El Domeiri are the co-hosts of the Counsel Brew podcast, where they explore the journeys of legal professionals and beyond. Shereen spent much of her career as government and in-house counsel before transitioning into private practice, bringing a sharp, creative approach to problem-solving. Nicola has spent her entire legal career in-house across various industries, leveraging her global upbringing and big-picture thinking to navigate complex challenges.
Connect with Nicola and Shereen:
Website: https://counselbrew.com/
Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/counsel-brew/id1746634154
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-brew/
Nicola’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-hobeiche-84699960/
Shereen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shereeneldomeiri/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mike Chastaine discuss:
- Managing time effectively and focusing on high-value tasks
- Law firm growth and business development
- The psychology of productivity
- Work-life balance and self-improvement
Key Takeaways:
- Prioritizing control over your daily schedule is essential because, rather than trying to manage time itself, lawyers should focus on managing their actions by scheduling focused work blocks, minimizing distractions, and ensuring that key priorities are intentionally planned.
- Using the 80/20 rule can drastically improve efficiency by identifying and focusing on the 20% of tasks that produce 80% of the results while delegating or eliminating lower-value work that consumes time without contributing significantly to success.
- Starting the day with meditation, gratitude journaling, and small victories (like making your bed) sets the tone for a more productive and controlled day.
- Applying the Profit First method to law firm finances can help ensure long-term financial stability by reversing the traditional approach to budgeting, prioritizing profit from the start, monitoring cash flow daily, and making strategic spending decisions only after ensuring profitability.
"There's no such thing as time management, because you don't manage time. What you manage is your conduct." — Mike Chastaine
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making/dp/073521414X/
About Mike Chastaine: Mike Chastaine is an award-winning attorney, speaker, and author with decades of experience in and out of the courtroom. After 16 years as a public defender and six years at a large firm, he founded the Chastaine Law Office in 2007, growing it into a seven-figure practice recognized as the Best Criminal Defense Firm in Northern California. In 2021, he sold the firm and shifted his focus to coaching and consulting, helping attorneys build successful, sustainable practices.
Connect with Mike Chastaine:
Website: https://michaelchastaine.com/
Email: mike@chastainejones.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chastaine-4683104/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.chastaine
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bruce La Fetra discuss:
- The importance of understanding your best clients
- Marketing strategy for law firms in a competitive landscape
- The difference between experts and advisors
- The power of client testimonials and validation
Key Takeaways:
- The best clients are not only more profitable but also easier to work with, as they buy faster, pay more, and create fewer headaches, making them essential for long-term business growth.
- Law firm marketing should shift from highlighting expertise to showcasing the real-world impact of legal services, such as improving business operations, reducing risks, or increasing revenue.
- Client testimonials are most effective when they emphasize specific, measurable outcomes—like increased working capital or faster contract execution—rather than vague endorsements.
- A law firm’s messaging, from its website to client conversations, should be strategically crafted to reflect what its best clients truly value, ensuring better alignment and stronger relationships.
"So, a lot of times, people don't know why their firm is successful. They know they have clients that they love working with, and those clients would go nowhere else, but they don't know why." — Bruce La Fetra
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The History of English Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-english-podcast/id538608536
About Bruce La Fetra: Law firm owners hire Bruce La Fetra to transform their marketing and positioning by attracting clients who buy faster, pay more, and make more referrals. Rainmakers call Bruce "The Client Whisperer" because he teaches them—and their firms—how to Think Like Your Best Clients.
Bruce takes a unique approach to understanding Best Clients. He reverse-engineers the best relationships so firms can clone their Best Clients by doing more of what they do best.
Connect with Bruce La Fetra:
Website: http://eastwoodstrategy.com/
Email: bruce@easteoodstrategy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blafetra/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and James Rodgers discuss:
- Evolution and confusion surrounding DEI in the workplace
- Human nature’s role in shaping workplace dynamics
- AI and automation as the next diversity challenge
- Managing generational differences in the workforce
Key Takeaways:
- DEI has repeatedly risen and fallen as activists and organizations redefine it, creating confusion over its true purpose.
- The next diversity challenge extends beyond human differences to integrating AI, robotics, and automation into the workforce.
- Instead of hiring based on identity markers like race or gender, leaders should prioritize missing perspectives that drive innovation and problem-solving.
- Effectively managing generational differences requires direct engagement with individuals rather than relying on broad assumptions about their work ethics or expectations.
"Forty years ago, the new reality was that there was going to be a new mix of human beings in the workplace. Now, the new reality is that there is going to be a mix of humans and non-human entities in the workplace." — James Rodgers
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Behind The Human with Marc Champagne: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-human-with-marc-champagne/id1342231432
About James Rodgers: Dr. James O. Rodgers, known as “The Diversity Coach,” has spent 35+ years pioneering diversity management as a core enterprise discipline. Recognized as the #1 thought leader in the field, his books Managing Differently and Diversity Training That Generates Real Change are used in MBA programs and corporate initiatives worldwide. By blending sound management principles with practical diversity strategies, he emphasizes simplicity, pragmatism, and sustainability. He also coaches C-suite executives and directs the Executive Academy of ITSMF, preparing leaders of color for a changing world.
Connect with James Rodgers:
Website: http://jamesorodgers.com/
Email: jora@thediversitycoach.com
Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-O.-Rodgers/author/B001K7Y9WC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesorodgers/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/51680091/admin/dashboard/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.rodgers.14661261/ & https://www.facebook.com/epiphanythebooks/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Saja Raoof discuss:
- Introversion in professional networking
- Building a legal practice as an introvert
- Managing energy and making meaningful connections
- The role of systems in business development
Key Takeaways:
- Taking intentional breaks during networking events, such as stepping away for alone time, is a crucial strategy for introverts to manage their energy and remain engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
- Introverts can make networking conversations more comfortable and effective by asking open-ended questions, such as ‘How did you get into your career?,’ which encourages others to share while allowing them to listen rather than dominate the discussion.
- Careful preparation before networking events—such as identifying key people to meet, reaching out in advance, and setting clear goals like making three meaningful connections—helps introverts feel more in control and makes the experience less daunting.
- Although introverts may shy away from the spotlight, embracing opportunities to speak, give testimonials, or lead discussions allows them to establish credibility and expand their network without relying on small talk or forced social interactions.
"I am so outspoken about being an introvert exactly to send a message to the people who are a little too close, or just, you know, it's okay to embrace and it's okay to talk about." — Saja Raoof
Be That Lawyer is now syndicated on Above the Law! Catch all our new episodes and my monthly column there—spread the word and help us grow: https://abovethelaw.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Quiet by Susan Cain: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153
Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack: https://www.amazon.com/Networking-People-Who-Hate-Underconnected/dp/1605095222
About Saja Raoof: Saja Raoof is a San Francisco-based business immigration attorney. Though an introvert, she owes much of her professional success to networking. Saja will share tips on how introverts can not only survive but thrive at networking, and how they can leverage their strengths to build meaningful business relationships.
Connect with Saja Raoof:
Website: https://www.sar.law/
Email: sar@sar.law
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sajaraoof/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay McAllister discuss:
- The evolving role of AI in legal practice
- Leveraging AI for business development and marketing
- Ethical and risk considerations when using AI in law
- The future of legal technology and the rise of agentic AI
Key Takeaways:
- Many law firms have shifted from traditional keyword-based legal research to AI-powered tools that analyze case law and provide curated, context-aware results, significantly reducing time spent on research.
- Insurance carriers and other clients are leveraging data analytics and AI to challenge the hours law firms bill, forcing firms to adopt more efficient AI-driven workflows.
- A Stanford AI ethics professor submitted a legal brief with fabricated citations generated by AI, leading the judge to reject it outright and issue a warning that lawyers must verify AI-generated content before submitting it to court.
- Future AI systems will not only respond to queries but proactively complete legal tasks by recognizing key case milestones, drafting motions automatically, and sending them for attorney review.
"There were jobs that were lost, but ultimately, I don't think of it as a job that was lost. These jobs were transitioned to perform more useful, more useful activities." — Jay McAllister
Be That Lawyer is now syndicated on Above the Law! Catch all our new episodes and my monthly column there—spread the word and help us grow: https://abovethelaw.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Game with Alex Hormozi: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-game-with-alex-hormozi/id1254720112
$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi: https://www.amazon.com/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying/dp/1737475731
About Jay McAllister: Jay McAllister is the CEO of Paragon Tech. Driven by an unquenchable thirst for applied learning and innovation, Jay helps lawyers get the most out of their technology. In other words, they go from low-tech and busy to high-tech and productive.
Connect with Jay McAllister:
Website: http://paragontechit.com/
Email: jay@paragontechit.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymcallisterit/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. d
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ken Hardison discuss:
- Growing a law firm that runs independently and becomes a sellable asset
- Building relationships and giving value first
- Using structured processes and key metrics to drive predictable growth
- Mentorship, collaboration, and shared expertise
Key Takeaways:
- A law firm can only be sold for real value if it operates independently, maintains a steady case pipeline, and tracks performance through key metrics, ensuring buyers see it as a sustainable business rather than a personal brand.
- Lawyers who struggle with referrals often fail to ask, lack the right approach, or don't invest time in relationship-building, but those who prioritize value, reciprocity, and consistent engagement create a steady flow of high-quality referrals.
- Most lawyers lose business due to poor follow-up, but staying top-of-mind with referral sources through personalized thank-yous, occasional gifts, and regular check-ins ensures they continue sending cases your way.
- True financial success in law comes not from chasing profits but from focusing on genuinely helping people, because when clients and colleagues trust that you care, they are far more likely to send you business.
"You get what you want out of life by helping enough other people get what they want out of life.." — Ken Hardison
Be That Lawyer is now syndicated on Above the Law! Catch all our new episodes and my monthly column there—spread the word and help us grow: https://abovethelaw.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Rockefeller-Habits-22nd-Anniversary-dp-B0CXCDYCHN/dp/B0CXCDYCHN/
About Ken Hardison: Kenneth L. Hardison is a lawyer, author, and founder of PILMMA, the Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing & Management Association. Known as the "Millionaire Maker," Ken has grown and sold two multi-million-dollar law firms and now helps lawyers across the U.S. grow and scale their law firms to build the practice of their dreams.
Connect with Ken Hardison:
Website: https://www.pilmma.org/
Email: ken@pilmma.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenhardison/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PILMMA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PILMMA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pilmma/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chuck Andrews discuss:
- Challenges in making law firms and businesses scalable and saleable
- Strategic and mental preparation for business transitions
- Understanding client needs as a driver for business growth
- Overcoming personal barriers to achieve professional success
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers fail to create saleable practices because they don’t view their firms as scalable assets, instead focusing solely on leveraging personal skills.
- Emotional and psychological unpreparedness for life after selling a business often causes transitions to fail, making mental readiness as crucial as financial planning.
- Business owners can significantly improve scalability and growth by conducting client surveys to understand why customers choose their services.
- Identifying and managing personal saboteurs, such as the need to please or overachieve, is essential for breaking patterns that hinder both business and personal progress.
"The biggest challenge an attorney has is recognizing that they can build their practice into a saleable practice." — Chuck Andrews
Be That Lawyer is now syndicated on Above the Law! Catch all our new episodes and my monthly column there—spread the word and help us grow: https://abovethelaw.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry: https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-You-Understanding-Resilience/dp/1250223180
Wisdom at Work by Chip Conley: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Work-Making-Modern-Elder/dp/0525572902
Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine: https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Intelligence-Individuals-Achieve-Potential/dp/1608322785
The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge: https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254
About Chuck Andrews: Chuck combines expertise in technology, M&A advisory, and executive coaching, integrating AI-driven solutions into his firm's services. Clients gain from tools like AI-based Value Drivers, a Positive Intelligence mental health app, and leadership development rooted in Vistage Peer Advisory Boards.
Connect with Chuck Andrews:
Website: https://ceo15.us/
Email: chuck@ceo15.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceo15-cca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chuckCEO15/ & https://www.facebook.com/CAndrewsCEO
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sam Mollaei discuss:
- Strategies for scaling and automating a law firm
- Effective time management and focus for professionals
- The role of social media and marketing in client generation
- Utilizing AI and technology for efficiency in legal practice
Key Takeaways:
- To manage time effectively, create a strict schedule using tools like Google Calendar and focus exclusively on high-value activities during concentrated work periods.
- Social media ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are significantly more effective than Google Ads for client acquisition in 2025 due to saturation in the latter.
- A six-point formula for scaling a law firm includes focusing on a single niche, targeting high-value clients ($3,500+), expanding geographically, ensuring healthy cash flow, adjusting fee structures, and prioritizing continuous self-development.
- AI integration, such as automating lead qualification, document collection, and drafting, has become essential for running scalable and efficient law firms.
"You have to create your own rules; if not, other people will make rules for you." — Sam Mollaei
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357
About Sam Mollaei: Sam Mollaei is a visionary legal disruptor, attorney, and Founder of My Legal Academy, where he helps lawyers scale and automate their law firms using cutting-edge marketing, automation, and AI tools.
As the owner of 5 thriving law firms, Sam has helped over 1,260 lawyers grow their practices while reclaiming their time and improving their quality of life. Known for his innovative approach to disrupting the legal industry, Sam is passionate about helping lawyers work smarter, scale faster, and enjoy life. With a mission to empower legal professionals, Sam combines proven strategies with forward-thinking solutions to transform the way law is practiced.
Connect with Sam Mollaei:
Website: https://mylegalacademy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammollaei/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.mollaei/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Cohen discuss:
- Strategies for building and maintaining a successful law practice
- The role of leadership and personal branding in legal careers
- Overcoming challenges and finding fulfillment in the legal profession
- The importance of authenticity, advocacy, and adaptability in professional growth
Key Takeaways:
- When hiring, be financially prepared, follow a "slow to hire, quick to fire" approach, and seek candidates whose goals align with long-term retention.
- Building a career aligned with passion may require sacrifices, such as taking non-traditional opportunities and traveling extensively to develop expertise and a brand.
- Law firms can foster equity by diversifying associates’ work assignments through structured work tracking systems to prevent pigeonholing.
- Writing about niche cases or personal interests in law not only builds expertise but also enhances your visibility and credibility as a thought leader.
"Each and every one of us is dealing with stuff that nobody else knows about… if we can just understand that fundamental truth and be kind along the way, this whole thing gets an awful lot easier to deal with." — Michael Cohen
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America's Worst High School Hockey Team by John Bacon: https://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Lead-Unexpected-Leadership/dp/0358533260
About Michael Cohen: Michael Cohen is a Partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Immigration, and Benefits Practice Group, focusing on employment law training and counseling in Philadelphia, where he conducts over 200 trainings annually. Inspired by his mother, who fought and won a landmark Supreme Court case for working women after being fired for her pregnancy with Michael, he has a passion for education and challenges. Michael is also a devoted husband, father, travel softball coach, and avid supporter of Philadelphia and University of Michigan sports.
Connect with Michael Cohen:
Website: http://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen
Email: mcohen@duanemorris.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erika Steinberg discuss:
- The value of having a focused marketing plan for lawyers and firms
- Strategies for retaining and growing client relationships
- Building a personal brand using LinkedIn
- Benefits of fractional marketing for law firms
Key Takeaways:
- A written marketing plan provides focus, direction, and measurable goals, allowing lawyers and firms to avoid chasing "shiny objects" and instead focus on impactful projects.
- Lawyers often neglect past and existing clients as a source of business due to discomfort, yet these relationships often present the easiest opportunities for growth.
- Marketing activities should align with an individual's comfort level and schedule—focusing on actions they will actually execute.
- Firms undergoing mergers or lateral hires risk losing opportunities if they do not clearly communicate how the changes benefit clients and integrate new team members effectively.
"The marketing activities that are best are the ones that you’re going to do, the ones that fit your comfort level and your schedule." — Erika Steinberg
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Differently Podcast by Carla Reeves: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/differently/id1546761001
About Erika Steinberg: Erika Steinberg, founder of CMO2Go, has been working with law firms to maximize their marketing for more than 30 years. CMO2Go provides senior-level fractional marketing support to midsize law firms around the United States, supporting firms as they tackle their urgent and important marketing needs.
Connect with Erika Steinberg:
Website: https://www.cmo2go.co/
Email: erika@cmo2go.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikasteinberg/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmo2go-inc
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Allen discuss:
- The importance of consistency and discipline in achieving business success
- Leveraging video marketing to build credibility and save time
- Understanding and overcoming common barriers to adopting video marketing
- The value of clarity and focus in business strategy and client engagement
Key Takeaways:
- Starting with short videos that address frequently asked questions allows lawyers to engage clients effectively while also reducing the time spent repeatedly explaining the same concepts.
- Tailoring video content to a specific audience builds trust, credibility, and professional authority, making it more effective than chasing viral success or trying to appeal to a broad, unfocused audience.
- Creating high-quality videos does not require expensive equipment, as a simple setup with a smartphone, webcam, and external microphone can produce professional and engaging results.
- Videos that focus on providing solutions to client problems or answering their common questions not only save time but also help establish the creator as a knowledgeable and trustworthy expert in their field.
"The biggest benefit of video for attorneys is you get your time back... it's literally duplicating yourself." — Sarah Allen
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The No B.S. Small Business Book by Casey Graham: https://www.amazon.com/No-B-S-Small-Business-Book-ebook/dp/B09N9TZTW3
About Sarah Allen: Sarah Allen’s career bridges the worlds of big business and entrepreneurship, with leadership roles managing $100M+ divisions at Old Navy, Banana Republic, and eBay. Her time at eBay sparked a passion for empowering entrepreneurs, leading her to channel her corporate marketing expertise into helping small businesses succeed. Through her signature 5-step video marketing framework, Sarah has driven over $1M in revenue for her clients by helping them attract and convert new customers with ease.
Connect with Sarah Allen:
Website: http://www.sarahallenconsulting.com/
Email: sarah@sarahallenconsulting.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ann-allen
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tim Semelroth discuss:
- Scaling a law firm effectively while maintaining quality and culture
- The importance of consistent client engagement to foster trust and loyalty
- Leveraging specialization to establish authority and attract niche cases
- Using systems and processes to improve law firm management and branding
Key Takeaways:
- Building and maintaining a professional network early in one's career avoids missed opportunities for referrals and growth.
- Specializing in a niche like truck accident cases and gaining certifications boosts credibility and competitive edge.
- Consistent outreach, like birthday cards, newsletters, and holiday greetings, keeps clients and referral sources engaged.
- Incentivizing handwritten thank-you notes fosters appreciation, strengthening relationships and driving loyalty and referrals.
"The reality is that most people are getting fewer than five birthday cards now, and so if you can be one of those people, they're never going to forget you, no matter how big the billboard is that the 800-pound gorilla buys." — Tim Semelroth
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande: https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000
About Tim Semelroth: Tim Semelroth, a personal injury attorney with 25+ years of experience, has helped hundreds of Iowans affected by injury or death due to negligence. He is Iowa's first board-certified trucking accident attorney by the NBTA and among the first 50 in the U.S. to earn this title. A former president of the Iowa chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Iowa Association for Justice, Tim also serves on the Iowa State Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a faculty at the Trial Lawyers College and a Board of Regents member for the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys.
Connect with Tim Semelroth:
Website: https://fightingforfairness.com/
Email: tsemelroth@fightingforfairness.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsemelroth/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/rsh-legal/
Twitter: https://x.com/rshlegal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RSHLegal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rshlegal/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Weinstein discuss:
- Importance of cultivating strong client relationships in the legal field
- Effective strategies for scaling and growing a law practice
- Creating a positive and sustainable workplace culture
- Proactive client engagement and community involvement in legal services
Key Takeaways:
- Assigning a designated client relationship manager ensures continued connection and personalized care for clients even years after a case is resolved.
- Proactively educating and engaging with the community helps individuals prepare for potential legal situations, rather than reacting to crises.
- Treating the workplace as a second home and focusing on employees’ personal and professional growth reduces turnover and fosters long-term commitment.
- Maintaining a strong cash flow and hiring with a focus on ROI, alongside leveraging relationships, are critical to doubling or expanding the size of a law firm.
"Failures are learning opportunities, and really, there is no such thing as failure if you view it that way. You’re still here, still alive, and still able to make better and better decisions while improving. That’s what truly successful people do." — Justin Weinstein
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Eat-Alone-Expanded-Updated/dp/0385346654
About Justin Weinstein: Justin Weinstein, Founding Partner of the Weinstein Legal Team, earned his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University, joined the Florida Bar in 2012, and since establishing his Fort Lauderdale practice in 2016, has expanded to West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Naples, representing medical professionals treating car accident victims while fostering connections across South Florida and the Treasure Coast, with a focus on personal injury litigation, community involvement, client relationships, and accessible advocacy.
Connect with Justin Weinstein:
Website: https://www.thelawofwe.com/
Email: justin@weinstein-legal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinpweinstein/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinsteinlegalteam/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpweinstein & https://www.instagram.com/weinsteinlegalteam/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Julia Taylor discuss:
- Delegation and outsourcing as growth strategies for small law firms
- Challenges in accessing experienced legal talent and solutions through outsourcing
- Using technology and automation to streamline law firm operations
- Addressing financial and trust concerns in outsourcing decisions
Key Takeaways:
- Outsourcing tasks like paralegal work or back-office functions can significantly reduce overhead and provide flexibility, as firms pay only for billable hours without the burden of full-time employee costs.
- Many solo and small firm owners struggle to find experienced talent locally, making nationwide outsourcing a critical solution to access skilled professionals.
- Utilizing case management software like Clio or MyCase improves efficiency and allows virtual teams to collaborate effectively; exploring tools like Ghostwriter Legal for AI-driven drafting can further enhance productivity.
- Onboarding outsourced staff effectively includes creating detailed checklists, setting clear expectations, and gradually increasing responsibilities to build trust and ensure smooth integration.
"Trust but verify. Work through for a week or two with a high level of supervision, see how that goes, and then slowly start to wean away." — Julia Taylor
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
CEO School Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-school/id1525261018
About Julia Taylor: Julia Taylor is the owner of LevLegal, LLC, a virtual paralegal and law firm consulting business. She and her team provide services like virtual paralegals, firm administration, operations consulting, and staff training, helping attorneys streamline processes, reduce overhead, and focus on practicing law. LevLegal supports law firms nationwide in various practice areas.
Connect with Julia Taylor:
Website: https://www.lev-legal.com/
Email: jat@lev-legal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-taylor-46355241
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Monroe discuss:
- Balancing quality and quantity in legal practice
- Challenges and strategies in building and managing a successful law firm
- The role of technology, automation, and staff training in enhancing legal efficiency
- Innovative approaches to legal marketing and networking
Key Takeaways:
- Transitioning from a solo practitioner to building a team ensures higher quality service and enables sustainable work-life balance.
- Investing in technology, such as case management software, significantly increases operational efficiency and reduces burnout.
- For criminal defense, effective online marketing strategies like Google ads, SEO, and customer reviews are crucial for visibility and client acquisition.
- Building a "work family" through proper hiring, training, and fostering a collaborative environment leads to high employee retention and better client outcomes.
"You're not going to have a clue who I am unless I invest the time and the energy into putting that stuff out there and giving my clients an opportunity to let people know how good I, my team, my associates, and our services are." — Scott Monroe
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
About Scott Monroe: At Monroe Law, PA, justice matters. Jacksonville criminal defense attorney Scott Monroe, the firm’s founder and president, has dedicated his career to providing exceptional service. As a former prosecutor, he has intimate knowledge of state prosecutions. Scott started his firm to focus on quality over quantity, taking the time to understand each case and help clients.
An award-winning attorney, he has received the Elite Advocate Award for six years and led Monroe Law Firm to accolades like Top 10 Best Criminal Defense Law Firms in Florida and Law Firm of the Year in 2023. Previously, he founded Monroe & King, P.A. (now First Coast Criminal Defense), earning multiple awards before departing in 2023 to establish Monroe Law Firm. For clarity, Scott is no longer affiliated with Monroe & King (First Coast Criminal Defense).
Connect with Scott Monroe:
Website: https://www.monroelaw.com/
Email: dscott@monroelaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-monroe-18157753/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Simon McCrum discuss:
- Effective business development in law firms
- Enhancing client loyalty through service
- Standing out with unique differentiators
- Building trust and collaboration internally
Key Takeaways:
- Authenticity and trust, rather than sheer volume of connections, are the cornerstone of effective business development, as demonstrated by prioritizing fewer, deeper introducer relationships.
- A well-defined "service promise," crowd-designed and rigorously delivered, creates a memorable client experience that sets a firm apart from its competitors.
- Revisiting underutilized existing client relationships can unlock significant growth by exploring untapped legal service opportunities and addressing overlooked needs.
- Implementing transparent client feedback systems, like real-time service ratings published publicly, builds credibility, accountability, and fosters long-term client trust and satisfaction.
"Business development isn’t goodwill development; it has to be about money and profit." — Simon McCrum
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
About Simon McCrum: Simon McCrum, a Management Consultant, helps law firms strengthen and grow their businesses. A solicitor and former Equity Partner and Managing Partner, he has decades of leadership in law firms and legal teams.
Qualifying as a lawyer in 1990, Simon moved from fee-earner to roles like Marketing Partner, Director of Business Development, and part of the Management Team at a £50m turnover UK law firm. In 2007, as Managing Partner of a Top 200 UK law firm with a £6m turnover, he led the firm from a trading loss during the Credit Crunch to its most successful year in 2010, becoming the UK’s fastest-growing law firm.
After the firm’s 2016 acquisition, Simon launched McCrum Consulting to boost law firm performance and growth. He developed "The Perfect Legal Business" model, which inspired his bestselling book, The Perfect Legal Business, followed by The Perfect Lawyer. His upcoming book, The Perfect Partner, completes the trilogy.
Connect with Simon McCrum:
Website: https://www.mccrum.legal/
Email: simon@mccrumandco.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonmccrum/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Heather Moulder discuss:
- Aligning legal careers with personal values and intentionality
- Leveraging storytelling for branding and client relationships
- Balancing life, career, and embracing transformative change
- Attracting ideal clients for a sustainable practice
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can attract ideal clients by sharing stories that highlight their values, approach, and style, rather than focusing solely on credentials.
- Life challenges, like a cancer diagnosis, can spark a re-evaluation of priorities and lead to career shifts aligned with personal fulfillment.
- Effective storytelling involves brainstorming past experiences, organizing them into themes, and focusing on lessons or client wins while maintaining confidentiality.
- Strong branding stories cast the client as the hero and the lawyer as a guide, creating relatable and impactful narratives.
"The brilliance of storytelling.... is it attracts better clients. And by better, I don’t mean others are bad...just not a good fit for you from a values or personality perspective." — Heather Moulder
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-Customers/dp/0718033329
About Heather Moulder: Heather Moulder, former Big Law partner, lawyer business coach, and host of the Life & Law Podcast, left a multi-million-dollar book of business after 18 years in private practice and a breast cancer battle to help lawyers build their ideal law practice around the life they want to live.
Using a tailored framework aligned with each client's strengths, values, and needs, Heather helps attorneys build seven-figure practices without sacrificing themselves. Her clients rave about how this approach 10x’s performance and reenergizes them professionally.
When not helping clients achieve more with less, Heather is cooking gluten-free meals or cheering on her baseball-obsessed teenager in the Texas heat.
Connect with Heather Moulder:
Website: https://www.coursecorrectioncoaching.com/
Email: heather@heathermoulder.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermoulder/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Julia Hensel discuss:
- The critical role of SEO in driving law firm growth
- Adapting to Google’s shifting algorithms for visibility
- Mobile optimization as a key factor for conversions
- Leveraging local search strategies for competitive legal markets
Key Takeaways:
- Law firms with strong reputations and histories are ideal candidates for SEO, but smaller-budget firms in large geographies should explore alternative marketing strategies.
- Google's recent algorithm updates focus on "helpful content" written for people rather than content optimized purely for search, impacting firms using mass-generated or AI-driven content strategies.
- Many legal websites fail to optimize for mobile, with critical features like inquiry forms often buried at the bottom of pages, significantly reducing conversions.
- Local Service Ads (LSAs) operate on a pay-per-lead model and require proper tracking and optimization to ensure ROI, particularly in competitive markets.
"Google looks for expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trust. If you are a firm with strong results, with many different cases you can speak to on your site, you’re able to prove a lot of those elements, and SEO will be a really strong fit for you." — Julia Hensel
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath: https://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287
About Julia Hensel: Julia Hensel is the CEO of Lexigate, an SEO agency that services law firms. In her role at Lexigate, Julia oversees the agency’s work across website development, content creation, on-page optimization, link building, local strategies, and more. Lexigate focuses on driving measurable growth in signed cases and guarantees an increase in the first year of working together—or will work for free until targeted results are achieved.
Connect with Julia Hensel:
Website: https://lexigate.com/
Email: julia.hensel@lexigate.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliawittrockhensel/ & https://linkedin.com/company/lexigate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexigateagency
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexigate_com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gideon Grunfeld discuss:
- Strategies for pricing legal services effectively
- Overcoming psychological barriers to fee adjustments in legal practice
- The importance of tailoring legal service models
- Leveraging emotional connections and effective communication in client relationships
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often undercharge because they fear client objections, but raising rates with new clients or incrementally testing higher fees with existing clients can result in fairer compensation.
- Time is not always the best proxy for value in legal services; using flat fees or value-based pricing can align better with the real impact of a lawyer's work.
- Approaching legal service delivery as a relationship rather than a transaction allows lawyers to justify higher fees by emphasizing guidance, expertise, and emotional support.
- A subscription model can be a game-changer for repetitive, high-volume work, such as employment law, offering consistent engagement and client satisfaction.
"The value you're providing has very little to do with the time you're putting in. In fact, if you can make it go away really fast, the client values it even more. So, do not charge by the hour." — Gideon Grunfeld
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Huberman Lab Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110
About Gideon Grunfeld: Gideon Grunfeld was, for almost ten years, a large law firm business litigator and an antitrust attorney. As the president and founder of Rainmaking For Lawyers, he has since 2004 consulted with law firms and coached individual partners, of counsel, and associates to grow their book of business. In this capacity, he has helped thousands of lawyers increase their initial retainers, raise their hourly rates and flat fees, communicate their fees to clients, and increase their collections.
Connect with Gideon Grunfeld:
Website: https://rainmakingforlawyers.com/
Email: gideon@rainmakingforlawyers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggrunfeld/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Russell Knight discuss:
- Challenges and strategies in scaling a legal practice
- Balancing professional and personal commitments effectively
- Building and retaining talent within a growing law firm
- The role of firm culture and external development in professional success
Key Takeaways:
- Hiring experienced professionals, even at a higher cost, provides stability and reduces the training needs of fresh graduates who require more supervision.
- Ongoing recruitment through social media and outreach ensures a steady talent pipeline, allowing potential hires to learn about the firm’s culture before joining.
- Investing in external development programs, like trial advocacy courses, enhances lawyers’ skills, strengthens loyalty, and shows the firm’s commitment to their growth.
- Hosting team-building events, such as farm-to-table dinners or concert outings, fosters culture, encourages cohesion, and attracts top talent.
"Stop being cheap. That dollar isn’t your dollar; it’s the firm’s dollar, and it needs to get spent on people that aren’t you." — Russell Knight
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573
About Russell Knight: Russell Knight is an experienced divorce and family law attorney with offices in Chicago and Naples. He has authored over 700 articles and contributed to legal publications, including the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Frequently quoted by NBC News and Newsweek, Russell offers expert guidance on divorce, contracts, litigation, and equity issues. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, he provides strategic support to clients navigating complex family law matters.
Connect with Russell Knight:
Website: https://rdklegal.com/
Email: russelldknight@gmail.com
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-d-knight/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/law-office-of-russell-d-knight/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawOfficeofRussellDKnight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorceattorneyknight/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Gardner discuss:
- The impact of emotional intelligence on personal and professional success
- Strategies for communication and influence in legal practice
- Addressing challenges in business development and client management
- Lawyers’ responsibility in upholding societal values and the rule of law
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can enhance their decision-making and relationship-building skills by focusing on emotional intelligence, which includes empathy and understanding clients' emotions.
- Influence, distinct from power or convincing, is most effective when used to align others' decisions with their own goals while fostering collaboration.
- Prospective client meetings are more successful when the focus is on listening and empathizing rather than pitching or hard-selling services.
- Recognizing every interaction as an opportunity to influence positively can help lawyers build trust, improve client outcomes, and reinforce their roles as guardians of the rule of law.
"Every communication is an opportunity to move further and further toward that end—using influence in a really positive way to achieve great results for our clients and to enforce the rule of law." — Jennifer Gardner
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Lex Fridman Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lex-fridman-podcast/id1434243584
About Jennifer Gardner: Jennifer B. Gardner is a Los Angeles-based trial lawyer and persuasive communications educator. She specializes in strategic, empathic, and persuasive communication, focusing on high performers in various settings. When she is not lawyering, she educates high-performing leaders on how to grow their executive presence and confidence using persuasive communication strategies through her program, “The Art of Influence and the Power Lab,” as well as for various continuing legal education providers. She also consults with lawyers on strategic messaging for their cases and helps them enhance their courtroom presence.
Connect with Jennifer Gardner:
Website: https://jenniferbgardner.com/ & https://jgardnerassociates.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbgardner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjenniferbgardner
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sonya Palmer discuss:
- Keeping connections alive after meetings
- Growing teams and operations effectively
- Empowering women in law firms
- Using content and AI to grow practices
Key Takeaways:
- To avoid losing momentum after meetings, always establish a next step, whether scheduling a follow-up or agreeing on mutual actions that maintain the connection.
- A robust hiring process, including video interviews and task-based evaluations, ensures new hires align with company values and can meet performance standards.
- Women advancing in leadership roles bring invaluable diversity to law firms, fostering client trust and improving business outcomes by reflecting varied perspectives.
- Combining personal content strengths with tools like ChatGPT allows lawyers to efficiently generate scalable marketing materials that create lasting client engagement.
"Because in by being themselves and by being authentic, [women] have value....they don't have to pretend to be like the men. They have their own unique value, just like men do." — Sonya Palmer
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Personal Injury Mastermind Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personal-injury-mastermind/id1501754955
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509
About Sonya Palmer: Sonya Palmer, the voice behind LawHer, is a seasoned digital marketing expert and the SVP of Operations at Rankings.io, an Inc. 5000 SEO company for lawyers. Working closely with female attorneys at various career stages—many now firm owners—Sonya identified a critical gap: women were often trying to build their legal businesses alone, without visibility into successful models. Through LawHer, she aims to provide women in law the tools, insights, and community support needed to redefine success on their own terms.
Connect with Sonya Palmer:
Website: https://rankings.io/
Email: Sonya@rankings.io
Show: LawHer Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawher/id1599413853
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonyapalmer/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jared Correia discuss:
- The evolving role of AI and technology in legal practices
- Common obstacles lawyers face with adopting and implementing tech solutions
- Strategies for improving law firm efficiency and productivity
- Trends in business development and billing models
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers hesitate to adopt AI due to risk aversion and limited tech savviness, but starting with free tools like ChatGPT can ease the transition.
- Flat fee billing models align with AI efficiencies, as ethical guidelines discourage charging for time saved through automation.
- AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Duet AI reduce time on repetitive tasks, allowing lawyers to focus on strategic work.
- Large firms often beta-test AI in specific practice groups, while smaller firms use off-the-shelf or custom solutions.
"I have found that most attorneys...it's a talent acquisition problem these days, not a work acquisition problem. They need to find more lawyers to do the work—another way to look at it is, maybe we need more technology to do the work and deploy that." — Jared Correia
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Rest Is History Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786
About Jared Correia: Jared D. Correia, Esq., a former practicing lawyer, has been a business management consultant for law firms since 2008, working with thousands of firms globally, from solo practices to Big Law. An internationally recognized legal technology expert, he is the founder and CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, serving lawyers directly and through bar associations. Correia has hosted The Legal Toolkit podcast since 2009 and The NonEventcast podcast for Above the Law. He also contributes to the NonEvent legal technology hub, presents for legal organizations, and writes for law firm business management publications.
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: https://www.redcavelegal.com/
Email: jared@redcavelegal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/red-cave-legal/
Twitter: https://x.com/jaredcorreia & https://x.com/RedCaveLegal
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stuart Baum discuss:
- Developing positive habits for personal and professional success
- Overcoming bad habits that hinder productivity and growth
- The importance of accountability and structured systems in habit formation
- Strategies for effective business development and client engagement
Key Takeaways:
- Writing down commitments and follow-ups immediately after meetings, whether by texting yourself or using a note app, ensures accountability and helps avoid forgetting key tasks or names from conversations.
- Allocating two 30-minute blocks each week exclusively for business development activities, such as following up on leads or setting appointments, creates consistency and avoids the excuse of being too busy to prioritize growth.
- Using storytelling in conversations, focusing on concise, memorable anecdotes about solving client problems, engages potential clients better than overwhelming them with a long list of services.
- Establishing accountability partnerships, where colleagues or peers meet regularly to share progress and co-develop opportunities, adds structure to habit-building and prevents the temptation to delay important tasks.
"Not all habits work for all people, but some of it will work for you—pick the things that work for you and do it." — Stuart Baum
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
If Books Could Kill Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-books-could-kill/id1651876897
About Stuart Baum: Stuart Baum is a Sales, Marketing & Customer Success consultant and coach with proven experience helping businesses develop and implement go-to-market (GTM) and client expansion/saturation processes to increase lead generation and sales, grow client profitability, and improve the overall sales and marketing culture. He sits on a number of corporate boards, serves as the board chair of a not-for-profit, and also writes children's stories, which, along with writing activities and games, can be found at StuartStories.com.
Connect with Stuart Baum:
Website: https://largerpond.com/
Email: stuart@largerpond.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartbaum
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bryan Figueroa discuss:
- Strategies for scaling law firms effectively
- The importance of delegation and effective team-building
- Leveraging technology and automation in legal practice management
- The evolving role of outsourcing and virtual staffing in modern law firms
Key Takeaways:
- Solopreneurs should prioritize identifying their strengths and weaknesses to effectively delegate non-revenue generating tasks at a lower cost than their billable rate.
- Mid-sized law firms often struggle with innovation and can benefit from modernizing their technology stack and overcoming attachment to outdated practices.
- A central source of truth, such as a practice management suite, ensures all stakeholders have real-time access to essential data, streamlining firm operations.
- Over-hiring without sufficient revenue reserves can lead to financial strain during slow seasons, emphasizing the importance of planning and inventorying resources before scaling.
"With the right standards of operations, the right training in place, and the right vision, every single one of the team members that is hired—if due diligence is done correctly—will perform accordingly, buy into the mission, and help push it forward." — Bryan Figueroa
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Free Lawyer Podcast by Gary Miles: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-free-lawyer/id1614507857
About Bryan Figueroa: Bryan Figueroa is a seasoned Sales and Operations leader and President of ShiftSixOS, a company providing full-time support staff for law firms and legal tech companies at a fraction of traditional hiring costs. Previously, he worked at a leading legal tech company, gaining valuable insights into industry challenges and building lasting client relationships. Bryan’s leadership emphasizes personalized support and a consultative approach to help clients scale their businesses and achieve success in a rapidly evolving market.
Connect with Bryan Figueroa:
Website: https://shiftsixos.com/
Email: bryan.figueroa@shiftsixos.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-figueroa1024/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/shiftsixos/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Kormanik discuss:
- Mastering time and prioritization for lawyers
- Transitioning from law practice to impactful coaching
- Embracing work-life blend over balance
- The value of coaching for professional growth
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should identify and focus on high-level tasks only they can perform, saying no to distractions and delegating effectively to reclaim control of their schedules.
- Creating space to recharge, such as leaving your phone behind during walks or taking intentional downtime, is crucial to maintaining focus and high performance.
- Begin each day with proactive work aligned with your goals, avoiding the trap of reactive email responses, which often represent others' priorities rather than your own.
- Instead of chasing an impossible balance, embrace the idea of blending professional demands and personal goals based on the current season of your life and work.
"You do hard things every day—you just don’t realize it because, by the time you're done, you’ve already done them." — John Kormanik
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Rich Roll Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rich-roll-podcast/id582272991
About John Kormanik: John R. Kormanik is a Professional Certified Coach, known worldwide as the lawyer who coaches lawyers. His passion for human potential, combined with his coaching and legal training, along with a successful twenty-four-year career as a law firm owner and attorney, enables him to challenge his clients to achieve more than they believe possible.
Connect with John Kormanik:
Website: https://www.johnrkormanik.com/
Email: john@johnrkormanik.com
Book: Break the Law: A Story of a Reimagined Legal Career and a Reclaimed Life: https://www.breakthelawbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrkormanik
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Simmons discuss:
- Effective time management in the legal profession
- Developing habits and accountability for consistent business development
- Building a client-focused business model in law
- Overcoming personal and systemic barriers to success in legal business development
Key Takeaways:
- Allocating just 30 minutes weekly to business development can compound into significant progress over time, enabling lawyers to take control of their career trajectory.
- Transitioning from billable hours to value-based or subscription pricing models requires not just a pricing shift but a comprehensive business model overhaul.
- Lawyers must use tools like LinkedIn and existing client relationships to secure referrals effectively; over 90% of clients are willing to refer, yet only 8% of lawyers ask for them.
- Small, incremental habit changes, such as reading a chapter a week or posting on LinkedIn weekly, are more sustainable and impactful than attempting major shifts all at once.
"What business development does is give you options, leverage, and control over your career choices. We're not taught this, and.....it's not something covered in law school." — Scott Simmons
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Outbound Squad Podcast
About Scott Simmons: Scott Simmons, Co-Founder & Director of Legal Balance, is a toolbox for turning lawyers into rainmakers. After a successful law career, he discovered a passion for coaching and has spent 12 years helping lawyers build careers and senior executives excel. He offers bespoke training, coaching, and leadership courses globally and created The BD Breakthrough Blueprint™, a digital course for aspiring rainmakers. Scott writes and speaks on legal business development, value-based pricing, and subscription models. A husband, father, and film lover, he often includes movie analogies like Jaws or When Harry Met Sally in his sessions.
Connect with Scott Simmons:
Website: https://www.legalbalanceinstitute.com/
Email: scott.simmons@legalbalance.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottsimmonsbdm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gordon Firemark discuss:
- Podcasting as a tool for branding, content creation, and growth
- Legal and ethical essentials for podcasting
- Streamlining podcast production with AI and tech
- Leveraging unique marketing strategies to enhance professional presence
Key Takeaways:
- Podcasting generates diverse discoverable content by utilizing video, audio, and transcription, which can be repurposed into clips, blog posts, or courses to expand reach.
- Preparation with detailed outlines, structured workflows, and AI tools simplifies production.
- Legal consent from guests is essential, covering recording, editing, and perpetual use, including AI-related content integrity.
- Success relies on audience-building through consistent, targeted content that establishes authority and drives client acquisition and referrals.
"Once you do [podcasting], I think it is a fantastic way of getting the word out and publishing your message on a regular basis." — Gordon Firemark
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Expert Edge Podcast with Colin Boyd: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/expert-edge-podcast/id1500505303
About Gordon Firemark: Gordon Firemark, widely known as "The Podcast Lawyer™," is a seasoned entertainment attorney specializing in podcasting law. With 32 years of experience, he advises podcasters and clients in theater, film, television, and digital media. A sought-after speaker and writer on legal issues affecting digital creators, Gordon has been featured in numerous podcasts, webinars, and industry events. He hosts the Entertainment Law Update podcast (since 2009) and Legit Podcast Pro, providing expert insights on podcasting law. Gordon is also the author of the Podcast, Blog & New Media Producer’s Legal Survival Guide and develops online courses for creatives, entrepreneurs, and small firm lawyers.
Connect with Gordon Firemark:
Website: https://firemark.com
Email: gfiremark@firemark.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gfiremark
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gfiremark
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gordonfiremark/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tracy LaLonde discuss:
- Dynamics of trust in professional and client relationships
- Stress management and work-life balance strategies
- Effective delegation and communication for legal professionals
- Maintaining integrity and transparency in business
Key Takeaways:
- Trust grows through intentional, proactive communication, where even small gestures like timely responses build respect, while ignoring issues can erode trust and risk client loyalty.
- Finding personal joy amid work demands means setting boundaries (like leaving office on time) and developing discipline to prioritize non-work activities, even when emails and tasks pile up.
- Incremental delegation—starting with small tasks and expanding—builds confidence and trust, allowing the delegator to guide quality without an "all-or-nothing" approach.
- Acknowledging when personal matters affect responsiveness and communicating transparently with clients, even with a brief update, repairs trust and reassures them of quality service.
"Integrity is everything. And I define integrity as doing what you say you’re going to do when you said you were going to do it." — Tracy LaLonde
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
About Tracy LaLonde: Tracy LaLonde, an engaging trainer and speaker with over 30 years of experience, is dedicated to revolutionizing engagement in law firms. She offers practical, easy-to-digest guidance backed by cutting-edge research that will make a lasting impact on lawyers and business professionals. Through Joychiever’s Hierarchy of Engagement, as well as her comprehensive courses, Tracy equips law firms with tools to boost engagement, foster trust, minimize burnout, bolster financial performance, and create a culture where people thrive. With her dynamic approach, Tracy is setting a new standard for the legal industry.
Connect with Tracy LaLonde:
Website: https://www.joychiever.com/
Email: tracy@joychiever.com
Book: Trust Me: The Insider's Guide to Being the Go-To Person at Work
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracylalonde/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Deb Feder discuss:
- Importance of client relationship management and deepening connections
- Prioritizing tasks to enhance productivity and work-life balance
- Role of social media in professional growth and networking
- Effective business development and optimizing client interactions
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can achieve more sustainable productivity by prioritizing just two major tasks before checking email each day, preventing inbox overwhelm from dictating their workflow.
- Strategic questioning, like asking "Tell me more" or inquiring about specific client concerns, allows lawyers to gather deeper insights that often reveal additional opportunities to add value.
- LinkedIn profile optimization—especially the "about" section and professional headline—helps professionals attract the right clients by clearly reflecting their expertise and approach.
- Lawyers should leverage informal moments and small talk in client interactions to create authentic connections, which ultimately build client loyalty and lead to new business opportunities.
"Tell me more… triggers your brain to get back in and actually actively listen, and from there you can thoughtfully respond." — Deb Feder
Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I'll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Make No Small Plans: Lessons on Thinking Big, Chasing Dreams, and Building Community
About Deb Feder: Deb Feder, CEO of Feder Development, LLC, is a business development and practice management strategist and coach for lawyers and law firms. Having practiced corporate law for 15 years, her work focuses on helping lawyers and professionals bring in consistent clients through curious, confident conversations. Deb holds a history degree from the University of Michigan and her JD/MBA from the University of Iowa. She completed her coach training and certification through New Ventures West and completed training in The Daring Way, which is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. She is the author of After Hello and Tell Me More.
Connect with Deb Feder:
Website: https://debfeder.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bizdeb/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Zapf discuss:
- Financial planning and metrics for law firms
- Importance of strategic investments and cost control
- Leveraging financial storytelling for decision-making
- Best practices for client and revenue management
Key Takeaways:
- In addition to revenue, law firm owners should track net income and cash flow, as well as specific KPIs like effective hourly rates and client lifetime value to fully understand profitability.
- Payroll should be about 40-45% of revenue; excessive payroll spending can prevent firm growth and profitability, especially if partners or staff are not contributing proportional value.
- Firms should aim to bill upfront where possible and maintain timely follow-ups on accounts receivable to reduce cash flow issues and avoid prolonged collection struggles.
- Undercharging for services can lead to rapid client acquisition but may indicate undervaluing; regular market assessments can ensure competitive and profitable pricing.
"The financial story goes beyond just having a financial report that your bookkeeper might give you each month. It’s more about understanding where you are right now in your business and where you want to go." — Brian Zapf
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Tim Ferriss Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795
About Brian Zapf: Brian Zapf is the founder and Chief CFO of Flight Financial, a fractional CFO firm that helps law firm owners master their financials through clear financial storytelling and strategic financial management. With a focus on improving cash flow, profitability, and business growth, Brian uses his background in accounting and finance to help lawyers turn their numbers into actionable insights. He has helped his clients focus on what matters, improve their firm's performance, and reduce their stress.
Connect with Brian Zapf:
Website: https://www.flight.financial/
Email: brian@flight.financial
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdzapf/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Love discuss:
- The value of finding a specialized niche in legal recruiting
- Strategies for building resilience in a challenging field
- Techniques for effectively positioning oneself as a trusted expert
- The importance of focusing efforts to maximize productivity and impact
Key Takeaways:
- Focusing exclusively on corporate, finance, and private equity law clients allowed Scott to build deeper client relationships and better anticipate client needs.
- Analyzing hiring and attrition data from law firms helps identify ideal clients whose needs align well with a specialized niche, enhancing recruitment effectiveness.
- Narrowing service to a limited number of retained clients at a time can improve service outcomes by allowing more dedicated and strategic client development.
- Success in niche recruiting relies on building a brand distinct from competitors, using thought leadership, targeted marketing, and leveraging unique personal strengths to attract high-value clients.
"If you're dealing with sophisticated people, you really need to find not just uniqueness but distinction. And if you don’t have it, you can build it through thought leadership." — Scott Love
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff: https://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Anything-Innovative-Presenting-Persuading/dp/0071752854
About Scott Love: Scott Love is the founder of The Attorney Search Group, a legal recruiting firm. His practice focuses on partner transitions and law firm mergers, with specialized expertise in recruiting for global law firms in the areas of corporate, finance, private equity, and related practices.
Connect with Scott Love:
Website: https://attorneysearchgroup.com/
Show: The Rainmaking Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rainmaking-podcast/id318840415
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotttlove/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Educate discuss:
- Effective habits for business development and client relationships
- Relationship-driven networking and sustained client loyalty
- The impact of mentorship and personal values on professional growth
- The importance of active listening and sales-free selling techniques
Key Takeaways:
- Making business development a regular, ingrained part of the daily routine is essential for long-term success and should not be left as an “end-of-day” task.
- Building a client relationship based on trust and a commitment to solving client issues, even outside one’s specific expertise, can strengthen loyalty and ensure clients return.
- Personal experiences and relationships, such as advice from family, shape and inform approaches to client interactions, stressing genuine investment in client outcomes.
- Developing an initial personal network—family, friends, and peers—early on can lay a foundation for a robust client base, emphasizing relationship depth over formal networking.
"People want to work with people that they respect and admire and people they feel like ‘get it’… it’s not just about the case in front of you. It's not just about the client relationship in front of you. It's making that person's life that much easier." — Michael Educate
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Par Train - A Mental Golf Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-par-train-a-mental-golf-show/id1136003885
About Michael Educate: Michael Educate is a trial lawyer engaged in all aspects of dispute resolution and strategic counseling, both in commercial litigation and in tax controversy matters. He has experience across various legal areas and industries for clients of all sizes, from small, privately held businesses to multinational enterprises, and particularly focuses his practice on representing clients in the financial industry as well as motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors. Mike is also frequently called upon to handle disputes involving asset and business valuations and complex damages claims.
Connect with Michael Educate:
Website: https://www.bfkn.com/people/michaeleducate
Email: michael.educate@bfkn.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeleducate/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rochelle Seltzer discuss:
- Embracing creativity for professional and personal growth
- Managing client relationships and workload creatively
- Building an authentic personal brand
- Unlocking creativity in structured professions
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can build a more fulfilling practice by choosing clients selectively, raising rates, and letting go of work that doesn’t align with their strengths, helping to prevent burnout.
- Short breaks throughout the day, even just to breathe or walk, help the right brain process information freely, often leading to "aha" moments that strict schedules may block.
- Starting the day with a quick intention, like five minutes of journaling, creates a mental foundation for openness, curiosity, and meaningful progress in both work and life.
- Reconnecting with personal interests, like gardening, music, or cooking, releases creative energy, boosts motivation, sparks new ideas, and adds enthusiasm to daily tasks.
"When you step one little baby step over your comfort zone—that line of your comfort zone—you’re already in a more creative space." — Rochelle Seltzer
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/10x-Easier-Than-World-Class-Entrepreneurs/dp/140196995X
About Rochelle Seltzer: Rochelle Seltzer is a Creative Core Coach, author of the highly acclaimed book, Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life, and an international speaker. Her mission is to unleash the untapped creative capacity inside women (and men) everywhere. She coaches accomplished women, leads powerful retreats, and brings dynamic programs into companies. Her work enables women to show up boldly, bring all of their greatness into the world, have their biggest impact, and live their most fulfilling lives.
Connect with Rochelle Seltzer:
Website: https://www.rochelleseltzer.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rochelleseltzercreativecoach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-seltzer-coach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seltzerrochelle/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Daniel Scola discuss:
- Developing business skills as a lawyer
- Balancing legal expertise with emotional intelligence
- Transitioning from in-house counsel to a law firm partner
- Competing with larger firms for corporate clients
Key Takeaways:
- Building strong relationships with general counsel often involves using emotional intelligence to understand their concerns and tailor communication effectively.
- Transitioning from in-house to a law firm typically requires learning business development skills, relying on initiative and building relationships to attract clients.
- To compete with larger firms, smaller firms can emphasize personal attention from experienced attorneys, offering more direct and hands-on service.
- Understanding the internal pressures on general counsel, such as how they communicate up the chain, helps lawyers offer tailored solutions that ease their stress.
"If you just say, 'I can do it for a cheaper price,' it's not going to work... You have to emphasize that an experienced person will do the work... not a first-year associate with three others reviewing it." — Daniel Scola
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It by John Tierney & Roy F. Baumeister
About Daniel Scola: Daniel A. Scola, Jr. is the managing partner of Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, overseeing the chemical, pharmaceutical/biochemical, and medical device practice in the New Jersey office. With extensive experience in polymers, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, he specializes in building IP portfolios and strategies to protect company value. Scola practices in Post Grant Proceedings at the USPTO and has argued at the appellate level before the CAFC. He held roles at Warner-Lambert Co. and Loctite Corporation, and before law, he was a chemist at United Technologies with expertise in material science, polymers, and adhesives.
Connect with Daniel Scola:
Website: https://www.hbiplaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielscola/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/hbiplaw
Twitter: https://x.com/hbiplaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hbiplaw
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve, Camille, and Brenda discuss:
- Law firm compensation structures and challenges
- The role of transparency in legal industry compensation
- Succession planning and generational shifts in law firms
- Recruiting and retaining legal talent in a competitive market
Key Takeaways:
- Non-equity partnership tracks are becoming common, allowing lawyers to learn financial and managerial aspects before committing to buy-ins.
- Law school debt significantly influences young lawyers' careers, with some firms offering loan reimbursement to attract top talent.
- Compensation plans should align with a firm's goals and offer flexibility to retain high performers while balancing work-life needs.
- Origination credit structures can create competition within firms, but when managed well, they enhance succession planning and stability.
"If you're willing to have conversations with people about what they want in life... you're speaking their love language at that point." — Camille Stell
"I had a partner tell me a long time ago, 'I don't need any new clients because all of our conference rooms are full,' and I'm just thinking how short-sighted that could possibly be." — Brenda Barnes
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Financial Feminist Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/financial-feminist/id1566054936
About Camille Stell and Brenda Barnes: Camille Stell and Brenda Barnes are the authors of the newly published 2nd Edition of Respect: An Insight to Attorney Compensation Plans. Brenda and Camille are available for consults in succession planning, path to partnership, and compensation plans, including financial formulas for capital buy-in and retirement buy-out.
Connect with Camille Stell and Brenda Barnes:
Website: http://www.lawyersmutualconsulting.com & http://www.brenda-barnes.com
Book: RESPECT - An Insight to Attorney Compensation Plans:
https://www.amazon.com/RESPECT-Insight-Attorney-Compensation-Plans/dp/1734108665
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillestell/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendabarnes/
Twitter: https://x.com/barneslegalmgmt
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Mehr discuss:
- Importance of CRM and data-driven approaches in law practice management
- Strategies for scaling a law firm efficiently
- The role of marketing and brand differentiation in legal industry success
- Balancing multiple roles and responsibilities within a growing practice
Key Takeaways:
- A customized CRM system is essential for tracking key metrics, enabling predictive analytics, improving budgeting, and preventing lawyers from running practices without measurable results.
- Scaling a law firm effectively requires standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent case outcomes, allowing firms to handle more cases successfully as they grow.
- A unique brand name like "Sweet James" helped Steve’s firm stand out in a competitive legal market by attracting clients through a distinctive identity while reducing the focus on ego.
- Regular short team meetings that address daily priorities, obstacles, and urgent issues keep everyone aligned, enhancing both efficiency and clarity for the team.
"If you're not tracking the data, that means you can't measure it, and if you're not measuring your data, then you're probably in law as a hobby." — Steve Mehr
Join Steve on November 15th for an exclusive 60-minute session focused on actionable strategies for business growth. Register now—seats are limited to the first 20 attorneys! Sign up here: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't by Verne Harnish: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Up-Companies-Rockefeller-Habits/dp/0986019526
About Steve Mehr: Steve Mehr is the founding partner of Sweet James, a leading personal injury law firm in the U.S. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in catastrophic injuries, product liability, vehicle accidents, and medical malpractice, overseeing hundreds of millions in client recoveries. As a business leader, Steve is passionate about helping businesses grow and used his proprietary CRM software to drive rapid growth at his firm, which he sold for multiple seven figures. He now shares unique insights into scaling businesses and is dedicated to mentorship and philanthropy, supporting local charities.
Connect with Steve Mehr:
Website: https://sweetjames.com/
Email: steve@sweetjames.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweetjames/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eido Walny discuss:
- Entrepreneurial mindset in law
- Balancing personal and professional life
- Client experience and relationship management
- Mentorship and professional growth
Key Takeaways:
- A singular focus on achieving business goals ensures that all efforts are dedicated to success, with no fallback plan to divert attention.
- Focusing on doing what’s best for the business and clients will naturally lead to financial rewards, rather than chasing short-term gains.
- Ensuring clients leave just as satisfied as they were when they arrived (‘Smiles In, Smiles Out’ policy) by maintaining clear, timely communication and proactively managing expectations throughout the relationship.
- Setting aside a portion of earnings for profit ensures the business stays financially healthy while rewarding those taking the risk, without jeopardizing operations.
"We all have personalities, cultures, and other things that explain why we're where we are and why we're happy. And if we're just chasing dollars, it leads to a path of unhappiness." — Eido Walny
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Profit First For Lawyers by RJon Robins (book)
Profit First For Lawyers by RJon Robins (podcast)
About Eido Walny: Eido M. Walny received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2001, where he was Executive Articles Editor of the Boston University International Law Journal. He earned a B.A. in Political Science, with honors, from The University of Chicago. His practice focuses on estate planning, asset protection, business succession, probate, and trust administration, with additional experience in business, tax, and real estate law. He is also a national speaker, author, and expert witness on estate planning, charitable giving, and business issues. Eido founded Walny Legal Group LLC in 2011 to offer clients both high-level legal care and excellent customer service.
Connect with Eido Walny:
Website: https://walnylegal.com/
Phone: 414-751-7531
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eido-walny-jd-aep-epls-2756a5/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jonathan Baum discuss:
- Transitioning from a big law firm to independent practice
- Cultivating strong client relationships for career sustainability in law
- The evolving dynamics of legal work
- Personal branding and positioning oneself in a competitive legal environment
Key Takeaways:
- Independent lawyers can effectively compete with large firms by assembling specialized teams for specific projects, which allows them to deliver high-quality services while remaining flexible and responsive to client needs.
- The financial advantages of independent practice are substantial, as independent lawyers can retain up to 99.7% of their billed income, a stark contrast to the lower take-home pay typically seen in large law firms.
- For lawyers transitioning from big firms, conducting a thorough risk assessment and leveraging existing client relationships can help establish a sustainable practice without relying on a large firm's reputation.
- The belief that clients require a big law firm's name can be countered by demonstrating that hiring based on a lawyer’s individual expertise and client relationships is far more crucial for achieving favorable outcomes.
"If you really think that leaving that firm is going to cause you to lose all those clients, I would ask you, are they really your clients in the first place?" — Jonathan Baum
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Ezra Klein Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447
About Jonathan Baum: Jonathan Baum has more than 40 years of experience as a corporate, securities, and finance lawyer, including many years organizing and managing legal teams. He considers himself to be a big law and big city escapee and spends time supporting the overall well-being and success of the legal community through Avenir Guild, an online portal where legal professionals can access resources and a community that empowers their legal career at every stage.
Connect with Jonathan Baum:
Website: https://avenirguild.com/
Email: jbaum@avenir-law.com
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jobaum/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avenirguild/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and RJon Robins discuss:
- Understanding the business side of law firms
- Common challenges in growing a law firm
- Overcoming financial and operational hurdles in law practice
- Personal development and mindset in law firm success
Key Takeaways:
- Law schools fail to teach essential business skills, leaving lawyers unprepared for running a firm, particularly in areas like marketing and financial management.
- Law firm success depends on mastering key fundamentals such as marketing, sales, staffing, and financial controls, rather than using overcomplicated strategies.
- Inconsistent marketing leads to major issues like cash flow problems and bar grievances, making continuous marketing crucial for a stable practice.
- Profit goes beyond money and includes value gained in decisions, relationships, and time management, encouraging a holistic approach to firm management.
"The job of the lawyer is to perform legal services......The business of a law firm, however, is to market legal services, sell legal services, deliver the legal services, and get paid." — RJon Robins
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319
About RJon Robins: RJon Robins is an 8-figure entrepreneur, licensed attorney, and bestselling author. He founded How To Manage A Small Law Firm in 2009 while flat broke. Since then, he has achieved 8,000% revenue growth and now has over 600 members. Operating in multiple countries, RJon works about 90 days a year and spends the rest launching new ventures. He speaks to thousands of law firm owners annually, helping them redefine profit and break free from the belief that suffering is necessary for success.
Connect with RJon Robins:
Website: https://howtomanageasmalllawfirm.com/
Show: RJon Robins: From The Vault: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rjon-robins-from-the-vault/id1635177206
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjonrobins/
& https://www.linkedin.com/company/how-to-manage-a-small-law-firm-com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjonrobins2
& https://www.facebook.com/HowToManageASmallLawFirm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjonrobins/ & https://www.instagram.com/howtomanageasmalllawfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Paul discuss:
- AI in modern business development for legal professionals
- Building and sustaining client relationships in a competitive legal market
- Enhancing personal branding and marketing
- Navigating economic challenges and their impact on legal services
Key Takeaways:
- AI tools like ChatGPT can assist lawyers in creating business development strategies and optimizing content, but human review is essential to ensure accuracy and relevance to the legal context.
- Lawyers should track their market share rather than just focusing on revenue fluctuations, as maintaining or increasing market share during a downturn can still lead to business growth.
- AI can greatly enhance the efficiency of content creation and client outreach, but all outputs should be carefully checked to ensure they align with legal regulations and client expectations.
- Consistent use of AI-powered personal branding, such as automated LinkedIn posting, can significantly increase a lawyer's digital presence and client engagement, as shown by a case study where impressions jumped from 800 to 4,000 per week.
"[AI is] a habitual liar. It wants to please you. It wants to give you the answer. It will always give you an answer, whether it's factually based or not. So it's on you to fact-check that." — Ben Paul
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
This Legal Life: NOT Another Legal Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-legal-life-not-another-legal-podcast/id1679451845
About Ben Paul: Ben Paul is a leading Business Development coach for lawyers. He provides practical sales and marketing training and coaching services to individuals and law firms of all sizes. Having held senior BD positions within major law firms and with experience working in different countries, Ben is well-placed to help lawyers increase their revenue and enjoy the benefits of a healthy practice.
Connect with Ben Paul:
Website: https://bdladder.com/
Email: ben@bdladder.com
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpaulbdm/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18110718
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebdladder
Personal X (Twitter): https://x.com/BenPaul_NZ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BDLadder
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bd_ladder/
Company X (Twitter): https://x.com/BdLadder
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Telisman discuss:
- The role of content in business growth
- Challenges professionals face in content creation
- AI's impact on marketing strategies
- Delegating marketing efforts effectively
Key Takeaways:
- Blogging remains the second most effective form of content marketing after video, but many attorneys fail to utilize it consistently, missing out on a powerful tool for brand visibility and client engagement.
- Repurposing content, such as turning podcasts into articles or short videos, allows businesses to maximize their exposure across multiple platforms without constantly creating new material, which saves time and effort.
- AI, like ChatGPT, has revolutionized content marketing by helping professionals organize and optimize their content creation processes, but it must be carefully monitored to avoid factual errors and ensure originality.
- A common issue for small business owners is the discrepancy between their in-person presence and their online branding, which often leads to a lack of trust or missed connections with potential clients.
"As a practitioner, I could smell rubber-stamped AI that hasn't gotten through QC from a mile away. I mean, it's just used to the format, the formula of the words." — David Telisman
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Club Random with Bill Maher: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/club-random-with-bill-maher/id1613459129
About David Telisman: David Telisman is the founder of David Telisman Communications, LLC, a leading content writing and marketing company. With 26 years of experience in writing, marketing communications, and education, David partners with businesses across various industries to create powerful content that drives customer engagement and boosts sales. David’s strategic content creation helps brands stand out, elevate their reputation, and achieve sustained growth in competitive markets.
Connect with David Telisman:
Website: https://davidtelisman.com/
Email: david.telisman@gmail.com
Phone: 224-645-2748
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtelisman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.telisman & https://www.facebook.com/davidtelismancommunications/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Oberther discuss:
- Effective networking for attorneys
- Communicating complex legal concepts in a relatable manner
- Understanding your target audience in networking efforts
- Building strong referral relationships within professional networks
Key Takeaways:
- Attorneys should prepare to explain their services in simple terms, akin to explaining to a high schooler, to ensure clarity and recognition of referral opportunities.
- Sharing specific stories about past client interactions can help others understand the value of your services and identify potential referrals.
- Networking should be targeted; lawyers should focus on connecting with professionals who have clients that may need their legal services.
- Engaging others in conversation about their industries first can create a tailored networking approach that resonates more effectively with potential referral sources.
"I want to get them talking first... That gives me the opportunity, when it is my turn to share, to tailor my conversation directly back to the industries that they serve." — Michael Oberther
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
REAL AF with Andy Frisella: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-af-with-andy-frisella/id1012570406
About Michael Oberther: In 2014, Michael Oberther moved to New York City and, as a seasoned salesperson, aimed to build a professional network from scratch. He engaged with the NYC networking community and met the owner of ArcLedge Accounting, an outsourced bookkeeping firm, leading to his role as Director of Business Development. He developed a 100% referral-driven sales process and continues to drive growth through the referral network he built.
With 20 years in business development and client relations, Michael focuses on outsourced business service sales and effective relationship building, skills honed during seven years in the Air National Guard. His success comes from connecting with people, understanding their needs, and delivering solutions. Outside work, he enjoys Jiu Jitsu, rock climbing, and strength training.
Connect with Michael Oberther:
Website: https://www.arcledge.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloberther/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/arcledge/mycompany/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moberther/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Ruzicka discuss:
- Networking and relationship building
- The role of business development in law firms
- Why many lawyers struggle with sales and networking
- Making the most out of networking opportunities
Key Takeaways:
- Building strong relationships is key to business development by focusing on genuine connections over immediate sales and starting with familiar, comfortable contacts.
- Non-lawyers add significant value in law firms by handling networking, generating referrals, and guiding attorneys in business development strategies that drive firm growth.
- Effective networking relies on thorough preparation through researching contacts, utilizing LinkedIn, and planning conversations to establish rapport.
- Consistent follow-up strengthens professional relationships by maintaining regular communication and making strategic introductions to turn connections into business opportunities.
"[Business development people] can provide attorneys with additional ammo, additional help, and additional support to not only recruit but also retain." — Chris Ruzicka
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
About Chris Ruzicka: Chris Ruzicka, Director of Business Development at the Carmody MacDonald law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, provides attorneys, clients, referral partners, and network connections with ideas and resources to improve their sales and marketing efforts. Chris’ primary objective is to market the firm and its attorneys while securing weekly referrals for the law firm.
His extensive business development and marketing experience, ranging from start-ups to large organizations such as Anheuser-Busch and Sara Lee, enables him to bring innovative ideas and best practices to the firm and his connections. Chris regularly presents to groups on the topics of effective networking for business and how to develop a simplified, sensible marketing plan.
Connect with Chris Ruzicka:
Website: https://carmodymacdonald.com/
Phone: 314-854-8603
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherruzicka/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/carmody-macdonald-p-c-/mycompany/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmodymacdonaldpc/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Hanna discuss:
- Podcasting as a business development tool
- Building and engaging a legal community
- Strategies for growing a personal or firm brand
- Leveraging LinkedIn and legal technology for career advancement
Key Takeaways:
- Launching a podcast differentiates a business, builds client relationships, and establishes a brand by offering valuable content over direct sales approaches.
- Consistent content creation and social media engagement, especially on LinkedIn, enhances professional visibility and opens doors to opportunities and collaborations.
- Mistakes in podcasting, like generic episode titles or ineffective video strategies, limit growth potential, highlighting the need for strategic digital marketing efforts.
- Focusing on long-term benefits of building a community or brand is essential, as the cost of inaction (missing key opportunities) outweighs immediate return on investment.
"We were the first legal recruitment firm in the world to launch a podcast, and that was a great way to build thought leadership, produce content, and utilize social where certain people were behind." — Robert Hanna
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (edited by Olga Mack, Humira Noorestani, and Memme Onwudiwe): https://www.amazon.com/Legal-Operations-Age-AI-Data/dp/1837230099/
About Robert Hanna: Robert Hanna is the Founder & Managing Director of KC Partners, a UK-based global leader in legal talent solutions and content creation. He helps legal professionals secure roles across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Far East, and the US, and has been featured in leading publications like The Lawyer and Law.com. Rob is a LinkedIn Top Voice, host of the Legally Speaking Podcast, and co-founder of the Great Big Legal Offsite. He advises legal tech startups, mentors, and advocates for mental health, diversity, and inclusion, drawing inspiration from his grandfather's legacy in law.
Connect with Robert Hanna:
Website: https://legallyspeakingpodcast.com/
Legally Speaking Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legally-speaking-podcast/id1485892170
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberthanna/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ron Latz discuss:
- Challenges in business development and marketing for lawyers
- Aligning marketing strategies with law firm goals
- Choosing the right marketing vendors for law firms
- Personal branding and networking in law firm success
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often struggle with marketing due to a lack of business development education and being overwhelmed by running their practices.
- When selecting marketing vendors, firms should assess cultural fit, business alignment, scope of work, track record of success, and trust.
- Small law firms with limited budgets can achieve growth by focusing on community involvement, referral marketing, and low-cost marketing channels like social media.
- Law firms should base their marketing investments on specific goals, competition analysis, and available budget, as certain markets may be cost-prohibitive.
"[Lawyers] don't necessarily know what they don't know... there just not as many hours as we all want in each of these days to become a specialist at everything." — Ron Latz
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Obviously Awesome by April Dunford: https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005
Positioning with April Dunford: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/positioning-with-april-dunford/id1690104435
About Ron Latz: Ron Latz is a seasoned legal marketing consultant and the founder of LegalFenix, a consultancy dedicated to providing industry-leading marketing consulting and fractional CMO services to the legal community. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges lawyers face with their legal marketing, Ron has helped numerous law firms enhance their market presence, attract more clients, and transform their marketing results. His strategic approach and industry expertise make him a sought-after consultant and fractional CMO in the legal space.
Connect with Ron Latz:
Website: www.legalfenix.com
Email: ron@legalfenix.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlatz/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/legalfenix/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Merry Neitlich discuss:
- Challenges in legal marketing
- Importance of branding in law firms
- Evolving marketing techniques
- Integration of branding with business development
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often misunderstand branding as a tagline, but effective branding requires a deep dive into what makes their services unique and meaningful to clients.
- Without integrating marketing and business development efforts, even the best branding will not drive results, as lawyers must raise visibility through thought leadership and client engagement.
- Short-form videos and data-driven social media strategies are increasingly important, with platforms like LinkedIn promoting interactive content that boosts engagement.
- One of the major obstacles to effective marketing and branding is lawyers' lack of time, which can be mitigated by using outsourcing and automation for content creation and promotion.
"A lot of lawyers think having a tagline like 'excellent experience wisdom' would be great, but that doesn't differentiate them from the person who cleans your pool or the plumber." — Merry Neitlich
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Ultimate Sales Revolution by Steve Lishansky: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Sales-Revolution-Differently-Change/dp/1599325519
About Merry Neitlich: For 25 years, Merry Neitlich has been assisting law firms to drive revenue by creating unique brands with unusual and deep differentiation. She then applies this clearly branded messaging to each client's website and social media platforms. Once the brand essence is clearly created, Merry develops unique and sustainable business development opportunities for her clients.
Merry, a founding partner of EM Consulting, frequent speaker, and author, was inducted into the Legal Marketing Association Hall of Fame in 2017 and is also an accomplished figure skater with multiple national titles.
Connect with Merry Neitlich:
Website: https://emconsults.org/
Email: merry@emconsults.org
Phone: 949-260-0936
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merryneitlich/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Krane discuss:
- Challenges lawyers face with managing their finances
- The importance of automating financial systems
- The connection between lifestyle choices and financial health
- Strategies for building a financially secure law practice
Key Takeaways:
- Automating the transfer of funds between business and personal accounts helps remove emotion from financial decisions and ensures steady savings.
- Lawyers often struggle with personal finances because they lack clarity on their business model and revenue generation strategies.
- Over-spending on luxury items like vacations and yachts while neglecting long-term savings can disrupt financial stability.
- A reframe from thinking of business expenses as "spending" to viewing them as "investing" helps ensure lawyers prioritize sustainable growth and ROI.
"You have to be a prosperity thinker. You have to be able to believe that you can create and manifest the financial life that you want and make things happen." — Justin Krane
Read Steve's past episodes as Blogcasts—visit now: https://www.fretzin.com/blog/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
INspired INsider Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspired-insider-podcast/id729464589
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-lessons-happiness/dp/0857197681
About Justin Krane: Justin Krane, a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, is the founder of Krane Financial Solutions. Known for his savvy, holistic approach to financial planning, he advises his clients on how to unite their business and personal money with their lives. Justin works with his clients to create purpose-driven financial plans, aiming for a "return on life." He manages his clients’ investment portfolios for their long-term goals, such as retirement. Justin is the author of the book Money. You Got This. It’s a book about everyday crazy, funny life experiences that we all have – with lessons for all of us.
Connect with Justin Krane:
Website: https://kranefinancialsolutions.com/
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkrane/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/krane-financial-solutions/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Melanie Herschorn discuss:
- Book writing for lawyers
- Challenges in book publishing
- Books as marketing tools
- Role of technology and AI in publishing
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can streamline book creation by repurposing existing content instead of writing new material daily.
- Carefully vet publishers to avoid rights loss or financial exploitation by selecting those with transparency and industry expertise.
- Successful book marketing involves pre-launch planning, continual promotion, and leveraging various channels like media and podcasts.
- AI can assist with editing and formatting but should not be heavily relied upon for writing due to potential quality and copyright issues.
"You just want to remember that it isn't about book sales. It's really about leveraging the book for client retention, client acquisition, and visibility opportunities." — Melanie Herschorn
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Jamie Kern Lima Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jamie-kern-lima-show/id1728723635
About Melanie Herschorn: Melanie Herschorn is dedicated to helping you step into the spotlight as an authority. As a publisher and book marketing expert for attorneys and business owners worldwide, she empowers authors to share their message with the world while leveraging their book for impact, influence, and income. With over 20 years of experience as a celebrity publicist, award-winning journalist in radio, print, and TV, as well as a clothing designer and entrepreneur, Melanie is uniquely positioned to support authors in becoming thought leaders and making a significant impact with their books. Her latest book, Make a Big Impact with Your Book, is now available.
Transform your expertise into a powerful book—download The Ultimate Publishing Guide now: https://yourbigimpactbook.info/attorneyguide
Connect with Melanie Herschorn:
Website: https://vipbookmarketing.com/
Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Melanie-Herschorn/author/B09X9HQXLT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-herschorn/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melherschorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigimpactbooks/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gregg Goldfarb discuss:
- Evolving legal marketing strategies
- Non-lawyer ownership in law firms
- Revenue growth through referrals and partnerships
- Networking and education for lawyers
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers can expand their revenue streams by engaging in referral marketing, where they identify cases outside their expertise and refer them to other firms, earning a fee for the referral.
- Non-lawyer owned firms are now possible in states like Arizona, allowing lawyers to partner with marketers or business professionals to focus on legal work while leveraging external business expertise for growth.
- Legal professionals should invest in their personal growth through education, coaching, and attending legal conferences to learn new strategies for marketing, networking, and expanding their business horizons.
- The legal industry is seeing increased involvement from financial entities like Wall Street, which is providing capital to law firms for mass tort cases, highlighting the growing intersection of finance and law.
"The legal conferences now are much better... it’s entertainment, it’s information, it’s connections." — Gregg Goldfarb
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Daily Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736
About Gregg Goldfarb: Gregg Goldfarb is a trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience, focusing on, among other things, mass torts. Gregg also hosts his own podcast called Cut to the Chase, which covers public interest issues ranging from law, the environment, and anti-Semitism to the arts.
Connect with Gregg Goldfarb:
Website: https://gregggoldfarb.com/
Phone: 305-374-7000
Show: Cut To The Chase Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cut-to-the-chase-podcast-hosted-by-gregg-goldfarb/id1551362164
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregggoldfarb/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masstortguy/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Douglas Wood discuss:
- Career transition planning for lawyers
- Effective planning and execution in law firms
- Challenges for senior lawyers in staying relevant
- Leveraging senior lawyers' expertise in law firms
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers should self-assess to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities early to make informed career decisions and avoid unwanted retirement.
- Law firms can create cohorts for senior lawyers to share knowledge and discuss transitioning their practices, similar to support provided for other groups like veterans or LGBTQ+ professionals.
- Solo practitioners and small firm owners benefit from planning the transfer of their client base well before retirement to ensure service continuity and maximize the value of client relationships.
- A robust book of business greatly impacts a lawyer's career longevity and retirement options.
"Lawyers can get very lucky at times, but more often than not, if you're planning it, you're going to see the success that you need." — Douglas Wood
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
The Power of Positive Thinking: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Thinking-Norman-Vincent/dp/0743234804
About Douglas Wood: Douglas Wood, author of From Dawn to Dusk: How to Build a Multimillion Dollar Law Practice and Then Give It Away, offers guidance on building a multimillion-dollar law practice and transitioning to retirement or other pursuits. With nearly fifty years of legal experience, including over twenty in Big Law, Doug retired to mentor young attorneys and those preparing to leave the profession. A novelist with ten books—seven fiction and three non-fiction—he is currently writing his eighth novel. Doug holds a BA from the University of Rhode Island, a JD from Franklin Pierce Law Center, an LLM from NYU, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of New Hampshire, and has taught at UNH and University College Cork in Ireland.
Connect with Douglas Wood:
Website: https://douglasjwood.com/
Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Douglas-J.-Wood/author/B00BCJRTV6
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djwood1976
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Paige Fox discuss:
- The importance of mindfulness and wellness in professional life
- The challenges lawyers face with time management and stress
- The impact of meditation on mental health and productivity
- Strategies for lawyers to maintain a balanced lifestyle
Key Takeaways:
- Chronic stress and long work hours often lead to burnout, highlighting the need to integrate mindfulness and wellness into daily routines to maintain mental health and job performance.
- Managing time through delegation, automation, and prioritization is crucial for professionals, especially lawyers, to allocate time for self-care practices like meditation and exercise.
- Incorporating a brief daily meditation practice, even if only for five minutes, can offer substantial benefits by significantly reducing stress levels and enhancing overall emotional resilience and clarity.
- The focus on billable hours and client demands often causes lawyers to neglect their wellness, leading to long-term health issues unless they balance professional and personal well-being.
"Be the energy you want to attract." — Paige Fox
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/
Episode References:
Bledsoe Said So podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bledsoe-said-so/id1573038290
About Paige Fox: Paige N. Fox is the founder of Fox Law, LLC, a remote law firm in Illinois, and does of-counsel work for Erwin Law, LLC, and DentCoulson Elder Law. She specializes in estate planning, special needs planning, and elder law. As President of the Illinois Chapter of NAELA and Chair of the CBA’s Young Lawyers Section Serving Our Seniors Committee, Paige is committed to professional development and community service. Recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2022, she received the David C. Hilliard Award in 2023. Paige earned her JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law and enjoys pro bono work, flying trapeze, sports, and dance.
Connect with Paige Fox:
Email: paige@foxelderlaw.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attorneypaigefox/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/paigefox_attorney
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Frank Rekas discuss:
- Effectively managing and growing a law practice
- Common challenges in professional practice operations
- The role of delegation in business efficiency
- Building connections for business development
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers often struggle with financial management because they aren't taught business skills in law school, leading them to handle finances disorganized, resulting in missed opportunities and inefficiencies.
- Many law firm owners wear too many hats, such as managing finances, marketing, and administrative tasks, distracting from legal work and hindering productivity and success.
- Successful law firms should delegate by hiring specialists, like fractional CFOs for oversight and marketers for development, ensuring each business aspect is managed by experts, letting lawyers focus on their best work.
- Building a strong network, particularly through social media and direct engagement with potential clients or partners, can greatly enhance a lawyer’s ability to grow their practice and establish themselves as experts.
"You need to be organized, and by getting organized, that means you need to have a financial plan." — Frank Rekas
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
The Power Of Zero Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-of-zero-show/id1441026169
About Frank Rekas: Frank Rekas is a seasoned financial professional with over 30 years of experience in financial services. Based in South Florida, Frank has been with Equitable Advisors since 2014, focusing on helping attorneys, business owners, and individuals navigate complex financial planning, particularly through divorce. He holds multiple FINRA registrations and is actively involved in his community as a board member of the American Hellenic Education Philanthropic Association (AHEPA). Frank is known for his personalized approach, building strong, lifelong relationships with his clients.
Connect with Frank Rekas:
Email: frank.rekas@myplutusfinancial.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankrekas/
Phone: 954-253-5508 (Mobile) and 561-961-9312 (Office)
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams discuss:
- Teaching and mentoring in professional growth
- Developing people skills in law
- Leadership and management training for legal professionals
- Addressing underperformance in legal settings
Key Takeaways:
- Teaching involves not only imparting knowledge but also inspiring professionals, particularly in law, to develop essential life skills beyond technical expertise.
- Lawyers often struggle with business development due to a lack of training in people skills, which are vital for client relationships and practice growth.
- Effective supervision and leadership in law firms require more than delegation; they need clear communication, constructive feedback, and support to help junior staff succeed.
- Addressing the root causes of underperformance in associates or partners can lead to major improvements in productivity and professional growth.
"Success isn't always about money. It can be just about being happy every day." — Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Unlock essential skills for your upcoming promotion at the Young Partner Accelerator event in Chicago on Sept 27-28, 2024 and save with code FRETZIN24 at ypaccelerator.com
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Challenge-Extraordinary-Things-Organizations/dp/1119278961
About Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams: Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams is an international legal talent development expert with 30 years of experience helping lawyers and law firms improve productivity and profitability. She has authored three books for the American Bar Association and written over 150 articles on professional and business development. Dr. Abrahams has conducted over 300 seminars at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Duke Law Schools and has taught at Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University.
Connect with Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams:
Website: https://www.legaltalentadvisors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsharonmeitabrahams/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Phil Gafka discuss:
- The impact of cultural shifts on workplace harmony
- The role of clear expectations in boosting employee morale and productivity
- How inclusive leadership practices improve job satisfaction
- Leveraging unique team experiences and backgrounds
Key Takeaways:
- Embracing cultural changes, valuing diverse perspectives, and fostering collaboration create a more inclusive and harmonious workplace for all employees.
- Clear communication of organizational goals and work-life balance boosts employee loyalty, satisfaction, retention, and productivity.
- Emphasizing collaborative and inclusive leadership over top-down management enhances job satisfaction and career fulfillment, making employees feel valued and heard.
- Leveraging unique backgrounds and experiences fosters a respectful, innovative environment that strengthens the community and boosts overall performance and satisfaction.
"Culture is everything. How you do what you do is the biggest indicator of whether you're going to be successful." — Phil Gafka
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek/dp/073521350X
About Phil Gafka: Phil Gafka is a Certified Business Coach and the Founder of LEAP Associates, Inc., a premier executive coaching and business development firm. With four decades of leadership and business development experience, Phil excels in helping clients, including business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs, unlock their potential for elevated performance. He specializes in executive coaching, strategic planning, and team leadership, using his extensive experience and certifications in tools like DISC and the TriMetrix Legacy Profile to guide clients toward their goals. Phil’s unique insights and practical approach stem from his own journey from corporate executive to successful business owner.
Connect with Phil Gafka:
Website: https://www.leapcoaching.com/
Email: Phil@leapcoaching.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philgafka/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nanette Fridman discuss:
- Expanding professional networks through board service
- The role of lawyers in board settings
- Enhancing board effectiveness through diverse skills
- Strategic relationship-building in nonprofit organizations
Key Takeaways:
- Serving on boards lets lawyers contribute to meaningful causes while boosting their skills and network, making their careers more fulfilling.
- Lawyers should assess board members for a diverse skill mix before joining to ensure the position offers personal growth and enrichment.
- Engaging with board members outside formal meetings helps build stronger relationships, increases collaboration, and generates referrals, benefiting both the lawyer and the organization.
- Lawyers’ leadership skills are highly valued in board settings, providing effective governance and offering increased visibility and networking opportunities.
"Lawyers are great board members. People love having them on the board, and they often are natural leaders. And so, they become board chairs." — Nanette Fridman
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
ReThinking Podcast by Adam Grant: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking/id1554567118
About Nanette Fridman: Nanette Fridman is an organizational strategist, facilitator, and executive coach known for her dynamic and empowering approach. As the founder of Effect Collective and the author of On Board and Holding the Gavel, she excels in helping organizations and leaders optimize resources, strategize for the future, and enhance governance. With a background in corporate law and advocacy, Nanette brings a wealth of experience and high energy to her work as a national speaker, trainer, and facilitator for diverse audiences, including management teams, boards, and emerging leaders.
Connect with Nanette Fridman:
Website: https://www.effect-collective.com
On Board: What Current and Aspiring Board Members Must Know About Nonprofits and Board Service
Holding the Gavel: What Nonprofit Board Leaders Need to Know
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanettefridman
Is This Board For Me? Questions to ask: https://shorturl.at/3TilQ
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Arthur Levitan discuss:
- Importance of knowing when to stop working
- Impact of remote work on stress and productivity
- Techniques for managing stress and maintaining mental health
- Role of deep breathing in stress reduction and performance
- Humility and adaptability in success and professional growth
Key Takeaways:
- Establish clear boundaries for your work hours to prevent burnout and improve productivity by stopping when your brain is no longer functioning at its best.
- Incorporate regular deep breathing exercises into your daily routine to reduce stress and promote mental clarity.
- Prioritize social interactions and physical movement to counteract the isolation and sedentary nature of remote work.
- Embrace a balanced approach to work and rest, recognizing the value of recuperation periods to maintain high performance and prevent long-term fatigue.
- Cultivate humility and adaptability by acknowledging your knowledge limits and staying open to new information and challenges.
"Understanding when to stop is one of the highest forms of spirituality." — Arthur Levitan
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/
About Arthur Levitan: Master Arthur Levitan is the Founder and current Master of Quantum Tao, a non-profit community dedicated to studying Taoism's ancient practices under his guidance. As one of the few Taoist Masters in the Western world, Master Levitan, who was recognized and ordained by the High Priestess of the Qingcheng Mountain Taoist temple in China in 2016, brings a unique perspective to his teachings. His school, California Tao, established in 2009, emphasizes practical daily applications of Tao and Qigong, making these ancient principles accessible to modern Americans. His book, "Outlast," provides practical methods for managing internal energies through life’s challenges.
Connect with Arthur Levitan:
Website: https://quantumtao.org/
Email: arthur@californiatao.org
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eduardo Paiz discuss:
- When most lawyers feel discontent with their jobs.
- How business development is different between the US and Latin America.
- Cultural differences in business communication.
- How the Young Partners Accelerator is helping lawyers in transition and changing their mentality.
Key Takeaways:
- Most lawyers feel discontent when they don’t feel in control of their careers.
- Business culture is the biggest difference when doing business development in other parts of the world. In the US, relationships tend to take a backseat to direct business matters. In Latin America, the relationships are driving more of the work.
- In Latin America, you are unlikely to receive a direct “no” in business. It also usually takes a couple of meetings before you speak directly about business after the relationships are established.
- Becoming a partnership will, and should, change your job dynamics.
"The dynamics are the same. If you have clients, you have the ability to bring in clients, you are going to be better compensated. You are going to have more power at the table. The dynamics of the legal market are the same." — Eduardo Paiz
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- The New Strategic Selling: The Unique Sales System Proves Successful by the World’s Best Companies by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E. Heiman - https://www.amazon.com/New-Strategic-Selling-Successful-Companies/dp/044669519X
- Find out more about the Young Partners Accelerator at: https://ypaccelerator.com/ use Steve’s code for a discount! FRETZIN24
About Eduardo Paiz: Eduardo Paiz is one of the founding partners of the Young Partners Accelerator, a unique program designed to train attorneys as they transition into partnership roles. As a consultant, he specializes in business development in the Latin American market, where, for the last 10 years, he has helped hundreds of attorneys build and grow their books of business. Additionally, he has assisted several law firms in establishing the processes and culture needed to promote cross-collaboration in their business development efforts. He is a two-time author, speaker, proud father of two daughters, and avid traveler.
Connect with Eduardo Paiz:
Website: https://bolderconsulting.legal/
Website: https://ypaccelerator.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eduardo-paiz/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ryan Kimler discuss:
- Understanding the amount of money you need to keep your law firm and your personal finances healthy.
- Reinvesting money into your firm.
- What a typical comp plan looks like for small firms.
- A breakdown of what minimums a financially healthy law firm looks like by the numbers.
Key Takeaways:
- As a law firm, when you’re paying hire salaries, you need to look at your bonus plans because those can eat into your firm’s profitability.
- You have to have enough cash to keep the law firm running and financially healthy.
- Don’t be afraid to do the math or raise fees when needed. If your attorney cannot bring in the right amount to keep the firm on secure financial footing when working their hours, consider raising fees. Even small amounts add up over the year.
- Retirement is the biggest financial piece most law firm owners miss.
"Salaries are definitely continuing to grow, and they're on the higher end. And I think when that's the case, as a law firm, when we're talking about financial health here, you have to pay attention to and really look at your bonus plans. Because when you have a higher payroll cost, those bonus plans can really cut into profitability. So you have to be careful with those." — Ryan Kimler
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- The Money Guy Show: https://moneyguy.com/show/
About Ryan Kimler: Ryan Kimler is the Founder of Net Profit CFO, and he is the host of the Net Profit Podcast. At Net Profit CFO, Ryan and his team use their background in Accounting and Finance to help law firm owners do one thing; have a growing and more profitable business. Helping law firm owners have a growing and more profitable business means two things. One, your law firm has enough cash to grow and maintain a strong financial health. And two, your law firm produces enough cash for you as the owner to fulfill your wants and needs.
Connect with Ryan Kimler:
Website: https://netprofitcfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankfinancialclarityllc/
Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/net-profit-podcast-accelerate-your-profits-with-ryan/id1661941437
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Molly McGrath discuss:
- Approaching hiring from a different perspective.
- Training your employees to be intrapreneurs and take control of their jobs.
- How recruiting and communication are changing in the legal industry.
- Making it about steps in the process, not dollars and hours.
Key Takeaways:
- Before strategy, you have to have the courage to take the first step and move forward.
- Hiring changes your ROI for yourself and for the new hire. Hiring doesn’t mean paying their yearly salary upfront. Look at the ROIs and see how things will change.
- The days of putting up an ad and waiting for people to interview are over - you need to be recruiting.
- When you hire, it’s not just the attorney. Everybody’s KPIs shift.
- Follow the model of: teach, show, do, go, grow. If you do it right, you can on board and be hands-off within 30 days.
"If you're doing it yourself, you're better off not even doing it at all. It is shark-infested waters out there, and by and large, my most successful plate placements are all poaching." — Molly McGrath
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan: https://www.amazon.com/10x-Easier-Than-World-Class-Entrepreneurs/dp/140196995X
About Molly McGrath: Molly McGrath, founder of Hiring & Empowering Solutions, LLC committed to serving the legal community in, Staffing, Employee Engagement, intrapreneurship, and employee retention initiatives. Proudly delivering results for 5K+ law firms over the past 27 years across the country.
Podcaster, blogger, #1 Amazon Best Seller Author; “Fix My Boss: The Simple Plan to Cultivate Respect, Risk Courageous Conversations, and Increase the Bottom Line,” “Intrapreneurs in an Entrepreneur’s World – How to Empower Your Employees to Step Up and Lead,” and “Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Spirit in the Process.”
Connect with Molly McGrath:
Website: https://hiringandempowering.com/
Books: https://hiringandempowering.com/business-development-books/
Show: https://hiringandempowering.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hallmcgrath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HireAndEmpower
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringandempowering/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringandempowering/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molly_mcgrath_co/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Dreyer discuss:
- Search engine marketing and SEO for lawyers.
- Some of the main changes in content marketing.
- Changing up how you write content.
- Getting the most out of legal conferences.
Key Takeaways:
- Leaning into SEO will look different depending on your field as well as your location.
- The top-of-the-page marketing has changed because of the AI Overview on Google. Google likes brands, they like signals and clicks to resources such as videos.
- The best conferences to go to are the ones that you put the most into and make a plan for.
- PIMCon has been curated for the conferencegoers. They are bringing in some of the top people in the PI space to speak and they were invited to do so.
"In the search engine marketing side, one of the most challenging things is link building. And link building, by and large, is relationships. It's the hardest thing to do." — Chris Dreyer
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Alex Hormozi: https://www.youtube.com/alexhormozi
- Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/
- Michael Mogill: https://michaelmogill.com/
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson: https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Fire-Aim-Zero-Million/dp/0470182024
About Chris Dreyer: Chris Dreyer is the CEO and Founder of Rankings.io, an SEO agency that helps elite law firms and personal injury lawyers obtain cases through Google’s organic search results. His company has the distinction of making the Inc. 5000 list seven years in a row.
In addition to owning and operating Rankings, Chris is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of “Niching Up: The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize”, a real estate investor, and podcast host (Personal Injury Mastermind), as well as a member of the Forbes Agency Council, the Rolling Stone Culture Council, Business Journals Leadership Trust, Fast Company Executive Board, and Newsweek Expert Forum.
Chris’s journey in legal marketing has been a saga, to say the least. A world-ranked collectible card game player in his youth, Chris began his “grown up” career with a History Education degree and landed a job out of college as a detention room supervisor. The surplus of free time in that job allowed him to develop a side hustle in affiliate marketing, where (at his apex) he managed over 100 affiliate sites simultaneously, allowing him to turn his side gig into a full-time one. When his time in affiliate marketing came to an end, he segued into SEO for attorneys, while also having time to become a top-ranked online poker player.
Connect with Chris Dreyer:
Website: https://www.pimcon.org/
Email: chris@rankings.io
Show: https://chrisdreyer.co/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiRS7BCssVkGrxcNsxCCa6Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdreyerco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisdreyerco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdreyerco/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steven Dimitt discuss:
- Why you need to niche down in order to grow and succeed.
- Transitioning your practice area and successfully rebranding.
- Focusing on relationships during a transition in your career.
- Broadening your business development.
Key Takeaways:
- When you focus on a niche, it brings credibility to you as a lawyer and comfort to your clients because they know you’re the best.
- Maintaining relationships and having conversations with people over time, making a transition is not going to be a surprise.
- Work with people you trust and it will allow you to maintain relationships, even as you focus only on the areas of law you want to focus on.
- As you maintain your business development, you’re going to be planting seeds and getting yourself into a position of freedom in your career.
"People are in different transitions in different times, whether it's switching practice areas or the lifecycle of your career. We have some clients who used the same attorney for 40 years and he's about to retire and now they need to find somebody else. You never know, so you just keep the contacts and it might be the right place at the right time." — Steven Dimitt
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Charles Gillis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillis/
- Seven Year Trap by Charles Gillis: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Year-Trap-Observations-Partnership/dp/0692195661
- The Game by Alex Hormozi: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjkaUn6QNTZTd2rKxXdy-_I0JDHlwdy6j
About Steven Dimitt: Steven focuses on representing local, regional, and national commercial clients on matters relating to real estate, land use/zoning, and construction. Beginning with site selection and continuing throughout the construction, lease-up, and ultimate sale of the project after final completion, Steven deals heavily with all aspects of real estate development. Steven was previously a partner at one of the largest law firms in Texas. However, he moved to Platt Richmond to partner with other ex-big law attorneys to continue to provide high-quality service while being more cost-effective for his clients.
Connect with Steven Dimitt:
Website: https://plattrichmond.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-dimitt-52a13916/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plattrichmond/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eddie Dabdoub discuss:
- Falling in love with your practice area but remembering it is a business.
- Transitioning from general law practice to a niche law practice.
- Getting buy-in from your team for the law firm growth.
- Taking care of your team to stop the turnover.
Key Takeaways:
- There is a barrier of entry for those transitioning from a PI practice to a Disability Insurance practice.
- If you structure your practice like a well oiled machine, even less lucrative niches will pay off financially.
- Build a core team that allows your firm to grow together. Even when you’re in different rolls, you want the core team to all be focused on the same business goals.
- Your firm does not need to be built like everyone else’s. You are different, build your firm to reflect what is important to you.
"My big advice is, if you want to scale a law firm, breakaway from the traditional model of assigning assistants and paralegals to attorneys. Instead, create different departments (even if they’re tiny), train your folks to be experts in that department, and have cases go through those departments as the lifecycle of the case carries it through the firm." — Eddie Dabdoub
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff Lawyer’s Guide to Proving Liability by Rick Friedman - https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Plaintiff-Lawyers-Proving-Liability/dp/1934833177
About Eddie Dabdoub: Edward Dabdoub is a nationally-known disability insurance lawyer. He is the founder of Dabdoub Law Firm, a firm that specializes in disability and life insurance claims for claimants.
Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, he is one of five attorneys in his immediate family. Since becoming a lawyer, he has focused his law practice on representing people in this niche practice area and has grown his law firm from less than a handful of employees to a nationwide practice.
With Eddie at the helm, Dabdoub Law Firm has litigated and won significant disability and life insurance cases in federal courts. Some notable victories include a win against the NFL Disability Plan for a former pro-football player who was denied disability benefits and recent victory for a liver transplant surgeon who could no longer perform transplant surgeries after sustaining a career-ending injury.
Eddie has participated as a guest speaker at law conferences both on local and national stages, discussing disability insurance, life insurance, and ERISA for legal organizations such as the American Association for Justice and the Florida Association for Justice.
Eddie is a double-Canes, having obtained an undergraduate degree in Economics and a juris doctor degree at the University of Miami. Before law school, he obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Florida International University.
Connect with Eddie Dabdoub:
Website: https://www.longtermdisability.net/
Email: eddie@longtermdisability.net
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwarddabdoub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dabdoub-disability-insurance-erisa-law-firm/
Twitter: https://x.com/disabilitylaws
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dabdoublawfirm
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Silverman discuss:
- Building client relationships from the start of your career.
- Bringing your full, authentic self to your client relationships.
- Being forward with those you’ve served when asking for referrals.
- The art of bringing in new work from current clients.
Key Takeaways:
- Even when you’re crazy busy, it is key to reach out to a client or post on LinkedIn or send a text to connect with those in your network.
- Everybody wins in referrals when there is a transferral of trust.
- Be honest about where you can add value and where, perhaps, you aren’t the best fit for your clients.
- Find what works for you and stay consistent with it. You are running a business and want to maintain that forward momentum.
"The worst thing you can do, and what will tank your relationship and career quickly, is to sell something that you have no business doing." — Mark Silverman
Read more from Steve at Above the Law: AboveTheLaw.com/tag/Steve-Fretzin/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Matt Campobasso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrc1921/
- Sales Free Selling Audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Free-Selling-Death-Sales-Methodology/dp/B0D9HWPX6W
About Mark Silverman: Mark serves as Locke Lord’s CMBS Special Servicer Team Leader. When borrowers and guarantors fail to meet their obligations, financial institutions, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) special servicers and other companies look to Mark to enforce those commitments, in or out of the courtroom. Mark frames and resolves issues involving creditors’ rights, loan workouts, bankruptcy and loan enforcement. He advises large, midsized, and small banks; financial institutions; and financial technology companies across the country, as well as the nation’s largest CMBS special servicers.
Connect with Mark Silverman:
Website: https://www.lockelord.com/professionals/s/silverman-mark-a
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksilverman3/ :
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ray Koenig discuss:
- Developing a successful practice while remaining authentic to yourself.
- Integrating your charitable and civic pursuits into your successful private practice.
- Picking your extracurricular organizations intentionally and meaningfully.
- Benefiting from bar association participation and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
- Try things you’re afraid of - they’re never as bad as you think they will be.
- You don’t always need to tell people what type of lawyer you are - for the general public you can build yourself up as a trusted advisor who solves problems.
- Being part of organizations is not enough - you should be building relationships and participating actively in those organizations.
- It’s not all about you. Be authentic, but also spotlight other people’s successes too.
"Pick a board, pick an organization, that's doing the things that you're really interested in, but at the same time, has kind of the audience - the donors, the board members - that are people that you want to get to know for professional reasons as well." — Ray Koenig
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Rankings: https://rankings.io/
Episode References:
- Roy Sexton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royesexton/
- @theBar Podcast: https://www.chicagobar.org/CBA/YLS_Law_Students/_theBar_Podcast.aspx
About Ray Koenig: Ray Koenig represents individuals, families, financial and medical institutions, charities and governmental agencies in probate, trust, and guardianship controversies, including complex matters which require practical solutions.
Ray continually provides quality, responsive, and efficient representation to his clients. Ray is dedicated to the needs of his clients, whether that requires aggressive advocacy in a courtroom, skilled negotiations to prevent or conclude litigation, or effective counseling to avoid future trust and estate controversies.
Ray seeks ways to resolve difficult issues in the most effective manner possible. His success has resulted in appointments by judges as Guardian Ad Litem and defense counsel by judges in complicated guardianship matters, and as Special Administrator in problematic probate matters.
Ray has decades of experience in a variety of aspects of controversies involving trusts, probate, guardianships and related fiduciary issues including will and trust contests, will and trust construction and reformation actions, citations to recover, breach of fiduciary duty claims, charitable disputes, and guardianship litigation.
His years of practice have also resulted in his retention as an expert witness in matters involving guardianship and probate issues. His depth of knowledge has been informed by and led to many speaking engagements and publications.
Ray serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s global Litigation practice, and as an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Ray proudly served as Managing Member of the firm’s Chicago office from 2011 to 2023.
Connect with Ray Koenig:
Website: https://www.clarkhill.com/people/ray-j-koenig-iii/
Email: rkoenig@clarkhill.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raykoenig/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clark-hill-law/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Randa Predergast discuss:
- Committing to your processes no matter how busy or slow your firm is.
- Why many lawyers struggle with billing and accounts receivable.
- Perceived value in your costs with your clients and setting expectations around billing with them.
- Handling difficult AR and collections with clients.
Key Takeaways:
- Lack of processes, lack of time, and thinking emotionally about your costs are three of the biggest issues around lawyers receiving their proper payments.
- Lawyers make exceptions more than any other professional industry leading to higher levels of AR. You are not being exceptional when you make exceptions.
- You can have your clients on ACH and autopay as long as it is kept securely. This will nearly eliminate your AR.
- Book keeping and collections should not be done by the attorney. They are delegatable to other professionals.
"We want to remove the attorney from this process as much as possible. I only like to bring them in on making decisions about stopping work because of non-payment. So all the tasks up until that point should really go to a legal assistant, admin, billing clerk, or something of that sort, not even a paralegal." — Randa Predergast
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Rankings: https://rankings.io/
Episode References:
- The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John David Mann: https://thegogiver.com/
About Randa Predergast: Providing expert services in law firm and case processes (including implementation and training), paralegal support, and billing clerk services on a 1099 basis.
Connect with Randa Predergast:
Website: https://mrsjunelegal.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrs-june-legal-llc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attorneywhisperer/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@attorneywhisperer
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Phil Fornaro discuss:
- Following the flow of everything in the industry.
- Understanding who your community is leveraging them.
- Core mistakes people make when networking.
- Building trust and providing value to clients in legal services.
Key Takeaways:
- People are interested in talking about what they do, but if you’re not listening, you can’t figure out what their problem is, and you can’t help them.
- Being a giver is great, but making it reciprocal with networking partners is even better.
- Giving your card at an event is like 1/10 for making something out of it. Making a connection and writing down information on their card with a follow-up later increases that drastically.
- The key to conversion is to provide a solution.
"Client development and business development have resulted in my best and most fulfilling relationships." — Phil Fornaro
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Rankings: https://rankings.io/
Episode References:
- Phil Fulton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipfulton/
- Doug Sandler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-sandler
- Ken Levinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenlevinsonatty/
- Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell: https://www.buybackyourtime.com/
About Phil Fornaro: Philip M. Fornaro, a seasoned legal professional with 29 years of experience, serves as the Managing Attorney at Fornaro Law. His commitment extends beyond the practice of law; it's about delivering comprehensive solutions, fostering structure, and forging meaningful connections. Philip's ultimate aim is to enhance and optimize every situation, ensuring that everyone involved experiences profound satisfaction throughout the entire process and embraces the end result.
Connect with Phil Fornaro:
Website: https://www.fornarolaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fornarolaw/
Light Bulb Moments Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/light-bulb-moments-its-all-about-the-energy/id1748362429
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and MerriLyn Gibbs discuss:
- Staying focused on your goals.
- How Assistants 4 Hire works differently from a recruiting firm to help your law firm succeed.
- The art of delegation.
- Business lessons from the game of golf.
- How you show up every day will determine the results you get.
Key Takeaways:
- Delegation starts slow - you don’t have to delegate and forget, you can start with smaller tasks and check the work before the trust is built and you can truly let go of those tasks.
- If you’re looking for easy lead generation, start with your existing clients - reach out to them first, that’s where the low-hanging fruit is.
- Recognize the value in the bad shots - it’s not about how good your good shots are, it’s how quickly you can recover from the mistakes.
- Making mistakes is important. The key is not to keep making the same mistakes over and over.
"There's so much more learning in the errant shots. And that is what makes you a better golfer. Because the next time you see that, it's easier and easier and easier. And it's really fun when you pull off those impossible shots." — MerriLyn Gibbs
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
About MerriLyn Gibbs: MerriLyn’s passion is simple: she is driven to help her fellow business owners thrive by empowering them to focus on what they love. As founder and owner of Assistants 4 Hire, MerriLyn has plenty of experience with managing her team and assessing the needs of her clients - but it doesn’t stop there! She also offers business seminars and productivity coaching for those not in need of outside assistance. Her know-how and unrelenting attention to detail make MerriLyn a pro at setting others up for success.
Connect with MerriLyn Gibbs:
Website: https://www.assistants4hire.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrilyn-gibbs-50283642/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/assistants-4-hire/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merrilyn.gibbs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Assistants4hire
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assistants4hire/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nathan Ohler discuss:
- Moving past the status quo to something different.
- Saving yourself pain and frustration by crowdsourcing your problems with peer advisory groups.
- Topics that come up frequently in lawyer peer advisor groups.
- Top benefits of peer advisor groups for the members.
Key Takeaways:
- In peer groups, you can realize that your firm’s problems are not unique to you and those problems are solvable.
- Goals and tactical plans are related but are not the same thing. You need to have a tactical plan in place to achieve your goals. It is 2% about the goal and 98% about the tactics and habits.
- Finding and retaining talent now, both young attorneys and support staff, is different than it was in the past.
- There are many different ways that peer groups or masterminds - not every type will work for every person, but there is a benefit in actively participating in these groups.
"It is just linking back to these problems, and getting solutions to them. Hearing what is working from my peers who are living something similar to what I'm living. And I want to hear a diversity of solutions. So then I can go internalize which of those I want to test out. That environment of being able to hear not just one example, but maybe 10 is really powerful." — Nathan Ohler
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- Sleep: Redefine Your Rest, for Success in Work, Sport and Life by Nick Littlehales
About Nathan Ohler: Nathan Ohler is the President/COO of Nuooly, an exclusive Community for experienced independent/small firm professionals, such as attorneys and accountants. With prior experience on Wall Street and as an executive of multi-billion dollar businesses, he now focuses on enabling Nuooly member success by facilitating peer connections and providing business assistance.
Connect with Nathan Ohler:
Website: https://www.nuooly.com/
Email: nathan@nuooly.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-ohler/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuooly/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Karl Seelbach discuss:
- The way you do one thing is the one way you do everything.
- Building out and being consistent with expectations through SOPs and accountability charts.
- Setting aside time specifically to work on your business, not just in it.
- Hiring a coach to remove your blinders.
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on the solutions - if something goes wrong, look at why and see how it can be fixed.
- Everyone and every firm is a work in progress. The little things that are sometimes forgotten are the things that need the most attention because they will make the biggest results.
- You don’t have to be the one to wear every hat. You don’t have to execute on every idea. Delegate what you can’t (or don’t want to) do.
- Attorneys are responsible for the work they file with the court. If you utilize AI the same way you would utilize a paralegal or law assistant, you can let the tech work for you.
"You can't just keep doing the same thing, it's not going to change, and you're going to burn out and end up in a bad spot. You have to hit the brakes and say, ‘Okay, look, I've got to figure out how to solve this.’" — Karl Seelbach
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Ready to go from good to GOAT? Attend PIMCOM, the inaugural personal injury mastermind conference Sept 15-17, 2024. Use promo code BeThatLawyer to get $200.00 off at https://www.pimcon.org/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Traction: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-book
- eMyth: https://www.emyth.com/
- Who Not How: https://whonothow.com/
- ChatGPT Enterprise: https://openai.com/chatgpt/enterprise/
- Casetext: https://casetext.com/
- Lexis+ AI: https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/products/lexis-plus-ai.page
- Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573
- Mention Steve’s name and get $500 off your first deposition or upload at Skribe: https://skribe.ai/
About Karl Seelbach: Karl Seelbach is a LegalTech founder and seasoned litigation attorney with over 17 years of experience in the courtroom, representing clients in personal injury, business, and employment litigation. He is a skilled advocate and a tenacious fighter who handles cases with precision and an eye toward trial from day one. His adversaries describe him as "skilled" and "whip-smart." But Karl's legal expertise doesn't stop there - he's also the founder of Skribe.ai, a software platform for capturing testimony that's changing the game for attorneys and their clients.
Prior to launching his own law firm in 2015, Karl worked as a litigation partner at one of Texas' largest law firms, Winstead PC, where he was mentored by some of the state's top litigators, including former appellate judges and veteran trial lawyers. Karl received his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston and his undergraduate degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. In his free time, Karl enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters in Dripping Springs, Texas as a #GirlDad who proudly cheers on his kids in volleyball, basketball, and more!
Connect with Karl Seelbach:
Website: https://skribe.ai/
Email: karl@skribe.ai
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwseelbach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skribe-ai/
Twitter: https://x.com/KarlSeelbach
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chelsea Williams discuss:
- Why personal finance is so key to living a healthy, balanced life.
- The formulas for success at your firm and as an individual.
- The most common mistakes lawyers make around money.
- Tips for taking control of your money today.
- How to stay on top of your finances.
Key Takeaways:
- Watch out for lifestyle creep. It doesn’t matter how much you make if you keep spending more than you bring in.
- Track your money. Having a personal budget is not restricting, it is setting a financial boundary.
- There are only two ways to change how much money you spend: you can trim the fat (even if it is just a rogue subscription) or through negotiating your expenses.
- It is the small things that bite into your spending. The biggest takers are Amazon, software, and subscriptions.
"It doesn’t just stop at the money story, we have to hold all of our numbers accountable." — Chelsea Williams
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Rocket Money: https://www.rocketmoney.com/
- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz: https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/
- Justin Krane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkrane/
- Mindvalley: https://podcast.mindvalley.com/
About Chelsea Williams: Chelsea has invested ten years of expertise into understanding law firm finance in order to create a framework that any law firm owner can follow to achieve time and money freedom. She's uncovered the common mistakes and struggles law firm owners face that keep them from profitability. Her company partners with law firms to establish a solid financial foundation and works with them to build the framework that gets them to a place of financial clarity, direction, and freedom.
Connect with Chelsea Williams:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_money_whisper/
Website: https://www.yourcoresolution.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseamwilliams-themoneywhisperer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-solutions-group-inc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelsea.zeschke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourcoresolution
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/core_solutions_group/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dennis Kennedy discuss:
- The intersection of the legal system and technology.
- Utilizing technology in ways that enhance the customer experience.
- Recognizing where you can free up time to do higher-level legal work.
- Why every lawyer should have a good, well-utilized CRM.
Key Takeaways:
- Using technology for things like scheduling meetings, paying invoices, receiving payments, and other things not specific to the legal field is a great place to start if you’re unsure of where to begin.
- There are technology applications that can make your life easier and free up time to do the creative legal work that you want to do.
- Legal students and younger lawyers are used to using more technology and when they start working, at many law firms, it feels like taking a step back in their use of technology.
- Don’t let the fear of the unknown around technology stop you from leaning into and using it.
"Figure out some problem that you have - something or some way you'd like to make your life easier that you think a technology might be to help you - then decide that you're not going to learn all of the technology, you're just going to learn one thing." — Dennis Kennedy
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Chuki Obiyo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chukiobiyo/
- Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick - https://www.amazon.com/Co-Intelligence-Living-Working-Ethan-Mollick/dp/059371671X
About Dennis Kennedy: Dennis Kennedy is the Director of the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation at Michigan State University and a widely-known expert on law and technology. He teaches AI and the Law and other technology and innovation classes at MSU, and also teaches a legal technology literacy class at the University of Michigan Law School. Dennis has co-hosted The KennedyMighell Report podcast since 2006, wrote the book Successful Innovation Outcomes in Law and many other publications, and, before joining MSU, retired as Senior Counsel at Mastercard, where he focused on technology law.
Connect with Dennis Kennedy:
Website: https://www.denniskennedy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismkennedy
Blog: https://denniskennedy.blog/
Podcast: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/kennedy-mighell-report/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Sciaccotta discuss:
- Building relationships everywhere you go.
- Connecting authentically and building trust in the community.
- The time of building relationships and expected outcomes.
- Breaking out of the billable hour hampster wheel.
- Controlling your destiny.
Key Takeaways:
- Get active, get involved, and maintain friendships within the legal practice.
- Wherever you have a relationship, give them a business card and tell them what you do. Tell them to think of you first.
- Make significant touches every single day - social media will allow you to do that easier than ever before.
- Step one is to be a great lawyer. But that’s not all there is to building your own business. You will need to understand more about business and sales than law school has led you to believe.
- It is never too early to start learning networking, relationships, and non-verbal communication. They are the ingredients to success as a human being, as well as in your law firm.
"Life is about needs. If you can identify the need of a potential client or a referral source, and you can fulfill that need, you’re going to get what you want." — John Sciaccotta
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Start with Why Series by Simon Sinek - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VVJF819
About John Sciaccotta: John C. Sciaccotta has more than 37 years of trial and litigation experience advocating for clients in complex civil litigation, arbitration, mediation and business counseling matters with a special emphasis on complex civil trial and appellate cases brought in federal and state courts and tribunals throughout the United States.
John represents publicly and privately held domestic and foreign business entities, business owners, lenders, employers, municipalities, government bodies and individuals in transactional matters and disputes, which include:
Counseling and advocating for business entities and their owners in disputes involving Business Divorce issues, including corporate control, valuation, corporate squeeze-outs, minority oppression, dissolution actions and breaches of fiduciary duty and business tort claims.
In addition, John has been appointed as a Neutral Arbitrator and Mediator for many years to resolve and arbitrate business-related disputes. He serves on the Commercial Panel of the American Arbitration Association's National Roster of Arbitrators.
Connect with John Sciaccotta:
Website: https://www.agdglaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-c-sciaccotta-7472535
Twitter: https://x.com/Scilaw
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Johncsciaccotta
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jcscilaw
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erin Andersen discuss:
- Why lawyers have a hard time finding and retaining great talent.
- Hiring for personality and culture, not just skills.
- Hybrid work, salary transparency, and why you should be using LinkedIn to hire your next talent.
- Seeing hiring as an investment, not just an expense.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t just hire to fill a seat - understand your culture, understand your needs, and hire the right person for that right position.
- If a firm is open to training in certain areas, a personality fit may be a better hire option for longevity and retention as the person will be the right fit for your firm.
- Use LinkedIn (and other social media platforms) to scan your hiring candidates. You can learn things that they may not include on their resume, application, or cover letter.
- Many recruiting firms, like Erin’s, have a 90-day guarantee on your hires. Working with a recruiting firm can help you to find the right fit for your law firm.
"I think it's actually better to look where you want to be in 10 years, and then backtrack and figure out how to get there." — Erin Andersen
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com/BTLChallenge!
Episode References:
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza - https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Habit-Being-Yourself-Dispenza-ebook/dp/B006M7A8JI/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza - https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Habit-Being-Yourself-Dispenza-ebook/dp/B006M7A8JI/
About Erin Andersen: Erin Andersen is a hiring specialist for law and accounting firms. She specializes in hiring both support staff and Associate Attorneys on a flat-rate basis to make hiring more accessible for law firms which in return lets them scale more efficiently. In addition, she is certified in workplace culture and therefore makes this a part of her hiring process.
Erin offers free consultations which can be booked by emailing: info@yourbrandnetworker.com
Connect with Erin Andersen:
Email: info@yourbrandnetworker.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourbrandnetworker/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbrandnetworker
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Campobasso discuss:
- Preventing problems before they have a chance to happen repeatedly.
- Assessing the risks you want to take when your company is growing and evolving.
- Pros and cons of private practice versus an in-house career.
- How to successfully network with a general counsel.
Key Takeaways:
- Good prevention doesn’t eradicate all risks but stops many unnecessary risks. All risks aren’t bad, but you want to have the option of which risks you want to take.
- Working at a larger law firm right out of school allows you to learn from many other lawyers and can give you a broader perspective on different aspects of legal.
- In your own practice (or in a law firm in general) you want to be working on and building your book of business - rarely are clients going to fall into your lap with no relationship building on your end.
- When reaching out to a potential client, do your homework first. Try to understand where they are at and what their pain points are.
"I've said this for a long time, the best lawyers know the best way to protect their clients is to know their clients, and there's no better way to know your client from the inside." — Matt Campobasso
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath - https://www.amazon.com/Upstream-Quest-Problems-Before-Happen/dp/1982134720
About Matt Campobasso: Matt Campobasso is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Enfusion, Inc., a publicly traded fintech company headquartered in Chicago. He also serves as a member of Enfusion’s Executive Committee and as Co-Chair of its Operating Committee. Campobasso joined Enfusion in September 2020 as Deputy General Counsel and assumed the role of General Counsel in November 2022. During his time with Enfusion, the company went public via an October 2021 IPO and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. As General Counsel, Campobasso oversees a team of nine lawyers who manage Enfusion’s legal operations and risk for a global organization with offices in eight countries. The team prioritizes a business-first approach that combines “range” and “upstream thinking” aimed at solving problems before they arise and employing legal strategies that safeguard and advance business strategy.
In addition to Enfusion, Campobasso’s 18 years of legal experience include time spent as a government prosecutor, as an associate and then partner with Freeborn & Peters (now Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP), and, most recently, as general counsel for TruQua Enterprises (acquired by IBM in 2020). Campobasso earned a J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Connect with Matt Campobasso:
Website: https://www.enfusion.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrc1921/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/enfusion-llc/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michele Ross discuss:
- Why patience and time are key to anything worthwhile.
- Avoiding repeated mistakes and moving forward with improvement.
- Business management tools to make your law firm more efficient.
- Building a great team that works toward the same vision.
Key Takeaways:
- You will have to find your way forward from the mistakes you make - and you will make mistakes. Don’t let them keep you down.
- It is a balancing act and, as a law firm owner, the key is removing hats with delegation and technology. You cannot do everything all the time.
- Understanding your values will help make hiring decisions easier because you know who you are looking for, even if you haven’t met them yet.
- Ask your employees what their goals are - not just within the office, but outside of the office as well.
"Be interested in what your employees can contribute beyond just work product. Make them a part of the movement and the vision, because they're the ones that can really open your eyes up." — Michele Ross
Join our interactive webinar, "Quality Over Quantity: Getting More Qualified Clients" on June 11th, and secure your spot today! Sign up now at lawmatics.com/webinars
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Tom Dunlap: Scaling Your Law Firm with Business Experts
- Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
About Michele Ross: Michele L. Ross is an experienced business attorney and commercial litigator who focuses her practice in the areas of business law, real estate law, and employment law matters. Having represented a wide range of commercial clients in the transactional arena, as well as in a litigious setting, Ms. Ross' track record of success in and out of the courtroom has consistently helped her to achieve efficient and satisfying results for clients while minimizing the costs and delays that clients seek to avoid.
M. Ross & Associates, LLC is located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in Bergen County and serves all of Northern New Jersey. Ms. Ross recognizes that the interests and financial position of each client varies considerably, which is why providing uniquely tailored legal solutions, in the most cost-efficient manner, is what distinguishes M. Ross & Associates, LLC from other small law firms.
Prior to establishing M. Ross & Associates, LLC, Ms. Ross gained substantial, sophisticated experience in high-stakes employment litigation where she represented several Fortune 500 companies while employed at national and international law firms located in New York City. Today, clients benefit from Ms. Ross' comprehensive legal background and her ability to provide personal attention and individualized service to her clients.
Connect with Michele Ross:
Website: https://www.mrossllc.com/
Phone: 201-568-2064
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/m-ross-associates-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrossllc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litigationlane/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kerry Barrett discuss:
- Being on camera is a requirement - make it work for you.
- Public speaking and having a camera presence.
- Tips to do better with camera media content and presence.
- Performing and speaking to engage your audience.
Key Takeaways:
- When speaking to a group, in person, or on camera, you do not want to fall into legal speak. You need to speak to who your audience (or client) is in a way that they understand.
- Look at the camera, not at your screen. It gives a connection with the audience that appears you’re looking directly at them.
- Your voice is what creates the connection. Make sure you use your voice to repeatedly bring the audience in.
- Preparation is key in your webinars. Know what your purpose is, know what your goal is, and keep your audience engaged from start to finish.
"You want to have a very specific agenda, you want to have very specific language, and you want to recognize that people tune out if you look like you don't have a specific purpose, or frankly, if you're boring." — Kerry Barrett
Join our interactive webinar, "Quality Over Quantity: Attracting More Qualified Clients" on June 11th, and secure your spot today! Sign up now at lawmatics.com/webinars
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Goal Diggers Podcast with Jenna Kutcher: https://jennakutcherblog.com/goal-digger-podcast/
Connect with Kerry Barrett:
Website: https://www.kerrybarrett.com/
The Kerry Barrett Show Podcast: https://www.kerrybarrett.com/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmKerryBarrett
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kerrybarrett/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IamKerryBArrett
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmKerryBarrett
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkerrybarrett/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamkerrybarrett
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adrian Mendoza discuss:
- Flipping the script on sales to professional development.
- Spending your time in the best way for your skills and interests.
- The importance of qualifying questions and building the right relationships.
- Tips for networking effectively.
Key Takeaways:
- Networking is about building relationships, not just about getting the business. It’s planting seeds to see what grows over time.
- In order to know what to give, you have to listen. Don’t be so focused on giving your pitch that you’re ignoring what the other person’s needs and concerns are.
- Ask the qualifying questions. If they are not the right fit for you, it would be a waste of your networking time.
- You can say no and it be kind. You may not be the right fit for someone, but you may be able to introduce them to someone who is.
"If we believe that networking is about developing those relationships that you want, then it has to be based on trust. And if you're not sincere, people will see through it right away. People know when you're when you're putting on a front, when you're putting on an act. And honestly, nobody likes that." — Adrian Mendoza
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- In Our Time Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/598SVYJ2smP8qJlpH29y7Vj/podcasts
About Adrian Mendoza: Adrian is the managing partner of Lillig & Thorsness, Ltd. where he leads the litigation group. His practice includes business disputes, trust and estate litigation, fraud claims, and employment law matters. Adrian represents clients in the manufacturing, hospitality, real estate, legal, banking, and construction industries.
Connect with Adrian Mendoza:
Website: https://www.lilliglaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianmendoza/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lillig-&-thorsness-ltd./
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erik Reid discuss:
- Why you should consider international hiring for your US-based company.
- What to consider in doing remote versus in-house staffing.
- The red flags to catch if you did make a wrong hiring decision.
- Changing the stigma around international hiring.
Key Takeaways:
- Using an aptitude test can help you understand someone’s potential within your organization even before you understand if they are the right fit for your organization.
- Every role is different and different personalities will thrive in those different roles.
- Communication and clear instructions can give you amazing experiences with virtual staffing and help you delegate the things on your list that are not worth your hourly rate.
- Any role that can be worked remotely, can be worked internationally.
"If you want to break staffing down into the simplest form, it's 50%. Are they able to do the job? Are they cognitively able to do the job? Do they have the skills for it? And then the other 50% is, are they the right fit for the role? Is the role the right fit for that? And that's very subjective." — Erik Reid
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- How to become 37.78 times better at anything | Atomic Habits summary (by James Clear)
About Erik Reid: Erik Reid is the Co-Founder and Owner of Virtustant, a company dedicated on staffing exceptional international talent with companies worldwide. Starting the venture at 24 in the height of Covid, Erik has built a fully remote global business that staffs hundreds of individuals with dozens of companies. Under his leadership Virtustant has established itself as an innovative tactical solution in the realm of HR, empowering enterprises to expand operational teams swiftly and cost-effectively, ensuring sustained excellence and competitiveness.
Connect with Erik Reid:
Website: https://virtustant.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-reid-b0a077126/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtustant/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Christina Martini discuss:
- How Tina pivoted from engineering to legal.
- Selling big law by increasing the stickiness factor through cross-selling.
- Minding your assets in networking and cross-marketing.
- Building your book of business authentically.
Key Takeaways:
- The practice of law is not that different from having and nurturing the relationships in your life. Everything is all about relationships which are dynamic and require proactivity.
- Good business development, whether in a solo firm or in big law, requires a multi-pronged approach. Leverage existing clients, leverage your network, and talk to your peers. The right work for you is out there, but you’ve got to ask for it.
- Be prepared and have dynamic conversations with your potential clients. It will help build and nourish the relationship, but it will also create opportunities.
- As a woman, embrace who you are, embrace your femininity and who you want to be in the world when you go to market. Be authentic in your relationship building and in building your book.
"The rubber really meets the road when you cross-sell your clients into areas that are completely unrelated to yours. That's how you institutionalize clients. That's how you increase the stickiness factor." — Christina Martini
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer
Get Staffed Up: getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer
Green Cardigan Marketing: greencardiganmarketing.com
Episode References:
- Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What’s Obvious But Not Easy by David Maister
- Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
About Christina Martini: Christina L. Martini is a partner with McDermott Will & Emery and serves as the Global Head of the Firm’s Trademark Prosecution & Controversy Practice. Tina focuses her practice on domestic and international trademark and copyright law, as well as domain name, Internet, advertising, unfair competition and entertainment law. She has extensive experience in counseling, prosecution, enforcement, due diligence and licensing matters, and in assisting clients in protecting their intellectual property rights through litigation and other means. Tina has also served as an expert witness regarding issues on trademark, unfair competition and trade dress law, as well as USPTO practice. Described as a “juggernaut in the trademark market,” Tina is a trusted advisor with a proven track record of successful outcomes for clients.
For many years, Tina has also been selected as one of America's leading intellectual property lawyers by Chambers & Partners, which has also given MWE’s Chicago Trademark Group a Band 1 ranking. Tina has also been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and designated an Illinois Super Lawyer.
Tina is the host of “Paradigm Shift with Christina Martini” and is co-host of WGN Radio's popular show "Legal Face-Off." Since 2010, Chicago Lawyer has featured her legal column, "Inside Out.”
Connect with Christina Martini:
Website: mwe.com
Email: cmartini@mwe.com
Show: paradigmshiftshow.com
Show: wgnradio.com/wgn-plus/legal-face-off
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinamartini
X: twitter.com/TinaMartini10 & twitter.com/McDermottLaw
Facebook: facebook.com/McDermottWillandEmery
Instagram: instagram.com/christina_louise_martini & instagram.com/mcdermott_law
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
X: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Branch discuss:
- Building trust with your network, clients, and prospective clients.
- Developing your relationships and reputation.
- The importance of preparedness to trust and likeability.
- Finding natural affinities for helping to build trust.
Key Takeaways:
- Building a relationship without trust will not lead to successful, healthy places.
- Sometimes the truth is painful, but trust is built on honesty with everyone you’re talking to.
- Clients who have trust in their lawyer are more likely to have a great rapport and feel confident in their representation.
- People can tell when you’re feeding them a line and are not going to follow through. The key to trust is reliability and following through on those things you promise.
"What you're demonstrating is that you committed to something and you executed on it. There's a connection that happens when people can really know they can count on you versus just hearing you talk about them counting on you." — Josh Branch
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Podcast: Smartless - https://www.smartless.com/
About Josh Branch: Josh’s interest in law began at the early age of 16 when he began working in a law firm as a high school student. Attending depositions and being inundated with the legal profession at an early age and with an inherent ability to argue succinctly, it was known by many that Josh would become a lawyer from an early age.
Growing up around medical doctors has also proved advantageous for Josh in his legal practice, in that he has learned and become familiar with a person’s physiology, which is continually being applied to his practice of personal injury law in Athens.
He attended undergraduate school at the University of Georgia and went to law school at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida.
Josh began his legal career in Pensacola, Florida working at an insurance defense firm, though his passion was always to help individuals rather than corporations. After enduring Hurricane Ivan, he was forced to move from Pensacola and eventually relocated to Athens, Georgia where he is devoted exclusively to pursuing justice for plaintiffs. Dedication to the injured individual’s plight remains his devoted pursuit.
Connect with Josh Branch:
Website: https://www.thegeorgiainjuryattorney.com/
Phone: 706-850-4994
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-branch-a1127624/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-law-office-of-joshua-w-branch-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLawOfficeofJoshuaWBranch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawofficeofjoshuawbranch/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Plotkin discuss:
- Giving information away.
- Writing a lead-generating book while maintaining your law practice.
- Benefits of writing a book above other kinds of content marketing.
- What to do before publication, during promotion, and after publication.
Key Takeaways:
- Even if you gave someone your entire process, nobody will be able to execute like you do because you have value to bring to the situation.
- Break your book down into small, manageable bites. Also, consider sharing some of the information as you go and get feedback as you go so it feels less monumental of a task.
- Having a good outline in place is crucial - it gives you opportunities to break your script into smaller tasks that can be tackled in your 15 or 20 free minutes.
- Have multiple ways of distributing your content - audio, digital, and print. People consume content in different ways, but you can also repackage that content in your content marketing.
"The thing about a book is it sends this separate meta message about your clout, your credibility as an expert. I think most lawyers who are writing a book are trying to use it to establish or cement themselves as an expert, a thought leader, someone who knows how to get certain things done for their clients in the law and a book sends that meta message at just order of magnitude higher level. There's another meta message: by someone seeing that you wrote a book, they know you're someone who took the time and has the discipline to write a book. Even if they never read it, that sends a message to them." — Robert Plotkin
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
About Robert Plotkin: Robert Plotkin is a patent attorney who has specialized in obtaining software patents for his clients to maximize company value for over 25 years. He focuses on obtaining patents that his clients use to attract investment, generate revenue, and secure successful exits. His clients have gone toe-to-toe against the biggest tech companies in the world in patent litigation and emerged victorious. He is a co-founder of the boutique patent law firm Blueshift IP and is sought out by the world's leading software and AI companies to obtain, enforce, and leverage patents for success.
Connect with Robert Plotkin:
Website: https://blueshiftip.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertplotkin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueshift-ip-llc/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Josh Blum, and Dr. Andre Caruso discuss:
- Mistakes attorneys make that fail to gain trust.
- Why trust matters and the different dimensions of trust.
- Ways we can quickly build trust.
- Making the right first impression.
Key Takeaways:
- People hold how they feel about you higher than how competent you are.
- You do not always need to be in lawyer mode. Turn off the lawyer speak, be more authentic and human, and you will improve your trust and likeability.
- Put a little effort into building trust. You need to talk about more than the obvious or the weather.
- Treat people they way they want to be treated. It is your responsibility to adapt to their communication style to be more trusted.
"When you can create some sort of connection with someone, it's going to help build that idea of trust. Even if it is just that subconscious thought of that connection." — Dr. Andre Caruso
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer
Get Staffed Up: getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer
Green Cardigan Marketing: greencardiganmarketing.com
Episode References:
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
About Josh Blum: Josh Blum has worked for nearly 20 years within the professional services and financial services industries and worked with thousands of advisors, attorneys and accountants in his career educating them and their clients on how to successfully become trusted advisors to their clients.
Considered a subject matter expert Josh has served as President of the Financial Planning Association of Miami is a published author and currently sits as Chair of the Board of the FPA of Miami.
In addition to the educational services Josh provides and his pro-bono work he is also cofounder and partner in JB and The Doctor and IVOLVE Performance & Development. JB and The Doctor provide soft skills training to professionals to achieve greater productivity, enhance communication and minimize the cost of employee turnover.
About Dr. Andre Caruso: Dr. Andre Caruso, affectionately known as ”The Doctor” or “Doc”, combines his deep knowledge of psychology with extensive practical experience across many sectors. Earning a Doctorate in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, his career has seamlessly transitioned from the hospitality industry along with significant roles in nonprofit organizations and special education, integrating with behavior modification and mindset development. This diverse experience underscores his ability to apply behavioral insights to effect positive, lasting change in both individuals and organizations.
Doc's approach to educating is both scientifically grounded and deeply empathetic, focusing on empowering individuals and teams to reach their full potential. Through innovative program development and hands-on training, he has dedicated his career to enhancing personal and professional growth. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Caruso stands out as a pivotal figure in the field, embodying a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom to inspire insight, resilience and growth.
Connect with Josh Blum and Dr. Andre Caruso:
Website: jbandthedoctor.com
Josh’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josh3837
Doc’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drandrecaruso
Instagram: instagram.com/jbandthedoctor
Facebook: facebook.com/jbandthedoctor
YouTube: youtube.com/jbandthedoctor
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jen Lee discuss:
- Breaking the mold of traditional legal molds within ethical guidelines.
- Legal models that are changing the game for attorneys.
- The growing demand for legal services in underserved communities and non-traditional markets.
- How COVID changed the legal landscape.
Key Takeaways:
- The billable hour contributes to lawyer burnout and work-life imbalance as attorneys feel pressure to work long hours to pay off high student loans and meet law firm expectations.
- Some variations for fee models include flat fees, hybrid, unbundled services, subscription models, and passive income (such as a sponsored podcast, a course, a book, etc.).
- Part of your job as a lawyer is helping your clients accurately understand the costs of your services necessary to solve their problems.
- Turn off your lawyer brain when thinking about business development. What do you like solving? Build a business model around that.
"The legal profession itself stands in its own way. We’ve got such a long tradition and history of how things have always been done. It’s almost a stodgy profession. We have a lot of regulations on us, and it's hard to come up with ideas to get around those or to be ethical. Attorneys worry about that a lot. We're very conservative with how we look at things." — Jen Lee
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon
- TV Show: What We Do in the Shadows
About Jen Lee: Jen Lee AKA Rebel Esquire. Once a mild-mannered attorney, now the superhero for lawyers intent on transforming an industry resistant to change. She is redefining the practice of law through innovation, accessibility, and a bold departure from the status quo. Jen is the owner of Lawyer Success Network® and host of the Rebel Esquire™ podcast.
Connect with Jen Lee:
Website: https://www.lawyersuccessnetwork.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebelesquire/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lawyersuccessnetwork
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelesquire
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Dunlap discuss:
- Letting go of the old things to promote the new things.
- The power in relinquishing control.
- The two paths to scaling.
- Finding the right fit for your team, clients, and fees.
Key Takeaways:
- Having your name on the door makes you the lightning rod for problems. It is not as big of a benefit as most lawyers think.
- If viable for your firm, consider bringing in non-lawyer team members who can help with the non-legal aspects of running a firm.
- You have to find the right fit clients in the right stage in the right scope.
- If some people don’t say ‘no’ to your fees, you’re charging way too little.
"You went to law school to be a lawyer. The highest and best use of your time is the billable hour and getting clients and keeping them happy. If you want to manage a law firm, you should have professionals who work for you doing it." — Tom Dunlap
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Snowball System: How to Win More Business and Turn Clients into Raving Fans by Mo Bunnell
About Tom Dunlap: Tom is the managing partner of a law firm he does not run and is the better for it. Leveraging his time working in terrible law firm and corporate environments, and then leaving law to command a Recon Scout Platoon and Infantry company in the Us Army, together with a series of graduate projects crafted during his last years in an MBA program, much of Tom’s time, not practicing law, has been spent building his national firm of more than 80 lawyers from the ground up as a place where lawyers want to be.
In his legal practice as principally an IP and government contracts lawyer he has handled
numerous successful bid protests before the GAO and Court of Federal Claims, and Federal district court jury and bench trials as lead counsel including a $12 million jury verdict in a patent infringement case doubled as a result of punitive damages to $24,635,000 in the Bunch of Balloons case, and a $2,600,000 jury counterclaim verdict in a copyright and commercial litigation dispute over Blackwater. He is the past president of the Loudoun County Bar Association and admitted to the state and Federal bars of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, VA, and MD and more than 30 other Federal Courts. Tom has repeatedly been a Washington, D.C., and Virginia SuperLawyer (2006 – 2024).
Tom received his law degree from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and earned an MBA and MS in Biotechnology at the University of Maryland.
Outside of law, Tom founded a successful software company for first-person MMORPG gaming, and a biotechnology company, where he was also an inventor on patents are that currently the standard used by NIH for COVID wastewater surveillance (www.ceresnano.com). Tom is also a licensed instrument pilot, PADI Master SCUBA Diver, Freemason, and avid runner, recently completing the 2023 Paris Marathon.
Connect with Tom Dunlap:
Website: dbllawyers.com
Show: dbllawyers.com/podcasts-seasons
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomdunlap & linkedin.com/company/dbllawyers
Twitter: twitter.com/DBLLawyers
Facebook: facebook.com/dbllawyers
Instagram: instagram.com/dbl_lawyers
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Victoria Collier discuss:
- Thinking about your law practice of the future.
- Selling a book of business versus an actual business.
- Balancing future needs with your current lifestyle.
- Key components of having an exit strategy and preparing your firm for sale.
- Technology that is supporting law firms to run better.
Key Takeaways:
- A solo practice is an asset as a business itself, beyond the goodwill and book of business, when the practice is streamlined and built well.
- Everyone can build assets into their firm, even if they are a solo firm.
- Focus more on the net revenue, not the gross revenue, and you’ll be surprised to see how much your firm can grow and thrive.
- Clients don’t care about the name on the door as much as they just want their problem solved.
"Gross revenue is not where the value is, that’s in the net revenue. If you're making decisions based on ‘I want to grow my gross revenue,’ then you are making other microdecisions below that, that affect your net revenue, and often it's not in the same direction." — Victoria Collier
Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- 24 Months to Freedom: How Modern Law Firms Use Smarter Staffing Solutions to Fast Track Their Way to Success by Brett Trembly
About Victoria Collier, Founder and CEO of Quid Pro Quo: Victoria is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the legal industry. She is a Certified Exit Planning and Value Builder Advisor and has been coaching lawyers since 2008 on how to add value to their law firms. After building and then selling her own 7-figure law firm in 2020, she founded Quid Pro Quo. It is now her mission to teach others the art and science to creating turnkey law offices, positioning to transition, and selling for profit.
Connect with Victoria Collier:
Website: https://quidproquolaw.com/
Podcast: https://quidproquolaw.com/smart-lawyers-position-to-transition/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1284225722042602/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-collier-b10b992/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/victoria-collier-coaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaCollierCoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quidproquolaw
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Miriam Airington-Fisher discuss:
- Building your business on your own or under a firm umbrella.
- Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Growing and scaling in different ways.
- Advice for those lawyers going out on their own.
Key Takeaways:
- You get a higher return when you’re the one that you’re investing in.
- Even though we are all important in our own ways, we can still delegate to others. You do not need to be the person talking to every single person on every single issue.
- Take yourself out of the day-to-day equation. You can do that with technology, a small staff, or a large staff. Regardless of your goals, getting out of the whirlwind counts as scaling.
- There is never a perfect time to pull the trigger. Draw a line in the sand, bet on yourself, and go do it.
"When you're an entrepreneur and you're in control, you can you can shape how the business looks." — Miriam Airington-Fisher
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Fireproof: A Five-Step Model to Take Your Law Firm from Unpredictable to Wildly Profitable by Mike Morse
- The Game-Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill
About Miriam Airington-Fisher: Miriam is a lawyer, firm owner, speaker, and best-selling author. She started a practice in 2016 as a new mom in the middle of a divorce, and over the past 8 years has grown it into a 12-person, multi-million dollar firm specializing in immigration and civil rights. Today, she runs the Virginia-based firm, Airington Law, and consults with lawyers and law firm owners who want to build or scale family-friendly law firms. She is the author of Mom's A Lawyer: How to Start a Firm and Take Control of Your Life.
Connect with Miriam Airington-Fisher:
Website: https://airingtonlaw.com/
Website: https://www.momsalawyer.com/
Book: https://www.momsalawyer.com/book
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawyer-like-a-mother/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyerlikeamother
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Laura Sauter discuss:
- What branding really is and what it really means.
- Personal branding to stand out authentically.
- Building and protecting your reputation and brand.
- Reflecting on your personal brand and values to elevate your law practice.
Key Takeaways:
- People hire lawyers, not just law firms. To stand out, you must have your own branding, not just that of the firm.
- You only know what your brand is when it is reflected to you by those who love you and those who hate you.
- Dig deep, understand yourself, and be you. That is your biggest differentiator.
- You don’t need everyone as a customer. You just need the right ones.
"No matter what the company, no matter what the size, I'm still going to go through those core values and help those entities, the person or the firm, understand how they are unique within the plethora of offerings out there." — Laura Sauter
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Power of You by Chris Michaels
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
- The Brand You by Tom Peters
About Laura Sauter:
Meet Laura Sauter, a seasoned brand expert, educator, and speaker passionate about the power of personal branding. With over two decades of experience in brand strategy and design, Laura empowers entrepreneurs, non-profits, and seasoned company founders to navigate growth, transition, and conflict with confidence.
Laura's expertise lies in strategic brand positioning, naming, corporate identity, and associated marketing. She has consulted for multinational corporations such as Fidelity, Biogen, and TJX, as well as numerous small and mid-sized companies across New England and nationwide.
As a dynamic speaker and educator, Laura shares actionable insights and strategies to help individuals and businesses amplify their personal brands. Her approach combines precision, creativity, and empathy to drive tangible results in today's competitive landscape.
Whether you're looking to enhance your personal brand or elevate your company's identity, Laura Sauter is your trusted partner in achieving lasting impact and success.
Connect with Laura Sauter:
Website: https://agencybel.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sauter-58a341/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agency-bel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/agencybel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.sauter.5/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agencybel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designerlulu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agencybel/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Aaronson discuss:
- Why sales has a bad reputation in the legal industry.
- Being human before selling.
- Properly utilizing the Universal Seven Principles of Persuasion.
- Understanding the emotional decision-making that happens before the intellectual decision-making.
Key Takeaways:
- Sales has changed from hard selling to consultant selling.
- There is power in social proof and in having authority. What are you doing to build relationships and authority in your area of expertise?
- Look at what your competitors are doing and be an authority against those competitors. If they are creating lots of content online, you should be as well to compete with them.
- Do your research on those you want to build relationships with to create unity with something beyond the superficial.
"Just because the seven principles are there, doesn't mean they're going to happen naturally, you have to affect them." — David Aaronson
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://www.provisors.com/
- HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555
- Yes! By Robert B. Cialdini: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Scientifically-Proven-Ways-Persuasive/dp/1416570969
About David Aaronson:
As the owner of Digital Inbound, David is a Cialdini Institute Certified Coach, trainer, and practitioner, specializing in the field of marketing. Our focus is leveraging the Universal 7 Principles of Persuasion (PoP) to help get more prospects to say yes. We are dedicated to demonstrating how to utilize the 7 PoPs not just for marketing and sales, but for everyday decisions we all make. We utilize insights from both Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. author of Influence, the Psychology of Influence and Daniel Kahneman, Ph.D. winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast & Slow.
Connect with David Aaronson:
Website: https://www.digitalinbound.com/
Email: david@digitalinbound.com
Phone: 323-428-2015
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcaaronson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-inbound/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Victory discuss:
- Building your business without imploding.
- What to focus on whether you’re running a small or large firm.
- The biggest problems lawyers face when scaling.
- Getting business and leads from speaking and presentations.
Key Takeaways:
- Become better in the face of hard challenges. Don’t wish your challenges were easier when you can get stronger.
- You can find great people, but you have to dare to do it. Do something brave every day to grow your business.
- Hire somebody before you think you need them. You can also look for people outside of the US and are not constrained by only those in your area.
- At speaking engagements, connect with people before and after. Network, connect, build relationships, and show your expertise.
"I believe there's a form of marketing for everybody. And that usually is something you love to do." — Sarah Victory
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck
About Sarah Victory: CEO of The Victory Company & international best-selling Author, Sarah Victory, has spoken to over 3000 distinguished audiences, including 3 ½ million people, in Europe, the US, and South America, and is sought after for popular Podcasts, and TV and Radio Shows.
She is the author of Double Your Business in One Year or Less! and Do Something Brave Every Day.
Connect with Sarah Victory:
Website: https://www.thevictorycompany.com/
Email: sarah@thevictorycompany.com
Book: How to Be Powerful: Insider Secrets to Brilliant Leadership, Sales, and Speaking
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inspiringvictory
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahvictory/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahvictory/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiringvictory/
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
Email: garyj@j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Friedman discuss:
- Focusing on the client and what their needs are, both physical and psychographic.
- The five questions Robert asks each of his questions.
- Setting your aperture appropriately.
- Understanding your positioning and making it work for you.
Key Takeaways:
- When you can position yourself precisely, you won’t attract everyone, but you will attract the right clients to your firm.
- You have to do both the strategy work and the research work to know that you’re landing in the right space with your branding.
- If your message is not resonating with your potential referral sources and clients, then workshop it. Ask for feedback and be willing to listen. You don’t want to spin your wheels when a simple change could bring business growth.
- Focus on what makes you unique and make sure that comes across to your clients and potential clients.
"The number one way to differentiate is to really think about what you value and what you stand for and put that upfront." — Robert Friedman
Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns
- Take Robert’s Brand Strength Assessment for more information: https://www.fearlessbranding.com/resources/
About Robert Friedman: I am the founder of Fearless Branding. I work with experts in law and consulting who are at the top of their game, but whose firms are not realizing their full potential. They want bigger clients and more lucrative cases/engagements but they struggle to get traction with their ideal clients.
Here’s what I find: Frequently, professional services and consulting firms deliver powerful, unique expertise but they don’t reap the rewards because the way they define their value is generic. They’re not controlling their own narrative.
For over 20 years, I’ve worked with expert firms to transform the way they present themselves to their market. We define their unique brilliance and develop a winning narrative that answers their prospects’ most important question: “Why should we choose you.”
My work delivers a complete brand transformation: I deliver firms a new way to talk about themselves and position themselves precisely in the minds of their ideal clients. Deliverables include brand identities, website (including all messaging), thought leadership marketing and guidance for the right language for business development conversations. Results are significant increase in average engagement size, driven by increased clarity and confidence.
Before Fearless Branding I was in brand management for Kraft and other major food companies, and I was a “Mad Man” for big New York City advertising agencies.
Connect with Robert Friedman:
Website: https://www.fearlessbranding.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfriedmanfearlessbranding/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Andrew Michaels discuss:
- Matching your branding and headshot to your firm and business goals.
- Opening the doors to consultation with your headshot.
- What every lawyer should have in their arsenal of headshots.
- AI headshots.
Key Takeaways:
- For internal purposes, you should have a friendly-looking headshot. That may not be what you want for your public headshot.
- Different variations on your headshot can be used for different purposes in your branding, marketing, and social media.
- A good impression will work for you. But more than that, everyone deserves to have a professional photo of themselves that they love.
- A headshot is meant to create a human connection. Using AI removes that humanity from the picture.
"We talk a lot about judging a book by its cover. You're not supposed to do that, but as human beings, that’s the way that we're wired. It's just science, at this point, that a good impression will work for you." — Andrew Michaels
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Get your bonus offer for your Super Lawyer Session at https://www.statestreetheadshots.com/super-lawyer
- Huberman Lab Podcast - https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast
About Andrew Michaels: Andrew Michaels is a corporate headshot photographer who believes in selling without telling.
With his award-winning imagery, Andrew helps attorneys tell viewers they are looking at a winning firm.
Running his sessions with direct cues and some timely banter, he guides individuals through a range of expressions to match various content forms - from a warm smile to a game face that says "We fight for you".
Having taken over 10,000 headshots, Andrew has developed a system that caters to all personalities, so even the most camera-shy individuals can finally lean into their greatest selling point, themselves.
Connect with Andrew Michaels:
Website: https://www.statestreetheadshots.com/
Email: andrew@statestreetheadshots.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmichaelschi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-street-headshots/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewmichaelschi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statestreetheadshots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmichaelschi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statestreetheadshots
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Niraj Chhabra discuss:
- How law firm financial planning is different from the average person.
- Building a relationship on education first with your financial advisor.
- Avoiding outgrowing your income.
- Understanding your expenses now to know what you need for the future.
- Thinking about and planning for long-term care.
Key Takeaways:
- Attorneys need more than just retirement planning, but it is often overlooked.
- Your savings should increase in proportion to your income and everything else.
- If you think creatively, there are ways to use time and money to your advantage for the future that isn’t taxed.
- Everyone considers monthly costs, but many do not consider seasonal budget items like traveling expenses or holiday budgets.
"Whether you make $100K per year or $1M per year you have the same limits on how much you can put into your 401K and defer on your taxes. So we got to find creative ways to get that money to work outside of the bank account, we have to find creative ways to defer taxes and take advantage of vehicles that other folks may not be taking advantage of." — Niraj Chhabra
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Power of Less: The fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Less-Limiting-Yourself-Essential/dp/1401309704
About Niraj Chhabra: Niraj Chhabra is the Managing Director of SideBar Advisors. Before launching the firm in 2022, he was an advisor with Ameriprise Financial since 2005, concentrating on clients in the legal profession. His central focus includes family finances, tax and estate strategies, retirement, and financial planning for small businesses. His goal is to help attorneys navigate their unique tax challenges and modify their financial plans as their careers evolve. He does this by offering attorneys holistic financial planning and complimentary educational workshops.
Connect with Niraj Chhabra:
Website: https://sidebaradvisors.com/
Show: https://sidebaradvisors.com/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirajchhabra/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidebaradvisors/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SideBarAdvisors/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sean Klunder discuss:
- Why law firms tend to run behind other types of businesses in marketing.
- Understanding your SEO strategy.
- Individual lawyer marketing versus law firm marketing.
- Alignment and consistency in messaging in all areas of your firm.
- Watch out for fool’s gold to ensure you’re swimming in the blue ocean.
Key Takeaways:
- There is a difference between Marketing and marketing. Without a strategy, it is all just random acts of marketing.
- Sales patterns have changed over the last few years. People are taking themselves 60-70% through the sales cycle online digitally before ever contacting the law firm.
- Identify your unique differentiator. Use the three pillars to help identify that: what do you do, who do you help, and what makes you different.
- Be targeted to who you’re disseminating your message. Where are those targets digitally? Are you also there?
"It is really important to have that strategic focus before jumping directly into the tactical execution." — Sean Klunder
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ocean-Strategy-Uncontested-Competition/dp/1591396190
About Sean Klunder: Sean Klunder is a seasoned marketing transformation expert with a particular skill set in digital marketing. He combines his business strategy expertise with marketing transformation and execution to help law firms with explosive growth. Sean has worked with numerous law firms to develop business growth strategies, brand transformations, customized digital marketing strategies, implement the latest digital marketing initiatives, automate marketing using integrated technologies, and build reporting systems to illustrate ROI.
Prior to his fractional CMO role, Sean was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at Korn Ferry International. He was also Vice President of Marketing and Digital Development at World Book (a Berkshire Hathaway company), and Divisional Vice President at ETA/Cuisenaire. For 9 years Sean was also an Adjunct Professor of Digital Marketing at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management where he developed his own curriculum and trained MBA candidates on strategically growing businesses through modernized digital marketing.
Because of Sean’s successes in helping law firms develop and implement customized marketing strategies, he developed a proven approach to help law firms strategically grow.
Connect with Sean Klunder:
Website: https://www.lawfirm-cmo.com/
Email: sklunder@lawfirm-cmo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sklunder/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/law-firm-fractional-cmos/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Pamela DeNeuve discuss:
- The importance of empathy, compassion, and a trusted listening ear.
- Why anxiety, stress, and depression often start in law school.
- What to do (and not to do) in the morning to have a better day.
- Overcoming the busyness and stress of being a lawyer.
Key Takeaways:
- 11%, that’s 11 out of 100, lawyers are struggling with suicidal ideation. Please know, there is help out there and you are not alone.
- The conversation and culture need to change in the legal industry. While resources do exist, in many firms, there has been a stigma to any lawyer taking advantage of mental health resources.
- You must set yourself up for the next day, and that begins before you leave the office. Select what is going to be done first the following morning then there’s no question about what is going to happen.
- Do an hour and a half worth of work before you touch the phone or your email and you will feel like you have momentum to your day. If you can start with meditation before that, it will give you a great foundation to start the day.
"It starts the night before. You’ve got to prepare, to set yourself up for the next day. How you start your day will determine the rest of your day. You can't be sloppy or haphazard." — Pamela DeNeuve
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/
- Lawyer Well-Being Report: https://lawyerwellbeing.net/the-report/
About Pamela DeNeuve: Pamela specializes in helping lawyers to increase productivity and to scale their law practice while building their book of business. She began coaching lawyers in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. She advocates for attorneys to succeed without sacrificing their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. She created and delivered courses to Bar Associations throughout the USA. She has also spoken internationally to empower the legal profession. Pamela also produced an international podcast, Lawyer of the Week.
Pamela has negotiated deals for AM100 law firms. She is a Peer Reviewer for the NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON LAWYER WELL-BEING, published by The American Bar Association in 2017.
She is a contributor to Huff Post and Medium and has written over 200 articles regarding Lawyer Well-Being. Pamela’s new book published by Globe Law and Business, “Thriving in a Multi-Generational Law Firm: How to Increase Communication and Collaboration Among Lawyers” can be ordered online.
lawyercoach #lawyerwellbeing #stressrelief #productivity
Connect with Pamela DeNeuve:
Website: https://www.pameladeneuve.com/
Email: pamela@pameladeneuve.com
Book: https://www.pameladeneuve.com/book
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pameladeneuve/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeneuvePam40790
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.deneuve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamelalawfirmstrategist/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdeneuve/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makinglawyersrich/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marco Brown discuss:
- Changing your mindset to overcome limitations placed on you by yourself or your family.
- Leveraging the knowledge of those who came before you.
- Learn and implement the sales skills you didn’t learn in law school.
- Leveraging your attorney referral sources.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn how to sell. Even before you are making it rain, you can turn a potential client into a client through sales and closing.
- You are not better than sales. As a lawyer, you sell high-level concepts (arguments, negotiations, etc.) every single day.
- Be aggressive with the sale when you are the right person to help the potential client because you know you can help them solve their problem.
- Not all referral sources are created equal. Question and qualify potential referral sources to understand how you can help them and they can help you.
"Really successful people curate the people around them. That’s perfectly acceptable! You want to be around the people who share your values and who benefit you the most and you can benefit them." — Marco Brown
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Alex Hormozi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhormozi
- Lee Rosen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leewrosen/
- Grant Cardone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantcardone/
- The Jordan B Peterson Podcast: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/podcast/
- Brett Trembly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly
About Marco Brown: Marco grew up in a small village in Alaska called Cold Bay (population 85). He never did manage to graduate from high school, getting his GED before moving on to college, and eventually graduating with honors from law school.
In 2010, Marco and his wife, Demaree, moved to Utah and Marco started Brown Family Law, with no clients and no network, on the floor of their condo. They were $160,000 in student loan debt at the time.
Since then, Marco has been awarded Utah Family Law Attorney of the Year, as voted on by his peers in the Utah Bar Association. Brown Family Law has grown and helped over 4000 through divorce and family law situations in Utah, and its expanding beyond Utah to help people in other states.
In his free time, Marco spends most of his time with his wife and three kids. He also loves to cook and travel, usually to Italy. For exercise, he does what he enjoys: walking and lifting heavy things and puts them down.
Utah#DivorceAttorney #BrownFamilyLaw
Connect with Marco Brown:
Website: https://www.brownfamilylaw.com/
Email: marco@brownfamilylaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcocbrown
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divorceattorney
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ashley Robinson discuss:
- Creating a life on purpose.
- Niching down your business to focus on who you want to work with.
- Where lawyers need help with putting their marketing money.
- Understanding what potential clients (and Google) are seeing when they look at your website.
- Working with your marketing company to know what’s happening now and what the future holds.
Key Takeaways:
- Plan to be present in your relationships and in your business.
- Marketing isn’t bad, but a lot of nuance and strategy goes into understanding what you need for your firm specifically.
- You need to understand your goals before you start building your marketing plan.
- Does your client speak to your greatness? Or does it speak to your client’s pain points?
"It's on me to bring you qualified leads, it's on you to be a good lawyer and to convert those leads into clients." — Ashley Robinson
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell: https://www.amazon.com/Buy-Back-Your-Time-Unstuck/dp/059342297X
About Ashley Robinson: Ashley Robinson is the founder of Green Cardigan Marketing; a boutique marketing agency who specifically targets the unique marketing needs of the legal industry.
Connect with Ashley Robinson:
Website: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrobinsongcm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-cardigan-marketing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenCardiganMarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/green_cardigan_marketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Simmons discuss:
- Selling and following up without upsetting people.
- Getting out of the race to the bottom and reframing old ways of thinking.
- Dueling banjos of business development.
- The power of “how can I help?” and becoming more than just the lawyer.
Key Takeaways:
- What you’re really competing against is lawyer apathy, not other lawyers.
- You care more when they are your clients than you do when they are handed to you. There is a huge amount of fun in winning the work.
- Just start with 30 minutes. If you keep repeating that is going to be huge compared to doing nothing.
- Be nosy. If it is something or someone that interests you, keep asking questions. People love to talk about themselves and their business.
- You cannot serve everybody. When you narrow it down, your messaging becomes clear.
"AI is just going to keep getting better and better and better. And this idea that lawyers continue to be document drafters and researchers if we carry on down that road, that kind of apathy, that will be the end of the profession. Reframing who we are and how we do things, that's absolutely vital." — Scott Simmons
Email Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com for a chance to audit one of his exclusive rainmaker round table groups in April!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Rob Hanna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberthanna
- Eat Their Lunch by Anthony Iannarino: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Their-Lunch-Customers-Competition/dp/0525537627
About Scott Simmons: Scott is a toolbox for turning lawyers into rainmakers.
After a successful career in law where he faced similar situations to the lawyers of today, he discovered a love of coaching and training that has seen him coaching young lawyers on how to build their own careers, and more senior executives to become rainmakers.
He offers bespoke training and coaching to legal professionals at all stages of their career and has developed The BD Breakthrough Blueprint™, a digital education course aimed at helping lawyers take their first steps towards becoming 21st-century trusted advisors.
Scott is a husband and father and an avid movie lover, so do not be surprised when he includes a BD analogy relating to ‘Jaws’ or ‘When Harry Met Sally’ into any training or coaching session.
To get your copy of The BD Breakthrough Blueprint™, head to legalbalanceinstitute.thinkific.com..
Connect with Scott Simmons:
Website: https://legalbalance.co.uk/
Book: https://legalbalanceinstitute.thinkific.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@legalbalance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottsimmonsbdm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Martin Lopez discuss:
- The three tenets of curiosity.
- Being interested in the other person.
- Peeling the onion to understand the other person’s problem.
- Tips to foster deeper connections between lawyers and clients to improve relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- You’re not building trust when you’re talking at someone. You need to connect with them to build rapport and trust.
- Nobody asks for a pitch unless they explicitly ask for it, then it’s answering a question.
- It is not about answering questions, it’s about asking questions. Once you start answering questions you’ve lost control of the meeting if the foundation is not yet built.
- Take yourself out of the picture so you can better understand and assist your clients with their problems.
- Tension, frustration, and anxiety arise when needs are not being met.
"There's three tenets or three foundations of curiosity: trust, safety, and respect. The more trust they have in you, the more safe they feel, and the more respect that you have between each other, the more they're going to open up and start sharing." — Martin Lopez
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Heroic - https://www.heroic.us/
- Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential by Brian Johnson - https://www.heroic.us/arete
About Martin Lopez: Martin Lopez is a Speaker, Author, Trainer, and Master Coach in the personal development industry. His book The Curiosity Theory is a powerful methodology that radically changes the way we look at life, the way we look at ourselves, and the way we look at each other. Martin’s gift is strengthening professional and personal relationships by applying curiosity thus improving communication and collaboration at a fundamental level. The result… individuals, teams, and organizations work together more openly and efficiently. During his 35+ years in business, Martin has seen opportunities lost due to misaligned energy, conflict, and self-sabotaging communications. Almost every time, the issues were fixable:
• Simple misunderstandings
• Personal disagreements
• Fear-driven distrust
The Curiosity Theory is the culmination of his search for answers on how to transform the tension and destruction he found in conflict into connection, creativity, and results.
Martin is a graduate of the University of Santa Monica’s Spiritual Psychology program and holds multiple certifications in Coaching, Communication, and Mental Performance.
He lives at the beach in San Diego with his fiancé Ingrid and his two boys Jordan & Diego.
In addition, he is a Real Estate Professional with over 35 Years of Experience, Former Founder and Vice-President of Equity National Funding, Former Record Producer & Jazz Musician (Piano & Saxophonist). He also leads men’s groups and teaches a course called “BREAKTHROUGH” dedicated to helping people powerfully communicate with clarity, love, and kindness.
Connect with Martin Lopez:
Website: https://www.thecuriositytheory.com/
Cell Phone: 619-838-1553
The Curiosity Theory Book: https://www.thecuriositytheory.com/thecuriositytheorybook
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmartinlopez/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100025535526690
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriositytheory/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nermin Jasani discuss:
- Setting and implementing the plan to achieve your goals.
- Understanding what is realistic for a quarterly goal.
- Listing out the micro steps and adding them to your calendar for achievable goals.
- Monitoring your metrics that move the needle forward.
- Utilizing time and calendars to make your day work for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Give yourself milestones along the way to keep you on track to achieving your goals.
- The goal with planning is to make sure you aren’t burning yourself out while still making forward progress.
- Leverage the tools and resources at your fingertips that you’re already using to help make your goals come to fruition.
- You won’t know where you are unless you track the data. The data gives you accountability and allows you to gamify your goals.
"Give 100% of yourself to that one thing. Then when you achieve that, you’re going to feel the motivation, the fuel, the confidence to go to the next big project you want to tackle." — Nermin Jasani
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch - https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Principle-Secret-Achieving/dp/0385491743
About Nermin Jasani: Nermin Jasani is a law firm advisor for solo and small law firms who want to grow their law firm by focusing on their profitability, their team, and their time spent doing those tedious (and sometimes hated) admin tasks.
Nermin was a former law firm owner working with hedge funds on Wall Street and is now a full-time law firm growth consultant.
Connect with Nermin Jasani:
Website: https://ws-lawyers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerminjasani/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wildlysuccessfullawfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Scott discuss:
- Storytelling with the numbers that leads to a logical conclusion.
- Why spending time in the numbers is key.
- Dynamic forecasting and cash flow.
- Four categories of important financial metrics lawyers need to look at to grow their firm.
- Improving poor billing hygiene.
Key Takeaways:
- If you pay attention to the numbers regularly, you can make necessary course adjustments along the way rather than scramble at the end of the year to make sure everything is fine.
- Your goals need to be realistic based on your capacity. Set up your goals, even challenge goals, but then you need to look at them and work through how they can be achieved.
- If you want more rainmakers, you have to train them to be better at what they do.
- Bring in a non-lawyer finance team to focus on your firm’s finances. Delegate those things that are not your superpower. Let them focus on the numbers and keep you appraised of where they are at now, not just what they used to be.
"The biggest part of running your business’s dynamic forecasting is taking the data points that we have within the practice management system and within our accounting system to determine cashflow, 3-6-9-12 months out so that we know where we're going." — John Scott
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Most-Businesses-Dont-About/dp/0887303625
About John Scott: John Scott is a Partner in Tax at Anders CPAs + Advisors. With over thirty years of experience, he brings a breadth of financial knowledge and a deep expertise in advising law firms. With a long track record of success that includes firms of all sizes and specialties, John helps maximize profits via cash flow management and KPIs, while minimizing taxes with his extensive understanding of the tax code.
Leading the legal industry division of his firm’s Virtual CFO services, John offers strategic advising to mid-sized law firms, using a customizable, industry-leading tech stack that allows firms to make data-driven decisions. He advises on strategies around: staff utilization, cash flow planning, when to hire, creating clear career paths, trust accounting, accounting controls, and partner distributions. He is the author of a forthcoming book on creating a roadmap to success for law firms.
Connect with John Scott:
Website: https://home.virtualcfo.cpa/johnscott https://anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-legal/
Email: jscott@anderscpa.com
Book: Judicial Dollars and Cents: https://home.virtualcfo.cpa/johnscott
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-c-scott-cpa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vcfobyanders/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marc Halpert discuss:
- How Marc became the LinkedIn expert that he is today.
- Spending the time to show the world you’re amazinger.
- The recent and upcoming changes to LinkedIn.
- Working within the rules of the system you are bound to.
Key Takeaways:
- LinkedIn is always changing, even as we speak. But there are ways to make LinkedIn work for you, even with the changes.
- Using only your bio on your firm’s website is not enough. Put your personality into your LinkedIn profile and branding. People won’t know how to connect with you if they can’t figure out who you are.
- People want to read narrative, they don’t want to read your laundry list of skills or dense paragraphs of text. Tell people why, not what.
- Write all of your profile in first person and present, active tense. People want to be able to relate to you as a peer.
- Share on LinkedIn when you have something important to say and always end your posts with a call to action.
"If I'm looking to engage a lawyer, I want to find somebody who's going to reflect the personality I'm looking for. I don't want somebody who's bland, dull, and boring. And everybody who went through law school missed the opportunity to learn how to market themselves." — Marc Halpert
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman
About Marc Halpert: Marc W. Halpert is a self-described “multi-preneur.” In 2010 he started his third concurrent company, connect2collaborate, to spread his LinkedIn and networking evangelism to train and coach others and offer professionals the opportunity to better explain their perceived mission and positioning on their LinkedIn profile pages: why they do what they do, not what.
As a personal LinkedIn coach, he advises and mentors professionals in all walks of life to renovate their LinkedIn personal and company profiles. He advises job seekers of all generations to differentiate themselves and extend their transferrable skills.
Marc is also recognized as a high-energy LinkedIn speaker at conferences and as an instructor to sales/marketing, HR/training departments at large and small professional service firms and companies including HUB International and GE Capital. He has taught at bar associations, professional practitioner groups, and law schools on these topics.
His book LinkedIn Marketing Strategies for Law and Professional Practices(2021 second edition, American Bar Association), helps all types of professionals learn to better market themselves using the tools in LinkedIn and be “amazing-er” than the competition.
His book You, Us, Them: LinkedIn Marketing Concepts for Nonprofit Professionals Who Really Want to Make a Difference, (2018, self-published) is the only book of its kind aimed at the nonprofit/NGO/association/foundation/membership organization industries and its employees to prosper in such a fast-changing industry.
Marc is a frequent podcast guest, author of articles, LinkedIn advisor to networking groups, and blogger every business day with a LinkedIn Nugget.
Connect with Marc Halpert:
Website: https://connect2collaborate.com/
Email: marchalpert@connect2collaborate.com
Mobile: 203-218-8288
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marchalpert
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Larry Smith discuss:
- Why lawyers are challenged to deal with stressors in an empathetic way.
- Listening and diagnosing the problem before trying to solve the client’s problem.
- Building trust and relationships with clients.
- How to handle a client on the ledge and setting expectations.
Key Takeaways:
- Be kind, you never know what other people are going through.
- Don’t just let clients walk out the door. Set up another appointment and get the last word. Set up the next step and make it easy.
- Make certain promises that you know you can fulfill. Don’t promise things that are uncertain or outright false. It will destroy trust within the relationship.
- You have to get your mind right before you can empathetically communicate with a client or team member. Everyone has bad conversations and bad days, but you need to get your mind right.
"What I like to do is make certain promises that I absolutely know I can fulfill. You’ve got to know what you’re going to be able to do for sure, don’t shoot over." — Larry Smith
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- This American Life Podcast: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/
About Larry Smith: Larry Smith has been practicing law for 30 years, spending the last 25 focused on consumer rights, and primarily in consumer financial issues. SmithMarco, P.C. represents consumers who have been victims of cybercrimes and identity theft. With offices in the Chicago area and in Sarasota, Florida, Larry Smith has represented consumers all throughout the country on both the trial and appellate level and in both state and federal courts. Mr. Smith has provided lectures to members of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center on issues pertaining to fraudulent electronic transactions and consumer credit reporting issues.
Connect with Larry Smith:
Website: https://www.protectingconsumerrights.com/
Website: https://smithmarco.com/
Phone: 888-822-1777
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrypsmithlaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Doug Bradley discuss:
- Understanding the numbers around marketing.
- Bootstrap marketing on a limited budget.
- Laying the groundwork for solid website optimization.
- Setting expectations and calls to action.
Key Takeaways:
- Having your own book of business gives you power and freedom.
- Be willing to try and test out options. There is data out there for search terms but you need to know what you’re trying to accomplish.
- What might not be the right marketing fit for you right now, could be good later down the line. Don’t discount something permanently just because it’s not right now.
- When working with a marketing professional, make sure they have experience working with others in the area of practice that you are in.
"I would not dismiss completely the option of creating a very basic website and linking to it from your social media channels and your directory profiles. That really gets your website up and running and visible to Google and you really want that." — Doug Bradley
Find out more about the Bootstrap Your Marketing to Build Your Personal Brand Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Justia: https://lawyers.justia.com/new-profile
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537
About Doug Bradley: Doug Bradley is the owner of Everest Legal Marketing and a highly experienced SEO professional. He's different than many agency owners because he actually understands technical Search Engine Optimization and diagnoses website visibility issues for law firms.
Connect with Doug Bradley:
Website: https://www.everestlegalmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-j-bradley/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everest-legal-marketing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverestLawMktg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everestlegalmarketing
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Paul Angelle discuss:
- Working through the lens of ownership.
- The biggest opportunity for growth…and the biggest obstacle for growth.
- Advice to law firm owners to create their business plans.
- Repetitive problems law firms have with executing their business plan.
Key Takeaways:
- Your goal must be consistent with your why.
- Share your business goals with your team you will have more consistency with an accountability partner.
- Spreading the ownership of the business plan will improve your company culture.
- Make sure the people in your law firm are in the right spot - it may mean moving people around or changing tasks to fit strengths and zones of genius.
"Businesses that grow, especially businesses that grow fast and in big numbers, have a plan. They never don’t have a plan." —Paul Angelle
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
About Paul Angelle: Paul Angelle never really had a choice; he was born into entrepreneurship. Working full-time in his father’s Cajun restaurant in south Louisiana from an early age, he learned the value of work through the lens of ownership. He never thought of himself as an employee as he proudly worked in the family business through college. That mindset would never change.
After graduating from the University of Louisiana with multiple degrees, he applied that same passion to sales. He was a natural salesman, a gifted networker, and very successful across multiple industries for over 20 years. In addition to starting his own successful media company, he earned a law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans which landed him a role as the first COO of a statewide, rapidly growing estate planning law firm. In that role, he managed a team of 20, and was instrumental in tripling revenue, increasing services, growing margins, and raising salaries during his 5+ years there.
During the lockdown in early 2020, Paul wrote a personal growth book. He had it published in 2021 and experienced the process of a launch that landed him numerous interviews, multiple book signings, and more coaching and consulting requests than he could have ever predicted. He realized that his lifetime goal of helping as many people as possible was finally in reach.
After more than 5 years of success growing a law firm, nearly 2 decades of achievement in regional and territory sales, and a record of entrepreneurial accomplishment in publishing, Paul seized the opportunity to use his varied experiences to help others. His track record of success, his infectious enthusiasm, his specific skillset, and his varied experiences made him a perfect fit for HTM.
A former “undefeated” little league coach for his sons’ baseball teams, Paul enjoys cooking, fishing and writing. He’s a huge fan of his alma mater and enjoys watching and supporting the Ragin’ Cajuns whenever he can. He’s a father of four who lives on a small farm in tiny Sunset, LA with his beautiful wife Dawn and their horses, goats, chickens, dogs, and cats.
Connect with Paul Angelle:
Website: https://lawfamilia.net/
Website: https://paulangelle.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulangelle/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justie Nicol discuss:
- Leading and selling without fear.
- Building your law firm to support you and your life.
- Systematizing your training processes and procedures.
- Running a virtual firm to invest in people over premises.
Key Takeaways:
- There are no bad people, only bad decisions. As a lawyer, your job is to make sure that that bad decision doesn’t wreck the person’s life.
- Be the best you can be with the years you have with the amazing people you have. Sometimes things change and people move on and that’s okay.
- Self-care is extremely important for both you, as the leader, and for your team. Finding a way to be flexible and support your team in what they find most important can be culture-defining and still lead to a successful law firm.
- Check-ins don’t have to be scheduled and formalized. You can have informal meetings to make sure everyone is doing good and all on the same page.
"Respect them for who they are and ask them, ‘Am I meeting your needs? Are you feeling like you can contribute in ways that are meaningful to you?’" — Justie Nicol
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Podcast - The ONE Thing: https://the1thing.com/podcast/
About Justie Nicol: Justie Nicol is a feisty, red-headed, nerdy, dog & toddler mom, with a variety of legal experience who’s actually a PERSON (human first, then attorney) and who wants to GENUINELY HELP her clients. Justie practices primarily criminal defense work but is also well-known for innovation, systems-design, and using legal tech to achieve great results for the firm and her clients. Justie is often teaching other lawyers about tech stacks, guest-lecturing at local universities about animal law, teaching animal control officers how to testify and investigate, or giving webinars on law firm automation. She is the Colorado Lawyer Team visionary.
Justie owns two companies in Colorado and is a licensed real estate broker. Justie is a small-town girl and rural lawyer at heart and often travels to clients throughout the majority of the state of Colorado. Access to Justice is something she’s passionate about, so she keeps her costs down and is on many modest means lists for low-pay slow-pay representation.
She enjoys long walks in the mountains (they’re called hikes in Colorado) and she’s horse-crazy. She’s active on social media (@Justie4Justice) where you can see regular appearances by #OfficeDogs and #OfficeHorse. She welcomes questions at any time via email to Justie@COLawTeam.com.
Connect with Justie Nicol:
Website: https://colawteam.com/
Email: justie@colawteam.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justieforjustice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COLawTeam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justie4justice
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tim Lupinacci discuss:
- Time management and prioritization.
- Testing out leadership in smaller groups first.
- Learning from others to strengthen your leadership skills.
- Utilizing daily disciplines to support your leadership and your team.
Key Takeaways:
- Get together and pour into people and allow them to pour into you. You’ll build relationships and strengthen all team members.
- Seeing people in action will allow you to get to know them and see their strengths and personalities.
- Building your team, and trusting them, will allow you to transition out of the day-to-day work as you release responsibility to them and start focusing more on your zone of genius and your leadership.
- Don’t neglect your self-care. Checking in with yourself (either alone or with a professional) is vital for leading successfully.
"My experience has been when you build that trust, then the pie gets bigger because now you've got multiple people who can have those relationships because we've got that finite amount of time." — Tim Lupinacci
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling: https://www.amazon.com/Disciplines-Execution-Achieving-Wildly-Important/dp/145162705X
- Meredith Bell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithmbell
About Tim Lupinacci: Tim Lupinacci spent the first 28 years of his legal practice focused on helping financial institutions solve complex problems arising in commercial restructuring and bankruptcy matters throughout the country. During his leadership journey at Baker Donelson, Tim chaired the Financial Services Department, the Women’s Pathways to Leadership Committee, and served as a member of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. He was awarded with the Firm’s highest award for both advancement and support of women and advancement and support of minorities. Four years ago, he was selected as CEO and Chair of Baker Donelson, which is one of the 100 largest law firms in the country. In these positions, he has led the Firm through significant organizational change, growth, and the global pandemic. He continues leading Baker Donelson through its five-year BakerVision 2028 strategy, and the execution of its Diversity & Inclusion Compact.
Connect with Tim Lupinacci:
Website: https://www.bakerdonelson.com/
Website: https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Timothy-Lupinacci
Website: https://everybodyleads.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addison-diana/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Julie Yusim discuss:
- Adding a little positive self-talk to your routine.
- Getting value for your networking time.
- Going deep and playing the networking long game.
- Evaluating your wide network to see where you should go deeper.
- Best tips and tactics for effective networking.
Key Takeaways:
- Networking is about giving, more than anything, especially at the beginning, even if you don’t see how it is going to come back to you.
- Have a couple of things that you can give in your back pocket, even if you are new to networking.
- Most networking relationships evolve and mature over time. Get to know those in your smaller circle best, but don’t ignore others in your network.
- Following up is where the networking really starts. Make notes about the person and conversation you had, then make sure you follow up specifically, not in a blast email selling your services.
"The good news is networking works. The less-than-good news is networking is work. It’s not a horrible amount of work, it’s not taxing, it’s not expensive, but there is a process that if you want to be successful at it, you need to follow." — Julie Yusim
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- Boomerang for Outlook: https://www.boomerangoutlook.com/
- Book: Endless Referrals by Bob Burg - https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Referrals-Third-Bob-Burg/dp/0071462074
About Julie Yusim: Julie Yusim has spent the majority of her career coaching small business owners. She served as Executive Director of a Chicago-area Chamber of Commerce for 17 years, where she taught business owners to how maximize their marketing and networking efforts. As the Director of Marketing for a family-owned chain of auto repair shops, Julie built the company’s brand awareness through extensive networking and marketing. Before consulting full-time, Julie studied and mastered the marketing and compliance systems of a leading U.S. insurance company in order to build the personal brands for successful agent/owners. Julie is an enthusiast of grass-roots marketing techniques and is well-known in Chicago-area business circles as an expert “connector” of people and resources. Julie sits on the Board of Directors for Hunger Resource Network and is an Ambassador for the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Connect with Julie Yusim:
Website: https://www.ideamaxmktg.com/
Email: julie@ideamaxmktg.com
Phone: 847-975-5257
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-yusim-4aa23713a/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.yusim/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552727541602
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/networkinggoddess
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lisa Katz discuss:
- Starting to build your book of business from early in your career.
- Providing value to your clients with a network of other service providers.
- Things you need to know when working with counsel.
- The playbook for building a book of business.
- Having the hard conversations to experience the growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Everything is consecutive and cumulative, the more you meet with someone and have great, but shorter conversations, the more impact it will have than one multiple-hour conversation.
- It’s not about the client, it is about the person behind the relationship you are building.
- The longer you network and connect, the more you learn and grow and keep the connections that fit you and you fit them.
- Everybody wins when you’re able to connect and solve each other’s problems or connect them with the person who can.
- Your internal network at a law firm is just as important as your external connections.
"Revisiting conversations with the same people at multiple conversations makes sense because factors change. Take time to do that, even committing to a couple hours a week or 20 minutes a day." — Lisa Katz
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg - https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947
About Lisa Katz: Lisa Katz is half a healthcare lawyer, half a finance lawyer, and all broker all the time. She prides herself in being a strategic partner with her clients by acting as an outside general counsel to her healthcare provider clients and by representing numerous banks and private lenders on their healthcare finance transactions.
Connect with Lisa Katz:
Website: https://www.polsinelli.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-katz-17bb1321/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polsinelli/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Andy Hite discuss:
- Practicing the change you want to see now.
- How leadership done right can change the world.
- Emotional intelligence and its role in leading a team and developing a strong culture.
- Building a strong culture.
- Uncovering the stories we tell ourselves, and challenging those stories.
Key Takeaways:
- Do it now. You don’t need to wait to see the changes that you want to see in the world. Try now and make changes every day to be closer to what and who you want to be.
- Emotional intelligence is the true distinguisher between management and leadership. Leaders do need to manage, but managers don’t need to lead. Cultivating both skills creates impactful organizations.
- Releasing control will allow you to practice things that will allow you to be an effective leader. You only have so much capacity.
- Your values need to be more important than revenue.
"A business is a macrocosm of individuals living out values. If someone really wants a strong culture, they have to define ‘Who do we want to be as an organization? What values do we want to espouse?’ Then filter every decision, action, and way of being in the world through those values." — Andy Hite
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Podcast: The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett - https://stevenbartlett.com/the-diary-of-a-ceo-podcast/
- ProVisors - https://provisors.com/
About Andy Hite: Andy Hite is a recognized executive coach who supports entrepreneurs, executives, and their teams as they navigate the world of building businesses and lives filled with prosperity, meaning, & freedom.
Connect with Andy Hite:
Website: http://www.scalingminds.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-hite/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Pratik Shah discuss:
- Committing to the process, not just the result, of business development.
- Tips to develop positive business development habits.
- Looking out for everyone in your business network.
- Going deep and wide in the right areas of your network.
Key Takeaways:
- You should have a plan going into your networking event. There is more to it than just showing up and being in the room.
- Have a committed schedule for progressing your business development routine forward. You can then plan around it if it is on your schedule.
- Don’t be a professional taker - by helping others you will get so much more out of it.
- With the way legal tech is developing, you will, eventually, not have a choice to switch or start using it. Don’t be afraid to jump in and start learning to help your clients and your employees.
- Bring your team in to identify pain points and have someone review the tech options that could help to solve those problems.
"Put in inquiries. The more options you see out there, the more you will see what fits with your firm. Every firm is so different, it is impossible to say which tech your firm should have." — Pratik Shah
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The Lawyerist: https://lawyerist.com/
- Bob Ambrogi’s Blog: https://www.lawnext.com/
- Podcast: The Game with Alex Hormozi
About Pratik Shah: Pratik serves as the CEO and co-founder of EsquireTek a leading technology platform used by litigation attorneys to help automate written discovery he is also the Associate Director of Litigation at Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi where he focuses on business development for the firm as well as trial and litigation strategy.
Connect with Pratik Shah:
Website: http://www.psbr.law/
Website: http://www.esquiretek.com/
Email: pshah@esquiretek.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pratik-shah-8916198/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/esquiretek
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecloseresq
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mary Adkins discuss:
- Why you should consider writing a book today.
- Building trust as an author.
- Moving past the things keeping you from following your dream of writing a book.
- Tips to break down a big project into manageable bites.
Key Takeaways:
- For many people, books are a medium that they enjoy and help them learn and retain information more than a video or audio might do.
- Books can replace your business card - one will do more for you than the other.
- Book writing is often less time and less work than people assume it will be.
- There are increasingly more reasons to self-publish, but there are pros and cons with both traditional publishing and self-publishing. For the first time in 2023, self-publish books are making more than traditionally published books.
"A major skill set lawyers have that not a lot of people have is 1) getting their head around massive amounts of information and organizing it - which is very helpful when you’re working with a book, and 2) understanding the idea of having an outline or a skeleton that you’re going to flesh out." — Mary Adkins
Find out more about the Mastering the Legal Clock and Thriving Event at: https://fretzin.com/events
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
About Mary Adkins: Mary Adkins is a writing coach and founder of The Book Incubator, a 12-month program to write, revise, and pitch your novel or memoir. She is author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read,” New York Post “Best Book of the Week”), and Palm Beach (recently named one of the New York Post’s “Best Books of 2021”). Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more.
A graduate of Yale Law School and Duke University, she helps aspiring authors finish their books with joy and clarity. You can apply for The Book Incubator by going to apply.maryadkinswriter.com.
Connect with Mary Adkins:
Website: https://maryadkinswriter.com/
Website: https://thebookincubator.com/
Show: https://maryadkinswriter.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-adkins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adkinsmary/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jordan Ostroff discuss:
- How business planning and life planning are more similar than you might think.
- Building a life that makes you happy.
- Helping yourself make the right choices, not the wrong ones.
- Achieving multiple outcomes from the same action (not multitasking).
Key Takeaways:
- Put a team together to support you so you can focus on the things that are your unique talent - in your business, and in your personal life.
- What low-hanging fruit are you overlooking that could change the game?
- Start making small changes, they will add up and result in massive changes in less time than you think.
- You are not the best at most things - delegate the things that you aren’t the best at. Know your limitations.
"You’re not sacrificing the work, you’re empowering somebody else who is better at these things to do them better than you would." — Jordan Ostroff
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Giveaway: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QjhaqoRqFKG1D0mZvyFDfPIOVn0iXrU8O-1wtM8FVQE/edit
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Atomic Habits Summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ7lDrwYdZc
- Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
- The Four Tendencies - Gretchen Rubin: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/
- Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh: https://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446576220
About Jordan Ostroff:
Jordan Ostroff is a successful lawyer and visionary entrepreneur. After working as a prosecutor for the State Attorney's Office, Jordan founded his own firm, Driven Law in 2015, a personal injury firm that focuses on using technology and automation to provide top-level legal work with care and compassion. Over the next few years, he went from a struggling lawyer to a successful business owner. He has made it his life’s goal to help more law firm owners run a firm they can be proud of and live a life that’s even better!
Connect with Jordan Ostroff:
Website: https://jordanostroff.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-ostroff/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.ostroff
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lawyerwithalife
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bo Royal discuss:
- The most common mistakes law firms make on their websites and landing pages.
- Why you should have A/B Testing on your website.
- Understanding where your website traffic comes from.
- Tips to improve law firm websites and landing pages immediately.
Key Takeaways:
- Focus optimization on a few key pages - you do not need to overhaul your whole website anytime there’s an issue.
- Invest in high-quality photo (and video) content on your website that educates your clients on who you are, who you serve, and what you’re all about.
- Phone calls tend to be the most high-quality leads - have a click-to-call functionality on your website.
- Don’t underestimate social proof. Nothing is going to sell your law firm better than a client testimonial.
"All of the tracking needs to be owned by the law firm. It cannot be something that the agency owns. That data is invaluable to the law firm in the long run." — Bo Royal
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Intaker: https://intaker.com/home/
- Modern Wisdom Podcast: https://chriswillx.com/podcast/
About Bo Royal:
Bo Royal is a former Fortune 500 advertising agency executive turned law firm marketing expert. After holding leadership positions at eBay's marketing solutions division and scaling the online advertising revenues of a variety of well-known brands, such as Calvin Klein, Bo pivoted into the world of legal marketing six years ago and never looked back. Today, Bo co-owns and operates Pareto Legal, a growth marketing agency positioned to help small and medium-sized law firms add an extra 7 figures in cases to their pipeline.
Connect with Bo Royal:
Website: https://legal.paretoppc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bo-royal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pareto-legal/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Frank Agin discuss:
- Why networking isn’t pushed in law school.
- The science of networking and why networking is like golf.
- The power of small talk (and why it actually works).
- The three reasons lawyers do not get referrals.
Key Takeaways:
- Networking is really about building relationships and helping others.
- You have to help people to help you. If they don’t know what you do or what you are looking for, they won’t know how to refer you or that you even are looking for more business.
- People need help from you to recognize the referral opportunities and, perhaps, even the empowering language to know what to say.
- Build relationships outside of the organizations you’re a part of. Meet a few of them on a deeper level, add value to their lives, and it will come around in spades.
"Find something you’re passionate about and get out and volunteer. Get out there, put yourself out there with people who care about the same thing you do, and you’ll be amazed and what comes from that." — Frank Agin
Sign up for How to Become a Rainmaker to Achieve Work-Life Balance with Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Gillman at https://fretzin.com/events.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Three New People by Brian Miller
- Foundational Networking by Frank Agin
- Networking Rx Podcast
About Frank Agin:
Frank Agin is president of AmSpirit Business Connections, which empowers entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals to become successful through networking.
He also shares information and insights on professional relationships, business networking, and best practices for generating referrals under the brand name Networking Rx. This is done via the Networking Rx podcast or the Networking Rx content sharing platform which can be found at www.networking-rx.com.
Finally, Frank is the author of several books, including Foundational Networking. See all his books and programs at www.frankagin.com.
Connect with Frank Agin:
Website: https://www.amspirit.com/
Books: https://www.frankagin.com/
Podcast: https://networking-rx.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankagin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amspirit-business-connections/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankagin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amspirit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankagin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amspiritbusinessconnections
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankagin43/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amspiritbc/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Manuj Aggarwal discuss:
- Why law is behind in other businesses, especially in the realm of technology.
- Sales, marketing, and scaling your law firm.
- Benefits of building a network and keeping in touch with your relationships.
- Using technology to maintain and strengthen network and client relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Running a business is a different skill set than practicing law. But it is a skill that can be learned through practice, understanding your unique skills, and understanding the market around you.
- Use technology to build systems to help you maintain contact with people in your network. It is still authentic, but it keeps you top of mind and keeps the relationships strong.
- When using AI technology, such as ChatGPT, ask better questions and tell better stories.
- We live in an attention economy - whoever has the attention, gets the business.
"As things get more and more automated, the value of human connection and relationships will continue to go higher. If you want to survive in the next wave of technology, focus on that - focus on building those networks and relationships." — Manuj Aggarwal
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- PodMatch: https://podmatch.com/
- MidJourneyAI: https://www.midjourneyai.ai/
- ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/
- Podcast: The Art of Making Things Happen with Steve D Sims
About Manuj Aggarwal:
Manuj Aggarwal, is the founder and Chief Innovation Officer of TetraNoodle Technologies, an elite AI consulting company. With a remarkable track record of driving transformative change, Manuj, through TetraNoodle, has touched at least 10 million lives and generated over $500M in value through his expertise in technology and AI. He has shared his insights at the United Nations alongside distinguished figures like the Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winners, while President Obama and Bill Gates have recognized his work. With four AI patents to his name, Manuj is the perfect mentor to guide you through the transformative potential of AI and its benefits for businesses. Join us and discover the limitless possibilities of AI under the guidance of this visionary industry influencer.
Connect with Manuj Aggarwal:
Website: https://tetranoodle.com/
Podcast: https://manujaggarwal.com/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manujaggarwal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/manujagro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manuj.aggarwal/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Travis Hoechlin discuss:
- Marketing for your law firm.
- Where money is being wasted on marketing.
- Isolating your target market audience.
- Three marketing secrets that lawyers don’t know.
Key Takeaways:
- Whether you have your own firm or work for someone else, you can still have independence and power, you just need to learn how to make it rain.
- Track what you are doing for your marketing. You need to know your ROI.
- You need to make sure your Google My Business page is claimed, updated, and accurate.
- Have a line in the water with your local community. You can absolutely compete with larger firms if you target those near you.
"I always ask my boys, ‘How is your marketing doing? What kind of return on investment are you getting from this?’ And if they can't tell me that, I know they're not tracking it." — Travis Hoechlin
Sign up for How to Become a Rainmaker to Achieve Work-Life Balance with Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Gillman at https://fretzin.com/events.
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” by emailing Steve at Steve@Fretzin.com
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz
About Travis Hoechlin:
Born and raised in Southern California by an entrepreneurial family, my dream had always been to own a successful company that made a difference in people’s lives. With over 15 years of experience in the legal marketing industry, today we help hundreds of law firms grow their firms and attract new clients.
When not working I enjoy spending time with my wife Jessie, daughters Blake and Payton, and our dog Bailey. I love to travel, listen to live music, play golf, and watch sports (Los Angeles Lakers, USC football, and Los Angeles Angels).
Connect with Travis Hoechlin:
Website: https://www.rizeupmedia.com/
Cell Phone: 714-261-0185
Email: travis@rizeupmedia.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishoechlininternetmarketing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rizeupmedia/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TravisHoechlin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rizeupmedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travishoechlin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rizeupmedia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travishoechlin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rizeupmedia/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Weiss discuss:
- Why creating video content is about more than video.
- Authentic video content for your law firm and for your target audience.
- Aligning video content with your law firm’s business strategy.
- Planning to repurpose your video content before you ever film.
Key Takeaways:
- Start with video content today if you’re not already doing it - even if it means hiring a professional to guide you through the process.
- Authenticity trumps perfection. Your video does not need to be absolutely perfect, fully scripted, or error-free.
- Start your videos with thought leadership - just take the time to answer the top five questions you get asked all the time and know the answer forward and backward.
- There is power in video testimonials. While it may seem strange for your clients at first, people will say yes eventually if you keep asking and those will add additional strength to support your business.
"I'm not saying don't ever do the brand video or the pro bono video, I'm saying, get started with the most value and get the needle to move." — Robert Weiss
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- Good to Great by Jim Collins - https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996
About Robert Weiss:
President of MultiVision Digital, a New York video production and video marketing company,
that provides the full spectrum of video strategy, video production and video marketing
services. Having produced over 1,400 videos since their inception, MultiVision Digital's holistic
approach has allowed clients to increase sales, lead generation, improve SEO rankings,
increase awareness and client loyalty. Clients range from solo-entrepreneurs to global Fortune
500 companies across almost every industry. But more importantly have executed successful
business video strategy plans for every business objective.
Connect with Robert Weiss:
Website: https://www.multivisiondigital.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MVProductionsNYC/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertweissnyc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/multivision-digital/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mair Hill discuss:
- Being in control of who you work with.
- Teaching, learning, and selling with the younger generations.
- Best ways for lawyers to learn business development.
- The six senses of business development.
Key Takeaways:
- If you don’t understand your younger employees, listen more. They are telling you what they need, what they want, and what they know, it is up to you to listen.
- TikTok can’t teach you every lesson and the answer you want is always going to be found online, even if it isn’t the right answer.
- There are multiple ways to do business development - getting outside, professional help can assist you with understanding what you need to do and how you can best to succeed.
- Build the relationships, stay authentic, and keep to the cornerstones of classic selling. That is going to help you to build your business.
"The more authentic you are, the sweeter success tastes." — Mair Hill
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
Episode References:
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger
Connect with Mair Hill:
Website: https://mairhillconsulting.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/GOOD-PLAN-One-You-Can/dp/1502520125
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mairhill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/entrepreneurswhowantmoresales
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mairhillinspires/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoursalesprofessor
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Alay Yajnik and Steve Fretzin discuss:
- Perfect practice in your business development.
- Why lawyers struggle with business development.
- The reason having your own book of business is more important than ever before.
- Tips for starting your next year off with a bang.
Key Takeaways:
- Being a great lawyer alone isn’t enough, you also need to have a great book of business to control your own future and success as a lawyer.
- When sales is done in a sales-free way, it’s really about solving problems.
- Start building your book of business and your network early in your career. It doesn’t need to be the first year, but by years 3-5, you will want to start building your own freedom and independence.
- Get some level of competency in your skill that gives you a level of freedom and control.
"If you have your own clients and build your own book of business, you call the shots. You can write your own adventure." — Steve Fretzin
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly
Connect with Alay Yajnik:
Website: LawyerBusinessAdvantage.com
One Page Strategic Plan: LawFirmSuccessGroup.com
Email: Alay@YajnikGroup.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alayyajnik
Book: https://www.lawfirmsuccessgroup.com/book/
Lawyer Business Advantage Podcast: https://www.lawfirmsuccessgroup.com/podcast-2/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charles Gillis discuss:
- Why associates are the key to profitability in a law firm.
- How COVID changed the landscape of law for young lawyers.
- The generational change in lawyers in the industry.
- Tips for hiring and recruiting.
Key Takeaways:
- Working in a remote or hybrid firm is possible, but having a connection and building relationships are key, especially for newer associates.
- What you do in the first 7-8 years of your practice will lay the foundation for the rest of your career.
- You do not always need to work with a recruiter to hire great talent. You just need to be plugged into your community and invest time in new lawyers and excellent law students.
- If you are working with a recruiter, make sure to qualify them and build the relationship to make sure they are who you want to work with.
"You can put information out, without being too heavy-handed, about who we are and what we value. And smart candidates research the heck out of that stuff. The challenge is to live it." — Charles Gillis
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- We Regret to Inform You Podcast: https://apostrophepodcasts.ca/rejection/
- Book: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt
About Charles Gillis: Charles Gillis is a seasoned business executive who has over thirty years of law firm management and administration experience. At Platt Richmond, Mr. Gillis oversees all strategic and operational matters for the firm, including finances, human resources, and marketing. He is the author of The Seven Year Trap: Back Office Observations of the Business of Law & the Path to Partnership. Charles received an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin, an executive MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas, and a Graduate Finance Certificate from Southern Methodist University. He holds an SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRMSCP) designation.
Connect with Charles Gillis:
Website: https://plattrichmond.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Year-Trap-Observations-Partnership/dp/0692195661
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pcrfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Warburton discuss:
- Lessons learned the hard way in leadership and delegation.
- Top things lawyers should delegate and are not.
- How to ensure those you delegate to are not going to leave your firm.
- The process and steps for delegation.
Key Takeaways:
- Only when somebody feels like their future is being impacted by their actions will they take their actions seriously.
- While it will take time to delegate your responsibilities effectively and appropriately, it will save time and make a difference more quickly than you realize.
- It is not required to do all the client work to maintain the client relationship.
- Write down your procedures. If you don’t, everything gets done slightly differently, then there is no way to track and improve it.
"Delegating can feel painful and like wading through mud at the beginning. And, in the short run, it is much easier to carry on doing it all yourself, but then you build a firm that keeps you in urgency, not working on what’s important." — Dan Warburton
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi
- $100M Leads by Alex Hormozi
- The Game with Alex Hormozi
Connect with Dan Warburton:
Website: https://www.danwarburton.com/
Book: Dream It Choose It Live It
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanWarburton
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authordanwarburton/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Spiegel discuss:
- Why you should have good customer service as a lawyer and for your law firm.
- Continuing client relationships beyond the case.
- How Lawmatics can help you to maintain client relationships and better run your law firm.
- Processes, procedures, and automation.
Key Takeaways:
- Your law firm is a service business. You need to have good customer service and a good customer experience.
- Most legal business comes from referrals - if you don’t nurture client relationships and networking partners, you are leaving money on the table.
- Most lawyers are using a CRM (client relationship management) in some fashion, even if you don’t call it that - even your phone is, technically, a CRM. Having a proper CRM to manage all aspects of your client relationship from meeting until the end is key.
- As a lawyer, you are likely looking at revenue/billing-driven KPIs. However, there is so much more data you can extract from your numbers and information you’re tracking that can help you build a stronger firm.
"Your book of business that you’re sitting on is a goldmine. And like any goldmine, it needs to be mined. It won’t come to the surface without any effort." — Matt Spiegel
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/1-month-free/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- All-In Podcast - https://www.allinpodcast.co/
- The Rewatchables Podcast - https://www.theringer.com/the-rewatchables
- Get a 10% Discount on Lawmatics at https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
About Matt Spiegel: Matt Spiegel is a serial entrepreneur and lawyer who enjoys building products and solving problems using management and marketing automation software for attorneys. He founded MyCase and Lawmatics, the latter of which he also serves as CEO. He worked as a criminal defense attorney but has spent years focused on innovating the legal-tech space to help attorneys scale their business.
Connect with Matt Spiegel:
Website: https://www.lawmatics.com/
Email: matt@lawmatics.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattspiegelesq
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattspiegelesq/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Mason discuss:
- Separating our identities and the roles we play in life.
- Why many people go to law school…often without knowing what to expect.
- The relationships between ourselves, myths, and culture.
- Professional freedom and moving past feeling trapped.
Key Takeaways:
- What makes you happy is intimately related to who and what you are - it is directly aligned with knowing yourself.
- Myths are a projection of the stories we tell ourselves about our identities.
- When you understand your narrative, you can start to be the hero and begin to write the path you choose, not what others are choosing for you.
- Purpose plus values will lead to your vision of what is possible. Levened with an understanding of your non-negotiables, then you will be able to create your vision and create a plan to make it happen.
"If you're smart enough to be a lawyer, you're smart enough to figure out how to survive in this world one way or another. And you'll probably do better if you're being true to yourself." — Scott Mason
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/1-month-free/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Lawyers Edge Podcast: https://thelawyersedge.com/podcast/
About Scott Mason: Scott Mason is the Myth Slayer, a transformational executive & leadership coach for unhappy lawyers looking to find professional freedom and live the life of their dreams. After graduating from Columbia Law School, Scott worked for over 20 years as an attorney and C-Suite executive with numerous government and nonprofit organizations before successfully growing and scaling a manufacturing company. Scott's insights have appeared in book compilations and online magazines as well as on television and podcasts, and he currently sits on the Board of the NYC chapter of the National Speakers Association.
Connect with Scott Mason:
Website: https://www.myfreedomrocks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themythslayer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myfreedomrocks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.scott_mason/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themythslayer_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.mason.1291/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rick Watson discuss:
- Building a professional network (and how to do it right).
- Things lawyers are really bad at doing.
- The hidden sales in your professional service firm.
- Being likable and referrable.
Key Takeaways:
- There is a difference between building a wide network (full of lots of people) and building a deep network, with great referral partners that can help you to bring in work regularly.
- Balancing giving and taking in your network. Build up those you’re networking with and give them the hype that they deserve in your introductions.
- Trust compression is the human tendency to make decisions about others based on the number of interactions, not the length of those interactions.
- Be creative in keeping top of mind and in touch with people. It takes time and attention, but is worth maintaining those relationships.
"One of the things you can do to make yourself look bigger and better is to edify the people around you." — Rick Watson
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/1-month-free/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Rework by Jason Fried
About Rick Watson: Rick Watson is the author of “A Firm Worth Building”, which helps professional businesses scale and thrive. He identifies a common problem advice professionals all seem to share. These business owners focus more on performing their professional specialty rather than what it takes to run the business well. Many professional firms, struggle to find “good” growth. Some professionals even look to discard a percentage of their client book every few years, as a way of managing growth. Rick would say this is all backward. When you build a strong business, as the firm grows it gets easier to run, not harder.
Rick’s unique experience was forged from growing a firm with only $20 in his savings to managing ½ billion dollars in his current RIA and becoming the CEO of the National Referral Network and several other businesses which has forced him to be a student of running businesses in the best possible way. Rick’s book “A Firm Worth Building” covers about 30 lessons that every business owner should know, from thinking through branding to increasing referrals through professional networks. Additionally, he has a few unique success concepts like compressing the time it takes to build client trust and why building up your staff and other professionals through a dedicated process of “edification” is so helpful. He and his partners are forward-thinkers, their motto is - "We build what should exist". Rick and his team are not afraid of complexity, hard work, or innovation. Rick’s accomplishments have opened the path to achieving his own dreams. Living with his family on a 5-acre horse ranch and wine-making operation in Loomis, CA, he still finds the time to enjoy the life that he has been able to build through embodying his own teachings. When he's not helping manage and scale businesses, Rick rides Arabian horses in 30-100 mile races.
Connect with Rick Watson:
Website:
- protectionpointadvisors.com
- nrnamerica.com
LinkedIn:
- linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonppa
- linkedin.com/company/protectionpointadvisors
- linkedin.com/company/national-referral-network
Facebook:
- facebook.com/richard.watson.92351
- facebook.com/protectionpointadvisors
Book: A Firm Worth Building
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Meredith Bell discuss:
- Challenges with communication and why the way we talk to each other matters.
- Communication between the generations in a workplace.
- Managing expectations and understanding values and work ethic.
- Why positive feedback is key to relationships and company culture.
Key Takeaways:
- Many challenges we face are because we come into conversation with assumptions about those we are speaking with.
- If we slow down enough to ask people what is important to them, listening, then acting upon that information is going to make a difference, no matter who you are talking to.
- Agreements are talked about by both parties; expectations are full of assumptions without communication.
- To give more valuable positive feedback, you, as a leader, need to notice more, notice those things you really value, and share that with your team.
"When you think about the generations, if we're willing to listen, to ask questions, and listen to learn what's important to this person, then I think we can break down some of these barriers around perceptions and assumptions that we have around whatever the age group is that you want to identify as troublesome for you." — Meredith Bell
Get a free audio copy of Steve’s book “Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science” here: https://fretzin.com/audiobook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/1-month-free/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- How to Get Clients by Steve Chandler
- The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard
- The Rising Leader Podcast with Mark J Silverman
About Meredith Bell:
Meredith is the Co-founder and President of Grow Strong Leaders. Her company publishes software tools and books that help people build strong relationships at work and at home. Meredith is an expert in leader and team communications, the author of three books, and the host of the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast.
Her latest books, co-authored with her business partner, Dr. Dennis Coates, are Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills, and Peer Coaching Made Simple. In them, Meredith and Denny provide how-to guides for improving communication skills and serving as a peer coach to someone else.
Connect with Meredith Bell:
Website: https://growstrongleaders.com/
Grow Strong Leaders Podcast: https://growstrongleaders.com/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithmbell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1561855
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meredithmbell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeredithMBell
Books:
- Connect With Your Team - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734805110
- Peer Coaching Made Simple - https://www.amazon.com/Peer-Coaching-Made-Simple-Helping/dp/1734805145
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Philip Fairley discuss:
- Measuring everything in your business for success.
- Biggest opportunities for growth for small law firms.
- The most overlooked area of your law firm.
- Competing with larger firms in your marketing without spending an arm and a leg.
Key Takeaways:
- Run your business on the numbers, not on a feeling. Look at the data on a consistent basis and take action on it.
- Get content out consistently - everyone is watching short-form videos, so do that. Right now, the biggest opportunity is video.
- React to pop culture, use it as a way to brand, and tell people you’re a lawyer without saying it. This is one way to get your other content moving and visible to more people.
- Repurpose your content - there are dozens of ways you can repurpose a long-form video with basic editing for different platforms and audiences.
"Your potential clients don’t know what they don’t know. By you educating them, you’re branding to them, and that’s when you’re starting to attract more." — Philip Fairley
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/1-month-free/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Rainmaker Institute- Free YouTube Channel Optimization Guide: www.therainmakerinstitute.com/bethatlawyer
- No Bullsh!t Leadership Podcast: https://www.yourceomentor.com/leadership-podcast
About Philip Fairley: Philip Fairley is the President and owner of The Rainmaker Institute, the nation’s largest law firm marketing company that focuses exclusively on client generation, lead conversion, and data analytics. During his time at Rainmaker, he co-developed Turbine®: the only software platform that automates the intake process, and Rainalytics®: the only tool that automatically measures all law firm data.
Philip holds degrees from Northwestern University, Wheaton College, and Keller Graduate School, is an NCAA Division I National Debate Champion, and is a recognized expert on intake, lead conversion, and innovative video marketing. His and Rainmaker’s expertise has been noted and quoted in the American Bar Association’s Journal, Entrepreneur, Inc., Fortune Small Business, Harvard Management Update, Business Advisor, the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, and Attorney at Law magazines.
Prior to owning Rainmaker, he was the founder and CEO of two successful companies that specialized in legal tech, cyber security, and communications. He is married with three children and enjoys the Arizona lifestyle, mountain biking, and coaching youth sports. Rainmaker has helped over 23,000 attorneys and law firms grow their business by learning and implementing our proven marketing and intake strategies.
Connect with Philip Fairley:
Website: https://therainmakerinstitute.com/
Email: philip@therainmakerinstitute.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifestylelawfirm
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipfairley/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rainmaker-institute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRainmakerInstitute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainmakerinstitute/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Natalie Knowlton discuss:
- The growing number of people DIYing their legal needs and why lawyers should be concerned.
- Non-lawyer ownership of law firms.
- Why lawyers should embrace thoughtful legal regulatory reform.
- Emerging business models in the practice of law.
Key Takeaways:
- Law is both a profession and a business. Your law firm should be running as an actual business that provides legal services.
- Consumers are responding to the commoditization of the law - it is a way that consumers recognize and understand how to use.
- You can monetize legal information. There is a level of legal information you can package and sell that the average person just doesn’t know.
- Technology is causing a disruption and a change in the legal industry. That technology, such as AI, is likely here to stay and is only going to get more sophisticated.
"Regulatory reform is here to stay. I think the level of opposition we are seeing is a testament to the fact that it is here to stay." — Natalie Knowlton
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Final Event of 2023!: https://fretzin.com/events
- Talk Justice: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/talk-justice/
- Mathew Kerbis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewrobertkerbis/
About Natalie Knowlton: Natalie Anne Knowlton is the Founder of Access to Justice Ventures, empowering entrepreneurs who are developing scalable access to justice solutions. She is a 2023 ABA Journal Legal Rebel and is listed among the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center’s 2022 Women of Legal Tech.
Connect with Natalie Knowlton:
Website: https://a2jventures.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieanneknowlton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natalalleycat
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Liebowitz discuss:
- Behavioral neurology and how it relates to business development.
- Understanding your business identity and your identity in your business.
- Belief alignment, story connection, and the message you are conveying.
- Talking about the money and criteria for success early in the discovery process.
Key Takeaways:
- All businesses are personal, all great businesses are very personal.
- The biggest mistake businesses of all sizes make is talking about what they do, and not what it means.
- Start with the outcome, then follow it up with the belief system.
- You need to talk about your business in a way that makes people want to work with you.
"We are excellent BS detectors. And what I mean by BS is Belief System. We learn this at a very young age. We intuitively know when someone is saying something they don't really believe." — Michael Liebowitz
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- Pivot: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piv
About Michael Liebowitz: Michael creates messages that make more money. Lots of business owners struggle finding that one, perfect message that grabs attention, differentiates, and inspires people to want to work with them. My clients hire me to find theirs. He works with consultants and founders to get them saying all the right things in their marketing, networking conversations, and sales calls that generate more business.
The result:
Landing more of their ideal clients faster
Website and marketing is converting
Networking conversations produce results
Sales cycle is shorter
Connect with Michael Liebowitz:
Website: https://www.mindmagnetizer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljliebowitz/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brooke Lively discuss:
- Avoiding analysis by paralysis.
- The six key components of business that you need to understand.
- EOS (Traction) for law firms.
- Defining roles and delegating for law firm success.
Key Takeaways:
- When you have your data dialed in, you can see where the issues really are and then you can fix them.
- Most companies are running at about 20% strong on the six key components. Very few have 100%, but the goal is to always get better.
- If everything is important, nothing is important. You’ve got to keep the one thing, the one thing.
- There are many free resources for getting started with EOS that can help transform your law firm now.
"When you've got the vision, when you've got the right people that understand that vision and are helping to create it, that are rowing in the same direction, and you're doing it all based on data - everything in your company becomes so clear." — Brooke Lively
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Final Event of 2023!: https://fretzin.com/events
- Check out the previous episode with Brooke here: https://www.fretzin.com/podcast/episodes/brooke-lively-from-panic-to-profit-in-your-law-firm/
- Traction by Gino Wickman: https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837
- EOS Worldwide: https://www.eosworldwide.com/brooke-lively
- Take The Assessment: https://organizationalcheckup.com/
About Brooke Lively: Brooke is the Founder and President of Cathcap, a group of Profitability Specialists and CEOs who help lawyers grow, scale, and create more profitable firms. She started the company after spinning up a 7-figure law firm in under 2 years and receiving requests for help from other law firm owners for help. That was when Brooke began to understand the apprehension lawyers felt around the numbers in their business, and how rarely they used data in their decision-making process. As Cathcap grew and helped more than 200 firms, she began to see a trend between the firms that excelled and the ones that just survived - and that difference was implementing EOS. After years of trying to find great EOS coaches who understood the legal industry, Brooke ultimately became an EOS Implementer and now helps law firms achieve all their goals.
Brooke is an international speaker, international best-selling author, and coach whose down to earth actionable advice has helped hundreds of lawyers. She loves nothing more than the moment when "the light bulb goes on" and she knows that a person is going to take action that will positively impact their business, and not only their life, but the lives of their clients and employees. Brooke holds an MBA in Corporate Finance and Investments from TCU, is a CFA Charter holder, has been voted one of Fort Worth's CFOs of the year, and has been featured in such publications as CNBC, Forbes, and US News and World Report.
Connect with Brooke Lively:
Website: https://cathcap.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cathedralcapital/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boo.lively.3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathedralCapital
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jonathan Fitzgarrald discuss:
- Collaboration between a lawyer and a business coach.
- Why you should have a business plan for your law firm.
- Finding the right referral partners and investors.
- Ideas for staying top of mind and staying in touch.
Key Takeaways:
- Relationships are proactive, not reactive.
- If you don’t have a plan, you won’t know where you are going.
- Be the go-to person for people outside of the things you do.
- Listen with your eyes - people are telling you more on LinkedIn than even they realize.
"The number one challenge for most professionals is staying top of mind among their target audience for people who can refer them business." — Jonathan Fitzgarrald
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Accept Steve’s Challenge at: http://fretzin.com/
- Alex Hormozi: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexHormozi
- Jerry Maatman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldmaatman/
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- The Armstrong & Getty Podcasts - https://www.armstrongandgetty.com/podcasts/
About Jonathan Fitzgarrald: Jonathan Fitzgarrald looks to undervalued professionals, untapping their potential to grow revenue, market visibility, and their practices. Many of the firms Jonathan advises report up to 20 percent increases in revenue within the first year. Jonathan’s proprietary approach adapts a Moneyball strategy by recognizing and coaching traditionally overlooked, highly skilled professionals in legal, financial, accounting, and professional services firms.
Connect with Jonathan Fitzgarrald:
Website: https://equinoxstrategy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfitzgarrald/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/equinox-strategy-partners
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JRFitzgarrald
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EquinoxStrategy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EquinoxStrategy
Instagram: https://instagram.com/JRFitzgarrald
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stewart Wessel discuss:
- How Stewart got into legal recruiting.
- The control and freedom that comes from having your own book of business.
- Building your network.
- Understanding the market for 1+1=3.
Key Takeaways:
- As a younger lawyer, you do not have to start building your book alone - you can bring a more senior attorney with you to help close the deal.
- The optimal size of your book when making a lateral move is different depending on where you are trying to move.
- When making a lateral move, look for a fit outside of just a monetary fit. The cultural fit and what you’re looking to get out of the firm will also make a difference in where you want to look.
- There are many questions you need to understand so you go into a move with your eyes wide open.
"The truth of the matter is, that's the baseline. The expectation is you're a great lawyer, but you need to have business in order to have some control and some freedom over your life and make moves." — Stewart Wessel
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Last Event of 2023!: https://fretzin.com/events
- ProVisors: https://provisors.com/
- Eat That Frog! By Brian Tracy: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating/dp/B08NN397DN/ref=sr_1_1
Connect with Stewart Wessel:
Website: https://www.thewessel.group/
Email: stewart@thewessel.group
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-wessel-88935ab/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Diane DiResta discuss:
- The value of speaking both in person and virtually.
- Common mistakes lawyers make when speaking.
- Understanding your audience.
- What to do when you’re nervous (and why those nerves are selfish).
Key Takeaways:
- Fit is often about culture, not about a skill mismatch.
- It doesn’t matter if you are a fast speaker, you want to leave space in between - remember the pause. That is where the information you are sharing is going to land with the audience.
- Speaking is 90% preparation and 10% delivery - the price you charge is for more than the 1 hour of your time to give the presentation.
- Group things into 3 - it is more memorable. Stories also are memorable and touch the heart.
"Speaking is one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools you can have. It's like test driving a car, they get to see you in action." — Diane DiResta
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Gladden Longevity Podcast - https://gladdenlongevity.com/podcast-episodes/
About Diane DiResta: Diane DiResta, CSP, is Founder and CEO of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy serving business leaders who deliver high-stakes presentations— whether one-to-one, in front of a crowd, or from a virtual platform. DiResta is the author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category best-seller, and has spoken on 4 continents. She works with lawyers and leaders to speak with confidence, clarity, and exude executive presence. Diane is Past President of the NYC chapter of National Speakers Association and former media trainer for the NBA and WNBA. She was featured on CNN, and quoted in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, London Guardian, and Investors Business Daily, and Bloomberg radio. Diane is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than 12% of speakers nationwide. She is a Certified Virtual Presenter. And her blog, Knockout Presentations, made the Top 50 Public Speaking blogs.
Diane is Past President of the NYC chapter of National Speakers Association and former media trainer for the NBA and WNBA. She was featured on CNN, and quoted in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, London Guardian, and Investors Business Daily, and Bloomberg radio. Diane is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than 12% of speakers nationwide. She is a Certified Virtual Presenter. Her LinkedIn Learning course Speaking Confidently and Effectively made the Top 20 Most Popular courses for two consecutive years.
Connect with Diane DiResta:
Website: https://www.diresta.com/
Book: Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediresta
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diresta-communications-inc-
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakingpro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.diresta/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianediresta
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Erik Olson, Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Jared Correia, and Gyi Tsakalakis discuss:
- Social media and your law firm.
- Doing research on LinkedIn for potential connections.
- Taking accountability for what you publish on social media.
- Directing people back to your website for the full content and owning your content on your website.
Key Takeaways:
- Be on the social platforms that your audience is on.
- Keep your social media posts to information, not advice. Clients want to know about the legal process.
- Responding to negative reviews is not for the reviewer - it is for the next person who sees it and sees that you are recognizing it.
- Repurpose the content on your website for social media - don’t make more work for yourself.
- All content should be guided through the eyes of your audience.
"You've got to think about who your audience is. But I will tell you this, from a from a top of mind awareness standpoint, it's the best, the most efficient, and the most effective way to stay in front of your audience on a regular basis. It's cheaper than TV, it's cheaper than radio. Radio and TV don't even have the eyeballs and the attention span that social media has." — Gyi Tsakalakis
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Episode References:
- LinkedIn Examples:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmckeen/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brewster-rawls/
- YouTube Examples:
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCra2AXtKeyqnkAcToRAP8ww
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCFwfTmTPYWyj7F2tg6VPOzg2b1eRru8P
- Clio Legal Trends: https://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/
- What Legal Consumers Want to Know Article: https://www.attorneyatwork.com/2019-clio-legal-trends-report-lawyers-fail-to-communicate-value/
- Coogan Knows the Law: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coogan-knows-the-law/id1701005291
- Simple Concepts for Legal Consumers: https://drewlewis.law/category/blog/
- Descript: https://www.descript.com/
- Think About Client Journeys: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-journey/micro-moments-understand-new-consumer-behavior/
- AI Assisted Workflow Tool: https://www.taskade.com/
Connect with Erik Olson:
Website: https://arraylaw.com/
Show: https://arraylaw.com/managing-partners-podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsbJqhtLMS5wmWmXulpY2A
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamerikjolson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisarray
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisarray
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/array.digital/
Connect with Jocelyn Brumbaugh:
Website: https://www.buildenpartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbrumbaugh/
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: RedCaveLegal.com & Gideon.Legal
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia & linkedin.com/company/gideon-legal-software/
Twitter: twitter.com/RedCaveLegal & twitter.com/Gideon_Legal
Facebook: facebook.com/GideonLegal
Connect with Gyi Tsakalakis:
Website: GyiTsakalakis.com & AttorneySync.com
Email: Gyi@AttorneySync.com
Show: legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/lunch-hour-legal-marketing/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis
Twitter: twitter.com/gyitsakalakis
Facebook: facebook.com/gyitsakalakis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Erik Olson, Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Jared Correia, and Gyi Tsakalakis discuss:
- The first step lawyers and law firms need to do before marketing themselves.
- Positioning yourself as uniquely qualified to help your client.
- Perspective client avatars and referral partners.
- Pros and cons of specializing and finding your niche.
Key Takeaways:
- Look at what you are already doing well now and capitalize on that first.
- Bring in personal differentiation points in your marketing strategy to stand out from the crowd.
- Positioning is what you want to be known for, it does not necessarily cover all that you do.
- AI can be a tool, but there still needs to be a human component both before and after using the technology.
"AI is a remarkable tool as a supportive assistive tool. I think about it just like we use Grammarly or a bunch of other stuff to help us write and publish and do research, and it is absolutely remarkable in those contexts. So short answer, yes, use it - just learn about it and learn how you can actually use it both effectively and ethically." — Gyi Tsakalakis
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Lawmatics: http://lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer
Episode References:
ChatGPT for Legal Marketing Search: https://www.google.com/search?q=chatgpt+for+legal+marketing
ChatGPT for Legal Marketing Article: https://www.attorneysync.com/blog/chatgpt-for-legal-marketing/
Law Firm AI Article: https://thisisarray.com/law-firm-ai/
Connect with Erik Olson:
Website: https://arraylaw.com/
Show: https://arraylaw.com/managing-partners-podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsbJqhtLMS5wmWmXulpY2A
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamerikjolson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisarray
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisarray
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/array.digital/
Connect with Jocelyn Brumbaugh:
Website: https://www.buildenpartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbrumbaugh/
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: RedCaveLegal.com & Gideon.Legal
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia & linkedin.com/company/gideon-legal-software/
Twitter: twitter.com/RedCaveLegal & twitter.com/Gideon_Legal
Facebook: facebook.com/GideonLegal
Connect with Gyi Tsakalakis:
Website: GyiTsakalakis.com & AttorneySync.com
Email: Gyi@AttorneySync.com
Show: legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/lunch-hour-legal-marketing/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis
Twitter: twitter.com/gyitsakalakis
Facebook: facebook.com/gyitsakalakis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Elizabeth Tresp discuss:
- How Elizabeth started her law firm (and manages her other businesses as well).
- The secret of work-life balance.
- Managing workload capacity and workload ability when hiring.
- Understanding your core competencies and trying new things.
Key Takeaways:
- The work-life balance will change throughout your career and will look different for every person.
- Knowing when to hire is going to come with experience, but you need to be in tune with your employees, what is really happening, and if the work currently can support someone else.
- Always be recruiting (even if you’re not currently hiring). You never know what conversation is going to be had and what that will turn into.
- Be willing to take the risk on things you enjoy and make you feel good. You never know what you will learn or how your business will grow.
"Don't be scared. Take the risk. Invest in yourself. Invest in your goal and what you have to offer, own it, and feel good about it." — Elizabeth Tresp
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- 24 Months to Freedom by Brett Trembly - https://www.amazon.com/24-Months-Freedom-Staffing-Solutions/dp/1955242445
About Elizabeth Tresp: An attorney, business owner, investor, philanthropist, and mother, Elizabeth A. Tresp, JD, LL.M. founded her law firm, Tresp Law, APC in 2013 as a solo practitioner but quickly grew the firm to a successful mid-sized practice with several attorneys practicing under her direction. Elizabeth has a national client base consisting of thousands of clients from all walks of life in virtually every State.
In 2019, Elizabeth purchased the nationally-revered law firm of Day & Associates, Inc, which has practiced continuously in Solana Beach since 1992. Today, Elizabeth is the principal attorney and owner of both law firms, with offices in Solana Beach, California; San Diego, California; and Kemmerer, Wyoming. Elizabeth is a respected volunteer and major donor in the non-profit community, and an angel investor and small business owner in numerous ventures throughout the United States. Elizabeth also owns or is a partner in several businesses from professional services to retail and food service. Her unique perspective informs her law practice, enabling her to design the right legal solutions for every individual client’s needs.
For the past six consecutive years, Elizabeth has been awarded Super Lawyers Rising Star. Awarded by the San Diego Business Journal, Elizabeth is also an honoree of the 2021 and 2023 Women of Influence in Law and the 2022 Business Women of the Year. Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM) at the University of San Diego School of Law.
Connect with Elizabeth Tresp:
Website: https://www.tresplaw.com/
Website: https://www.trespday.com/
Website: https://www.normandysolutions.com/
Website: https://www.trespcs.com/
Phone: 858-248-2779
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethtresp/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tresplawapc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trespday
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normandysolutions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fossilfuelwy
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeff Kimmel discuss:
- Understanding the business and the finances of the firm.
- Referrals, delegation, and trust in your team.
- Communicating clearly and confidently to your client about transitions in teams.
- Scaling down to scale up.
Key Takeaways:
- Everyone has their own way of managing - find the way that works for you and the firm and do that. It can be fun and exciting if you are doing it in a way that is fresh and right for you.
- You can give clients reassurance that you are part of their case while also assuring them that your team is more than capable and will be handling the day-to-day. You do not have to do it all.
- Answer internal firm questions not just with an answer, but with perspective as to how it affects the client and the case.
- You do not need to accept every referral case to maintain relationships - sometimes declining the cases that don’t fit can earn you respect and better future cases.
"Even if you don’t want to be the boss, it is so important for you, as a young lawyer, to understand that the firm you are working at is also a business." — Jeff Kimmel
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- What Lawyers Don’t Know by Jeff Kimmel and Connie Henriquez - https://startlovinglife.com/whatlawyersdontknow/
About Jeff Kimmel: As Managing Partner of Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro, a New York trial firm, Jeff Kimmel is a fierce business leader and attorney who has navigated the firm's rapid growth and elevated its status to one of the leading personal injury and medical malpractice law firms in New York. Jeff has been recognized in the industry as a leader. His business background and innovative thinking have helped him structure the firm for continued growth and success.
Connect with Jeff Kimmel:
Website: https://www.sskblaw.com/
Book: https://startlovinglife.com/whatlawyersdontknow/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-m-kimmel-4782864/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.kimmel.524
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Salengersackkimmelbavaro/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Tamburino discuss:
- Why lawyers struggle to build a book of business and a law practice.
- Honing your skills and learning from others.
- Communication, expectations, and building a great team.
- Building media relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to have confidence in yourself, no matter what venture you go into in life.
- Having a record of success will give you confidence and will really let you know what your job truly is.
- You (or someone on your team) have to be available when business comes your way.
- Everybody has an email - if you are looking to contact someone in the media, see who is in your area and reporting on your area of law, then reach out to them.
"Things happen to make your business successful outside of work all the time." — Joe Tamburino
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Law Entrepreneur - https://thelawentrepreneur.com/
About Joe Tamburino: Joe Tamburino is one of the most effective criminal defense attorneys in the Twin Cities and has been named a Minnesota “Super Lawyer” for the last two decades straight. His passion for excellence in criminal defense has led to an exclusive rating as a Minnesota State Bar Association Board Certified Legal Specialist in Criminal Law, a certification achieved by fewer than 3% of all attorneys. He has defended his clients effectively against a wide range of charges – from DWI and white collar crimes to child pornography, assault and homicide – and has personally tried over 100 jury trials. Joe has over 30 years of criminal experience.
A graduate of New York University and the University of Minnesota Law School, Tamburino began his career as a public defender in the Anoka County Attorney’s Office. In 1997, he joined what would become Caplan & Tamburino Law Firm and has become a prominent and visible member of the Minnesota legal community. In 1998 he was named a Rising Star in Minnesota by Minnesota Law & Politics (Rising Stars are attorneys who have practiced for less than 10 years and are the age of 40 or younger). Since 2000, he has been named a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics for twenty straight years.
Joe Tamburino was nominated for an Emmy Award for his legal analysis on WCCO CBS TV throughout the trial of Derek Chauvin. He is a frequent legal analyst for CBS News, Court TV and Law and Crime Network. Tamburino has shared his expert legal analysis on high-profile cases and is a regular resource for media looking for a conversational understanding of current events with legal complexities. He also presents regularly to law schools and legal professional groups on a wide variety of criminal topics including: drinking & driving, alcohol-related accidents, homicides and criminal sexual conduct, campaign finance, international matters and first amendment (free speech) cases.
Tamburino is licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin and the Federal Courts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
Connect with Joe Tamburino:
Website: https://www.caplantamburino.com/
Email: jtamburino@caplanlaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-tamburino-78aa5b10/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caplan-&-tamburino-law-firm-p-a-/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Emily Witt discuss:
- How Emily’s Be That Lawyer tipping point started by rock climbing.
- Top reasons lawyers are looking to move firms.
- Advice for lawyers searching for a move.
- One thing lawyers wish they knew.
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers feel they are in the dark in regards to their career progression.
- During the pandemic, we saw that many lawyers do enjoy being around their colleagues and getting feedback from their coworkers and senior lawyers.
- Some lawyers may not need a book of business to move, but for most attorneys, it is a point of leverage and strength in a move.
- When it comes time to make a move, many lawyers do not understand how big their book of business needs to be, even when they believe it is comfortable already.
"Often lawyers are not aware in law school of what the whole legal landscape looks like, particularly where a lot of law schools give a very siloed view of the law firms that are out there. They might not be completely familiar with the fact that there are boutiques out there and that there are different ways to practice law, and how to get to those different junctures in your career." — Emily Witt
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Pod Save The World - https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/
About Emily Witt: Emily Witt is a dedicated legal recruiter with over 20 years of experience, both on the law firm side and the agency side. She began her legal career at Wachtell, Lipton Rosen & Katz, where she was the Senior Recruiting Coordinator. Emily took a leap of faith in 2016 to work for a search firm and now places attorneys into roles in law firms and in-house companies. Her passion for women's advancement in tech and healthcare advocacy fueled her desire to specialize in those areas. Emily hosts a podcast, Beyond the Legal Lens, that helps open the door to jobs in tech and health law. She also has a platform, the Advocate's Mic, that highlights mission-driven attorneys who are creating impactful initiatives in their communities.
Connect with Emily Witt:
Website: https://www.beyondthelegallens.com/
Show: https://www.beyondthelegallens.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilywittslegalpath/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.witt.104/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085002114417
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilydwitt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthelegallens
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jim Coogan discuss:
- How Jim’s childhood interest in medicine lead to his career in personal injury law.
- Listen to what the questions really are.
- Engaging your audience when you speak.
- How AI is changing legal practice with communication clarity and efficiency.
Key Takeaways:
- In law school, there’s a mentality that you want to speak like a lawyer. Once you’re working with clients, however, they are not (typically) lawyers and will better respond to you translating the law to what they need to know and understand.
- No matter what area of law you are in, your area of law is going to be connected to other areas depending on your client and their situation.
- As you practice, you will get better at appreciating and connecting with the audience you are speaking to. But it does take practice and analysis of what you said previously.
- Your job is to interpret and build trust with your clients so they have a reason to believe what you’re saying as things get more complicated.
"It’s just a matter of gauging who's listening to you, and whether what you're saying is making a difference and whether it makes sense in the first place." — Jim Coogan
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Cautionary Tales - Tim Harford Podcast: https://timharford.com/articles/cautionarytales/
About Jim Coogan: Jim Coogan has been representing injured people his whole legal career. He is a partner at the law firm Coogan Gallagher in Park Ridge, Illinois. He is the host of the "Coogan Knows the Law" podcast.
Connect with Jim Coogan:
Website: https://cgtrial.com/
Podcast: https://feeds.captivate.fm/coogan-knows-the-law/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jecoogan/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coogan-gallagher/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/james_coogan_
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coogangallagher
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.coogan.1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coogangallagher/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimcoogan.atty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coogangallagher/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Neagle discuss:
- Living a life of continuous improvement.
- Scaling and improving through processes.
- Documenting and delegating appropriately.
- Missing processes in people, sales, organization, and technology.
Key Takeaways:
- When you’re going through an identity shift, keep pushing forward. It will be strange at first, but things will settle when you push through your tipping point.
- Being really smart does not mean you automatically have every skill set.
- Without following a process (particularly in sales) you don’t know where it may have failed, or where you can improve.
- Put the right people, in the right seat, and let them do the thing they’re good at. Giving them freedom and support, that is where scale will come.
"If you’re not trying to up-skill your people, you're doing it wrong." — Justin Neagle
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Daily Stoic Podcast - https://dailystoic.com/podcast/
- 10 Microsoft Power Automate Workflows Every Small Business Needs - https://spotmigration.com/blog/10-microsoft-power-automate-workflows-every-small-business-needs/
About Justin Neagle: Say hello to Justin Neagle, the Chief Storyteller at Spot Migration and Co-host of the Building Scale Podcast!
Justin is one of the unstoppable leaders behind Spot Migration, a leading authority in the realm of IT and Cybersecurity Services. From strategy to implementation, Spot Migration's core focus is to create peace of mind by making technology reliable for their clients. Check out their site for more information - spotmigration.com
Separately, Justin has the privilege of interviewing business leaders on his podcast, Building Scale. (buildingscale.net) With an in-depth understanding of storytelling and a purpose-driven mindset, he has been able to interview some amazing CEO and owners who have scaled their businesses with the use of three pillars of scaling - people, processes, and technology.
Justin is a leader who loves seeing companies grow and learn. He strongly believes that the secret recipe for successful businesses is a culture that values its people and has a meaningful purpose.
Justin has set an ambitious goal for himself. He’s on a mission to guide 1000 companies to find and use their unique core purposes. This way, they can have a positive impact on the world, and everyone involved can experience joy and fulfillment while increasing their earnings. Sounds pretty cool, right?
Connect with Justin Neagle:
Website: https://spotmigration.com/
Email: justinn@spotmigration.com
Podcast: https://buildingscale.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justneagle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spot-migration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustNeagle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.neagle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotmigration
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Audrey Rubin discuss:
- Why law firms need to operate more like a business.
- How to know what your clients really want.
- 3 Tips for outstanding client services.
- Asking for connections and introductions.
Key Takeaways:
- There is a lot more to getting clients than just being a really good attorney.
- Clients care about things like responsiveness, having a point of contact, understanding and predicting their bill, and even more. It’s more than about being a great lawyer at a reduced fee.
- Build relationships with your clients by working on a joint project with them - get to know them, get comfortable, and be willing to ask them questions about more than just their legal work.
- There is power in having a team serving your clients, not just you alone.
"The best lawyers, who retain and expand their business, issue report cards on themselves to the clients periodically. They ask the client how they are doing, not just on the legal work, but on other things." — Audrey Rubin
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Naked-Business-Shedding-Sabotage/dp/0787976393
About Audrey Rubin: Recognized and award-winning leader in profitability, productivity, and people for law firms and corporate law departments. Professor of "Law as a Changing Business" at the University of Illinois College of Law. Former VP and COO of the Global Law Department of Aon. There she was responsible for all budget, talent, strategic planning, process improvement, technology, and talent.
Connect with Audrey Rubin:
Website: https://www.rubinsolutions.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyrubin/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adam Kosloff discuss:
- Setting goals and creating habits.
- Building a process to create your content consistently.
- Repurposing your content creatively.
- Evaluating the platforms for content and content creation based on your audience.
Key Takeaways:
- Having unresolved tasks on your to-do list will continue to nag at your brain and keep you discontented.
- Not all content creation is right for every single person. Find what is in sync with your firm, your life, and your likes.
- You can use the hacks to get people to click or read, but you want to make sure you’re saying something of value and unique to you.
- Not all marketing has a direct ROI. Building a reputation as an expert in your space or creating content that can be repurposed and leveraged can be equally as important.
"The people who really succeed are the ones who like to have this as a habit, and can sustain it either me, or someone I delegated to do this." — Adam Kosloff
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Secret to Success Podcast - https://www.s2spodcast.com/
About Adam Kosloff: I’m the founder of Virtuoso Content, a legal content agency I grew out of my own freelance career writing over 50,000 web pages and hundreds of books. I’ve also written for movies and television, including working as a staff writer for comedian Mel Brooks on Spaceballs: The Animated Series. On the side, I’ve written a popular blog on the keto diet, been a keynote speaker at nutrition science conferences, toured the world as a semi-pro a cappella singer, and defeated the former U.S. chess champion, all while raising three kids.
Connect with Adam Kosloff:
Website: https://virtuosocontent.com/
Cell Phone: 818-601-6747
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kosloff-2346623/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuoso-content/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Charlie Uniman, Colin Levy, and Maya Markovich discuss:
- Best questions to ask a legal tech vendor.
- Choosing the right tech choice, not just the impulsive decision.
- Looking for bottlenecks in your firm’s day-to-day productions and bringing your team into the changes.
- Pros and cons of working with early stage legal tech startup firms.
- Budgeting for legal tech.
Key Takeaways:
- While you should ask questions about data security and customer support, you want to tailor your questions to what solution you are looking for.
- Involve your team in the tech choices from the beginning. They are the ones who are going to be using it and you want to make sure it is the right fit for them.
- Depending on your practice area, there may be different tech needs. However, all firms should look into good operations technology to help their firm run most efficiently.
- Look at the use of the tools and what your needs are before setting your budget.
"Once you’re comfortable with the tech you’re using, don’t be ashamed of it. Tell your clients about it, let them know that you’re tech forward, and let them know how they can benefit from your use of the tech." — Charlie Uniman
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Connect with Charlie Uniman:
Website: www.legaltechstartupfocus.com
Email: Charlie@LegalTechStartUpFocus.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-uniman-2316b83/
Connect with Colin Levy:
Website: https://www.colinslevy.com/
Website: https://www.malbek.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslevy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Clevy_Law
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clevylaw
Connect with Maya Markovich:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayamarkovich
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkovichMaya
Website: https://vilcap.com/
Website: https://justicetechassociation.org/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Charlie Uniman, Colin Levy, and Maya Markovich discuss:
- The disconnect between legal tech and lawyers.
- Great online resources to stay ahead of legal tech.
- The AI impact on the legal tech industry.
- Best legal tech products for startups.
Key Takeaways:
- To get over the hurdle of choosing tech and having people change the way they do business, make a good business case and make someone the champion for the change.
- Ask yourself why you want to learn about legal tech and let that drive what you look for to avoid getting overwhelmed with the amount of information out there.
- While prompting is currently a struggle for many with AI, it is not likely to remain a challenge for long as AI gets more intelligent.
- Some tech isn’t marketed towards law, specifically, but can be a great tool for your law firm. Look at what is going to solve the problem you’re having.
"Change management is fundamentally misunderstood in the legal industry. On the brightside, firms are starting to ask about it, but there is a radical misconception as to what that entails and the value it can provide." — Maya Markovich
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Legal Technology Hub - https://www.legaltechnologyhub.com/
- Lawrina: https://lawrina.org/
Connect with Charlie Uniman:
Website: www.legaltechstartupfocus.com
Email: Charlie@LegalTechStartUpFocus.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-uniman-2316b83/
Connect with Colin Levy:
Website: https://www.colinslevy.com/
Website: https://www.malbek.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslevy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Clevy_Law
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clevylaw
Connect with Maya Markovich:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayamarkovich
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkovichMaya
Website: https://vilcap.com/
Website: https://justicetechassociation.org/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Hugo Gomez discuss:
- Niche down on what you know.
- Finding your angle to stand out from the others in your field.
- Working with outside partners to truly grow and scale your business.
- Why lawyers should be marketing to the Spanish-speaking communities around them.
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot please everyone - if you niche into a very specific area, you will be able to find success and give more buy-in to your clients.
- English-only speakers are in decline according to the latest census.
- Working with a marketing company that has cultural experience in your target market is key for getting the best results and content to that audience.
- Multicultural marketing needs to be done from the ground up - what might work for one culture is not usually going to work for another culture.
"What we found is that Spanish speakers when they're making a decision to hire an attorney, what they're looking for is does the firm have bilingual staff. Generally speaking, attorneys don't speak Spanish, and that's okay. All we need to do is just be honest with the consumer and say, this firm as the best bilingual staff you can talk to you regarding your and your auto accident injury." — Hugo Gomez
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- All-In: https://www.allinpodcast.co/
About Hugo Gomez: Hugo E. Gomez is the founder of Abogados NOW, a national Spanish marketing agency that helps attorneys advertise to underrepresented communities. With a mission to forge greater awareness of Spanish-speaking communities, Hugo and his team create high-performing and cost-effective Spanish digital marketing campaigns to help attorneys grow their firms.
Connect with Hugo Gomez:
Website: https://www.abogadosnow.com/
Email: hugo@abogadosnow.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilingualmarketing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abogados-now/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Glass discuss:
- Focusing on the client experience.
- Partnering with family in your law firm.
- Highest and best use of lawyers’ time for law firm success.
- The power of coopetition and accountability.
Key Takeaways:
- What gets in the way of lawyer business success is thinking the lawyer needs to be in the middle of everything in their practice.
- Identify and write down everything that is important to you - then reverse engineer your firm based on that criteria.
- Execute the good ideas and lessons learned from your peer groups. Having forced external accountability can help you to actually accomplish those goals.
- Give more power to your lieutenant - give them reins and responsibility, but also give them coaching and power to make decisions. You cannot do it all, especially if you are wanting to scale and grow.
"If you have a good enough team, and you have a large enough vision, you can give them these projects to go and run with. I don't have to do it. I just have to have a big enough vision and create a fun enough and intellectually exciting enough place to work that attracts the kind of person that can go and execute on that for me." — Brian Glass
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold - https://www.amazon.com/Vivid-Vision-Remarkable-Aligning-Business/dp/161961877X
- My First Million: https://www.mfmpod.com/
About Brian Glass: Brian Glass is a personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. After a decade of practicing law across town from his dad, he joined Ben Glass Law in 2019 to run the auto accident section of the practice.
Brian’s greatest hits as a lawyer include a $3.4M medical malpractice verdict (2019), the record-setting settlement of a minor’s wrongful death case in Virginia ($5.5M in 2020), and the largest auto accident verdict in the state in 2022. ($3.4M in compensatory damages and $1M in punitive damages). He is highly skilled at distilling complex problems into simple, understandable solutions.
Brian runs Time Freedom for Lawyers, a podcast dedicated to teaching other lawyers and high-income professionals how to win back some of their time by running more efficient businesses, investing in real estate, and crafting the vision of their own perfect life.
Brian’s perfect life includes coaching his three boys in soccer, baseball, and whatever other athletic endeavor they want to pursue; travelling the world with his wife of 13 years; and competing in endurance events. Brian is a finisher of the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Race, the Laurel Highlands 71 Miler, and about two dozen other ultramarathons. Lately, parenting has cut short his training timeline and he focuses on Crossfit and Spartan races, with a 2023 goal of traveling to Sparta, Greece to compete in the Spartan Race World Championships.
Connect with Brian Glass:
Website: https://greatlegalmarketing.com/
Website: https://benglasslaw.com/
Show: https://www.timefreedompod.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fairfaxpersonalinjury/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianglassesq/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatlegalmarketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jonathan Hawkins discuss:
- Having a destination in mind for your career and business.
- Shared vision for building a multi-attorney law firm.
- Having a written agreement in a partnership.
- The right way to build a partnership in a law firm.
Key Takeaways:
- When building a partnership, you want to have different skill sets for the best opportunities for success.
- Partnering with your best friend may not be the best idea - if the partnership falls apart, your friendship might follow.
- In a partnership, you cannot always win - it requires giving, communication, and compromise.
- There are many reasons why a partnership might fall apart - having an exit plan and written agreements can prevent a lot of disagreement and potential stress in the future.
"You can't forget, both of you and the firm have an obligation to the clients. That is the paramount in responsibility of everybody - to make sure the client's interests come first." — Jonathan Hawkins
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- How I Built This - https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this
About Jonathan Hawkins: Jonathan Hawkins is a business lawyer for lawyers. He serves as Outside General Counsel to law firms and helps attorneys and law firm owners in starting law firms, law firm structuring, partnership agreements, lateral moves, breakups and dissolutions, and succession planning.
Connect with Jonathan Hawkins:
Website: https://www.yourlawfirmgc.com/
Email: jhawkins@yourlawfirmgc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-hawkins-135147/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ariana Tadler discuss:
- How your business card can play into your personal and professional brand.
- Top challenges for lawyers today.
- The pros and cons of multiple methods of communication.
- The 3 C’s of professionalism.
Key Takeaways:
- Have a business card with a QR code. It helps to communicate and connect with more people and keeps you memorable.
- Time management is one of the biggest challenges for lawyers today. In today’s world, the sense of attention people have is much shorter than before due to devices and constant notifications. But time management is critical for lawyers.
- It is not rude to write down notes from meetings about follow-up things or to-do items. You want to make sure to be able to follow through with anything that was talked about in the meeting.
- Early is on time. Being on time (early) to meetings is the easiest way to begin to show professionalism. Being late to meetings, especially without apology or reason, will chip away at your credibility.
"Your credibility is the utmost important factor in the relationship before the court and with your client." — Ariana Tadler
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by the Arbinger Institute - https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/dp/1576759776
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen - https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280
About Ariana Tadler: Ariana J. Tadler is the Founding Partner of Tadler Law LLP, a WBENC certified women-owned law firm that offers class action, complex and commercial B2B litigation, legal counseling, and e-Discovery services. A nationally recognized lawyer, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker, Ariana J. Tadler is tenacious and gracious. Described as the consummate professional, Ariana knows how to own a room - she opens doors and gains access - if she is unable to provide services directly, she connects people with skilled strategic partners.
Connect with Ariana Tadler:
Website: https://www.tadlerlaw.com/
Email: atadler@tadlerlaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianatadler/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tadler-law/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tadlerlaw/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/arianatadler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tadlerlaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alan Crone discuss:
- Gaining focus and clarity in what you find the most important.
- Transitioning clients to other lawyers in your firm, not just seeking you as the brand.
- Putting great systems in place within your firm.
- Delegating for success, not for frustration.
Key Takeaways:
- As long as you work hard, and work smart, you can do whatever you put your mind to.
- You must run your law firm like a business, because it is one.
- Invest money in your people and train, train, train.
- You can’t always hire for potential, sometimes you have to hire for skill. And hire someone who fits the culture, not just has the skills.
"Delegation is the most sincere act of humility - to be able to delegate something to someone else and say that I don’t have to do it in order for it to be successful. Now you’re going to be successful, and someone else is going to be successful. It’s an exponential win-win." — Alan Crone
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Sign up for the next BE THAT LAWYER: Marketing Mavericks - September 28th, 2023 - https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
- Ask Alan! The Podcast: https://cronelawfirmplc.com/resources/ask-alan/
About Alan Crone: Alan G. Crone is an Employment Law Attorney, CEO/Founder of The Crone Law Firm, Author of “The Law at Work: A Legal Playbook For Executives and Professionals” (Feb 2023), Ask Alan! Podcast Host and Speaker. Crone’s employment law firm team is committed to helping employees, executives, and entrepreneurs resolve workplace disputes, which may include issues between employers and employees, intellectual property disputes and/or other commercial issues. His new book reflects Crone’s approach when working with clients, which is, “I’d rather solve your problem than win your lawsuit.” https://cronelawfirmplc.com/
Connect with Alan Crone:
Website: https://cronelawfirmplc.com/
Email: acrone@cronelawfirmplc.com
Book: https://cronelawfirmplc.com/the-law-at-work/
Ask Alan! The Podcast: https://cronelawfirmplc.com/resources/ask-alan/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alancronememphislawyer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.crone.7/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecronelawfirm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alan_crone/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS8rpvoDf5SN5z_DcF5Sb1Q
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kevin Daisey discuss:
- Crafting your product around your client, not the other way around.
- Getting unstuck from making the same mistakes.
- How a podcast can help your marketing, no matter what field you’re in.
- The secret about podcasting for lawyers.
Key Takeaways:
- Everything comes back to strategy. Results and growth over time always start with strategy.
- You need to be focused, have a plan, give your marketing strategies time, and have someone who is tracking the KPIs from it. Without the data, you don’t know how to handle it, both good and bad.
- You can make anything successful if you stick to it and do it properly.
- Hosting a podcast is less work than you think if you have a great team behind you. You become a talk show host of your own, get the marketing, and get great content to repurpose.
"It's repurposing! You and me are recording this now. We can take this and make an article out of it. We can take clips, we can do video versions, we can do audio clips - there's so many things you can do to disperse it, and we did this recording one time." — Kevin Daisey
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Sign up for the next BE THAT LAWYER: Marketing Mavericks - September 28th, 2023 - https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
- The Game with Alex Hormozi
- $100M Leads by Alex Hormozi
About Kevin Daisey: Kevin Daisey is a digital marketer & entrepreneur. He is the founder & CMO of Array Digital, a law firm marketing agency, and the host of The Managing Partners Podcast.
Connect with Kevin Daisey:
Website: https://thisisarray.com/
Show: https://thisisarray.com/managing-partners-podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindaisey/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arraydigital/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevinldaisey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevindaisey/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Julie Migliacci discuss:
- How COVID shifted the landscape for speakers.
- Mistakes people make with virtual events.
- Content flow even beyond the event.
- Livestreaming your events to your social pages.
Key Takeaways:
- The #1 reason people attend a speaking event is to network.
- Not every event should be in person. Not every event should be virtual. Not every event should be hybrid. Understand what you want from your speaking engagement and look at how it works best for you and your audience.
- Every 30 minutes, do something different to avoid the audience hitting their burnout points.
- Choose the right technology for your event. There are different levels of platforms, such as Zoom, that will fit the needs of your audience and your event.
"Nobody wants to sit through an hour-long lecture anymore. Attendees want more, and they mostly want to connect with people. The number one reason people attend a hybrid or virtual event is to network. And it's also the number one thing that gets cut when you're in the planning process." — Julie Migliacci
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Sign up for the next BE THAT LAWYER: Marketing Mavericks - September 28th, 2023 - https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
- ProVisors: https://www.provisors.com/
- Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
About Julie Migliacci: Julie Migliacci has over 17 years of high-touch customer service and event planning under her belt. There isn’t an event type she hasn’t planned before, from large celebrity fundraisers, virtual conferences, and premier cooking shows. She is always up for a new challenge and creating unique experiences for clients and their guests. Hailing from France, Julie has lived in 4 countries and considers herself a global citizen. She currently resides in Boston, MA, and is always looking for an opportunity to jump on a plane to do something new. If left on a deserted island, Julie would bring her sourdough starter (named Steve) and her cats.
Connect with Julie Migliacci:
Website: https://revent.consulting/
Email: julie@revent.consulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-migliacci-revent/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revent-consulting-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reventconsulting2020/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reventconsulting2020/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Andrew Biren discuss:
- Learning how to focus and disconnect as needed.
- Putting your energy into the right things.
- Borrowing good ideas from others that fit within your firm.
- Key tips on relationship building.
Key Takeaways:
- It is hard to connect if you are only talking about yourself. Let the other person have space in the conversation.
- Understand your selling point and stick to it.
- Check-in with your client. Make sure they, proactively, know that you are aware of them and their situation.
- You cannot communicate everything by email or over the phone, both in networking and in client relations.
"I like to meet people. I like to hear their stories, whether it be a referral lawyer, a networking partner, or even a client. I like learning about different types of people. It's me getting to connect with somebody, and that's the number one thing for me with networking, forming relationships, and forming a bond." — Andrew Biren
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Episode References:
- Sign up for the next BE THAT LAWYER: Marketing Mavericks - September 28th, 2023 - https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
- The Ryen Russillo Podcast - https://www.theringer.com/ryen-russillo-podcast
About Andrew Biren: Andrew “Drew” Biren knew that he was going to be a trial lawyer ever since he was five, when he attended his first jury trial and saw his father in action. From that point forward, he knew that his life’s work would be spent advocating for seriously injured men and women – just like his dad. Drew first started working at Biren Law Group as a file clerk at the tender age of 14. Since then, he has done almost every job imaginable. You name it and Drew has done it. The extensive experience Drew amassed at such an early age has proven to be invaluable, as he now works as a lawyer, fulfilling his dream of helping accident victims obtain justice. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, his law degree at Southwestern Law School, and has since been admitted to the State Bar of California. Drew’s passions include his wife, Melissa, his two young daughters, his dogs, and sports.
Connect with Andrew Biren:
Website: https://biren.com/
Email: abiren@biren.com
Phone: 310-922-4979
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-biren-33584040/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/birenlawgroup/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirenLawGroup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brett Trembly discuss:
- Scheduling time off, not dropping agreements with yourself.
- The need to delegate to grow your firm.
- Tracking ALL of your time (not just the billable time).
- Getting over the mental minutia and the fear of hiring.
Key Takeaways:
- You are losing money every time you do a $10 job that you can pay someone else for when you charge way more than that per hour.
- Hiring a good executive assistant will free up enough time for you to double your output and double your income.
- Your first hire should be someone to delegate to so you can protect your time as a law firm owner and allow you to focus on what only you can do (and what you love to do).
- When you hire, you can use those employees to help build your training material and process and procedure manuals. But you need the hands-on deck before you can build those SOPs.
"You absolutely need to protect your time as the law firm owner more than anything else." — Brett Trembly
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Episode References:
- Sign up for the next BE THAT LAWYER: Marketing Mavericks - September 28th, 2023 - https://www.fretzin.com/blog/category/events/
- How I Built This with Guy Raz - https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/
About Brett Trembly:
Lawyer / Entrepreneur / Author / Delegation Expert
4 time Inc. 5000 Honoree (#67 in 2022 & 2 companies on the ranking)
Published Author: The Danger Zones
Adjunct professor Miami Law
40 employee team Trembly Law (12 attorneys)
150+ employee team Get Staffed Up
Connect with Brett Trembly:
Website: https://getstaffedup.com/fretzin
Book: http://24monthstofreedom.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getstaffedup/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/btrembly
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Getstaffedup1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/l3community/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getstaffedup/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Heidi Brown discuss:
- Overcoming stress, fear, and anxiety.
- Introversion, shyness, and social anxiety…and how they are not the same.
- Learning to speak for what you need for processing and energy replenishment.
- Flourishing in your character strengths.
Key Takeaways:
- Introverts process internally, extroverts process externally. Neither is better, neither is more engaged, neither is a better student or employee, they just think differently.
- Authentically embrace who you are. You do not need to pretend to be someone else or a different personality type in order to do your job effectively and brilliantly.
- If you have anxiety around performances, you may be overpreparing. Consider tweaking your preparation process to figure out what works for you without getting in your own way.
- Find the things that energize and revitalize you and focus on those as much as you can.
"What it means to flourish as a human being, or as a lawyer, is to set up systems that help you function well, even when you hit stress and anxiety. It's not pretending stress, anxiety, and fear don't exist, but instead knowing that our jobs are hard and our lives are hard we're going to encounter them." — Heidi Brown
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- VIA Character Strengths Survey - https://www.viacharacter.org/
- Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061339202
About Heidi Brown: Professor Heidi K. Brown is a graduate of The University of Virginia School of Law, Associate Dean for Upper-Level Writing at New York Law School, and a former litigator in the construction industry. Heidi is the author of three books about well-being for law students and lawyers, including The Introverted Lawyer, Untangling Fear in Lawyering, and The Flourishing Lawyer: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Performance and Well-Being. In 2021, Heidi earned a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the 2023 Recipient of the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Well-Being in Legal Education from the Association of American Law Schools’ (AALS) Section on Balance and Well-Being in Legal Education. Building on a foundation of thirty years of experience in legal practice and academia, Heidi champions the importance of openly discussing stressors, anxieties, and fears in lawyering, and helping quiet and anxious law students and lawyers tap into individual strengths to become profoundly effective advocates—in their authentic voices. Heidi resides in New York City. She loves writing books, traveling solo internationally, taking boxing lessons, and jumping up-and-down at U2 concerts around the world. Heidi’s website is TheFlourishingLawyer.org.
Connect with Heidi Brown:
Website: https://www.theflourishinglawyer.org/
Email: heidi@theintrovertedlawyer.com
Book: https://www.theintrovertedlawyer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theintrovertedlawyerbook/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/introvertlawyer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/introvertedlawyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflourishinglawyer
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jodie Zerega discuss:
- Why many lawyers are unhappy with their current situations.
- How longevity can assist in your job search.
- The importance of having a book of business (and how it plays with the business of running a law firm).
- Continue learning, find your niche, become the expert.
Key Takeaways:
- While longevity at a firm is not as important as it used to be, law firms do still want to see that a lawyer gave the firm a chance and had a chance to be valuable within the firm.
- You need to have a portable book of business. It is important to know what your objectives are going to be at your new firm.
- Building a book of business takes consistent effort over time. Start early in your career (and if you didn’t, start today).
- Network both within and outside of your law firm. You never know where someone is going to be in five years.
"From a partner perspective, you have to have a portable book of business. Right now, I'm seeing a minimum of $750K. One thing that attorneys have a hard time understanding is salary - and they bring you over it as a lateral partner, they have a formulaic process that they use to calculate your salary, and it's usually a third, a third, a third." — Jodie Zerega
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Overture: https://overture.law/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Episode References:
- Traction by Gino Wickman
About Jodie Zerega: Jodie Zerega is a highly experienced legal recruiter and founder of Zerega Consulting, a recruiting firm that specializes in placing attorneys in law firms, corporations, and non-profit organizations. With over 20 years of experience in legal recruiting, Jodie has worked with a diverse range of clients, including private start-ups to multi-national publicly traded companies. She is an expert in legal hiring trends, AI in attorney hiring, legal recruiter benefits, job search technology, social media and hiring, and in-house legal recruiting.
Jodie's expertise in legal recruiting and her extensive experience make her an ideal guest for podcasts with audiences of attorneys, paralegals, law firm administrators, and managing partners. She can provide valuable insights and practical tips to help listeners navigate the complex legal hiring landscape and stay ahead of the curve in their job search. With the recent launch of the Attorney Jobs app, Jodie can also share a unique perspective on how technology is shaping the legal job market and offer advice on how attorneys can use technology to their advantage.
Connect with Jodie Zerega:
Website: https://www.zeregaconsulting.com/
Attorney Jobs App: https://www.zeregaconsulting.com/attorney-jobs
Email: jzerega@zeregaconsulting.com
Phone: 404-660-3414
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-zerega-8265586/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zerega-consulting-legal-recruiting/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeregaconsulting/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joan Butler discuss:
- Looking at what is working and focusing on that.
- Why so many people are unsatisfied with their life.
- The Power Life Script.
- The paradigm shifts in our lives.
Key Takeaways:
- The more we focus on the things that are broken and are not working, the more things will continue to be dysfunctional.
- People need to take time to listen to what they truly love and what is inside, not what anyone else is saying to them.
- Enacting changes comes through making decisions.
- The content of our life is the curriculum of our evolution.
"Where our attention goes, energy flows. If we have an intention to have this kind of life, and we're over here, but our attention and is on the problem, where's the energy going to flow? It's going to flow more towards the problem." — Joan Butler
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! By Stephen M. Shapiro - https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Free-Living-Have-Life-Want/dp/0471772801
- School of Greatness Podcast - https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/
About Joan Butler: Joan Butler is a coach and consultant who has supported mid-life individuals going through challenging times professionally and personally. She helps them bridge the gap from where they are to where they would love to be in their life. Her refreshing approach as a coach and consultant leverages humor to help others learn how to think and feel differently, breaking down barriers so that they can cultivate more confidence, new vision, happiness, and joy in their life.
Connect with Joan Butler:
Website: https://relationshipcenterforchange.com/
Email: joan@rcchange.com
Phone: 707-769-1215
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-menke-ma-17628812/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rcforchange
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoanMenkeButler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanmenkebutler
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marcia Wasserman discuss:
- Challenges law firms are facing today that they’ve never had to before.
- Managing generational differences to the benefit of both parties.
- Where to start when everything seems to be going sideways.
- The benefit of a peer advisory group.
Key Takeaways:
- Managing expectations for both the law firm managers and the younger lawyers is key to making sure everything is being accomplished at the right profitability.
- Clients are also getting younger, not just new attorneys. Understanding how the younger generations think can be crucial for your law firm success.
- It doesn’t take a certain personality to be a leader - it takes listening skills, vulnerability, and transparency to your vision.
- If you delegate more, you will be more effective in what you are best at.
"It's getting the lawyers who manage the firms to understand that things have changed and they are not able to do it the way they've always done it." — Marcia Wasserman
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Measure What Matters by John Doerr - https://www.amazon.com/Measure-What-Matters-Google-Foundation/dp/0525536221
- ProVisors - https://provisors.com/
About Marcia Wasserman: Marcia Watson Wasserman is the Founder and President of Comprehensive Management Solutions, Inc., which provides “C.O.O. to Go”™ law practice management consulting services to boutique and midsize law firms. Her expertise includes operational management reviews; management and leadership development and training; succession planning; strategic planning; retreat facilitation; law firm start-ups and mergers. Marcia serves as a coach, mentor, and accountability partner to Managing Partners, Attorneys, and Legal Administrators. Marcia also leads multiple law firm Managing Partners’ and Legal Administrators’ Roundtables, focused on thought leadership and sharing best practices. She is a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management and the author of 2 books published by the ABA.
Connect with Marcia Wasserman:
Website: https://www.comprehensivemgmt.com/
Email: mwasserman@comprehensivemgmt.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciawwasserman/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Darren Wurz discuss:
- Learning skills outside of just the law.
- Niche down to stand out in the crowd.
- Top struggles lawyers have around money.
- Making the changes that will make the biggest difference in the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Awareness of your money is the first step. You have to know where it is going in order to understand what is happening.
- In a law firm, money is often fluctuating. Understanding your cash flow is key to understanding your overall financial situation.
- You have to know where you are going with an inspiring vision in order to know how much you need to save to get there. Few people are inspired by saving money.
- You want to make your financial plans somewhat realistic. If you’re in a situation that is completely unsustainable (maybe due to lifestyle creep) you may have to make dramatic changes to get back to your goals.
"It's tough to build a business. It is tough to launch out on your own. But the cool thing about it is if you put in the hard work and determination, if you learn the skills you need to learn, you can build the business that you want." — Darren Wurz
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
About Darren Wurz: Darren Wurz is a respected authority on retirement planning for law firm owners, as well as a published author and dynamic public speaker. As an experienced financial planner, Darren specializes in helping law firm owners more effectively manage their personal finances and investments, and plan for retirement and succession. He is the author of The Lawyer Millionaire: The Complete Guide for Attorneys on Maximizing Wealth, Minimizing Taxes, and Retiring with Confidence, published by the American Bar Association. He is also the host of The Lawyer Millionaire Podcast. Darren has been featured on radio, television, podcasts, and as a guest speaker at bar associations, law firms, and legal organizations across the country.
After a brief career in education, Darren joined his dad and brother as a fee-only financial advisor and co-owner of Wurz Financial Services. As a small business owner himself, he understands the challenges law firm owners face. Over the past 8 years, Darren has developed an expertise in helping law firm owners master their money and achieve financial independence through his unique financial planning process for law firm owners—The Lawyer Millionaire™ Method. Darren holds a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and earned his master’s degree in financial planning from Golden Gate University. Darren is a member of the American Bar Association and the Financial Planning Association. He currently works and resides in the Toledo, OH, area but works remotely with clients in all 50 states. To learn more about Darren and his work, please visit TheLawyerMillionaire.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Connect with Darren Wurz:
Website: https://wurzfinancialservices.com/
Book: https://wurzfinancialservices.com/the-lawyer-millionaire-the-book/
Podcast: https://wurzfinancialservices.com/category/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-p-wurz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wurzfinancial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawyermillionaire
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawyermillionaire/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Whitney Harper discuss:
- Why so many law firms still use the billable hour.
- Deliverables-based billing.
- Getting clear about what your deliverables are.
- Building the playbooks to increase your profitability.
Key Takeaways:
- Most tech for lawyers are based on hourly billing, which makes it difficult for those wishing to switch without creating new software.
- Hourly billing can make you adversarial to your clients, and adversarial to yourself and your mental health.
- Understanding what you are looking for (more money, more time, etc.) then you can look at more ways to make yourself efficient in delivering those products.
- If you have agreed on the price at the front end, you are less likely to have a collection issue.
"When you bill by the hour, there's a kind of an upper limit on what you can reasonably say an hourly rate is. There's also an aspect of it, that's a mental health issue - as a lawyer, if I only can win by burning more of the midnight oil, there's a level of exhaustion, and you feel like you're playing the game that you can't win." — Whitney Harper
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- The Taboo Surrounding Sales in Legal - https://www.fretzin.com/events
- The Go-Giver by Bob Burg - https://thegogiver.com/
About Whitney Harper: Whitney Harper is a seasoned practicing lawyer, and the co-founder of ADVOS Pro, a business that helps law firms break up with the billable hour method and begin measuring what matters - value, expertise, and results. Her practice, ADVOS legal, has leveraged the ADVOS Pro P3 Method and [A]OS platform for nearly a decade, building a successful, healthy, and highly profitable practice that delivers sophisticated, strategic legal counsel to clients who are raving fans.
Connect with Whitney Harper:
Website: https://www.advospro.com/
Email: whitney@advospro.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneycharper/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advos-pro/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADVOSPro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whit_onthewater/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advospro/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jason Ciment discuss:
- Building and maintaining relationships.
- Going solo versus having a partnership.
- Outsourcing components of your business that were previously not possible to outsource.
- Top tips to ensure a successful partnership.
Key Takeaways:
- You never know what relationships are going to lead to your next game-changing relationship.
- Marketing is great, but business development will lead to your best referrals and customers.
- Manage your expectations in the partnership. Both sides will have expectations, both sides will be negotiating and need to give in a little bit. But make sure to have your agreements and expectations understood before going into business together.
- If you have the right relationships with your vendors and referral sources, they can assist as you are going out on your own or with your partner.
"You have to have a vision for what you’re trying to build together." — Jason Ciment
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Howard Stern: https://www.siriusxm.com/talk/howard-stern
Connect with Jason Ciment:
Website: GetVisible.com & JasonCiment.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/get-visible & linkedin.com/in/jasonciment
Twitter: twitter.com/GetVisibleMktg & twitter.com/jasonciment
Facebook: facebook.com/GetVisibleMarketing
Book: I Need More Clients: Digital Marketing Strategies That Grow Your Business: amazon.com/Need-More-Clients-Marketing-Strategies/dp/1537108352
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
- What does it mean to Live Big? - How does creating connect to living big — and what is creativity all about (that most people do not understand or appreciate, or feel intimidated about)? - How we can all be powerful creators of the lives we want to live.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rochelle Seltzer discuss:
- Why lawyers need creativity.
- What does it mean to Live Big?
- How creativity connects to living big.
- Setting boundaries with kindness.
Key Takeaways:
- We all are filled with creativity - but most of it goes untapped and underutilized.
- When you've tapped into your creativity, you’re excited about trying new things, making bolder moves, and excited about expressing yourself.
- Try something that you’ve never done before. Do something to inspire you.
- You need to understand what it is that you want. What is your personal why? What would you do if you were bolder?
"When you're in that state of being lit up and feeling inspired, the people around you feel that energy. It will impact everybody - it will impact colleagues, it will impact the people that support you in your role, it will impact your clients. It just elevates everything." — Rochelle Seltzer
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Under the Influence Podcast - https://terryoreilly.ca/undertheinfluence/
- Unlocking Us with Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/unlocking-us/
About Rochelle Seltzer: Rochelle Seltzer is a Creative Core Coach, a dynamic speaker, and the author of the highly acclaimed book, Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life. Her mission is to unleash the untapped creative capacity inside all of us, so we can bring all of our greatness into the world. Rochelle coaches accomplished women, helping them to get clear about the lives they want and create with intention, so they can live their biggest, most fulfilling lives.
Connect with Rochelle Seltzer:
Website: https://www.rochelleseltzer.com/
Book: https://thelivebigbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rochelleseltzercreativecorecoach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-seltzer-coach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.seltzer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachRochelleSeltzer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seltzerrochelle/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kerri Coby White discuss:
- How KerriJames was created and how they assist law firm growth.
- The compounding power of data.
- The harsh realities attorneys should accept and address.
- The four fundamentals for law firm growth.
Key Takeaways:
- If you have the right systems in place, your systems will put out the right outputs, and you can focus your time and energy on the relationships.
- Every bit of data you collect can be transformative if you apply the right context to it and analyze it.
- You need to know your marketing numbers. You need to know the ROI of each employee. You need to know your numbers.
- Build your systems - once they are built and integrated they can address the harsh realities, create the change, and push your law firm growth to greater heights.
"When we got serious with our marketing clients about building systems, we got this incredible, unexpected gift. And that was the data - the data that spilled out and provided such unbelievable insight." — Kerri Coby White
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Michael Hyatt Freedom Compass - https://freetofocus.com/
- Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
- Small Law Firm KPIs: How to Measure Your Way to Greater Profits by Mary Juetten https://www.amazon.com/Small-Firm-Measure-Greater-Profits/dp/0314876014
- Hidden Brain Podcast - https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain
About Kerri Coby White: Kerri Coby White has been serving the legal industry in growth and business development for more than a decade, merging her consulting firm with that of James Brooks and forming KerriJames, LLC in 2019. As CEO of KerriJames, Kerri speaks on the value of data and technology in achieving next-level growth. It is her personal belief that strategy-driven systems can provide firms with the intelligence that enables them to compete amidst a host of challenges and do the important work of seeking justice, supporting clients, and growing organizations that serve their communities.
Connect with Kerri Coby White:
Website: https://www.kerrijames.co/
The Law Firm Growth Machine Book: https://www.kerrijames.co/book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerricobywhite/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kerrijamesllc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kerricobywhite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerricobywhite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KerriJamesConsulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerricobywhite/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Paul discuss:
- Importance of just being active in your business development.
- Taking action and executing on your conversations.
- The three steps to building your business development successfully.
- Top tips to improve your business development and the questions to ask to get referrals.
Key Takeaways:
- Being active in business development will get you far. Having the right activity will get you further.
- You can’t solve things at the moment - they need to sit and process with the other person.
- Have the discipline to do the small actions that will build habits and carry your business development forward.
- When you understand your reason and have the motivation to do your business development, be curious and listen well and you will go far.
"There is no perfection, but inaction is imperfection. Action is moving on to perfection in terms of developing client relationships." — Ben Paul
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- STOP! Hammer Time - The West Ham Podcast - http://playbackmedia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/westham.html
- This Legal Life: NOT Another Legal Podcast - https://bol.nexl.cloud/tag/listen/
About Ben Paul: Ben Paul is CEO of The BD Ladder, a BD and marketing consultancy specializing in providing practical advice to lawyers and legal firms. He has over 20 years of experience in business development and marketing advice. Ben has worked in senior BD roles in several professional services and law firms. Prior to establishing The BD Ladder, he was the BD & Marketing Director at one of NZ’s leading law firms and oversaw their successful rebranding to Dentons Kensington Swan. Ben provides regular BD coaching and skills sessions to his clients which help them to grow their practices. One of his key strengths is that he brings active change to the way things are done, so that his clients can achieve the results that they aspire
Connect with Ben Paul:
Website: https://bdladder.com/
Email: ben@bdladder.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpaulbdm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdladder/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenPaul_NZ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BdLadder
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BDLadder
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bd_ladder/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alexandra Watkins discuss:
- The profession of naming.
- Brand, personal, and business naming.
- Identifying what makes you unique and your brand personality.
- Creating a consistent message across your brand, social media, and all aspects of your business.
Key Takeaways:
- People fall in love with brands, but it doesn’t happen overnight.
- The name is the soul of your brand. If you name it correctly, you can attract the business you want to work with off of the name alone.
- Brainstorm by using all of your online resources. Using colors on a whiteboard is outdated and one of the worst ways to brainstorm.
- Review your client testimonials - understand what words they are using to describe what you are helping them with, even if it isn’t the language you would have used.
"Use your moniker, use your name everywhere that you can. It's going to help people remember you." — Alexandra Watkins
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Beyond Curious - https://podcasts.bcast.fm/beyond-curious
About Alexandra Watkins: Alexandra Watkins is a brand name expert and author of the Inc. Top 10 Marketing Book, “Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick." She is the founder of Eat My Words, a naming firm that specializes in creating names that make people smile instead of scratch their heads. If you have ever enjoyed a Wendy's Baconator, you have literally eaten her words.
Connect with Alexandra Watkins:
Website: https://eatmywords.com/
Email: alexandra@eatmywords.com
Book: https://eatmywords.com/brand-names-book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrawatkins/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eat-my-words/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatmywords
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatMyWordsNames
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegobitchinbackyard/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bob Green discuss:
- Bob’s experience in stopping a murder trial and how it lead to his current professional role.
- Making progress by solving at least one problem each month.
- Who are you when you’re not famous?
- Connecting with peer networking groups for personal and professional growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Be willing to do things you have never done before. If you don’t, you’ll never achieve something you’ve never achieved.
- As a leader, you want to help everyone to bring their superpowers to the table because that is where your company will shine.
- You should understand what you want from this life, not just to be famous and well-known. What is it that you want to do and how you want to serve?
- It isn’t just about the grind. There is a way to build your business where you can have both the money and the freedom. Working with peers who have done it already can assist you in seeing what you are missing on your own.
"Let's help people rise up! Let's develop the processes that you learned along the way so somebody else can learn it with you and it may take him even less time because you've made some of the mistakes that you can help people avoid." — Bob Green
Get a free copy of Steve’s book “Sales-Free Selling” here: www.fretzin.com/sales-free-selling
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Theory of Constraints by Eliyahu Goldratt: https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Constraints-Eliyahu-M-Goldratt/dp/0884271668
About Bob Green: I help business owners grow companies from $1 million to $25 million in value without giving away their lives in the process. I work with owners and organize them with like-motivated owners in strategic board meetings to build great companies together. We focus on every aspect of the company, one priority at a time.
Connect with Bob Green:
Website: https://www.thealternativeboard.com/north-shore
Email: bob@tabnorthshore.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobgreenteams/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Ross discuss:
- Differentiating yourself in your marketing.
- Client engagement and communication.
- Networking outside of other lawyers and reciprocating referrals.
- Hiring a marketer to do what you were doing to build your brand and business.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re doing the exact same thing as everyone else, you will not be noticed.
- Being broke will force ingenuity. You don’t need a lot of money to get out there, get noticed by your client, and bring in those you can and want to serve.
- Look for ways you and your networking partners can both benefit, even if it isn’t additional clients.
- There are creative ways you can do marketing where you don’t have to spend anything (and may make money from it!) if you look for what works for your firm and not just try and do what others are doing.
"I can't go out and meet every potential client. But if I go out and meet a CPA, then I can effectively meet all of their clients. And if we have the same clients, then I'm accomplishing that goal. I can identify who else my clients were dealing with, and then go out there and meet those people, impress them, and often look for ways that I could also benefit them." — John Ross
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Huberman Lab: https://hubermanlab.com/
About John Ross: Raised in South Texas, John Ross graduated from San Marcos High School. He followed that with four years as a United States Marine, serving as an infantry squad leader with First Battalion Seventh Marines. Immediately after, John attended Texas State University and completed a Bachelors in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. From undergraduate, John went to Texas Tech Law School where he again graduated with honors.
Since graduating from law school, John has had a distinguished legal career handling sophisticated matters for a wide range of clients. The below list is just some of the ways he has assisted the people of Texas and Arkansas:
- Designed estate planning and asset protection devices for high net-worth clients, including family limited partnerships, tax planned wills, and various trust agreements.
- Successfully handled multi-million dollar contested probate matters while maintaining cordial relations among the family members.
- Assisted countless families by helping them protect their life savings from nursing home costs.
- Developed plans for disabled individuals, including special needs trusts, to maximize their quality of life and preserve needs resources.
Connect with John Ross:
Website: https://www.rossandshoalmire.com/
Email: john@rossandshoalmire.com
Show: https://www.bigpictureretirement.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC_YDQU8heNAAwC1lDnQYYg/featured
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ross-&-shoalmire-llp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/txkelderlaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rossandshoalmire/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Arya Firoozmand discuss:
- Referrals as a benefit to your clients.
- Challenges lawyers have when they don’t manage their client databases and relationships.
- Check-ins with no motive to develop trust.
- Staying in front of legal tech.
- Ethical fee sharing between lawyers and how Overture can help you do that.
Key Takeaways:
- You may get referrals from clients for things you don’t do because they trust you. That can always be referred to another lawyer. It also helps keep you top of mind and are occupying space in their lives.
- Only good things will happen when you build a strong lawyer network and can help your clients in other ways.
- If you are top of mind and staying active with your clients, you will be the first they think of when they have a problem.
- Be open to embracing new technology or you will be left behind. Not all tech will be right for your firm, but you should be open to embracing those that would help your firm and be willing to have the conversations and try the demos.
"At the end of the day, they're coming to you because they trust you in that relationship. Why shouldn't we not only capitalize on finding that client a great home, but monetizing it as well?" — Arya Firoozmand
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://www.provisors.com/
- The Lawyer Stories Podcast: https://thelawyerstories.com/podcast/
About Arya Firoozmand: Arya Firoozmand is the CEO and co-founder of Overture Law, the first attorney-to-attorney platform designed for members to refer matters and ethically share in fees.
Connect with Arya Firoozmand:
Website: https://overture.law/
Email: af@overture.law
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aryafiroozmand/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/overturelaw/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/overture_law/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rachel Steininger discuss:
- The cost of learning how to run a business on your own.
- What it takes to scale your law firm and how it differs from your early days of practicing law.
- The secrets to working on your business.
- Avoiding the Curse of the Competent.
Key Takeaways:
- Personalize the strategies that you have based on where you want to be and who you want to represent. What works for someone else may not work for you.
- Do the thing that maximizes your value in any given hour. Taking time to do business development will maximize your value long term, not just today.
- Start utilizing the tools that are out there and embrace that technology…but make sure it is the right tool for your law firm and get the right training on it.
- It is about doing more than just the tasky stuff. While checking off a to-do list can feel like you’re accomplishing things, it is not necessarily moving the needle forward in your business and creating a business that works for you.
"We need the business to be the foundation and then we need to approach the systems and the people in the same way because one thing about a law firm is it’s a people-reliant business. We don't need more locations. We don't need more machinery or equipment. We need more people - because people are the real value driver. When you have good people in a law firm, you're going to have a successful law firm." — Rachel Steininger
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- ProVisors - https://www.provisors.com/
- The Email Marketing Show - https://www.emailmarketingheroes.com/podcast/
About Rachel Steininger: Rachel Steininger is the founder of Upward Acceleration, a business consulting and coaching firm focused on getting small and solo law firm owners out of the day-to-day grind so they can own and grow their business without it owning them. She helps put these law firms in the best position to grow successfully and sustainably as they build trusted relationships, create accountability systems and a high trust/high talent team without the micromanagement, and optimize their business processes for profitable long-term growth.
Connect with Rachel Steininger:
Website: https://upwardacceleration.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIqNYahtZNB7u5Vyi-Hmpg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelsteininger/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.steininger.7/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therachelsteininger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelsteininger/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Merry Neitlich discuss:
- The evolution of branding over the last 20 years.
- Finding your brand essence statement and recognizing how you stand out from others in your space.
- Keeping your branding consistent throughout your entire online presence.
- The difference between brand, marketing, and business development (and how they all interact).
Key Takeaways:
- Keep your website current (no more than 3 years old) so it is relevant and Google will see it. Have your tagline - make it relevant and tell clients how you are different.
- You first want to find out what your differentiator is, then build your brand. You need to look introspectively to understand what it is that you stand for and your unique selling point.
- There should be an overlap between your personal brand and your firm’s brand. If they are not related, it can cause a disconnect for your clients.
- Consistency is the key. You need to hold yourself accountable to your brand, marketing, and business development efforts for them to be effective and work for you.
"A brand is not just an ad. A brand is not just a tagline on your website. A brand is how you operate and everything that you do." — Merry Neitlich
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Branding Is the Strategic Backbone of Law Firm Marketing - https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/branding-is-the-strategic-backbone-of-84058/
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624
About Merry Neitlich: For over 25 years, Merry Neitlich has been a successful business development and branding consultant to attorneys and law firms. She works with both firms and individual attorneys to drive revenue by turning branding into a strategic asset. Merry has been inducted into both the Legal Marketing Hall of Fame and the College of Law Practice Management.
Connect with Merry Neitlich:
Website: https://emconsults.org/
Email: merry@emconsults.org
Phone: 949-260-0936
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merryneitlich/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/extreme-marketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lindsay Ellis discuss:
- Understanding your core values and honoring them in every aspect of what you do.
- Noticing your values by noticing what is important to you in your day to day.
- Creating boundaries when you know what you value.
- Digging deep within yourself to find the calm in the storm.
Key Takeaways:
- You are allowed to make up a definition for the value that is yours. As long as you know what it is, that is what is important.
- There are no bad values. If it is important to you, it is a worthy value. It is only bad if it is unauthentic to you.
- When you know what you value, decisions come easier.
- There are things under your control and things not under your control. When you realize that, you can release the stress and emotion because there is nothing you can do about those things not under your control.
"Find a way to give yourself a little bit of time each day. Balance isn't about making everything even, balance is about depositing regularly into each bucket." — Lindsay Ellis
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Own Your SASS free pdf: www.OwnYourSASS.com
- The Parenting Podcast: https://www.theparentingpodcast.com/podcast
About Lindsay Ellis: Lindsay Ellis is a transformation specialist and the founder of Live Empowered. With certifications, degrees, and expertise in Leadership Development, Health & Fitness, Positive Psychology, and Personal Development, Lindsay has developed a system that helps working parents take control of their lives. In the first year of following her own advice, she went from feeling drained, overworked, and guilty to taking two vacations, forming a healthy co-parenting relationship with her ex, meeting her now husband, rediscovering hobbies, reconnecting with friends outside of work, growing her business 2x the national average, saving six figures, and did it all with a six-pack. Lindsay knows it is possible to have it all. She is passionate about helping parents live their best life in a way that resonates with them and be the example they want to set for their children and generations to come.
Connect with Lindsay Ellis:
Website: https://www.thelindsayellis.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-ellis-7100b513/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lindsay.Thrush.Ellis.108
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charlène Gisèle discuss:
- Taking the time to be, not just to do.
- Drivers for burnout in lawyers.
- The two voices in our head…and our choice on which we listen to.
- The 6 tell-tale signs of burnout.
- Understanding stress versus stressors.
Key Takeaways:
- There is little room for anxiety when you are in the moment because you are fully present in the here and now.
- Burnout affects more than just your career. It affects your mood, your personal relationships, your career, and every other aspect of your life. When you learn your stressors and how to manage the resulting stress, you can change your life.
- There is no shame in struggling. The reason you are feeling the way you are feeling is because you are amazing! Because you do what you do at such a high level, that is why you are burning yourself out.
- Surround yourself with your peers with whom you can have candid conversations.
"The best way to tell your body that the stressor has gone and you can let go of the stress is to speak body language to the body. The body only knows body language." — Charlène Gisèle
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Be That Lawyer Episode 298 - Margaret Enloe: Moving You Forward
- Huberman Lab Podcast - https://hubermanlab.com/welcome-to-the-huberman-lab-podcast/
About Charlène Gisèle: Charlène Gisèle is a former Big Law litigator and legal tech manager who transformed her career to become a High Performance Coach. Charlène Gisèle is a certified Master Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Business, Health and Breathwork Coach. She is the founder of coaching consultancy Charlène Gisèle® and her unique 'Sustainable High Performance' coaching method. As a prior London Litigator, Charlène understands the pain points and stressors successful professionals can face. Charlène now works with industry-leading organisations and professionals with the mission to maximise their performance sustainably. Charlène is also an Award-winning Keynote speaker and thought leader on the subject of Burnout Prevention, Recovery, and Sustainable Success. Charlène's unique Sustainable High Performance coaching method has been featured in The Financial Times, The Times, The Guardian, and BBC Radio.
Connect with Charlène Gisèle:
Website: https://charlenegisele.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele
Reach out to Charlène Gisèle and mention Steve to get a free breathwork e-book!
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Grimes discuss:
- What it means to be a good leader (and how to get better if you aren’t currently one).
- Why leadership is difficult for lawyers.
- 4 pillars you should look for in a leader.
- Preparing yourself to lead people and what inspires people in a leader.
Key Takeaways:
- Like with sales, leadership is not taught in law school, but it is something you can learn.
- When you can demonstrate authenticity at work, you open up the door to allow others to bring their authentic selves to their career.
- Leadership is more than just leading an organization. Leadership appears at all levels of your law firm and life. You don’t need a title to be a leader. You don’t need to be a manager to be a leader.
- Your values need to be reflected in the actions of the law firm.
"Not only are we promoted in positions of leadership because of our substantive skills, we're also trained away from critical capacities for leadership. And what I mean by that is, we're trained to do things ourselves. And so we're training ourselves not to be good leaders, because of the way we practice law." — Ben Grimes
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Pat Conroy - https://patconroy.com/books/
- Some of My Best Friends Are…Podcast - https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/some-of-my-best-friends-are
- Revisionist History Podcast - https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history
About Ben Grimes: With a passion for developing collaborative legal teams, inclusive law firm cultures, and skilled, confident legal leaders, Ben Grimes brings decades of experience as a practitioner and leader to his coaching, consulting, and development clients. From his roots as a biracial kid in central Pennsylvania, thru success (and challenge) at West Point, to his professional successes, Ben knows that leadership can be learned and is best delivered authentically. He's been a helicopter pilot, author, walk-on Division I athlete, 2x Ironman triathlete, professor of criminal law, prosecutor and defense attorney, and an ethics nerd, but loves best helping others unlock their leadership potential and build amazing teams.
Connect with Ben Grimes:
Website: https://www.bkgleadershipcoaching.com/
Email: ben@bkgleadershipcoaching.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkgrimes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bkg-leadership-coaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bkgrimes
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Brencans discuss:
- Getting backlinks to your website from other trusted websites.
- Taking advantage of the EAT - expertise, authority, trustworthiness.
- Scaling your local SEO efforts and tracking the traffic and leads.
- AI and legal marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- It is hard to refer someone when there is no information. You need to understand and leverage information about yourself online.
- Fixing your website fundamentals will make a big difference to your online presence.
- Getting a lead does not mean it will automatically convert. There are steps that will need to be followed, and those steps should be systemized and understood.
- AI is changing how search results are generated for you at the moment. Bing is already using it, and Google is working on rolling it out.
"With the EAT - expertise, authority, trustworthiness - you want to index a lot more information about you as an individual, you as a persona, as a brand." — Chris Brencans
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Overture: https://overture.law/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Surfer SEO: https://surferseo.com/
- SEO Minion: https://seominion.com/
- Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com/
- Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Podcast - https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/lunch-hour-legal-marketing
About Chris Brencans: Kristaps started as a project manager at On The Map Marketing in 2015 and now runs the day-to-day operations as the company’s chief executive officer. In the last few years, he has overseen thousands of successful SEO campaigns for lawyers, contractors, E-commerce stores, and other businesses. He’s also a proud parent of three divas and takes a keen interest in running and calisthenics.
Connect with Chris Brencans:
Website: https://www.onthemap.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrencans/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnTheMapMarketing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrencansK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onthemapmarketing
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onthemapmarketing
Law Firms On The Map Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW1k_9Xuyb2l6FSW1MzMOpMihX0f4FdCJ
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Wendy Salajka discuss:
- The sages and saboteurs in our lives and how they affect what we do.
- How Positive Intelligence is relevant to running a law firm.
- Mental health in the legal industry.
- The 5 powers of the sage and building the human connection first.
Key Takeaways:
- Our brains are not reliable. Sometimes they are for us, sometimes they are against us, and, in an effort to protect us, sometimes they hurt us in their attempts.
- Giving into the thoughts of your saboteurs is not helping you, even if they feel like they are what is driving you to success. Your saboteurs are never right.
- Your negative emotions are one-second indicators to course correct, not a space to live in and have drive you forward.
- There is good and bad in everything we do. Even if that good is microscopic, it can be enough to power us through anything.
"The more you accumulate the positive, the more you realize that this thing that I'm stuck in isn't going to last forever. But also, you build up a database in your brain so that when you are going through difficult times, you know you can get through it." — Wendy Salajka
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Uncorking a Story - “So, How do we Begin? With Steve Fretzin” https://uncorkingastory.com/steve-fretzin/
- The Mel Robbins Podcast - https://www.melrobbins.com/podcast
About Wendy Salajka: My name is Wendy Salajka (suh/ /like/ /uh). I am a lifelong observer of people and a student of psychology and neuroscience both formally and informally. I have a BS in psychology and a master’s degree in Leadership Development specializing in Organizational Leadership. I have certifications in Positive Intelligence Quotient (PQ), Neuroscience of Change Neuropsychology, DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Life Coaching, Brain Health Coaching & Human Design.
Connect with Wendy Salajka:
Website: https://identifyandconquer.com/pq-home/
Email: wendy@identifyandconquer.com
Phone: 331-202-8367
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendysalajka/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wendy-salajka/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.salajka
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/identifyandconquer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_salajka_pilcher/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Katie Burke discuss:
- Building a brand for yourself and your law firm.
- Informing your network about what you’re doing.
- Developing strategic partnerships.
- Evolving and growing your network and business.
Key Takeaways:
- If you are interested in more than one, unrelated, area of law, there are ways to make both work, it just takes some creativity and tenacity.
- Repetition is the key to letting people know what you do. If they don’t have a connection to make a quick quippy phrase, you do not have to try and force it and make it disingenuous.
- Expand your circles. There are more people out there that you don’t know that could be helping to promote your business or send work your way and who you can help as well.
- Don’t be afraid to try something new and to reach for things that you love and have a passion for.
"Growing and changing and evolving your brand means keeping it fresh and keeping it out there. What you're doing now, if you're doing the same thing 20 years later, something's gone wrong." — Katie Burke
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Provisors: https://www.provisors.com/
- Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade: https://www.youtube.com/@flyonthewallpod
About Katie Burke: Katie Burke has practiced law in San Francisco for twenty years. She is the owner of Burke Law. Katie conducts workplace investigations, drafts and reviews premarital and post-marital agreements, represents individual clients in family law disputes, and mediates family law matters.
Connect with Katie Burke:
Website: https://burkelawsf.com/
Email: katie@burkelawsf.com
Phone: 415-997-6665
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherineburke/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/burkelaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Ashley Robinson, Conrad Saam, and Roy Sexton discuss:
- Social media as a tool for engagement.
- Deciding the best social media platform for you.
- Law firm marketing versus individual marketing.
- Connecting with those who already have deep roots in the community.
Key Takeaways:
- How you use social media matters. Doing nothing but promoting yourself is not going to build relationships. Connect with people, comment on their posts, and build relationships with your targets.
- You do not need to master all the platforms, but if you know your clients are on that platform, follow them, and comment on their posts.
- You don’t need to duplicate everything your marketing team is doing but don’t be silent on your own social media. People hire lawyers, not a law firm.
- Focus on thought leadership in a way that makes sense for you.
"There is no silver bullet or AI for authenticity." — Conrad Saam
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Steve Seckler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
- Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/
Connect with Ashley Robinson:
Website: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrobinsongcm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenCardiganMarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/green_cardigan_marketing/
Connect with Roy Sexton:
Website: https://www.clarkhill.com/
LMA: https://legalmarketing.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royesexton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roysexton
Connect with Conrad Saam:
Website: https://mockingbird.marketing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradsaam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConradSaam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mockingbird.Marketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Ashley Robinson, Conrad Saam, and Roy Sexton discuss:
- The difference between marketing and business development.
- Creating a detailed client avatar.
- Marketing in a way that is comfortable for you and is where your audience is.
- Utilizing AI in marketing appropriately.
Key Takeaways:
- Marketing shows you the door and business development helps you to talk through it.
- Understand what you are wanting to do with your marketing and why you want to do it. Without knowing what you want to accomplish with your marketing, it will be harder to maintain effectively.
- Customize your social media marketing with a marketing team so you know what is and is not working and what does work for you and your firm.
- More content is not going to be the sole answer to your SEO problems.
"Focus on what you do well, and do that well, and then build on that, and build on that. We know that from dieting, exercise, and life, you’re not going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger just by saying you want that. You have to do the work slowly, surely steadily. And marketing is exactly that. And business development is exactly that." — Roy Sexton
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith - https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Invisible-Field-Modern-Marketing/dp/0446672319
Connect with Ashley Robinson:
Website: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrobinsongcm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenCardiganMarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/green_cardigan_marketing/
Connect with Roy Sexton:
Website: https://www.clarkhill.com/
LMA: https://legalmarketing.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royesexton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roysexton
Connect with Conrad Saam:
Website: https://mockingbird.marketing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradsaam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConradSaam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mockingbird.Marketing/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alex McLaughlin discuss:
- Legal tech at every law firm size.
- Challenges lawyers are having with and without legal technology.
- The evolution of the legal technology landscape.
- Utilizing tech for a better work-life balance and to better serve clients.
Key Takeaways:
- Find the right technology that works for you, customize it to your firm, and get the proper training so it can work for you and help, not hinder your day-to-day business.
- If you have too many technology systems, it makes it more difficult to bring on new staff without long training times and frustration for both employer and employee.
- Your mind and your focus are the best things you can give to your clients.
- When you break out of a high-focus space, it can take up to 15 minutes to get back into that working space.
"If you don't have a system to store that data, reference it, and make use of it, that's how you get lost in a project - you miss a deadline, you blow a statute. That's where legal tech has stepped in and is helping to pull all of those loose threads together, tie them up, and allow you to have one place to look at your case." — Alex McLaughlin
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Fretzin, Inc.: https://fretzin.com/
Episode References:
- Book: A World Without Email by Cal Newport
- Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen
About Alex McLaughlin: Alex McLaughlin is a Senior Director of Product at Filevine, innovating on the core features that make law firms more efficient and profitable. Alex has worked across a broad domain at Filevine from Document management to permissions and billing tools. He comes from a technical background working as an IT director for a plaintiff and Mass Tort practice and previously has worked on some of the largest cases in the country. He brings a unique blend of product management, technical knowledge, and industry expertise that allows Filevine to build for the future of legal tech.
Connect with Alex McLaughlin:
Website: https://www.filevine.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mclaughlin-a6515318/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/filevine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amclaughlin2005
Twitter: https://twitter.com/filevine
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gerald Maatman discuss:
- Investing in yourself for better business development.
- The Darwinism of business development.
- Finding your passion and purpose.
- Utilizing your skillsets appropriately in marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- In business development, sweat equity pays dividends. You want to get ahead of the problem and deliver value to the clients who end up with that problem.
- Do a great job on project number one, and project number two will follow.
- Be able to articulate in a quick sentence who you are and what value proposition you bring.
- Skill and success are valued by clients. Use the success you’ve had and market that to other purchasers of legal services, not by bragging, but by example.
"The very most important thing that I would share with a younger lawyer is you need to flip the switch on your mindset. To be a good business developer, you need to be resilient. You need to be optimistic." — Gerald Maatman
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science by Steve Fretzin
Connect with Gerald Maatman:
Website: https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/geraldmaatman.html
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldmaatman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/g_maatman
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eric Gros-Dubois discuss:
- Eric’s motivations for starting his law firm (and what held him back from taking the first step).
- Surround yourself with those who are better than you.
- Working to the highest and best use of your time.
- Creatively hiring to suit your law firm’s needs.
Key Takeaways:
- You can delegate a task, but you cannot delegate the responsibility. As a manager or a leader, you cannot pass the blame if something goes wrong.
- Believe you are successful, and act like it, even if you aren’t there yet. You will be putting yourself in a position to be successful, not a position of failure.
- Effective marketing and networking is more financially beneficial to your law firm than if you were billing hours. You can hire and delegate the work to another associate, but nobody knows your firm better than you.
"It is very important to me that I track every single referral I receive because the people who are sending me those referrals, those are the people I need to give love to." — Eric Gros-Dubois
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Book: How to Build Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034
About Eric Gros-Dubois: Medium-sized law firm founder and owner in Miami, Florida, focusing on business law, and mentoring young attorneys.
Connect with Eric Gros-Dubois:
Website: https://www.epgdlaw.com/
Email: eric@epgdlaw.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@epgdbusinesslaw6643
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericgrosdubois/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epgd-attorneys-at-law-p-a-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EPGDLaw/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epgdbusinesslaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Margaret Enloe discuss:
- Narrowing down what you want to pursue and what drives you.
- Thinking about change and better habits.
- Stepping out of the weeds of everyday work to look at the bigger picture of your business.
- Getting a mentor and/or coach to grow in life and business.
Key Takeaways:
- Better habits start with becoming more self-aware. As you build better habits, your confidence will grow and, as a lawyer, you need to be able to project that confidence to your clients.
- Time management is a habit that can be learned and can help you to better meet the bigger goals in your business and life.
- Ask for feedback, both good and bad, from those you trust to be honest with you and with the clients that you’ve been working with for a long time.
- Most people get a lot out of helping and lifting others. They are more likely to say yes and give advice when asked than you think.
"Better habits start with becoming more self-aware. What is it that I'm doing? Is that either something I should continue or strengthen? What am I doing that is getting in the way and holding me back?" — Margaret Enloe
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Get Visible: https://www.getvisible.com/
Episode References:
- Be That Lawyer Episode 285 with Steve Seckler: https://www.fretzin.com/podcast/episodes/steve-seckler-coaching-superstar-lawyers/
- Book: Insight by Tasha Eurich: https://www.amazon.com/Insight-Tasha-Eurich-audiobook/dp/B06XDD9NB6
About Margaret Enloe: Margaret Enloe is a professional certified coach and speaker who works with attorneys and non-legal professionals to increase job satisfaction and resilience, enhance leadership presence, improve business development and communication skills, realize career goals, and facilitate transitions. Margaret brings an extensive career in law with over thirty years working both as an in-house and firm attorney. Margaret has held leadership roles including as a Partner and Associate General Counsel at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she represented the firm on a wide variety of legal matters for over 25 years. Prior to joining PwC, Margaret was a litigation associate at Skadden Arps and had a federal judicial clerkship in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Margaret received her master coaching certification from the Hudson Institute and is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. Her many years as a partner in a Big Four accounting firm, as a lawyer, a mother, and a cancer survivor help inform the work she does with clients, which they find tremendously valuable. Margaret has three grown children and resides in Manhattan with her husband.
Connect with Margaret Enloe:
Website: https://www.margaretenloe.com/
Email: me@margaretenloe.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretenloe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmenloe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaret.m.enloe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MargaretEnloe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretenloecoach/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Melissa Griffiths discuss:
- The connection between the brain and body.
- The anxieties that we experience today (and why, biologically, they show up in the way they do).
- Why lawyers are more prone to stress and anxiety than other professions.
- How HeartMath can assist in dealing with unwanted emotions.
- The single most effective technique people can use when feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Key Takeaways:
- It is scientifically proven that the brain and mind can impact the physical body.
- Your body doesn’t know the difference between being chased by a tiger or an upcoming deadline. It is up to us to bring ourselves back into balance rather than live in a state of constant stress.
- Stress is any change in your environment that requires your body to react and change. Not all stress is bad, but it does need to be balanced and not take over our everyday existence.
- The body knows how to communicate. Unless there has been an accident, there is usually something emotional behind the pain in your body.
"We can control how we respond to stress, which is really important because it means we don't have to be victims to our own emotions and thoughts." — Melissa Griffiths
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The MindBody Prescription by John E. Sarno, M.D.: https://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pain/dp/0446675156
- Book: The Go-GIver by Bob Burg: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Giver-Expanded-Little-Powerful-Business/dp/1591848288
- Book: The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.: https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Belief-10th-Anniversary-Consciousness/dp/140195247X
About Melissa Griffiths: For over 25 years Melissa lived by the hormones of stress. As a high-performing business development executive, Melissa spent every workday (and most weekends) focused on generating revenue. She worked exclusively in professional service firms where she ran national sales teams, worked with Fortune 50 companies, and closed multi-million dollar deals.
In 2016 Melissa was forced to slow down when she suffered a freak accident that left her with adrenal fatigue, migraines, and depression. It took her 2 years to heal, during which time she went through a myriad of emotions from frustration and anxiety, to stress and overwhelm. In healing herself, she came to realize that her true value was synthesizing everything she had learned to teach others how their thoughts, feelings, and emotions can affect their physical body and overall health.
From working with both lawyers and accountants, she saw how the stress of these professions impacted people, who then took that discomfort back to their home lives. It became harder to work in an environment that fed the stress, rather than helping it.
Melissa founded Ascension to share the tools and techniques that worked for her. Melissa is a Certified HeartMath Practitioner, a Certified Emotional Resolution Practitioner, and a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, and is in the process of completing certification as a Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional.
Connect with Melissa Griffiths:
Website: https://active-ascension.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagriffiths/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Belle Walker discuss:
- What process mapping is and how it varies from standard operating procedures.
- Including client touch points in your process map (not just in the standard operating procedure).
- The value process mapping has for a law firm.
- Getting started on process mapping for your legal business.
Key Takeaways:
- When starting a process map, have a start point, an end point, and a name for the process map.
- If a process has concrete steps, that is just a list. If there are decisions that need to be made, a process map could be engaged to serve your goals.
- Become familiar with visual language - shapes that have meaning.
- There are many software products that can assist you with process mapping for your firm for little to no additional cost to your firm.
"Process maps have value when you have decision points, options, and loops - conditions that need to be met." — Belle Walker
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205
About Belle Walker: Belle Walker takes organizations from Friction to Function, recapturing lost efficiency and engagement by aligning ways of working with strategic goals. Her clients span tech, professional services, nonprofits, and more. Prior to consulting, Belle built several successful teams for HERE Technology, including one responsible for the quality of maps for autonomous vehicles, and received two patents. Belle began her career at Google, building a nationwide aerial photography operation. She has also built Product Management and Customer Service organizations. Belle has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Harvard and a Systems Engineering master’s from USC where her research studied organizations as systems.
Connect with Belle Walker:
Website: https://belleviewconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellekwalker/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/belleview-consulting/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Akeisha Johnson discuss:
- Releasing the people and things that need to be released in your life.
- Knowing when to charge for the amateur hobby that is getting in the way of your career.
- Why you should have a coach (and how to identify the right coach for you).
- Setting performance metrics and evaluating them regularly.
Key Takeaways:
- Cancel culture does not work, but you can give people a safe space to facilitate change with the real problems in the world.
- A life coach is different from a sales coach. All coaches are different and have specialties.
- Coaching is for everyone. It is not just for people who have more means or a bigger title or any other. Don’t eliminate opportunities for yourself based on incorrect perceptions.
- The more accountability you have, the more likely you will be to follow through - coaching is a great way to hold yourself accountable.
"Those metrics that you're talking about is the difference between you actually steering the wheel and the wind blowing your boat." — Akeisha Johnson
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
- Video: Atomic Habits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
- Book: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361
About Akeisha Johnson: Akeisha Johnson of An Inspired Story aims to transform workplace relationships by empowering business leaders to become the kind of boss other people WANT to work for. Her SafeSTTAR™ (Safe Space to Talk About Race) Programs provide facilitated meetings/ workshops for professionals to practice confronting and addressing DEI-related issues for the creation of impactful workplace initiatives and programs.
Akeisha is a group coach/guide at Chief.com developing executive women in designing and scaling their careers. She is a featured speaker, a corporate trainer, and a program designer who creates interactive and innovatively engaging events with and for her clients.
Connect with Akeisha Johnson:
Website: https://aninspiredstory.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akeisha-johnson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ais-coaching/about/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/an_inspired_story/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lewis Landerholm discuss:
- Adapting to the changing law industry.
- Having the money conversations and asking for the business.
- Questioning and qualifying potential clients.
- Creating an org chart for a visual of where you are going (then fire yourself from as many positions as possible).
Key Takeaways:
- The fear of the unknown often hinders moving forward with a necessary hire.
- Every time you answer “I’ll do it” will keep you as a true solo. If you wish to scale and grow you must delegate and let go of certain tasks.
- Assign a monetary figure to everything you do. If it is under your pay grade, delegate it out. Assign a responsibility title to each to do and see what role you need to hire for first.
- Learn to ask for help. You do not and cannot know everything. You need other people to grow.
"The piece that really helped me the most at the beginning, was just understanding that I had to fill in the gaps of figuring out what I didn't know. Because I knew there was a lot that I didn't know. So it was the not letting my ego or other things get in the way of seeking out that information from other people, and looking for it in mentors and coaches." — Lewis Landerholm
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Be That Lawyer Episode 263 with Marco Brown: https://www.fretzin.com/podcast/episodes/marco-brown-growing-your-firm-without-spending-a-dime/
- Book: Fans First by Jesse Cole - https://www.amazon.com/Fans-First-Change-Unforgettable-Experience/dp/154452921X
About Lewis Landerholm: Lewis Landerholm is the Founding Partner of Pacific Cascade Legal, a law firm that represents family law, bankruptcy, and personal injury clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. Lewis's proclivity for business management and his desire to provide genuine support to families who are navigating difficult seasons and transitions have made him uniquely qualified to identify and deliver on the needs of clients and establish a successful firm that has become a household name throughout Oregon and Washington.
Connect with Lewis Landerholm:
Website: https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com/
Email: lewis@pacificcascadefamilylaw.com
Phone: 503-227-0200
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewislanderholm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacificcascadelegal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PacificCasLegal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PacificCascadeLegal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacificcascadelegal/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Steve Seckler, Stuart Baum, Sharon Ve, and Chuki Obiyo discuss:
- The relationship between business development and marketing.
- Content creation to bridge the gap between marketing and relationships.
- Trusting your instincts and working with the clients you want to work with.
- Supporting and cooperating with your competition for wider spread success.
Key Takeaways:
- Find out who your ideal client is and go to where they are. If your client isn't where you are, they will never see your content.
- Create content that you can repurpose across multiple platforms - it will help you stay top of mind and add value.
- Qualifying clients will help you to ensure it is a harmonious transaction for all involved.
- Ask enough open-ended questions before you try and solve the problem.
- With regards to _______, what are your greatest challenges, frustrations, and concerns you want to address today?
"Consistently complimenting your colleagues. This is a blue-sky opportunity that a number of attorneys have not fully leveraged. Do that consistently, and you will get the benefits and the ROI." — Chuki Obiyo
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Gary Johnson: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Website: https://www.seckler.com/
Email: steve@seckler.com
Podcast: https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Connect with Stuart Baum:
Website: https://www.largerpond.com/
Email: stuart@largerpond.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartbaum/
Connect with Sharon Ve:
Website: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/
Website: https://www.sharonve.com/
Email: sharon@theinspiredattorney.co
Show: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctDNiTtEByHBIH5sPOczZg?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredAttorney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredattorney/
Connect with Chuki Obiyo:
Website: https://www.vedderprice.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chukiobiyo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawchuki
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuki_law
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Steve Seckler, Stuart Baum, Sharon Ve, and Chuki Obiyo discuss:
- Finding your why and narrowing your niche.
- Building good relationships.
- Doing what you like to do to develop business.
- How much time you should spend on your business development.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding why you don’t like to do something can help you to find new avenues of business development and relationship building.
- Challenge yourself in new ways and you will unlock potential you didn’t know that you had.
- Practice more self-compassion. Attorneys are inundated with expectations from others. There needs to be a time commitment to understand what one is passionate about and can commit to.
- Just being the best lawyer does not mean you are automatically the best business developer.
"If you don’t have a reason to grow your own practice, you will not get away from your desk to do the things you need to do." — Stuart Baum
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity-ebook/dp/B00KWG9M2E/
- Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Website: https://www.seckler.com/
Email: steve@seckler.com
Podcast: https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Connect with Stuart Baum:
Website: https://www.largerpond.com/
Email: stuart@largerpond.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartbaum/
Connect with Sharon Ve:
Website: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/
Website: https://www.sharonve.com/
Email: sharon@theinspiredattorney.co
Show: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctDNiTtEByHBIH5sPOczZg?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredAttorney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredattorney/
Connect with Chuki Obiyo:
Website: https://www.vedderprice.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chukiobiyo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawchuki
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuki_law
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Diane Camacho discuss:
- Eliminating the doubt, taking chances, and making mistakes.
- Diane’s experience with starting her consulting firm.
- Setting appropriate expectations.
- What it takes to be a good leader.
Key Takeaways:
- You must understand the realization and understand the cost of AR, unbilled time, and the cost of everything happening in your firm.
- Just because someone seems busy, doesn’t mean they are fully engaged. Understand workflow and what people are actually doing each day.
- Technology can be a great tool, but you need to know what you are looking to get out of it, how the automations can save you time every day, and how it will be utilized by your team.
- Treat people the way they want to be treated.
"A lot of times in the finance piece, lawyers are not looking at reports, they don't know really what the cost of their widget is - their widget is their hour or their flat fee. They understand what is happening, sort of, but they don't understand the true cost." — Diane Camacho
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman - https://www.amazon.com/Working-Emotional-Intelligence-Daniel-Goleman/dp/0553378589
About Diane Camacho: Diane L. Camacho is the founder of DLC Consulting Services, LLC which provides legal management and operations consulting services to small and solo law firms. She is a Certified Legal Manager with over 30 years of legal management experience and a degree in organizational behavior and leadership. Diane teaches in the paralegal program at San Francisco State University and speaks on a variety of legal management topics to attorneys and legal organizations.
Connect with Diane Camacho:
Website: https://dlccs.com/
Email: diane@dlccs.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianelcamacho/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dlc-consulting-services/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dlcconsultingsrvcs
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Molly McGrath discuss:
- Hiring right and hiring legal leaders.
- Changing your interview process to focus less on the resume and more on the human interaction.
- Giving time, attention, and feedback in real-time.
- Investing in personal and professional growth to attract and retain team members.
Key Takeaways:
- You are hiring human beings, not human doings. Employees and team members are wanting purpose and reason in their job.
- When hiring, it should be a hard yes or a hard no. If it is a maybe, you are trying to convince yourself.
- You will know within 30 days if someone is a good fit or not.
- The #1 thing people want is connection and collaboration. Automations are great, but don’t forget about the soft skills and the people aspect of managing your team.
"I really am very passionate about transforming the great employee resignation and quiet quitting into the great employee restoration." — Molly McGrath
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Law Firm Admin Bootcamp: https://hiringandempowering.com/law-firm-leadership-development-program/
- Book: Transitions by William Bridges - https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Making-Sense-Lifes-Changes-ebook/dp/B004ZY23TS
About Molly McGrath: Since the late nineties, Molly has coached, consulted, and directed presidents and founders of national organizations and over 4,000 law firms in; executive-level leadership, continuous improvement, and team empowerment initiatives to infiltrate new markets, leveraging partner ecosystems and producing profitability. Molly has 23 years of specific skillset experience in legal CMO marketing, factional CEO, conversation intelligence coaching, team development & empowerment, intrapreneur talent acquisition, Kaizen leadership, root cause analysis, revenue mapping, and action-based project management.
Connect with Molly McGrath:
Website: https://hiringandempowering.com/
Books: https://hiringandempowering.com/business-development-books/
Show: https://hiringandempowering.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hallmcgrath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HireAndEmpower
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringandempowering/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringandempowering/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molly_mcgrath_co/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Plotkin discuss:
- How AI can assist a law firm and the benefits of automating those things that can be automated.
- Best practices for selecting automation and law firm technologies.
- Common misconceptions about law firm automation.
- Creating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Key Takeaways:
- No matter how much we automate, there will always be something for humans to do. Not everything can be automated, but those things that can be, can help your law firm run more efficiently.
- When you use automation to generate content, you must apply the same level of care and review that you would when reviewing content generated by humans.
- If you haven’t used much automation, start with the tool that gives you the most return for the least amount of setup effort.
- You can automate many things on the business side that don’t have anything to do with the document generation or client tasks. This will still save you time and money.
"I still think it's true that performing legal analysis, in many ways, cannot be automated. If you were to observe, during the course of your day, what all the tasks are you perform as a lawyer and you break them down into smaller units, many of them don't really require the skill of a lawyer. Those can be automated." — Robert Plotkin
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz - https://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Choice-Why-More-Less/dp/0060005696
About Robert Plotkin: Robert Plotkin is a patent attorney who has been specializing in software and AI patents for over 25 years. He also enjoys automating business processes in his law firm and sharing his automation and efficiency tips with other lawyers.
Connect with Robert Plotkin:
Website: https://blueshiftip.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertplotkin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueshift-ip-llc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blueshiftip
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueshiftIP/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Kormanik discuss:
- Creating a career that allowed John to have greater impact and geographic independence.
- Picking a firm and practice area that aligns with your values and lights you up.
- Lies lawyers accept in their profession.
- Setting expectations and boundaries in your career.
Key Takeaways:
- We are all placed on the planet to do incredible things.
- If you are busy, you are lazy because you aren’t making the hard decisions that need to be made for what gets you to stay on your 168-hour week.
- It is hard to improve when you’re on your own. You cannot see where your blindspots are and where improvements can be made.
- You are the bottleneck if you are trying to do everything yourself. You cannot do it all and expect to grow.
"The fact of the matter is, you went to law school to have freedom. And a large part of freedom is getting to decide who you work with." — John Kormanik
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization by Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D.
About John Kormanik: John R. Kormanik is a Certified Professional Coach and Lawyer who coaches lawyers. He’s driven by the belief that the only way for the legal profession to reclaim its soul is to learn how to say “no” to what no longer serves you. John guides lawyers to reclaim their L.I.F.E. (Legacy, Impact, Freedom, and Energy) by rewiring their mindset, reengineering their systems, and redefining their legacy.
Connect with John Kormanik:
Website: https://www.johnrkormanik.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrkormanik/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/johnrkormanikcoaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jkormanik19
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jkormanik/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkormanik
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ross Albers discuss:
- Having the courage to run your own firm.
- The hardest thing about starting and growing your own law firm.
- Why Ross describes his firm as a personal and professional development company that happens to practice law.
- The pros and cons of working at a firm versus being on your own.
- What it takes to run a successful business.
Key Takeaways:
- Having your own book of business can help with the courage to start your own firm.
- While there is natural-born leadership, it is a skill that can be learned if it isn’t a skill that you were born with.
- You should not go completely alone when you start a solo firm. You should have an accountant to keep track of money, and you should have a coach to help keep you accountable.
- Owning a business is being a salesperson. Your law firm is a business and you need to be able to acquire new business, acquire top talent, and do all the other things related to business, not just the practice of law.
"I think people have a misconception between going out on their own and starting a law firm and going out of their own and creating a glorified job for themselves. And that's two very different things." — Ross Albers
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Hunting in a Farmer’s World: Celebrating the Mind of an Entrepreneur by John F. Dini
About Ross Albers: Two weeks before he got married Ross was fired. He came home and told his wife.
She was pissed.
But, Ross told her not to worry. He was going to start his own law firm.
In the past eight years, Ross has grown the business from a solo practice to multiple offices, practice areas, and attorneys throughout Maryland. Along the way, Ross has learned to dream big, take action, and be relentless. His role has changed from practicing attorney to that of a CEO that hires, acquires, and inspires.
Connect with Ross Albers:
Website: https://www.rossalbers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-albers-a7b2b183/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-law-office-of-ross-w--albers-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosswalbers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossAlbersLaw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ken Crutchfield discuss:
- Limitations of traditional market research in uncharted territory.
- How VUCA is affecting the legal industry.
- AI, ChatGPT, and how the future of the world is changing.
- Technologies lawyers should have or should be considering.
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot do market research on a market that doesn’t exist.
- You can use ChatGPT as a starting point, but you need to be extra diligent about reviewing and validating the information that comes out of the technology like this.
- With the increase in AI technology, there will be a change in the user experience and in the current advertising model.
- Utilize the tech you have to do the mundane things that can be automated so you can focus on what you do best.
"There's a term called VUCA, volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity that really pervades everything. That's kind of the backdrop that I look at with all of this. And when you see that, there's pressure on firms, and on individual attorneys to perform, to think, to do differently, to be better in how they operate." — Ken Crutchfield
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
- Above the Law: https://abovethelaw.com/author/kcrutchfield/
About Ken Crutchfield: With more than three decades of experience, Ken Crutchfield leads the Legal Markets Group within Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., providing legal professionals across a wide range of markets with expert content and analysis and leading workflow solutions. Throughout his career, he has successfully led the growth of multiple businesses in varying industries, including tax & accounting and legal.
Connect with Ken Crutchfield:
Website: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/legal-regulatory
Email: ken.crutchfield@wolterskluwer.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-crutchfield-95b79/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolterskluwerlr/
Future Ready Lawyer Survey: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/future-ready-lawyer-2022
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Seckler discuss:
- Steve’s professional journey from law school to coaching.
- Why Steve is well-suited to coaching lawyers, and how to know if a coach is right for you.
- Challenges lawyers face in their own personal development.
- Results that happen when coaches coach and the players play.
- Investing in coaching and changing the way you think about money.
Key Takeaways:
- Hiring a coach can help you to fill in the skill gaps that you might have, and help you to identify where they are if you don’t think you have any.
- Working with a coach can help you to focus your messaging and better articulate what you do that nobody else does.
- Communicating outside of work-related tasks only is key to understanding how the firm works and building your relationship skills.
- Your greatest insights will come when you work one-on-one with someone. There is a level of safety that allows for greater vulnerability.
"Not everybody is coachable, they have to be willing to be coached. And, as you and I know, the best people to coach are actually the superstars." — Steve Seckler
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Larry Richards: https://www.lawyerbrain.com/
- Book: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith
About Steve Seckler: Stephen E. Seckler, Esq. (steve@seckler.com), is the President of Seckler Attorney Coaching. He is an award-winning coach who helps lawyers looking to build more satisfying careers. As Counsel to Counsel, he has coached hundreds of attorneys through career transitions and helped hundreds of lawyers to grow their income and become better leaders. You can listen to his podcast Counsel to Counsel wherever you get your podcasts or follow the link on his website.
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Website: https://www.seckler.com/
Email: steve@seckler.com
Podcast: https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Gordon discuss:
- Why you should write a book (and how it can help your law firm grow).
- Changing your introduction and cementing your place as the expert.
- What it takes to write a book today.
- Using your book to get the right kind of clients.
Key Takeaways:
- You can build your network and get referrals by sharing information. Writing a book allows you to disseminate that information more widely and effectively.
- Be a part of an organization that works to lift one another, not just lift yourself.
- The perceived hardest part of writing a book is actually the easiest part of it - writing it. There is a pattern and a structure that works well to reach audiences. You know your content and you are the expert.
- Your client doesn’t want a textbook, they want a transformation. Show them the transformation and the process. That makes a great lead-generating book.
"There is no way to contain all of your expertise and give it all away in a 100 to 150 page book. That's not the purpose of a book." — Steve Gordon
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Sales-Letter-4Th-Customers-ebook/dp/B004J35JFU/
Connect with Steve Gordon:
Website: https://milliondollarauthor.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsteve/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steve_gordon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevegordononline
Get Steve Gordon’s Latest Book, Jumpstart Your Own, and More Here: https://milliondollarauthor.io/bethatlawyer
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jesse Frye discuss:
- Why Jesse started ScaleLegal.
- Most common gaps in the client experience.
- Utilizing your tech stack appropriately and effectively.
- 3 Tips for improving your client experience.
Key Takeaways:
- Communication is often one of the largest gaps in the client experience. Consistency in communication is key.
- Most tech isn’t customized for lawyers. There are ways to customize (and be properly trained in) your technology for the best use in your firm.
- Map out your client journey. You need to understand your current state before you can plan for what you want in the future of your firm.
- Understand the journey, fill the gaps, and clear the friction points.
"You can remove a lot of the issues that you have with your client’s experience just by being very clear and upfront with their pricing." — Jesse Frye
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - https://www.amazon.com/Dichotomy-Leadership-Balancing-Challenges-Ownership/dp/1250195772
- Law Firm Mentor: https://www.lawfirmmentor.net/
- Steve Seckler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
- David Ackert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidackert/
- Allison Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncwilliams/
About Jesse Frye: Jesse Frye is the CEO and Co-Founder of ScaleLegal. Jesse is a Certified Business Coach & Productivity coach with more than 25 years of experience improving the efficiency of businesses, including hundreds of small law firms. Additionally, Jesse has experience running Client Experience departments for small and medium size businesses, taking poorly performing brands and turning them into successful, thriving businesses. He has an MBA from Norwich Military University and is a United States Coast Guard Veteran.
Connect with Jesse Frye:
Website: https://www.scalelegal.com/
Email: jessejfrye@scalelegal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessejohnathanfrye/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scalelegal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scalelegalusa
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charles Gillis discuss:
- The two things that make lawyers most successful.
- The single biggest trap lawyers face on their path to being an equity partner.
- Challenges on the path to promotion.
- Advice to mid-level attorneys looking to build their business.
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers need to focus on their higher purposes. If they are taking time to do the time-taking activities, the firm is probably losing unnecessary money.
- You need to keep building higher and higher. Look at your career development path and don’t confuse the rewards you get for productivity for validation of career progress.
- Put more and more time into your business development plan each year once you’ve reached your production goals.
- Business development doesn’t get easier the longer you wait. Start small, start now, and be consistent.
"You have to recognize the end goal is to have clients, but you will not secure that day one, you'll plant seeds on day one." — Charles Gillis
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt
About Charles Gillis: Charles Gillis is a seasoned business executive who has over thirty years of law firm administration experience. At Platt Cheema Richmond, Mr. Gillis oversees all strategic and operational matters for the firm, including finances, human resources, and administration. He is the author of The Seven Year Trap: Back Office Observations of the Business of Law & the Path to Partnership.
Charles received an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin, an executive MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas, and a Graduate Finance Certificate from Southern Methodist University. He holds an SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation.
Connect with Charles Gillis:
Website: https://pcrfirm.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Year-Trap-Observations-Partnership/dp/0692195661
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pcrfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stuart TenHoor discuss:
- Engaging in the news and media.
- The intersection of legal and business.
- Marketing yourself in your specialty.
- Leaving space to receive.
Key Takeaways:
- Being known in a space is critical. You want to be the name that comes to mind in your industry when a specific situation comes up for someone else.
- Sales is not manipulation, it’s persuasion. You are helping people to figure out what they want.
- Becoming the go-to person in a subject area does not happen overnight. It takes consistency and effort.
- While you need to get things done and generate great ideas, you also want to leave space for the good things that will come your way as you are building relationships and your business.
"Having a good LinkedIn profile and having a good website profile, those are all important. But you’ve got to put your niches out there." — Stuart TenHoor
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Get Sh*t Done by Jeffrey Gitomer
About Stuart TenHoor: STUART TENHOOR, President of Stuart TenHoor Legal Search, is in his 35th year as a legal search consultant in the Greater Washington, DC area. TenHoor is also a career coach for food and drug lawyers (www.stuarttenhoor.com) and consults with law firms, corporations, and other private employers, and to federal agencies on their lateral hiring goals and helps them find FDA and other types of legal talent. TenHoor’s specialty is working with food and drug lawyers as they seek the best employment fit for their evolving professional goals.
Connect with Stuart TenHoor:
Website: https://www.stuarttenhoor.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TenHoor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tenhoor
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Luis Scott Jr. discuss:
- Leveraging others to help you focus and grow the business.
- Making the sale in a natural way.
- Distinguishing yourself from the pack.
- Delegating without exploiting.
Key Takeaways:
- When you are engaged in too many things, it is hard to be excellent at any of those things.
- Niching down within a niche becomes a unique selling proposition. When it comes to sales, people want to know there is something unique, but they need to know the full value.
- Most people do not know how to delegate, and lawyers are not any different. Becoming the master delegator is the key to growing your business.
- You are in absolute control of your future.
"There's a difference between a unique selling proposition and a value proposition. First of all, understanding what your value proposition is, and then, the second thing, learn how to deliver it with confidence." — Luis Scott Jr.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319
- Email Luis at luis@8figurefirm.com and mention hearing him on Be That Lawyer to get a FREE copy of his book: The King of Growth: How to Dominate Your Market, Increase Predictability, and Unleash the Power of Your Law Firm for Personal and Financial Freedom!!!
About Luis Scott Jr.: Luis Scott is a respected attorney ad consultant. He is the owner of Bader Scott Injury Lawyers and 8-Figure Firm Consulting and specializes in helping legal professionals optimize and grow their practices. He has been recognized by various legal organizations and has 20 years of experience, including as the owner and managing partner of a successful law firm with almost 200 employees.
Connect with Luis Scott Jr.:
Website: https://luisscottjr.com/
Website: https://baderscott.com/
Website: https://www.8figurefirm.com/
Books: https://luisscottjr.com/books/
Show: https://luisscottjr.com/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpUZsAwYm3bff5HVJc3rEQ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-scott-bader-law/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/8figurefirm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8figurefirm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luisscottjr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8figurefirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dorna Moini discuss:
- Automating for affordable options.
- Tapping into larger segments of the legal market.
- Adopting technology in your practice.
- Resources available for lawyers to start utilizing technology for little work and little money.
Key Takeaways:
- There is a cap to how much people will pay for a service, and you are also limited by time. Thinking of other billing models or automated services can help you to break out of the mold with something more lucrative.
- There is a place for the billable hour, but it doesn’t need to apply to all services.
- For cost and convenience, consumers like digital products and services.
- Younger attorneys have a leg up with technology and that is a strength on their resumes.
"I hear this more from people outside of the legal field than the lawyers themselves about ‘jobs can be replaced, why would anyone want to use automation’, but I think at the end of the day, I see this, and a lot of our customers see this, as an opportunity. ." — Dorna Moini
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- ABA TECHSHOW: https://www.techshow.com/
- Zapier: https://zapier.com/
- TextExpander: https://textexpander.com/
- Grammarly: https://app.grammarly.com/
- Lob: https://www.lob.com/
- Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/
- Book: Play Bigger by Al Ramadan: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Bigger-Dreamers-Innovators-Dominate/dp/0062407619
Connect with Dorna Moini:
Website: https://www.gavel.io/
Email: dorna@gavel.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/documentautomation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gavel_io
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Jared Correia, and Gyi Tsakalakis discuss:
- Appreciation marketing, email marketing, and newsletters.
- The incremental approach to social media and content marketing.
- The business of law and treating your firm like a business.
- Being involved in the marketing plan.
Key Takeaways:
- Send a handwritten note. People get stuff all the time, but a handwritten note is personalized and feels more intentional.
- Segment your list. Do as many thank you cards as you can, but don’t ignore everyone else.
- Utilize stats, don’t just list your credentials, in your marketing, content, and bio.
- You need to understand your goals and what needs to be done in marketing to make those goals happen.
"Business development is about process, it's about figuring out what works and takes the least amount of your time and doing it over and over again. And that's no fun. That's so boring. But it's always like losing weight and figuring out how to run a marathon and learning another language - it's doing something incrementally every day. " — Jocelyn Brumbaugh
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Jocelyn Brumbaugh:
Website: https://www.buildenpartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbrumbaugh/
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: https://redcavelegal.com/
Show: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/legal-toolkit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal
Connect with Gyi Tsakalakis:
Website: https://gyitsakalakis.com/
Website: https://www.attorneysync.com/
Website: https://epldigital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gyitsakalakis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Jared Correia, and Gyi Tsakalakis discuss:
- How law firms can show their personal side on social media.
- Focus on who you are serving.
- Marketing locally and internationally for the best return.
- Opportunities and challenges around AI.
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers do really cool things outside of the law - people want to see that side of you. Put some of you in your bio, not just your credentials.
- Optimize content on your site for users who consume it internationally. If you can position yourself as the expert, it is a much less competitive market.
- ChatGPT and other AI are changing the face of searching and content generation.
- Your content is best when you are in the content. It needs to be authentic and sound like you to really soar.
"At the end of the day, there is no shortcut to good content." — Jocelyn Brumbaugh
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Jocelyn Brumbaugh:
Website: https://www.buildenpartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbrumbaugh/
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: https://redcavelegal.com/
Show: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/legal-toolkit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal
Connect with Gyi Tsakalakis:
Website: https://gyitsakalakis.com/
Website: https://www.attorneysync.com/
Website: https://epldigital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gyitsakalakis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tina Solis discuss:
- Things to consider when moving firms.
- Looking at partnership agreements.
- Big picture things to know when making a lateral move.
- What law firm managers can be doing better to retain talent and keep relationships when someone has left.
Key Takeaways:
- You have an obligation to your clients, not just the other attorneys in your firm.
- Timing is essential in preparing for your move. You want to be aware of where you are in the year-end pay cycle. Depending on the timing, it could add to the complexity.
- People are leaving a bad culture for the money, but they don’t leave a good culture or team just for money. Culture is becoming more and more important in the legal industry.
- When you part amicably, referrals can still come back from those attorneys who do leave.
"If we can keep emotions deescalated, departures tend to go more smoothly for both sides." — Tina Solis
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Tina Solis:
Website: https://www.nixonpeabody.com/
Email: tbsolis@nixonpeabody.com
Phone: 312-977-4482
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-solis-39538116/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and JD Gershbein discuss:
- The evolution of LinkedIn and why it is prevalent and important.
- Being findable on LinkedIn.
- How LinkedIn supports the practice of law.
- Building an outcome-directed LinkedIn profile.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to have an identity in the business universe. LinkedIn allows you to stand out and have a clear identity for others.
- Your profile page can be one of your greatest assets in business.
- There are many ways you can get started on LinkedIn that won’t take hours each week but will allow you to get out educational content that is relevant and valuable.
- If your profile is not set up correctly, it will lead to lost opportunities. Attend to it, do a content audit of your page, and make sure that your unique value is articulated.
"LinkedIn has arrived at a point where we are reliant on it. We are dependent on it. Not just for information or to keep a sense of connectedness with people, but to really show who we are to peers, to clients, to colleagues, and to those who would refer or introduce us." — JD Gershbein
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
Book: Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Landmark-Bestseller/dp/1585424331
Connect with JD Gershbein:
Website: https://jdgershbein.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdgershbein/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPoeIXB2HQ5r0hIjI28mV5g
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdgershbein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whoisjd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdgershbein/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Love discuss:
- Earning trust in professional relationships.
- Innovation in the time of COVID (and continuing that innovation in the aftermath).
- When to move and when not to move law firms.
- The importance of building and maintaining relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- There’s more poker theory in legal recruiting than in a game of poker.
- When looking at moving firms, it’s about more than you - it’s also about what is best for your clients.
- You have to have client and business relationships. The practice of law is not an island, it requires those relationships to grow, develop, and continue to bring in money.
- Build relationships, have conversations, and get into the habit of staying in touch.
"When you evaluate a partner's effectiveness, it's based on two things: the book of business and their leadership effectiveness - how well they get along with their clients and their colleagues." — Scott Love
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Business Relationships that Last by Ed Wallace: https://www.amazon.com/Business-Relationships-That-Last-Performing/dp/1608320014
Connect with Scott Love:
Website: https://attorneysearchgroup.com/
Podcast: https://attorneysearchgroup.com/the-rainmaking-podcast
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alison Ver Halen discuss:
- Tools for the readability of your content.
- Benefits of writing as a lawyer.
- How to use (and how NOT to use) ChatGPT.
- Getting people to read your blog.
Key Takeaways:
- Legal writing and marketing writing utilize two different parts of your brain.
- Utilizing ChatGPT (or another AI) to write for your website, articles, or blog can be problematic as it scans other content on the internet and uses that to create its writing.
- Own your content whenever you can. Social media is good for distributing content but write for your own website first, then for other publications.
- Incorporate a story into your writing. You are not the hero, your ideal client is the hero.
"We all know what's interesting to us and what we want to write about. But does your audience really care about that? It all needs to start with who your ideal client is, what they care about, and what are they searching for." — Alison Ver Halen
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/
- Yoast: https://yoast.com/research/real-time-content-analysis/
- Hemingway Editor: https://hemingwayapp.com/
- Book: Practical Content Strategy and Marketing by Julia McCoy: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Content-Strategy-Marketing-Certification-ebook/dp/B077SKLYNT
Connect with Alison Ver Halen:
Website: https://avwritingservices.com/
Email: info@avwritingservices.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-ver-halen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/av-writing-services/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057495307448
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/av_writing_services/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Walt Hampton, David Ackert, and Liz Wendling discuss:
- Client, prospect, and networking follow-ups.
- Beyond the billable hour.
- Crossmarketing and solving the problems your clients are having.
- Specializing versus generalizing.
Key Takeaways:
- People want to do business with people. You don’t need to use specific marketing language when talking to prospects.
- Increasing your rates will not run your clients off. If they see your value, they will continue to pay you with no problems.
- You can’t just say you are the specialist or the expert, you need to prove it and show it from every aspect of your firm from beginning to end.
- Business is a co-creation exercise. Creating an amazing business is about having amazing relationships.
"This is all baby steps, everything in practice growth comes down to baby steps. Spend a few hours talking to somebody about what those baby steps might look like. It will motivate you to take them." — David Ackert
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Walt Hampton:
Website: Summit-Success.com
Email: Walt@Summit-Success.com
FREE eBook: summitsuccess.lpages.co/the-power-principles-of-time-mastery
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/walthampton
Publishing Resource: http://summitpresspublishers.com/steve
Connect with Chuki Obiyo:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chukiobiyo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawchuki?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuki_law/?hl=en
Connect with Liz Wendling:
Website: https://www.therainmakingcoach.com/
Books: https://www.therainmakingcoach.com/lizs-book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizwendling/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizwendling4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightbusinessconsultants
Connect with David Ackert:
Website: https://www.ackertinc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidackert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAckert
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Brocato discuss:
- Pursuing your passions, belief in yourself, and having a determination to succeed.
- Living authentically with balance in your work and passions.
- Conveying confidence.
- The three pillars of relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- If you want to have a great book of business, you need to be a great lawyer first.
- Be who you are and have confidence in your ability and your desire to help your clients.
- You can be nice and be friends without needing to make a networking connection with everyone. Make a friend, but don’t feel obligated to sit with someone for longer than you want.
- Bring your authentic self into relationships. When you are that way, you are also able to set authentic goals - which makes you more likely to achieve it, and more likely to enjoy the process.
"If you come into the relationship confident and upbeat, in a sincere way, because you truly are authentically happy, I think it really helps it helps in your business development efforts." — Joe Brocato
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: happy is cool.: How to Ignite True Happiness in You by J.B. Brocato- https://www.amazon.com/happy-cool-Ignite-True-Happiness/dp/0615906036
- Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034
Connect with Joe Brocato:
Website: https://www.gozdel.com/
Website: https://joebrocato.com/
Email: j.brocato@gozdel.com
Book: https://hititoffthebook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebrocato/
Twitter: @JoeBrocatoOffcial
Pre-Order Joe’s Latest Book Here!
HIT IT OFF: 21 Rules for Mastering the Art and Science of Relationships In Life and Business - https://a.co/d/gmuC1Gt
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Brocato discuss:
- Pursuing your passions, belief in yourself, and having a determination to succeed.
- Living authentically with balance in your work and passions.
- Conveying confidence.
- The three pillars of relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- If you want to have a great book of business, you need to be a great lawyer first.
- Be who you are and have confidence in your ability and your desire to help your clients.
- You can be nice and be friends without needing to make a networking connection with everyone. Make a friend, but don’t feel obligated to sit with someone for longer than you want.
- Bring your authentic self into relationships. When you are that way, you are also able to set authentic goals - which makes you more likely to achieve it, and more likely to enjoy the process.
"If you come into the relationship confident and upbeat, in a sincere way, because you truly are authentically happy, I think it really helps. It helps in your business development efforts." — Joe Brocato
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: happy is cool.: How to Ignite True Happiness in You by J.B. Brocato- https://www.amazon.com/happy-cool-Ignite-True-Happiness/dp/0615906036
- Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034
Connect with Joe Brocato:
Website: https://joebrocato.com/
Website: https://www.gozdel.com/
Email: j.brocato@gozdel.com
Book: https://hititoffthebook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebrocato/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JB_Brocato
Pre-Order Joe’s Latest Book Here!
Hit it Off: 21 Rules for Mastering the Art and Science of Relationships In Life and Business - https://hititoffthebook.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Fitch discuss:
- Taking educated risks.
- How Josh started his own firm directly out of law school.
- Networking as an allyship.
- Having a fit with you, your client, and your employees.
Key Takeaways:
- Having a partner takes away some of the isolation of running a firm alone. It also gives you a time to share in the victories and strengthen each other through the trials.
- Have a contract for your partnership, but also have written agreements as to what is expected from each partner that is measurable and specific.
- We live in a digital age, the power of a face-to-face connection is immeasurable.
- Look at what revenue you are losing by doing tasks that don’t need to be done by you. Get those off your plate. How much are you willing to pay for the comfort of controlling everything?
"The book of business doesn't just come out of nowhere, it did require a massive effort of just kind of creating a presence here in Denver." — Josh Fitch
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday - https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Enemy-Ryan-Holiday/dp/1591847818
Connect with Josh Fitch:
Website: https://www.troxelfitchlaw.com/
Email: josh.fitch@troxelfitchlaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-fitch-2953b5b0/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and RJ Curcio discuss:
- Growing up surrounded by lawyers.
- Being a millennial lawyer.
- Keys to getting a strong book of business in a transactional field of law.
- Adapting the modern workplace to the workforce in your company.
Key Takeaways:
- The way law firms were run in the 1950s was very different from how they are run today. Learn from the other generations, in both directions.
- A lot of personal injury attorneys get their clients via referrals from other attorneys. Network with those in other practice areas and make yourself top of mind with them.
- Networking with other 1-to-1 attorneys can help everyone to build a stronger book and to lift each other in their fields.
- Millennials are hard workers and creative, but they may think differently and work differently than the previous generations. Different generations require different tools to work most effectively.
"It comes down to understanding who your workforce is, who is going to be a big part of that, and how they want to operate. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you can provide those different options to that workforce in order to get the most out of them." — RJ Curcio
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey - https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519
Connect with RJ Curcio:
Website: https://www.curcio-law.com/
Phone: 312-321-1111
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj-curcio-2463648a/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ellen Freedman discuss:
- Learning and growing in all aspects of your law firm.
- Going out on your own as a solo firm.
- The automations and technologies that lawyers should implement in their business.
- The best approach to hiring and the growing trend of going virtual.
Key Takeaways:
- Your best work never happens immediately, especially when trying something new. Keep a good attitude and keep trying at your business development and networking.
- Do your own needs analysis when looking to buy new technology for your firm. Don’t just go with what one friend said because that friend said it.
- Budget the time, when purchasing new software or equipment, to install and train everyone on your staff. This is the best way to adequately use all the resources and features of the software you choose.
- It takes time to do the right hire. Vet your candidates well and hire for all the necessary criteria, not just the most pressing criteria.
"The must-have technology for every lawyer, from the solo on up, is to have either a document management or a good, quality desktop search engine." — Ellen Freedman
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Video: Atomic Habits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
Connect with Ellen Freedman:
Website: https://www.freedmanlpm.com/
Email: ellen@freedmanlpm.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenfreedman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PA_PMA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedmanconsultinginc
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steph Vaughn-Jones discuss:
- Hiring the right people for the right job.
- Being flexible to find success.
- Getting closer to your customer.
- Developing relationships and developing leaders.
Key Takeaways:
- People fear mistakes - that is why they don’t take risks. Mistakes are not a failure, they are a chance to learn and further your success.
- Recognize the potential in the people on your team. If you put them in the right role, they will shine.
- Stay close to your client - ask questions and identify the needs they have (even if they don’t yet realize it).
- The best teachers are those who do it well.
"62% of calls are for urgent matters. Nothing can beat that phone call, and that human interaction." — Steph Vaughn-Jones
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steph Vaughn-Jones:
Website: https://moneypenny.com/us/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanievaughanjones/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moneypenny
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jordan Spear discuss:
- Common pitfalls lawyers make in digital marketing.
- The unique challenges to marketing for your unique way of doing business.
- Creative content creation to stand out in the market.
- What to look for in a marketing agency.
Key Takeaways:
- Marketing can help you to stabilize your inflow pipeline and allows you to bring in clients beyond just the referrals.
- Every law firm sees their business differently, even when they are in the same practice area. You need to know the firm to know how to market appropriately to their audience.
- When working with a marketing firm, they need to understand your firm - if they have a recommendation right out of the gate, they may not be the right one for you.
- You want to be able to trust that the marketing team behind you understands what your goal is and is bringing information to you about the market.
"Marketing is not just about placement in front of everybody. It’s about strategic placement in front of people that want to do business with that type of firm." — Jordan Spear
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson - https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Sweat-Small-Stuff-Its/dp/0786881852
- SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham - https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/0070511136
Connect with Jordan Spear:
Website: https://www.bolddigitalventures.com/
Email: jordan@bolddigitalventures.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-spear-69a059a2/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Bullock discuss:
- Addressing more than just the logistical and legal side of your client's cases.
- Why do lawyers hesitate to delve into social or video.
- Secrets to making great video content.
- Getting tons of content from one video.
Key Takeaways:
- 99.99+% of people will not go on video. YouTube is not the 11 o’clock news, it is people authentically talking to people.
- Have a conversation on camera as if you are speaking to a person, not speaking to an inanimate object.
- Be willing to practice having a conversation, rather than presenting a topic.
- You can’t buy the same type of work that a raving fan given exceptional client service can send your way through referral.
"Video is the place to be. Why? Because people can relate; people watching this right now can relate to the fact that you and I are having a conversation, and we're including them in this conversation, and in doing so it's far more engaging." — Mark Bullock
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
Book: Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard:
https://www.amazon.com/Raving-Fans-Revolutionary-Approach-Customer/dp/0739309536
Connect with Mark Bullock:
Website: https://phoneblogger.net/
Website: https://videosocials.net/
Website: https://videointerviewpodcasts.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvbullock/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mvbullock
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marco Brown discuss:
- Figuring out the business of law for survival.
- Key systems for success at your firm.
- Marketing and sales for lawyers.
- Becoming a student of the sales game.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to want success. Wanting to be a good lawyer is the bottom of the barrel. You need to also want to have monetary success.
- When you make more money, you can help more people.
- Sales is important, not a dirty word. You can’t service those you could help if you don’t have any clients.
- Be you in your sales process. Your clients want to work with you because they think you can help serve them as you are.
"I do it the way I do it because I want to help my family and secure their wealth. I want to help my team and secure their wealth for them and their family, and so we can help can 10s of 1000s of people going through a divorce. That is my duty to people. That's why I do things the way I do." — Marco Brown
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
Book: The Closer’s Survival Guide by Grant Cardone: https://www.amazon.com/Closers-Survival-Guide-Third/dp/B00C7ISUZA
Book: The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Money-Makeover-Classic-Financial/dp/1595555277
Connect with Marco Brown:
Website: https://www.brownfamilylaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcocbrown/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrownLawLLC
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Deb Knupp, Alay Yajnik, and Gary Johnson discuss:
- Strategies to build a network when you’re away from the city.
- LinkedIn and being a thought leader.
- Getting out of the net of the friend zone.
- Making the pitch and getting the sale.
Key Takeaways:
- Staying in touch with people is all about authentic reasons. Even from a distance, invite people, introduce people, be involved, and share your insights.
- Create valuable content that is both educational and inspirational. When you do that, people will trust you more.
- When someone hasn’t responded back to you, it may not be you. It is often that they are busy. Follow up often. It is typically 5-7 touches to get business.
- If you’re going to be giving somebody a proposal, schedule a conversation to go through the proposal. Most people need context and information to go with the number on the price tag.
"Have the mindset that sales is an act of service. It is when you're committed to building authentic relationships, and you can suspend self-interest long enough to solve the problem that should be solved, not just the one you get billed for. Give before get - it will make a huge, huge difference." — Deb Knupp
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Deb Knupp:
Website: https://growthplay.com/
Email: dknupp@growthplay.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-knupp-2694a21/
Connect with Alay Yajnik:
Website: LawFirmSuccessGroup.com
Podcast: http://lawyerbusinessadvantage.com/
Email: Alay@YajnikGroup.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alayyajnik
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Deb Knupp, Alay Yajnik, and Gary Johnson discuss:
- Time management and business development.
- Finding focus when you’re having a hard time focusing.
- Getting in front of the decision-makers.
- Knowing when to hire an associate.
Key Takeaways:
- Get a bigger impact out of everything you do in marketing. All aspects of what you do should be working in tandem to give you more content with less time.
- Make your to-do list the night before and mark your must-do tasks in order of what should be done. The next morning, start at the top and don’t stop until it’s done.
- You must understand who your targets are. Who are the right strategic partners for you? Who is your ideal client? Who are you trying to connect with and why?
- By bringing somebody into your firm, you are increasing your income threshold, not just spending money on them.
"When you're doing your marketing and business development, try and do things that complement each other. They shouldn't be silos - they should all be working cohesively." — Gary Johnson
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280
- Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
- Video: Atomic Habits: How to get 1% Better Every Day by James Clear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
Connect with Deb Knupp:
Website: https://growthplay.com/
Email: dknupp@growthplay.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-knupp-2694a21/
Connect with Alay Yajnik:
Website: LawFirmSuccessGroup.com
Podcast: http://lawyerbusinessadvantage.com/
Email: Alay@YajnikGroup.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alayyajnik
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tracy Coenen discuss:
- How Tracy got into forensic accounting and how it can help in your law field.
- Being a valuable connector.
- Time blocking and being strategic with your networking, referral sources, and other business development.
- The importance of touch points with your clients.
Key Takeaways:
- If you have an extensive network of professionals, it will help you look like a hero to your clients as you can direct them to additional resources that can help solve their problems.
- By making good, solid connections for your clients, you will help to build forever loyalty and rapport, which can lead to additional work from that client or referrals.
- Do you know what your clients are currently looking for? Make a list - do you have people that already fit that criterion?
- You don’t have to treat all your connections equally. Be consistent, do what works for you, and stay top of mind with those most important.
"I like being thought of as a connector, a trusted person, for my clients, for their clients, for my friends and family, and people will call me and say, ‘I have this problem, and I knew that you would know someone who can help me.’" — Tracy Coenen
Episode References:
- ProVisors: https://www.provisors.com/
- Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork-ebook/dp/B0867ZJ151
Connect with Tracy Coenen:
Website: https://fraudcoach.com/
Website: https://www.sequenceinc.com/
Divorce Money Guide: https://www.fraudcoach.com/divorcemoneyguide
Show: https://www.sequenceinc.com/fraudfiles-podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracycoenen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sequenceinc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcemoneyguide/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Strauch discuss:
- Why lawyers are averse to sales.
- The top 3 things to do during the initial intake phone call.
- Building trust, listening with empathy and skillfully getting information.
- Honing your persuasion (and sales) skills that were learned in law school.
Key Takeaways:
- Clients are the lifeblood of your practice. If you can’t bring them in, you don’t have a practice.
- Build relationships with your clients from the very first call.
- If you don’t know what the pain point is, you haven’t ever gotten to the emotional component, and you’re less likely to get the sale.
- During the intake call, be very clear about what the next steps are going to be.
"People make emotional buying decisions and justify it with logic." — Michael Strauch
Episode References:
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357
Connect with Michael Strauch:
Website: https://www.theclosingroom.com/
Email: hello@theclosingroom.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theclosingroom
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-strauch-mps-28403864/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpsthesalesguy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strauchyy/
Get your free resources here: https://theclosingroom.com/podcast
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Colin Levy discuss:
- The intersection of law and technology.
- ChatGPT and the applicable potential of AI.
- Benefits and drawbacks of social media platforms.
- Value-based social media content.
Key Takeaways:
- Each social media platform is unique and offers different benefits and risks than the other platforms. Do your research before you dive into using all of them as that is unnecessary.
- Before you do anything else on LinkedIn, use the About Me section to tell your story.
- Be consistent regardless of which platform you choose to use. Do it with intention, start small, and hold to a regular consistent posting schedule.
- Give more than you take on social media. Be creative and demonstrate your authority, but also your authenticity, in your posts.
"LinkedIn has really been the hero. It's been super empowering and powerful for me to both build my personal professional brand." — Colin Levy
Episode References:
- The Daily Podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily
- Connect the Dots: https://www.ctd.ai/
- Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/
- ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
- AI For Lawyers by Noah Waisberg: https://www.amazon.com/Lawyers-Artificial-Intelligence-Transforming-Profession/dp/1119723841
- On Legal AI by Joshua Walker: https://www.amazon.com/Legal-AI-Joshua-Walker/dp/1949884074
Connect with Colin Levy:
Website: https://www.colinslevy.com/
Website: https://www.malbek.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslevy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Clevy_Law
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clevylaw
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gary Winter discuss:
- How practicing law is like flying an airplane.
- Must have technology to run your firm.
- Evolution of the legal industry.
- Working remotely and building a strong team.
Key Takeaways:
- If you approach your practice of law as a business, it eases the stress of the business side, because that is what it is.
- Managing a team in a remote environment is different than when you’re in the office.
- If you give your employees an opportunity to interact, they will do so, even if they aren’t actively in the same office.
- If you’re utilizing digital practice management, use the whole thing. Don’t be partly on, partly off.
"The practice of law is a business. It does need systems, it does need checklists, it does need organization. You have to approach it that way. It actually takes the stress factor down when you do that." — Gary Winter
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Episode References:
- The Client-Centered Law Firm: How to Succeed in an Experience-Driven World by Jack Newton: https://www.amazon.com/Client-Centered-Law-Firm-Succeed-Experience-Driven/dp/1989603327/
- Slack: https://slack.com/
- Bonusly: https://bonus.ly/
- Sweet Process: https://www.sweetprocess.com/
- Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/
- Case Status: https://www.casestatus.com/
- Clio Legal Trends Report: https://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/
Connect with Gary Winter:
Website: https://lawvex.com/
Email: gary@lawvex.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garylwinter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/garywinterlaw
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Gillman discuss:
- Jennifer’s transition from litigation practice to legal recruiting.
- Why many lawyers are unhappy.
- The importance of a book of business.
- Growing and enjoying your career.
Key Takeaways:
- There are a lot of differences from firm to firm. If you are unhappy in your job, it may not be the job itself, but it could be where you are working, what you are working in, or who you are working with.
- Cross-marketing allows you to bring in business in a different area even when your area of law is slower.
- Having a book of business gives you leverage, both at your current firm, and if you choose to leave.
- If you want to have freedom in your career, you need to have your own clients.
"If you have your own clients and you don’t like where you are, you don’t have to stay." — Jennifer Gillman
Episode References:
- The Go Giver by Bob Burg: https://thegogiver.com/
Connect with Jennifer Gillman:
Website: https://gillmanstrategicgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gillman-law-firm-matchmaker/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Gary Johnson, David Ackert, Steve Seckler, and Sharon Ve discuss:
- Getting more value from your presentations.
- Qualifying perspective clients.
- Building referral sources.
- The hidden power of being an introvert.
Key Takeaways:
- Your ideal client is not going to be the same as someone else, even if your same practice area, because you both have different strengths and focuses.
- Empower your team who are handling intake to ask the right questions with empathy and get back to people in a timely manner.
- Communicate in the way that the people you are talking to want to communicate.
- Mindset is one of the most important aspects of networking.
"Just like technology is constantly evolving, allow yourself to evolve as well. Because when you allow yourself to evolve, and making different tweaks to adjust to serve younger clients, or clients who have different needs, it's not going to be as painful as would be a complete shift from not doing anything to having to learn everything and do everything differently." — Sharon Ve
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with David Ackert:
Website: https://www.ackertinc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidackert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAckert
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Show: https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephenseckler
Connect with Sharon Ve:
Website: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/
Website: https://www.sharonve.com/
Email: sharon@theinspiredattorney.co
Show: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctDNiTtEByHBIH5sPOczZg?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredAttorney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredattorney/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Gary Johnson, David Ackert, Steve Seckler, and Sharon Ve discuss:
- Changes to make in marketing as we go into recession.
- Planning for success in 2023.
- Building a vetted, powerful, networking cohort.
- Marketing versus business development (and why both are important).
Key Takeaways:
- Double down on what you are really good at, what you like to do, and those relationships you already have built.
- Anticipate your client's needs and plan for the opportunities and things they need that you can help with.
- When you’re planning, write down every idea - it doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be down. From there you can prune down the list and get to the heart of what is most important to your business practice.
- Think about who you are having business meetings with. Some people are going to be better for networking than others.
"Look at the activities that you are really good at, and really thrive in. In a recessionary time, we need to double down on the things we are really good at because we’re going to be more effective in our business development when we do those things." — Gary Johnson
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with David Ackert:
Website: https://www.ackertinc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidackert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAckert
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Show: https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephenseckler
Connect with Sharon Ve:
Website: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/
Website: https://www.sharonve.com/
Email: sharon@theinspiredattorney.co
Show: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctDNiTtEByHBIH5sPOczZg?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredAttorney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredattorney/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jonathan Zacks discuss:
- Finding a solution for efficiency.
- Automation for better running your business.
- Apps and programs to make your life easier.
- Focusing to improve communication with your customers and employees.
Key Takeaways:
- Technology is constantly changing. Take advantage of it for solving the problems it can solve, but don’t assume it can solve all of your problems.
- GoReminder is built to help eliminate no-show appointments.
- Set your review request up automatically with a feedback request from your client. You can send them to a review site for good feedback, and directly to your office for bad feedback.
- Make 2023 the year of one thing. You don’t have to do 20 different things to make everything work.
"There are certain problems that people just don't realize that technology and automation specifically can solve." — Jonathan Zacks
Episode References:
Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/
Connect the Dots: https://ctd.ai/
Zapier: https://zapier.com/
Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996
Connect with Jonathan Zacks:
Website: https://www.goreminders.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-zacks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jozacks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnoz/
Get Your FREE Guide on How to Maximize Your Appointment Show Up Rate: https://www.goreminders.com/appointment-show-up-maximizer
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Angela Dunz discuss:
- Diving into LinkedIn now, even if you didn’t get started from the beginning.
- How LinkedIn is different from other social media platforms.
- Client-focused LinkedIn profiles.
- Optimizing your LinkedIn, cleaning up keywords, and being clear about what you do.
Key Takeaways:
- LinkedIn is more than a database, it’s a relationship builder. It is a business development tool, not just for job seekers.
- LinkedIn is the only consciously designed B2B platform on the planet.
- Build your strong personal brand and back it up with a strong professional brand - that is how you become a standout rainmaker.
- LinkedIn searches are word only - get your keyword in there as many times as you can.
"LinkedIn is about your ideal, entry-level client. Make it focused on who you serve, the problem you solve, and the results that you bring, and you’ll have a much better chance of winning on LinkedIn." — Angela Dunz
Episode References:
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361
Connect with Angela Dunz:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeladunz
Website: https://www.angeladunz.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVk1e69o2uq_jIgLR6ZsgsA
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rich Woo discuss:
- Establishing habits to accomplish your goals.
- Creating strong relationships to help those around you.
- The systems of building a relationship-based network.
- Wide versus deep in relationship building.
Key Takeaways:
- There is value in people, relationships, and caring for others. This will help you to become a better relationship person and a better networker.
- Networks, at the core, are relationships. They happen over a long period of time of care and value exchange, not over single cups of coffee.
- Have a way to keep in touch with everyone in your network. It doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, but there should be some type of system in place.
- Powerful networking happens when you get to know the other’s heart and mind, even if you don’t yet know their business.
"I always think about kind of three characteristics that we look for in those specific centers of influences: folks that advocate for you, that have influence, and are connected." — Rich Woo
Episode References:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
- The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X
- Give and Take by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/0143124986
Connect with Rich Woo:
Website: https://catalyst.nm.com/
Email: richard.woo@nm.com
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-of-connections/id1652852523
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@northwesternmutual
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwoo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rich_woo
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Poock discuss:
- Designing and brokering your exit strategy.
- Building your law firm like the business it is.
- How to implement trust transfer.
- Selling the machine that you created.
Key Takeaways:
- At some point, solo lawyers will need to look at their law firm as a business and build it in the way that it will work for them and is something that they might be able to sell in the future.
- In the Senior Attorney Match model, trust is the flux capacitor that will allow you to transfer your firm (where people are coming to you) to another senior attorney whom you also trust.
- Even in a solo firm, you do not need to use your name to name your law firm. There is power in brand names and in creating brand value.
- The winningest meetings happen when there is synergy between the senior attorney, looking to leave, and their younger protege looking to take over.
"Trust transfer is our flux capacitor. We're transferring the trust that our clients that a senior attorneys clients have in that senior attorney. We are transferring that trust to a successor attorney." — Jeremy Poock
Episode References:
Gary Vee: https://garyvaynerchuk.com/
Connect with Jeremy Poock:
Website: https://www.seniorattorneymatch.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypoock/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/srattorneymatch
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Keri Sicard discuss:
- Creating a truly virtual IP firm.
- Pitfalls of the current law firm model.
- Promoting collaboration (even through a commission model).
- Connecting and building culture in a virtual environment.
Key Takeaways:
- The partnership law model was created in the early part of the 1900s. The world has shifted drastically in the last 100 years, but the law industry has not.
- Breaking the traditional law model format allows you to increase the attorneys take home from each of the cases.
- There are ways to connect and be together as a team without being in the same place and in the same office.
- Find your own happiness. That will look different for everyone, so don’t take your cues based on what someone else finds joy and fulfillment in.
"There are more people, like me, that don't care about being partner. They just don't want to have to work their life away. I would go five days in a row without seeing my kids when they were two, four, and six. And I don't ever want anyone to have to ever do that." — Keri Sicard
Episode References:
LawPay: https://www.lawpay.com/
Book: Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life by Gary John Bishop
Connect with Keri Sicard:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-sicard/
Website: https://virtualipllc.com/
Email: kes@virtualipllc.com
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dr. Bill Saleebey discuss:
- Report versus rapport.
- Doing your research before networking with someone.
- Top tips for networking wide and deep (and for improving your elevator pitch).
- Deep diving into what people really do.
Key Takeaways:
- Establishing rapport is one of the key elements of networking. You have to engage in rapport talk to really establish relationships.
- Build the relationship - talk less, listen more, and really connect with those you are meeting with.
- It takes multiple conversations to truly build a relationship and connect.
- Volunteer, get involved, do what you say you’re going to do, and do an outstanding job.
"My definition of networking is building mutually beneficial relationships over time. There's a lot in that - it's mutually beneficial, and it takes time." — Dr. Bill Saleebey
Episode References:
Book: Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships by George Fraser
Connect with Dr. Bill Saleebey:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billsaleebey
Website: https://drbillsaleebey.com/
Book: Networking in the Virtual Age
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/billSaleebey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBillSaleebey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saleebey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bill_saleebey/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Tetlow discuss:
- Why email is so important and so readily used by lawyers.
- Ways to manage your inbox to make it effortless.
- What ARTT stands for and how it can help you manage your inbox.
- Tips for better managing your email.
Key Takeaways:
- Treat your email like a mixed bag of jellybeans. Keep only your favorites (what needs to be done) in your inbox and keep them from being buried.
- You have the choice of what to do with what comes into your inbox - Action, Reference, Tracking, or Trash.
- If you’re overwhelmed and bogged down with thousands of emails, get some help to get it cleared out, utilize your filters or quick steps, and only touch once.
- Some things are better communicated through phone or a meeting than they are through email.
"There are three Touch Once - you should touch the email one time only. Those are your actions, your reference archival, and then it's your delete." — Sarah Tetlow
Episode References:
- ARTT: arttemail.com or organizemyinbox.com
- Be That Lawyer Podcast Episode 52: Sarah Tetlow: Maximizing Your Time and Life
- David Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidallengtd/
- Book: Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Be That Lawyer Podcast Episode 236: Sarah Reiff-Hekking: Time Management to Take Back Your Life and Business
Connect with Sarah Tetlow:
Website: Firm-Focus.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-tetlow-42688b8/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/firm-focus-llc
Facebook: facebook.com/Firm-Focus-2133715496717831/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bill Himmelstein discuss:
- Building relationships in a transactional industry.
- Having focus on who and how you are helping others.
- The 3 Keys to Finding a Good Networking Partner.
- Giving with a purpose to expand the pie.
Key Takeaways:
- Networking is rooted in a philosophy of giving to gain.
- Search for networking partners whose values align with yours. Take the time to qualify those you are networking with.
- “Anyone” is not a good client for anyone. Be specific as to who your target client is.
- Network with those who are trusted advisors to their clients. If there is no relationship, they likely don’t have the ear, trust, or confidence of their clients.
"What givers gain means is finding people that you believe can support you back and give to them." — Bill Himmelstein
Eventbrite Invitation:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-that-lawyer-live-coaches-corner-tickets-473685655547
Episode References:
Book: The Secret of Shelter Island by Alexander Green
Connect with Bill Himmelstein:
Website: https://tagcommercialbroker.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamhimmelstein/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Schwadron discuss:
- Lawyers and advertising in the United States.
- How Mighty is changing the personal injury law world.
- Secrets of personal injury lawyers.
- Separating yourself from other law firms.
Key Takeaways:
- Personal injury lawyers don’t compete on fees or on what they do, they compete on marketing and on who can scream the loudest and stand out.
- In personal injury, lawyers' incentives are misaligned with the incentives of their clients.
- It’s not about a race to the bottom, it’s about creating differentiated value to get more business.
- Be authentic in how you differentiate yourself. It’s not about the market tests, it’s about what you embody in your marketing, your service, and your culture.
"Most industries are crowded, everybody looks very similar. And if there is something unique about you, that superpower actually should be translated into a benefit to the customer.." — Josh Schwadron
Eventbrite Invitation:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-that-lawyer-live-coaches-corner-tickets-473685655547
Episode References:
Book: The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal
Connect with Josh Schwadron:
Website: https://www.mighty.com/
Email: js@mighty.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwadron/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshuaschwadron
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Emily Hirsekorn discuss:
- The relationship between leadership and learning.
- Why and when lawyers need support in their careers.
- 4 of the most common blocks to success.
- The learning that can happen at different stages of your career.
Key Takeaways:
- When you are growing and learning and leading in a way that is most authentic to you, that is where you are going to be happiest and most effective.
- Find what you really want to do and what you want your life to look like, then work backward to find out how to make that work.
- Come up with a narrative where you are the hero of the story. You can be confident in yourself without coming across as arrogant.
- There is so much to learn, and it doesn’t always have to cost money.
"I really encourage people to shift from time management to energy management, think about what keeps your energy up, build those positive habits, and then really focus on both performance and well-being because they impact each other." — Emily Hirsekorn
Episode References:
Book: Energy Leadership by Bruce Schneider
Connect with Emily Hirsekorn:
Website: https://www.hirsekorncoaching.com/
Email: emily@hirsekorncoaching.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhirsekorn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hirsekorn_coaching/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Denny Esford discuss:
- How lawyers can better plan their day and execute that plan.
- Build in “no” answers to your strategy.
- Executing your business plan first thing in the day.
- Content calendars, scheduling your business development, and preparing in advance.
Key Takeaways:
- Without having clients coming in, consistently, running your firm is just an expense. You need to have a plan to have those clients coming in regularly.
- Be willing to walk away from situations where you and the client are not a good fit.
- Plan your day so your day doesn’t have you.
- Lean on the basics - you do not need to be your banker, your accountant, your bookkeeper, your marketer, your receptionist, etc.
"Find out where your energy is in your day because that's when you're going to be most productive, and that's where you schedule the stuff that’s tough to do." — Denny Esford
Episode References:
Book: Eat That Frog! By Brian Tracy
Be That Lawyer Episode 205: Lesley Wallerstein: Confidence, Adaptability, and Embracing Discomfort
Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Connect with Denny Esford:
Website: https://www.windycitytrialgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennyesford/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WindyCtyTrialGp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denlaw1217/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Neagle discuss:
- Why belief is the most important thing to your success.
- Getting around walls that make you seem stuck.
- How lawyers can overcome the struggle of negativity.
- The formula for solving your problems.
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t have a problem, you only create problems. What you see as a problem, just is. You give what is the meaning of problem.
- Be open to learning, be willing to learn, and take the steps to change.
- You do not have to be the smartest person in the room. You were never taught how to build a business, learn from those who do know how.
- We earn what we expect to earn.
"Most people stay stuck in their business because that's where they're comfortable. Even if they're complaining and moaning about it, they understand the problems that they have and they deal with those problems every day. But it's far scarier for them to try to blast ahead." — David Neagle
Episode References:
Book: Working with the Law by Raymond Holliwell
Book: Trust by Iyanla Vanzant
Connect with David Neagle:
Website: https://davidneagle.com/
Show: https://successfulmindpodcast.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidneagle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidneagle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_p_neagle/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stuart Baum discuss:
- Marketing missteps and mistakes that lawyers make in building their firm.
- Making business development fun.
- Leveraging what you are good at and what you like to do.
- Stop being selfish and learn to be a resource.
Key Takeaways:
- The only failure is a failure to learn from your failures.
- There are a lot of ways to do business development. Do it your way and find success doing the things you like.
- If it takes you more than five minutes to find two or three people in a good friend’s network that you can connect to people in your network, then you're overthinking it.
- Enjoy what you are doing, and enjoy helping others. People can see that enjoyment. If it feels like work, people will feel like they are work.
"Think about moving from being a vendor to being a partner. If I care about your business and I'm helping you be successful, you think about me as somebody who's gonna sit by your side and help you grow your business." — Stuart Baum
Episode References:
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/
Connect with Stuart Baum:
Website: https://www.largerpond.com/
Email: stuart@largerpond.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartbaum/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sasha Berson discuss:
- Statistics around lawyers in the United States.
- The relationship between marketing and company performance.
- Setting expectations with your marketing team.
- Why you need to keep up on your advertising and marketing budgets.
Key Takeaways:
- Being a rainmaker is infinitely more profitable than just being a lawyer.
- Most marketing companies do not charge enough money to be able to provide solid, consistent results.
- Always ask for references from your marketing company. If they won’t provide them, walk away.
- If you hire a high-performing marketing team, you should be getting a 4 to 7 times return on that investment.
"The one thing that most solo and small law firm lawyers don't know is that you need to be investing 15 to 25% of future revenue into client acquisition." — Sasha Berson
Episode References:
How to Pick the Best Marketing Company Checklist: https://growlawfirm.com/marketing-company-checklist
How to Get More Clients Report: https://growlawfirm.com/law-firm-report
Connect with Sasha Berson:
Website: https://growlawfirm.com/
Email: sasha@growlawfirm.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrBWJr36by51NtPBZJAreyQ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-law-firm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksanderberson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growlawfirm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_lawfirm/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Michael English, and Courtney English discuss:
- Improving efficiency to improve your life and business.
- Why SOPs are so important to your law firm and business.
- Top challenges lawyers face in automating and scaling.
- Writing out the SOPs for your law firm.
Key Takeaways:
- SOPs (standard operating procedures) are the key to creating a streamlined law firm and will allow you to delegate appropriately the activities that you, as the lawyer, do not need to be doing.
- Create training videos or modules to help train new employees rather than just having them shadow another employee and hoping for the best.
- For law firms with flat fee pricing, SOPs can create efficiencies and allow for automations that will help you to give more dollars to your bottom line.
- Automations save time for everyone, but you need to know what it is that is being done in order to standardize, automate, and delegate.
"SOPs create consistency and responsibilities within a law firm - everybody knows what their job entails at that point, so there's no question as to the responsibilities that lay on everybody's shoulders. " — Michael English
Connect with Michael and Courtney English:
Website: https://www.streamlinemylawfirm.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Neil Schwan discuss:
- Why lawyers don’t keep up with their expenses.
- Top expenses lawyers have that they don’t look at.
- Automation and outsourcing to reduce costs.
- The power of looking to help others first.
Key Takeaways:
- You may not need to wait out a full lease if you are looking to move on. There are options out there, and speaking with a tenant advocate may be able to help.
- Get competitive quotes every few years on your professional insurance. You can always stay with your broker if you like them, but it doesn’t hurt to see where costs can be saved.
- As we are in this inflationary period, it is more important than ever to pay attention to rates, negotiate with your provider or vendor, and lowering the costs that are within your control.
- Network with people that you can help and can also help you.
"It's a really good time to be [negotiating with your provider or vendor before your contract is up], preparing yourself or recession and inflationary periods where you can lower the costs you have within your control because there's some you just can't change." — Neil Schwan
Episode References:
Brad Barkin at Embroker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbarkin/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Neil Schwan:
Website: https://www.schooleymitchell.com/nschwan/
Phone: 630-381-0037
Email: neil.schwan@schooleymitchell.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-schwan/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kathleen McEntee discuss:
- Kathleen’s journey from strategy to full service marketing.
- Branding versus marketing.
- Distinguishing yourself from your competitors.
- Talking about what you do and not assuming people know what you do and what your brand is.
Key Takeaways:
- When you are living in the weeds, you are not looking at the bigger picture and looking at how your customer is seeing you.
- The marketing pushes the branding out to the target audience.
- Even if you do the same thing as your competition, if nobody is talking about it, and it is something that people care about, you can stand out by talking about it.
- Ask recent clients what they thought about your business, how you responded, and if and why they would refer you to others. That will tell you what you need to do to sharpen your brand.
"Whatever you're really best at, and whatever you have a passion for, is what you use to distinguish yourself within whatever your area of specialty." — Kathleen McEntee
Episode References:
ProVisors: https://www.provisors.com/
Strategic Coach: https://www.strategiccoach.com/
Connect with Kathleen McEntee:
Website: https://www.kmcenteeassoc.com/
Email: kmcentee@kmcenteeassoc.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2FbD6Q0IXYGMlLTBCYjKlA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmmcentee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenmcentee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KMcEnteeAssoc
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Reiff-Hekking discuss:
- Understanding and implementing time management.
- Building the dream job to live your dream life.
- Changing behaviors to change your life.
- Creating the time and environment to focus and do the tasks that only you can do.
Key Takeaways:
- The implementation of time management will look different for everyone because we are all wired differently, be careful what you copy.
- Find what works for you to save you time. The one for you is what will be remarkable for you and your life.
- Use your goals as a prioritizing method - it will make a huge difference for your whole day.
- There are more things that you can control than you think.
- Habits don’t come out of thin air, they come out of practice.
"When, exactly, is the appointment you are making with yourself to do business development? What is going to cause it to be immovable?" — Sarah Reiff-Hekking
Episode References:
Steve Seckler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenseckler/
Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
The Happiness Lab Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040
Connect with Sarah Reiff-Hekking:
Website: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/truefocuscoaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrueFocusCoach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrueFocusCoachingFan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahreiffhekking/
Apply for a Strategic Session with Sarah: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/apply/
Check out Sarah’s Free Resources: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/resources/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Karin Conroy discuss:
- Setting your pricing to attract the kind of clients you are wanting to work with.
- Knowing where your strengths are and hiring for your weaknesses.
- Having your own plan for your website that fits with your strategy.
- Understanding your strategy to understand your budget.
Key Takeaways:
- Start in the right way with your pricing and you won’t have to backtrack later and argue for what you are actually worth.
- Don’t waste time and money doing the things that you can delegate to someone else for less of both.
- Your website should match your firm. There is psychology that goes behind what the clients are seeing and what they are thinking about you and your legal practice.
- You can’t set a budget without knowing what success means to you.
"Start with what success means to your firm, and then work backward from that - that's strategy." — Karin Conroy
Connect with Karin Conroy:
Website: https://conroycreativecounsel.com/
Podcast: https://counsel-cast.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinconroy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karinconroy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conroycreativecounsel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conroycreative/
Take Karin’s FREE Quiz here: https://conroycreativecounsel.com/marketing-budget-calculator/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mike Chastaine discuss:
- Understanding your financials and having money set aside for the rollercoaster of owning your firm.
- Having the courage to say no.
- Lessons for young lawyers and those going solo.
- Qualifying your clients and listening to their stories.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re worried about paying your rent, you’re not focused on your clients.
- For you, you need to know what is both profitable and enjoyable for you. Say no to everything else.
- Be willing to invest in mentors - you can’t do it all yourself.
- Invest in your education. Law school gives you the right to practice law but doesn’t teach you how to practice it.
"The basic rule of my firm has always been if it doesn't require a bar card, I don't do it. I'm not running to get paper clips, I'm not answering the phone, I'm not setting the appointments. I'm doing the legal work because I can bill for it." — Mike Chastaine
Connect with Mike Chastaine:
Website: https://michaelchastaine.com/
Email: mchastaine@gmail.com
Book: https://michaelchastaine.com/books/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/noalittle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chastaine-4683104/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Clare Fanner, and Catherine O'Connell discuss:
- Producing content for SEO, social media, and the desired exposure.
- Collaboration not competition with other lawyers.
- Where to invest time and get business from existing clients.
- What to consider before doing business internationally.
Key Takeaways:
- Creating content is less of an issue, but how to show that content trips up a lot of lawyers. As the lawyer, you don’t have to write the entire article, just jot down a few sentences and the rest can be worked out later with other sources.
- Collaboration opens up the way you build your business whereas competition closes off avenues.
- Anything worth doing is going to take some time to do.
- Everyone can do business development that suits them.
"Collaboration is the key to business development in 2022 and beyond." — Catherine O’Connell
Connect with Catherine O’Connell:
Website: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/
Show: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oconnelllawyer
Connect with Clare Fanner:
Website: https://www.lawfirmmarketingclub.com/
Email: clare@findgetgrow.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarefanner/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Clare Fanner, and Catherine O'Connell discuss:
- What is happening with the economy and legal industry in the UK and Japan.
- Why Japanese businesses are looking to invest outside of the country.
- How COVID helped to elevate business development and marketing for law firms.
- The way in which LinkedIn has changed marketing and business development.
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers in the UK, like in the US, do not want to be back in the office full-time with traditional working patterns.
- Digital advertising is on the rise in Japan, though it is currently behind the rest of the world.
- Be where your clients are and advertise there.
- Social media has allowed lawyers to be more personable and authentic in a way that they’ve not been able to do before while still being able to show up and show their expertise.
"There is a new breed of lawyer and leader that is not afraid to be different and so they are challenging the norm." — Clare Fanner
Connect with Catherine O’Connell:
Website: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/
Show: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oconnelllawyer
Connect with Clare Fanner:
Website: https://www.lawfirmmarketingclub.com/
Email: clare@findgetgrow.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarefanner/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brandy Derrick discuss:
- Why lawyers are not great with money, billing, and books.
- How lawyers can reduce AR and overhead costs.
- Understanding your numbers and making more money.
- Delegating and outsourcing your bookkeeping.
Key Takeaways:
- You are not taught how to do bookkeeping in law school or typically at the law firm level.
- Collect a retainer up front and stay on top of the monthly billing.
- Consistently and timely send out your invoices. This shows that getting paid is important to you.
- Likely, you do not need to be spending thousands of dollars in rent for your office every month. There are more options than ever for working remotely or in a co-share space.
"Pay attention to your marketing. Understand which are the most profitable, and how you are getting those clients." — Brandy Derrick
Connect with Brandy Derrick:
Website: https://legaleasebookkeeping.com/
Email: brandy@legaleasebookkeeping.com
Phone: 469-751-2150
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandyderrick/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Blaine Oelkers discuss:
- The power of Selfluence.
- Build your firm with what matters most to you in mind.
- The 30-minute hour and how time compression works.
- Single-tasking, multitasking, and batch-tasking.
Key Takeaways:
- The easiest thing to control is you.
- The use of your time and the habits you create will determine where you end up in life.
- What you decide to focus on creates your reality.
- Goals are there to motivate you, not to be a deadline of disappointment.
"The day before vacation, people are three to 10 times more productive and it boils down to three things: PDF. PDF stands for plan, delegate, focus." — Blaine Oelkers
Connect with Blaine Oelkers:
Website: http://selfluence.com/
TEDx Talk: http://www.blainetedx.com/
Book: http://www.masteringtgr.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaineoelkers/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Fielding discuss:
- Changing your mindset around networking.
- Michael’s three-part formula for business development.
- The evolution of client problems and anticipating where the market is headed.
- Growing your knowledge base and expanding your ability to solve problems.
Key Takeaways:
- Maintain the relationships that you build in law school as well as in your law firms. You never know when these relationships will be profitable for you and them.
- As attorneys, your job is to discover what the client's problems are. Some are regularly occurring, as well as rare, unique problems that you will need to solve.
- It is important to be able to think of client problems, pivot as necessary, and anticipate the problems that are going to be coming down the pipeline.
- To really do substantive, meaningful work to really help clients, you have to, every day, be putting in some deep, focused, concentrated effort.
"You have to have all three essential elements: relationships, problems, and knowledge. When you get the intersection of all three of those elements, that's when you get legal work." — Michael Fielding
Connect with Michael Fielding:
Website: https://www.huschblackwell.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fielding1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeDFielding
The 3-Part Business Development Formula: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qe7rhehyu5hbbix/2022-9-15%20--%20Fielding%20--%20BD%20Formula.docx?dl=0
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mitch Beinhaker discuss:
- Things lawyers are more challenged by than ever before.
- Using automation to run your life and practice more effectively.
- The changing landscape of employees needed in a law firm.
- Virtual collaboration and running a virtual office.
Key Takeaways:
- You want to run your practice in a way that makes it easy for clients and other attorneys to work with you.
- If nothing else, automate your calendar. You can save hours each week that can be used for other things and you make it easier for those you are meeting with.
- You will not lose business due to automation. If anything, you will gain business from it as it will increase your accessibility and will make it easier to work with you.
- There are ways to communicate and build culture without having your entire workforce in the office every single day.
"The people that are going to be resilient and are going to embrace the use of technology and automation will be better off because they will be able to run more efficient businesses and practices." — Mitch Beinhaker
Connect with Mitch Beinhaker:
Website: https://beinhakerlaw.com/
Email: mitch@beinhakerlaw.com
Show: https://accidentalentrepreneur.podbean.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beinhakerlaw/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accidentalentrepreneur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcbesq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beinhakerlaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beinhakerlaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taepodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beinhakerlaw/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michelle Arentz discuss:
- People’s desire to learn, grow, and improve.
- How to resurrect learning in adults.
- What law firm managers should be thinking about in running their teams.
- Connecting with your employees and team on every level of the organization.
Key Takeaways:
- In everything you do, you are either setting your team up for success or for failure, make sure it is for success.
- Benefits, culture, people, development, and flexibility are the top five drivers for employees, not money.
- We measure what matters, that is what we focus on, and that is what sends our message.
- Open the door to conversations about the pain points at your firm that could be solved if people had additional learning and development.
"Giving people that space to be their authentic self, to really feel like they have a voice, can share ideas, and are heard and feel welcomed and comfortable helps a lot." — Michelle Arentz
Connect with Michelle Arentz:
Website: https://lazaruslearning.com/
Email: advance@lazaruslearning.com
Phone: 708-710-7045
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lazaruslearning/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Davina Frederick discuss:
- Davina’s career path and how she found her niche within the niche.
- Building a team with the right people and scaling your law firm.
- The seven essential systems all lawyers need.
- Alignment, attraction, and having clarity in yourself.
Key Takeaways:
- There are many things that will allow you to make fewer mistakes as you build your law firm, including options that don’t cost thousands of dollars such as reading books and listening to podcasts.
- You can help to create the kind of law firm that you want to see.
- You can have it all, but you cannot do it all on your own.
- If you're not really clear on what you want, then all the frameworks and optimism in the world aren’t going to change that for you.
"The difference between people who are really successful and people who are not successful is being very clear on what it is that they want and being committed to getting it." — Davina Frederick
Connect with Davina Frederick:
Website: https://www.wealthywomanlawyer.com/
Books and Programs: https://www.wealthywomanlawyer.com/products/
Podcast: https://www.wealthywomanlawyer.com/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davinafrederick/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dbfrederick1
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wealthywomanlawyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davinabfrederick/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Lambotte discuss:
- How he entered the cybersecurity industry and built his businesses to help lawyers.
- A multi-layered security system for your law firm's cybersecurity.
- Cyber threats to solo and small law firms.
- Preventing data breaches in your law firm.
Key Takeaways:
- Most major case software doesn’t care if you are on Mac or PC. The use of Mac computers in law firms has continued to grow over the years.
- Cybersecurity is important regardless of if you are using a Mac or PC or how big your law firm is.
- Anyone can fall for a phishing email, no matter how confident you think you are in your ability to spot them.
- The top four areas you should turn on two-factor authentication: email, case management software, file storage solution, and bookkeeping software.
"The single easiest, most accessible thing that I still see people not leveraging is two-factor authentication." — Tom Lambotte
Connect with Tom Lambotte:
Website: https://www.bobaguard.com/
Website: https://www.globalmacit.com/
Email: tom@bobaguard.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlambotte/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LegalMacIT
Get your CyberSecurity Checklist and talk to Tom directly at: https://bobaguard.com/bethatlawyer
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
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Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Beckcom discuss:
- Doing the hard thing, even when that means doing nothing.
- How Brian’s childhood led him to build his own personal injury law firm.
- Overcoming the peer pressure and expectations society (and big law) puts on you as a lawyer.
- Taking action with purpose and passion to get the most out of your talents and strengths.
Key Takeaways:
- The only thing in life that gives true happiness and fulfillment is overcoming obstacles and challenges.
- You should decide what you want your life to look like then design your business to suit your life.
- Set parameters and priorities for yourself and hold to them. It will be easier to make the hard decisions and will help you find your happiness.
- One shortcut to happiness is to help other people.
"If you, as a lawyer, develop the skills to bring in business, you can basically do whatever you want to do." — Brian Beckcom
Connect with Brian Beckcom:
Website: https://www.brianbeckcom.org/
Website: https://www.vbattorneys.com/
Podcast: https://www.brianbeckcom.org/tag/podcast-episodes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VBAttorneys
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbeckcom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianbeckcomlawyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianBeckcom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbattorneys
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Liz Wendling discuss:
- Removing your blinders to move forward in business.
- The biggest mistakes lawyers make in growing their firm.
- Making a difference in the first 30 seconds of an intake call.
- The process to make the client confident and comfortable in you.
Key Takeaways:
- When you do everything well in a conversation, the close will happen naturally (but, yes, you may still have to ask for it).
- There is always selling involved. If you are in business, you need to sell to stay in business.
- Gather information and make the conversation about the prospective client and less about you and your firm.
- You have to set up the close from the beginning. You can’t expect to hit a perfect hole if you don’t set the tee up correctly at the start.
"If you sound like everyone else, then they make a decision based on the lowest retainer. Differentiation begins in the first few moments of consultation by skipping the superficial crap that people still use. There is a better way and it starts with ‘before we get started.’" — Liz Wendling
Connect with Liz Wendling:
Website: https://www.therainmakingcoach.com/
Books: https://www.therainmakingcoach.com/lizs-book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizwendling/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizwendling4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightbusinessconsultants
Find out more about Liz’s Secret Shopper Offer: https://www.therainmakingcoach.com/law-firm-secret-shopping/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Laura Terrell discuss:
- The increased focus on the business of law.
- The need for doing marketing in your law practice.
- Running a law practice is running a business.
- Understanding your client's industry and needs not just their legal needs.
Key Takeaways:
- Staying on top of the issues, more so than through a printed publication, is key to staying on top of what is happening in the industry.
- Have the conversations early in your career about how the law firm is run and what it would take to take the path you want to be on.
- Don’t be afraid of feedback. Without knowing where you stand, you can be blindsided by decisions made by the firm you work for.
- To best serve your client in law practice, you need to understand what their concerns are and how it affects business.
"Get comfortable with asking questions and doing investigations. Communicate with the people that can help you." — Laura Terrell
Connect with Laura Terrell:
Website: https://www.lauraterrell.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralterrell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraterrellcoaching/
Book your FREE consultation with Laura: https://www.lauraterrell.com/consultation
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erica Minchella discuss:
- Finding your way to do business development, regardless of personality type.
- Business development that makes sense for your practice and values.
- Insecurity isn’t a defect - make it your greatest asset.
- Being who you are and making an effort in building your book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- Relationship networking is one of the best ways to do business. Keep top of mind, stay on social media, go to groups, but keep building those relationships.
- You have to have a number of different sources of business development to keep work flowing as markets change.
- If you think there is a group that can benefit your firm or others in your field and it doesn’t exist - start it. Be willing to bring like-minded people together.
- People do not want to hear everything about you. Listen first, don’t talk more than 50%, and pay active attention to the other person.
"Follow-up is really critical. It makes you look like somebody that you want to take to the next step." — Erica Minchella
Connect with Erica Minchella:
Website: http://reallegalsolutions.com/
Phone: 847-677-6772
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaminchella/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
LegalEase Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Harrison Jordan discuss:
- Staying in touch with changing technologies.
- Practicing legal in the metaverse.
- What is important in running your own law firm.
- Tips for making fewer mistakes in growing your business.
Key Takeaways:
- The metaverse can be its own digital universe, or it can be grafted onto the existing universe, your existing reality here on Earth.
- Ask your clients for a review on Google. It will help your analytics and SEO.
- Business development and marketing are not the same things. Both are important to grow and build your practice.
- If you find an area of law interesting, niche into it and dig down, especially if you have the knowledge and understanding of the area of practice.
"If you have a good understanding of a subject and the law behind it, and you see that it's something that is in need, then consider jumping into it." — Harrison Jordan
Connect with Harrison Jordan:
Website: https://harrisonjordanlaw.com/
Website: https://thenftlawyer.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrisonjordan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/harjord
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Callahan discuss:
- Running a business, not just practicing law.
- Starting a PI law firm and the changing industry.
- Preparation without delays in litigation and marketing.
- Outside the box thinking.
- Additional work around existing clients and relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- There is always going to be growing pains, no matter how you do it - you just have to do it.
- Your name has to come to mind. Get your name out there however you can - writing, speaking, press conferences, press releases, etc.
- Lawyers spend a lot of time marketing to get a new client, and not enough time to secure the relationship with an existing client - you really need to communicate often and thoroughly with your existing clients about the status of their matters, because they then will refer you to their friends and colleagues.
- Have referral fee agreements with other attorneys that you trust who practice areas of law that you don’t specialize in.
"You can't hide under a rock. You got to let people know where you are." — Dan Callahan
Connect with Dan Callahan:
Website: https://callahanconsulting.com/
Website: https://www.callahan-law.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callahandaniel/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancallahanconsulting/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancallahanconsulting/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Holly Jean Jackson discuss:
- Not allowing your thoughts to control you.
- Why you want a coach in this world of information overload.
- Sharing your message as an act of love and service.
- Getting your mindset into a positive space to find the calm in your life and mind.
Key Takeaways:
- Imposter syndrome affects all of us - including those who are the most credentialed.
- You can’t have a good sales conversation if all your thinking is negative, especially about yourself and your services.
- Don’t start your sales conversations with talk of money. A good sales conversation is really about building a deeper relationship, especially when you're in the service industry.
- Set an intention - then you have a path forward and a plan to follow that path.
"With social media, the way it is in the world, we all struggle with, what I call, compare and despair. When we compare and despair, nothing positive comes from that." — Holly Jean Jackson
Connect with Holly Jean Jackson:
Website: https://hollyjeanjackson.com/
Book: https://hollyjeanjackson.com/inspiration-contagion/
Podcast: https://hollyjeanjackson.com/inspiration-contagion/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ElvJLGqpJ2ThA9utJCqMg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyjjackson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollyjeanjackson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachhollyjeanjackson/
Shifting self-talk worksheet: https://coachhollyjackson.activehosted.com/f/44
Book a free call: https://hollyjeanjackson.com/services/schedule-appointment/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Carrie Smith Trabue discuss:
- Standing out by being different.
- Carrie’s transition from practicing law to legal recruiting.
- What sales actually is (and it’s not a dirty word).
- Things lawyers need to do to protect themselves in a downturn.
Key Takeaways:
- Building a book of business gives you more freedom in your career, both at your current firm and for wherever your career path takes you.
- You are selling all day long without even realizing it. It’s about relationship building.
- As a lawyer, the biggest job security you can have is to have a book of business. That's the only way to be 100% bulletproof.
- You have to advocate for yourself and develop relationships with other people.
"With emotional hooks, it's about showing your face…participating in things, inviting other inviting partners or people within the firm to lunches or coffees, and it's about being likeable. Taking the time to actually develop those relationships is important for you, and it's actually a great investment in where you work." — Carrie Smith Trabue
Connect with Carrie Smith Trabue:
Website: https://carringtonlegal.com/
Website: https://www.carrington-smith.com/
Email: carrie@carringtonlegal.com
Book: https://www.carrington-smith.com/order
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriesmithtrabue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarringtonLegal
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jack Zinda discuss:
- Maintaining cash flow while building a practice.
- Building a thriving practice in a tough area.
- Planning, coaching, and continuous learning.
- Tips for growing a sustainable practice.
Key Takeaways:
- You do not have to do only one thing to bring in work. Find a couple of options that work for you and make time to do both.
- Take the time to invest in your business skills. There are many out there who have done what you want to do - learn from their roadmap.
- Coaching allows you to learn, not just from the coach, but also from all the experience they’ve had working with other people.
- Know what it is that you want and have a clear, direct plan for getting there.
"A lot of people don't think of business development as a repeatable process. They think of it as luck or making friends, but, it’s actually about being intentional with the actions that will lead to the outcomes that you want." — Jack Zinda
Connect with Jack Zinda:
Website: https://www.zdfirm.com/
Show: https://www.zdfirm.com/the-effective-lawyer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjackzinda/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZindaLawGroup
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZindaLawGroup/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zindalawgroup/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mike Capuzzi discuss:
- Writing a quality book to stand out from the crowd.
- Why you should write a shook.
- Self-publishing versus working with a publisher versus a hybrid approach.
- Getting the buzz of the book out.
Key Takeaways:
- Most people have not written a book. It is a way to differentiate yourself from your competition.
- Writing a shook - a short, helpful book - is a great option as most people don’t have time or attention spans for longer books.
- Self-publishing gives you more control than you would have with a big publisher. However, it does mean you have more responsibility for marketing and promoting your book.
- The key thing is the relationship you have - this may be online, on various social media platforms, or even with local businesses where your potential clients may be.
"When you are a book author of a quality book, it definitely positions you differently. In this day and age, a lot of people put a lot of respect on quality book authors." — Mike Capuzzi
Connect with Mike Capuzzi:
Website: https://bitesizedbooks.com/
Website: https://mikecapuzzi.com/
Podcast: https://authorfactor.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecapuzzihelps/
Get your FREE copies of Mike’s Magic Kit here!: https://mikecapuzzi.com/magic
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mathew Kerbis discuss:
- Time management efficiently and effectively with technology.
- Utilizing a client portal.
- Meeting your clients where they are and going where the market is.
- Offering more affordable, transparent pricing.
Key Takeaways:
- Put it on your calendar. If you can stick to your calendar, building the habits becomes easier.
- You have to get your technology in order for everything to be streamlined and automated if you’re looking at moving to a subscription model.
- There is always an opportunity to layer on a subscription no matter what practice area you are in.
- Everyone is on subscriptions that they want and need and they don’t bat an eye at it.
"A subscription model is finding a way to deliver value on at least a monthly basis. You’ve got to actually provide real value for what you're charging your client on a month-to-month basis." — Mathew Kerbis
Connect with Mathew Kerbis:
Website: https://subscriptionattorney.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewrobertkerbis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MathewKerbis
Law Subscribed Podcast: https://lawsubscribed.com/
Book Reference:
https://www.amazon.com/Subscribed-Subscription-Model-Companys-Future/dp/0525536469
Episode References:
Fidu: https://www.fidulegal.com/
Rally: https://www.rallylegal.com/
Suite Dash: https://suitedash.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Dreyer discuss:
- Moving out of a scarcity mindset.
- Why niching will open up opportunities for you.
- Being perceived as an expert and increasing conversions.
- Finding a niche in your passion.
Key Takeaways:
- Have broader experiences and then find your niche.
- Finding your niche will make your business development even more streamlined and efficient as you will eliminate waste that you never recognized.
- When you niche, you are not a blank canvas and are having to create custom products each time. What you do becomes repeatable.
- Focus on how you are going to be different, how you can stand out, and how you are going to generate business.
"If you're thinking about niching, it doesn't mean you have to say no to other things, it gives you optionality." — Chris Dreyer
Connect with Chris Dreyer:
Website: https://rankings.io/
Website: https://chrisdreyer.co/
Book: https://chrisdreyer.co/books/
Show: https://chrisdreyer.co/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiRS7BCssVkGrxcNsxCCa6Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdreyerco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisdreyerco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdreyerco/?hl=en
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris Engelman discuss:
- Understanding what your client is looking to do and what their challenges are.
- Common mistakes lawyers make with their finances.
- Similarities between wealth management advisors and lawyers.
- Be proactive in building your client relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Take a step back and think. Newspapers are in the business of selling newspapers and what sells is bad news.
- There is risk in both small firms and law firms. The types of risks being made are just different.
- People will spend what they make. Working with a financial planner will allow you to spend that money wisely for your future and what you want out of your life.
- Your wealth advisor should be treating your money the way they treat their own.
"It's knowing how these clients are going to tick. Knowing what their hot buttons are, what they're concerned about, what's going on with their family, what's going on with their health, and being a real human being." — Chris Engelman
Connect with Chris Engelman:
Website: https://www.parksideinv.com/
Email: chris.engelman@parksideinv.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisengelmancfa/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and James Grant discuss:
- Hiring a business coach early in your law firm.
- Missteps along the journey to having a successful law firm.
- Why you need to understand your numbers.
- Time blocking, not multitasking.
Key Takeaways:
- Coaches may be expensive, but if you are getting a 10x return or more on that investment, it is absolutely worth it.
- If you are cheap in your law firm, you will reap what you sow.
- In hiring an attorney, they should be producing profit for the firm within 4-6 weeks.
- You might be a great attorney with a great mind, but if you aren’t running a good business your client will not be getting the best service.
"You may not be the best numbers person, but don't be afraid of the numbers; the more you know, the better decisions you can make based on objective metrics." — James Grant
Connect with James Grant:
Website: https://www.gtakg.com/
Phone: 833-4TheWin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc6YLXt4TEKCgZluDLkzwOQ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-grant-ba0b5328/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgiatrialattorneys
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidentattorneyjg/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@accidentattorneyjg
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Practice Panther: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mickie Kennedy discuss:
- The evolution and power in press releases.
- What to look for when sending out a press release and who to send it to.
- Types of press releases to get noticed.
- Being interesting and an authority in your space.
Key Takeaways:
- Most journalists are open to being reached and are on Twitter, however, they do often rely on the wire as they are often on deadlines and it helps to narrow down the information.
- Something with a good story is worthy of a press release. Stories will get coverage.
- Look for anything unique or newsworthy. The subject is more important than the release itself.
- If you build a relationship with journalists (particularly locally) they are more likely to think of you and quote you on a regular basis.
"Another thing that works really well with attorneys is being contrarian. If you have a contrarian viewpoint on a major issue, you stand the chance that you'll get picked up every time they mention this issue because journalists like to be objective, and they like to cover both sides." — Mickie Kennedy
Connect with Mickie Kennedy:
Website: https://www.ereleases.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/publicity/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ereleases
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ereleases.press.release.distribution
Free Master Class on Building a PR Campaign: https://www.ereleases.com/plan
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Judy Dang discuss:
- Moving past the perils of perfectionism.
- Embracing imperfection and being open to failures.
- Findings from Judy’s upcoming book, Perfect Enough.
- Getting comfortable with precision, not perfection.
Key Takeaways:
- You are successful despite your perfectionism, not because of it.
- Perfectionists tend to be more motivated and engaged at work, however, the disadvantages far outweigh those positives - burnout, anxiety, and depression among them.
- There is a difference between healthy striving and perfectionism.
- Most of the tasks you do can be judged by pass or fail, rather than a specific grade. Not everything needs to be done to absolute perfection.
"Perfectionism is rooted in a fear, failure, and feelings of inadequacy." — Judy Dang
Connect with Judy Dang:
Website: https://avidatwork.com/
Book: https://avidatwork.com/book/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judydang/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD63K-Jy8ZeKOd0pJSZraKQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judydangsf
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael DeLon discuss:
- Looking for fit, not just for business.
- Using books to grow your business.
- Credibility, authority, and thought leadership.
- Discovering your story.
Key Takeaways:
- Having a book makes you an expert on that topic. It gives instant credibility.
- Working with a company like Paperback Expert allows you to speak to write your book, not physically write it yourself.
- In our culture, it is near sacrilegious to throw away books. Giving a physical book is more likely to be kept (or shared further down the line) than something like a business card or ebook.
- Tell the story that only you can tell. People remember stories. People connect through stories.
"It's your story. People are going to choose you; they're going to buy you more than what you can do for them. How or why are they going to choose you? You want people who connect with you." — Michael DeLon
Connect with Michael DeLon:
Website: https://paperbackexpert.com/
Show: https://paperbackexpert.com/interviews/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldelon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelDeLon
Credibility Calculator: https://thecredibilitycalculator.com/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adam Greco discuss:
- Having the data in order to know how to improve.
- Evolution of web (now digital) analytics.
- The analytics you want to track on your website.
- Working with someone best understanding your analytics.
Key Takeaways:
- Digital analytics is not digital advertising, but digital analytics can be used to understand how your digital advertising is working.
- Advertising on LinkedIn is becoming more common as it can be more targeted to specifically who you are trying to reach.
- Analytics and testing can be used to gain more tract and to get more people to take the action you want them to take.
- If you have the right web developer, they can add a couple of lines of code on your website to make it easy to pull the analytic information.
"Every click that people make is a way that they're communicating to you, as a firm, what they're interested in." — Adam Greco
Connect with Adam Greco:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgreco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamgreco
Blog: https://amplitude.com/blog/author/adam-greco
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Janet Falk discuss:
- The power of LinkedIn and how to utilize it to your greatest advantage.
- Tuning in to WIIFM.
- How not to get burned by a marketing or public relations expert.
- The many reasons (beyond attracting new clients) to be in the news and other media.
Key Takeaways:
- Change your LinkedIn headline to be descriptive of your practice utilizing keywords so people can find you in a search.
- Speak to the issue others face, not about yourself.
- PR and marketing are not an expense, they are an investment.
- When a reporter hears from a new source, they will either latch on immediately or file it for later if you reach out with intention and purpose.
"People who are attorneys are used to speaking about themselves. In this kind of environment, you're not speaking about yourself, you should be speaking to the issue that the other person faces." — Janet Falk
Connect with Janet Falk:
Website: https://janetlfalk.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetlfalk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetLFalk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/falkcomms/
Find more Resources, including Janet’s Media Profile Tool on her website here: https://janetlfalk.com/library/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lesley Wallerstein discuss:
- The relationship between creativity and crazy.
- Networking as an introvert.
- Understanding what you have to offer.
- Finding a networking system that works for you and your personality type.
Key Takeaways:
- It isn’t about what others can do, it’s about what you can do better than others.
- It takes confidence to go out on your own as a solo. You have to be willing to talk about yourself and put yourself out there or nobody will know what you do.
- You do have a value to add to the marketplace, but that value means nothing if people don’t know you.
- Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and it will get easier.
"It was do or die. I realized the only way that I could make this work is if I open my mouth and start talking about what I do, because everybody else in the room is doing the same thing. My voice counts just as much as everybody else's." — Lesley Wallerstein
Connect with Lesley Wallerstein:
Website: https://www.wallerstein-ip.com/
Phone: 847-912-3553
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-wallerstein-632750a/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LesleyWallersteinPatents/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sharon Ve discuss:
- The three motivators to change.
- Behavioral change to build a better business.
- Your attitude about your job and the different aspects of it.
- Leveraging your superpowers (and working around your kryptonite).
Key Takeaways:
- If you are unhappy, you have nobody to blame but yourself. You are the only one standing in your way.
- Do the activities that keep things moving in a positive direction. Even if they don’t pan out each time or immediately, it will positively affect you in every aspect as well as positively impact your business.
- Take the time when you are young to understand your strengths, your personality, etc., as it will help you to better understand what you want in your career.
- We are all made differently. We all have different strengths and superpowers. Find what your strengths are and leverage those.
"Believe that you have superpowers; believe that you actually have something to contribute to this world, to the people that you serve, because if you don't believe that, like you're not going to be able to discover it." — Sharon Ve
Connect with Sharon Ve:
Website: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/
Website: https://www.sharonve.com/
Email: sharon@theinspiredattorney.co
Show: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctDNiTtEByHBIH5sPOczZg?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonve/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheInspiredAttorney/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinspiredattorney/
Discover YOUR Superpower: https://www.theinspiredattorney.co/assessment
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Hunter discuss:
- Why lawyers are bad at planning for business development.
- Putting the work in to get ahead as early as you can.
- How the pandemic has affected business development.
- What lawyers can do for their clients and their strategic partners.
Key Takeaways:
- There are a lot of tools out there to help you plan so you run your day, not let your day run you.
- Start understanding client services and business relationships now. It is an important part of building your business.
- The conversations that used to be had over dinner or coffee can still be had over phone or Zoom. The relationships may have changed if you have not kept up on those conversations during the pandemic.
- There are a lot of ways that you can serve your clients and strategic partners. The better you know them (not just their file) the better you can serve those in your network.
"BD (business development) is a skill that anyone can learn if they're willing to put the time and effort into it. But like with any skill, you’ve got to put the time and effort into it to be successful." — Mark Hunter
Connect with Mark Hunter:
Website: https://hicksmorley.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhhunter/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Hanna discuss:
- Why firms are struggling to retain talent.
- Firm and personal branding for lawyers.
- How to start a story (hint, it’s not your name).
- Reflecting on your why.
Key Takeaways:
- Give trust to your employees - they do not need to be (or want to be) micromanaged.
- If you build a personal brand, more revenue-generating opportunities will come your way.
- Everyone who has a very successful personal brand is excellent at storytelling.
- We, as humans, are drowning in information, but what we are craving is wisdom.
- Contacts are good, but relationships pay.
"I'm still finessing my storytelling because the number one thing people buy is a human-to-human relationship. We talk about B2B and B2C. No, it's H2H, it's human to human." — Robert Hanna
Connect with Robert Hanna:
Website: https://www.kcpartners.co.uk/
Show: https://legallyspeakingpodcast.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXvYfYFRtWplqIFtWuRw3AA & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXvYfYFRtWplqIFtWuRw3AA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberthanna/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LegalSpeakPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legallyspeakingpodcast & https://www.facebook.com/kcpartnersltd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legallyspeakingpodcast/ & https://www.instagram.com/kcpartners_/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lindsey Corbin discuss:
- What lawyers struggle with when delegating.
- Why writing processes will change your firm.
- The challenge of letting go.
- The top 5 things lawyers need to delegate.
Key Takeaways:
- If you are a lawyer and are doing work that someone can be doing at a fraction of the cost, you should not be doing those things.
- You need to track a day (or three) to find what is delegatable. There is more than you think.
- We always want to do the things we love, and, especially for control freaks, giving up those things can be hard. But once you trust the process, it works.
- Be smart about your delegation. You do not need to hire a bunch of different people at top prices and break the bank.
"If you track everything that you're doing, you can start to figure out where some of your pain points are. Most of those pain points can likely be solved with technology, or another workflow management system." — Lindsey Corbin
Connect with Lindsey Corbin:
Website: https://delegate.legal/
Email: lindsey@delegate.legal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-corbin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delegate.legal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delegatelegal
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Larry Fretzin discuss:
- Growing up in the slums to running a successful solo law firm.
- How the field of law has evolved over the last few decades.
- Relationships and referrals.
- Knowing when you’re ready to retire.
Key Takeaways:
- If you can’t make a sale, make a friend.
- Getting referrals from other lawyers is a great way to get business. Build those relationships, network, give others work. There is plenty of work to go around.
- Relationships are a two way street. Stay connected, return calls, follow through on what you say you will do.
- Play to your strengths as you build relationships.
"The important thing is to make a lot of friends, work hard on the cases that you have, so that you can have good rapport with the court and be successful in your cases." — Larry Fretzin
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kory Kelly discuss:
- Talent as a capitalist market.
- What culture really means and what talented employees are truly looking for.
- Selling legal services online as the future of the law industry.
- Automation and productization of legal services within the next five years.
Key Takeaways:
- If you want to retain quality talent, you have to create a place that people want to stay.
- Ask what your team needs and give it to them to support them in their job.
- Everybody gets business through relationships. It is not unique to the legal industry.
- The future of legal services is going to be more hyper specific law firms that do one thing extremely well.
"Make your team a product that you obsess over." — Kory Kelly
Connect with Kory Kelly:
Website: https://legalkarma.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korykelly/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Streten discuss:
- The business lifecycle of every business.
- Building relationships with your clients.
- Thinking about what is in it for the other person.
- Multiway wins with cross marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- It is cheaper to get work from existing clients than from new clients.
- Even if it is not your area, you can serve your clients by building networks of trusted professionals to whom you can refer your clients with confidence.
- Cross marketing, especially at a full-service firm, is a way to best serve your clients, your firm, and to best serve your origination.
- Be the person that others can talk about their business to.
"Look for those opportunities, and try out these different approaches. Different approaches will work with different clients; test it out, and you'll find you'll get a good return." — Jeremy Streten
Connect with Jeremy Streten:
Website: https://businesslegallifecycle.com/
Show: https://businesslegallifecycle.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremystreten/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremystreten
Book: https://businesslegallifecycle.com/book/
Go Here for a Special Offer for Be That Lawyer Listeners: https://businesslegallifecycle.com/bethatlawyer/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eric Moch discuss:
- Becoming self-sufficient and creating your own future.
- Leadership as a learned skill.
- Culture is king.
- Serving in leadership to develop a lasting team.
Key Takeaways:
- Just because you have an aptitude and skill for your business does not mean you are going to be qualified to lead and mentor people.
- As the business owner, your employees will not care about your business as much as you do unless you give them a reason to.
- You have to provide good talent a supportive, safe, nurturing environment, because it means more than money.
- Recognize that, unless you have had specific management training, you are going to be bad at it at first. Leadership is a skill that must be learned from square one.
"Being autonomous is its own reward, and it’s worth far more than compensation. You can't be halfway autonomous. If you want to be autonomous, you have got to develop the ability and the interest to develop your own practice." — Eric Moch
Connect with Eric Moch:
Website: https://www.heplerbroom.com/
Email: eric.moch@heplerbroom.com
Phone: 312-205-7712
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-moch-insurance-fraud-lawyer/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Larry Stybel discuss:
- Determining if your career is a success.
- Enjoying what you do while you’re doing it.
- Redefining your title of yourself from within.
- Understanding what comes during Chapter Three.
Key Takeaways:
- Everyone has a different definition of success and has a different level of what they are comfortable with in their own life.
- You need to do what you want to do, not what other people are expecting you to do.
- There are more titles that define you than just your career.
- The best time to be thinking about what you want to do in 15 years is to think about it now.
"The best time for a lawyer to be thinking about their chapter three is when the lawyer is in his or her 50s, and is established in a career and incredibly busy because that gives you the time to position yourself." — Larry Stybel
Connect with Larry Stybel:
Website: https://stybelpeabody.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lstybel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lstybel
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ryan Kimler discuss:
- The numbers side of your law firm practice.
- The KPIs firms should be looking into.
- Why you need to understand your firm’s numbers.
- Utilizing an expert to look at your numbers to set your firm up for success.
Key Takeaways:
- A lot of built in reports in financial software are for compliance, not for understanding what is happening with your firm’s numbers.
- Five of the simple numbers you should be tracking regularly: revenue, cost of goods sold, and operating expenses (marketing, payroll, other overhead).
- Getting a numbers assessment will give you a starting place to understand what your firm needs.
- You didn’t go to law school to understand the numbers of your firm, working with a financial expert can help you to understand where you are at and where you are going.
"The rule of thirds absolutely still holds true today, which is, when you hire an attorney 1/3 of the revenue that are going to generate goes to pay them, 1/3 to overhead, and 1/3 to profit." — Ryan Kimler
Connect with Ryan Kimler:
Website: https://netprofitcfo.com/
Email: ryan@netprofitceo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankfinancialclarityllc/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jaclyn Foster discuss:
- Changes in virtual law firm assistance.
- Understanding where hires need to be made.
- Keep it simple with roll clarity.
- Preventing bottlenecks in your law firm.
Key Takeaways:
- Hiring virtual gives you a broader hiring pool and gives more flexibility to your employees.
- You need to understand where time is being spent before you can understand where you may need to bring in additional help.
- As a lawyer, you should only be doing things the paralegals cannot do.
- Onboarding is a marathon, not a spring. But it is the best place to define and understand what a job roll contains.
"It just keeps reminding us, especially in this world of technology and software and automation and all of these little intricacies that have changed the face of how we work, that people are still the foundational component to making our businesses succeed." — Jaclyn Foster
Connect with Jaclyn Foster:
Website: https://www.del-trust.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-foster-60b457196/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deltrustsolutions
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jason Levin discuss:
- Always be chipping away as you are waiting with hope.
- Self-selecting our next opportunities.
- Developing relationships to develop business.
- Using your memory to your advantage in relationship building.
Key Takeaways:
- Every lawyer has the capacity to do business development, it just isn’t often on their radar as it isn’t something that was taught to them previously.
- Regardless of an attorney’s personality type, they have the ability to build relationships.
- Most people are going to be polite when you reach out, even if it’s been years. Social science says people love connection and nostalgia.
- The best CRM is the one that is used. It doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be organized and used.
"We all have our own Bermuda Keep In Touch Triangles where you are trapped in your own head because you don't know what to do. The emotions around the triangle that are completely normal are guilt, fear, and worry." — Jason Levin
Connect with Jason Levin:
Website: https://readysetlaunch.net/
Email: jason@readysetlaunch.net
Book: https://readysetlaunch.net/relationships-to-infinity/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlevincareercoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasoncareers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readysetlaunchllc/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Barbara Kaplan discuss:
- Relationships as the key to success.
- Why lawyers may struggle with branding.
- Defining your own brand and narrative.
- Understanding how to define your brand and what you do.
Key Takeaways:
- Your why lives at the intersection of what you love, what you're great at, what you want to be known for, what sets you apart, and what your ideal client needs.
- Your brand will be tweaked as you go through your life, but it should always resonate with your clients.
- If you do not choose what you want to be known for, those you work with will define it for you and it may not be what you want.
- You want your clients to be your best referral source. If your brand is clear and clearly defines who you are and what you do, your brand can be your best friend.
"Branding is about the future. It leverages the past, it reflects the present, and it carries you into the future." — Barbara Kaplan
Connect with Barbara Kaplan:
Website: https://www.bskstrategies.com/
Email: barbara@bskstrategies.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarakaplanprofile/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Molly McGrath discuss:
- The greatest employment tools you have as a business owner.
- Attracting players and keeping key employees.
- Reinventing the hiring process to catch the rockstar candidates.
- What lawyers want more than money and perks.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not just about the money. It is about the time, the attention, the resources, the communication, and the feedback with you and your employees.
- People are not job hunting. They are digging into coaching and self-discovery. You have to outsource hiring because you have to sell your firm, yourself, and your company.
- Investing in your people, invest in yourself, invest in your culture, invest in coaching. This will help to attract and retain employees.
- Lawyers want firms that are flexible and progressive in their thinking and business models.
"When you hire someone, it is a relationship and not a transaction. The greatest retention tool, the greatest hiring tool, even if you cannot compete with big firm salaries, if you can communicate and demonstrate that you are invested in the relationship with an employee and you give them consistent time, attention and feedback they'll take your job over anybody else's." — Molly McGrath
Connect with Molly McGrath:
Website: https://hiringandempowering.com/
Books: https://hiringandempowering.com/business-development-books/
Show: https://hiringandempowering.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hallmcgrath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HireAndEmpower
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringandempowering/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringandempowering/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marc Hankin discuss:
- Relationships first, middle, and last.
- Listen first and tune your hearing to hear what others are saying is the problem.
- The little things to pull together the networking connection.
- Remembering social rules as we move back to in person meetings.
Key Takeaways:
- Regular communication with those friends you want to maintain connections with is extremely important. Stay top of mind, think of others, and put the relationship first.
- You have two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion.
- When making a quality referral, think about how it will put more money in the pocket of those you are helping. Give to give.
- Do the preparation necessary before meetings to better serve those you are meeting with. If you do the research first, your meetings will go far better.
"I learned long ago, the Six Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. It is the same thing with a meeting, with the troika, with getting together a client pitch, you have to prepare in advance, you have to come in knowing what you need to know, and then ask the questions." — Marc Hankin
Connect with Marc Hankin:
Website: https://www.hankinpatentlaw.com/
Email: marc@hankinpatentlaw.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehankinprotectwhatsinyourmind/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lindsey Markus discuss:
- Putting yourself out there to build your brand, network, and show yourself as an authority in your space.
- Adding value through connections.
- Why Lindsey created a publication house to publish her book.
- Overcoming challenges of business development as a woman.
Key Takeaways:
- Just say yes. Be willing to meet with people who have powerful connections that you may not have to grow your own network.
- The only thing better than getting a referral, is being able to give one.
- Be willing to make the ask. You never know who will say yes.
- We all need support. If you are passionate about something, support those things that resonate with you at whatever points in your career you are in.
"You need to figure out what works for you, and you need to do something that you're passionate about and care about." — Lindsey Markus
Connect with Lindsey Markus:
Website: https://lindseymarkus.com/ & https://www.chuhak.com/
Email: lmarkus@chuhak.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-markus-a279237/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/estateplanatty
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.p.markus
Book: A Gift For The Future: Conversations About Estate Planning
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09XH19NVD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Amy Gardner discuss:
- Mistakes lawyers make with their time.
- Taking the initiative to learn the things that you did not learn in law school.
- Solutions to getting your time under control.
- Track your time and see if you’re actually spending the time where you want to be.
Key Takeaways:
- Building relationships is not something that can happen when you try and do it faster.
- Take the time on the things that matter.
- Look at your to-do list - What can you eliminate? What can you automate? What can you delegate? What can you trade?
- Be open to new ideas and bring in people with a fresh perspective. You never know where you’re wasting time that you didn’t even realize was being wasted.
"Start viewing Saturday and Sunday as extensions of your week. I'm not saying do more work on Saturday and Sunday; I'm saying go into the weekend with a plan. When you do that you can be much more intentional with how you're spending those two days a week, rather than just using them as the recovery time. And that really helps you build a more full life." — Amy Gardner
Connect with Amy Gardner:
Website: apochromatik.com
Email: Amy@Apochromatik.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/apochromatik
Amy’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amygardner
Twitter: twitter.com/apochromatik
Facebook: facebook.com/apochromatik
Sign up at www.aposignup.com/btl for a FREE 30-minute consultation!
Referenced Episode:
Episode 181 Keith Sbiral: https://fretzin.com/keith-sbiral-delegation-for-success/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Weinrich discuss:
- Justin’s journey of building his own firm in a city where he knew nobody.
- Scheduling your networking without burning out.
- Creativity in your networking connections (not everyone wants more business).
- Niching down to perfect your craft and be known for that among your network.
Key Takeaways:
- Strategically plan who you are going to network with will allow you to make the most out of your networking time.
- Be constantly communicating with your clients. Those who refer others to you want to know that you are taking care of those referrals.
- Get to know people. Your best clients may take years to come, but you’ve built the trust and rapport and will get more referrals from those clients.
- Perfect your craft - that is what you owe your clients, and that is what will sustain you and your family.
"You have to work together to try to figure out how you can help each other. I always tried to give a little bit of something, even if I felt like the other person was helping me a lot more." — Justin Weinrich
Connect with Justin Weinrich:
Website: https://jweinrichlaw.com/
Cell Phone: 636-795-7256
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jweinrichlaw/
Referenced Episode:
Episode 162: Kate Curler: https://fretzin.com/kate-curler-the-power-in-people/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Paul Porvaznik discuss:
- Thinking about business development (even when things are going well).
- Taking action on taking control of your career.
- Meeting with the right people and asking the right questions.
- Start developing your book of business now.
Key Takeaways:
- Having your own clients is one of the best ways to create job security, regardless of where you’re practicing.
- Keep a blog or write articles. It will show your expertise and help you to grow your business.
- Not everyone is going to be a good fit for you. If you have a vast connection of networking partners, you can be a great referral partner for them.
- Business development won’t be natural on day one. It takes practice to continually improve and become more efficient at this craft.
"People who have a book of business have autonomy." — Paul Porvaznik
Connect with Paul Porvaznik:
Website: http://paulporvaznik.com/
Email: porvaznik@bc-lawyers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-porvaznik/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulPorvaznik
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Clare Fanner discuss:
- Making an impression with purpose.
- Similarities and differences in the US and UK legal sectors.
- Changing the focus to the client and aligning it to the business while managing expectations.
- The enabling power of technology (without taking away from lawyer skills).
Key Takeaways:
- Every little part of what we do matters. We can and do make a difference, even if we do not recognize it.
- While networking had to change during the pandemic, we are already seeing a comeback of in person events as things taper off.
- To do your job properly and effectively, you need to take care of the whole client.
- Different generations have different expectations of their lawyers. You must adapt a strategy to adapt to the generations.
"Increasingly, people are recognizing these are not soft skills, they are critical skills. And that is relating to people, having that understanding of how people operate - the human bit." — Clare Fanner
Connect with Clare Fanner:
Website: https://www.lawfirmmarketingclub.com/
Email: clare@findgetgrow.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarefanner/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charlie Uniman discuss:
- The relationship between time and value.
- The evolution of practicing law.
- Adopting good legal tech.
- Utilizing tech to allow you to do the best job possible for your client.
Key Takeaways:
- There are many websites that review legal tech. Check them out and see what can help you to become more productive and more efficient in your firm.
- There are local meetups as well as LinkedIn groups that can help you understand legal tech.
- AI is not going to substitute for judgment and creativity, but it will make your firm more efficient.
- If you know, can learn, and can use the technology, it can exponentially help you to build your brand and your firm.
"Software doesn't get bored; software doesn't get tired. It can work 24/7. And as such, it's going to be a great backstop for the creative work that you're doing, and even some of the grunt work that remains." — Charlie Uniman
Connect with Charlie Uniman:
Website: www.legaltechstartupfocus.com
Email: Charlie@LegalTechStartUpFocus.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-uniman-2316b83/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Amy Mariani discuss:
- Transitioning to mediation from another role.
- Getting efficient with networking.
- Providing value in networking and in connecting.
- Calendering in your business development tasks, not just your law related tasks.
Key Takeaways:
- Even if you have a large network, it takes time to grow and cultivate the relationships needed to grow your book of business.
- Be direct in asking for introductions. It may work, it may not, but there’s nothing to lose.
- Qualify your networking partners. Follow through is important for both you and the person you are trying to refer or introduce.
- Develop your business acumen. If you learn how to build your business (and treat your firm as if it is a business), you will be more successful and be in a better position to grow your own firm.
"You do need to get that networking going, that is going to be the most critical element of your success. You also have to establish that you are a subject matter expert." — Amy Mariani
Connect with Amy Mariani:
Website: https://www.marianimediation.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarianiMediate
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-cashore-mariani/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michele Wucker discuss:
- What the gray rhino is and what it means.
- Why people are hesitant to take risks.
- Risk tolerances, risk adversity, and individual risk relationships.
- Evaluating risks and understanding the risk of not taking a risk.
Key Takeaways:
- We should not assume that because something is ever present and talked about means that it is being handled properly or that you aren’t vulnerable to that issue.
- The more you take risks, the more you develop your risk muscle, and the better you get at it.
- By trying to avoid certain risks, you are creating other ones.
- There are ways that we can increase our own risk taking, such as eating spicy foods, cranking the air conditioner, or turning on upbeat music.
"People make an average, give or take, of 35,000 choices a day. Every one of those choices is a risk, and every risk is a choice. But do we think of them as constant risk taking throughout our day? If we do, we become much more self aware about the risks that we're comfortable with." — Michele Wucker
Connect with Michele Wucker:
Website: https://thegrayrhino.com/ & https://www.wucker.com/
Books: https://www.thegrayrhino.com/the-gray-rhino-book/ & https://www.thegrayrhino.com/you-are-what-you-risk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wucker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wucker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MicheleWucker/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Keith Sbiral discuss:
- Saying yes to the right things, and no to the less important things.
- Why lawyers do and do not delegate.
- Delegation authority and framework.
- The 5 levels of authority.
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t have to delegate everything right away - prioritize what you need to do and delegate the things that are below your pay grade.
- Delegation is also about authority, and passing that authority (in the long run) to somebody else.
- Think about what you can delegate outside of work. It may be worthwhile to hire your own personal assistant depending on where you are at in your career and where you are headed.
- The levels of authority build on one another. This will build expectations and trust as you go along.
"You have to delegate with authority. You can't just say ‘here, go do that.’ You have to let that person know what the parameters are, otherwise, they end up being stuck." — Keith Sbiral
Connect with Keith Sbiral:
Website: apochromatik.com
Email: Keith@Apochromatik.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/apochromatik
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keithrsbiral
Twitter: twitter.com/apochromatik
Facebook: facebook.com/apochromatik
Sign up at www.aposignup.com/btl for a FREE 30-minute consultation!
Prior Episode: https://be-that-lawyer.simplecast.com/episodes/amy-gardner-keith-sbiral-reintegration-and-rebuilding-after-remote-work-oP3_UwTT
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Manny Griffiths discuss:
- The importance of understanding the client experience.
- How Milestones can help you to bridge the gap and provide a better client experience.
- Setting expectations for both the client and the lawyer.
- Relationships and communication.
Key Takeaways:
- If the end result is good, the client could still be happy. But if they are referring you to others, then you know they had a good experience.
- Technology is not a replacement for personal connections with your clients, but it is an aid to those individual touches.
- The best communicators have the best client experience.
- Communicate with your clients in ways that aren’t just emails. Many people don’t check their email regularly, or the emails get misfiled and lost.
"Technology is just aids. You shouldn't ever do away with your personal touch and stop giving updates to clients on a regular basis, but you can replace some of your touches with technology. It keeps transparency, when you're using technology." — Manny Griffiths
Connect with Manny Griffiths:
Website: https://www.getmilestones.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manny-griffiths-b5876884/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getmilestones
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmilestones/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marko Evans discuss:
- Developing remote culture.
- Specialization versus generalization.
- What a good recruiter needs to know.
- Transparency and compensation.
Key Takeaways:
- Law firms should have an internal recruiter to keep the pipeline of great talent coming.
- Recruiting is an ongoing process. Retention times are shorter than ever and you want to make sure to grab good candidates when you can.
- You don’t necessarily have to pay the most to get and retain staff. You have unique skills that could attract employees.
- Mid-size firms are more agile than a larger firm would be.
"If you are somebody that is concerned about where they are in the market, look around - there are opportunities out there for somebody that has a unique skill, but maybe they are leaving some money on the table." — Marko Evans
Connect with Marko Evans:
Website: https://nowhiringu.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalheadhunter/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lori Ann Fox discuss:
- Learning, growing, and moving forward without fear of failure.
- The evolution of the legal practice in the last 15 years.
- How Lawmato works and can be a game changer for you.
- Taking a chance and not waiting until retirement.
Key Takeaways:
- You want to give a client the right service that they really need, not just what may be kind of what they need.
- Alternative billing models have allowed solo and small firms to work as GC or outside GC for companies in ways they weren’t able to before.
- Most consumers want to meet with lawyers virtually. This also makes the lawyer's life easier too. Lawmato can help with that.
- There are resources out there. Take the shot on yourself, and make it happen.
"Just take the shot on yourself. You can learn, grow, and you can do and be whoever you want." — Lori Ann Fox
Connect with Lori Ann Fox:
Website: https://www.lawmato.com/
Email: admin@lawmato.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/loriannfox
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Carl Ficks discuss:
- Giving it your all in all that you do.
- The art and practice of lawyering.
- Everyone has the same 168 Hours in a week.
- Resources available to lawyers to better your life.
Key Takeaways:
- Regardless of what your gift is, if you don’t bring your best effort, you are going to sacrifice it.
- The state bar associations are getting into lawyer well-being. This is a great change and is necessary in this profession.
- Self-care is not selfish. It is great for your mental and physical well-being, but it also allows you to show up more fully and better for the others in your life, professionally and personally.
- You can't do business development effectively if your mind, your body, the way you feel, and the way you're running your time isn't working.
"In order to be in service to others, you first have to be." — Carl Ficks
Connect with Carl Ficks:
Website: https://carlficks.com/
Email: carl@carlficks.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlrficksjr/
Institute For Well-Being in Law: https://lawyerwellbeing.net/
Listen to Carl’s Previous Episode here: https://fretzin.com/carl-ficks-committing-to-the-practice-of-wellness/
Get Carl’s 10 Steps for Getting Back in the Game Here!: https://carlficks.com/free
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Hillard Sterling discuss:
- The four pillars of business development and how they interact with each other.
- Building on your own content with repurposing and leveraging on multiple platforms.
- How KLTR - Know, LIke, Trust, Refer - is aided by the four pillars of business development.
- Being proactive in following up on your business development contacts.
Key Takeaways:
- Give things away in your business development so people know how much they need you to do the rest.
- Build on your own previously created content. Give people information that they can take and use immediately.
- Find the right audience for your speaking - those who will get value from your points and are not going to compete against you, but possibly hire you.
- It is riskier to underpost than overpost. It stays on the radar and keeps you top of mind and present online.
"You could break it down into four different categories of business development work: writing, speaking, posting, and networking." — Hillard Sterling
Connect with Hillard Sterling:
Email: hsterling@clausen.com
Phone: 312-606-7747
Website: https://www.clausen.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillard-sterling-84711b85/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Paul Furiga discuss:
- Sharing your Story with the decision makers.
- Understanding your Story, not just your story.
- Where to start in understanding what your Story is about.
- How your Story affects your marketing and business development.
Key Takeaways:
- The most important marketing asset an attorney owns, a law firm owns, is their story - the one thing that really sets them apart.
- Partner with those who can reliably and accurately share your unique story to help you drive your business.
- Your deep expertise is important, but it needs to be married with your Story.
- The new technologies being used and sharing your story will allow you to recruit outside of areas you had previously considered.
"The big s Story is just that, because it answers four fundamental questions that stand the test of time. Those questions are: why would somebody buy from you ? Work for you? Invest in you? Partner with you in the legal field?" — Paul Furiga
Connect with Paul Furiga:
Website: https://www.wordwritepr.com/
Book: https://www.wordwritepr.com/capital-s-story
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulfuriga/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulfuriga
Reference: Simon Sinek TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marsha Redmon discuss:
- Using presence and thought leadership to build your practice.
- The worst mistakes people are making when communicating digitally.
- Diminishing attention spans and strengthening your messaging.
- The breadth and depth of thought leadership.
Key Takeaways:
- If you are on camera, you have authority as you are speaking if you speak with presence and authority.
- Look at the camera when you are on a Zoom meeting. It makes the other party feel like you are speaking directly to them and connecting with them.
- Make your point, then get to the details.
- You are not leaving money on the table if you niche down. It makes you specific enough that people understand what it is that you do.
"People want useful, targeted, practical information from people that are qualified to give it to them. That's what thought leadership is." — Marsha Redmon
Connect with Marsha Redmon:
Website: https://www.marsha.com/
Thought Leadership Map: https://thoughtleadershipmap.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsharedmon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marsharedmon
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jessica Stern discuss:
- Niche down to stand out in the sea of lawyers.
- Honing in on when you are your best self at work.
- Rate your clients and the type of work that is coming in to understand where you should be focusing your work.
- Tapping into your magic statement and understanding what keeps you going every day.
Key Takeaways:
- If you niche down to what you are passionate about, others will see that and you will stand out.
- Find your differentiator - there are many ways that you can stand out and stay doing what you love.
- You will bring in more by doing what you love than by accepting everything that comes in.
- Spend time thinking about the client experience to better support your clients and your team.
"What's your magic statement? How do you explain who you are and what you do?" — Jessica Stern
Connect with Jessica Stern:
Website: https://sternlawfirm.us/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstern/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sternlawllc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STERNLawLLC/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sternlawllc/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stacey Brown Randall discuss:
- Generating referrals without asking, without manipulation, without compensation, without networking to know a ton of people, and without just waiting and hoping that they'll happen.
- Showing up and being seen as the expert.
- The power behind words and using them for good.
- Looking at the data of where your referrals came from (not just where you think they may have come from).
Key Takeaways:
- There are a lot of strategies you can learn when it comes to referrals. You have to figure out what works best for you, for your firm, for your brand, and how you want to show up.
- A referral source is any human that refers you, whether or not they are clients.
- Maintaining relationships (of all kinds) are the key to referrals. There is a framework to those relationships that will strengthen those relationships and referrals.
- Thank by name - write a thank you note every time you are referred for specifically who was referred to you (even if they don’t become a client).
"If you can actually just pay attention to the psychology and reverse engineer or look a little differently to how referrals actually come to be, we don't have as much control over them as we think. But there are things we do control." — Stacey Brown Randall
Connect with Stacey Brown Randall:
Website: https://www.staceybrownrandall.com/
Show: https://www.staceybrownrandall.com/podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMvKdDUM_am9RXz--6qua3Q/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceybrandall/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/staceybrandall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StaceyBrownRandall/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Generating-Business-Referrals-Without-Asking/dp/1683509269
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Aaron Baer discuss:
- Being intentional with your legal business development.
- The mindset behind business development.
- Preparing for the future of legal.
- Tips for your best business development practices.
Key Takeaways:
- Start stupid small when you are building habits, including for your business development, and they will become part of your daily routine.
- The first sell you make is to yourself - you have to believe in yourself and your firm.
- The younger generations want to buy legal services the same way they buy everything else - client services are going to be the key.
- Niche down. If you try to be everything to everybody, you will be nothing to nobody.
"You can either wait until everyone else is doing it, or you can do it first and have this enormous unfair advantage. And if you want to help clients, if you care about clients, just try to learn stuff that's going to help them and don't listen to the people that are going to tell you that's all nonsense." — Aaron Baer
Connect with Aaron Baer:
Website: https://buildyourbook.org/ & https://www.4lacademy.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronbaer2/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/build-your-book/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/4lacademy
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Freeman discuss:
- The evolution of the legal industry between the great recession and the great resignation.
- Building beyond the billable hour.
- The future of law firm cultures.
- The value and portability of having your own book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- Lawyers and associates now have more choices than they ever have and they are being more particular about what they are willing to accept.
- DEI is late coming to law firms and law firm culture, but we are starting to see a shift. The thriving firms are the ones that are embracing DEI.
- The practice of law is changing for the better as more diversity joins in the industry. Minorities and women are going to law school more than ever and bringing a different perspective.
- Law schools don’t teach you to think like a lawyer, they teach you to think like a law professor.
"The billable hour model is broken. It doesn't incentivize those types of mentoring relationships, or those types of collegial training experiences." — Tom Freeman
Connect with Tom Freeman:
Website: http://www.thomasfreeman.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfreeman/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sam Mollaei discuss:
- How the legal space has radically changed in the last few years.
- Why following up is key to bringing in new business.
- Refining your automations.
- The automation tools all lawyers should be using.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to understand automation before you can most effectively use it in your firm.
- The automations that work best for you may not be for someone else. But utilizing automations can save your team thousands of hours and thousands of dollars.
- When bringing in business, focus on where your clients are most coming from. In order to do that, you need to know where your leads are coming from.
- Your automations don’t have to be complicated or expensive, but they can make a massive difference. If nothing else, use Google Sheets.
"The other benefit of automation is it saves your team time. And if you're paying for your team, and on whatever an hourly basis, every minute that you save them is money earned by you." — Sam Mollaei
Connect with Sam Mollaei:
Website: https://legalfunnel.com/ & https://mollaeilaw.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/legalfunnel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammollaei/
Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/legalfunnel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalfunnel
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ashley Robinson discuss:
- Authentic marketing and becoming the expert in your niche.
- How video can play a role in law marketing.
- Videos as a long term investment, not as a quick, results-now marketing tool.
- Creating regular content and reusing it in other ways.
Key Takeaways:
- Video is still a newer technology in the legal field. It can help lawyers gain trust and show expertise and credibility with their clients and potential clients.
- A high-end video effects more than just one-for-one marketing. It also can be used for years to come and can influence clients as well as strategic partners.
- Video adds a personal touch and a story that just showing numbers or images don’t do.
- Social media is not supposed to be high-end professional. It is supposed to be spontaneous and authentic.
"Marketing is casting as many nets as we can to hook people in, in whatever way we can hook them in. But it is not the 80s, it is 2022. People have to make impressions to gain trust and authority." — Ashley Robinson
Connect with Ashley Robinson:
Website: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrobinsongcm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenCardiganMarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/green_cardigan_marketing/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay McAllister discuss:
- The value of technology used in the proper context.
- Coming to the table as a student in all that you do.
- Working smarter, not just harder, through the use of technology.
- What separates adequate practices from flourishing firms.
Key Takeaways:
- The more you illuminate your sphere of knowledge, the more you will learn that you do not know.
- Understanding the right tools for your firm and how they all work together is key to creating an ideal technology ecosystem for your firm.
- If you don’t embrace technology, you are limiting the reach of your firm and the reach of your growth.
- Business comes as a result of relationships.
"All the tools, in their base state, are essentially useless. It's only understanding the business outcomes that are required, and then pairing that with the proper optimization and setup of the tools, as well as ongoing support and training, that's what makes it critical." — Jay McAllister
Connect with Jay McAllister:
Website: paragonus.com
Email: Jason@paragonus.com
Phone: 815-556-1145
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaymcallisterit & linkedin.com/company/paragon-tech-inc
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo7-PTYl-HY2ZGrMCQ-C3gQ
Facebook: facebook.com/Paragontechit
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Hamburg discuss:
- Pursuing meaningful pursuits with a higher degree of conversion.
- Moving past the stigma of being a salesperson in your own mind.
- Practical tips for sales free selling.
- Creating your structure around selling to gain comfort with selling.
Key Takeaways:
- Winging it is not a strategy or a process.
- Engage a sales journal into your process in a way that works for you. If you can quantify it, you can track it and understand what you need to do in order to understand what activities are the most important.
- If you are planning on running your own firm, you have to be married to that venture. If you have a partner/spouse, you will want them to be on board with you.
- Luck favors those that work the hardest.
"To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be willing to subject yourself to what makes you the most uncomfortable and thrive." — Steve Hamburg
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alay Yajnik discuss:
- The biggest errors law firms make when hiring.
- Leveraging your network to grow your firm (not just your business).
- Vetting the candidates that you bring into your firm.
- Hiring quickly in the current war for talent.
Key Takeaways:
- You do not need to settle for your hire. Working with a recruiter is often worth the money as it saves you time and resources in looking for that new hire.
- Ask open ended questions when you are interviewing to dig deep into the credibility of your candidate.
- Check the references - this is one of the most underrated aspects of hiring.
- Always be hiring and always be looking for talent.
"Right now, there's a big demand for legal services, but there are not very many attorneys to go around. Firms that don't get out ahead of this quickly find themselves buried with work. And when you're buried with work, it impacts your ability to hire because you just don't have enough time." — Alay Yajnik
Connect with Alay Yajnik:
Website: LawyerBusinessAdvantage.com
One Page Strategic Plan: LawFirmSuccessGroup.com
Email: Alay@YajnikGroup.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alayyajnik
Book: https://www.lawfirmsuccessgroup.com/book/
Lawyer Business Advantage Podcast: https://www.lawfirmsuccessgroup.com/podcast-2/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Maya Markovich discuss:
- The evolution of the legal tech industry.
- The growing need for focus on client-centric law practices.
- Useful technologies that can help lawyers run a more efficient practice.
- How COVID has changed the legal industry for the better.
Key Takeaways:
- We all have to fight together for access to justice. The law is not set up to be client-centric, and there is no single solution to change this.
- Robots and AI are not replacing lawyers. There is more than enough work to go around and the new technologies will free up lawyers for more strategic things than something like document review.
- Think about how the client is experiencing service at your firm and consider ways to make it more streamlined for your client.
- Law firms grow faster and serve the clients better when they focus on a niche, and don’t try to be everything to everyone.
"There's this increased focus on client experience, which, I think, is long overdue. Client expectations are continually increasing, and there's going to be more and more emphasis on value-based services and tailored pricing models." — Maya Markovich
Connect with Maya Markovich:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayamarkovich
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkovichMaya
Website: https://vilcap.com/ & https://justicetechassociation.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay Paul Deratany discuss:
- Doing things in your work and life that make a difference.
- Making smart decisions to achieve your ambitions.
- Creating time to yourself in the midst of your busy life.
- Lessons learned in starting your own practice.
Key Takeaways:
- Go into everything you do with the mindset of service, not just a mindset of serving yourself.
- Making mistakes is going to happen, but we need to learn from those things and continue to track what is working as you go forward.
- Having a team brings different perspectives to your firm.
- Don’t give up, choose your passion, and be passionate about your work.
"We take a team approach to our cases…Usually a client understands it because they want a team, and a team brings about a better result. I couldn't have had the verdicts I've had unless I had the team I have." — Jay Paul Deratany
Connect with Jay Paul Deratany:
Website: https://lawinjury.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaypaulderatany
Twitter: https://twitter.com/deratany
First Star: https://www.firststar.org/
Foster Boy: http://fosterboy.com/
CASA: https://nationalcasagal.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kate Curler discuss:
- The power of people’s networks.
- Finding mutual advantage in your networking meetings.
- Redirection during connection conversations.
- Keeping at the front of a networking partner’s mind.
Key Takeaways:
- When you are networking, give your networking partner something they can work with to help you even as you are helping them.
- Going into a networking meeting with the plan to sell is not going to work for you for long.
- Be a giver, but also stay top of mind when you’re networking. Reach out when you refer clients and make yourself known as a rainmaker and key networking partner.
- You don’t have to do it all yourself, you don’t have to know everything, and you can be wrong. Be willing to be vulnerable and human and people will more to you.
"Business coaching has been just keeping track of the numbers, delegating, and, regarding networking, once you have an opportunity to send somebody a client, I do that, but I make sure I get credit for it as well." — Kate Curler
Connect with Kate Curler:
Website: https://www.curlerlaw.com/
Email: kcurler@curlerlaw.com
Phone: 312-952-1077
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-curler-84a72413/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
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Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Walt Hampton discuss:
- Your extraordinary toolbelt taught in law school.
- Success beyond what society thinks it should be.
- Why you should write a book and what it can do for your book of business.
- Writing, publishing, and marketing a book.
Key Takeaways:
- There will be amazing rewards for those who can lean into the discomfort.
- With a book in the world you have the capacity to touch people beyond your wildest imaginations.
- From a business perspective, there is no better credibility builder, authority builder, expertise builder, client attracting magnet than having a book.
- You have to put yourself out there to promote your book, your services, and your business.
"If we feel called, as you and I do, to have a broader impact, or global impact, as you and I are privileged to do, then figuring out ways to leverage that is important." — Walt Hampton
Connect with Walt Hampton:
Website: Summit-Success.com
Email: Walt@Summit-Success.com
FREE eBook: summitsuccess.lpages.co/the-power-principles-of-time-mastery
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/walthampton
Publishing Resource: http://summitpresspublishers.com/steve
Previous Episode: https://fretzin.com/walt-hampton-time-mastery-through-self-mastery/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Andy Cabasso discuss:
- Focusing on the business, not just in the business
- Why a law firm should care about their web presence.
- Finding your unique differentiator (and communicating it properly).
- Ways to increase your Google ranking and SEO.
Key Takeaways:
- Your website is your only chance for a first impression with those who find you online.
- Your client is looking to solve a specific issue. They want to know that you can help them with their very specific needs.
- Getting your site organically ranked without paying for clicks is largely based on content creation.
- Make sure you have a Google Business listing. It is free and it is the first step to showing up in local search results.
"It should be very easy for someone visiting your website, whether it's on a mobile phone, or a desktop computer, or laptop, or anything like that, to be able to connect with you. Test this out." — Andy Cabasso
Connect with Andy Cabasso:
Website: https://postaga.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcabasso/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andycabasso
Coupon Code: PODCAST50 for 3 Months at 50% off on Postaga.com!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ida Abbott discuss:
- Realigning your values and your work.
- Developing and retaining talent.
- Challenges lawyers face when considering and thinking about retirement.
- Examining who you are by choice, not by default.
Key Takeaways:
- People want to feel a sense of belonging and community in their firms.
- Loyalty is earned and ever changing. It needs to be constantly developed and the relationships maintained.
- 65 is an arbitrary number decided by the social security system. Your retirement is your own and you can decide when is the right time for you.
- Keep a personal interests list. Figure out what is interesting to you now and when you get to a point where you need to decide what you are going to do, you have a list of things you already are interested in.
"It's a lot of internal investigation, self exploration, and then recognizing the myths and the misunderstandings that hold you back. Retirement means it's the end, if that's what you believe. I ask you to reframe it. It's not the end. Think of somebody you know, who's retired, who is doing something cool. And if you don't know anybody personally, start looking around online, they are everywhere." — Ida Abbott
Connect with Ida Abbott:
Website: https://idaabbott.com/
Email: ida@idaabbott.com
Book: https://idaabbott.com/books/retirement-by-design/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ida-abbott-9a0736
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdaOAbbott
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sponsoringwomenbook
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Susan Ibitz discuss:
- Soft skills are marketable and make you employable.
- The relationship behind know, like, and trust.
- Starting soft and inviting questions.
- Tips about nonverbal communication.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re not selling a product, you are selling yourself or your service.
- If people don’t remember you when you talk, there is a problem. We have two ears and one mouth, use them proportionately.
- Treat others the way they want to be treated and you will be remembered as remarkable.
- Gather the baseline information before you jump to solutions or try and fix without understanding the client’s problem.
"In law sales and networking, you establish rapport and you use words, which are more important than the body. Words are be more important because I pay attention. Be present." — Susan Ibitz
Connect with Susan Ibitz:
Website: https://humanbehaviorlab.com/
Email: susan@humanbehaviorlab.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAwKi2NQchiXWrrMd9-uXA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-ibitz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HBehaviorLab
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanIbitzHBL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humanbehaviorhacker/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Bullock discuss:
- Treating customers in a way that will make them feel like your only customer.
- Becoming a strong, influential woman in law.
- The importance of committing to your business growth and development early on as part of your necessary work.
- Harmonizing your work and your life in the right environment.
Key Takeaways:
- When you are opening your own firm (or even just looking to grow your book of business) talk to everyone you know and make yourself known.
- Seek out a mentor and build relationships early on. They will require you taking action and will not just fall in your lap.
- You only need to do two things when you start to work with networking organizations: show up and do what you say you will do.
- You can build your book of business in non-traditional ways. Look at what you like to do, where you like to be, and who you like to connect with.
"I firmly believe that if you focus on business development, as a female attorney early on in your career, you truly can create your own path, you are in control of your own destiny. You may choose to stay in a firm, you may choose to launch your own firm, you may go in house, but you will have many more opportunities available to you." — Jennifer Bullock
Connect with Jennifer Bullock:
Website: https://bullocklegal.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbullocklegal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bullocklegal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flaemploymentlawyer/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Andy Stickel discuss:
- Overcoming analysis paralysis.
- Marketing beyond getting leads.
- Taking a lead through to a sell.
- Understanding the pain of your prospective clients and the impact that pain is having.
Key Takeaways:
- Getting leads is rarely the problem.
- Follow up is the key - three times, three ways, and continuously reaching out.
- Nobody likes a linktree. Have a real person answer the phone.
- Focus on the end result, not on the vehicle for getting to that result.
"The way that you get someone to buy something is that when they're in so much pain, that the value of getting out of pain is greater than the value of the money. That's what attorneys need to learn how to do." — Andy Stickel
Connect with Andy Stickel:
Website: https://www.socialfirestarter.com/
Book: https://freebookforlawyers.com/test-drive-1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbRE2UVB83CCo4S9rFgZn0Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewstickel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andystickel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/marketingforlawyers/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrew.stickel/
Operation Underground Railroad: http://ourrescue.org/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kip Boyle discuss:
- Becoming a professional who sells and serves people in the process.
- The changing of traditional selling techniques.
- Creative marketing to connect with your community.
- The unique, human connections of podcasting.
Key Takeaways:
- People don’t want to connect with companies, they want to connect with people.
- The selling techniques of yesteryear don’t work and often turn people away.
- There is a relationship that gets established between a podcast host and the audience that you don’t even realize is happening.
- It is all about consistency.
"There's an intimacy that podcasts can create that the written ways of talking to people just don't." — Kip Boyle
Connect with Kip Boyle:
Website: https://www.cr-map.com
Podcast: cyberriskopportunities.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipboyle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KipBoyle
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Doesnt-Innovate-Executives-Practical-ebook/dp/B07M7KTZWX
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Daniel Steinberg discuss:
- How Daniel’s professional journey lead him to creating lawbrokr.
- Differentiating yourself enough to find your clients.
- Branding and specialization.
- Creating a strong experience in legal.
Key Takeaways:
- It is okay to fail. If you don’t try, you won’t have the opportunity to succeed or fail.
- Your firm needs to live everywhere consumers are online.
- There are so many opportunities to be a creator in today’s day and age. That allows you, as the lawyer, to create bite-sized content that can connect with consumers.
- Your interactions with your customer need to be more experiential than transactional.
"If you want to align with your customers, you need to really create and cultivate and explain things to them, and go above and beyond the scope, then what you did last year and the year before, and always be that 1% better every time you talk to that next individual, because it's all around the customer experience, or they're not coming back in every industry, not just legal." — Daniel Steinberg
Connect with Daniel Steinberg:
Website: https://www.lawbrokr.com/
Email: daniel@lawbrokr.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsteinberg9/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dslbkr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawbrokr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawbrokr/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Legalese Marketing: https://legaleasemarketing.com/
Moneypenny: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dave Zumpano discuss:
- Knowing before you no.
- Distinguishing yourself in what you can do for the client, beyond the typical answer.
- Systems as a key fundamental of your business.
- Measuring everything you do, and doing that purposefully.
Key Takeaways:
- Success comes by not stopping at the first “no.”
- Money is a byproduct of the value you create. If you create value, the money will come.
- Do something you love that has impact for others.
- If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. You need to know what you’re doing with your systems, your processes, your marketing, and your business development.
"Emotion doesn't pay the bills, what pays the bills is understanding your marketing, understanding what happened in the process, so that you can get good information and know how to make it better for them, as well as you, as you go forward." — Dave Zumpano
Connect with Dave Zumpano:
Website: https://eplawcenter.com/ & https://www.lawyerswithpurpose.com/ & https://guidr.legal/
Email: dzumpano@eplawcenter.com & info@lawyerswithpurpose.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LawyersWithPurpose3
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-zumpano-a0208119a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawyersWPurpose
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawyersWithPurpose
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Cannon discuss:
- Overcoming the fear barrier and using that growth to strengthen the foundation of your firm.
- Continued education for learning and expanding your knowledge to grow your law firm.
- Changing your mindset and understanding the core of who you are.
- Delegation, training, and managing the employees in your firm.
Key Takeaways:
- Use your drive time to continue to learn to strengthen your business, such as through podcasts or audiobooks.
- Change your mindset - you are a business owner who is also an attorney.
- Utilize your time wisely. Limit your time and limit what your focus is to make your goals more tangible and measurable.
- Everything you do that makes you a good lawyer can be documented.
"By having high quality content, putting it up on a regular basis, having search engine optimization that does well, having a website that gives lots of useful information and giving people the right answers, you're building the keys of marketing." — John Cannon
Connect with John Cannon:
Website: https://jpcannonlawfirm.com/
Phone: 405-657-2323
Email: john@jpcannonlawfirm.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP54Mu8Ug6IAHZCDfv1irmw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-cannon-8135b1140/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_p_cannon_
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Zack Glaser discuss:
- Challenges lawyers face in creating processes and procedures (and in documenting those).
- Understanding how to use your email and other business products.
- Creating efficiencies for both your, and your client’s, convenience.
- Paying others to utilize your time in higher level tasks.
Key Takeaways:
- A project management software is at least as important, if not more important, than your case management software.
- If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product. Paying for the product allows you to have a business agreement with the company and typically comes with higher confidentiality.
- If you don’t have a practice management software, you are already doing the work, it’s likely just less efficient and less organized.
- A CRM will save you time and money, if you use it right, in spaces like e-signing, and in the integration of your law practice management system.
"You have time. So go do those higher level tasks. Go out and make it rain. Go do those things that are going to get you more business, and still pay somebody to do those lower level things, or use technology to do those lower level things, because you can't pay somebody to go get you business." — Zack Glaser
Connect with Zack Glaser:
Website: https://lawyerist.com/ & https://tech4lawyers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackglaser/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zack_Glaser
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nequosha Anderson discuss:
- Cultivating relationships to reach your end goal.
- The important aspects of building and maintaining relationships.
- Creating conversations with those in spaces where you want to be.
- The benefits to being a disruptor in your space.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to follow through and maintain top of mind with your clients and those in your network.
- Connect with people on more than just one level. Cultivating relationships long term allows you to build what you want to have.
- Cultivating relationships will open doors that, not only can you not open on your own, you may not even be able to touch it otherwise.
- Understand where your focus is and cast your net there and you will find those clients that you want to see and work with.
"It is definitely about cultivating relationships. That's how you succeed, especially in any service based industry. You don't even have to be the best practitioner, you just need to be the best person that can be remembered for that thing. And that's all about how you make people feel." — Nequosha Anderson
Connect with Nequosha Anderson:
Website: https://andersonlawfl.com/
Podcast: https://www.puopodcast.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvpMR_2n2lK-Vs_7Z2wBArQ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nequosha-anderson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esquire44/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andersonlawfl
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nicole Clark discuss:
- Better utilizing the data that you have access to.
- Challenges lawyers have when presenting pitches.
- Don’t assume you can’t access data just because it wasn’t previously accessible.
- Asking questions, gathering data, and understanding insights.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to understand the goals in relation to the data of what the client is facing in order to give great advice.
- Set your expectations with the client and help them to understand what they are likely to expect.
- There is a lot involved in the context of cases. Having insight and information makes it make or break for a client to believe you are the right attorney for them.
- More and more information is becoming available from state courts that was not available 5 or 10 years ago.
"If you go in prepared with information, you're going to actually feel like you can help your client and that carries across when you feel like you can really be helpful, and you're matched to be able to bring value to them." — Nicole Clark
Connect with Nicole Clark:
Website: https://trellis.law/
Email: nicole@trellis.law
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-a-clark/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Deb Knupp discuss:
- The six viable selling styles that work for all lawyers.
- Relationship building no matter your personality or sales style.
- Time management, even when it is crazy busy.
- Helping others to help yourself.
Key Takeaways:
- There is not one singular way to do business development and become a rainmaker.
- Introversion and extroversion are not correlated to sales success - the willingness to take action is.
- You can activate business development seeds during your standard client interactions.
- Pick your channel and do it with excellence.
"There are multiple paths in which lawyers can participate concretely, playing to business development strengths. If you don't seemingly have that gregarious networker personality, the great news is that's only one of six viable selling styles that absolutely work." — Deb Knupp
Connect with Deb Knupp:
Website: https://growthplay.com/
Email: dknupp@growthplay.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-knupp-2694a21/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian LaBovick discuss:
- Creating focus for success.
- Understanding who you are and who you want to be, personally and professionally.
- Leveraging challenges to rise to new heights.
- Serving your community with the intent of serving, while still maintaining your brand.
Key Takeaways:
- Whatever you need in your life, give first and the world will bring it back to you tenfold.
- Pick a direction and lean into it. Find the gifts as you move forward.
- When you get the right people in the right spots things will leap forward.
- Start with yourself. Get naked and be as honest with yourself as you can be to understand and embrace your values and mission.
"You can do right by your community, you can do right by the people that you're trying to serve. All the good that you put out in the world does not mean that you need to hide your brand and that your brand is here to do a job for part of the community as well." — Brian LaBovick
Connect with Brian LaBovick:
Website: https://www.brianlabovick.com/
Website: https://www.labovick.com/
Safety4Life: https://safety4life.org/
Email: brian@labovick.com
Book: https://www.brianlabovick.com/the-book
Phone: 866-LABOVICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LaBovick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-labovick-40032a9/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaBovickLaw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labovicklawgroup/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Florida.Lawyers/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Leslee Cohen discuss:
- Building your own book of business to have freedom, including in a large firm.
- Finding what makes you unique and differentiates you in the market, then understanding how to communicate that difference.
- Joining and being fully involved in organizations.
- Giving leadership roles to those who may not yet have a book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to believe in yourself and understand that you are, truly, bringing value to the table.
- It is all about giving - you just have to help others and you will always get something back. People remember a giver, they don’t remember a taker.
- Law firms can benefit from amazing women lawyers, even those who want to work part time.
- Your job is more than just being a good lawyer. You have to keep business development and relationship building in mind from day one.
"Without your own book of business, you only get so far within the ranks of a larger law firm." — Leslee Cohen
Connect with Leslee Cohen:
Website: https://www.allriselawyers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslee-cohen-48820a6/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Rena Paul, and Alison Trenk discuss:
- Ongoing wellness for professionals.
- Having individual tools that you can do daily that work for your life and wellness.
- Consciously re-regulating our bodies and focusing on our breathing.
- Finding ways you can get into your present life.
Key Takeaways:
- Start with the tiny things and bring mindfulness into your life and practice in small ways. It doesn’t have to be big grand things, just something you can do in your life everyday.
- As humans, we need to speak to our bodies and understand where we need to re-regulate our nervous symptoms.
- Focus on your breaking - making the exhale longer than the inhale is a surefire way to calm yourself.
- Learning more about yourself can help you be a more authentic lawyer.
"You need to be well so you can do well for others." — Rena Paul
Connect with Rena Paul & Alison Trenk:
Rena’s Website: https://alcalaw.com/
Rena’s Email: rena@alcalaw.com
Alison’s Website: http://www.alisontrenklcsw.com/
Rena’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renapaul/
Alison’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-trenk-ma-lcsw-9111685/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adam Arkfeld discuss:
- Sales and marketing working hand in hand.
- Diagnosing what is happening in your marketing.
- Who pay-per-click works best for.
- Tracking the data of your marketing campaigns.
Key Takeaways:
- Measurement creates integrity - the numbers don’t lie.
- You have to have clean metrics that you can rely on to understand what is happening with the marketing campaigns.
- Targeted and paid marketing changes rapidly, anything more than 6 months ago and it really is a different world.
- YouTube is an untapped market for most lawyers.
"The nice thing about running paid advertising is you can measure everything, and you can make every decision based on analytics and data. It's foundational for what we do and I think it should be foundational for all marketing, to be honest." — Adam Arkfeld
Connect with Adam Arkfeld:
Website: https://www.growwithprevail.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamarkfeld/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ken Crutchfield discuss:
- Thinking about the client first in building and growing your firm.
- The intersection between technology and relationships.
- Bringing in new talent to your firm (then retaining them).
- Looking to the future and understanding what your firm needs.
Key Takeaways:
- There is pressure on clients to be better, faster, and cheaper. You get to decide how your firm helps your clients to reach their goals.
- Keep a pulse and check in with your clients. You can’t just rest on your laurels and assume they will stay with you.
- There is a tension between the desire for more transparency in billing, as well as more flat fees.
- Understanding the generational differences between your lawyers is extremely important to bringing in and retaining employees.
"If you aren't mining and looking for talent in all places, you're not going to have the talent pool that you need to be successful." — Ken Crutchfield
Connect with Ken Crutchfield:
Website: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en
Email: ken.crutchfield@wolterskluwer.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-crutchfield-95b79/
Future Ready Lawyer Survey: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/future-ready-lawyer-2021
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Margaret Burke, and Casey Blake discuss:
- Inefficiencies in technology and financial management in law firms.
- Daily inefficiency improvements.
- What happens when you wear too many hats.
- Your law firm as a business.
Key Takeaways:
- Anyone considering working with you, not just clients, are looking at your website. Make sure it is supporting what you want people to know.
- Having a diverse team, with mixed speciality areas, can assist you in better supporting and understanding your clients.
- Fix problems, don’t just cover them with a bandaid. Taking all the work on yourself, is only a bandaid. Let go and delegate to the right people.
- It is important to see your firm as a law firm and understand that it needs to operate in that fashion.
"Having a process in place really streamlines time and makes staff happier, because the staff end up, sometimes, doing extra work when there's not a process in place. The financial management and processes are critical." — Casey Blake
Connect with Margaret Burke & Casey Blake:
Website: https://www.kolibrilaw.com/
Phone: 833-330-1633
Email: cblake@kolibrilaw.com & mburke@kolibrilaw.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KolibriLawSupport/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolibrilawsupport/
Kolibri’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kolibri-law-support-solutions/
Margaret’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-t-burke/
Casey’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-blake-mosca-82a99324/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gary Miles discuss:
- The relationship between physical and mental health.
- The effects of social media.
- Drivers of good mental health and the benefits of having an attitude of gratitude.
- Changing your mindset and improving your health.
Key Takeaways:
- As humans, we compare our worst to other people’s best (what they post on social media).
- Being self aware is one of the biggest drivers of mental health. We need to be aware of our mindset and what we are thinking about.
- Accept everything as it is and just focus on yourself, your reaction, and your responses.
- Every day we have is a gift, don’t squander it.
"There are things in life we can control. What's the solution to that? Take action, whatever it might be in our business, our practice, or our relationships. But if we can't control it...try to not worry. It's easier to say than to do, and that's a practice like other things." — Gary Miles
Connect with Gary Miles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-j-d-88615922/
Website: https://www.huesmanjonesandmiles.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Eric Schurke discuss:
- From a three man start-up to CEO of Moneypenny North America.
- The benefits of having a chat feature on your website.
- Tips and ideas for resolving inefficiencies in your law firm.
- Taking care of the people around you.
Key Takeaways:
- A lot of people don’t manage their websites. However, if you can get a chat monitored, it increases the engagement and traffic to your site, and increases those who will convert into a new intake client.
- Engaging a company, such as Moneypenny, to answer your phone or website chat can take the weight off your staff, allowing them to be transferred to a more productive, or even profitable, position.
- There are only 2 ways you can extend your hours 24/7 - extending your staff, or outsourcing and looking at automation.
- Your people are extremely valuable - it is all about listening, trust, and caring for those on your team.
"We save law firms time and money by answering their phones for them. If you look at that, and you try to take care of the people around you, that right there alone is just magic." — Eric Schurke
Connect with Eric Schurke:
Website: https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-schurke-b26920/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/moneypenny-usa/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeatmoneypenny/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moneypenny
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloMoneypennyUS
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kim Stapleton discuss:
- Kim’s professional role as a business development executive at a law firm and how that impacts the firm.
- Being prepared for all sales and marketing conversations, as well as networking events (no matter the size).
- Best practices in business development.
- Utilizing your second degree connections.
Key Takeaways:
- Show up in someone’s inbox. Even though you may have met, being top of mind at the right time.
- Invite those you want to connect with to many different things. Something may be appealing that may not have originally been obvious.
- Verbalize your desire to work with someone during networking meetings.
- LinkedIn is one of the best marketing tools that you have in your arsenal - use it.
"I can pair up the right people with the right individuals, because it comes down to a relationship...Sales is different than marketing. Marketing is to the masses, but mine is...the relationship." — Kim Stapleton
Connect with Kim Stapleton:
Website: https://www.icemiller.com/
Email: kim.stapleton@icemiller.com
Phone: 312-726-8106
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimstapletonbusdev/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ryan Anderson discuss:
- Challenges lawyers are having with technology.
- Solutions regarding document and task management for lawyers.
- How to handle conversations of record.
- Investing in your employees.
Key Takeaways:
- Make sure your systems are all on the cloud.
- The majority of law firms are still on servers, which are more easy to penetrate (from a security perspective) than the cloud is.
- Every document should be uploaded in a system that is searchable and organizable.
- Lawyers need to consider technologies and automations that are going to make their lives easier and more predictable because the world is changing and it is important to stay on top of those kinds of things.
"It is amazing what will happen if an employee feels you're willing to invest in them." — Ryan Anderson
Connect with Ryan Anderson:
Website: https://www.filevine.com/
Email: ryan@filevine.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-anderson-49a30740/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kory Kelly discuss:
- Value in productized, turnkey solutions.
- Legal Karma is not a robot lawyer, it is a change of delivery.
- Making changes now, not waiting for the speed of business.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s more about communication than it is about document drafting.
- Giving your client insight as to what is going on and expectations can ease a lot of stress from you and your client.
- Changes in the legal market (such as non-lawyer owned law firms) makes it worthwhile to look at the delivery of your legal services.
"Make the change now. Moving at the speed of business takes a long time to change these processes and make sense out of it to get the brand recognition and marketing in place that helps you leverage some of the new gifts that come with modernizing the delivery of your practice." — Kory Kelly
Connect with Kory Kelly:
Website: https://legalkarma.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korykelly/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Nina Stillman discuss:
- Challenges facing new lawyers in new areas.
- Applying lessons you learn from your coaches.
- The benefits of a quick no.
- Finding the right balance between listening and speaking.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the methodology of how to network and ask for referrals then interpret it in your own vernacular will help to grow and evolve your business.
- You don’t have to take every client - not every client is right for what you are wanting to accomplish.
- You have to listen and put the client’s needs in front, even if it requires a little bit of patience.
- All the advice is great, but it needs to be actionable for people to be able to support themselves.
"Everything is sales. Even if you're an attorney, or an accountant, or a doctor, everything is sales...It's all in how you treat the people who you want to work with, whether they're a referral source or a client." — Nina Stillman
Connect with Nina Stillman:
Website: https://www.thestillmanlawgroup.com/
Phone: 312-819-5360
Email: nina@thestillmanlawgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-stillman-law-group/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestillmanlawgroup
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Louis Goodman discuss:
- Marketing a law practice in the 90s and how it has evolved today.
- The power of SEO for your website.
- Creating good content to encourage backlinks to your website.
- Utilizing content across multiple platforms.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re going to put money into marketing, put money into SEO.
- People pick up their phone and do Google searches now, rather than picking up a phone book. You need to be visible for those who have an immediate problem and need an immediate solution.
- Repurpose content that you create to work across multiple platforms and find ways to encourage others to share links to the content you’ve created.
"The key is getting backlinks to your website. And the way you get backlinks to your website, is by having good content so that other websites will link to your website, and you want to encourage people to link to your website." — Louis Goodman
Connect with Louis Goodman:
Website: https://www.louisgoodman.com/
Podcast: https://www.lovethylawyer.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aeWsyfHKAfCEMgR7wD7bg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisjgoodman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Law-Office-of-Louis-J-Goodman-338125606393295/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mat Rotenberg discuss:
- Where lawyers are killing time and not communicating properly.
- Navigating technologies and programs for lawyers and law firms.
- The benefits of utilizing Dashboard Legal.
- Shifting mindset to a future focus, not just a precedent focus.
Key Takeaways:
- Many lawyers are looking for ways to better organize their data and to better communicate with their teams.
- There are many different types of software out there that can assist lawyers to better organize and communicate, but many require time and understanding to set up appropriately which can be daunting for many lawyers.
- The vast majority of tech for lawyers is built by non-lawyers, which can make it difficult for lawyers to transition to how those tools are built.
- Choosing to be more entrepreneurial with your practice is where the practice of law is going and where personal benefits can be derived in a way that isn't happening at the moment.
"It's using technology to start to manage the increased complexity. And lawyers have always done it...lawyers have always innovated. They are motivated to do it, they just need to see and understand the value that it brings." — Mat Rotenberg
Connect with Mat Rotenberg:
Website: https://dashboardlegal.com/
Email: mat@dashboardlegal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-rotenberg-10528537/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and James Rodgers discuss:
- Controlling our natural, human tendencies that create barriers to productive relationships.
- Diversity is not just about the differences, but also about our similarities.
- Changing the conversation around diversity.
- Creating and executing a leadership strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- The management role is about supporting, developing, and encouraging people. It is not about knowing their job or being able to replace them, but being in a support role.
- Diversity is about each individual, not about one side or the other.
- If you are looking for differences, that is what you are going to find. If you look for the similarities, even through language or other barriers, you will find something with everyone.
- Part of leadership is about what is coming, not what is happening today.
"It's not about saying why black people deserve a shot. It's not about saying why women need equal representation in the boardroom. It is about simply one person, having to work with another person, having the skills and the equipment to comfortably and productively work with that other person." — James Rodgers
Connect with James Rodgers:
Website: https://thediversitycoach.com/ & https://jamesorodgers.com/
Phone: 770-331-3246
Book: https://thediversitycoach.com/publications/
Show: https://jamesorodgers.com/podcasts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachandstrategist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdiversitycoach
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chelsea Williams discuss:
- The importance of having financial clarity in all aspects of your life.
- The greatest financial bottlenecks for law firms.
- Parkinson’s Law as it applies to your finances.
- Flat fee versus hourly billing models.
Key Takeaways:
- Create systems that capture your margins, but also contribute to your cash flow.
- Until you take getting paid seriously, nobody will take paying you seriously.
- There is a difference between a financial statement and a meaningful financial statement.
- Regardless of how you choose to bill, be transparent and upfront with your clients.
"Once you understand the power of knowing your storyline, you will understand that you have the ability to be the author of that story and change the direction of your numbers and manipulate them into a direction of your choosing. That is powerful and freedom in and of itself, because then it's up to you." — Chelsea Williams
Connect with Chelsea Williams:
Website: https://www.yourcoresolution.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC80TT79FdeRwH2oNaSkqvQA?view_as=subscriber
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourcoresolution/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/core_solutions_group/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-m-williams-%F0%9F%92%B5%E2%9A%96%E2%8F%B1-8303b45a/
Book Reference: The E-Myth Attorney
https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Attorney-Legal-Practices-About/dp/0470503653
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erik Olson discuss:
- Best practices for online marketing (including following Google’s Best Practices).
- Understanding your marketing and advertising target and strategy.
- When to get help with marketing versus doing it yourself.
- Creating content with authors and timestamps.
Key Takeaways:
- When you create content, you need to create with a strategy in place.
- Created content needs to be written for people, not just a smash of keywords or it won’t be picked up properly by search engines, such as Google.
- People are looking for more than just seeing the ad at the top of Google. The majority of people skip over them and go to the first organic search result.
- Do as much as you can on your own, at some point you will find your consistency drops off and you will want to get internal or external help.
"We all know that referrals are the best source of leads, they have the highest trust factor. But the second best, at least within the Digital Marketing realm, is search engine optimization results." — Erik Olson
Connect with Erik Olson:
Website: https://arraylaw.com/
Show: https://arraylaw.com/managing-partners-podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsbJqhtLMS5wmWmXulpY2A
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamerikjolson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisarray
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisarray
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/array.digital/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sharon Christie discuss:
- Getting a coach so you aren’t reinventing the wheel.
- The four things you need to get right in your law firm.
- Being strategic when you are changing your practice of law.
- Running your business, not letting your business run you.
Key Takeaways:
- There are ways to say no that lead to more referral work from the very same people you say no to.
- Very first, you have to get your head on straight with the fact that you are running a business, then you need to understand exactly who your client avatar is and every aspect of that client.
- Understand the aspects of your business that you need to be doing, and what can be done by someone else.
- By meeting your own needs, you will be able to meet your client’s needs.
"The first thing you have to get straight in your head is that this is a business, just like any other service business. We have different professional rules, but we are service based and you have to look at it that way in order to be successful." — Sharon Christie
Connect with Sharon Christie:
Website: https://boldwomenlawyers.com/ & https://sharonchristielaw.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldwomenlawyers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-christie-3849961/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharonchristie?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boldwomenlawyers & https://www.facebook.com/SharonChristieLaw/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SharonChristieLaw & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMUuiVbln7SvvjD5iYYUDmg
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Book Reference: You are the Brand by Mike Kim https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Brand-Profitable-Personally/dp/1631953478
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brooke Lively discuss:
- Running your law firm by the numbers.
- Secrets from Brooke’s book, From Panic to Profit.
- Finding your baseline to manage and improve your numbers.
- The ideal ratio in your law firm's financials.
Key Takeaways:
- We have to pay more attention to the way we're running the firm and running it like a business than we used to.
- Rather than a budget, call it a profit plan to help you stay on track to hit your goals.
- If you know your revenue is going to be good for 3-4 months, then you can take marketing risks or even take a vacation.
- The further you look out, the more strategic you can become.
"If you don't know what it is you have nowhere to start, you have no way to improve it. Once we find that baseline, we start to manage that number, and things start to improve. " — Brooke Lively
Connect with Brooke Lively:
Website: https://brookelively.com/ & https://www.cathcap.com/
Email: Brooke@CathCap.com
Book: https://brookelively.com/books/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg1JD7XBFwGjizaa9_566sg?reload=9
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathedralCapital
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralcapital/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ali Awad discuss:
- How to get engagement on your company’s social media.
- Mindset and the future of law.
- Hanging around others outside of the law field to learn other forms of business.
- Delegating low level tasks and firing yourself every step of the way.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re trying to get business from social media, make sure your page is public and you are giving valuable content, not just posting ads.
- Your law firm is a business, not a law practice. Run it like a business.
- You need to determine, are you self-employed or do you have a high-paying job? How are you working in and building your business?
- One great employee is better than 3-5 mediocre employees, and will make you more than 3-5 mediocre employees ever could.
"You need to be willing to try things that are uncertain when there is potential for massive success." — Ali Awad
Connect with Ali Awad:
Website: https://aliawadlaw.com/
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceolawyer/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aliawadlaw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceolawyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceolawyer/?hl=en
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mathew Kerbis discuss:
- Being a young lawyer and building relationships.
- Resources for young, staring attorneys.
- The billable hour versus the subscription model.
- The changing of the law firm business model.
Key Takeaways:
- The sky's the limit as a private practice attorney.
- Bringing in business, even at a larger firm, not only brings in more money, it gives you control over your career.
- The law firm model needs to be modified as other companies are starting to profitize legal services.
"For the billable hour, all you could do is hire more lawyers to bill more hours, because there's only so many hours in the day. With a subscription model, you could scale like never before." — Mathew Kerbis
Connect with Mathew Kerbis:
Website: https://www.condoncook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewrobertkerbis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MathewKerbis
Young Lawyer Rising Podcast: https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/aba-young-lawyer-rising-podcast/
Book Reference:
https://www.amazon.com/Subscribed-Subscription-Model-Companys-Future/dp/0525536469
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Stivers discuss:
- Why lawyers struggle with maintaining marketing consistency.
- Figuring out where to begin with marketing.
- Taking control of your calendar (and the repercussions for breaking commitments to yourself).
- Doing the things you enjoy doing and delegating the other, valuable, items.
Key Takeaways:
- Step one to marketing is finding out what you want your life to look like. There are many options that will work for what you want.
- Different platforms work for different audiences.
- Before you leave the office, look at your calendar for the next day and create the day you want before the next day begins.
- Understand why you are doing the marketing you are choosing to do and why you are wanting to stay top of mind.
"That's been my secret - I put it on the calendar, and, as much as I can, I stay as disciplined to that calendar and do what's on there." — Justin Stivers
Connect with Justin Stivers:
Website: https://www.probatefirm.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIyGEpme0t_h2R73CdKOBw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-stivers-289b38100/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinbstivers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheProbateLawFirm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprobatelawfirm/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mari Ribeiro discuss:
- Gaining a competitive edge with your brand.
- Pros and cons of naming your firm something other than your name.
- Growing and expanding your brand.
- Keeping your brand relevant and sustainable.
Key Takeaways:
- Your brand speaks to the type of service you are giving. Naming your firm allows you an opportunity to stand out and get noticed in a way beyond being a lawyer.
- Branding can help your firm to look fresh, new, and exciting - people are drawn to that!
- Your brand is what will carry the reputation of your firm.
- Be curious and be willing to get feedback from others about what they experience when they think of your brand.
"Gone are the days where you are attracting clients and business just because you hang your shingle... this gives an opportunity for people to show up through their brand, and really help lawyers stand out with what it is that they do, and the unique way in which they do it." — Mari Ribeiro
Connect with Mari Ribeiro:
Website: https://www.ribeirolawfirm.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxj4BV5kqdByQMHHmsfZ-8Q
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ribeiro_law/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ribeirolawfirm
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Vikrant Shaurya discuss:
- Writing a book to better your business.
- Ghost writing versus angel writing.
- How AI is changing the writing field.
- How to promote your book to generate business.
Key Takeaways:
- Becoming an author establishes you as an authority in the area as well as distinguishes you from your competition.
- Book covers are extremely important - especially online, you are competing with millions of other books. You want to grab attention quickly and well.
- The profit of your books comes from the position and your promotion of the book.
- Podcasting, either your own or being a guest on someone else’s, is a great way to promote your book as well as promote your business and what you do.
"If you become an author you will be establishing yourself as an authority - it's authority on demand." — Vikrant Shaurya
Connect with Vikrant Shaurya:
Website: https://bestsellingbook.com/
Book a Call: https://bestsellingbook.com/call
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6n9_bONnLWy168-8vRgC0w
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bestsellingbook/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrantshaurya/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestsellingbookdotcom/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestsellingbookdotcom
Download Vikran’s checklist to make publishing your own book easy!
https://bestsellingbook.com/checklist
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jocelyn Brumbaugh discuss:
- Random acts of marketing.
- The five steps to fully leverage everything you do.
- Headline, content, and insight.
- Creative content marketing and getting newsletter opens.
Key Takeaways:
- Mine for things your firm is already doing well - you’re already doing a lot of good things, think about them as news.
- Marketing news is just small wins done all the time by your employees that you can use to stay top of mind with your clients.
- It is important to have a firm LinkedIn page, not just your personal page. It will make your personal page look better and help your business to look more professional.
- You have gold, it can be used for more than you are currently using it for.
"There's so many good things happening at firms that they can use as touch points, and they don't think about what is news in the way that we do. So, if they take that news and consistently put it through the five steps, that's how you raise profile." — Jocelyn Brumbaugh
Connect with Jocelyn Brumbaugh:
Website: https://www.buildenpartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbrumbaugh/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Charlotte Smith discuss:
- The evolving job market because of COVID as well as the generational expectations.
- Three things to becoming a better leader.
- Listening as a key to leadership.
- Discovering and embracing your own leadership identity.
Key Takeaways:
- Be conscious of, and able to define, what your leadership identity is.
- Irrespective of your job title, we are all leaders, even if it is just a self-leader.
- Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice.
- You can analyze leaders you admire to see what attributes you want to emulate and who you want to become like.
"As leaders, if we can really hone our listening skills rather than going straight into advice mode - understand their perspective, understand the challenges that they're experiencing - that is incredibly powerful and it is a real sign of a great leader." — Charlotte Smith
Connect with Charlotte Smith:
Website: https://limitless-lawyer.com/
Show: https://www.charlotte-smith.com/podcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottesmithlawyercoach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/limitless_lawyer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlottesmithlawyercoach/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Homer discuss:
- How legal marketing has evolved.
- Seeing your law firm as a business.
- Multichannel marketing.
- When you should spend money on marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding your brand, not just the logo, but who your clients are and how you approach the work, helps you to be more successful in marketing your firm.
- Talk about what you are doing to be more accessible to others. Everyone may be doing it, but if nobody is talking about it, customers won’t know.
- Google, including Google My Business,x` is a great referral partner if you are properly investing your time.
- Many lawyers think they have a lead problem, but it is actually a conversion problem. Get that dialed in before you spend money on marketing.
"Your law firm is a business. That's something that people are now realizing that they need to think about it from business strategy, business terms, not just in legal practice terms." — Mark Homer
Connect with Mark Homer:
Website: https://gngf.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8jMUZpf1YIvQ7MyHJEToHw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/gngf/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gngfound/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mark_homer & https://twitter.com/gngfound?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GNGFound/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jamie Spannhake discuss:
- The relationship between the billable hour and efficiency.
- Time management and mind mastery.
- The 168 Hour exercise and time management tools.
- Delegation for items below your paygrade.
Key Takeaways:
- Time management is always clearer when we know what our values are - we always want to spend the most time on what we believe is the most important.
- Lawyering is all about problem solving, which is creative. The only way to be creative is to have downtime.
- If you feel like you are failing it is because you have too much stuff on your plate.
- Time tracking is a great way to find out what you are doing that is below your pay grade and where you could be better utilizing your limited time.
"Mind management is two things - the way that we think about time, and how we talk to ourselves about time." — Jamie Spannhake
Connect with Jamie Spannhake:
Website: https://www.jamiespannhake.com/
Email: jamie@spannhake.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiespannhake/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyerlionlaundry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/idealyear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawyerLionLaundry
Book: https://www.jamiespannhake.com/products/the-lawyer-the-lion-the-laundry-available-for-pre-order
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Sciaccotta discuss:
- The foundation of John’s love of business development and marketing.
- The different forms of business development.
- Identifying the influencers around you.
- Significant touches and reaching out meaningfully.
Key Takeaways:
- Make friends in the practice of law and establish relationships.
- Success breeds success - a small win can be expanded into even bigger wins.
- Get involved, build relationships, and be active with whatever group you choose to get involved in.
- Marketing and business development happens every day - it is up to you as to how many significant touches you make in a day, a week, or a month.
"You have to identify influencers, people that can refer you legal business, or have control in sending legal work...you have to make an assessment and identify who are those influencers." — John Sciaccotta
Connect with John Sciaccotta:
Website: https://www.agdglaw.com/
Email: jsciaccotta@agdglaw.com
Phone: 312-755-3180
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-c-sciaccotta-7472535/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Catherine O’Connell discuss:
- Being your own brand in a solo firm.
- Maneuvering through a list of contacts and utilizing organizational contacts.
- Tips for handling meetings with Japanese clients.
- Greetings and etiquette for leaving meetings.
Key Takeaways:
- What is risky to one person, may not be considered a risk by other individuals.
- In Japan, introductions are your gold medal door opener - don’t cold call, because the relationship matters more.
- When you are working with different cultures, you have to understand the social context of what people are saying rather than the exact definition of the words being said.
- Having a digital business card is becoming a new trend as the world learns to continue networking in a COVID and post-COVID world.
"Working in Japan, and being successful here, is all about the long game. You've really got to be here and invest in relationships. It will take a long time until you can actually build up enough rapport with somebody to have a business relationship with them." — Catherine O’Connell
Connect with Catherine O’Connell:
Website: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/
Show: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oconnelllawyer
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Robert Plotkin, and Cynthia Gilbert discuss:
- Relationships at the root of all business and networks.
- Business development as a learned skill, regardless of personality.
- Commitment and the art of the follow through.
- From generalization to specialization.
Key Takeaways:
- Different environments are better for different people. Know yourself and speak to people who are doing what you are thinking of doing.
- Be cautious about being too transactional in any networking situation.
- Connections allow you to offer your clients fuller service than you would be able to do otherwise with only your firm.
- People are more likely to remember a specialist than they are to remember a generalist.
"Although we are small and highly specialized, what we want to do is to be able to provide the client with the effective equivalent of a fuller service firm by being able to connect them with the other services that they need." — Robert Plotkin
Connect with Robert Plotkin & Cynthia Gilbert:
Website: https://blueshiftip.com/
Show: https://blueshiftip.com/podcasts/
Blueshift IP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueshift-ip-llc/
Robert’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertplotkin/
Cynthia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiagilbert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blueshiftip
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueshiftIP/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bob Kohn discuss:
- How Zoom and online connection has changed networking and opened more doors.
- Challenges lawyers are facing while growing a law practice.
- The power of a community of allies.
- Moving from planning to doing and really learning.
Key Takeaways:
- Things do change and will change with little to no notice. By being in control of your own book of business you will have more control over your career.
- Things will change - people who learn marketing skills will do better both when times are good as well as when times are bad.
- Being “busy” is an excuse. Understand the obstacles that are stopping you from business development (and it’s not time).
- Just get started - do something productive that will take you in a positive direction.
"Business development should be fun, it should be fulfilling. Business development is really a process of building your community. It's a community of allies, and it's a game changer." — Bob Kohn
Connect with Bob Kohn:
Website: https://www.kohncommunications.com/
Email: bob@kohncommunications.com
Book: https://www.kohncommunications.com/publications/
Phone: 831-643-9939
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kohn-2117a414
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kohncomm
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Rahn discuss:
- The importance of people and community.
- Building law firm culture.
- Benefits of great culture, detriments of a poor culture.
- Modernizing the suggestion box and put your money where your mouth is.
Key Takeaways:
- You can only do so much well. Focus on what you do well and hunker down in that area.
- Your law firm culture is the glue that binds you.
- Show your employees that you care and that they matter. While we are all separated this is especially important to double down on your culture.
- As people, we are stronger together.
"If you haven't made people feel welcome, safe, and appreciated, you're gonna have a hard time retaining them." — Scott Rahn
Connect with Scott Rahn:
Website: https://rmolawyers.com/
Email: rahns@rmolawyers.com
Phone: 424-320-9444
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClDQzEOOKbGFULmXpdIPEnA/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-rahn-trust-estate-probate-litigator-7b71602/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmolawyers
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sami Azhari discuss:
- Networking as a referral source.
- Qualifying referral sources and keeping an open mind.
- There is always time to be a thought leader - the law is always evolving.
- The power of social media and leveraging your work.
Key Takeaways:
- You can be the most brilliant lawyer, but if you can’t generate business you’re not going to be successful.
- There's always opportunities to be made, there's always a way that you can network with someone and get something out of it.
- Look at how you are leveraging the interactions you have, the people you meet, and the work you do. There is time and effort that goes into all of your networking.
- The biggest way to get noticed is not necessarily getting people to view your profile, but by showing that you're active and commenting on other people's posts.
"You have to want it. If you don't want it bad enough, there's somebody else out there that wants it worse than you do. If you're not out there hustling, it's just going to be a little difficult to sustain a practice and it's certainly going to be impossible to build one." — Sami Azhari
Connect with Sami Azhari:
Website: azharillc.com
Email: sazhari@azharillc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AzhariLLC
Twitter: twitter.com/SamiAzhari1
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sami-azhari-60157525
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Adams discuss:
- The cultural addiction to distraction and how it is affecting your work.
- Productive and destructive health habits.
- Using your prime time for your prime tasks.
- Living a healthier, better life.
Key Takeaways:
- Physiology, psychology, and engineering your lifestyle are key to your peak performance.
- You've got to take care of the billion dollar asset, which is you - your body. You only get one brain and one body, and it is a big part of being highly productive.
- Automate everything you can. Every decision you make in the morning wears down your capacity for what you can do in each day.
- Sleep needs to become your number one task every day.
"Your addiction to distraction is costing you your fortune." — Steve Adams
Connect with Steve Adams:
Website: https://tigerpi.com/
Book: https://tigerpi.com/bookpdf/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveladams
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Strohmeyer discuss:
- Recognizing how lawyers and law firms are different from other types of companies.
- Definition of customer service for a law firm.
- Minimize the things that don’t help you solve the problem your clients bring to you.
- Take care of your referral partners with exceptional service as that is where your primary business comes from.
Key Takeaways:
- We are all selling some sort of product and it is, primarily, one of three flavors: stuff, results, or entertainment and fun. Understanding what type of business you are changes how you do customer service.
- By focusing on what you do, you aren’t getting distracted with other areas of law that are outside your area of focus.
- Consider what is good for your staff, not just your client.
- Get the right people in the right jobs to do things for you - you, as the lawyer, cannot do everything all the time.
"Most of this service isn't about spending more money. Clients aren't looking for you to shower them with gifts and making sure your office is decked out in marble and glass. It's taking care of things for them and making it easy." — John Strohmeyer
Connect with John Strohmeyer:
Website: https://www.strohmeyerlaw.com/
Show: https://www.fivestarcounsel.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Latourette discuss:
- The three levels of why and looking beyond the apparent reasons.
- Finding the quantified cost, not just the story of what happened.
- Generating traction to get in the door for the sales call.
- Questioning, curiosity, and focusing on the client for best results.
Key Takeaways:
- The first or second conversation you have with a client or potential client should be a discovery call - it should be all about them, not about your credentials.
- Take the time to explore both the hard costs, as well as the soft costs.
- When prospecting, think about what is going on in someone else’s world.
- Reinforce the initial pain point from the discovery call to remind clients and customers why they are continuing to work with you.
"We need to get customers to really see that price is different than the total cost of what I pay when I'm working with somebody." — Tom Latourette
Connect with Tom Latourette:
Website: https://www.m3learning.com/
Phone: 847-528-2738
Email: tom@m3learning.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-latourette
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomlatourette
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and John Yaworsky discuss:
- Lessons John has learned from big budget projects and has been able to apply to small budget projects.
- The evolution of video marketing and production.
- Getting more content out of your videos and three tips for the DIY attorney.
- Understanding when to DIY your videos and when to work with a production expert.
Key Takeaways:
- Media literacy now includes being able to produce a video.
- Blogs aren’t getting as much attention as they used to, but video and audio are becoming more common and more efficient for many individuals.
- It is better to do three one-minute videos, than one six-minute video.
- An audience will forgive bad lighting and bad camera angles, but they will not forgive bad audio.
"For business, it makes sense to get the point across quickly or mention you're going to get the point across quickly. It's better to do three, one-minute videos than one, six-minute video. Keep it short, keep it concise, keep them wanting more." — John Yaworsky
Connect with John Yaworsky:
Website: http://nimbledigitalmedia.com/
Email: john@nimbledigitalmedia.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Alex Stamatoglou discuss:
- Making the decision to work with a coach.
- Understanding what you want to actually do and accomplish in your career.
- Business development - it’s not selling, pitching, and convincing.
- Developing business and sustaining the work you are bringing in.
Key Takeaways:
- Do the little things that you know you need to do, trust the process, and it will lead to clients and revenue.
- Business development is more than “just get out there.” Working with a coach can help you to find structure and direction in your business development.
- Offer help to others and follow through.
- You are not the right person for everybody, but you are the right person for some people.
"Many people are willing to help as long as you ask, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask." — Alex Stamatoglou
Connect with Alex Stamatoglou:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexstamatoglou/
Phone: (708) 228-6284
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Lana Manganiello discuss:
- Why business development matters as an attorney.
- Control and how it makes or breaks your career.
- Tips to keep your business development going even while you’re busy.
- Business development can be as formal or as informal as you make it.
Key Takeaways:
- Business development gives you control over who you work with and what matters you work on.
- Take a moment to look at the bigger picture and look at the value that you provide. What you do is more interesting than you may think.
- Hyperfocus on what type of work that you want to do more of and go after that specifically.
- The key to business development is intentionality, no matter how you choose to do it.
"Business development is the key to career fulfillment in the legal profession." — Lana Manganiello
Connect with Lana Manganiello:
Website: equinoxstrategy.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lanamanganiello
Email: lmanganiello@equinoxstrategy.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Deb Smolensky discuss:
- Missteps companies are making as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Retraining our brains to be our best, authentic self.
- Mental health and mental wellbeing.
- Bringing positive energy into the micro-moments of your life.
Key Takeaways:
- We need to show up with empathy and curiosity as we meet with people. Pause to get your footing with each scenario and each individual.
- We are in a period of awareness. We are not the same person, things are not the same. Ask the curiosity questions, don’t just default to the old way.
- You can’t do two things at once. Your brain is not at peak performance if you are doing more than one thing at a time.
- When you are in your head in a conversation, that is when you stop listening. Put yourself in your shoes and deep listen to what they are actually saying.
"For those leading an organization, remember that what you're feeling or thinking isn't exactly what other people are feeling or thinking. Role model, and then pivot with curiosity and empathy, because they might not be there." — Deb Smolensky
Connect with Deb Smolensky:
Website: https://www.nfp.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiesmolensky/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Karin Conroy discuss:
- How websites have changed from the beginning brochure style to how they work best strategically now.
- Where lawyers and law firms are missing the boat on website design and strategy.
- Being unique and memorable from the first look of your website.
- Connecting your message with your design.
Key Takeaways:
- Website technology is constantly changing. Whenever you learn it, learn the principles and concepts about marketing and design and evolve with the changes.
- Don’t pretend that you know what you’re doing in building your website - work with someone who can strategically help you design your website for what you want it to do.
- Not everyone uses websites the same way you use a website.
- Conversion does not mean the same for every firm.
"Your calls to action need to be aligned with your positioning." — Karin Conroy
Connect with Karin Conroy:
Website: https://conroycreativecounsel.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinconroy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karinconroy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conroycreativecounsel/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Silverman discuss:
- Understanding your clients business.
- The trigger to developing long lasting relationships.
- Arrows in your quiver of business development.
- Tips and tricks for driving engagement.
Key Takeaways:
- Turn on news alerts for what is going on, when it is happening, in your clients business or industry.
- Use your calendar to keep yourself accountable to follow up and follow through.
- It’s okay to post content, even if you don’t create it, but make sure to read it so the post says what you think it is saying.
- It’s about engagement - it’s called social media for a reason.
"Follow up, follow through, and invest your time." — Mark Silverman
Connect with Mark Silverman
Website: https://www.dykema.com/professionals-mark_silverman.html
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksilverman3/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mo Lilienthal discuss:
- Separating yourself from the others in your field.
- Developing content to humanize yourself.
- Getting started on social media.
- Ways to get introductions and connect with those you may not have access to otherwise.
Key Takeaways:
- Social media is an equalizer for smaller firms. It is a way to build a network and stand out in your field.
- Each social media channel has its own niche. Find what is comfortable for you and the mix of personal and professional that works best for you.
- It’s not what you post, it’s the way you angle it and direct it.
- If you’re not doing business development, you’re getting left behind.
"Give yourself permission to share who you are." — Mo Lilienthal
Connect with Mo Lilienthal:
Website: https://www.martinsonandbeason.com/
Show: https://themoshow.live/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfPUKMLkhlYyFtDYDEAy91Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alabamacaraccidentattorney/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moscots73
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morris.lilienthal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molilienthal73/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gary Johnson discuss:
- A business coach for accountability and encouragement.
- Deliverables are more than a selling point.
- Networking in the transition post-COVID.
- The Gang of Five.
Key Takeaways:
- Continually work on your marketing - write down or communicate the idea as soon as you get it, don’t hold on it and hope to remember it later.
- Strategy without execution is nothing.
- Before you meet someone, do your research. Don’t show up knowing nothing about your prospective networking partner.
- The person who brings in the business has the power, not the greatest employee.
"You have to follow up in order to continue to build a good relationship with people - that’s what most attorneys should be doing, building a good relationship." — Gary Johnson
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rho Thomas discuss:
- The FIRE Movement.
- Managing the money you are bringing in and your lifestyle.
- Talk about the why, not just the what, when you’re trying to manage money with your partner.
- Gaining awareness around your spending to figure out how to get where you want to go.
Key Takeaways:
- Budgeting is really important - how you spend your money determines how you will invest.
- Aligning your spending with what you really care about...and leaving a gap in which to build your wealth.
- Understanding what you’re spending and what you need to put away is vital for your financially independent future.
- Be compassionate with yourself for the decisions you’ve made in the past. You made the best decision that you could with the information you had.
"When you give every dollar something to do, then you don’t end up with money falling through the cracks." — Rho Thomas
Connect with Rho Thomas:
Website: https://www.rhothomas.com/
Show: https://www.rhothomas.com/podcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamrhothomas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamrhothomas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamrhothomas/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jim Zadeh discuss:
- Having a marketing plan, in writing, that you stick to.
- Going beyond “get out there and network!”
- Marketing no matter what.
- Setting important goals that work towards what you want to achieve.
Key Takeaways:
- Be open with your friends and family that you are a lawyer and what it is that you do. To grow, you have to go beyond just friends and family though.
- Identify who you are, what you want, and what kind of practice you want to run.
- There is always someone doing better. Understand what you want and hold to those goals.
- Set your goals in writing and go over your goals with someone you trust.
"Use your passion in your marketing. You will find when people find you happy and competent that it will transfer over to your business." — Jim Zadeh
Connect with Jim Zadeh:
Website: https://www.zadehfirm.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpniN8YYjlJ7y6JOM6lyeUQ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimzadeh?trk=tab_pro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZadehFirm/?ref=hl
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jim_zadeh/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jane Tabachnick discuss:
- Getting visibility for yourself and your business.
- Why attorneys struggle with brand building and getting their name out there.
- Maintain relationships and hug an influencer.
- Things you can do today to push your brand in a positive direction.
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t have a business if there is no marketing or business development.
- It is about sharing your expertise in a way that is relatable for your audience or your target client.
- Let people know that you are available (and let them know what your tech set up is if it is an audio or video interview).
- Earned media is a way to gain additional exposure and credibility with a possible client.
You can’t have a business if you aren’t doing marketing or at least have someone else doing your marketing or your business development. It just doesn’t happen magically for anybody.” — Jane Tabachnick
Connect with Jane Tabachnick:
Website: simplygoodpress.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janetabachnick
Twitter: twitter.com/janetabachnick
Facebook: facebook.com/jmtabachnick
References:
HARO: helpareporter.com
The Go Giver: amazon.com/Go-Giver-Expanded-Little-Powerful-Business/dp/1591848288
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Susan Mendelsohn discuss:
- Susan’s strategy and relationship driven approach to recruiting.
- Mistakes and misconceptions have regarding recruiting and bringing in new lawyers.
- Being recruitable as a lawyer and what to look for when looking to move.
- How the pandemic has affected recruiting.
Key Takeaways:
- As a law firm, be very specific about what your needs are and identify what the opportunity is.
- Demonstrate that you are out, marketing your firm and yourself, and identifying opportunities and bringing in business.
- If you are not successful at your firm, evaluate if it is you or if it is your firm.
- As things start to return to normalcy and the pandemic winds down, there will be a lot of movement as lawyers and firms find the right fit.
"I think the biggest mistake is not really identifying what the opportunity is, and being very specific about it: Why do you have that need? What is the opportunity for that person? Come to the table having something identifiable and exciting to that candidate. " — Susan Mendelsohn
Connect with Susan Mendelsohn:
Website: https://www.mendelsohnlegal.com/
Email: smendelsohn@mendelsohnlegal.com
Phone: 312-332-8801
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mendelsohn-legal-inc-/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-mendelsohn-46a1164/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mendelsohnlegal
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Clint Schumacher discuss:
- Resilience in athletics and in business.
- Connecting with those who have gone through similar challenges.
- Changing the shape of our adversity.
- Understanding and implementing your core values.
Key Takeaways:
- Failure is an important part of the learning process - we need to learn how to let that failure allow us to become better, not to beat us down.
- Our brains are powerful and we often play out situations in our brain - use it for good rather than for harm.
- There is incredible power in any word or phrase that follows “I am.”
- Because of advances in technology, we do less hard things than we used to do. Doing hard things will allow us to continue to grow and learn.
"Take some time to be still and listen. Find the space to devote the time to you and to the life that you want to lead." — Clint Schumacher
Connect with Clint Schumacher:
Website: https://www.findsecondwind.com/
Email: jclintschumacher@gmail.com
Book: https://findsecondwindbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clint-schumacher-a81b678/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_Clint
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findsecondwind
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Caroff discuss:
- Imagery in marketing.
- Understanding the purpose of the website before creating the design.
- Trying different types of marketing.
- Fitting together the parts of your marketing seamlessly.
Key Takeaways:
- Find what makes you unique within your field and allow that to shine. Get creative and allow your website to shine!
- Humans react to images before they react to text. Take the time to find the right image for your homepage banner.
- Clients hire people, not companies.
- Don’t make too many changes at the same time. It takes time to see the effectiveness of any tested changes.
"You want balance - you want it to be professional and clean enough that it represents you well, but you want it to be in the background, you have to come forward. It's what I call transparent design. If you're thinking about the design, either good or bad, you're not thinking enough about the person or the firm." — Michael Caroff
Connect with Michael Caroff:
Website: https://www.caroff.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Caroff
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caroff-communications/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroffCommunications
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Cotter discuss:
- Associations as a great way to network.
- Increasing engagement in networking meetings.
- Networking as gardening - it’s a long term process that takes attention.
- Setting appropriate expectations from the beginning.
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t just show up to networking events and hope that it works. You will make more of an impact if you can demonstrate leadership, speak, or otherwise engage with others.
- Have an agenda and be upfront about that being the goal of any meeting.
- Networking opens doors, but you have to go in and seal the deal.
- Accountability can help you to continue to improve your book of business.
"We have two ears and one mouth. In listening to clients, a big goal is to make sure I understand what their needs are and to be practical." — Dan Cotter
Connect with Dan Cotter:
Email: dac@h2law.com
Text: 312-502-7480
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cotterdan/
Website: https://howardandhoward.com/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Neil Tyra discuss:
- Decoupling yourself from the courthouse.
- Podcasting for education.
- Understanding your audience in podcasting or in blogging.
- Outsourcing those things that are not cost effective for you to do.
Key Takeaways:
- Outsource everything that you don’t need to do yourself.
- Don’t jump at every shiny opportunity that goes by. Say yes only to the things that you really need.
- Learn from other people in other industries.
- It's just an endless time and money suck if you don't learn from people that have been there and done it.
"There is such a need, a hunger, for the information that addresses the question ‘what they didn't teach us in law school about running a practice running a business." — Neil Tyra
Connect with Neil Tyra:
Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/ & https://www.tyralawfirm.com/
Email: Neil@thelawentrepreneur.com & neiltyra@tyralawfirm.com
Show: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/episodes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneur & https://twitter.com/neiltyra
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hl
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chuki Obiyo discuss:
- Diversity, inclusion, and equity in business development.
- Business development as a method and tool of empowerment.
- The top challenges and concerns people face in business development.
- The Diversity Business Development Roundtable.
Key Takeaways:
- There is accountability with your actions in every roundtable or initiative that you take part in.
- You must follow up after your initial interaction with a new contact. Instead of waiting, set up a next action step at the end of a meeting (such as scheduling your next meeting right then).
- Having a business plan will allow you to prioritize your time and help you plan for your business goals. It will also help you to be strategic and intentional about those you connect with.
- You do learn powerful skill sets in law school. Some of them just need to be translated to business development, such as research, documentation, and the ability to be curious and ask questions.
"I'm very excited about [The Diversity Business Development Roundtable]. This is solution oriented. We can ideate and strategize on problems all day. But, eventually, someone's got to put pen to paper or take the right step. From a diversity perspective, this is absolutely a small step in the right direction. We'll continue to add steps to that and climb mountains." — Chuki Obiyo
Connect with Chuki Obiyo:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chukiobiyo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawchuki?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuki_law/?hl=en
Register for the Diversity Business Development Roundtable here!: https://fretzin.com/events/diversity-business-development-roundtable/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Carl Ficks discuss:
- Taking control of your wellness as a busy professional.
- Taking better care of yourself than your car.
- Having specific goals in your health and wellness, not just your career.
- Carl’s 10 Steps for getting back in the game.
Key Takeaways:
- You cannot get through long days on RedBull and Snickers. You need to take care of your body and health to sustain you through the longer days.
- Physical activity and exercise are effective treatments for anxiety.
- Fitness is a bedrock success principle.
- The results will be there if you put in the effort.
"Compete against yourself. You’ll find it to be far more rewarding." — Carl Ficks
Connect with Carl Ficks:
Website: https://carlficks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlrficksjr/
Get Carl’s 10 Steps for Getting Back in the Game Here!: https://carlficks.com/free
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Colin Li, and Sam Alkoubey discuss:
- Technology as a value add to your legal space.
- The change in client intake in the pandemic and as we are moving back to in person.
- The upsides to electronic payments and automation.
- Utilizing Practice Panther to help your practice succeed.
Key Takeaways:
- Build out electronic intake forms and embed them onto your website - it will stand out to your potential clients and you get all the information directly to you in a way that will allow you to qualify the client.
- You need to understand how your team and equipment is working for your marketing, especially in regards to time and money.
- Automation allows you to, with low overhead, set up shop as a solo practitioner with great success.
- When looking for software to help your practice succeed, look for something that is easy to use and also customized for your practice, such as Practice Panther.
"It's super important for people to understand that as scary as it is to leave, once you make that jump, you're going to feel so confident and ambitious. That’s only going to provide more momentum for yourself to continue being more and more successful in what you're doing." — Sam Alkoubey
Connect with Colin Li:
Website: https://joinparadigm.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-li-607527b/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/practicepanther-law-practice-management-software/
Connect with Sam Alkoubey:
Website: https://www.practicepanther.com/
Email: Sam@PracticePanther.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samalkoubey/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gerry Riskin discuss:
- Leadership agility in trying times and attributes of successful leaders.
- Learning, as a lawyer, from businesses and what works for them.
- The fragmentation of the law industry and how it affects the exploration of new ideas and forward thinking.
- Supplementing your own training as an individual lawyer.
Key Takeaways:
- New lawyers are not getting enough practice across a broad spectrum of practice areas.
- The positive story is managing by communicating with people, and communication is a two way street.
- You can go to sleep at night without making every single decision, and that’s okay. You’re still doing a good job.
- Every day that the firm has you working for them, they must earn you and deserve you, and you person must be worthy of being paid what that firm is paying you. That has to be true every day.
"We need to relate to our people with enough depth, that we honestly understand what they're enduring. We want peak performance from them, we want them to remain at their very best, but in order to do that, they have to believe of us that we care about them, and we're being considerate, and we're appreciative." — Gerry Riskin
Connect with Gerry Riskin:
Website: edge.ai & gerryriskin.com
Book: gerryriskin.com/publications
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gerryriskin
Twitter: twitter.com/riskin
Facebook: facebook.com/gerryriskin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sahmra Stevenson discuss:
- Having a successful practice without being at a desk.
- Recognizing how your job affects your mental and physical health.
- Utilizing technology to create the workplace you want to have.
- Lessons learned as a virtual lawyer.
Key Takeaways:
- If you build it they will come. If you build opportunities and those you’re hiring understand the why, you will find the right team.
- Working as a remote team, you need to make the work visible. Not only does it prevent overlap, or wasted time, but it actually raises morale and helps people knowing who's working on what.
- Communicate thoroughly with your client about expectations.
- There are many technology platforms out there that can help you give your client an in person experience without having to be directly involved at every step. Utilize what works for you and your firm.
"It's an outdated notion that clients need to come and look at your ego behind you on your wall in order for you to be effective. Live your life, do what you need to do." — Sahmra Stevenson
Connect with Sahmra Stevenson:
Website: https://www.saslawoffices.com/ & https://www.officewithoutwalls.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sahmra1331
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahmra-a-stevenson-esq-52320128/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officewithoutwalls/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SASLawOffices
Register for the MSBA Annual Legal Summit: https://www.msba.org/product/legal-summit-annual-meeting-2021/#registration
Featured CLE publications with highlights from MSBA’s 60+ library of original content: https://www.msba.org/featured-cle-publications/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dave Johnson discuss:
- What separates a normal negotiator from a grand master negotiator.
- The unpredictability in a negotiation and in the courtroom.
- Utilizing your immediate network to connect with decision makers outside of your circle.
- The importance of your own word choice and listening to another’s word choice.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to believe it is your courtroom and you are running the show, otherwise the show is being run on you. Either you’re in control or someone else is in control.
- In a community, within 4 degrees, there is likely somebody who has a way of reaching out to somebody you’re interested in connecting to.
- Make sure your bio is perfect - this can be your introduction to a potential client or partner and your first contact with that individual.
- How you present yourself can tell someone more than any amount of accolades on your website.
"If you present yourself in a way that generates confidence in the prospective client in the audience, you're going to get called." — Dave Johnson
Connect with Dave Johnson:
Professional Bio: law.stanford.edu/directory/david-johnson
Website: davidwjohnson.co
Email: dwj@law.stanford.edu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/djohnsonllc
Twitter: twitter.com/Johnson_DavidW
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Wayne Pollock discuss:
- Content as your biggest advocate.
- The cumulative effect of content and creating content from conversational topics.
- The two kinds of marketing and business development content.
- Balancing your content and going broad, beyond your specific field of law.
Key Takeaways:
- The burden is on the lawyer to write compelling material that keeps the reader engaged in marketing and business development content.
- Stay aware of what your clients and partners are thinking and asking about, even in passing, and use that to create your content.
- What your client’s concern is today, could be your future client’s concern in a few months.
- You don’t need to give away your secret ingredients. Your content is giving out samples to prospective clients who can then come to you for more individualized information.
"Today’s conversation is tomorrow’s blog post. Listen very carefully to the questions your client is asking and the concerns they are raising." — Wayne Pollock
Connect with Wayne Pollock:
Website: lawfirmeditorialservice.com
Email: Wayne@lawfirmeditorialservice.com
Website: copostrategies.com
Website: writelessbillmore.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynepollock
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Corinne Heggie discuss:
- Advocating for yourself from early in your career.
- Finding success without losing the balance in your life.
- Fitting business development into your day-to-day activities.
- Turning the friendzone into business success.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn to ask for what you want. “No” is just “no right now” not “no forever.”
- Ultimately, nobody cares as much about your success and career trajectory as you.
- There is no barrier to entry. You enter where you are, where you feel comfortable, and where you feel authentic, because that's where you're going to be able to do your best work and connect with people.
- Having your own clients is a complete game changer, both if you are a solo practitioner and if you are a big law firm.
"If you have your own clients, you have a little bit more flexibility with how your day is gonna look." — Corinne Heggie
Connect with Corinne Heggie:
Website: wochnerlawfirm.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/corinne-cantwell-heggie-04b27b16a
Facebook: facebook.com/corinne.heggie.7
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Conrad Saam discuss:
- Focusing on what is important to the client right now, not the financials.
- Seeing marketing as an investment, not a cost or as part of a budget.
- Be proactive about problems and upfront in your communication.
- Making helping your clients achieve their goals your goal.
Key Takeaways:
- When people are hiring a lawyer, they are hiring a person, not your law degree or your mahogany desk. Proving you give a damn and having empathy really is a competitive advantage.
- Don't ask clients what their budget is, tell them what their investment needs to be.
- As an agency, your priority is not making yourself look good, it is solving the problem for your clients.
- Speak in business terms, not technical jargon.
"We don't tell them about costs; we don't talk to our clients about budgets or dollars. Everything is framed in terms of an investment, because that's what marketing is. If it's not an investment, it is lighting your kid’s college fund on fire." — Conrad Saam
Bedlam Conference: bedlamconference.com
Get 50% off your ticket to the Bedlam Conference starting May 26, 2021 by using Promotional Code: STEVE!
Connect with Conrad Saam:
Website: mockingbird.marketing
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/conradsaam & linkedin.com/company/mockingbird-marketing
Twitter: twitter.com/MockingbirdMktg
Facebook: facebook.com/conradsaam & facebook.com/Mockingbird.Marketing
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Terry Isner discuss:
- What culture is and how it is part of the entire organization, not just at one level.
- Giving culture a seat at the table.
- Finding the common hard things from different departments of your organization.
- Treating people the way they want to be treated.
Key Takeaways:
- Culture does not have boundaries if we believe in it and have a set of behaviors already in place.
- Words have weight - little things that we say and do because we're in a hurry, that we think are not offensive could absolutely destroy a culture.
- Law firms need to become more empathetic at the people level, and not at the profit level.
- Be confident in being you, regardless of who you are.
"The thing that we have to start to understand is really the culture’s behavior. The idea of that is, if there are certain behaviors in which our client expect of us or which we wish to put in place - why we do what we do - that begins to create that culture." — Terry Isner
Connect with Terry Isner:
Website: jaffepr.com
Email: tisner@jaffepr.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharingtmi
Twitter: twitter.com/sharingtmi
Instagram: instagram.com/sharingtmi
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michelle King discuss:
- The importance of media relations to your law practice.
- What becomes newsworthy and the timeliness of your content creation.
- Critical roles for attorneys to play in the media and in current events.
- Spotting trends and understanding how you fit as a media expert.
Key Takeaways:
- Media coverage is a huge boon to SEO and your perceived authority.
- Consistency is the key to all marketing and business development activities.
- Consume the media that you want to be featured in to get a sense of what they are looking for.
- Journalists do keep track and pay attention to press releases if done in a timely manner.
"It's training your brain to think: How can I insert myself into this dialogue? In this topic? What's happening in the world? Why is this relevant to my clients? And what analysis and expertise can I add to the discussion?" — Michelle King
Connect with Michelle King:
Website: https://www.rep-ink.com/
Resources: https://resources.rep-ink.com/lawyers-published
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rep_ink_jax/
Blog: http://inksights.rep-ink.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reputation-ink/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecking/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rep_ink & https://twitter.com/MichelleCKing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reputationink
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Seth Price discuss:
- Challenges lawyers face in digital and online marketing.
- Understanding your cost of money.
- The changing world of SEO.
- The get to know you phase of SEO before clients may full commit to you and your company.
Key Takeaways:
- High quality content and authoritative links have been, and continue to be, the one-two punch of online marketing and SEO.
- Demonstrate yourself as a thought leader in a substantive area and you will gain notice.
- Quality content is king.
- Depending on where you are at in your business will change what your focus should be.
"Once you get to a certain number of page count, it's more important to get the highest quality content. When somebody says you want quality or quantity, my answer is generally both, but I would say is, you get to a point where pruning is important." — Seth Price
Connect with Seth Price:
Website: blusharkdigital.com & pricebenowitz.com
Text: 347-661-9999
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sethprice
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Katy Mickelson discuss:
- The critical role of relationships in building your law firm.
- Relationships with clients and relationships with business partners.
- Creating key strategic partnerships.
- Managing expectations.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to balance providing value with your firm and providing value to your clients.
- A lot of family law is based on trust and a feeling for your attorney. You need to understand how you attract clients and what it is that keeps them with you.
- Listening and asking questions, from both a business development standpoint and a client management standpoint, has always been and will always be really important.
- It is a never ending learning process - what works for one client may not work for another.
"I do it purposely - I network, I create relationships with purpose, because you can't be everywhere, it's just not effective." — Katy Mickelson
Connect with Katy Mickelson:
Website: beermannlaw.com
Email: khmickelson@beermannlaw.com
Phone: 312-621-9700
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-homburger-mickelson-580b793/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Rockwell discuss:
- Top challenges law firms are struggling with.
- Understanding the vision of your firm.
- Achieving success and quality in any culture.
- Avoiding communication ball drops.
Key Takeaways:
- Get clarity over what you want to do, where you want to go, and where you want your law firm to be in 3-5 years.
- To be successful, you must see your law firm as a business.
- You want to look for people who are humble, hungry, and smart.
- Where we need to start is to make sure that we have clarity in our communication.
"You cannot scale until you achieve consistency. You cannot achieve consistency until you have some type of process." — Mark Rockwell
Connect with Mark Rockwell:
Website: coachrockwell.com
Email: Mark@coachrockwell.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/coachrockwell
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay McAllister discuss:
- The one factor that will take you to the next level.
- Where lawyers waste time because they don’t have the right tech in place.
- Understanding why the technology is beneficial and how it fits into your practice.
- Looking at the discomfort versus the impact on the firm.
Key Takeaways:
- From a technology standpoint, all of the elements are critical to ensuring that the attorney and their support staff can operate as efficiently as possible.
- For the technology to work, people have to use it. For people to use it, it needs to be simple and cohesive.
- You may not want to implement new technology or a system that causes more discomfort than beneficial impact.
"Technology has to work as an ecosystem - the software, the hardware, the services, the scheduling, everything has to be self-contained. There can't be any redundancy in there, as far as systems or services that do the same function. At the end of the day, you're paying for all of those things." — Jay McAllister
Connect with Jay McAllister:
Website: paragonus.com
Email: Jason@paragonus.com
Phone: 815-556-1145
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaymcallisterit & linkedin.com/company/paragon-tech-inc
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo7-PTYl-HY2ZGrMCQ-C3gQ
Facebook: facebook.com/Paragontechit
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Amy Gardner, and Keith Sbiral discuss:
- The effect of remote work and the transition in the legal field.
- The necessity of formal and informal engagement between coworkers.
- The process of reintegration and rebuilding of teams.
- Engaging your team in the changing environment.
Key Takeaways:
- Employee engagement is at an all-time low, and disengagement is at an all-time high. While productivity may be up, more and more people are working more hours, on average 3 more hours each day leading to a higher level of burnout.
- Reintegration is going to need to be a slower, more contemplative process than what happened last March with the sudden shift to remote work.
- It is important to have a mission statement that everyone in the firm can relate to and understand how their role supports the mission.
- Use this time to reconnect in impactful ways and engage everyone with the reintegration process.
"Don’t wait. Have these conversations now and figure out what is going on now." — Keith Sbiral
Connect with Amy Gardner, Keith Sbiral, and Apochromatik:
Website: apochromatik.com
Email: Keith@Apochromatik.com & Amy@Apochromatik.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/apochromatik
Amy’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amygardner
Keith’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keithrsbiral
Twitter: twitter.com/apochromatik
Facebook: facebook.com/apochromatik
Sign up at www.aposignup.com/btl for a FREE 30-minute consultation!
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Moshe Amsel discuss:
- Making your business successful by putting profit first.
- Solving the problems, not hiding behind an excuse or playing the blame game.
- Setting your intentions for success.
- Hiring to make room for new business and provide the best customer experience.
Key Takeaways:
- There is an opportunity cost to every problem that is not solved. Once the money is lost, it will never be brought back.
- Do everything you do with intention. Understand what you want, have a plan to get there, and go after that with intention in all your actions.
- Solo doesn’t mean you can’t get more help. You can have a solo law firm and still bring in other people to help.
- Intention - it’s one word, but it is everything.
"What I have found is that lawyers are scared of the numbers. And that fear, which is completely irrational, is actually what keeps them from fixing the issue." — Moshe Amsel
Connect with Moshe Amsel:
Website: ProfitWithLaw.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mosheamsel
Twitter: twitter.com/moshe_amsel
Show: Profit With Law Podcast - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profit-with-law-profitable-law-firm-growth/id1457441443
References:
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz: mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Frank Ramos discuss:
- Utilizing platforms, such as LinkedIn, to retain relationships even when we are social distancing.
- Getting creative with fitting marketing into your day, not disrupting your day.
- Finding your habits and footing in your professional social media presence.
- Educating, motivating, and promoting your’s and other’s success on social media.
Key Takeaways:
- It is never too early to start developing relationships, in-person and online, because you don’t know where your next case will come from.
- Find ways of marketing that don’t disrupt your day very much.
- Part of the process is getting acclimated to your platform of choice. Part of the process is generating content - keep a place for notes to be made quickly when you’ve got a thought.
- You need to stay relevant, and stay seen, to be successful in the industry these days.
"What I recommend is that you try to connect and follow people in the area of practice you're in and see what they're doing and seeing how they're communicating with their respective audience." — Frank Ramos
Connect with Frank Ramos:
Website: cspalaw.com & miamimentor.com
Books: miamimentor.com/bookshelf
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/frankramosylt
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Formeller discuss:
- Getting out and meeting people who you want to work with.
- How to get in front of the right people.
- Tips for building relationships, not just empty networking.
- Qualifying and disqualifying people when you meet them for your networking and relationship roster.
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on giving more than you are getting. Have a plan in place so you know who you are looking to ultimately meet.
- Being a resource for those you are connecting with is a great way to stay on their radar and to be a better networking partner.
- If you’re not growing and learning, you’re dying.
- Relationships are reciprocal and rotating.
"Once you meet somebody, if you hit it off, the worst thing you can do is just forget about them and assume they're gonna call you. It's a two-way street." — Matt Formeller
Connect with Matt Formeller:
Website: formellerlaw.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewformeller & linkedin.com/company/formeller-&-formeller-llp
Twitter: twitter.com/FormellerLaw
Instagram: instagram.com/fnfllp
Facebook: facebook.com/Formellerlaw
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ivy Slater discuss:
- Having challenging, specific, written down goals.
- Traits that make a visionary leader.
- Elements of creating a positive habit.
- Real relationships for real results.
Key Takeaways:
- You need to have a tangible plan with actionable items that happen with consistency to build the habits to meet your goals.
- Take small actionable steps that you are being held accountable to and you can build on. Don’t try to climb the mountain all at once.
- Relationships are the golden ticket to success.
- Great listeners, who build great relationships, will have great success.
"Every day you have to be consistent. You want to be strong. You want to build a strong firm, a strong association, a strong foundation. You have to have that commitment and build the habits that get you there." — Ivy Slater
Connect with Ivy Slater:
Website: SlaterSuccess.com
Book: barretoboardroombook.com
Show: slatersuccess.com/podcasts
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCJ8b1sGnADlpFE2NrqUfToQ
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivyslater
Twitter: twitter.com/SlaterSuccessCC
Facebook: facebook.com/slatersuccesscoaching
Instagram: instagram.com/ivyslaterssc
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jason Ciment discuss:
- Things lawyers struggle with in regards to marketing.
- Why good, well-thought-out content is vitally important for your firm.
- Elevating your content to the next level.
- The three components to good content online.
Key Takeaways:
- Content creation is just as important now as it was 30 years ago, you have a better ability to distribute it.
- You can repurpose good content in many ways - books, podcasts, articles, etc. It positions you as an authority, it gives you the ability to speak to referral partners.
- Education is the cornerstone of growth for a service-oriented business.
- Images will carry your reader through the text, which also improves sharability.
"Content is legitimately the biggest investment and most important investment an attorney can make short of personal relationships and professional relationships." — Jason Ciment
Connect with Jason Ciment:
Website: GetVisible.com & JasonCiment.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/get-visible & linkedin.com/in/jasonciment
Twitter: twitter.com/GetVisibleMktg & twitter.com/jasonciment
Facebook: facebook.com/GetVisibleMarketing
Book: I Need More Clients: Digital Marketing Strategies That Grow Your Business: amazon.com/Need-More-Clients-Marketing-Strategies/dp/1537108352
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ken Hardison discuss:
- Being willing to innovate and try new things in marketing.
- Creativity and innovation in business growth.
- The power in masterminds with fresh ideas and perspectives.
- Keeping in front of your already existing clientele.
Key Takeaways:
- It is all about perception and how you are viewed.
- There is enough business out there for everyone, but you need to get out there and take action, not just wait for it to come to you.
- You can learn by trial and error, or you can learn from other’s trials and errors.
- You don’t have to make big, grand gestures to your clients, but do make them meaningful to remain connected.
"When you get a referral, take the time to write a handwritten thank you note." — Ken Hardison
Connect with Ken Hardison:
Website: pilmma.org
Book: amazon.com/Under-Promise-Over-Deliver-Preeminent/dp/1599324989
Show: pilmma.org/grow-your-law-firm-podcast
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCckDYWg4ozuImSn5-ab5hAQ
Instagram: instagram.com/pilmma
Twitter: twitter.com/PILMMAorg
Facebook: facebook.com/PILMMA
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/pilmma & linkedin.com/in/kenhardison
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brett Trembly discuss:
- The jump in billable hours by hiring help.
- Offshore versus domestic hires.
- Outsourcing your recruiting and hiring to a reputable company (like Get Staffed Up).
- Understanding the building of business from the backend of the business.
Key Takeaways:
- You have to hire, then use the extra time to make the money to pay for that hire.
- Don’t miss the business that comes in from your marketing by being too busy with the marketing.
- Any time you are doing tasks that someone else could be doing, you are costing yourself money.
"Every second of the day, where you'r doing something that someone else could be doing you are costing yourself money because you can't get the time back. There's no make it up later in the day. Time doesn't work that way." — Brett Trembly
Connect with Brett Trembly:
Website: GetStaffedUp.com & tremblylaw.com
Twitter: twitter.com/Getstaffedup1
Facebook: facebook.com/GetStaffedUp
Instagram: instagram.com/getstaffedup
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/getstaffedup & linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly
Go to http://getstaffedup.com/vip and mention this podcast to get $500 off your start-up fee!
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ken Levinson discuss:
- Building trust-based, meaningful relationships in networking.
- From choosing a specialty to really niching down in your ultra-specific specialty.
- Looking at the numbers of your marketing, not just marketing haphazardly.
- Speaking as marketing to your niche.
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t be all things to everyone. Know what you’re good at, know what you’ve had success in doing, and focus on that.
- You will gain more cases by marketing to your strengths than to try and take all cases.
- Spend time developing relationships with other lawyers and marketing rather than taking cases outside of your focus area.
- Try and test different things - if it goes well, keep doing it. If it doesn’t, abandon it and abandon it quickly.
"Don't worry about losing a case. Think about all the other cases you'll get by marketing to your strengths." — Ken Levinson
Connect with Ken Levinson:
Website: LevinsonStefani.com
Email: Ken@LevinsonStefani.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kenlevinsonatty
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Norton discuss:
- Fundamentals of networking.
- Prioritizing networking and relationship building.
- Quality over quantity with networking connections.
- Keeping in touch with people you’ve already connected with.
Key Takeaways:
- Find ways to add value as early as possible with those you connect with. It will come back to you.
- When you go to networking events there are specific types of people you are looking to meet. Be polite, but you do not need to network with everyone that is not beneficial to you.
- You can gain a position of power with knowledge and a little bit of preparation before meeting with new connections.
- Schedule in the admin side of networking.
"I'll invite eight people from the common interest area and, we at least have one thing that we all get on. It's not just me, I'm not the only connector." — Michael Norton
Connect with Michael Norton:
Website: houlihancapital.com
Email: mnorton@houlihancapital.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-norton-houlihancapital
Twitter: twitter.com/SupConnections
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Russ Rosenzweig discuss:
- Perfecting your messaging with concise and precise wording.
- Being connected with the right person at the right time.
- Having a coach/advisor/business manager in the professional services world.
- Being proactive in the social part of social media.
Key Takeaways:
- There is no substitute for putting yourself out there.
- Get in the habit of making connections on LinkedIn with everyone you connect with.
- Read the posts of your clients and first-degree connections. Take the time to go through them as you would the news and look for excellence.
- Be genuinely interested in your connections.
"Take the extra minute to enjoyably read the profile of the GC or lawyer to move the conversation to an offline, in-depth, from the heart commentary about something you have in common, something you appreciate about their expertise." — Russ Rosenzweig
Connect with Russ Rosenzweig:
Website: roundtablegroup.com
Email: Russ@roundtablegroup.com
Show: roundtablegroup.com/engaging-experts
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/russ-rosenzweig-00b83a2a
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Baron discuss:
- The importance of developing a referral source in gaining qualified leads.
- The power in social media for marketing and relationship building.
- Continuing to network even through social distance.
- How to find your ideal client on LinkedIn.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s hard to create relationships and get referrals if you don’t have an excellent customer service experience.
- Be specific about who you want to talk to when you’re creating your social media posts.
- Text is so consumable, especially on social media. Audio and video aren’t always readily accessible, but text can be.
- Set your time for social media. Make that time effective, but recognize it can be addictive and hold yourself to what you say you will do.
"Look for opportunities to just break the script and wildly exceed their expectations." — Josh Baron
Connect with Josh Baron:
Website: sb-legal.net
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshuabaron
Twitter: twitter.com/baronjosh
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Monty Horn discuss:
- Using technology to run your business more effectively.
- The intersection of IT and Law.
- How to utilize advances in IT regardless of your law firm’s size.
- Having a tech team in your corner.
Key Takeaways:
- You can make relatively small changes that will be impactful right away.
- There are solutions out there that will save you time (and money) that are easy to implement and will make an immediate difference.
- Look at what you are doing for your client that you can’t charge for, that's the first and best place to save money with technology and automation.
"There's a huge opportunity out there for firms who want to grasp it, to do the sorts of automation, knowledge management, and document management that large firms have been spending a fortune on, but to be able to do it at a scale that works for them." — Monty Horn
Connect with Monty Horn:
Website: transformitysolutions.com
Email: MHorn@transformitysolutions.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/monroe-monty-horn-bb940ab
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jim Ries discuss:
- Gaining trust to earn business.
- The power in curiosity.
- Warm introductions, follow-up, and being interested rather than interesting.
- Be consistent, be active, and be engaged.
Key Takeaways:
- The key ingredient is trust in doing business with another person or organization.
- Prospecting doesn’t have to be a huge time suck. Ask those who are already connected with those you want to connect to for a warm introduction.
- Coach those who are introducing you so the table is set in a way that is a benefit to everyone involved.
- Staying top of mind with those you are connecting with is key.
"I decided that I was going to double down on my marketing and look for opportunities to get in front of the people that I want to be in front of. And the only way to get in front of people that you want to be in front of, is to create your own event." — Jim Ries
Connect with Jim Ries:
Website: OffitKurman.com
Email: JRies@OffitKurman.com
Mobile: 410-733-6133
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jries
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, and John Corcoran discuss:
- Giving first before you ask anything from your clients and future clients.
- The benefits of podcasting for your business (even if nobody is listening).
- Being complimentary not being a competitor with those in your industry.
- How podcasts benefit lawyers in branding, marketing, and prospecting.
Key Takeaways:
- A podcast is a tremendous foot in the door, it’s a great contact card, and it’s a great way of leveling your network connecting with the high caliber, high-quality clients that you want to work with.
- You need to be creating content. Podcasting is one of the easiest ways to create content to put it out in the world.
- You want your podcast living on your website and, when you distribute it, you want it to link back to your website.
- Be willing to network outside of your niche area. You don't have to go in with industry expertise, just go in with the expertise of what you’re there to serve those around you and you will deliver value.
"If you do a good job of getting referrals, targeting the right people having great conversations, podcasting can substitute for some of the other things that you're doing and it's more effective." — John Corcoran
Connect with Dr. Jeremy Weisz, John Corcoran, & Rise25:
Website: Rise25.com
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCydopT_PnCR7nt83cgbYjLQ & youtube.com/channel/UCw1pssoqLGIZWHlihG2SVRg
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drweisz & linkedin.com/in/corcoran
Twitter: twitter.com/InspireInsider & twitter.com/JohnCorcoran
Facebook: facebook.com/rise25innercircle
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ian Garlic discuss:
- Filming with having a sales tool in mind.
- Having a case story, instead of a case study.
- Videos and websites working in unison to strengthen your brand and company.
- What to look for in a video editor and in your video marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- Now more than ever, it is important to not look like every other attorney in your marketing.
- Have pre-prepared video answers to FAQs that you can send to clients when they ask.
- The best way to get better at video is to make as many videos as you can. You can always delete or rerecord later.
- If you make the video correctly, you will get a massive return on investment. You need to have someone who understands the market.
"When we started putting videos on websites, we could put videos anywhere and do anything, it was new, and people click on it, watch it. Now, you're battling against cats and babies, you've got to have intent with the videos, you've got to have it in the right place and integrate it with the website." — Ian Garlic
Connect with Ian Garlic:
Website: IanGarlic.com & StoryCrews.com
Show: iangarlic.com/podcasts
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iangarlic
Twitter: twitter.com/iangarlic
Facebook: facebook.com/ian.garlic
Go to storycrews.com/fretzin to get your FREE Storyboard Blueprint and other lawyer resources!
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Schneider discuss:
- The importance of business development, even when working in big firms.
- Setting up networking situations to bear fruit.
- Identifying the truth with your connections.
- Removing the personal from the rejection.
Key Takeaways:
- Spend time cultivating relationships, but spend that time wisely and do those things that actually make a difference.
- Develop a very tight and focused business development plan that focuses on 2-3 specific things that you know will produce good results.
- A “no” is the second-best possible answer you can receive because it is a definitive answer.
- Focus on the things that are actually leading to additional business.
"I'm not just meeting people haphazardly, I'm focusing on the people who are good strategic partners for me, and who I can be good strategic partners for, as well." — Jeremy Schneider
Connect with Jeremy Schneider:
Email: Jeremy.Schneider@JacksonLewis.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jsschneider
Twitter: twitter.com/jer_schneid
Website: JacksonLewis.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Mark Carter discuss:
- The power in mentoring and collaboration.
- Sharing ideas without an NDA.
- The relationship between mentoring, marketing, and big ideas.
- The key to finding a mentor that is a good fit for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Collaborate - never try to go alone.
- Always be marketing your ideas. Share them, don’t be afraid people are going to steal them.
- The checklist for mentoring is getting advice, support, and/or connections.
- The content created from conversations is worthwhile. It can be used to continue further conversations, to drive business, and to share wisdom and information with others.
"I've discovered the checklist for mentoring is getting advice, support, and or connections. And the advice is experiential advice." — Mark Carter
Connect with Mark Carter:
Website: MarkJCarter.com
Show: IdeaClimbing.com
YouTube: youtube.com/user/mjcarterTV
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjcarter/
Twitter: twitter.com/mjcarter
Facebook: facebook.com/mjcarter
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Allison Williams discuss:
- Systematizing your law firm to remove yourself as a critical bottleneck in your business.
- Creating workflows from the beginning of a file.
- Giving your employees a level of autonomy and authority to increase worker engagement.
- Changing your mindset around hiring.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn to delegate - there are a lot of things that have to be done, and if you are doing everything you are not going to have the time to do the things that you are the only one that can do it.
- Define the responsibilities of each role throughout the workflow so everyone knows what to do and when to do it.
- Speak in the “we” at all times - the client is not hiring you, the lawyer, they are hiring all of your firm with their defined responsibilities.
- Have a closed door, but open floor policy. Everything gets scheduled, but give your uninterrupted attention when you give that time.
"You really have to be thinking, at all times, who is the least paid, most qualified person to do this task. And if there's anyone other than you, you need to be looking to press the work as far down as possible, so that the higher-level work can be done by the lawyer, and ultimately make the most money in the most profit off of every activity in the business." — Allison Williams
Connect with Allison Williams:
Facebook: facebook.com/LawFirmMentor
Website: lawfirmmentor.net
Show: Crushing Chaos - lawfirmmentor.net/podcast
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allisoncwilliams
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeffrey Bunn discuss:
- The practices of mindfulness and meditation to be a better lawyer.
- Why lawyers are so stressed out.
- Fitting your mental health into your physical health routine.
- Figuring out what is important to you and making time for those things.
Key Takeaways:
- In the legal profession, taking care of one’s mind is every bit as important as taking care of one’s body.
- Uncertainty and time are large reasons why there is so much stress in the law industry.
- It is important to have time for you, both intentional and unintentional.
- Meditation doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out thing. It can be down in smaller chunks as you train your mind.
"The mind is always thinking thoughts and, from observing our thoughts, we can learn more about ourselves." — Jeffrey Bunn
Connect with Jeffrey Bunn:
Website: themindfullawgroup.com
Email: jbunnlaw@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-h-bunn-85bb719
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jon Morris discuss:
- Sales and marketing for the growth of your law firm.
- Stepping into 2021 with a clear focus for scale.
- Understanding what you, as an individual, want to do within your firm.
- Having the right mindset for growing your law firm.
Key Takeaways:
- Every business has sales, marketing, operations, and something to do with clients and customers.
- Your job is not to be a lawyer, your job is to be the CEO of a law firm.
- There is always an opportunity for marketing and for growth.
- Testing is always part of marketing. Until you allocate money, you have no idea if it is going to work.
"If you want to go above the noise, and you want to generate more leads than you currently generate, you have to do something different." — Jon Morris
Connect with Jon Morris:
Website: RamsayInnovations.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonmorrisriseinteractive
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bill Sugarman discuss:
- What firms are looking for in lateral hiring.
- The top reasons that lawyers are looking to change firms.
- The misconceptions about building a book of business.
- Why you may want to work with a legal recruiter (such as Astor Search) when looking for new lawyers for your firm or your own lateral move.
Key Takeaways:
- Having your own established book of business can make a difference in your compensation when moving between firms.
- You always want to be yourself, but you don’t want to get too comfortable in an interview or with a law firm. It requires a measured approach that is professional in nature at all times.
- You need to do your due diligence on the firms you are looking to move to see if you are a good fit for them and them for you.
- Don’t discuss politics or religion - you don’t want to alienate anyone before you even have a chance to work with them.
"The ability to develop a book is more than just the immediate compensation, the ability to develop a book and have a well-entrenched client base allows an individual to really get to the next level, and, frankly, control their destiny in a material way." — Bill Sugarman
Connect with Bill Sugarman:
Website: AstorSearch.com
Phone: 312-781-9000
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billsugarman
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Christopher Melcher discuss:
- The most important things lawyers need to know about marketing.
- What holds lawyers back from marketing.
- Learning through speaking at seminars.
- Understanding your niche and your call to action.
Key Takeaways:
- While many lawyers may believe they are beyond marketing and above it, for growth and scalability, marketing is necessary to grow your business.
- Market to other lawyers - that is who is going to send you work.
- Learn how to speak in front of a group, learn how to be memorable or entertaining.
- Ask for the reviews. People are looking for social evidence to understand someone’s value.
"If you want to grow and go beyond [a small solo practice], and make a lot more money, you need to bring in more clients. The only way you're going to do that is with a marketing strategy that makes sense and that you apply." — Christopher Melcher
Connect with Christopher Melcher:
Website: WalzerMelcher.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ccmelcher
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Larry Kaufman discuss:
- Networking from your early career all the way through to retirement.
- Utilizing LinkedIn as a networking tool to connect with your connection’s connections.
- Targeting while networking.
- Having a good foundation network.
Key Takeaways:
- Sometimes you need to show someone the way on how to introduce you to their network.
- Be more specific in who you are requesting to network with. You have to know where you want to go and who you want to work with.
- Understanding who the best connectors are for a referral.
- Connect to connectors, not just takers.
"It’s not the people you know, it’s who they know." — Larry Kaufman
Connect with Larry Kaufman:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/larrykaufmanlinkedinspeaker
Book: The NCG Factor - amazon.com/NCG-Factor-Life-Changing-Relationships-Retirement/dp/173306351X
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Regina Leslie discuss:
- Developing confidence in the business world.
- Getting out of our own heads, slowing down, and listening.
- Maximizing the impact of virtual meetings.
- Tips for presenting, regardless of your size of the audience.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s the self-focus that gets in our way. The more we focus on others, and really listen and engage with that person, the anxiety will immediately drop.
- Take away fillers and utilize the power of the pause.
- Look directly into the lens when you are in virtual meetings - it makes all the difference in connecting to the other person.
- The size of the audience is less important than the way that you present yourself. Speak directly one to one person (or group) as you speak.
"People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. You can’t sell that convincingly with a slide as much as you can with your voice and who you are." — Regina Leslie
Connect with Regina Leslie:
Website: reginaleslieconsulting.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/regina-leslie-39b4a615/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Phil Gafka discuss:
- The top leadership and culture challenges that are faced in the workplace.
- Putting the right people in the right seats.
- Understanding what your values mean to your organization.
- Posing questions to influence change.
Key Takeaways:
- You manage the process, you lead people. As a “managing partner,” you need to learn how to lead your team, not just manage the processes of what is happening.
- There are potentially 5 generations working in your organization - stop talking about the difference and focus on the commonalities between us as a team.
- Values don’t have to transfer from one organization to another, but you do have to be honest and deep with understanding what your organization’s culture and values are.
- Set your sights on excellence, not perfection.
"The only way you can move forward is to accept responsibility and then make those connections." — Phil Gafka
Connect with Phil Gafka:
Website: leapcoaching.com
Email: Phil@leapcoaching.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philgafka/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sarah Tetlow discuss:
- Reducing stress and anxiety.
- Recharging your own batteries for the most productivity and functionality.
- Zoom fatigue and the dangers of back to back meetings.
- Sarah’s top time management tips.
Key Takeaways:
- The top two things to keep the stress down that you should be doing regularly: get good sleep and take breaks.
- If you know what your top 3 most important things are, it is easier to allow yourself time on your calendar to get those done and still take the breaks needed to reset.
- Be comfortable with what you are not working on.
- Write things down - you do not have space in your brain to effectuate the work. Write it down somewhere that it is accessible and a trusted source.
"It is important to hold space at the end of your workday to wrap up the last few things, or be comfortable with delaying it until the next day." — Sarah Tetlow
Connect with Sarah Tetlow:
Website: Firm-Focus.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-tetlow-42688b8/ & linkedin.com/company/firm-focus-llc
Facebook: facebook.com/Firm-Focus-2133715496717831/
Book Reference:
Getting Things Done by David Allen - amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Bill Himmelstein discuss:
- Becoming a partner, not a vendor with your networking partners.
- Leading through giving.
- Building your social capital and filling the well.
- The three keys to finding a great networking partner.
Key Takeaways:
- The greatest question you can ask someone is, “how can I help you?”
- Ask questions, be an active listener, and identify pain points for those you are connecting with.
- You will not stay closely connected with everyone if the fit isn’t right, but stay loosely connected via social media and be polite, you do not want to burn any bridges, but you also need to watch your time.
- Be clear upfront about your intentions to build a mutually beneficial networking relationship.
"When you can lead with giving it really disarms people. They don’t feel that you’re a salesperson trying to get them to purchase your service or product, but rather, you’re a partner of their’s trying to understand how you can best support the growth of their business." — Bill Himmelstein
Connect with Bill Himmelstein:
Website: tagcommercialbroker.com
Email: Bill@tagcommercialbroker.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamhimmelstein
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gyi Tsakalakis discuss:
- Defining your success metrics in advance of a marketing campaign.
- Having a business objective for your marketing plan.
- Social media strategies for lawyers and law firms.
- What lawyers should be focusing on with their marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- Ask a lot of questions - your best weapon is an education in what you’re talking about.
- Set clear expectations of what the partnership looks like from the beginning when working with any marketing or website expert.
- The key to social media is engagement. Having content is great, but engaging with others on their posts is a great way to make connections.
- Social media is like a networking event - you have to nurture the connections in order to get value out of the platforms.
"I really would focus on trying to stand out and delivering value over the next couple of years, because those are the people that are going to win the day in the future, no matter what the conditions in the landscape are." — Gyi Tsakalakis
Connect with Gyi Tsakalakis:
Website: GyiTsakalakis.com & AttorneySync.com
Email: Gyi@AttorneySync.com
Show: legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/lunch-hour-legal-marketing/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis
Twitter: twitter.com/gyitsakalakis
Facebook: facebook.com/gyitsakalakis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steven Lefkoff discuss:
- The power of video in giving instruction and information to your clients.
- Planning and executing his videos for Gavel Powered by Small Claims Academy.
- Embracing the changing technology to further help your clients.
- Using video across multiple platforms.
Key Takeaways:
- The video doesn’t need to be perfect as long as the sound is clear and understandable.
- Nobody wants you to listen to you read a transcript. You know your information, just talk. This is your area of expertise.
- Videos are another source of marketing. Make them and don’t quit, regardless of the schedule you choose. It is not a fly by night activity, you have to commit to it.
- Commitment is key. Some videos will hit stronger than others, there is no magic formula.
"You don’t have to have everything written down in perfect form before you do everything. That is not reality and it thwarts the ability to just do it." — Steven Lefkoff
Connect with Steven Lefkoff:
Website: SmallClaimsAcademy.com & Gavel.Legal
Email: Steven@Gavel.Legal
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stevenlefkoff
Twitter: twitter.com/slefkoff
Facebook: facebook.com/gavelsca
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Heather Pearce Campbell discuss:
- The massive opportunities in the legal industry if there is a slight focus shift.
- Recognizing where your potential customers are spending time.
- Differentiation is a way to stand out from the crowd.
- The discovery process that comes before committing to marketing and branding.
Key Takeaways:
- Show up, be in the conversation, and position yourself as the expert in your space, even before people are looking and recognize they need your services.
- Don’t be afraid to niche down and get very specific on what you do.
- It’s about breaking the black box legal model. You can give value and have that value come back to you in huge ways if you’re willing to put information and yourself out there.
- Study what other businesses (not law firms) are doing and what they are doing well.
"Collectively, we have a variety of opportunities, firms have different opportunities than solos and smaller practitioners do. But all together, we have an opportunity to be more creative about the way that we show up more creative about the way that we are in conversation with people who should be our clients." — Heather Pearce Campbell
Connect with Heather Pearce Campbell:
Website: LegalWebsiteWarrior.com & PearceLawServices.com
Email: Heather@PearceLawServices.com & Info@LegalWebsiteWarrior.com
Phone: 206-799-2539
Show: Guts, Grit & Great Business - legalwebsitewarrior.com/blog/category/podcast
Instagram: instagram.com/thelegalwebsitewarrior
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/heatherpearcecampbell
Facebook: facebook.com/HeatherPearceCampbell
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jordan Ostroff discuss:
- Being the best marketer, not just the best attorney.
- Finding your niche and playing to your strengths.
- Reasons to have a strong website.
- Top 3 tips for marketing your law practice.
Key Takeaways:
- You will learn more from failures and mistakes than from your successes. Don’t be afraid to try new things and see what works.
- Stand behind your work. Confidentiality is important, but so is transparency. If you don’t ever talk about your work nobody will know what you do.
- Your personal social media can be the best source of cases that you have.
- Your phone is the best piece of technology, shoot video clips on different topics and you will get more comfortable presenting in any situation.
"Think back to those brave war stories you tell everybody. Your best war story might be your niche." — Jordan Ostroff
Connect with Jordan Ostroff:
Website: jordanlawfl.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordan-ostroff/ & linkedin.com/company/jordanlawfl/
Facebook: facebook.com/jordanlawfl/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jared Correia discuss:
- Marketing and intake strategies for lawyers.
- How Gideon Software can assist lawyers and law firms.
- Putting the effort into marketing consistently.
- Asking for referrals and talking about what you do.
Key Takeaways:
- Physically track your day and find out where you can uncover personal inefficiencies. As you add personal efficiency to your day, there’s a better chance it’ll trickle down to other people.
- You don’t have to be a slave to the 9-to-5 schedule. Make your schedule fit with what works for you, whatever that looks like.
- Be open to new ideas and new opportunities. If you’re negative toward everything how will you ever get ahead?
- Make asking for a review part of your client experience, it doesn’t have to be a big thing, but you do need to ask and strike while the iron is hot.
"Content marketing is a place a lot of small firms, in particular, could do really well. And if you're a small business owner, you can be yourself, it's okay to be yourself. You don't have to be like someone else's idea of what a lawyer should be. You're gonna attract more people if you're authentic like that." — Jared Correia
Connect with Jared Correia:
Website: RedCaveLegal.com & Gideon.Legal
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia & linkedin.com/company/gideon-legal-software/
Twitter: twitter.com/RedCaveLegal & twitter.com/Gideon_Legal
Facebook: facebook.com/GideonLegal
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Walt Hampton discuss:
- The freedom that comes from discipline.
- Identifying your personal high-value targets.
- Enrolling and engaging others.
- Connecting with the things that make our hearts sing to go the distance.
Key Takeaways:
- Without a plan, we are in high reactivity mode all day. With a detailed plan for the week, then we have a roadmap to follow.
- Not everything is an emergency in your life - not everything needs to be handled with high reactivity day in and day out.
- The problem with a to-do list is that every item on the list appears to have equal importance, which is just not true.
- Become more active and engaged in your firm’s culture. Balance and time master do add to the bottom line.
"The single most important thing to realize is that while we all want to manage time, we can't. Time is not amenable to management. We can wrestle it all we want and it will come and go however hard we work at the management of it. We can become better masters of ourselves, and how we show up every single day and, in that way, master that limited time we have on this planet." — Walt Hampton
Connect with Walt Hampton:
Website: Summit-Success.com
Email: Walt@Summit-Success.com
FREE eBook: summitsuccess.lpages.co/the-power-principles-of-time-mastery
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/walthampton
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Ackert discuss:
- Reframing the mindset of business development.
- Organic and inorganic business development.
- Being organized in your outreach to those in your circles.
- Stepping up to be a coach in your own right.
Key Takeaways:
- With changes due to the pandemic, a lot of networking and connection is needing to be more purposeful and intentional rather than happening in the moment.
- Be focused on your inner circle and your outer circle - you won’t hesitate to reach out or make the calls. Now is the time to mature those relationships.
- You need to invest time, not just check a box with a generic newsletter. You need to have real-time, authentic conversations.
- Business development is relationship development, not a sales transaction alone.
"Business development is the exercise of helping people be their best selves in the context of the relationships that can help their businesses grow." — David Ackert
Connect with David Ackert:
Website: AckertInc.com
YouTube: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDc61u78wxY5EU8F4Gw5FY_pDKXnIjSRo
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ackert-inc. & linkedin.com/in/davidackert
Twitter: twitter.com/davidackert
Facebook: facebook.com/ackertinc
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Adriana Linares discuss:
- How technology can facilitate efficiency in the law industry.
- The benefit of practice management programs.
- Email and document management systems.
- Integration of tech products to add efficiency affordably.
Key Takeaways:
- Two of the biggest issues with technology is that the training is not properly done and people don’t know how to utilize all of the features.
- Systems, efficiency, and training are required to grow a law firm properly.
- Solos and small firms have an advantage over larger firms in becoming more efficient, making changes, and implementing them.
- As more and more tech products continue to work together, more lawyers are utilizing the different systems to help best manage their firms.
"Essentially, for $150 a month per head, your firm can run efficiently, securely, and mobile. I could not have given that number 10 years ago." — Adriana Linares
Connect with Adriana Linares:
Website: LawTechPartners.com
Show: New Solo Podcast - legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/new-solo/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrianalinares/ & linkedin.com/company/lawtech-partners/
Twitter: twitter.com/AdrianaL & twitter.com/LawTechPartners
Facebook: facebook.com/lawtech
Instagram: instagram.com/LawTechPartners/
LiteraTV: lawtechpartners.com/category/podcasts/literatv/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Neil Dishman discuss:
- Reasons to hire a business development coach (even if you seem really good at it already).
- The importance of business development to both young and seasoned attorneys.
- Clearing the head trash to learn how to develop your business.
- Having quality questions and a confident process and approach.
Key Takeaways:
- From the beginning, you should be working on your book of business. Not necessarily bringing in clients right away, but planting seeds, networking, and building relationships.
- As a lawyer, you are a business person with a product to sell. You don’t have any business to do if you don’t sell your product.
- The more experience you get and the more substance you build up in yourself makes it easier to spot issues, ask good questions, and build your book.
- There is no one skill or trait that is necessary to be a successful rainmaker that you don’t already have as a successful litigator.
"You need that book of business to have autonomy, to have security in your career. You can end up in a bad spot if you don’t." — Neil Dishman
Connect with Neil Dishman:
Website: JacksonLewis.com
Email: Neil.Dishman@JacksonLewis.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neildishman/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Matt Spiegel discuss:
- The value of CRMs in your law firm and what makes a good CRM.
- What makes Lawmatics such a great program for lawyers.
- Continuing your relationship with the client after the case has finished.
- Relationships as the key to your success as a business.
Key Takeaways:
- There is going to be some thought and commitment to setting up your CRM properly. However, it’s not as terrible as you probably think it will be.
- The learning curve of the platform should never be an issue when setting up a CRM.
- Lawyers must start thinking more like traditional businesses when it comes to customer/client interaction.
- If you aren’t nurturing your relationships with your clients after the case ends, that is money you are leaving on the table.
"When it comes to intake, follow-up is critical. Law firms that follow up immediately have a significantly higher conversion rate than law firms that don't do that." — Matt Spiegel
Connect with Matt Spiegel:
Website: Lawmatics.com
Email: Matt@Lawmatics.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mattspiegelesq/
Twitter: twitter.com/mattspiegelesq
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Scott Becker discuss:
- Overcoming barriers to build your book of business.
- Working with others, including a coach or mentor, to learn how to build your practice.
- Building your practice in a niche.
- Niche-centric and client-centric businesses.
Key Takeaways:
- Once you do the same thing 8-10 times, or more, people start to look at you as a serious professional trying to build something with a serious purpose.
- You have to have great branding, together with great legal services delivery, and a great team of lawyers to deliver those services.
- You have to be open for business, even if you’re not asking for business, constantly. Be in front of others and keep the two-way communication open.
- To make a great lawyer, you have to have the ability to do great analytical work and combine that with really good personal and communication skills.
"You have to be great at something. Once you're great at something, you understand what it takes to be great in other things. And so there's obviously a cost to specialization, but it's very hard to attract business, and serious business, without being great at something." — Scott Becker
Connect with Scott Becker:
Website: McGuireWoods.com & BeckersHealthCare.com
Email: sbecker@mcguirewoods.com or sbecker@beckershealthcare.com
Podcasts: beckershospitalreview.com/podcasts.html
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scottbeckermw/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jennifer Bennett discuss:
- What lawyers should be focused on to be successful in their practice or if a move (chosen or forced) is happening.
- How women in law today are getting ahead and getting a seat at the table.
- Leveraging the current circumstances to get ahead and get to the next level.
- Relationship building and networking as a core skill.
Key Takeaways:
- Self-sufficiency is more important than it's ever been. Most firms are hoping and expecting those looking to be partners to bring business with them on a move and that hasn't changed.
- Clients are demanding diversification on their case teams and their trial teams, and that has really pushed things forward in a really meaningful way for women.
- Women should have the confidence and recognize their value to firms
- Developing your book of business starts with your peers and grows from there, it doesn’t start in your fifth year of practice.
"Women shouldn't be afraid to take the time management bull by the horns and take the time they need to do the things they need to do outside the office. Just put it on your calendar, block it off, be confident, and handle your day the way you need to do it." — Jennifer Bennett
Connect with Jennifer Bennett:
Website: KBFSearch.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferbennett2
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Weinthal discuss:
- The lifetime skill of networking and business development.
- Knowing what you do well, what you don’t do well, and doing both.
- How business development is like baseball.
- Why the key to networking is relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- The law is a sales and relationship job, even if they never tell you that in law school.
- Failure is imperative. Without failure, there is no learning. Failure is the true constant in every career. Do those things that do not come easy, that make you uncomfortable, and fail forward.
- You cannot let internalisation eat you alive if something doesn't go the way you think it will.
- There is no shame in using a coach. There is no stigma or reputation that should ever attach to anybody for reaching out to somebody to ask for help in business development.
"No one particular type of networking or business development is perfect for everyone. Each person that decides they're going to have their own book of business and their own clients that's going to make them valuable to their organization needs to find the right way to network, or the right kind of networking, for them. That leads to optimal results." — Brian Weinthal
Connect with Brian Weinthal:
Website: BurkeLaw.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianweinthal
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gary Johnson discuss:
- Building networking and marketing strategies based on your strengths and your target market, not just what everyone else is doing.
- Tangible tactics to marketing your business.
- Writing a strategic business development plan and tweaking it as needed.
- Making connections and networking with TALENT.
- Getting the most out of networking on Zoom and taking advantage of the technology we all have.
Key Takeaways:
- A plan is great, but without action isn’t worth anything more than the paper and ink. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
- LinkedIn is a great platform to build new connections is a place where I find a lot of people are really messing things up because they're soliciting business from people they don't even have relationships with yet
- Set a goal - it gets the mind completely focused on that.
- Stories are very powerful ways of people remembering you, remembering what do you do, and, more importantly, how you helped that person out.
"Look at LinkedIn like you're at a networking event where you're shaking somebody's hand. It's the same thing." — Gary Johnson
Connect with Gary Johnson:
Website: j2marketingconsultants.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/j2marketingconsultants
Twitter: twitter.com/j2consultants
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Roy Sexton discuss:
- Defining business development and marketing, the relationship is between the two, and how best to integrate them.
- Listening to the coaches you bring in until it is built and hardwired into your DNA.
- Getting the full value out of your content and of social media.
- Being engaged in the social media community.
Key Takeaways:
- Marketing shows you where the door is, business development helps you walk through it.
- The business development technique you hold near and dear is not a silver bullet. It's what you do with it. It's how you develop relationships and how you build a book of business.
- With commitment, there is growth. Business development is a learned thing - you just have to stick to the regiment.
- The days of being able to avoid social media are over.
"We call it a rule of three. If you're speaking somewhere or you've written something, you've three bites at the apple on social media to promote that, at minimum. There's the time leading up to the webinar you're about to promote and promote that more than once." — Roy Sexton
Connect with Roy Sexton:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/royesexton/
Website: ClarkHill.com
Twitter: twitter.com/roysexton
Facebook: facebook.com/roy.sexton
Blog: ReelRoyReviews.com
Books:
- Reel Roy Reviews: Vol. 1: Keepin’ It Real - amazon.com/Reel-Roy-Reviews-Keepin-Real/dp/0615964907
- Reel Roy Reviews: Vol. 2: Keep ‘Em Coming - amazon.com/gp/product/0692360433/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
YouTube: youtube.com/roysexton
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jon Vegosen discuss:
- How Jon learned about the importance of relationships early in life and how it has affected his career.
- The benefits of being on one or multiple boards for both the lawyer as well as the board itself.
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained - keeping your higher purpose in mind will strengthen your position and your will.
- Building relationships that go above and beyond the legal work. Making everything about those relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- You don’t always have to agree, but it is how you disagree - with respect.
- Be responsive, provide first rate service, bring joy and always follow up.
- Develop your confidence so you can gain the confidence of clients and provide wise counsel.
- Always, always, always be there for your clients.
"I take a genuine interest in others, I befriend them, and they see that I care. I listen to them. With a high mission of service, I try to help them with things in their personal and business lives that may have nothing to do with legal issues." — Jon Vegosen
Connect with Jon Vegosen:
Website: FVLDLaw.com
Email: JVegosen@FVLDLaw.com
Call Jon directly: 312-701-6860
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/Jon-Vegosen-06b155/
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Justin Breen discuss:
- Looking for visionaries and seeing the ROI in PR.
- Creating real value and relationships.
- Tips and tools for lawyers to get ahead and build a better business.
Key Takeaways:
- Investments are investments, they aren’t a cost.
- The most important thing about being in media is to get validity and credibility both short term and long term.
- Raising your rates earns you respect for the people and clients that matter the most.
"I think of it as direct and I know who my tribe is, and it just weeds out all the nonsense, all the noise. And that's how I built this global successful company in three years." — Justin Breen
Connect with Justin Breen:
LinkedIn: Justin Breen
Website: BrEpicBusiness.com
Book: Epic Business: 30 Secrets to Build Your Business Exponentially and Give You the Freedom to Live the Life You Want!
Twitter: @BrEpicComm
Facebook: BrEpic Business Book
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Kait LeDonne discuss:
- Branding, marketing, and sales - how are they different and how do they work together for you and your company.
- The top mistakes companies and individuals make before going to market.
- Narrowing your niche to become the expert in that specific area.
- Keeping authentic with your branding.
Key Takeaways:
- People want to feel seen, heard, and understood. If you can tackle that in branding, you will have a step up for other aspects of your client relationship.
- NIche down your audience down to the details - if you’re not talking to somebody, you’re talking to nobody.
- FOCUS - Follow One Course Until Successful. Refine and perfect one marketing channel and dominate that before rolling it into another channel.
"Right now, social media attention is an all-time high. You need to be out there providing those comforting statements of what people don't know they don't know about how COVID is impacting them, and you need to be doing it on a platform where your audience is most likely spending time." — Kait LeDonne
Connect with Kait LeDonne:
Website: LeDonneBrands.com
LinkedIn: Kait LeDonne
Twitter: @kaitledonne
Facebook: Kait LeDonne
Instagram: @kaitledonne
Book: The Attraction Magnet
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay Harrington discuss:
- Seeing opportunity even in the time of COVID-19.
- Prioritizing business development.
- Networking efficiently and effectively with a plan.
- Investing in a coach and the benefits of doing so.
Key Takeaways:
- Don't assume that the opportunities aren't there, you've got to become more proactive.
- Prioritizing that one hour a day to work on business development is the most important thing you probably do all day.
- Business development is the key to financial freedom and security.
- There is value in making an investment. We take things more seriously if we invest dollars into something.
"You need to position yourself to be more visible and relevant in places where people are now searching for solutions - which is online." — Jay Harrington
Connect with Jay Harrington:
Twitter: @harringj75
Facebook: Harrington
Website: HCommunications.biz
Book: The Productivity Pivot & More!
Show: The Thought Leadership Project
LinkedIn: Jay Harrington
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Duc Trang discuss:
- Engaging with companies about their business specifically.
- How to get in the door with a high-level GC.
- The value of different billing models.
- Trends in the law field as a result of COVID-19.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s a lot cheaper to create additional revenue streams from your current client base.
- You want to have the headspace of your current clients so that they will have conversations about you when you're not in the room or when you're not asking
- We will all have our successes and our lack of successes.
- Take a clientcentric approach - stay curious and look outside of yourself and your career.
"In fact, [General Counsel are] probably talking to the firm because they've already been vetted that you have technical expertise, what they want to understand are two things: Do you understand my business and my business problem of which legal is only apart? And how would you marshall the resources at the firm to try to help you solve this business problems?" — Duc Trang
Connect with Duc Trang:
Website: MLAGlobal.com
LinkedIn: Duc V. Trang
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jim Lundy discuss:
- Why you want to grow your own book of business.
- Balancing business development, marketing, client service, and the billable hour.
- Changes to the legal community because of the current pandemic.
- Giving and assisting with sincerity.
Key Takeaways:
- The best way for a lawyer to be their own boss was to develop their own practice
- Treat your business development as important as the billable hour.
- View other lawyers as collaborators and as potential referral sources, not as competitors.
- We need to embrace the new reality and use the virtual opportunities that we have to continue to interact with our clients and potential clients.
"Whether you're on your own as a solo, whether you're in a small firm, or whether you're in a large firm, I think you do have to view yourself as your own businessman." — Jim Lundy
Connect with Jim Lundy:
Email: James.Lundy@FaegreDrinker.com
Cell Phone: 708-557-9656
LinkedIn: Jim Lundy
Website: FaegreDrinker.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Steve Seckler discuss:
- Getting to know others as a way to sell professional services.
- Challenges and issues facing lawyers in career transitions and building a law practice.
- Ways to start building your book of business.
- Transitioning out to potential retirement or out of the law.
Key Takeaways:
- Selling legal services is not about a hard sell. It’s learning about people's concerns and getting to know them over time.
- Lawyers, as a group, tend to be more conservative, which can make it difficult for them to make lateral moves or move to an equity role.
- Coaching is a strength, not a weakness. People have succeeded in every field at every level because of a coach.
- When you are thinking about transitioning, you want to have a plan in place. You won’t want to make the decisions on the doorstep out. You want to make the decisions long before you get out.
"The best subjects for coaching are the people that have the most potential." — Steve Seckler
Connect with Steve Seckler:
Twitter: @stephenseckler
Website: CounselToCounsel.com
Show: Counsel to Counsel with Stephen Seckler, Esq.
LinkedIn: Stephen Seckler
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brad Barkin discuss:
- Reasons for having insurance and challenges that lawyers face in making those choices.
- Networking to identify new business and new strategic partners.
- Being a better provider by going beyond the transaction.
- The changing landscape of the insurance industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Always be offering. What goes around comes around.
- Embracing technology and adapting that technology to your company can be massively helpful for you and your company.
- Being selfless goes a long way. If you’re helping someone, in more ways than standard, you will be a better advocate for your client.
- Insurance is not going anywhere, but there is more technology being inserted into the space which will only benefit the consumer.
"If you can be a provider or a source of expertise on something to the industry beyond simply insurance, then you're instantly a better advocate or a better provider then the next guy." — Brad Barkin
Connect with Brad Barkin:
Website: Embroker.com
LinkedIn: Brad Barkin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and David Fram discuss:
- The importance of good public speaking.
- Challenges lawyers typically have around speaking and how it can be helped.
- Key steps when giving a legal presentation.
- Enhancing not detracting from your presentation both in person and online with body language, visuals, and how you are laying out your presentation.
Key Takeaways:
- Any good teacher or speaker can make any topic interesting. A bad teacher or speaker can make even the most interesting topics boring.
- Content is a small part of a listeners takeaway - roughly 7% based on studies.
- You get credibility when you use the terminology that your audience knows and uses.
- People are motivated and learn through story. Be excited about what you are speaking about. Use your body to bring the audience into what you are saying.
"You’re getting tons of exposure when you do a presentation, you should be getting value back." — David Fram
Connect with David Fram:
Twitter: @FramNELI
Website: NELI.org & DavidKFram.com
Book: Raising the Bar: How to Give Outstanding Legal Presentations
YouTube: David K. Fram Speaker
LinkedIn: David Fram
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ron Bockstahler discuss:
- Natural networking while working in a suite of lawyers.
- Building your book of business from early in your career.
- Finding efficiencies to make the most out of what you have.
- The changes happening in communication and technology and how it is affecting firms.
Key Takeaways:
- Invest in space to have a successful law firm - but having third party offices may be a really good option.
- Collaboration is a key aspect to practicing law.
- Utilize this time that we have to build your brand, reconnect, and help those that you can.
- Revitalize old contacts and relationships while we have the time and technology to do so, even if it isn’t in person.
"We're seeing some firms look at pooling their back office resources into a separate third party company, which never thought you would have seen some of the largest firms in the world looking to do something like that. I think that's going to be happening more and more." — Ron Bockstahler
Connect with Ron Bockstahler:
Twitter: @amataoffices
Facebook: Amata Law Office Suites
Website: AmataOffices.com
Email: RonB@AmataOffices.com
Show: The 1958 Lawyer
LinkedIn: Ron Bockstahler & Amata Law Office Suites
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rich Lenkov discuss:
- Non-traditional marketing and branding to grow your book of business.
- Servicing your existing clients first, no matter what marketing you choose to do.
- Your must dos for succeeding in growing your practice.
- Utilizing other attorneys and skill sets in your firm to better serve your clients.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand and serve your existing clients by understanding their business and their principles.
- Be more than just a provider of a legal service - be a business partner first.
- As a good marketer, you will fail more than you succeed - if you’re not failing, you’re not trying.
- If you want to grow your business, and grow it well, you have to take the time to do it right.
"If you don’t service your existing clients first and take care of them, then all the marketing in the world won’t help." — Rich Lenkov
Connect with Rich Lenkov:
Twitter: @rlenkov
Website: BDLFirm.com & ChilaProductions.com
Show: Legal Face-off Podcast
LinkedIn: Rich Lenkov
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Russell Knight discuss:
- Getting clients from the strange questions you answer on your website.
- How regular contact can impact how you’re found online.
- SEO and content creation.
- Three things any lawyer should be focusing on now to build business.
Key Takeaways:
- When you write articles, be specific about what you write about, not a broad, general question, you will drive clients to you from their searches.
- A website is like a car, you can tell what year it is from just by glancing at it.
- Keep doing what you’re doing - double down on what is working for you.
- Invest in your website - consider going through a private individual rather than an agency and you may get a different artistic perspective.
"If you're doing research, you should be taking notes. If you're taking notes, you might as well turn it into an article." — Russell Knight
Connect with Russell Knight:
Twitter: @RDKLegal
Facebook: Law Office of Russell D. Knight
Website: RDKLegal.com & DivorceAttorneyNaplesFL.com
LinkedIn: Russell Knight
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Marc Siegel discuss:
- Getting respect, even from opposing counsel.
- Reciprocating referrals.
- Successful tips for growing your law practice through referrals.
- Having multiple buckets of incoming business in your book of business.
- Marketing as an opportunity to better your life and making the most out of every meeting you have.
Key Takeaways:
- You can never sacrifice your own reputation to satisfy what the client wants.
- Take good care of the referrals so the client and the contact are both satisfied that they are being taken care of.
- Get your website on the front page. To help with that, ask your clients for Google Reviews.
- Your brand is everything when you are working with individuals. Being a good lawyer isn’t enough.
"Assume that you’re going to start your own practice." — Marc Siegel
Connect with Marc Siegel:
Website: MSiegelLaw.com & ConsultTheNegotiator.com
Email: MSiegel@MSiegelLaw.com
Phone: 312-878-3210
LinkedIn: Mark Siegel
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Anita Ventrelli discuss:
- How Anita keeps, maintains, and builds relationships with clients.
- Drilling down to the why with your clients.
- Building relationships naturally.
- Confidence through preparation and effort.
Key Takeaways:
- Learning the why behind what is going on will help you to avoid miscommunication.
- Nobody likes to feel like they are a cookie cutter - everyone and their situation is unique.
- Network with an air of giving - especially those stronger connections in your circle.
- Increasing our collective knowledge helps us all work better together.
"We are always better when we are passionate about something." — Anita Ventrelli
Connect with Anita Ventrelli:
Website: sdflaw.com
Professional Bio: Anita Ventrelli
Blog: FamilyLawTopics.com
LinkedIn: Anita Ventrelli
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ryan Estis discuss:
- Important keys for speaking in front of an audience.
- Adapting and changing to customer expectations and sophistication.
- Asking effective questions to connect in conversation.
- Altering conversations during times of crisis.
Key Takeaways:
- The best speakers are master storytellers.
- Blend expertise and emotional resonance and you’re doing a good job.
- The sales process today has to be more customized and personalized. You have to create customer intimacy and get obsessed with customer outcomes.
- Most people love to sit on warm leads in the land of indecision, and that can often be the kiss of death for performance, too.
"We've got to learn to be comfortable being a little uncomfortable, having the courageous conversations, and getting clarity around where somebody is in their decision making process after a certain point in conversation or engagement." — Ryan Estis
Connect with Ryan Estis:
Twitter: @RyanEstis
Facebook: Ryan Estis
Website: RyanEstis.com
eBook: Adapt and Thrive
YouTube: Ryan Estis & Associates
LinkedIn: Ryan Estis
Instagram: @ryanestis
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discusses:
- Having a centralized list of all your key relationships.
- Think about where you are and where you need to be.
- Having and creating a marketing and business plan for your company.
- Finding your differentiator and your infomercial.
- Getting results from networking and qualifying a contact with T.A.L.E.N.T.
Key Takeaways:
- Create systems around you that will allow you to practice law.
- Look at your strengths and weaknesses - some of those weaknesses may be learned skills that you can improve.
- A business without a business plan is like a road trip without GPS or planned destinations.
- Your plan needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. Make it as specific as you can be.
- Business development is a learned skill.
"Business development has become a bigger part of what determines success as a lawyer.." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Jeremy Baker:
Website: OperationPalmtree.com
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Gershenson discuss:
- Enjoying the swing and the process of business development.
- Biggest mistakes professionals are doing in their social media and branding.
- Deciding what you will focus on marketing.
- Staying active and building your brand, even during COVID.
Key Takeaways:
- Mistakes are part of the game - treat them like a learning experience.
- There is no such thing as luck. Track your activity and learn the difference between an introduction and a quality introduction.
- Become a trusted advisor - answer questions on what you do and how you can help others serve their businesses.
- No brand strategy should take more than 2 months maximum.
"There’s a difference between niching your brand, and niching your business." — Dan Gershenson
Connect with Dan Gershenson:
Twitter: @DanOnBranding
Facebook: Caliber Brand Strategy + Content Marketing
Website: HighCaliberBranding.com
Phone: 773-677-6043
Book: Content Marketing for Local Search
Email: Dan@HighCaliberBranding.com
LinkedIn: Dan Gershenson
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Walker Lawrence discuss:
- Creating your own destiny through key relationships.
- Becoming a center of influence to grow your book of business.
- Leveraging technology to help you network.
- Quality versus quantity in your networking and relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- In order for you to have control of your own work and destiny, you have to take ownership of it. To do that, you need relationships and clients and have ways to bring value.
- If you don’t have the relationships, you aren’t bringing in the business (especially right now) which makes you more of a liability than an asset.
- Find a method that helps you to screen your relationships so that you can connect with the strongest relationships.
- Be open with your network and synergy partners so that they know who to introduce you to.
"Relationships are the driver of your business." — Walker Lawrence
Connect with Walker Lawrence:
Website: LGAttorneys.com
Email: WLawrence@LGAttorneys.com
LinkedIn: Walker Lawrence
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Colleen Hurley discuss:
- Colleen’s decision to hire a coach, and hiring a male coach, to grow her own book of business and business development skills.
- Finding a synergistic coaching relationship.
- Skills learned by working with Steve as her coach.
- What it takes to be successful in growing your book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- Gender should not be a consideration in who you work with - it has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the person and who you connect with for things to work well.
- By taking the pressure off, you’re more likely to work with someone as it doesn’t feel forced and you can build a genuine connection.
- Focus on your work product - you need to consistently provide quality representation for your book of business.
- If you care enough about something, you will make the time and prioritize it. Working with a coach can assist you in finding that time management while growing your book and strengthening you in your career.
"The thing that is most helpful is doing great work for someone - because then they’re going to want to refer you, they’re going to want to give your name to a friend who needs that same level of work." — Colleen Hurley
Connect with Colleen Hurley:
Website: LavelleLaw.com
Phone: 312-888-4112
Email: CHurley@LavelleLaw.com
LinkedIn: Colleen Hurley
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Christina Martini discuss:
- Christina’s journey from engineering to law school and how she got into her current role as a partner in the non-patent aspects of IP law at McDermott Will & Emery in Chicago.
- Developing a book of business for those who aren’t necessarily in front of clients every day.
- Learning new languages and plans, working with coaches, and growing as a lawyer in business development.
- Staying connected and finding normalcy during COVID-19.
Key Takeaways:
- The foundation of building your book of business is being excellent at what you do, developing your street cred, and enjoying being with clients, both figuratively and literally.
- It is important to put aside what your normal personality profile predilections are, get out there and make a name for yourself.
- Plans, processes, and languages are there to be learned and studied so that it becomes more normal and comfortable.
- Be as transparent as possible in the engagement process.
"Being excellent at what you do is just the beginning." — Christina Martini
Connect with Christina Martini:
Twitter: @TinaMartini10
Show: Paradigm Shift Podcast & Legal Face-Off
Website: MWE.com & www.paradigmshiftshow.com
LinkedIn: Christina Martini
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
This episode was recorded prior to the Coronavirus epidemic, however, the ideas and methodologies still work in the virtual environment.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discusses in his training class:
- How to be efficient in a one-on-one meeting.
- Setting out a gameplan going into a networking meeting.
- Keeping the steps moving forward during the conversation.
- Scripting for networking situations.
Key Takeaways:
- Keep the conversation balanced - if one person dominates the networking conversation, there is not an appropriate amount of communication to know if you’re going to work together.
- When working with someone new, start small. Baby steps to see if you’re a good fit working together.
- Bring something to the table at networking events even if you can’t bring anybody any new business that day.
- Be a giver. Help people first and it will be reciprocated if done intelligently.
"We want to invest our time wisely with the right people. You want to set up some activity to continue to drive your new strategic partners to see if they’re a player and can go on your team." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Geo Bellas discuss:
- Geo’s long-term use of technology in law and how he has evolved as technology has evolved and will continue to evolve.
- Reverse mentoring with new lawyers to move into a technological world.
- The impact of AI in the law industry.
- Using technology to your advantage.
Key Takeaways:
- Technology advancements have drastically accelerated over the last 30 years - as a lawyer, you need to continue to grow with that technology as it will continue to advance at an even greater rate.
- This pandemic is accelerating the pace of change - it is all going towards a technological world.
- Technology is allowing lawyers, and others in all professions, to serve those in underserved, and previously unrepresented communities.
- You must start thinking out of the box in order to survive in your law practice.
"The old way of practicing is going to fade out, and is fading out. We have to learn how to live in that world, make money in that world, and, more importantly, serve our clients." — Geo Bellas
Connect with Geo Bellas:
Twitter: @GeoBellas
Facebook: Bellas & Wachowski, Attorneys at Law
Website: Bellas-Wachowski.com
LinkedIn: Bellas & Wachowski & George “Geo” Bellas
Justia Lawyers: Bellas & Wachowski - Attorneys at Law
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discuss:
- Top 5 tips and ideas for starting your solo practice.
- Knowing your sweet spot in the marketplace and how to find it.
- Leveraging your network and going after the low hanging fruit first.
- Evolving and changing with the socioeconomic climate.
Key Takeaways:
- Evaluate your strengths and your weaknesses - there is always something to leverage or improve.
- Consider rewriting your business plan to take into consideration the state of the world at this moment, it may have changed since last year or even since January.
- It’s not about creating a list, it’s about taking action on that list.
- If you don’t have a coach, have an accountability partner to help you to achieve your goals and help them to achieve their goals.
"Your level of activity will determine your level of success." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Stacey Kalamaras discuss:
- How she moved from marketing and advertising to her second career in intellectual property law.
- Adding value to your team and your company overall in whatever way you can.
- Understanding how to interact with people to understand their problems.
- What to do when networking, branding, and growing your book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding your client’s business will give them faith and trust in you as the lawyer.
- Developing your book of business can be difficult, and it will be individual for every lawyer.
- Play to your strengths in connecting with people and potential clients.
- It’s the business of law - you can’t practice without your own clients.
"Remember, regardless of what size firm you go into, your internal partners are your clients. You need to make those people happy. If you make them happy, not only with your work product, but also with your can-do attitude, word is going to spread and everyone is going to want to work with you." — Stacey Kalamaras
Connect with Stacey Kalamaras:
Twitter: @LegalKlo
Website: klolegal.com
Email: info@klolegal.com
Phone: 708-320-2033
LinkedIn: Kalamaras Law Office, LLC & Stacey Kalamaras
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discusses:
- Developing a tactical, actionable marketing/prospecting plan.
- The 3 P’s Methodology.
- Narrowing your strategy focus to best achieve your objectives.
- The power of deadlines and following through on those deadlines.
Key Takeaways:
- Improve your process along the way with feedback to improve your performance.
- Write down your objective, think about your strategies, and consider the low hanging fruit.
- Lay out tactics once you decide on your strategies to actually understand how you are spending your time.
- If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
"There is a process for everything related to business development from how you run a meeting with a friend to get an introduction, how you meet with a prospective client and walk them through a buying decision, how you drive client loyalty, so that your clients never leave. There's processes that I've developed for everything." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Tom Ciesielka discuss:
- Reason why lawyers and law firms may need to work with a PR firm.
- Mitigating problems and promoting or publicizing when appropriate.
- Public relations and social media.
- Delegating social media to get it personalized for you when you have time.
Key Takeaways:
- In PR, your words have to be just as precise as they would need to be in a law brief.
- Getting out first is a great way to put yourself in front of others.
- Social media often drives mainstream media.
- LinkedIn is both social and professional. It is a great way to connect with those you may not otherwise be able to.
"Don’t get mad, get proactive." — Tom Ciesielka**
Connect with Tom Ciesielka:
Twitter: @Tomciesielka
Facebook: TC Public Relations
Website: TCPR.net
LinkedIn: Thomas Ciesielka
Phone: 312-422-1333
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discusses:
- Handling the pandemic from a business standpoint.
- 5 constructive ways to maintain and grow your practice.
- Leveraging social media and creating content.
- Building client loyalty.
Key Takeaways:
- Evaluate your personal and business standpoint and what challenges are being faced and the opportunities that exist at this time.
- Take time with developing your personal and firm brand, creating new content, and finding ways to connect.
- Connect with people and be a resource when you can.
- Check in on your current and past clients, prospects, and strategic partners. See how they are doing and how you may be able to help.
"Really thinking about developing your brand now is the right time. To just sit back, let this all blow over, and hope for the best is probably not the strongest play right now. You're going to want to get active with calling people, emailing people, content development, technology development - this is going to be a make or break for a lot of people." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jerry Maatman discuss:
- The evolution of being a lawyer since Jerry started practicing in 1981.
- What goes beyond being a great lawyer that is critical to a successful, sustainable practice.
- Being responsive to your client in the age of the internet.
- Four Steps for going above and beyond what the standard lawyer is doing.
Key Takeaways:
- You must be a great lawyer, a great problem solver, and have a great book of business.
- Resolve every day on how you will find the next case, the next project, the next client. Find ways to keep yourself supercharged and wanting to be the best lawyer you can be.
- Persistence, diligence, and dedication are key to being more than just a lawyer to your clients.
- If you’re not thinking about business development, someone else is stealing that work from you because they are thinking about it.
"The first is you need to invest in yourself. You need your time. Be your own best friend when it comes to business development. And by that, I mean you need to set aside time, not once a month, but every day to polish your brand, to enhance your skills, and to deepen your relationships." — Jerry Maatman
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jeremy Baker discuss:
- What design and construction law is and what it means at Jeremy’s firm.
- Jeremy’s transition from large law firms to opening his own firm in October 2019.
- Lessons learned from going solo at any budget.
- What wasn’t taught in law school but is really important as regards to growth, practice management, and the business side of the firm.
Key Takeaways:
- By proactively avoiding disputes and achieving win-win outcomes, it can help avoid the cost and hassle of protracted litigation or arbitration.
- Small firms and solo lawyers are doing cutting edge things with technology and implementing lean methodologies to increase efficiencies, self-improvement, and improving practices.
- You can commit on a monthly basis instead of long-term subscriptions which can help in getting your practice off the ground.
- You must be focused on client acquisition. It’s more than just about practice area.
"It's an exercise in project management, starting your own firm. The kind of project management that I had to do over the last couple years is really no different, in many ways, much easier, than a lot of the project management that I had to do on major pieces of litigation when I was at the large firms." — Jeremy Baker
Connect with Jeremy Baker:
Twitter: @builderlawyer & @BuildChicagoLaw
Facebook: Baker Law Group LLC
Website: BuildChicagoLaw.com
YouTube: Baker Law Group LLC
LinkedIn: Jeremy Baker & Baker Law Group LLC
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin discusses:
- Resources and processes for time management.
- Making decisions and being honest about where the disorganization needs to go.
- David Allen’s 4 D’s.
- Looking at managing your time for business development.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t be afraid to do The Purge – taking everything that is out of order in your office, put it in one pile, and work your way through it top down.
- Multi-tasking is a misnomer – you lose productivity as you try and do more than one thing at a time.
- Hold true to appointments with yourself as thoroughly as you would with a client.
- Breaking commitments to yourself breaks down your belief in yourself.
"Be okay letting things go. Be okay moving on and looking on to other elements of things that you can do." — Steve Fretzin
In Episode References:
David Allen – Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Blinkist App
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Chris White discuss:
- Why lawyers may move from one law firm to another.
- The importance of a book of business and how it relates to lateral moves.
- The hard and soft costs of recruitment and replacement.
- Business development from a lawyer perspective.
Key Takeaways:
- It is extremely important to have a book of business – it is difficult to place partners without books, even if they went to top law schools or worked at top firms.
- Law firms are making improvements to accommodate culturally and compensation for their attorneys.
- People need to be prepared for the legal marketplace to change overnight – with day to day political and economic news, things can be altered at any time.
- Having your own book of business gives you stability in case of a recession but also puts you in a good position if you are wishing to advance.
"Always think about where you want your career to go. Even if you're happy at your current firm or company, always think about the next steps, always keep that resume somewhat close at hand. You never know and the more thought you put into it on an ongoing basis, the more prepared you are if anything should go wrong and the happier you'll be in your career, because you're going to have a better sense of control going forward." — Chris White
Connect with Chris White:
Website: GuntherGroup.com & ChicagoBeerExperience.com
LinkedIn: Christopher Group
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Daliah Saper discuss:
- Dos and Don’ts for attorneys regarding online reputation and social media.
- Things lawyers can do in a positive way on social media.
- Challenges women face in the law field and tips to navigate those challenges.
- Advice to young lawyers as it relates to growing a book of business.
Key Takeaways:
- If you don’t put any content online, one negative comment from someone else will be the only thing that comes up when you are searched.
- Be known for something – if you’re going to start your own firm, don’t be a generalist, be known specifically for something.
- ABN – Always Be Networking.
- Treat the business of law as important today as the law itself.
"Do whatever you can to be as visible as possible and then you will see how things naturally build upon each other." — Daliah Saper
Connect with Daliah Saper:
Twitter: @SaperLaw
Facebook: Saper Law Offices, LLC
Website: SaperLaw.com
YouTube: Saper Law Videos
LinkedIn: Saper Law Offices, LLC & Daliah Saper
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Barry Zlotowicz discuss:
- The evolution of marketing for law firms.
- Challenges and mindsets of attorneys for success and sustainability.
- Top 3 mistakes lawyers are missing as it relates to marketing.
- Identifying your target market and where to target that avatar.
Key Takeaways:
- It is essential for every firm to have a website that accurately reflects the professionalism of their firm and to utilize some form of digital marketing.
- There is something for everybody in marketing.
- Attorneys’ like to be educated and know what is going on in their practice and where their money is going – this isn’t something that they were taught in law school.
- Share your social media links with those in your network, ask them to share, and share their links in return to benefit one another. Social media is meant to be social!
"One of the biggest changes that you've seen in the last 20 years, is that the change of thinking of your law firm is just a practice, to thinking about your law firm as a business, and focusing and looking at business analytics and those kind of numbers." — Barry Zlotowicz
Connect with Barry Zlotowicz:
Facebook: LawFull Marketing
Website: LawFullMarketing.com
Instagram: @lawfull_marketing
YouTube: LawFull
LinkedIn: Barry Zlotowicz
Phone: 312-300-0783
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by
Turnkey Podcast Productions.
You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brian Michalek discuss:
- Brian’s background (and initial struggle) in business development.
- Going through Steve’s business development program and how it helped to grow Brian’s business.
- The value in one-on-one coaching.
- Managing business development with billable hours.
Key Takeaways:
- Business development is a skill that can be learned, and sometimes working with a coach and taking classes may be what is needed to grow your business.
- Perfect practice makes perfect – even in business development.
- If you’re not managing your time, the time is managing you.
- Not all practices and organizations will be right for you. There are many things to take into account when making that decision.
"Not all organizations are created equal. It’s important to take into account other factors, like culture and colleagues, when practicing law. It can make a big difference in the ability for you to practice, as well as your happiness and lifestyle." — Brian Michalek
Connect with Brian Michalek:
Email: Brian.Michalek@Saul.com
Phone: 312-876-7836
LinkedIn: Brian Michalek & Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Welcome to the BE THAT LAWYER Podcast! Here you will learn life-changing strategies and resources for growing a successful law practice. Listen in and you will hear from Steve Fretzin and his guests, those top rainmakers and experts in the legal industry, on how you can build your book of business and BE THAT LAWYER. With this podcast, you will be entertained, but also educated. This show is for you if you want more freedom and enjoyment over your career by building your own book of business. Join us weekly and you will become confident, organized, and a skilled rainmaker – you will BE THAT LAWYER.
"Lawyers began to realize that building and maintaining their own book of business is, maybe, the single most important element to success and financial security as an attorney." — Steve Fretzin
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: The Ambitious Attorney: Your Guide to Doubling or Even Tripling Your Book of Business and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.