BE THAT LAWYER

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 a...

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,...

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%...

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...

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...

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 betwe...

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 t...

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 alr...

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 e...

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...

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 giv...

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...

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’r...

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...

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...

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 con...

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.   ...

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...

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 a...

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 wri...

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. ...

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 manag...

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...

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...

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 even...