BE THAT LAWYER

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...

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 ti...

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...

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...

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...

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 corre...

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...

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 Takeaw...

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 pract...

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 ma...

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 d...

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...

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...

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 e...

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 inbo...

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 p...

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 fro...

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...

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 search...

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 communicat...

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 encou...

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...

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. ...

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 n...

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 bud...