BE THAT LAWYER

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...

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 ch...

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 sho...

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...

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 yo...

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 webs...

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...

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 se...

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...

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...

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, i...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 c...

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 conversatio...

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 a...

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...