BE THAT LAWYER

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, yo...

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...

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 Over...

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 becaus...

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 Disabili...

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...

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 -...

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,...

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 thei...

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 st...

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...

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 wh...

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...

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, rece...

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.  W...

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,...

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...

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 m...

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 w...

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...

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 or...

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. Eve...

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...

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...

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 s...