386. Learning Your Way Forward in Building Your Firm with Amber Saunders

Oct 2, 2023

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Today, my guest is Amber Saunders. Amber is an attorney with her own firm, The Saunders Firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She started out, like many of us, thinking she was going to do one type of law, then ended up doing something completely different - now focusing primarily on estate planning and business law in the Atlanta area. We talk about that journey, and the intersection between those two practice areas. Amber is very candid about the mistakes that she made and the hurdles she had to overcome, and how almost all of them were centered around her, and I think that's a lesson that we can all learn a great deal from.

In this episode, Neil and Amber discuss:

Different workplace models for law firms.
The relationship between estate planning and succession planning.
Learning to be a good employer.
Setting expectations, building SOPs, and properly communicating with your team.

Key Takeaways:

Having a will and your documents in place well before you pass will make things so much easier for your family and organization after you pass.
Procrastination is one of the biggest challenges facing estate planning attorneys - everybody thinks they’re going to have more time.
Learning to lead a business is a practice - you have to learn to be a good employer in order to attract and retain good employees.
Being a solo firm lawyer, you are still a business. You need to pay attention to the reports and other financials. It is a business that needs to be monitored.

"I screwed up a lot. I went to therapy and realized, we can't be everyone else. And until I grow, my business won't grow. I'm going to have to do something different." — Amber Saunders

Episode References:

Molly McGrath - https://hiringandempowering.com/

The Law Entrepreneur - Ep 325. Hiring, Onboarding, & Engaging Staff in a Small Law Firm with Molly McGrath

Get in touch with Amber Saunders:

Website: https://thesaundersfirm.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuzce9xfzI9gA6ZdG_PO1mg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSaundersFirm/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambercsaunders/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saundersfirm/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/askambersaunders

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Get in touch with Neil:

Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hl

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/

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Get in touch with Sam:

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Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.