The Law Entrepreneur

Today, my guest is Henry Gereis, and Henry is a criminal defense attorney near Bakersfield, CA who has an interesting journey, having transitioned from family law, ultimately into doing criminal defense work. It's an interesting story about how he attributes a lot of the success that he's had to the fact that he's a huge fan of Kobe Bryant's and learned a lot from Kobe and how Kobe approached his life in terms of being prepared and understanding all the nuances of what he was facing. Henry has taken that approach and applied it to his practice of law. It's a terrific homage to somebody who meant a lot to him and I think you can see it in what he does for his community. In this episode, Neil and Henry discuss:Henry’s transition from being a family law attorney to being a criminal defense attorney. How Kobe Bryant affected Henry’s career path and life. Challenges of being a solo or small-firm practitioner. Helpful tools utilized in Henry’s law practice.  Key Takeaways:Every person deserves to be treated with respect and decorum, regardless of where they are from and their walk of life. If you are prepared to the best of your ability, there is no need to be nervous. You do not have to be great at everything. There are many other professionals that are out there to help you run your firm. With everything, break it down into its smallest components and take it one piece at a time.  "I like to think of branding as what we represent. I think that empathy, especially in a criminal defense setting, is the missing ingredient in the legal profession. And so we have a slogan, and registered it, it's Client-Centered Caring Council™. And that's what we stand for. That's what we do every day." —  Henry Gereis Get in touch with Henry:Website: https://esqaspire.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gereislaw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gereis.law Twitter: https://twitter.com/gereislLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-gereis-034336121/   Reference: Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best by Alan Stein, Jr. - https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Game-High-Performance-Secrets/dp/1546082867  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205The Net Profit CFO - Ryan Kimler works with attorneys who want to enjoy higher net profits without working longer or harder. With just 9 Simple Numbers, Ryan will help you drive more profit to your bottom line-and he won't confuse you with all the details! Connect with Ryan at www.netprofitcfo.com.Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today, my guest is Lori Mihalich-Levin. Laurie is an attorney who, as she likes to say, practices law as a side gig. She's a solo practitioner and also the founder of called Mindful Return. This is a really interesting business organization, course, book, and blog, all about the issues regarding the return to the workplace of parents after parental leave and that more transient dynamic that is associated with going on parental leave. It's a fascinating discussion, I think she's hit on something that is really important in the workplace and is certain to grow by leaps and bounds going forward. So I'm very happy to be able to share with you my conversation with Lori Mihalich-Levin! In this episode, Neil and Lori discuss:How Lori balances practicing law, running Mindful Return, and being a mom to 2 rambunctious boys.What it means to do policy work. The importance of taking care of parents returning to work (that doesn’t have to do with the baby only). Setting boundaries with work.  Key Takeaways:There are more practice areas than are talked about in law school. More work than most people know goes into the policy log that is referenced in 30 sections on the evening news. Build in time for micro moments of mindfulness as new parents. Small, intentional changes throughout your day will drastically change how you show up for yourself, your clients, and your children. More and more places have gender neutral leave policies, but it is still not equal.  "What I wish is that employers would focus more on conversations around logistics, making fewer assumptions around or just dictating, having open ended conversations, and recognizing that the person who left before they had a child is not the same person who was coming back afterwards." —  Lori Mihalich-Levin Get in touch with Lori Mihalich-Levin:Website: https://www.mindfulreturn.com/ Book: https://www.mindfulreturn.com/back-work-after-baby-book/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parents-at-work/id1239258343 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimihalichlevin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindfulreturn  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Starting your own practice isn’t something they teach in law school. Join me as I sit down with legal professionals to hear firsthand accounts of just how they did it.  Today my guest is Sean Greaney. Sean is in-house counsel for a company called HyperDraft, also the name of the product that they produce, which is a document preparation system for use by attorneys. What sets it apart from most others is its use of artificial intelligence, and a form-based system such that you can dictate how you want the product to look and appear as an output in real-time. I am really excited about this platform. Stick around to the end, to take advantage of a free trial offer that they're extending to all of our listeners. So if you are intrigued by this product, as we've described it on the recording here, give them a call, go on to their website, schedule a demo. And if you mentioned that you heard about them on The Law Entrepreneur, they will offer you a free trial experience! In this episode, Neil and Sean discuss:Sean’s journey through every facet of law in his career and how he ended up with HyperDraft.Taking opportunities even if you aren’t looking for them. How HyperDraft can help your firm with document generation. Allowing your documentation creation system to learn with you.  Key Takeaways:Be willing to go to the coffees and lunches, you never know what will come out of those meetings. HyperDraft was created by lawyers for lawyers. Being efficient is always better for law firm financials, regardless of the size of your firm.  "Doc generation is a must these days, in my opinion, especially when you're in the solo or small practices, because you can benefit off efficiencies in ways that I don't think big law can go apples to apples on." —  Sean GreaneyGet in touch with Sean GreaneyWebsite: https://hyperdraft.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-greaney-b822a13/  Go to hyperdraft.ai to get your free demo!  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

On today’s episode, I interviewed Charles Vega. Charles is an attorney in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s a bit strange, but we have almost the exact same story. Both Charles and I were in business for multiple years and law is our 3rd or 4th career. We both went to school late in life, started a solo practice, and even right down to the fact that we are both practicing martial artists as well. I almost feel like I’m interviewing myself! You are going to hear how Charles started his solo firm and has since grown it to be the size he wants it to be as he continues to enjoy the ride and go for as long as he can. I am delighted to present to you Charles Vega.  In this episode, Neil and Charles discuss:Being an older law student and beginning your law career with a robust work history. Growing a remote law firm.Utilizing past experience to hire the right team members. Enjoying both life and work.  Key Takeaways:Seasoned veterans bring their own networks to law firms. Hiring the right talent is important. You are only as strong as the people who work for you. As a lawyer, it is important to know what you want your exit strategy to be and build that in from the beginning. Enjoy where you are now and embrace this time of your life.  "Even though I came late in practice, I've known a lot of people and people that know I'm a professional, call me because even though they know I've not been doing it a long time, they'll know that because of my reputation, I'll take care of them and help them resolve their problem." —  Charles Vega Get in touch with Charles VegaPhone: 1-800-975-0529Website: https://charlesvegapa.com/   Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today my guest is Wendy Meadows. And Wendy is, as I like to call her, a reformed family law litigator. That is to say, she practiced family law for quite some time at a medium sized law firm before going out on her own, and then decided that litigation was something that she needed to move away from. She's still doing family law, but focusing on the non-litigation aspects such as mediation, and helping develop parenting plans, and the like. At the same time, she's also a wellness and life coach, helping to move them from difficult positions that they've arrived at as a result of life circumstances and the legal practice, and helps get them unstuck and moving forward. We talk about how those two things, life coaching and wellness coaching and her family law practice, are integrated together and starting to see some synergy between the two. Join us for a really fascinating discussion, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. In this episode, Neil and Wendy discuss:The language you use with your client can change the resolution. Building a solo firm. Managing expectations from both the lawyer and the support staff. Time management tools for success.  Key Takeaways:Nobody knows what kind of work you are looking for if you never talk about it. Be willing to take a chance on your dreams and where your heart lies. It will often tie in with your firm even if it doesn’t seem to at first. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of others? Self-care looks different for everyone (and is more than just bubble baths). With time management, look at where you are struggling and look to see where others can help take tasks off of your plate to free up more of your time.  "The best work I can do in a case is really listening to my client and seeing them have their own transformation through the divorce process. So they actually come out of the divorce process, stronger, better healed, more powerful, and have a positive outlook on life." —  Wendy Meadows Get in touch with Wendy MeadowsWebsite: https://wendysmeadows.com/ Email: wendy@wendysmeadows.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_s_meadows/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wendy-S-Meadows-Life-Coach-100523765698021 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-sare-meadows-ba80285/  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today, my guest is Ryan Kimler. Ryan owns an accounting and finance firm, called Financial Clarity LLC, and they principally support attorneys. Ryan and I got together to discuss what are the important financial analysis functions that solo and small firm practitioners need to get into place in order to grow their law firms. If you’re like most people, you might have a bookkeeper that helps you get the data into your accounting package, but in many cases,  that is the extent to which your financial support extends. Ryan's company, Financial Clarity, LLC, takes it to the next step by adding accounting functions, as well as fractional CFOs. It's an interesting concept to consider. So if you're like me, this is going to be an important episode to pay attention to. In this episode, Neil and Ryan discuss:Finding someone you can trust to help with your firm’s numbers. Getting a good bookkeeper and accountant as a lawyer (and what the difference between them is). The dangers behind bank-balance accounting. Lesser-known values you can get from your financial services.  Key Takeaways:Any hours you spend doing the books are hours you could have used on billable hours.Building your firm with your accountant from the beginning will allow them to scale with you rather than your books becoming a costly expense down the road. If you don’t know what your numbers are, you don’t know if you are winning or losing as a company. A CFO’s job is to do the analysis of the reports from the accountant for you.  "Having a specialist can really pay off and give you peace of mind that things are getting done correctly, and they're handled properly. And they're going to keep you out of trouble with the IRS or other regulatory agencies as well." —  Ryan Kimler Get in touch with Ryan Kimler:Website: https://www.financialclarityllc.com Email: ryan@financialclarityllc.com Call for Free Financial Assessment: https://go.oncehub.com/rightfit  Free Financial Clarity Dashboard: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RmVWV-gXUJNJGNbAYqeHfFrAfPsZE8op/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102338040678523759655&rtpof=true&sd=true Blog: https://financialclarityllc.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkimler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankfinancialclarityllc/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLyqCOvxvnnlr3_6BOGqww?view_as=subscriber  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today, my guest is Kirk Simoneau. Kirk is an attorney up in New Hampshire, and is this fascinating story of how he went from law school to a fairly sizable firm and within a very short period of time, became the managing partner at a very young age for a venerable firm that had been around for a long time. And it's a really interesting story that then segues to the creation of his own solo practice, Red Sneaker Law. And there's some really interesting stories about how Red Sneaker Law came to be about and how he has positioned himself and branded himself in a very unique way. In this episode, Neil and Kirk discuss:Making yourself invaluable (without being asked). Creating your firm to serve the people and connect with the average person. Taking a different approach to branding your law practice. Standing out and holding firm to your brand and succeeding in your solo firm.  Key Takeaways:The reality of the law and the books of the law are two entirely separate things, especially if you have a trial practice. Your story is unique to you and to your practice. Own it. Find the efficiencies in your day by figuring out your ebb and flow and making it work to the best of your ability. If you want to be successful, you don’t chase - you hunt.  "The number one key to what makes my practice work is the way I schedule my day. I'm super, super regimented about what I do, when I do it, how I batch activities and things like that." —  Kirk SimoneauGet in touch with Kirk SimoneauWebsite: https://redsneakerlaw.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-simoneau-a19a0912/  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today, my guest is Eric Pines. Eric is an attorney who now operates a medium-sized law firm of about 30 employees and they're spread across multiple locations, as is often the standard these days. I wanted to have Eric on board because he could speak to the growth from a solo practice, that he started in his garage, hiring a few friends to help him run his business and has now moved on to have this medium-sized practice We talked about all the lessons learned, things he did right, things he did wrong, things he wish he had done differently, and he's got great insight into a lot of that.  In this episode, Neil and Eric discuss:Starting a small firm in your home and growing to a 20+ employee firm. The evolution of marketing and lead generation. When and how to staff your law firm. Dealing, objectively, with people’s personalities and your business.  Key Takeaways:Read a lot. Read about more than just being a lawyer.As an entrepreneur, you need to understand where your weaknesses lie and when it is better to hand something off to someone else. Being able to select the right people and the right technology can make a big difference in the growth of your firm (and where you are able to grow). By pairing the right employee with the right client you can make a difference in your client’s lives and best support your internal employees.  "As a solo, and as a small firm, you always want to control things yourself, but the reality is, there are certain things you have to hand to other people because you don't have the time or the expertise. What makes for a good law firm attorney entrepreneur is to be able to find the correct experts who can assist you and know when to trust them." —  Eric PinesGet in touch with Eric PinesWebsite: https://www.pinesfederal.com/ & https://toughinjurylawyers.com/  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today I have two guests - Lauren Lester and Jessica Bednarz. Lauren is an attorney operating outside of Denver, Colorado, and has a client based law firm focusing on Family Law principally. It's really interesting how she structured her law firm to be client centered and to take full advantage of the limited scope opportunities and productize the packaging of legal services to meet her client needs. Jessica has formerly worked  with the Chicago Bar Association, and then went on to work for the Chicago Bar Foundation.  She now works in the incubation program leading that program for CBF and helps to turn out new law firms that get away from the billable hour model and are doing a similar thing to what Lauren was doing with her practice in Colorado. Now they've teamed up, and amongst other things, are offering some services and resources known as on purpose legal services. I think it's a fascinating mixture of the two. And I hope you enjoy hearing about it as much as I did learning. In this episode, Neil, Lauren, and Jessica discuss:Reasons you may decide to go into your own law firm.  Looking outside of the law field to see what you like when designing your business or pricing structure. Client-centered communication and guides. Creating modern, profitable law firms.  Key Takeaways:Build a business that you would want to be a client of. Have open dialogue with clear language when communicating with your clients regarding payment and expectations. Be open to opportunities as they come up, taking care of clients is not a risk. D "What we're trying to do is create resources for lawyers, so that they can create modern practices that are client-centric, profitable, and, at the same time, also support their well being. At the end of the day, we want the legal profession to remain healthy and relevant as the legal profession plays a really important part in society." —  Jessica BednarzGet in touch with Lauren & JessicaOn Purpose Legal: https://adifferentpractice.com/ Chicago Bar Foundation: https://chicagobarfoundation.org/ Lester Law: https://www.mylifelawyer.com/ Law Guides: https://colawguides.com/ The Pricing Toolkit: https://thepricingtoolkit.com/ Lauren’s Email: LaurenLester@MyLifeLawyer.com Jessica’s Email: JBednarz@ChicagoBarFoundation.org Lauren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mslaurenlester/ Jessica’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabednarzlawyerchicago/  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur or call 844.895.7829Coach Rockwell - Mark Rockwell works with lawyers who are frustrated by their inability to scale up and become more profitable. He helps them create their vision, and implement an operating platform that builds healthy, thriving law firms. Reach out to him at mark@coachrockwell.com or 503.784.7205Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Today, my guest is Sue West. Sue is a personal injury attorney outside of Houston, Texas, and we're going to talk about how she has gone from a law office, essentially in her spare bedroom, to a freestanding physical location in the suburbs and serving clients with a emphasis on client relations and coaching them through, and helping them through, the process of recovering from difficult times catastrophic, in some cases, accident.In this episode, Neil and Sue discuss:Sue’s journey from being the junior attorney in a law office to creating her own law firm.Preparing to start your own firm. Documenting your processes and procedures. Appreciating your clients and going above and beyond for them. Key Takeaways:Referrals are your least expensive marketing. Take care of your clients and stay top of mind with them. Make sure your marketing partners are actually producing for your firm. Find partners you can trust and whose work you like to see. If you have started your own firm, you have done every position. You know what you want to see from your employees. Start documenting those processes as you go.Continue to read and learn about marketing and business development. Whether you go out on your own or not, it will help you to grow your own book of business.  "My clients appreciate me and I appreciate them. My clients have been very important in my continuing to grow." —  Sue West Get in touch with Sue: Website: https://www.houstonpersonalinjury.law/ Email: swest@westlawoffice.net LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-west-law  Thank you to our sponsors!Ruby Receptionist - Virtual receptionist & live call services that will help you grow your office (and save money), one call at a time - to learn more, go to callruby.com/lawentrepreneur  or call 844.895.7829Get in touch with Neil:Website: https://thelawentrepreneur.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawentrepreneurFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelawentrepreneur/?ref=hlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyralawfirm/Join Lawyer Club FREE, where lawyers and law firm owners come to reclaim control of their firms and their lives! Plus, get the full list of Best AI Tools For Lawyers inside!Get in touch with Sam:MLA WebsiteLawyerClubPurchase Sam’s bookThe Law Entrepreneur websiteMy Legal Academy YoutubeMy Legal Academy LinkedInMy Legal Academy Facebook PageMy Legal Academy InstagramIf you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please head to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating & review for the show! It only takes a moment, and really helps me to reach new listeners. You can also head to the website at TheLawEntrepreneur.com for more information on the podcast and my legal services.  Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.