The Law Entrepreneur

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 Laura Frederick. Laura is a solo practitioner and entrepreneur. She comes out of big law and out of the commercial world, with most recently stopped at Tesla, of all great places to work. She started her practice to deal with contract law and writing contracts in a way that's a little more achievable or understandable to clients. Along those lines, she has a hugely active LinkedIn community, has written a book that's available on Amazon, and, more importantly, has started a platform called How to Contract where one can hone in on the practical applications of contract writing and development, and make that a resource available to attorneys, to law firms, to businesses, and to vendors in particular.  In this episode, Neil and Laura discuss:The intersection of contract law and entrepreneurship. Understanding what you want out of your career. Listening to feedback from your social media audience to understand what they are looking for as you connect. Creating genuine content for your social media marketing and platforms. Key Takeaways:Regular jobs can be riskier than controlling your own career. It’s all in your hands when it is all yours and the eggs are no longer in one client basket. Understanding your niche and where you can expand can change how you look at your business.Showing people you are an authority will help to bring in the type of clients that you are looking for. Repurposing your social media content into a book is a great way to give yourself immediate authority, even to those who haven’t read the book.  "Whenever it's all about you, you get all your paranoia and all your fears mixed in and stop that creative cycle. When I focused on how I can help other people - what do I know?  What can I share? - then the ideas flow, because you're not blocked by all your self doubt." —  Laura Frederick Get in touch with Laura:Website: https://www.howtocontract.com/ Website: https://laurafredericklaw.com/ Conference: https://www.howtocontract.com/conference LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurafredericklaw/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Tips-How-Contract-Techniques/dp/0578807513 Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurafrederick  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 InstagramThank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to https://confirm.spotlightbranding.com/tle/ for a better way to market your law practice. 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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit https://www.marketcircle.com/ and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.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/If 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.  In this episode, Neil and Jeremy discuss:Lessons for moving into your own solo firm from a big law firm.Digging deep into the tools that you have. Challenges of opening a new, solo firm. Implementing processes in your law firm (even if you are the only lawyer right now). Key Takeaways:The tools that we have now, compared to a decade ago, to facilitate the transition to a small firm are numerous and make it easier than ever before. Give yourself permission to play a different game when growing your business. Consider different options for growing your law firm. What works for one firm, may not be what is best for your firm. Virtual support (both software and staffing) is more affordable than you think, and will help you to expand your firm and allow you to do what you do best.  "It's not as hard as you think. I don't think it's for everybody, but it didn't turn out to be as hard as I thought it would be. That’s not to say I don't have plenty of challenges, but the things that I was worried about as I was peering over the precipice didn't turn out to be such significant obstacles." —  Jeremy Baker Get in touch with Jeremy BakerWebsite: https://buildchicagolaw.com/ & https://operationpalmtree.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSSiouZCvVdMsSBl1KIYHQ/videos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildchicagolaw/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysbaker/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildchicagolaw/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuildChicagoLaw & https://twitter.com/builderlawyer  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 InstagramThank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to https://confirm.spotlightbranding.com/tle/ for a better way to market your law practice. 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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit https://www.marketcircle.com/ and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.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/If 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.   In this episode, Neil and Joe discuss:The power of education in marketing and advertising. Building your preeminence in your field. The difference between scale and growth. Re-architecting for the future.  Key Takeaways:You can’t beat your competition by copying (or attempting to copy) them. It doesn’t work. People don’t buy from you because they understand what you are doing. They buy from you because they feel understood. Sweat equity will only get you so far - it is not scalable. Scale is what happens when you re-architect your business to support the growth.  "Education is the thing that makes marketing and advertising campaigns." —  Joe DeMaria Get in touch with Joe DeMariaWebsite: https://www.teachtoscale.com/ Office Hours: https://www.teachtoscale.com/try-office-hours/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachtoscale/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachtoscale LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejoedemaria/  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 InstagramThank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to https://confirm.spotlightbranding.com/tle/ for a better way to market your law practice. 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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit https://www.marketcircle.com/ and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.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/If 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 Kelsey Johnson. Kelsey is a product marketing manager for AWeber, which is an email marketing platform that quite frankly, I use and have used for years and years. Aweber is a perfect platform and they have enough robust capabilities and complexities, and technical skills that you can grow with that platform to do just about anything that a solo or small firm practitioner would ever want of their email platform. It is a delightful conversation with Kelsey, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. In this episode, Neil and Kelsey discuss:The value of having a platform, such as AWeber, for email marketing to small and solo law firms. The benefits of email marketing, not just utilizing social media for your marketing. Email marketing beyond the monthly newsletter. Unique opportunities to build relationships with marketing. Key Takeaways:Email marketing is like a QR code - it has been around for decades, but it isn’t going to go anywhere. There is value in owning your audience. Each person you communicate with holds enormous potential value. The communication and connection is what makes the biggest difference in your email list. There are benefits to having landing pages that aren’t just your website's homepage, in part because they can be directly built for your target audience. You can learn from your competitors and how they market and apply those lessons (without plagiarizing) in your own marketing. "That's really the best way that you do marketing, is by trying to reach everybody on the platform that they prefer." —  Kelsey JohnsonResources:Try AWeber today!  https://www.aweber.com/Email: kelseyj@aweber.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/KelseyColorado 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. -- Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.

Zeb Anderson is an attorney and a proud geek. He founded an application called LegalQ that can run on any Android or iOS smartphone which helps connect potential clients with attorneys for 15-minute conversations that can hopefully lead to a continued business relationship. It’s a brilliant application and addresses many of the trends taking place in the marketplace today. It also provides justice to those who otherwise wouldn’t even know whether their problems have a legal solution or not. There’s a lot of opportunity here on both sides of the legal field, from clients to attorneys, so be sure to check it out.Resources:legalq.ioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zebandersonJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 www.ruby.com or call 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media

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. This week, I’m talking to experienced attorney, Russell Farbiarz, who successfully managed to transition from criminal law to business law and estate planning.Our conversation covers everything from the early days setting up his own practice to how the legal profession has changed (or, ultimately, hasn’t) thanks to COVID. Listen for unique insights into Russell’s areas of specialization.Resources:Email Russell: rfarbiarz@afalawfirm.comAntanavage Farbiarz, PLLCOr find them on:FacebookInstagramLinkedInJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media

Today’s guest is Jay Ruane, a lawyer, author, entrepreneur, and sought-after speaker. He runs a successful criminal defense firm, a rare perspective for the podcast. We dive into some of the differences between criminal defense attorneys when it comes to marketing and business practices, such as focusing on the loved ones of clients rather than the clients themselves. We also discuss some of the misconceptions around criminal defense and some of the unique skills required for that kind of work. This chat is deep, but barely scratched the surface of Jay’s knowledge, so he’s sure to be a repeat guest on the show.Resources:ruaneattorneys.comRead: Tiger Tactics: Powerful Strategies for Winning Law FirmsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jayruaneJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media

These days, everyone is online. If you aren’t then that’s a red flag for consumers, but at the same time, how on Earth can you possibly stand out from the crowd? Legal marketing consultant, Karin Conroy, is on hand with the tips you need to hear.How has the online landscape changed since everyone flocked to it in the ‘90s? What are the best website templates for legal marketing and which ones give clients the wrong ideas? Resources:Controy Creative CounselKarin Conroy on LinkedInJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media

Amanda Butler Schley has the fascinating story of transitioning from big law to a solo practice, and then taking that legal practice to sea – literally – by doing her work all around the world from a sailboat. She’s transitioned back to a land-based practice these days, but continues to use all of the lessons she learned from running a practice out of the middle of the ocean. And now she’s here to share them with us.Resources:Email: abutler@lawgroup.bizlawgroup.bizLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amanda-butler-bizlawgroupnetdocuments.comJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media

Jodi Silbermann is a longtime paralegal, based in California, and focused primarily on family law and estate planning. She has started her own business providing paralegal services and divorce coaching. She’s also written and published a book on the divorce process and how one can navigate through it. We talk about how Jodi can either work with an attorney to facilitate the legal process to be more efficient, or otherwise use her expertise to proceed without an outside attorney. She’s in an interesting position, and with that carries an interesting perspective to share.Resources:justcalljodi.orgInstagram: @justcalljodiincLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/justcalljodiincRead: The Straight SkinnyJoin 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.--Thank you to our sponsors!Spotlight Branding - A legal marketing company that works with solo and small law firms to increase referrals. Go to spotlightbranding.com/TLE for a better way to market your law practice.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 844.895.7829Daylite - The all-in-one contact relationship manager. If you feel like it’s time to upgrade from spreadsheets to a CRM, visit marketcircle.com and get your first month free when you mention Law Entrepreneur.The Law Entrepreneur is a production of Crate Media