Three Things I Wish...
I Knew When I Started My Law Practice
I've started and re-started my solo practice three times now.
One might say I have failed twice, but I sure don't see it that way. The second and third times were the product of trying something else that seemed awesome at the time, but weren't what I truly wanted to be doing. Both of them led to some great "aha" moments that I wouldn't trade for the world.
The things I learned from trying those other two jobs also ended up being the biggest catalysts for the most impactful changes I made since I first went solo back in 2010.
Those two impactful changes were: 1) automating a ton of non-billable admin functions; and 2) building the systems myself using Clio at a cost of around $100 per month per user license (instead of the thousands a month I was paying at one time).
These two things may not sound like the sexiest things to embrace as a solo lawyer, but they had a massive impact on my efficiency and profitability. Those two factors gave me the space and the freedom to take care of other things outside of the office - like myself and my kids. And do some really cool things, like become a firewalk instructor and a tennis coach for beginners.
It took a long time for me to get there, however. It also took a lot of lessons learned the hard way - including some veeeerrrryyyy expensive ones!
Today, I want to share with you the 3 things I wish I knew way back when that would have saved me a ton of time and money - so hopefully you won't have to do it the hard way.
1) Start With The Simplest Solution
When I first started my practice, I knew I needed a lot of things. I got the bare minimum in place (if you want to learn more about my minimalist's approach to starting a law practice, circle back - I'll share those lessons another day). I knew I wanted to start automating things I had been doing the hard way for so long, but it seemed really difficult and expensive to do that (remember, this was almost 14 years ago). So I plugged along until I burned out.
Fortunately, a job opportunity doing something that sounded amazing landed in my lap, seemingly out of the blue. I thought I would do it forever, but eventually I got the pull to return to private practice. I had to learn how to use a number of complex systems for reporting in that job (in the insurance industry working solely with ski areas - it was fun!). Having to master that led me to knowing that I was ready to implement systems in my practice when I went back to re-start it.
I looked at a number of practice management options, but thought they still seemed a bit complicated to master and I didn't really understand what they could do for me. I decided on having someone else build a system that cost me thousands in up front and ongoing expenses. It was super complicated, had automated emails built into it that said things I didn't even do, and it felt impossible to review them all prior to deployment. I bought into the idea that it would be fabulous and would save me a ton of time while delivering a fantastic client experience.
Surprise! It didn't. It was a total disaster for me and my practice.
It was so complicated neither I nor the admin I hired specifically to utilize the pre-built system in my practice could figure it out. Follow up emails would go out that made promises of things I didn't do. We put info in the wrong places because it wasn't even remotely intuitive. The response time for the vendor to make changes, edits, etc. took seemingly forever and I absolutely hated the entire system and experience with a passion. It left me feeling emotionally, mentally, and financially drained. My brain made it into a "me" problem.
I discontinued the contract when the time was up (even though that was a tough, expensive pill to swallow and I had to see my website go bye-bye with it) and made a commitment to build my own, barebones systems that gave me only what I needed. I wanted to know what automated emails were going out and how I could change them if I needed to. I wanted control and simplicity and didn't want to pay for things I didn't really need in my practice. After my expensive mistake, I had a vision of what I did want and understood what would save me time and make me more money in the long run.
I looked again at the various practice management tools out there and eventually decided on Clio. I haven't looked back or regretted that decision for a moment. I love Clio so much, I became an affiliate partner and now help other solos get their simple systems set up, too. I am definitely in the category of "If I can do it, so can you" when it comes to tech. Trust me on that one! I love helping other solos get their own automation set up so they can focus on the two things that they need to do most - meeting new clients and delivering the services.
The positive takeaway from my painful, expensive experience was I had a better understanding of what a practice management program like Clio could and would do for me. I also realized it didn't need to be so hard or complicated.
The same "more isn't always better" proved true for me in marketing. I fell into the trap of thinking I had to spend a lot of money and do a ton of different things out there to find clients. I spent money getting help, assistance, guidance, and coaching. I paid for white-labeled content and started scheduling a bunch of events that didn't work out well for me.
The reality was I just had to show up in places, talk to people, and let them know what I do. I didn't need to spend a dime on that and nobody ever told me to try that way first.
I have become a firm believer that if you can't find and engage 10 clients just by doing that - showing up and being yourself - it won't matter how much money you spend on marketing to get people through the door. I've seen so many new solos learn this painful (and sometimes expensive) lesson the hard way.
BTW, there are a few different things that could be going on if that's a place where you're stuck, but the solution usually isn't to throw money at complex SEO, social media ads, and side-of-the-bus marketing. There is often a simple solution that you can implement to shift what is going on - it may be your energy or presentation skills. It could be a lack of confidence. The solutions to these problems are simple, although they may not be easy. Bringing in more people when you haven't addressed these issues won't solve your problem and may just lead to burnout.
Find ways to meet more people organically through your social networks, join a professional association, or just start doing more things you enjoy. Perhaps explore a hiking or running club, or revive your old high school tennis game. Pickleball has a low entry point and has plenty of people out there playing. Do something fun, show up, get to know people as people rather than clients, and see what happens. If you have to get a bartending gig to pay the bills while you're building, then so be it. Get the bartending gig. You may enjoy it enough to do it no matter what.
2) Just Keep Moving
Many lawyers love to analyze things to death. When it comes to our legal work, it's important to get it right. When it comes to starting your business, you're not going to get everything right at the beginning and it's silly to try. I have yet to meet someone who has. If you actually have, please let me know. Send proof.
Our lawyer brains like to apply the same standards we apply to our legal work to lots of other areas of our lives. It's possibly why the divorce rate for lawyers is higher than that of the general population. It may also be why we suffer from problematic drinking, substance use, and mental health conditions at rates higher than the general population, too.
Perfectionism is toxic.
And it can be crippling to getting a solo practice off the ground.
I know lawyers who "plan" to start their own firm months or even years out. Don't let your perfectionist tendencies get in the way of you making money and serving your clients.
Things that hold people up include:
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All of these things are often thinly veiled mechanisms of procrastination - the act of avoiding taking action on your dreams for whatever reason. More on that below.
Make decisions, give yourself a timeline to do so (like hours or days, not weeks and months), do it, and move on.
Just about anything can be changed later.
Start moving. Keep moving. Stop ruminating.
This is the only way it's going to happen.
Get out there and connect with people, get better at doing consultations if you need to so you can actually communicate to people effectively that you can help them solve their legal problem, and get really freaking good at delivering the service you deliver.
3) Belief is the Key to Your Success
Your belief system is the key that unlocks everything you want in your life.
It is what will lead you to success.
It is what will make you resilient in the face of so-called "failures."
It is what will drive you to do hard things, say no when you want to say yes to something fun or indulgent, and make the time to make the things happen that you know you need to do, but have been avoiding. Avoidance often reflects a belief that something is not possible at all, or is just not possible or available for you.
There are three incredibly important types of belief that will 100% serve you well:
1) Belief in yourself - you have to believe that you can and will do whatever you need to do to get your practice off the ground (and make it better as you go). If you lack this fundamental belief, you have two choices - work on it or go work for someone else. There is nothing wrong with either of those choices. But if you do have a belief you and your abilities to make it work as a solo, then it may just not be your time right now. And that's ok. If you do believe and yourself and things aren't coming together, then you have to believe you can figure it out. When you do, you will.
2) Belief in your service - you have to believe that the service(s) you offer are of value and will help your clients. If you do not, it will be hard to find clients who want to hire you. It will be hard to quote your prices. It will be hard to have a business that supports you and your family if you need to do that. If you do not believe in your services, perhaps it is time to consider another practice area. I have seen more than one lawyer who has gotten really good at what they do while at a firm, but became disillusioned with a practice area once they went out on their own. If you don't believe strongly in what you are offering to people, then that, my friends, is an invitation to explore what it is you truly do want to offer. Believe in what you do. Remember why you do it.
3) Belief in your clients
You have to believe in your clients. That means believing that they want your help, believing they will do what they need to do to let you help them.
And my favorite ... you have to believe they are looking for you.
If you don't believe in them, you'll never find them.
After having many people ask me if I would be their life coach - and responding repeatedly with "I'm not a coach" - I set out to become a coach several years ago. I'll share with you what I call "Life Coaching 101" - thoughts create feelings, feelings drive actions, actions lead to outcomes. It doesn't go the other way.
This is why what you believe matters so much.
If you don't believe in any of these three things, you may struggle or even find you have to go back to work for someone else.
The world around you does not and will not create what you want in your life.
You have to do that.
The good news is - you get to.
You get to create the solo practice you want.
There are so many business models, so many clients who want and need help. Studies suggest that 70-80% of legal problems go unserved by counsel. There is a gap between supply and demand for lawyers. Getting better at the business of law - automating, delegating, and eliminating unnecessary, unbillable admin tasks is just one way to make it easier for you to help more people. Access to justice is a real problem.
I wish I knew that all those years ago.
I hope this article inspires you to take some action, pump yourself up, and go out and share your special kind of magic that nobody else in the world has because they are not you. If you would like some help with mindset, architecting a plan to utilize your Clio or other practice management systems, or finding fun ways to meet prospective clients, I am always happy to help. I offer single strategy sessions, full day workshop experiences for individuals and small groups, and customized drafting of intake and client education materials. Get your systems in place and get ready to unlock access to the other parts of you - in law and life.