Beyond Billables

On today's insight show we share a sneak peak of an upcoming episode with Wes Young, Co-Founder of Legally Yours. I also chat about leads, the way firms can attract more clients, and why you need a short, medium and long term plan. Finally we finish off the show with a short shoutout of a great blog post by Ian Whitworth all about the scourge of saying "I'm busy" and the need to connect with those around us. I share how a training friend who recently took his life made me reflect on this and what I can do to better connect with everyone.

On the show today I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alex Nicol, Director of Aptum Legal and Insolvency practitioner extraordinaire. Alex is a Co-Founder of Aptum Legal, a leading disputes practice that focuses on a range of complex disputes and insolvency work, all with a fixed price model. Alex and I discussed how Aptum Legal have been able to successfully implement a client focused pricing model that gives clarity and certainty to cost. Alex shared on his wins and struggles as a practitioner over the years and the motivations that drove him and his other founders to create something truly different for complex disputes. On top of nailing the client side Alex has a passion for growing a great culture and we discussed what this meant for lawyers that joined their team.

https://www.aptumlegal.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-nicol-18514410/

Today on the show we sat down with the remarkable Michael Chesterman, Consultant of Helix Legal. Michael brings his decades of knowledge of the construction industry to the Helix team, and he's not even a lawyer! Michael is in fact an industry expert that is a huge part of why Helix can deliver such a client centric approach to their service. Michael shares on the parallels between the construction and legal industries, the disruption happening in both, and the way law firms can better service clients by deeply understanding their business. Check out his bio below! Having worked for the building industry regulator in Queensland for 22 years, Michael was the inaugural BSA Compliance Manager, responsible for investigating contractor's compliance with the financial requirements and other licensing criteria. In 2000, he undertook extensive research, policy and legislation development and consultation with industry stakeholders regarding the need to introduce legislation that provided contractors with an alternative to the courts to rapidly recover outstanding payments for work done. In 2004, he was appointed the inaugural Adjudication Registrar under the Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004 (BCIPA), a position he held until March 2017. Michael has demonstrated a record of fighting for improved payment outcomes for all parties who have carried out construction work or supplied related goods or services in the Queensland building and construction industry. However, in particular he has consistently worked to achieving security of payment for subcontractors. Michael brings a depth of practical experience and industry knowledge, complementing the legal skills within Helix, ensuring we deliver the right solutions for clients, not just the legal answer.

https://helix.legal/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chesterman/

This week we've gone back to the vault and brought out some great short clips from one of our most popular shows ever with the amazing Kate Cliff. Kate has a remarkable story about using meditation to overcome chronic pain and then turn it into how she helps people in the world.

https://www.beyondbillables.com/blog/kate-cliff-leaving-law-meditation-living-good-life

We also tackle the massive "should do I start a podcast?" question and give a rundown on why you might consider it as well as highlighting the top four aps we've started to use this year in the business!

Finally the show wraps up with the top four apps we have started to use this year that help us run a more efficient business servicing our clients.

On the show today we had the privilege of sitting down with Fionn Bowd, Founder of the recently launched Bowd Legal. Fionn has a great story of excelling in practice both in top firms and in-house, and share many great lessons on what she learned along the way.

Fionn has a true passion for empowering lawyers so that they can re-ignite their love for law and providing law firms with better solutions to their needs.

We spoke in detail about how we can empower partners to better service clients and ultimately build practices that they are proud of which don't result in the level of burnout that cripples many people. Having been to law school with Fionn it was fabulous to catch up and we certainly connected strongly in our joint belief that the profession can better serve all those that serve it, and that human centred solutions are critical to moving forward.

https://www.bowd.legal/

This week on the insight show I drop some truth bombs around what to expect from your marketing spend, relive some epic advice from our recent show with Fiona from Girl Friday IP, and do a quick review of the awesome book "Can't Hurt me".

Most firms struggle to understand exactly what they should be getting out of their marketing spend, so I tell it straight. From brand building to lead generation it's key to understand why you are spending your money and what you are going to get for it.

This week on the show I had the epic privilege of being joined by the one and only Fiona Nguyen, founder of Girl Friday IP and all around awesome human. As a Patent Attorney and business owner Fiona has grown a great brand and business which was central to our discussion. Given our mutual love for branding we were able to do a deep dive into how lawyers of all kinds can grow great personal brands and great businesses whether in big teams or out on their own. Fiona has one of the very best social media presences of any Patent Attorney in the world (huge call but it's true) because she has made her brand all about herself, her skills and her unique perspective. As the self described "go to for all things intellectual property related" Fiona has been able to grow a personal brand and business on her own terms. In a world where there are few true creatives Fiona is a great example of tapping into what makes you unique and having the guts to build something great. In her own words "I believe in inspiring creativity to spark purposeful change in the communities where I work, live and play. Girl Friday IP is supporting creative thinkers by making intellectual property an accessible tool and an engaging human experience." This is certainly a high energy, high inspiration show and I'm very thankful for Fiona's time in being able to make it happen. https://www.girlfridayip.com/

This week on the show we sat down with the brilliant Anthony Curtin of Merton Lawyers. Anthony is not only the co-founder of a growing commercial firm but also the founder of multiple other businesses from Christmas trees to mineral exploration companies! He has some outstanding insight into what it means to understand your clients business and has put in place process in his practice to help his lawyers develop the type of commercial skills everyone talks about. Anthony has an education spanning Business and Law and a professional career incorporating legal, operational, finance, product & business development, marketing and technology roles. His expertise is at the intersection of corporate law, emerging businesses and high-growth companies. This is a unique commercial perspective he brings to legal practice. We spoke about the lessons he's learned, the power of great mentorship, and the personal journey it takes to build something from scratch. It's a great discussion and we really hope you enjoy it. https://www.mertonlawyers.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-curtin-88b880b/?originalSubdomain=au