Legal Imposters

Here's the problem:

You know you must showcase your value if you want to progress to the next level (it's step 5 of the career progression process I teach you inside BE THE FIRST), but you don't really KNOW your value.

Which of these is you?

1. you've never thought to consider what your value is - you just work hard doing your day job and assume it'll be enough
2. despite years of experience, you're still sitting silent in meetings thinking "what is my value" and "I have no value to add"
3. you limit your value - for example with thoughts like "I'm only as good as my last deal"
4. you underestimate your value - for example, by thinking "I'm the only one" instead of recognising you're the first.
5. you miscalculate your value - for example, you think a track record of having met your billable targets makes you eligible for promotion

If any of these is you, you're not alone. I've been there, I see it all the time and I get it. It has never been easy to confront the question "What is my value?" and then figure out a way to answer it.

Until now.

In this week's episode of Legal Imposters Idon't just invite the question "What is my value?" I tell you exactly how to answer it. In it I give you a unique tool for calculating your value that you won't find anywhere else. That tool is the BTF Value Equation - a plug and play value calculator that I created for my clients inside BE THE FIRST and which I'm sharing with you for free here on Legal Imposters.

Excited? You should be.

The Value Equation has multiple functions. Use it in your career to:

1. Understand your true value in the workplace and how it is measured
2. Feel confident in your value so you perform more to your potential
3. Talk about your value in normal conversation
4. Showcase your value to position you for promotion
5. Increase your value to increase your prospects for promotion

This tool has been a game changer for me and for my clients inside BE THE FIRST. Use it correctly and I promise it'll do the same for you.

P.S. Are you going to BCF 2025? If you're a mid to senior level associate, don't miss my Value Workshop where I'll be teaching you the Value Equation in detail and walking you through the process of understanding and showcasing your value to position yourself for that next promotion.

P.P.S. Inside BE THE FIRST I teach you how to Showcase your value as part of a proven 5 step process for progressing to the next level measurably and sustainably. The next enrolment is coming. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress within the next 6 to 12 months, now's the time to prepare. Book your free consult with me and let's talk about your progression goal. Click here to book directly into my calendar.

How much do you value yourself? Here's how you know:

1. the way you treat yourself
2. the way you talk about yourself to others
3. how well you take care of yourself
4. how you present yourself

This is not about your value in the workplace.

This is about your self worth. Your worthiness. Your belief in your innate value as a human being and the value, potential and brilliance inherent within that.

As I explain in this week's episode, this is your intrinsic value and it's very different to your commercial or business value.

There are 3 reasons why valuing yourself matters:

1. Your worthiness as a human is completely independent of the circumstances outside of you or people around you. So it doesn't matter what's going on in your career or relationships, your self worth should never change.
2. Although independent of others, your belief in your own value does influence how much they value you and treat you. So the more you value yourself, the easier you make it for others to see your value and treat you accordingly.
3. When you value yourself, you're sufficient. You don't need to chase validation or proof of your value. This frees you up to focus on showcasing your business value - i.e. the value you bring to your firm or organisation that's a prerequisite for your next promotion.

If you've ever found yourself questioning your self worth or relying on external factors (your achievements, external validation from others) to feel worthy and valuable, this episode is for you.

Happy listening.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you've ever confused your self worth with your career worth, I can help you with that. Book a free consult with me and let's talk about your progression goal and what you need to do to get there. Mid to senior level black lawyers click the link below to book straight into my calendar:

https://calendly.com/carolineflanagan/bethefirst

If you don't go for what you want in your career now, then when will you?

Right now there are a lot of reasons why you're not taking that active next step towards achieving your career goal:

you're not sure you want it

you're in the middle of a deal

things are too busy right now

you just need to get through this period

you're waiting for your next pay check

you've got a financial commitment coming up

These are the reasons you tell me you want to progress your career inside BE THE FIRST but now is not the right time.

But what sounds like a plausible reason for waiting, is actually a cover story for procrastination.

In this episode I challenge you to look beneath the cover story of why you put things off and get curious about the real reasons keeping you stuck.

The fear of failure

The fear that going for your goal will be hard

The fear you might fail

The fear that you might succeed

The fear of other peoples expectations

When these are the real reasons behind your procrastination the way forward becomes crystal clear: no more waiting for a future time, for the conditions to be perfect and for the fears to subside. The right time to join BE THE FIRST and go for what you want is now.

Tune in to discover more.

P.s. Enrolment for the September 2025 class of BE THE FIRST is now open. If youre a mid to senior black lawyer and you want to progress in the next 6 to 12 months, now is the time to join. To apply before the August 29th deadline click this link: https://caroline-flanagan.mykajabi.com/btf-application-form

For more details on the programme click here: https://caroline-flanagan.mykajabi.com/be-the-first_sales-page

You're a mid to senior level black lawyer with years of experience and a track record of billing hours and running deals.

Yes this will make you eligible for promotion, but it doesn't make you entitled to it.

One of the common misconceptions I hear is that years worked, hours billed and weekends and evenings sacrificed should guarantee you that next role.

Have you ever thought: "they owe it to me" or "after everything I've done / all the hours I've worked, they better give it to me!" or something along those lines?

Many of you have come to me shocked and disappointed when a promotion you thought was guaranteed, unexpectedly went to someone else. How could this happen? you ask. After everything I've done!

Here's the thing. Promotion isn't about your past performance. It's about your future promise - i.e. what the powers that be believe you'll bring to the table and contribute to the pie after you've been promoted. While your past performance is an indicator of that, it is by no means a guarantee.

This means your no. 1 job as a senior black lawyer is to position yourself as someone who belongs in the room and brings a lot to the table.

I tell you exactly how to do this in episode 101 of Legal Imposters: Position Yourself for Promotion.

In it I give you a 6 step process and the powerful mindset you need to position yourself for promotion and guarantee your success in a white world.

Although it's only 6 steps, positioning yourself for promotion can be challenging to do alongside your day job and particularly as a black lawyer. That's why I created BE THE FIRST - the career progression coaching programme for mid to senior level black lawyers where I give you a blueprint for progressing to the next level and I coach you every step of the way.

If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you have your sights set on promotion in the next 6 to 12 months, now is the time to join. ENROLMENT for the September 2025 class opens TOMORROW Thursday 21st August for 7 days and there are 10 slots available. DM me on social or email me at [email protected] for details, or follow me on LinkedIn (remember to click the bell in my profile so you see my posts) so you don't miss the announcement.

We're reached Episode 100! Woohoo

To mark the occasion, what better topic to talk to you about than being the first?

Specifically, let's talk about how it makes you feel when I tell you the answer to succeeding in a white world is to BE THE FIRST!

Inspiration for this episode comes from one of my clients inside BE THE FIRST who confessed that the idea of being the first really inspired her but it also made her feel pressured.

Is this you? Have you heard me say "Be the first" and felt pressure? Or fear?

If the answer is yes, you're in exactly the right place. (If the answer is no and the call to be the first lights a fire in your belly, don't go away. There's plenty here for you too).

BE THE FIRST isn't an obligation to act.

It's a call on you to believe.

• Believe you are the first
• Believe there's no one like you
• Believe you are one of a kind
• Believe you are uniquely valuable
• Believe you can be who you can't see
• Believe you're the one they need
• Believe you add value to the room just being in the room

This level of belief doesn't produce pressure. It creates power.

Believing your the first ignites a fire in your belly

You recognise the power you have

You become big

The challenges and obstacles around you become small

No diversity, being excluded, exposure to racism - none of it can stop you.

The next time I call on you to BE THE FIRST and you feel pressure, catch yourself

This isn't an obligation to act

This is a call to believe

P.S. In BE THE FIRST you learn the BE THE FIRST Mindset and Strategy for progressing your career to the next level and achieving success in a white world. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want the promotion, now is the time to join. Doors open on 21st August for 7 days and I have 10 spots available. Email me at [email protected] to register your interest and I'll send you more details.

Questions? Join my webinar next Thursday 21st August 2025 at 1pm UK: BE THE FIRST - Position Yourself for Promotion in 5 Simple Steps. It's free to attend but you must register. Click this link to sign up: https://caroline-flanagan.mykajabi.com/bethefirst-how-to-succeed-webinar

It's never too soon to think about Business Development.

But when should this be your main focus? And what should you do about Business Development when you've been told to focus on something else?

This week on Legal Imposters, inspired by a client inside BE THE FIRST, we're talking about the importance of building your book of business and what to do when, for reasons personal or professional, you're unable to make this your primary focus.

When you're at the very start of your career, this doesn't matter so much.

But what do you do when you're trying to build your business case for promotion and you're told by the Partner you work for not to focus on Business Development?

This was the dilemma facing my client.

If this has happened to you, you're in the right place. Even if it hasn't, knowing what to do when Business Development can't be your main focus is going to ensure you're never left scrambling around for a business case because of all the relationships you've neglected to build over time.

How you avoid this is simple: you keep your Business Development at a simmer. Just as you would a saucepan of hot water, you maintain a low level of activity that enables you to focus your attention elsewhere without neglecting your Business Development altogether.

This has two advantages:

1. When the time is right to make Business Development your primary focus, all you have to do is turn the heat up. The water is already simmering. It takes relatively little effort to bring it to the boil. So it is with the low level Business Development activity that you've been maintaining all along. It takes nothing to ramp up your relationship building to full capacity. Your relationships are already warm. All you have to do is step things up and call them in.
2. When the time comes, you'll have highly developed relationship building skills. This ensures you're not having to learn these skills in the exact same moment you want to use them. You've acquired them over time through the simple act of keeping your Business Development at a simmer.

So how do you do it? How to keep your Business Development at a simmer so you can focus elsewhere?

Below are 4 suggestions to get you started.

1. Stay connected to peers and those you already know
2. Deepen relationships with the clients you currently serve
3. Watch and learn from those who already do it well
4. Develop your understanding of how the business operates by filtering actions and decisions through a business lens

What else could you do? Can you think of more? Share your ideas in the comments.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress to the next level in your career, I can help you with that. Join BE THE FIRST career progression coaching for black lawyers and learn the 5 vital steps to progressing your career as a black lawyer and be coached by me every step of the way. Enrolment for the September 2025 class opens 21st August 2025. Save this date to your calendar and make sure you follow me on social media so you don't miss the announcement.

Building relationships with people who are different to you is one of the 5 vital steps to progressing your career as a black lawyer and it's exactly what I teach you inside BE THE FIRST. But what do you do when it doesn't work?

This was the question one of my clients brought to coaching inside BE THE FIRST and it's the question I'm answering for you in this week's episode of Legal Imposters.

You know the experience: you reach out to a partner in another office who you hope will send you more work; or you take a potential client to an event with a follow up over lunch and in either case, nothing happens. So you throw your hands up in despair and declare:

"I've tried but it's not working"

"I've been making the effort but I'm not getting anything out of it"

This, my friend, isn't relationship building. It's transaction chasing.

Transaction chasing is when you go through the motions of building the relationship but you're focused on what's in it for you.

Transaction chasing will keep you busy, but it won't bring you the support you need to progress, the opportunities to showcase your value or the clients to support your business case.

None of this comes from the transaction.

It comes from the relationship.

Relationship building isn't about you and what you can get out of it, it's about the person you're building the relationship with. It's you getting to know them as a human being, discovering what they want, need and care about and finding as many ways as you can to add value.

There's more.

It's not enough to know them. You have to let them know you and be willing to keep building the relationship for as long as it takes for connection to form.

This is how you build relationships that progress your career.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you're struggling to build the relationships that will launch your career to the next level, I can help you with that. Join BE THE FIRST career progression coaching for black lawyers to learn the 5 vital steps to progressing your career as a black lawyer and be coached by me every step of the way. Enrolment for the September 2025 class opens 21st August 2025. Save this date to your calendar and make sure you follow me on social media so you don't miss the announcement.

"I think it went well" is not how you should be talking about your latest success or achievement! Showcasing your value isn't just about the showcase (a training event you delivered, a panel event you moderated, for example) it's about how you talk about it, gain confidence from it and how much your value increases as a result of it.

None of this is evident from "I think it went well".

"I think it went well" is a lazy rendition of something you worked hard to prepare for and successfully delivered. Not only does it undermine your success, it devalues your contribution.

As a black lawyer who wants to progress to the next level, you can't afford to do this. Evaluating your own performance and being able to talk about it with confidence and ease is essential. Don't wait for others to connect the dots between the work you did and the successful outcome that was created and recognise this as value. You've got to connect the dots yourself and make it easy for all to see.

If this sounds daunting or hard, don't worry. I walk you through exactly why and how you need to do this in episode 97 of the Legal Imposters' Podcast: "I think it went well"

Inspired by a client inside BE THE FIRST whose evaluation of a client panel event she organised and moderated was "I think it went well", this episode will tell you everything you need to know about getting value out of showcasing your value.

You'll discover why showcasing your value is such a huge opportunity and learn a 4 step process for getting the most out of every showcase.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and showcasing your value is something you struggle with, join BE THE FIRST and let me help you with that as part of a career progression strategy that will take you to the next level in your career.

Enrolment for the September 2025 class opens on 21 August 2025. Save the date and follow me on social so you don't miss the announcement and you get your application in before the deadline. And if you want a head start on the programme, complete the BE THE FIRST Progression Audit to discover how ready you are to progress and which aspects of your career need your attention right now. Click here to complete your free Progression Audit today.

Are you ready? We're going to increase your visibility and we're committing to it right now.

In today's episode of the Legal Imposters Podcast I introduce you to the 30 Day Visibility Challenge - a challenge to get you out of your comfort zone and into the spotlight where people can see you, get to know you and keep you front of mind.

I know this is daunting. I know the thought of it makes you want to run and hide. I know if there was any way to avoid it and still get the promotion you're looking for you would seize it with both hands! (Full disclosure: so would I!)

But there's no escaping the truth my friend: if you want to progress your career as a black lawyer, people need to know who you are.

This is why being highly visible is step 4 of the 5 vital steps for progressing your career as a black lawyer that I teach you inside BE THE FIRST.

It's the thing that gets you included and invited, it's the thing that influences your work allocation, and it's the number one thing that will get you the firm-wide or organisation-wide support you need to be admitted to the next level.

So why a 30-day Visibility Challenge?

The 30-day Visibility Challenge is what you do during Visibility month inside BE THE FIRST to motivate you, inspire you, support you and hold you accountable to increasing your visibility.

Because it's so much easier to step out of your comfort zone when you know a) it's for a limited period of time b) your peers are doing it at the same time (and are similarly uncomfortable) and c) you have a Coach who you trust walking you every step of the way.

So if you want to progress your career this year, join us!

You can do the challenge on your own (in the episode I tell you how), but if you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress your career this year you don't have to go it alone. Join BE THE FIRST and let's increase your visibility together.

Enrolment for the class of September 2025 opens 21 August. Save the date and follow me on social so you don't miss the announcement and you get your application in before the deadline. And if you want a head start on the programme, complete the BE THE FIRST Progression Audit to discover how ready you are to progress and which aspects of your career need your attention right now. Click here to complete your free Progression Audit today.

How are you coming across? What perception do others have of you and is this perception working for you or against you in your career?

For some of you, this will be the first time thinking about this question.

For others of you, the idea that other people perceive you a certain way isn't new to you. But where that perception is a negative one, you most likely feel powerless to do anything about it.

We're going to change that in this episode.

Understanding how other people perceive you is important for 3 reasons:

1. Negative stereotypes are a reality - as a black lawyer if you haven't been confronted by negative stereotypes in your career then it's only a matter of time before you do, whether directly or indirectly. This is a reality of the world we live and work in, so it's important to be aware of it and have the tools to navigate it.
2. Other people's perception of you determines how they treat you - from the work they allocate to you, their keenness to include you or support you and their willingness to promote you, all of this is heavily influenced by the perception they have of you.
3. Everything you do to increase your visibility as part of your career progression strategy will turn the volume up on other people's perception of you. If other people's perception of you aligns and supports your progression goal, this is perfect. If it doesn't, then the visibility work you're doing will work against you rather than for. you. We definitely don't want that.

Whether you know how other people perceive you right now or not, you're going to find this episode invaluable. First, you'll learn why this topic is so important. Second, you'll discover exactly how to find out what perception other people have of you. Third, you're going to learn how to change other people's perception of you by building an intentional and authentic brand.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you're ready to build your intentional brand, I invite you to join BE THE FIRST. The next enrolment is 21st August 2025 where you'll be enrolling for the September 2025 class. In the meantime, find out if you're ready to progress by completing a Progression Audit - my free quick fire questionnaire that will reveal which of the progression pillars you need to include as part of your Progression Plan to ensure your progress is measurable and sustainable. Click here to do the Progression Audit now: https://ol05es3oldn.typeform.com/to/odMwQWzH