Legal Imposters

You think your success is down to luck. You fear that any minute now that luck is going to run out and you'll be exposed. This is a classic sign of Imposter Syndrome and it's holding you back from performing to your potential.

It doesn't have to be this way. There's a way of viewing the role of luck in your success that is true, empowering and gives you the confidence to succeed: Own it.

Listen to this episode to discover how.

In it I share:

1. How your thoughts about the role of luck are holding you back
2. The 3 common mistakes to avoid when your brain offers you the thought: My success is down to luck
3. What it means to "own" the role of luck in your success
4. The 3 simple steps to owning your luck that will transform the way you think about luck and how you show up in your career.

In CONFIDENT Black Lawyers we take your thoughts about the role of luck that cause you to play small and we challenge them with thoughts that empower you and give you the confidence to succeed. Click here to discover more.

Do you umm and ahh over decisions?

Do you spin in confusion about what to do?

Does it take you weeks and months to decide?

Do you only make decisions when things are critical or urgent?

Have you ever gone to make a decision only to realise it's too late?

When you finally make decisions do you regret not having made them earlier?

If any of these are you then youre in the right place.

If you want to progress your career you have to get better at making decisions proactively and implementing them quickly. Every day that goes by when you're undecided and unsure, is another day you're not taking ownership of your career and not making progress towards your goal.

In this episode (a replay of my recent LinkedIn LIVE) I'll be using the example of deciding whether to join the May cohort of BE THE FIRST to illustrate:

- 3 reasons you're struggling to make a decision

- why the wrong decision is better than no decision

- the magic that happens as soon as a decision is made

HAPPY LISTENING.

P.S. The next enrolment for BE THE FIRST - the career progression programme for mid to senior black

lawyers is coming. Be the first to know when doors open by joining the waitlist. Click here to join

The most common mistake I see black lawyers making is thinking you have to work twice as hard as your white peers to progress.

This thought may have got you this far. But it won't get you where you want to go.

Working twice as hard sets you up as the workhorse and sends the message that you are a safe pair of hands.

This is fine if you want to stay where you are.

But if you want to progress to the next level, you need a completely different strategy.

This week I'm bringing you a replay of my recent LinkedIn LIVE: "Stop working twice as hard!" where I talked you through:

1. How you know youre working twice as hard

2. Why working twice as hard won't get you promoted

3. What to do instead if you want to progress to the next level

P.S. BE THE FIRST May 2025 is open for enrolment until midnight (UK) 9 April. If you're a mid to senior level lawyer and you want to progress your career this year, now is the time to join.

Coaching starts on Tuesday 6th May 2025 at 2pm via Zoom and we meet the same time every week for 6 months (excluding August).

Add these dates to your calendar. Click this link in my profile to apply today - before tomorrows application deadline. For programme details and how we work together click here

How do you succeed in a white world without working twice as hard? Let me show you how.

This week I bring you the answer to this million dollar question in a replay of today's Webinar: How to Succeed in a White World (without working twice as hard).

Here's what you'll learn:

1. The no.1 mistake that is holding you back from the success you deserve
2. The 5 vital skills that are the only skills you need to progress to the next level
3. The unstoppable mindset that will keep you on track and ensure you succeed.

And don't miss the IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Enrolment for the May 2025 cohort of BE THE FIRST opens today for 6 days only, so get your applications in today. AND there's a special bonus offer for my Podcast listeners so make sure you listen until the end.

Questions? DM me on social or email me directly [email protected]

You know you want to progress your career. In fact, you're planning to join BE THE FIRST so you can learn how to do just that, but you're telling yourself now is not the right time -

"I've got too much on"

"I'll do it after this big project"

"I'll wait until things quieten down"

These are just some of the reasons I hear that you're not prioritising your career progression.

If this is you, you're not alone. A number of my clients in BE THE FIRST said exactly the same thing when they first discovered the programme. Only to tell me, within weeks of joining:

"I should've joined earlier!"

"I wish I'd know this before"

Don't let this be you.

This week's episode is a call to action to stop waiting for the right time to progress your career and instead to make now the right time to join the next cohort of BE THE FIRST Progression for Black Lawyers.

In it I explain the number 1 mistake you're making when you decide to put off joining to a later date, the suffering you're prolonging and the life changing results you're delaying - and I give you a simple 3 step process for finding the motivation to get started today.

For everything you need to know about joining BE THE FIRST and making now the right time to get started, join my free webinar: Be The First - How to succeed in a white world (without working twice as hard). This webinar is free but you must register to attend. Click here to register

You'll learn:

Why you should stop umming and ahhhing over going for that next promotion

How working twice as hard is limiting your potential

The 5 vital skills to succeeding in a white world

The powerful mindset shift that ensures your success

Why now is the right time to start

Includes a 30 minute Q&A

This Webinar gives you everything you need to succeed and tells you precisely how to implement it.

You'll discover the exact process my clients follow inside BE THE FIRST which is transforming their way of working and accelerating their careers.

I'll also share all the key details for the upcoming enrolment for BE THE FIRST May 2025 - who it's for, what it does, when to join and why - if you're a mid to senior level black lawyer who wants to progress - this is the room you want to be in.

I cover alot in this Webinar, so make sure you allow 90 minutes on your calendar and remember to bring all your questions for the Q&A.

Register here

One of the best things you can do to progress your career is to become more valuable.

The more valuable you are, the more support you'll get, the more opportunities you'll attract and the more easily you'll progress your career.

To become more valuable you could increase your knowledge. You could broaden your experience and develop your expertise. But these can be hard to achieve when you're working all the hours and you're not being given the best work.

In this episode of the Legal Imposters Podcast I offer you an easier way to become more valuable: join BE THE FIRST.

BE THE FIRST is the career progression programme for mid to senior level black lawyers where I teach you everything you need to progress as a black lawyer and coach you every step of the way.

The minute you sign up to this programme you become more valuable.

The decision to be in the driving seat, to focus on what you can control, to stop waiting for the circumstances outside of you to change, to set goals and go to work to achieve them - these decisions change you. The version of you who reaches this level of decision is already more valuable than the version that went before.

It doesn't end there.

Every day you're in this programme - learning the skills you need to progress, implementing, getting coached when you get stuck - is another day you become more valuable.

I see it inside BE THE FIRST all the time -

The client who was constantly overwhelmed and stressed when she joined, who is now calm, more in control and better at meeting deadlines.

The client who couldn't delegate and did everything herself who is now the delegation queen (her words!) and has time to be proactive and think strategically.

The client who couldn't speak up in meetings who is now clear about her value, engages in meetings and more willingly shares her ideas.

The client who kept work colleagues at a distance who is now building rapport with clients he never thought he could connect with.

Transformations like this are happening every day inside BE THE FIRST. Clients are becoming more valuable every day and so will you, the moment you decide to join.

Enrolment for the May 2025 cohort is 3rd - 9th April 2025.

If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress this year, now is the time to join.

If you're hoping to get internal funding for your firm I recommend you have that conversation now so you get a decision before enrolment closes and have your option b ready to go if your firm or business say no.

Stay tuned for details

Questions about BE THE FIRST? Ask me in the comments.

Showcasing your value isn't bragging. It's understanding your audience's problem and letting them know you can solve it.

Showcasing your value is important. It's not enough to work hard. Keeping your head down and hoping the right people will notice isn't enough. You've got to show them: show people how valuable you are so you can attract the support and opportunities you deserve.

You already know this. The problem is, the fear of becoming cocky and sounding like you're bragging is holding you back.

You no longer have anything to fear.

In episode #78 of the Legal Imposters Podcast I show you why showcasing your value isn't a selfish act. It's an act of service to the Partner, line manager, clients and firm you work for who all have wants and needs. They all have problems to solve and are looking for you to help them solve them.

You showcasing your value isn't you saying "look at me I'm great" it's you saying "I'm the one who can help you."

This powerful mindset shift will change your approach to showcasing your value for ever. Instead of feeling like something you're supposed to do, it'll become the thing you want to do and feel compelled to do.

I explain it all in this week's episode and I give you 3 practical steps that will move you one step closer to showcasing your value today.

Happy listening.

P.S. In BE THE FIRST I teach you to showcase your value without feeling like you're bragging. You will learn the Value Equation, a unique and simple tool for knowing your value, recognising why it's of value to others and finding multiple ways to showcase that value with ease

Enrolment for BE THE FIRST May 2025 opens 3rd - 9th April 2025. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress your career this year, save the date to your calendar and stay tuned here on the podcast for details.

Are you following me on social media? Connect with me on Linkedin, IG or TikTok so you don't miss the announcement.

This week I bring you a replay of an interview with networking expert, Charlie Lawson. Previously published on the podcast in 2023, this topic is so essential and the advice he shares so valuable I'm bringing it to you again.

"You don't have to like networking to be good at it "

So says Charlie Lawson, the Unnatural Networker and my guest this week on the Legal Imposters Podcast.

Charlie is the ex-BNI boss and unnatural networking expert with 2 books to his name on doing the things many of us find hard: networking and promoting yourself.

In this episode Charlie takes the fear out of networking by explaining what networking really is (having a conversation, building relationships) and how to network when you're shy, an introvert or you just don't like networking (an unnatural networker).

You won't be surprised to learn I met Charlie while networking on LinkedIn. He is a brilliant example of the power of building relationships and the infinite potential of networking to catapult your career or business.

Tune in to find out:

1. Why I felt compelled to interview him on the podcast
2. What an unnatural networker is (and how many of you are out there)
3. Why you don't have to like networking to make it work for you
4. The right mindset for successful networking
5. A better conversation starter than "what do you do"?
6. Why networking is not about who's in the room.

Mentioned in this episode:

Books:

The Unnatural Networker by Charlie Lawson

The Unnatural Promoter by Charlie Lawson

The Networking Test - visit https://unnaturalsuccess.com/

About Charlie Lawson

Charlie Lawson is a very Unnatural Networker. Most experts talk about

networking as though it is easy to talk to strangers. Charlie helps other

Unnatural Networkers gain confidence by putting networking across from the point of view of someone whod rather avoid it completely.

His first book, The Unnatural Networker, was released in 2014, and has helped countless business owners learn how to network effectively. His second book, The Unnatural Promoter, was released in 2021, and focuses on helping people that don't like to blow their own trumpet to be brilliant at self-promotion.

Charlie is a renowned and highly regarded keynote speaker, and gained his expertise from 13 years as UK national director of BNI, the international business networking organisation. In his spare time, hell mostly be found swimming / biking / running in triathlons, while keeping his fingers crossed that Spurs finish above Arsenal in the league.

It's not enough to build relationships and grow your network. You've got to be able to take a relationship that isn't working and transform it into one that does.

As a black lawyer, progressing your career doesn't hinge on you building relationships. It hinges on building relationships with people different to you. This is fertile ground for the type of stereotyping, misunderstandings, false assumptions and misplaced expectations that can cause a breakdown in relationships that are the cornerstone of your career and therefore stop you progressing to the next level.

If you're struggling with a Partner who won't support you or a boss who seems to go out of their way to sabotage you, this episode is for you. In it I walk you through 3 common mistakes I see you making when it comes to relating to people different to you and what you can do to fix them.

This is Relate-Agility - a unique concept created from my decades of experience building relationships with people different to me which opened doors and brought in the support I needed to succeed. You'll learn all of this and more when you join BE THE FIRST Progression for Black Lawyers. The next enrolment is coming. If you're a mid to senior black lawyer, follow me on Linkedin and click the in my profile so you don't miss the details.

The conditions are never perfect. You don't have to wait for the circumstances outside of you to change. You are resourceful. You will find a way.

If you are working for a law firm or organisation that has reaffirmed its commitment to developing black talent, this is fantastic news. But what if you're not?

Not everyone is working for a firm or organisation that is willing to invest time and budget in DEI. For those of you that never have, or don't anymore (because your organisation is pulling back) I know you are feeling pretty alone and scared and powerless right now.

If this is you, don't despair. I want you to know you're not alone. I am here to guide you and remind you you are more powerful than you think.

The conditions are never perfect. There are circumstances outside of your control.

But remember: You are resourceful. You will find a way.

It's very important that you believe this. It's essential that you internalise this. Work to find existing evidence of this. Live by this and make it your truth.

When you remember you are resourceful the first thing you'll do is notice how much you CAN control:

• The relationships you build
• Your willingness to learn and invest in your own development
• How determined you are
• Who you surround yourself with
• What (information) you expose yourself to

When you remember you're resourceful the second thing you'll do is work with what you've got.

This might be practical (when I didn't have a desk to study at or a bed to sleep, I found 4 spare tyres and used those instead)

It might be situational (e.g. you're a paralegal struggling to get your training contract, great! you have a foot in the door)

It might be personal (e.g. building relationships is your superpower, so use it to grow your network and attract more opportunities)

Believing I'm resourceful and connecting to that resourcefulness is how I became bigger than my circumstances and achieved impossible goals. This works. It worked for me. This will work for you too.

P.S. If you're a black lawyer and you're feeling powerless and alone, let me help you. In CONFIDENT Black Lawyers I help you reconnect to your power and remember how resourceful you are, so you can be bigger than any circumstance. So you can achieve impossible goals. The next enrolment is coming. Get on the waiting list so you get all the details. Click here to join