The Authentic Legal Professional

Laura Frederick left her job as in-house counsel at Tesla right before the pandemic to start her own firm in her 50s. As a single mom of 4 kids, she had to make this whole thing work.

In this episode of the Build Your Book podcast, we learn about the lessons she learned along the way to not only survive, but thrive in this new paradigm. Along the way, she built a thriving LinkedIn following of 17,000+ lawyers, an online academy, wrote a book.

Her secret is simple: start with generosity. This generosity has guided her relationships with clients, with friends, and so many more. Generosity is not only good for the heart, but good for business as well. This episode gets into how to do it all

In this episode, we learn about:

Laura's Recommended Books:

Where to find Laura:

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Norman Bacal is a legend in Canadian law. Norm built & led one of Canada’s most prestigious law firms. He was also one of the most successful film finance lawyers in the country. He sat on the board of directors of a Hollywood studio and represented companies like Warner Bros, MGM, Sony, and Lionsgate. 

Then, the firm collapsed and he re-invented himself as a bestselling author of Breakdown, speaker, and mentor to young lawyers (or just young professionals starting out).

In this episode, we talk about:

This episode is for the books! 

References:

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Resources:

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Nick Cegelski gets what it takes to sell. Sales is not a dirty word to him. The heart of sales is a conversation, it is about questions.

In this episode, we break down the entire client sales meeting where you as a lawyer have to sit down and convince the client to retain you. But as you'll soon discover, there is no convincing required if you run the meeting in the right away.

In this practically grounded episode, we learn from Nick all the ways that lawyers get in their own way in running sales meetings with prospective clients.

He shows us a different approach, a more human approach. And it isn't about slicking back your hair, cracking jokes, and being sleazy. It is all about the art and science of building comfort and asking questions.

If you're looking for more sales ideas, don't forget to check out Nick's podcast: 30 Minutes to President's Club! It is made for salespeople who want to go further.

References:

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Resources:

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He's a food entrepreneur, a tech consultant, a lawyer, and just someone who thinks differently. Sukhi is an entrepreneur first who decided to choose himself and skip the line that other lawyers force themselves into.

The fact is, anyone can learn to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are not born, they're made. And despite what you might think, there is less risk than ever before.

In this talk, we learn about Sukhi's story, and we get into solid tactics and strategies to help you get started with building your own abundance mindset as well as tips to get clients coming in through the door.

We also get into:

References:

Recommended Books:

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What makes someone go from an equity partner at a large law firm to striking out on their own in a small practice? In this incredible talk, we learn from the candid Erin Durant about her adventure into building something herself.

She talks about how going out on your own is less scary than people think. She gets into all the ways she prepared herself to do things herself, and what it takes to build an incredible culture (that is to contrary to how big law thinks!) at a firm.

She makes a compelling case on why now is a better time than ever before to strike out on your own and succeed.

Plus of course, the need for a coach and mentor during pivotal moments of change in your life & career.

We get into all the details about mentorship, marketing, and mental health as well in this episode.

References:

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Resources:

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A teacher who becomes a lawyer. This is the story of Angela Han, an immigrant to the US who goes from feeling unwanted & unworthy to becoming someone who loves her work as a lawyer, a health coach, a life coach, and a mom. This is a deeply personal episode as Angela talks about her immigration story to the US, her turbulent start in the legal profession and what it takes to re-invent yourself.

She's been coaching women to reinvent their legal careers and we're excited to have her on!

In this episode, we discuss:

For us, the big lesson was about embracing the importance of creative thinking and playfulness. There is absolutely no question of deservedness.

Have a vision. Take action. Go!

References:

Books we discussed:

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People can spend their entire lives doing work they hate in this profession. Why? The fear of a drop in income. The fear of starting from scratch. But it doesn't have to be that way. It is simple to manage around these fears.

It is easier than ever to build a foundation right where you are, run small experiments, and pivot when the time is right. It doesn't require extremely focused planning. It's all about playful experimentation.

I am joined by Aaron Baer as he discusses big changes that he made in his legal career with small steps.

Plus, a big announcement on new people joining the Build Your Book team as well as the podcast in the coming weeks!

References:

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Resources:

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Traditional law firms want you to stay in your lane, do your work, bill hours, and go home. This is no longer the right recipe for success, fulfillment and happiness. It is also the riskiest thing you can do for your career. 

In this episode, we discuss the many different ways you must choose yourself. Whether you're a solo practitioner or a partner at a big law firm, choosing yourself, your passion, your interests, and even your own way (unselfishly!) of doing things is downright necessary. 

Reinvention, chasing your curiosity, embracing change, are all part of this new economy. But this doesn't have to be scary. It can be exhilarating.

Refereces:

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Who comes out on top? The "sharks" or the takers, or the givers? Can saying "no" be a sign of abundance? Can saying "yes" be coming from a place of scarcity?

The legal profession is mired in a scarcity mindset. Beliefs like there aren't enough clients, enough work, enough dollars keeps people constantly in stress, buttoned up and away from feeling true security, freedom, and financial success.

In this episode, we talk about how to cultivate an abundance mindset. Before talking about any strategies and tactics, the mindset is key. We continue on this conversation about the right mindset needed to succeed in building a successful practice.

References:

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In this episode, we continue our conversation with Aaron Baer discussing the importance of mindset, authenticity and vulnerability when it comes to business development and life itself.

Please subscribe and leave a rating for us on Apple iTunes or wherever it is that you get your podcast.

We discuss:

Resources:

Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!  It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we  really appreciate it!

Resources:

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