I have had the privilege of helping attorneys grow their law practices for more than two decades. Along the way, it’s been exciting to see how some clients grow and achieve their goals; and disappointing to watch others plateau early and never manage to Break-Out. They struggle along, they do “okay,” but they just never do anything remarkable.
Clients like Frank inspire me daily. Frank came to us several years ago for a strategic planning retreat. He was a solo practitioner with a big vision. I remember how impressed I was as he shared his dreams of buying property for his law office, serving a larger market, expanding his reach and delegating certain types of cases to his (at the time, non-existent) associates. Together, we crafted his brand story and told it with compelling video and captivating design. He was one of the first to jump onboard with CRM marketing.
When he came back last year for a second retreat, it was to update his marketing. He had that new office building, several associate attorneys, a larger staff, and an overflowing schedule. He needed to automate some of his systems for efficiency and quality control and wanted to rework his branding to reflect an even bigger, more expansive vision.
What is the difference between the firm that achieves Break-Out results like this and the firm caught in perpetual struggles with cash flow issues, staff overturn, fee pressure, and so on?
IMS President Kyle Krull likes to share this quotation, “The people who know how will always be working for the people who know why.”
Time after time, I watch extremely capable attorneys, with prestigious academic credentials, struggle with the business of law. They are imminently gifted at knowing how … but so often they just never took time to explore the important why.
Why are you doing this?
Is it really about drafting better, more complex documents? Was it ever about cranking out more transactions, or building a social network of referral sources? I doubt it. There was a reason you went to law school. Somewhere back there, before you started worrying about payroll and cash flow and the latest Medicaid regulations … somewhere there was a passion.
What if you rediscovered that passion? What if you gave into it and let it lead you to something remarkable?
I’ve found that the difference between Break-Out firms and struggling ones comes down to Vision. We can implement the exact same marketing strategies for two different firms and see completely different results. It’s not because one attorney is better than the other. It’s not that one market is better than another, because I’ve seen Break-Out firms arise from small markets as well as large.
Break-Out Firms Have Break-Out Vision
What is Break-Out Vision? It’s Vision that is fueled by passion, supported by strategy and articulated with compelling marketing. Firms with Break-Out Vision are simply unstoppable. Though they learn from others, they are never content to follow someone else’s path. They blaze their own.
Break Away to Break Out
Before you can Break-Out, you may have to Break Away. It’s tough to see with inspired vision when you’re dealing with a client phone call, a staff question, or a troublesome copy machine.
Break away with us on the first day of The Summit when we take you to beautiful Fawnwood Ranch in the Black Forest of Colorado Springs. Here you will meet our Legacy Ranch horses in an experience that will reveal the key insights most important to your journey – get in touch with your passion, explore your vision, face limiting beliefs that may be holding you back, and realize how you show up to others in ways that may inspire or inhibit trusting relationships.
Though the horses are your real teachers, I’ll be there to facilitate your learning experience. I have been doing this work with horses since 2013 and am a certified practitioner in experiential learning with the Equine Experiential Education Association (where I will be keynoting at their international conference in September). Account manager Dana Alley recently completed her certification as well and will be joining me to facilitate our debriefing discussions.
Even if you’re not sure you are ready to step into an arena and work hands-on with horses, you’ll find this an empowering experience to witness and participate in the debrief. The horse work is all done from the ground, with no riding involved. While I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone on this first day, participation is not required.
Most conferences kick off with an inspiring message from a motivational speaker. But The Summit is not like most conferences. We will kick off with inspiration and motivation from master teachers. The Legacy Ranch horses have no agenda, they are not selling any books at the back of the room (though carrots are always appreciated). They are here to help you find your own inspiration, your own motivation. Because YOU are the key to your success!
Join us October 18-20 for The Summit 2017 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. Take the first step toward something remarkable.
Early registrations save $200 before Sept. 15th.