When David Lat went to law school and launched his legal career, he expected to have a traditional legal career. But within a few years, the desire to write and explore topics that were of interest to him and, as it turns out, many other people led David down a non-standard path. In Episode 44 of Lawyerpreneur, David Lat and I talk about the early days of Underneath Their Robes, the predecessor to Above the Law. He tells the story of why he decided to come out from behind his anonymity, and how that led to Above the Law. David...
In Episode 43 of Lawyerpreneur, Amanda Doucette (who blogs and podcasts about tax issues under the title, “The Tax Chick”) joins me to discuss a number of topics. One of her focuses in her law practice is distinguishing the value of her services to her clients — what does that mean and how do you do it? We talk about the transformative experience Amanda has had in working with a business coach. As has been a running theme through a number of recent interviews (like Episode 41 with Lisa Lang), we talking about the importance of surrounded yourself with like-minded...
In Episode 42 of Lawyerpreneur, Damien Black and I discuss laying the foundation for effective processes and communication, the importance of delegating tasks, the value of early and effective case evaluation, and building a book of business. This is the second of two episodes of Lawyerpreneur that features me as the interviewee. This episode first aired on Litera TV’s program “Inside the Firm” in December 2020. If you’d rather watch than listen, you can find Damien’s interview of me on Litera’s YouTube channel. Laying a Foundation for Effective Processes and Communication You can listen here or on your favorite podcast...
In Lawyerpreneur Episode 41, Lisa Lang and I discuss why it’s important for in-house lawyers to continue to develop their personal brand. Lisa talks about the value to in-house counsel to see the marketing and branding that outside counsel and vendors are doing. We talk about how the business relationships that are formed through marketing, personal branding, and business communities can evolve into personal relationships. We discuss the opportunities that branding and marketing give you to practice your expertise in public. And finally, Lisa Lang talks about being fulfilled in your career, even when it takes turns others think or...
This is the first of two episodes of Lawyerpreneur that feature me as the interviewee. This episode first aired on Litera TV’s program “Inside the Firm” in August 2020. If you’re more interested in watching rather than listening, you can find Damien Black’s interview of me on Litera’s YouTube channel. In Episode 40 of Lawyerpreneur, Damien and I discuss a smattering of topics that I wrote about in Level Up Your Law Practice, including abundance mindset v. scarcity mindset, approaching a healthy mindset with intentionality, facing your fear of rejection, and attempting to establish boundaries for a functional work-life balance....
Even the most well-intentioned of us get cranky sometimes. It’s one of life’s inevitabilities. But there may be ways to corral and manage our crankiness that give it a kind of usefulness. Steven Joseph has developed the CrankaTsuris method that guides us toward a more effective version of crankiness. In Episode 39 of Lawyerpreneur, Steven Joseph and I discuss his children’s book The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris, in which he introduces the effects of too much complaining. He has also just released the book for adults, A Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness: The Crankatsuris Method. During our conversation, Steven...
In Episode 38 of Lawyerpreneur, John Hart talks about how the depth of storytelling culture in the South has been integral to his writing. He tells the story of bailing on his criminal law practice to give himself the opportunity to write a successful novel and the path that led to his first published novel, The King of Lies, making the New York Times bestseller list. John Hart discusses how being a criminal defense lawyer played an important role in his understanding of crime and society, and how those experiences continue to mold his writing. We talked about why it’s...
In Episode 37 of Lawyerpreneur, Barbara Hinske and I have a great conversation covering a broad range of topics. We start with how recovering from breaking her neck led to the launch of her author career. Hinske talks about why she first decided to write under a pen name, which is a relevant conversation for many lawyers who are pursuing side hustles. Barbara Hinske shares how her book Guiding Emily has enabled to help those in the blind community. We also discuss how networking with purpose (which is how her book The Christmas Club became a Hallmark movie), being prepared...
In Episode 36 of Lawyerpreneur, Natasha Hazlett and I discuss several of the themes of her inspiring business self-help book, Unstoppable Influence. Natasha is a former Memphis lawyer who has built a successful Nashville-based, business coaching enterprise with her husband. In my favorite parts of our conversation, Natasha Hazlett shares the genesis of her transition from being a lawyer at a firm to founding an internet business; living on purpose and with purpose; and being the co-creator of your life. Take Control and Live with Purpose with Natasha Hazlett You can listen here or on your favorite podcast apps: Apple...
In November of 2019, I wrote down five goals for 2020. And I’ll tell you now that I only achieved two of them. So let’s talk about those two first. You can listen here or on your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, YouTube, and RSS. How My 2020 Goals Fared I set the goal to publish my third book, Level Up Your Law Practice, by June 2020. As of mid-November, I’d only written half of it, and I didn’t fully know what the other half would consist of. But over the next 2...
Being a lawyer doesn’t mean doing business as usual.
