One
of
my
favorite
movies
of
all
time
is
The
Rainmaker,
starring
Matt
Damon
and
Jon
Voight.
Most
people
don’t
realize
it
was
written
and
directed
by
Francis
Ford
Coppola.
The
film
has
everything:
David
versus
Goliath,
love,
suspense,
courtroom
drama,
the
total
package.
And
of
course,
it
comes
from
a
John
Grisham
novel,
which
makes
it
even
better.
Recently,
I
caught
the
new
streaming
version
of
The
Rainmaker.
Not
as
good,
but
still
a
decent
watch.
The
standout
villain
is
Leo
Drummond,
who
explains
to
a
new
hire
the
three
types
of
lawyers:
finders,
minders,
and
grinders.
It
is
a
classic
breakdown
you
may
have
heard
before.
-
Finders
are
the
rainmakers,
the
ones
who
bring
in
business. -
Minders
are
the
managers,
overseeing
relationships
and
teams. -
Grinders
are
the
workhorses,
billing
the
hours
and
producing
the
legal
work.
That
framework
is
useful,
but
my
take
is
different.
Why
You
Can’t
Just
Grind
Every
lawyer
should
start
as
a
grinder.
You
learn
the
craft,
hone
your
skills,
and
stack
wins.
Those
wins
build
your
reputation,
both
inside
your
firm
and
in
the
industry.
Being
excellent
at
the
work
is
table
stakes.
It
is
how
you
establish
credibility
and
show
that
you
belong.
But
staying
in
grinder
mode
forever
is
a
career
trap.
You
can
be
the
hardest
worker
in
the
room
and
still
have
no
control
over
your
future
if
you
cannot
generate
business.
Minders
Keep
Things
Moving
To
grow,
you
also
need
to
develop
the
minder
skill
set.
Managing
a
team,
handling
client
relationships,
and
knowing
when
to
delegate
are
all
essential.
If
you
cannot
push
work
down
to
others,
you
will
never
free
yourself
to
step
into
the
role
of
finder.
Finders
Rule
the
Game
This
is
where
the
magic
happens.
Finders
bring
in
the
clients,
create
opportunities,
and
ultimately
build
independence.
Business
development
is
not
an
innate
gift.
It
is
a
learned
skill.
With
the
right
systems,
processes,
and
language,
you
can
become
a
rainmaker.
That
means
learning
how
to
build
relationships,
create
thought
leadership,
and
use
marketing
channels
to
make
yourself
known
and
respected
in
your
space.
The
best
way
to
accomplish
the
“finder”
piece
of
this
puzzle
is
to
start
today.
Not
tomorrow
or
next
week.
Start
reading
more
about
business
development,
listen
to
podcasts
or
watch
some
videos.
The
content
is
out
there,
not
just
mine,
but
from
hundreds
of
experts
who
can
show
you
the
way.
Speak
with
a
rainmaker
you
know
for
advice.
Whether
you’re
looking
to
bring
in
your
first
client
or
get
to
your
first
million,
there’s
always
more
to
learn.
Here
is
the
truth:
if
your
firm
gets
acquired,
if
your
boss
is
difficult,
or
if
you
are
buried
under
layers
of
managers
who
treat
you
like
a
billing
machine,
the
only
real
insurance
policy
is
your
ability
to
bring
in
business.
Being
a
finder
is
how
you
protect
your
career
and
your
freedom.
The
Real
Formula
You
need
all
three
roles.
Grinders
build
the
foundation.
Minders
make
the
machine
run.
But
finders
create
sustainability.
The
earlier
you
start
working
on
these
skills,
ideally
by
your
third
or
fourth
year,
the
stronger
your
career
will
be.
If
you
are
tired
of
being
just
the
grinder
in
your
firm
and
want
to
start
building
the
finder
skill
set,
that
is
where
I
come
in.
Business
development
coaching
is
about
turning
capable
lawyers
into
rainmakers.
Reach
me
at
[email protected]
or
send
me
a
DM
on
LinkedIn.
Every
lawyer
has
the
opportunity
to
build
the
law
practice
of
their
dreams,
not
just
survive
with
the
one
they
have
now.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
“Be
That
Lawyer”
podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.