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Last
night,
my
wife
and
I
did
that
thing
many
of
you
know
too
well.
We
sat
on
the
couch
with
good
intentions
and
six
different
streaming
services
at
our
fingertips.
HBO
Max
first.
Scroll.
Prime.
Scroll.
Netflix.
Scroll.
Plenty
of
options,
nothing
compelling.
After
10
minutes
of
indecision,
she
grabbed
a
book.
I
opened
my
laptop
and
started
writing.
Again.
It
hit
me
later
that
this
is
exactly
what
I
see
lawyers
doing
with
their
practices
every
day.
So
many
options.
So
many
directions.
And
somehow,
nothing
stands
out.
When
clients,
referral
sources,
or
even
peers
look
at
a
lawyer
who
does
“a
little
bit
of
everything,”
the
result
is
the
same
feeling
I
had
on
the
couch
—
uncertainty,
boredom,
and
ultimately,
disengagement.
Not
because
the
lawyer
is
bad,
but
because
nothing
is
clear
enough
to
choose.
I
understand
why
this
happens.
Early
in
a
legal
career,
saying
yes
to
everything
makes
sense.
You
need
experience.
You
need
revenue.
You
need
to
figure
out
what
you
like.
But
at
some
point,
breadth
stops
helping
and
starts
quietly
holding
you
back.
Here
are
three
questions
I
walk
lawyers
through
to
determine
whether
it
is
time
to
specialize,
focus,
and
become
known
for
something
meaningful.
Do
you
truly
enjoy
and
excel
at
it?
This
is
the
most
overlooked
question.
Too
many
lawyers
stay
in
practice
areas
they
tolerate
rather
than
those
they
genuinely
enjoy.
If
you
are
energized
by
real
estate
work
and
drained
by
M&A
or
thrive
in
a
specific
type
of
litigation
while
dreading
everything
else,
pay
attention
to
that
signal.
Enjoyment
matters
because
it
fuels
consistency.
Skill
matters
because
reputation
follows
results.
When
you
like
the
work
and
you
are
good
at
it,
leaning
in
feels
natural
instead
of
forced.
That
is
where
confidence
starts
to
show
up
in
your
conversations,
marketing,
and
networking.
Is
there
a
real
market
opportunity?
Loving
something
is
not
enough.
There
must
be
room
to
grow.
Some
practice
areas
are
so
saturated
in
certain
markets
that
breaking
in
becomes
an
uphill
battle,
especially
if
competitors
have
been
entrenched
for
decades.
This
does
not
mean
avoiding
competition
altogether.
It
means
understanding
it.
Look
at
who
already
dominates
your
space.
Look
at
underserved
niches,
emerging
industries,
or
specific
client
profiles
that
are
not
being
spoken
to
clearly.
Focus
does
not
eliminate
opportunity;
it
clarifies
where
opportunity
actually
exists.
Can
it
support
the
life
you
want?
This
is
the
uncomfortable
question.
You
can
love
the
work.
You
can
see
demand.
But
if
the
economics
don’t
work,
it
becomes
very
difficult
to
sustain
momentum
long
term.
Profitability
is
not
about
greed.
It
is
about
sustainability.
The
right
focus
should
allow
you
to
serve
clients
well,
build
a
book
of
business,
and
still
have
a
life
outside
the
office.
If
one
of
those
pieces
is
missing,
something
eventually
breaks.
The
most
successful
lawyers
are
not
known
for
everything.
They
build
a
reputation
around
the
right
thing.
Once
you
identify
your
focus,
the
next
step
is
communicating
it
consistently.
Your
website
and
LinkedIn
profile
should
make
it
obvious
what
you
are
best
at,
even
if
you
still
handle
other
matters.
Your
infomercial
and
your
networking
conversations
should
reinforce
one
clear
message
instead
of
a
list
no
one
remembers.
When
you
say
six
things
that
“you
do,”
people
hear
nothing
you
do.
When
you
say
one
thing
well,
it
sticks.
Make
sure
you
have
something
solid
to
say
that
is
highly
memorable.
Networking
should
follow
the
same
rule.
Talk
about
the
work
you
want
more
of.
Share
insights
about
that
space.
Comment
on
cases,
trends,
or
issues
tied
to
your
focus.
Whether
you
specialize
by
practice
area
or
by
industry,
clarity
builds
credibility.
I
do
this
myself.
I
work
exclusively
with
lawyers.
I
focus
on
business
development
and
personal
branding.
I
could
coach
leadership,
wellness,
or
marketing
execution,
but
I
choose
not
to.
When
clients
need
those
services,
I
refer
them
out.
That
generosity
comes
back
tenfold
because
my
referral
sources
know
me
as
the
expert
in
my
space,
as
they
are
in
theirs.
Trying
to
be
full-service
makes
referring
harder,
not
easier.
Focus
creates
trust.
Trust
creates
referrals.
If
your
practice
feels
like
endless
scrolling
with
no
clear
direction,
it
may
be
time
to
stop
sampling
everything
and
commit
to
the
series
worth
watching.
The
lawyers
who
build
strong
books
of
business
are
not
everywhere
doing
everything.
They
are
right
here
doing
one
thing
really
well.
If
you
want
help
identifying
the
right
focus
or
positioning
yourself
clearly,
you
can
reach
me
at
[email protected]
or
visit
www.bethatlawyer.com
to
learn
more
about
how
we
help
lawyer
build
the
practices
of
their
dreams,
not
just
living
with
the
one
they
currently
have.
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.