via
Getty)
We
hit
a
major
milestone
in
the
Fretzin
household
this
week.
My
only
child,
Andrew,
graduated
from
high
school.
To
say
the
road
was
smooth
would
be
a
complete
lie.
If
you’ve
listened
to
my
BE
THAT
LAWYER
podcast,
you
already
know
that
Andrew
is
full-blown
ADHD.
That
means
he’s
disorganized,
impulsive,
and
occasionally
argumentative.
Funny
enough,
that
also
describes
a
few
lawyers
I’ve
worked
with
over
the
years.
You
might
be
thinking
I’m
calling
some
of
you
out
—
and
you’re
right.
The
messy
workspace,
the
scattered
marketing
efforts,
and
the
resistance
to
sound
advice
around
business
development
are
all
too
familiar.
But
if
you’re
reading
this
column,
there
may
be
hope
for
you
yet.
Let
me
offer
three
ways
to
stop
acting
like
an
angsty
teenager
and
start
building
your
law
practice
with
more
maturity
and
purpose.
Step
1:
Get
Organized
To
Get
Started
Look
around
your
office
for
a
moment.
Does
it
reflect
a
sense
of
order
and
professionalism?
Or
is
it
closer
to
a
teenager’s
bedroom
after
a
weekend
of
video
games
and
fast
food?
For
many
attorneys,
disorganization
and
poor
time
management
are
the
biggest
roadblocks
to
business
development.
It’s
not
just
about
tidiness,
it’s
about
being
in
control
of
your
time,
your
energy,
and
your
strategy.
One
of
the
best
things
I
ever
did
for
myself
was
read
“Getting
Things
Done”
by
David
Allen.
That
book
changed
everything
for
me.
It’s
a
playbook
for
mastering
your
time
and
freeing
up
mental
space.
And
to
quote
“Tommy
Boy,”
one
of
my
favorite
movies,
“You
can
get
a
good
look
at
a
T-bone
by
sticking
your
head
up
a
bull’s
ass,
but
wouldn’t
you
rather
take
the
butcher’s
word
for
it?”
In
other
words,
trust
me
and
read
the
book.
Once
I
did
and
actually
applied
what
I
learned,
the
stress,
pressure,
and
time-wasting
slipped
away
like
magic.
I’m
hoping
it
does
the
same
for
you.
Step
2:
A
Failure
To
Plan
Is
A
Plan
To
Fail
I’m
sure
you’ve
heard
this
phrase
before,
but
it’s
worth
repeating.
Time
is
money.
Wandering
around
networking
events
or
posting
on
LinkedIn
without
a
strategy
is
just
spinning
your
wheels.
Think
about
this:
would
you
walk
into
court
without
knowing
the
case
inside
and
out?
Of
course
not.
So
why
approach
business
development
without
a
plan?
Start
by
asking
yourself
a
few
basic
but
powerful
questions:
-
Who
are
my
top
50
business
relationships,
including
clients,
referral
partners,
and
colleagues? -
How
am
I
showing
up
for
those
people
and
adding
value? -
Where
is
the
easiest
new
business
going
to
come
from? -
What
professional
groups,
conferences,
or
boards
are
my
ideal
clients
and
referral
sources
attending? -
Do
I
know
any
successful
rainmakers
who
might
be
willing
to
mentor
me? -
What
knowledge
or
skills
am
I
lacking
when
it
comes
to
marketing
and
business
development? -
Have
I
watched
Steve’s
LinkedIn
tutorial
yet?
(If
not,
it’s
waiting
for
you
in
my
LinkedIn
Featured
section.)
Planning
might
not
be
the
most
exciting
part
of
your
day,
but
it’s
essential
if
you
want
results
that
are
sustainable
and
repeatable.
Step
3:
Take
Advice
To
Move
Ahead
One
of
the
hardest
parts
of
parenting
a
teenager
is
watching
them
ignore
good
advice.
As
parents,
we’ve
lived
more
life.
We’ve
made
the
mistakes.
But
we
also
know
when
to
let
go
and
let
them
learn.
Still,
watching
the
same
train
wreck
play
out
repeatedly
gets
old
fast.
Lawyers
can
be
the
same
way.
You’re
smart,
capable,
and
confident
—
but
that
doesn’t
mean
you
know
everything.
I
sure
don’t,
especially
when
it
comes
to
plumbing.
If
I’ve
got
a
leak,
I’m
calling
in
a
pro.
I’m
not
grabbing
a
saw
and
hacking
into
the
ceiling.
So
why
is
it
so
hard
to
ask
for
help
with
business
development?
Maybe
it
feels
like
something
you
“should”
be
able
to
figure
out
on
your
own.
But
if
your
billable
rate
is
$500
an
hour,
can
you
really
afford
to
spend
years
figuring
it
out
the
hard
way?
When
I
work
with
lawyers,
one
of
the
first
things
I
do
is
a
gap
assessment.
Nine
times
out
of
10,
I
find
six
figures
or
sometimes
millions
in
missed
opportunities.
These
are
smart
people
who
just
needed
the
right
plan
and
support
to
unlock
what
was
already
within
their
reach.
Start
by
checking
out
some
free
resources
like
podcasts,
videos,
and
books.
If
that
lights
a
fire
under
you,
it
might
be
time
to
explore
coaching.
Whether
it’s
with
me
or
one
of
the
many
other
coaches
out
there,
just
be
sure
you
choose
someone
who
fits
your
goals,
your
personality,
and
who’s
program
will
eliminate
your
BD
gaps.
Talk
to
the
coaches
past
clients.
Ask
tough
questions.
Make
sure
the
program
is
built
for
you.
If
you’re
tired
of
being
compared
to
a
difficult
teenager,
then
stop
acting
like
one.
Get
organized.
Create
a
plan.
Work
with
someone
who
can
help
you
stay
accountable
and
focused.
You
deserve
to
build
the
law
practice
you
want
—
not
just
the
one
you’ve
been
tolerating.
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/.