In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, New York solo lawyer Joleena Louis shares how different communities have helped her build a successful practice.
One of the primary ways I’ve been successful at reaching my business goal is with the support of my various communities, whether it be the Law Firm Suites community, mastermind groups, or your other law/business-related Facebook groups.
Even as a solo, you can still have a team (or teams) that help you grow and reach your goals. Once you find the right communities and learn how to get the most out of them, nothing can stop you.
The first step is finding the right community. I get the most value by investing my time and energy building relationships with other lawyers.
My very first clients came from suitemates at Law Firm Suites, and the Law Firm Suites community continues to support me and my practice. Though I love virtual law practice life, I am very grateful that I started out with physical space at Law Firm Suites’ Financial District location. I was literally surrounded by other entrepreneurial attorneys who were glad to help me come up with solutions whenever I had a problem. I got to physically see how other lawyers ran their practice and I think it gave me a major advantage. It was also great to be able to get and give referrals to others in the community.
I also have a small group of family law attorneys that I chat with on a weekly basis, a casual mastermind group. We help keep each other accountable, help each other solve problems, and generally push each other to be better attorneys.
I am also a part of many law-related Facebook groups and I am one of the administrators of Boss Lady, Esq., a group for women who own (or want to start) their own law practice. I get a large percentage of my referrals from attorneys I meet in these groups. This COVID-19 crisis has really shown me the value of participating in these groups. The outpouring of support and information has been moving.
The best way to get value out of any of these types of communities is to add value. Reach out to people and make connections. If you are part of the Law Firm Suites community, reach out to other community members. You could easily set up one (virtual) coffee week with a different community member for the rest of the year.
Want to join a mastermind group but don’t know where to look? Make one instead! Commit to meeting weekly and discussing your problems and goals.
Join a few Facebook groups and actively participate. Spend 10 minutes a day responding to posts. Ask questions of your own. Set up virtual meetings with interesting people you meet through the group. If you put in the time and effort, you will get a return on your investment.
