Who Am I to Help You?
First of all, I am a small business owner and people manager like I assume you are. I started my own law practice in 2003, approximately four and a half years earlier than expected. And I did it in New York City. If I made it here, I can make it anywhere. Right?
Probably. I started with one case for a client that tracked me down the Monday after I left my prior firm. By the end of the month, I had around 30 cases, and by the end of that first year, I was managing as many as 150 litigation matters. I did what a lot of new businesses don’t. I survived. The problem is that was the only goal I set at the time. Survive.
If your primary goal in life is to survive, you will fail. You are going to die. Or as Author Jon Acuff says, “The only thing you have to do to be mediocre is not die.” For awhile. Again, you are going to die. So what are you going to do in the interim?
This is what I am here to help you figure out and actually do. I continue to gain education and experience to help you do that more quickly. Rather than spend the time, money, and energy to go to law school, get multiple certifications, and serve thousands of clients, take the shortcut.
What’s It Like to Work with Me?
I hope it is an amazing experience that you want to tell others about. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
- Complete the client application. This will give us both a better idea of whether we will work well together. I’d rather not waste your time or mine, if we can’t get you the results you want. Sometimes, there’s a better fit for you, and I want you to find it.
- Schedule and prepare for the exploration call. To make the most of our time together, I will provide you with some questions to ask yourself and, where appropriate, a list of evidence you might need to gather.
- Attend the call on time and fully prepared. If we’re meeting by video, I recommend you log in five to 10 minutes early and use the time in the waiting room to review what you prepared. This will allow us to start on time and focus on what matters most.
- Review the summary and next steps. After our call, I will email you an action plan, which might include a Professional Services Agreement and request for payment. Alternatively, I might refer you to someone who can better serve you under the unique facts and circumstances. Sometimes, I will refer you to one of my online courses or another resource. Regardless, you will be directed to take action. This is how you build momentum, courage, and the life you want. You have more power to do this than you realize.
- Stay on PARR. The fifth “action” of the Third Ear Conflict Resolution process is to plan, act, revise, and repeat (PARR) until you get the results you want. This is designed to remind you that our big goals aren’t achieved in one step. As Author Geoffrey Colvin wrote, deliberate practice is what sets a world-class performer apart from the competition. Many people quit, or at least take extended breaks, when the work gets hard or tedious. I coach to keep you from quitting, and we can co-create the coaching, mediation (group coaching), training, or legal counsel relationship you need at any moment.
Can You Do It Yourself?
Maybe. After years of hearing my below-market rates for legal services were too high for some small businesses and freelancers, I wrote a book and created an online school to help defray some of the financial costs. But be careful. There are often time and energy costs hidden in the price. I’m a DIYer myself, and I’ve learned that it’s often worth paying for an experienced administrative assistant, a skilled repair person, etc. It took me four times the time expected to install the new floor in my bedroom. My webmaster can usually make changes in 15 minutes that would take me hours of research, trials, errors, corrections, and frustration.
- Buy the book when you need to better understand why a conflict is stalling you longer than normal. The Seven Choices will guide you through a process of self-reflection and creativity to prepare you for discussions with other people involved in the dispute. The workbook portion is for deliberate practice, so you begin to work through conflicts more seamlessly.
- Take a course or download a resource that walks you through the steps necessary to resolve a conflict with legal implications. Keep in mind that these only provide general information that applies broadly to similar legal matters, and my legal lens uses a New York State filter. If your business is not located in NYS or you operate in states (or countries) beyond it, you will probably need more than these.
- Schedule a consultation whenever you get stuck in your DIY journey. I’ll also be here to connect you with resources to help you with a wide range of management and small business conflicts throughout your business ownership.
- Make it easy to stay on PARR by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on social media. I am (usually) mindful about what I communicate. I regularly collect information from people like you so I can provide services, develop products, and write content you can use. If I’m not meeting your expectations, please let me know!
Ready to begin?
Continue screening me:
- Ten Tips for Working Well with Third Ear Conflict Resolution
- Do You Really Want to Litigate? [VIDEO]
- Why I Prefer Mediation [VIDEO]
