BE THAT LAWYER Steve Fretzin

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Erik Reid discuss:
Why you should consider international hiring for your US-based company.
What to consider in doing remote versus in-house staffing.
The red flags to catch if you did make a wrong hiring decision.
Changing the stigma around international hiring.

Key Takeaways:
Using an aptitude test can help you understand someone’s potential within your organization even before you understand if they are the right fit for your organization.
Every role is different and different personalities will thrive in those different roles.
Communication and clear instructions can give you amazing experiences with virtual staffing and help you delegate the things on your list that are not worth your hourly rate.
Any role that can be worked remotely, can be worked internationally.

"If you want to break staffing down into the simplest form, it's 50%. Are they able to do the job? Are they cognitively able to do the job? Do they have the skills for it? And then the other 50% is, are they the right fit for the role? Is the role the right fit for that? And that's very subjective." — Erik Reid

Take the BE THAT LAWYER challenge at Fretzin.com!

Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/

Episode References:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
How to become 37.78 times better at anything | Atomic Habits summary (by James Clear)

About Erik Reid: Erik Reid is the Co-Founder and Owner of Virtustant, a company dedicated on staffing exceptional international talent with companies worldwide. Starting the venture at 24 in the height of Covid, Erik has built a fully remote global business that staffs hundreds of individuals with dozens of companies. Under his leadership Virtustant has established itself as an innovative tactical solution in the realm of HR, empowering enterprises to expand operational teams swiftly and cost-effectively, ensuring sustained excellence and competitiveness.

Connect with Erik Reid:
Website: https://virtustant.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-reid-b0a077126/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtustant/

Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911


Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Christina Martini discuss:

How Tina pivoted from engineering to legal.
Selling big law by increasing the stickiness factor through cross-selling.
Minding your assets in networking and cross-marketing.
Building your book of business authentically.

Key Takeaways:

The practice of law is not that different from having and nurturing the relationships in your life. Everything is all about relationships which are dynamic and require proactivity.
Good business development, whether in a solo firm or in big law, requires a multi-pronged approach. Leverage existing clients, leverage your network, and talk to your peers. The right work for you is out there, but you’ve got to ask for it.
Be prepared and have dynamic conversations with your potential clients. It will help build and nourish the relationship, but it will also create opportunities.
As a woman, embrace who you are, embrace your femininity and who you want to be in the world when you go to market. Be authentic in your relationship building and in building your book.

"The rubber really meets the road when you cross-sell your clients into areas that are completely unrelated to yours. That's how you institutionalize clients. That's how you increase the stickiness factor." —  Christina Martini

Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: fretzin.com/events

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Lawmatics: lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer

Get Staffed Up: getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer

Green Cardigan Marketing: greencardiganmarketing.com

Episode References:

Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What’s Obvious But Not Easy by David Maister
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

About Christina Martini: Christina L. Martini is a partner with McDermott Will & Emery and serves as the Global Head of the Firm’s Trademark Prosecution & Controversy Practice. Tina focuses her practice on domestic and international trademark and copyright law, as well as domain name, Internet, advertising, unfair competition and entertainment law. She has extensive experience in counseling, prosecution, enforcement, due diligence and licensing matters, and in assisting clients in protecting their intellectual property rights through litigation and other means. Tina has also served as an expert witness regarding issues on trademark, unfair competition and trade dress law, as well as USPTO practice. Described as a “juggernaut in the trademark market,” Tina is a trusted advisor with a proven track record of successful outcomes for clients.

For many years, Tina has also been selected as one of America's leading intellectual property lawyers by Chambers & Partners, which has also given MWE’s Chicago Trademark Group a Band 1 ranking. Tina has also been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and designated an Illinois Super Lawyer.

Tina is the host of “Paradigm Shift with Christina Martini” and is co-host of WGN Radio's popular show "Legal Face-Off." Since 2010, Chicago Lawyer has featured her legal column, "Inside Out.”

Connect with Christina Martini:

Website: mwe.com

Email: cmartini@mwe.com

Show: paradigmshiftshow.com

Show: wgnradio.com/wgn-plus/legal-face-off

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinamartini

X: twitter.com/TinaMartini10 & twitter.com/McDermottLaw

Facebook: facebook.com/McDermottWillandEmery

Instagram: instagram.com/christina_louise_martini &  instagram.com/mcdermott_law

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

X: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: Steve@Fretzin.com

Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!

YouTube: Steve Fretzin

Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Josh Branch discuss:
Building trust with your network, clients, and prospective clients.
Developing your relationships and reputation.
The importance of preparedness to trust and likeability.
Finding natural affinities for helping to build trust.

Key Takeaways:
Building a relationship without trust will not lead to successful, healthy places.
Sometimes the truth is painful, but trust is built on honesty with everyone you’re talking to.
Clients who have trust in their lawyer are more likely to have a great rapport and feel confident in their representation.
People can tell when you’re feeding them a line and are not going to follow through. The key to trust is reliability and following through on those things you promise.

"What you're demonstrating is that you committed to something and you executed on it. There's a connection that happens when people can really know they can count on you versus just hearing you talk about them counting on you." — Josh Branch

Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events

Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/

Episode References:
Podcast: Smartless - https://www.smartless.com/

About Josh Branch: Josh’s interest in law began at the early age of 16 when he began working in a law firm as a high school student. Attending depositions and being inundated with the legal profession at an early age and with an inherent ability to argue succinctly, it was known by many that Josh would become a lawyer from an early age.

Growing up around medical doctors has also proved advantageous for Josh in his legal practice, in that he has learned and become familiar with a person’s physiology, which is continually being applied to his practice of personal injury law in Athens.

He attended undergraduate school at the University of Georgia and went to law school at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida.

Josh began his legal career in Pensacola, Florida working at an insurance defense firm, though his passion was always to help individuals rather than corporations. After enduring Hurricane Ivan, he was forced to move from Pensacola and eventually relocated to Athens, Georgia where he is devoted exclusively to pursuing justice for plaintiffs. Dedication to the injured individual’s plight remains his devoted pursuit.

Connect with Josh Branch:
Website: https://www.thegeorgiainjuryattorney.com/
Phone: 706-850-4994
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-branch-a1127624/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-law-office-of-joshua-w-branch-llc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLawOfficeofJoshuaWBranch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelawofficeofjoshuawbranch/

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911


Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Robert Plotkin discuss:
Giving information away.
Writing a lead generating book while maintaining your law practice.
Benefits of writing a book above other kinds of content marketing.
What to do before publication, during promotion, and after publication.

Key Takeaways:
Even if you gave someone your entire process, nobody will be able to execute like you do because you have value to bring to the situation.
Break your book down into small, manageable bites. Also consider sharing some of the information as you go and get feedback as you go so it feels less monumental of a task.
Having a good outline in place is crucial - it gives you opportunities to break your script into smaller tasks that can be tackled in your 15 or 20 free minutes.
Have multiple ways of distributing your content - audio, digital, and print. People consume content in different ways, but you can also repackage that content in your content marketing.

"The thing about a book is it sends this separate meta message about your clout your credibility as an expert. I think most lawyers who are writing a book are trying to use it to establish or cement themselves as an expert, a thought leader, someone who knows how to get certain things done for their clients in the law and a book sends that meta message at just order of magnitude higher level. There's another meta message: by someone seeing that you wrote a book, they know you're someone who took the time and has the discipline to write a book. Even if they never read it, that sends a message to them." — Robert Plotkin

Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events

Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/
Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/
Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/

Episode References:
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

About Robert Plotkin: Robert Plotkin is a patent attorney who has specialized in obtaining software patents for his clients to maximize company value for over 25 years. He focuses on obtaining patents that his clients use to attract investment, generate revenue, and secure successful exits. His clients have gone toe-to-toe against the biggest tech companies in the world in patent litigation and emerged victorious. He is a co-founder of the boutique patent law firm Blueshift IP and is sought out by the world's leading software and AI companies to obtain, enforce, and leverage patents for success.

Connect with Robert Plotkin:
Website: https://blueshiftip.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertplotkin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueshift-ip-llc/

Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Josh Blum, and Dr. Andre Caruso discuss:
Mistakes attorneys make that fail to gain trust.
Why trust matters and the different dimensions of trust.
Ways we can quickly build trust.
Making the right first impression.

Key Takeaways:
People hold how they feel about you higher than how competent you are.
You do not always need to be in lawyer mode. Turn off the lawyer speak, be more authentic and human, and you will improve your trust and likeability.
Put a little effort into building trust. You need to talk about more than the obvious or the weather.
Treat people they way they want to be treated. It is your responsibility to adapt to their communication style to be more trusted.

"When you can create some sort of connection with someone, it's going to help build that idea of trust. Even if it is just that subconscious thought of that connection." — Dr. Andre Caruso

Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: fretzin.com/events

Thank you to our Sponsors!
Lawmatics: lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer
Get Staffed Up: getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer
Green Cardigan Marketing: greencardiganmarketing.com

Episode References:
Start with Why by Simon Sinek

About Josh Blum: Josh Blum has worked for nearly 20 years within the professional services and financial services industries and worked with thousands of advisors, attorneys and accountants in his career educating them and their clients on how to successfully become trusted advisors to their clients.

Considered a subject matter expert Josh has served as President of the Financial Planning Association of Miami is a published author and currently sits as Chair of the Board of the FPA of Miami.

In addition to the educational services Josh provides and his pro-bono work he is also cofounder and partner in JB and The Doctor and IVOLVE Performance & Development. JB and The Doctor provide soft skills training to professionals to achieve greater productivity, enhance communication and minimize the cost of employee turnover.

About Dr. Andre Caruso: Dr. Andre Caruso, affectionately known as ”The Doctor” or “Doc”, combines his deep knowledge of psychology with extensive practical experience across many sectors. Earning a Doctorate in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, his career has seamlessly transitioned from the hospitality industry along with significant roles in nonprofit organizations and special education, integrating with behavior modification and mindset development. This diverse experience underscores his ability to apply behavioral insights to effect positive, lasting change in both individuals and organizations.

Doc's approach to educating is both scientifically grounded and deeply empathetic, focusing on empowering individuals and teams to reach their full potential. Through innovative program development and hands-on training, he has dedicated his career to enhancing personal and professional growth. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Caruso stands out as a pivotal figure in the field, embodying a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom to inspire insight, resilience and growth.

Connect with Josh Blum and Dr. Andre Caruso:
Website: jbandthedoctor.com
Josh’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josh3837
Doc’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drandrecaruso
Instagram: instagram.com/jbandthedoctor
Facebook: facebook.com/jbandthedoctor
YouTube: youtube.com/jbandthedoctor

Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jen Lee discuss:

Breaking the mold of traditional legal molds within ethical guidelines.
Legal models that are changing the game for attorneys.
The growing demand for legal services in underserved communities and non-traditional markets.
How COVID changed the legal landscape.



Key Takeaways:

The billable hour contributes to lawyer burnout and work-life imbalance as attorneys feel pressure to work long hours to pay off high student loans and meet law firm expectations.
Some variations for fee models include flat fees, hybrid, unbundled services, subscription models, and passive income (such as a sponsored podcast, a course, a book, etc.).
Part of your job as a lawyer is helping your clients accurately understand the costs of your services necessary to solve their problems.
Turn off your lawyer brain when thinking about business development. What do you like solving? Build a business model around that.



"The legal profession itself stands in its own way. We’ve got such a long tradition and history of how things have always been done. It’s almost a stodgy profession. We have a lot of regulations on us, and it's hard to come up with ideas to get around those or to be ethical. Attorneys worry about that a lot. We're very conservative with how we look at things." —  Jen Lee



Find out more about the 10 Easy-to-Execute Hacks to Unlock Your Full Potential at: https://fretzin.com/events



Thank you to our Sponsors!

Lawmatics: https://www.lawmatics.com/bethatlawyer/

Get Staffed Up: https://getstaffedup.com/bethatlawyer/

Green Cardigan Marketing: https://greencardiganmarketing.com/



Episode References:

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon
TV Show: What We Do in the Shadows

About Jen Lee: Jen Lee AKA Rebel Esquire. Once a mild-mannered attorney, now the superhero for lawyers intent on transforming an industry resistant to change. She is redefining the practice of law through innovation, accessibility, and a bold departure from the status quo. Jen is the owner of Lawyer Success Network® and host of the Rebel Esquire™ podcast.



Connect with Jen Lee: 

Website: https://www.lawyersuccessnetwork.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebelesquire/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lawyersuccessnetwork

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelesquire



Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

Twitter: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: Steve@Fretzin.com

Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!

YouTube: Steve Fretzin

Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911





Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie



Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.