In this episode, Jim and Tyson interview Paul Yokabitus, an estate planning attorney who has just launched his own firm: Cary Estate Planning, from North Carolina.

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Topics:

• His mindset
• Background:
  • His early days as an attorney
  • Work experience: the advantage of working at a firm before opening your own
  • Learning systems, processes, workflows and customers
  • Referral networks
• How has he spent his time in the ramp up to launching the firm:
  • Research
  • Took lessons learned from previous firm, and impriving
  • Listening to the book Clockwork, by Mike Michalowicz
• Marketing:
  • Creating and maintaining deep relationships over time with clients and with key referral partners

“A lot of it was sort of carrying on from what I was already doing. Most of my referral partners they were loyal to me, they were with me before I joined my most recent firm, and they are going to continue to be with me moving forward, and that’s largely because I actually care about them. That’s something that I think people really lack when they’re trying to create referral relationships and networking relationships. A lot of people just got to an event and load a shotgun with business cards and just start spraying, but if you don’t follow up; ask questions about what are their kids names, what does their wife or husband do, were are they from, those are the kind of interests that build relationships vs contact.”

• Social media and website content
• Bought a lot of video equipment: for a video FAQs
• Opening party and coverage in the media

• Time structure moving forward
  • 2 offices: collaborating with other offices
  • Different days assigned to marketing and client meetings
  • Block scheduling
• Answering services:
  • Smith.ai
  • Sideline
• Focus:
  • Actual focus: organization!
  • Strength: bringing clients in
  • Weakness: management

“I just got to put the pedal down to the floor for the first couple months until I’ve got consistent revenue, and then hire out the staff that I am not good at.”

• Bookkeeping:  spend some money to set it up correctly right out the box.
• 5 years from now:
  • Meeting with referral partners and clients.
  • Plan strategy and implementation
• The election of the name and including the location in the name:
  • SEO and Keywords
  • Low lawyer saturation in Cary
  • Active in the community
• Choosing the location of the office

Jim’s hack: Focus on conversion/sign ups.

Paul’s hack: BombBomb, it’s an email platform that hosts native video, so you can send video within the body of the email without being redirected to another website. You can also live record!

Tyson’s tip: Writeyboards

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The Maximum Lawyer Podcast. Partner up, and maximize your firm.

In this episode, Jim and Tyson will catch up with each other. They will go over what’s been going on with their businesses and then dive in into this week’s topic: where are they going to be 25 years from now. Also, they will discuss about building a culture in a law firm and BHAGS.  

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This episode is all about building for the future, expanding, and putting in place systems that will allow us to grow; Innovating and improving ourselves.

BHAGS - Big Hairy Audacious Goal

“If you pick the wrong BHAG, your setting your firm off on a terrible course. If your team isn’t unified on that goal, your gonna screw the whole thing up.”

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins

In 25 years:

Jim sees his firm with offices across the country and as the biggest law firm for family immigration services, with all their systems build out and a franchise model.

Tyson wants to have the most successful personal injury law firm in the midwest, with an office in every single city of the midwest.

Hacking’s hack: A book about having a learning organization:

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter Senge

Tyson’s tip: An app to look good.

https://www.mtailor.com/

Custom Clothing Made in Your Size

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Thanks so much for listening to the show! If you want to know more about this and keep on maximizing your firm, please join our Facebook Group or like us on Facebook and comment!

You can also go to MaximumLawyer.com or, if you’d prefer, email us at: [email protected]

Do you want to get on the show? Shoot us an email or message us!

The Maximum Lawyer Podcast. Partner up, and maximize your firm.