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The Renegade Lawyer Podcast
I am more convinced than ever that nothing that traditional bar organizations are doing is going to move the needle on the sad stats on lawyer happiness ...
The root cause of all lawyers' problems is financial stress. Financial stress holds you back from getting the right people on the bus, running the right systems, and being able to only do work for clients you want to work with. Financial stress keeps you in the office on nights and weekends, often doing work you hate for people you don't like, and doing that work alone.
(Yes, you have permission to do only work you like doing and doing it with people you like working with.)
The money stress is not because the lawyers are bad lawyers or bad people. In fact, most lawyers are good at the lawyering part and they are good people.
The money stress is caused by the general lack of both business skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Thus, good lawyers who are good people get caught up and slowed down in bringing their gifts to the world. Their families, teams, clients, and communities are not well-served because you can't serve others at your top level when you are constantly worrying about money.
We can blame the law schools and the elites of the profession who are running bar organizations, but to blame anyone else for your own woes is a loser's game. It is, in itself, a restrictive, narrow, mindset that will keep you from ever seeing, let alone experiencing, a better future.
Lawyers need to be in rooms with other entrepreneurs. They need to hang with people who won't tell you that your dreams are too big or that "they" or "the system "won't allow you to achieve them. They need to be in rooms where people will be in their ear telling them that their dreams are too small.
Get in better rooms. That would be the first step.
Second step, ignore every piece of advice any general organized bar is giving about how to make your firm or your life better.
The Renegade Lawyer Podcast
Renegade Lawyer Marketing (Audio Book) – Chapter 3: Your Philosophy Shapes Your Future
This is Chapter 3 of the free audio edition of Renegade Lawyer Marketing (Second Edition)—only on the Renegade Lawyer Podcast.
If you're reacting to life instead of leading it, this chapter changes everything.
In this episode, Ben Glass shares why developing a personal philosophy is essential to building a fulfilling law practice—and life. It’s not just mindset fluff. This chapter is about living deliberately, taking ownership of your path, and designing a life that works for you, your family, your team, and your clients.
You’ll hear:
- Why reacting to life is a philosophy (just not a good one)
- The four questions every lawyer should reflect on daily
- How Ben uses thinking time to sharpen strategy and stay grounded
- Why most lawyer conferences are full of misery—and what to do instead
- The power of masterminds and surrounding yourself with winners
📘 Get the book + bonuses at RenegadeLawyerMarketing.com
🎟️ Join us live at GLMSummit.com
Ben Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury and long-term disability insurance attorney in Fairfax, VA. Since 2005, Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing have been helping solo and small firm lawyers make more money, get more clients and still get home in time for dinner. We call this TheGLMTribe.com
What Makes The GLM Tribe Special?
In short, we are the only organization within the "business builder for lawyers" space that is led by two practicing lawyers.
One thing we're sure you've noticed is that despite the variety of options within our space, no one else is mixing
the actual practice of law with business building in the way that we are.
There are no other organizations who understand the highs and lows of running a small law firm and are engaged in talking to real clients. That is what sets GLM apart from every other organization, and it is why we have had loyal members that have been with us for two-decades.
Hey everyone, this is Ben. We're back. This is the Renegade Lawyer Podcast, and this is a continuation of the free audio version of Renegade Lawyer Marketing. By the way, I'm recording this in May of 2005, and if you're not already signed up for a great legal marketing summit, you probably want to pay attention to that. Number one, because the prices are going to go up again soon. Number two we've sold just about every sponsorship slot and space that we have available, and the reason why sponsors and vendors want to come to our conference is because they know that there are lawyers who are firm owners, who can make decisions, who will be there and will talk to them. So you go to a conference with 1500 people. You're not talking to the CEO. You come to the Great Legal Marketing Summit. You are quite frankly and probably talking to the CEO of some of these companies that you will want to do business with.
Speaker 0:Okay, so this is chapter three of Renegade Lawyer Marketing book. Go back, if you haven't already listened to the intro, the very first episode on the book, to find out what we're doing. This is probably one of my favorite chapters, because this is what really Ben Glass is all about. So chapter three is having a well thought out philosophy of life. Philosophy is an ordered way of thinking about the world and your unique place in it. It is a well-thought-out system of beliefs and principles that can guide you and keep you on the path to wellness, financial success, great legal marketing and yes, unimaginable happiness. Philosophy prevents you from making the same mistakes over and over. You don't need me to tell you that the path of being an entrepreneur and being a lawyer and running a law firm can get bumpy. Crap can come, pitfalls and potholes can open up right in front of you and swallow you whole if you're not mentally prepared to deal with them before they arrive. Let's face it very bad things happen to very good people all the time. Here's the deal Reacting to those pitfalls and potholes is not going to cut it. That kind of passive, reflexive, unthinking response to life and living isn't good enough for an extraordinary life and it's exhausting. And you deserve better, and that's why you're here, because you know you deserve better.
Speaker 0:What I'm about to say next might sound a little strange, but I promise you it's true Choosing to live a life where you're only reacting to situations as they arise, ie letting life lead you instead of you leading your life is a principle in and of itself. That is a philosophy. It's a deliberate decision to live a life of chaos, confusion and constant stress. Look around, this is the life that most people live. Reacting rather than responding leads to a life that is, at best, average, and you deserve better, and we all know people who are just hyper-reactive. Got family members who are hyper-reactive and they want to draw you into their drama Much more fun to go through life, not being in that space. This is important. Put this on your wall. Where you are today is a product of the decisions you have made in the past, and where you'll be tomorrow is a product of the decisions you made today. If you do nothing else with this book other than deeply internalize that thought into your very being, then its purchase and the investment of time it took to read it or to listen to it on this podcast will be worthwhile. In a world where the default is to blame someone else for where you find yourself today, this simple mindset switch to accept responsibility for the ways your life is less than fulfilling and making a decision to change things will change your life. So take the time to make the choices that are best for you, best for your business and best for your family.
Speaker 0:If lawyers are ever to experience wellness in this profession, it must start with the philosophy of not blaming others. This is largely this part isn't in the book. This is largely why I do not go to regular lawyer conventions. Why? Because the conversations in those halls and around those meal tables are all about misery Blaming insurance adjusters, blaming the judges, blaming clients, blame, blame, blame the judges, blaming clients, blame, blame, blame is mostly what you hear. And so, almost two decades ago, I decided like I'm just not showing up in these things anymore. I'll figure out how to get my continuing legal education credits by the way, you can get most of them by video. It has mandatory state like Virginia but I'm not going to show up and be around people whose default is to blame others.
Speaker 0:Okay, back to the book. Decide to decide to live your life and run your practice with purpose and precision. Build your life by building your principles. Then stick to them. Develop a rock-solid set of enduring values that will hold you steady in the storm and guide every aspect of your life and your practice, in both the good times and the bad. Now let me digress from the book again and make a pitch for joining a mastermind group. We've got a couple of great ones that are great for marketing. Because it's hard to do this, because this isn't like what I'm reading from this chapter isn't the norm, it isn't the default, obviously, and it's hard to find people who think this way, but they are hiding out in groups and, by and large, our hero and our icon mastermind groups. There are people who think like this, who will push you along, who will hold you up and get you back on your feet when you are defaulting to the societal norm. Default Back to the book. Act, don't react.
Speaker 0:In my life I get to hang out with a lot of successful people running all sorts of businesses. Not one of them thinks that what we do as entrepreneurs is easy. Of my close friends who are successful entrepreneurs, I know that the vast majority devote considerable amounts of time exploring the philosophical sides of their lives, either through reading books, joining small mastermind groups or working with business coaches. And I do all of joining small mastermind groups or working with business coaches and I do all of those. Most of the people I run with do all of those and, in case you've ever wondered, far more time is spent with a good business coach talking about the issues I raise in this book than talking about the next marketing tool. Okay, understand what I just said there. Like there's all sorts of widgets for marketing your practice, getting more clients, all that stuff. None of it really matters if your head isn't on straight. So most of the most successful entrepreneurs I know have a mindset guru, a personal coach, typically a corporate coach as well. Brian and I invest in all of that for our lives and for our businesses, and it really is the game changer, right? Anybody can learn marketing. Frankly, you can hire out, you can purchase great marketing services, but getting your head straight is a particularly important investment.
Speaker 0:Back to the book. Trust me, here's the good news Developing a sound philosophy will happen once you decide you want it to happen. The actions that you take in life should not be reactions. Now, there are exceptions. When you touch a hot stove or anything else that causes sudden pain or trauma, you'll automatically react by pulling your hand away. Smart move, that's your reptilian brain at work. But what about all those other hours of the day when you're not touching a hot stove? Those hours should be filled with careful thinking and deliberate behavior. Train your brain to slow itself down. Reflect Ponder, think Hell. Brain to slow itself down. Reflect Ponder, think Hell. Make a deliberate decision to not think from time to time, to just give your brain space Every day. Give your brain the break it needs to loosen up and think creatively.
Speaker 0:Get away from the grind of the office and take a walk instead. Most lawyers will object. Average lawyers object. This won't work because my clients need to have access to me during the business hours and I got to be available for them. Or Again, this is what you hear at most lawyer conferences. Those clients will be better served once you sharpen your saw. You can't serve your clients until you serve yourself, which means putting yourself first and stepping away from the grind every day for at least a few minutes. Make that a priority and your life will change. And then, when you get good at that, it's like stepping away for days, stepping away for weeks. This is all possible, trust me, and you'll be better and your firm will be better and your clients will be better served and, most importantly, your family will be happier.
Speaker 0:For me, this tends to be an early morning kind of work. I'm an early riser, hitting CrossFit somewhere between 5.30 and 8 o'clock. About three or four times a week. That's in the morning, but still getting up at that time most other mornings I hardly ever sleep in when we're at the beach or on a cruise, I've always been the first one up, reading, thinking, pondering, journaling, pondering what if? What would happen if you might be an idol or you might be someone who can close the office door, put your feet up and just think. In the middle of the day I can do that, but I confess I find it difficult when everyone else around me is working so hard. Sometimes I feel guilty. I'm working on that.
Speaker 0:My thinking time is the most important thing I can do for myself, my family, my employees and my clients. This is known as founder's remorse. When you get so good at organizing your life and you've built something, you actually wander around looking for something to do and you kind of feel guilty that everyone else is quote unquote working. Remember, you got them great jobs. You helped their families. So while this can be challenging, I urge you to hang with people who think this is what the norm should be. Your life should be full of wandering around and thinking hmm, how do we move the needle on the business on my life whatever. Trust me, busyness is no sign of success. Ants are busy. Dealing with clients and potential clients is an example of how we have deliberately thought out what types of habits are win-win for us and the clients.
Speaker 0:At our firm, ben Glass Law, we don't stress about the need to make ourselves available 24-7 to our clients. Our plan is simple we don't do it. This is a principle of ours, it's a rule. We don't violate it and guess what? It works. Not only do we not believe in the 24-7 rule, we fight against it.
Speaker 0:We make time and take time every day to ask ourselves questions that most lawyers don't ever even consider. Number one how do I want to maximize my life? Number two how can I enhance and make better my family's life? These are the two primaries, of course. Number three what sort of interaction should I be having with the people around me? And number four how do I want to feel today?
Speaker 0:The more time you spend reflecting on questions like these in advance, the more likely it will be that, when it's time to make an important decision or react to a challenging situation, your behavior, your thoughts and the pattern of your thinking will come from a place of clarity, not chaos. These are, in fact, the most asked questions in our highest level mastermind groups. As long as you're pondering that, ponder this Every decision you make personally and professionally will influence the course of your life Again, the decisions that you make, not the actions that other people take. Knowing this, how could you not want to develop an enduring philosophy that stands at the center of your business, your practice and even your marketing strategy? You determine the course of your life, nobody else it's on. You Change your life from the inside out, but you can't do this flying by the seat of your pants. This is why humans need philosophy.
Speaker 0:Hundreds of GLM lawyers from every discipline have already found what I hope you are actively looking for. This should tell you that it can be done and that you can do it. The first step is deciding to decide that you want it. Decide you want it now. Do you have any questions about this chapter? You can reach out to me. I'm easy to find on LinkedIn. Again, talking about the philosophy of living is one of my favorite topics. I think I've done a pretty good job of creating a life that I actually love living, and it's been a long way, a lot of ups and downs, so I'm happy to chat with you Until next time, which will be chapter four, where we go into decisiveness. Wrote big chapters on decisiveness also in the no BS Time Management book for entrepreneurs that I co-authored with Dan Kennedy, so if you don't have that book, you should go get that book too. It's just really great. All right, back soon for chapter four.
