In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Jones discuss:

• The transition from traditional legal practice to entrepreneurship
• Strategies for evaluating and managing professional risk
• Tools and systems that support solo and startup legal ventures
• The mindset and preparation needed to pursue legal tech innovation

Key Takeaways:

• Successfully transitioning from law firm practice to a tech-driven startup can be less daunting when done gradually, by maintaining income and slowly validating the new concept before fully stepping away.
• Fear of entrepreneurial failure can be reduced by building out clear backup plans—even unconventional ones—to provide psychological safety and optionality during uncertain times.
• Implementing automated scheduling systems and encouraging clients to use them can significantly reduce administrative burden, lower phone interruptions, and create a more organized and prepared client experience.
• New product ideas should be tested not by pitching, but by asking target users how they currently solve the problem, which leads to more honest feedback and uncovers existing competitors or gaps in the market.
  

"There’s just so many tools out there that you can get that aren’t very expensive, that take a huge headache away from you." — Joe Jones

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

Episode References:

The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Test-customers-business-everyone/dp/1492180742

About Joe Jones: Joe Jones is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, the Co-Founder and CEO of StreamSettle, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a driving passion for resolving conflict. From his early days in his law school's Mediation Clinic to serving as a Judge Advocate in the Marines, Joe has been helping people find solutions to their legal disputes.

After a successful run managing a Houston office for a top Texas personal injury firm and making partner, Joe's entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch Joe Jones Law Firm. But he didn't stop there. Seeing a need for innovation, he co-founded StreamSettle with his wife Chrysa—a software solution shaking up the dispute resolution world.

When he's not working, Joe is all about family, cheering on Texas A&M and Houston sports teams, playing music, and hitting the slopes.

Connect with Joe Jones:

Website: https://streamsettle.com/

Email: jjones@streamsettle.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-jones-9802a3a/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/streamsettle

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Dan Lear discuss:

• The evolution of modern sales philosophy and methodology
• Relationship-building and persistence in business development
• The impact of information access on buyer behavior and expectations
• Qualifying clients and aligning offerings with real needs

Key Takeaways:

• Hard-selling and product-pushing tactics no longer resonate in today's market, where the more effective approach is to guide prospects through a personalized, trust-based buying process that prioritizes their needs and decision-making journey.
• To avoid wasting time and energy, sales professionals must rigorously qualify prospects early on by confirming they have a compelling reason to change, a genuine commitment to act, decision-making authority, and the financial means to proceed.
• In a world where buyers have access to the same data and pricing transparency as sellers, attempts to manipulate or pressure them are counterproductive and often backfire, as credibility and authenticity now matter more than persuasion.
• Sustainable business development stems not from being aggressively persistent but from cultivating genuine relationships, staying consistently engaged without being overbearing, and building trust through listening, relevance, and patience.

"If you don’t know what you want, be clear about that. And second, even if it’s in the short term, put together a plan to help you... move in that direction." — Dan Lear

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

Episode References:

• To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink: https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Human-Surprising-Moving-Others/dp/1594631905
• The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns: https://www.amazon.com/Win-Without-Pitching-Manifesto/dp/1605440043

About Dan Lear: Dan Lear heads up partnerships at InfoTrack. InfoTrack is a tech-enabled litigation services provider focused on court filing and service of process. Dan has started and run many legal technology ventures and has a passion for marketing, branding, business development, sales, and growth.

Connect with Dan Lear:

Website: https://www.infotrack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danlear/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/infotrack-us/

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Gavin Sharpe discuss:

• The role of emotional intelligence and mindset in personal and professional growth
• Challenges and misconceptions around business development for lawyers
• The importance of authenticity and strategic networking in rainmaking
• Personal evolution through coaching, self-awareness, and internal firm collaboration

Key Takeaways:

• Many lawyers struggle to grow their book of business, not due to a lack of talent but because of internalized fears, self-imposed pressure to conform to extroverted norms, and a misunderstanding of what rainmaking truly requires.
• Introverted lawyers can excel at business development when they lean into structured systems, authentic communication, and consistent habits that align with their personality rather than trying to emulate traditional sales-driven approaches.
• By breaking down ambitious goals into small, specific, and manageable actions—such as reaching out to just five contacts instead of a daunting hundred—lawyers are far more likely to follow through and build lasting momentum.
• Significant untapped business opportunities often exist within a lawyer’s firm, where cross-disciplinary collaboration and internal networking are overlooked despite their potential to unlock valuable client relationships and referrals.

"The traits that most lawyers share is that instinctively... we’re low in empathy... we’re thin-skinned... we’re not that resilient." — Gavin Sharpe

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Gavin Sharpe: Gavin Sharpe is a seasoned advisor with nearly 30 years of experience working with global law firms, corporations, and senior leaders. He began his career as a lawyer with Allen & Overy before founding SSQ, a leading international legal search firm. He played a pivotal role in launching the London offices of several U.S. law firms and led some of the most prominent partner and team moves of the decade. After selling his shares in 2010, Gavin retrained as an executive, team, and group coach, as well as a psychotherapist. He specializes in collaborating with international law firms looking to maximize their talent potential. He resides in the French Riviera, in Monaco.

Connect with Gavin Sharpe:

Website: https://www.rivierawellbeing.com/

Email: gavin@rivierawellbeing.com

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

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Janet Falk discuss:

• The evolving role of public relations and marketing strategies for legal professionals
• Maximizing visibility and credibility through content and media engagement
• Leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and newsletters to strengthen personal branding
• Understanding AI’s impact on online search and credibility in the legal services marketplace

Key Takeaways:

• Lawyers should use the "Marketing RBI" approach—Networking, Speaking, Writing, Trade Associations, and Online Promotion—to test what resonates and build visibility.
• "Content multiplication" means repurposing one piece of content across different channels (e.g., newsletters, podcasts, articles) to expand reach and influence.
• The “confirmation process” is a three-step framework that helps online visitors verify if a professional is the right fit, based on identity, qualifications, and peer/client trust.
• AI search tools now evaluate online credibility using writing style, emotional tone, authorship, and references, making it essential to produce consistent, high-quality content.

"If you're not going to [put yourself out there], then someone else is going to take the bat out of your hands and they're going to be the one stepping up to the plate." — Janet Falk

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Janet Falk: Janet Falk is a strategic communications professional with over 30 years of experience in public relations and marketing communications across law firms, financial services, businesses, and nonprofits. She helps attorneys, executives, and consultants gain media coverage, attract clients, and strengthen their professional visibility through targeted PR strategies. Known for her expertise in media relations, networking, and content marketing, Falk offers tailored guidance to position her clients as go-to industry sources for reporters and prospective clients alike. Based in New York City, she works with clients locally and globally, providing strategic consultations that guarantee actionable ideas for business growth.

Connect with Janet Falk:

Website: https://janetlfalk.com/

Email: Janet@JanetLFalk.com

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

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Ben Walker discuss:

• Navigating the complexities of government contracting and responding to requests for proposals (RFPs)
• Strategies for effective employee retention and building long-term professional relationships
• Lessons learned through costly mistakes in vendor selection and employee hiring
• Marketing and sales tactics for growing service-based businesses in highly regulated industries

Key Takeaways:

• A structured “go or no-go” system helps companies quickly evaluate whether to respond to a request for proposal by screening for essential fit criteria such as pricing compatibility, service capabilities, and competition scope.
• Government contracting success often comes from proactive outreach, including attending local procurement events and targeting check-writing buyers to build relationships long before proposals are even announced.
• Past mistakes in hiring and vendor engagement revealed the critical importance of conducting thorough reference checks and background investigations to avoid long-term financial and operational damage.
• Customizing every proposal by adopting the agency’s language, tone, and acronyms dramatically increases the likelihood of success by signaling subject matter expertise and genuine alignment with their needs.
  

"If you're not hiring people that are getting other offers, then I think you might be hiring the wrong people." — Ben Walker

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Ben Walker: Ben Walker is the founder and CEO of Ditto Transcripts, the leading global provider of transcription services to the legal, law enforcement, medical, academic, financial, and general business industries. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Ben attended Creighton Prep High School in Omaha and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he earned his degree in Economics.

Connect with Ben Walker:

Website: https://www.dittotranscripts.com/

Phone: (720) 287-3710

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkwalker/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/ditto-transcripts/

Twitter: https://x.com/benjaminkwalker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000712517059 & https://www.facebook.com/Transcription.Services.Company/

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Sue Kirchner discuss:

• The role of personal and firm branding in professional services
• Differentiation strategies in a competitive legal marketplace
• The evolving dynamics between name-based and value-based branding
• Branding’s impact on mergers, acquisitions, and business longevity

Key Takeaways:

• Law firms that remove individual names from their brand and adopt a more strategic, memorable identity are better positioned for scalability, talent acquisition, and potential future sale or merger.
• Before spending on marketing, professional service firms must first define their brand strategy by clarifying their core values, audience, messaging, and differentiators to ensure efforts resonate and generate ROI.
• In a saturated legal market, individual lawyers must actively build personal brands—often rooted in authentic personality traits or interests—to stand out and create emotional connections that drive client decisions.
• During mergers and acquisitions, brand strategy is essential at every stage—from making the firm attractive pre-sale, to managing messaging consistency on day one, to ensuring smooth internal integration post-deal.

"The best you can do is to have your messaging and your actions best reflect what you want them to take away from your brand." — Sue Kirchner

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Sue Kirchner: For over 25 years, Sue Kirchner, Founder of Brand Strong Marketing—a brand strategy consulting firm—has helped thriving businesses create Wow! brands, allowing them to scale faster, easier, and more successfully.

Her proven Brand Strong Methodology has enabled organizations to attract the right customers and employees, enter new markets successfully, create an amazing customer experience, and increase sales to consistently take the business to the next level.

She is also the host of The Turbo Branding Show, a podcast and video series designed to help Founders and CEOs of thriving businesses gain the insights and inspiration they need to ignite growth by leveraging their brand.

Connect with Sue Kirchner:

Website: https://brandstrongmarketing.com/

Show: The Turbo Branding Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-turbo-branding-show/id1771868942

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suekirchner/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-strong-marketing/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandStrongMarketing

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

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Rafi Arbel discuss:

• Persistence is a key element in long-term marketing and outreach
• The impact of in-person networking on professional relationships
• Blending digital tools with personal follow-up strategies
• System-building as a solution for scaling and stabilizing a business

Key Takeaways:

• Attending legal trade shows and following up with structured CRM tools like HubSpot or even a spreadsheet is crucial for relationship-driven client acquisition.
• AI tools like Fathom are effectively used post-Zoom calls to generate meeting summaries, action items, and even tailored follow-up emails.
• A major operational failure—losing a key employee without SOPs—led to the implementation of structured daily team meetings and detailed task documentation using ClickUp and SweetProcess.
• Personalized outreach, such as sending curated articles based on someone's interests or social media activity, is a highly effective way to maintain engagement with referral sources.
  

"The reason the water cuts through the rock is that it is a constant, constantly hitting it with small forces. And that's really what we're doing in marketing." — Rafi Arbel

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Rafi Arbel: Rafi Arbel is the founder of Market JD, a digital marketing agency for consumer law firms. A former trial attorney, Rafi helps personal injury, criminal defense, family, and immigration lawyers grow their practices through SEO, PPC, and high-converting websites. He’s a recognized voice on legal marketing strategy, referral network building, and law firm growth.

Connect with Rafi Arbel:

Website: https://marketjd.com

Email: rafi@marketjd.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafiarbel/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-jd-inc-/

Twitter: https://x.com/rarbel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rafi.arbel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafi.arbel/

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

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

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Seth Price discuss:

• Challenges of marketing and business development for lawyers and law firms
• Strategic differences between B2B and B2C legal marketing
• Importance of content creation and personal branding in legal marketing
• Lessons from entrepreneurial growth and mistakes in legal and digital ventures

Key Takeaways:

• Lawyers in B2B markets should avoid SEO as a first strategy and instead build relationships through networking, targeted events, or personalized outreach.
• Creating consistent, niche-specific content on LinkedIn is a powerful yet underutilized strategy for establishing authority in legal fields.
• Delegating legal versus business responsibilities within a firm can allow for more focused and scalable growth, as seen in the speaker's dual-leadership model.
• Trying to network with senior lawyers often yields less return than building long-term relationships with peers who grow into referral sources over time.
  

"If you create great content over time... you may not get a ton of interaction, but the people that are interested are going to find it, and you're going to be that guy." — Seth Price

Unlock the secrets of the industry's top rainmakers with Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmakers’ Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice. Grab your ultimate guide to building a thriving law firm now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F78HXJHT

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

About Seth Price: Seth Price is a seasoned marketing and branding expert with over two decades of experience in digital marketing. He has consulted for more than 300 companies, including 19 of the Fortune 500, and has helped build four multimillion-dollar companies from the ground up. As VP of Marketing at Placester, he has guided tens of thousands of real estate professionals through social media and content strategies, and he also founded the Real Estate Marketing Academy, which reaches over 75,000 marketers monthly. A recognized thought leader, Seth is a frequent keynote speaker and contributor to outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, and REALTOR.com. He is also the author of The Road to Recognition, a go-to guide for building personal brands in the digital age.

Connect with Seth Price:

Website: https://pricebenowitz.com/

Book: The Road to Recognition: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Recognition-Z-Accelerating-Professional/dp/1940858364

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

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

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