Full Transcript for Systems to Scale Your Business feat. Kristen David

your foundation. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:40.160 So we take them to French pastry cooking class, and you learn from the French uh chefs that every ingredient is weighed. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:51.120 Every single time the recipe is followed to perfection, to every gram is weighed out, and so that way your shoe pastry dough turns out perfect every time. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:56.319 Like there's no deviations, your team doesn't do it differently, you do it the same. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:02.399 And once you get that good foundation, now you can make a dozen different pastries out of that. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:07.120 It's just adding some fillers or some sprinkles on top, right? 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:09.920 And that's the same in your law firm or your business. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:24.800 You build that solid foundation, and that's what allows you to scale because now you can do 10, 12 different side things, little nuances and niches, but do it stably, profitably, and well run. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:30.399 Um and you get to eat all those wonderful French pastries you're baking up during the class. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.199 We take them to chocolate making class. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:35.360 You don't have to reinvent chocolate. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:38.720 You just need to learn to package it the way your clients want it. 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:44.399 Some clients want little fruit on top or nuts on top of their chocolates. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.000 Some want it plain. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:54.720 You've got to know your audience, and you have to package your product the way your audience wants it and be ready to have option one and two. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:56.639 Don't just say yes or no. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:00.079 Um, so you have a couple variations of your product. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:05.199 Uh, we do uh watercolor painting along the Seine. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:10.560 We do uh interactive scavenger hunt for food at the farmer's market. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:18.959 We eat and dine at a French uh Michelin star restaurant where you learn to hire the best of the best. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:26.879 You don't, you know, Michelin star restaurant, they will lose their star if this waiter like drops forks on the ground. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:31.279 So they're not hiring baby brand new waiters, right? 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:32.160 Wait staff. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.800 They're they're hiring the best of the best. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:37.279 And that's the kind of consideration. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:43.519 If you're running a one, two, three million dollar business, you're no longer in baby steps. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:49.120 Like you need to hire good people that are gonna come in and do a phenomenal job. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:56.560 So these are the lifelong lessons that they're gonna carry home and take back to their business and implement. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.680 So we have a lot of fun, a lot of laughter. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.839 Paris is always a good idea. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:03.600 So we have a lot of fun. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:04.639 It's it's great. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:06.560 That sounds like a blast. 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:07.439 Super cool. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.680 I love that you've kind of built a business that allows you to do things in a really fun way. 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:16.000 Like uh that just sounds that sounds fantastic. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:20.959 So, Christian, we were talking in the green room kind of right before we hit record. 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:25.920 You guys are launching a new cohort or a new a new program called the CEO operating system. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:27.920 Can you tell us a little bit about that? 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:29.040 Absolutely. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:41.759 So we end of last year, I started really trying to figure out like why are some of our clients um, I mean, we've been doing this for now seven years uh with up leveling your business. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:48.399 And some of our clients are now, they started at 1 million with us and now they're at like eight, nine, 10 million. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:54.399 Um, I have about 25 clients over 10 million, but most of our sweet spot is one to eight million. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.079 But we started trying to really analyze why are there a few of our clients that are still just stuck? 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:06.879 And why are some of our clients so quickly able to break through those barriers and get to that higher level? 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:19.279 So we started analyzing it and digging in, and we did about 30 test cases to try to figure out like diet is kind of a post-mortem, you know, like what happened, where, where did we go wrong? 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:24.160 And uh surprise, surprise, it all comes down to the CEO. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:29.839 And the CEOs that learn how to delegate, they have to have that mental shift. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:34.399 They have to realize they need to be that architect, that visionary. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:37.200 They need to quit being the damn doer. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:44.399 They need to quit parachuting in, they need to quit making sure every decision goes through them and no judgment. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:45.279 That was me. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.039 That was me back in the day. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:56.720 Um to me, the freedom came with writing down the policies and procedures because then I emotionally felt like my instructions were clear. 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:04.960 Um, what I later learned is people have different learning styles, and not everybody likes to read a long policy and procedure. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:09.279 Some people need a diagram or a quick two-minute video, right? 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:19.120 Um, so that's why these days when we build systems, we do them in multiple manners so that different learning styles will learn faster. 00:09:19.360

--> 00:09:34.240 So we really started going through once we started honing in on it, it was the CEO, and we said, what is the operating system that the CEO needs to really have in place that's not them that's the operating system, right? 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:40.240 And so we spent a couple of months really working through and building this program. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.679 So we put the first group through last spring. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.080 I gotta tell you, there's nothing better. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:49.440 A couple weeks ago, I got an email from one of the people that went through. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:51.600 She's an estate planning attorney. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:54.720 Uh, she's now on track for four million this year. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:05.679 And she just took like a three-week long vacation in July and let go and let the team, because we'd put all the stuff in place for a couple months. 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:19.600 Well, after she learned this stuff, and she said the team just was thriving, doing great, besides just hitting all of their targets, all of their stuff, putting money into a cash cushion. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.919 She took home an extra$40,000 of profit on top of everything. 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:27.440 And there was not a single glitch in the firm while she was gone. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:29.440 And that's what I love to hear. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:35.360 I love to hear that the teams are thriving, that the owners are finally able to walk away. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:41.279 And some people think, oh, okay, I'm gonna walk away, but we're gonna tank the revenues while I'm gone. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:45.919 No, I want to hear that you're more profitable than you've ever been while you're gone. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:47.759 Like that's a true win. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.639 So we reverse engineered and built this program. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:11:03.279 We're doing another cohort um with some live sessions in September, uh, some mini live sessions to like really help owners start to shift the mindset of who they need to be. 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:10.559 Uh, because I see it all the time that there's some great owners, but they're part of the problem. 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:14.320 And until they change, they can't expect the firm to change. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:20.960 So um a little more mindset, a little more like this is the shift that has to happen. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:24.000 Uh, and you know me, Danny, I'm a little blunt. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:28.320 Like I tell the CEOs, they don't get to bring their staff into these calls. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:32.480 This is me kicking their ass and telling them some hard truths. 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:37.360 Um, but I gotta tell you, the first cohort went through and it works. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:39.519 And so super excited. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.799 It's always fun to see people just transform. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:57.200 Can you describe

um, I don't know, if it's different every single time or if there are some similarities, but what are some of those shifts that have to happen in the business owner as they become the person they need to be in order to scale their business? 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:10.000 So it's really about reallocation and redeployment of their team and the tools um and that mindset shift of you are the architect, you are no longer the doer. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.919 Your job is to lead and to build self-managers. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:31.120 So they've got to put themselves up at the top, they've got to rebuild and really strengthen up that next layer of self-managers and really help instill the confidence and the competence of their team of great, this is what perfect looks like. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:34.960 This is how to do it, this is I believe in you. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:38.000 Go refine it, figure it out, get it done. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.240 And here are the tools at the bottom layer. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:42.080 Here are the tools I want you to use. 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:44.799 And I'm a big, big AI user. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:55.200 Um, we did our summer of AI helping hundreds of uh law firms implement AI and really getting their teams using it responsibly. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:13:04.159 And so, you know, whether it's the AI tool or just using their workflows, their email automations, like things. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.200 There's a lot of tools that don't even need AI, really. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:13.519 It's just here's a trigger, here's some cascading events, here's what done looks like. 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.360 Like you got to get to done. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:25.440 Um, a lot of the tools that we're teaching every week, it's bringing the here's how AI is gonna make your life better, and here's how you can do it without AI. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:34.000 But redeploying our humans so that they cultivate the relationships with your clients, that's the humanality part. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:40.799 And they have to learn to use their critical thinking skills because human, ask AI to do something. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:44.879 AI gives you something, it will not be right the first time. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:49.360 Human, activate critical thinking, ask it to refine. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:56.399 So that means you have to actually look at the end product and say, ooh, it could be better here and there, and I want this. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:08.240 So thou shalt always, always, always with AI, as that junior copywriter, that intern AI guy, make him refine it at least once. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:12.879 Like that's where we got to get that critical thinking part, and you get a better product. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:14.799 Now, you might refine it two or three times. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:32.480 I mean, Danny, you and I know that sometimes you got to go at it a couple of times to get it right, but uh we have to like train our team to activate the critical thinking skills and use AI as a tool and not just pump out AI slop that's not correct. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:37.919 And so um, again, each week we're showing them great, here's what AI can do. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:45.440 Great, here's what a basic automation would be that your whole team can use, and it'll take you five minutes to set it up. 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:49.679 Like we got to get people to embrace using the tools they already have. 00:14:49.840 --> 00:15:00.559 They already have Outlook or Gmail, they already have Word and dictation opportunities, they already have so many tools, they're just not even using them. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.000 And so that's what keeps the costs down. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:11.039 So it's no longer about hiring more and more people, it's about you up-leveling your team and using your tools appropriately. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.200 That's what's the good financial model. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.639 And so, yeah, in four sessions, it's amazing what they accomplished. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:19.279 It's awesome. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:19.840 I love it. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:20.720 Fantastic. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.240 Sounds it sounds awesome. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:32.960 So, okay, so I'm glad you mentioned AI because you know, I don't think you and I have honestly connected really kind of since AI burst on the scene over the last, I don't know, two years-ish. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:43.120 Um, so I am curious, sort of, you know, from a big picture perspective, like how are you, how are you seeing law firms use it well? 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:48.080 Conversely, maybe some things that uh you've seen that have not gone well. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.440 Can you just kind of share your kind of big picture perspective on that? 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:52.240 Absolutely. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:58.399 And I gotta say, Danny, even though we haven't chatted one-on-one, like I love seeing all the emails. 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:01.600 And listen, tons of our clients use spotlight branding. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:03.759 So like I already know what you guys are doing. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:06.480 I see the webinars, the things you're doing. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.320 I completely agree. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.919 Um, love the stuff. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:18.000 So as much as it seems like we haven't talked personally so much recently, I've been very involved with what you guys are doing. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.919 So in that part, I feel a little connection. 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:21.919 But I 100% appreciate that. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.000 And that is the funny thing about social media, right? 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.000 Because I'll actually say the same right back at you. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:35.759 I'm in several of the Facebook groups that you run and um also feel very connected and also know law firms that are doing great things, sort of uh, you know,

through your program. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:36.639 So that is super cool. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:38.080 I appreciate you saying that. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:43.039 It's nice to have that connection, even though we don't have the time to always connect in person. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:46.080 But uh that's like the good part of social media, right? 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:49.360 Like that's actually social media working really well in a great way. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.120 But anyways, please do share. 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:56.639 Okay, so so your question is like the goods, the bads, the highlights, the lowlights. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:58.480 Let me start with the low light. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.559 And this is the thing that is like we talk about it all the time. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:10.480 Um, if you just try to layer in a bunch of AI without structure, you are just gonna have chaos. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:17.440 It is gonna get ugly, it's gonna get messy, your team, everyone's gonna get frustrated with it. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:38.240 Like a whole lot of people are coming to us like, Kristen, I got all excited about AI this spring, and I did all this stuff and I shoved it down my team's throat, and nobody knows what the hell is going on anymore, and there's no ownership and no clarity of what's AI doing and where does it get handed off to. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.240 Um, and so you know what we do? 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:49.759 We spend the next 45 minutes building some structure, just mapping the workflow and getting clarity on who shall do what by when. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:52.799 And one of those who's sometimes is AI. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:58.640 Like, great, paralegal, you're gonna plug this into AI with this prompt. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:07.920 You're gonna then refine it and you know, really tune it in, use your personal critical thinking skills, then you're gonna hand it off to the attorney. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:12.960 Attorney, you're gonna, you know, step by step, just that structure. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:24.640 And and that is key because when we see the line, we see the structure, everyone can really have more confidence of okay, what am I trying to accomplish? 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:26.480 What is the end product? 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:31.200 And that's the other thing we teach a lot of is AI prompt architecture. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:36.559 It is your job as a human to architect what it is you're asking it to do. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:38.640 Give enough information. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:44.160 Please, please, please, everyone, never just do a one-sentence prompt. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:47.759 Like you've got to feed it more information. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.079 Hey, chat. 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:53.119 And now I love to have fun, Danny, with my AIs. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:58.400 Um, and this is some people they might not like this, but I want to make sure I smile in the morning. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:04.799 So I'm like, Claude and I talk all the time, and he's um a British voice, is the way I have it set up. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:08.000 And so I'm like, hey, Claude, you sexy beast. 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:08.880 Good morning. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:11.759 Today we're gonna work on this, and it's playful. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:13.039 Like, have fun with it. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:20.559 Don't be like, oh, like I want people to like be engaged in your in your day. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:25.119 Don't just like, if you are dry all day, it's gonna be a dry day. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:26.960 Bring a little pizzazz to your life. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:34.960 You don't have to call it a sexy beast, but I'm gonna encourage everybody to like be playful, like bring the joy a little bit. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:50.400 Um, but yeah, so we get in there and it's like, hey, as a 15-plus year experienced paralegal, I need you to help me structure a workflow or a fresh trigger with a cascading series of events. 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:59.440 After the client pays and on boards, what are the first 10 things the legal team can do to set this client up for success? 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:02.240 And let's figure out who shall do what by when. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.039 Uh, we use this tech stack. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:13.519 Uh, we use Cleo and uh maybe Lawmatics, or we use Clio Grow and Clio Manage, we use uh Outlook. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:17.440 Tell it the tech stack you use because now it's gonna give you back. 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:18.880 Oh, absolutely. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:23.680 Straight from your inbox, it can trigger these actions and straight into this. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:27.920 And you're like, well, damn, that'd be amazing. 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:30.160 Okay, Claude, let's build that. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:46.160 You know, like um, so, anyways, that's I think the funnest part of AI is like really helping train the teams to like think about the trigger and then the action set and then use AI as a tool to help you build it out. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:57.759 And when AI says, Oh, I can't do that, push back because by time two or three that you ask, it usually can figure out how to do it for you or make it easier. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.160 So it's it's it's a process. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:01.039 Love it. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:12.720 And I, you know, as much as anybody, right, has been guilty of like being blown away by some of these capabilities and and just jumping into it and maybe throwing my team a little bit too much early on. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:20.400 And one of the things I've learned, and I love the way you you laid it out, is at least for me, it's really helpful to think about AI as an employee. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:26.720 Like it's not this magical machine that can do anything because it's great at some things, but it's not great at everything. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:31.599 So figuring out what AI is really good at

and what works well within your business. 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:46.240 For example, I have found AI to be a great research assistant, great at creating first drafts of marketing copy, definitely then needs, to your point, a senior copywriter, a marketing strategist to then take it to the next level and make it really good. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:54.400 And where people get in trouble is when they just trust it to do the whole thing instead of like you would never take a junior copywriter on day one and just let them go unsupervised. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:55.839 You would use their research skills. 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:58.000 And and so I love that you laid it out that way. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:58.880 That's perfect. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:21:59.440 So, Kristen. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:09.839 I want to ask you because we talked at the beginning, kind of, you know, maybe some of the higher level services you guys provide at up leveling your business and some of the international trips and some of that stuff, which sounds amazing. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:13.519 But what about for the smaller firms that are maybe earlier in their journey? 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:17.599 We have a lot of listeners of this show that are solos, just kind of getting started. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:20.799 What does it look like for an early stage firm to work with you guys? 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:24.480 And kind of what is the right point for a small firm to reach out to you guys? 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:26.240 Like when should they reach out to you? 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:38.000 So listen, I am a huge, huge fan of helping, especially my fellow lawyers, um, but all kinds of business owners, like keep your cash close to your chest in the beginning. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:40.319 Like you need to make sure you pay yourself. 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:43.680 Don't go just buying every vendor that's out there. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:51.680 Um, and that may mean that you need to use some of the resources, um, really find who you resonate with. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:57.359 I know, like, we have free webinars, how to write your first business plan, how to update your business plan. 00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.960 Um, those are completely free. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:05.440 And we'll even review your business plan, give you feedback, and help you triage like the next three, six months plan. 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:10.720 And then listen, once you're doing 40,000, 50,000 a month, then come get a coach. 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:14.720 Then you write, but in the beginning, don't throw all your money at a coach. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:15.839 You can figure this out. 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:17.359 You got through law school. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:26.720 Um, so our up-leveling, our Facebook group is up-leveling your business with AI, but almost all of those same videos are also over on our YouTube channel. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:29.359 Um, we teach three levels of AI. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:32.799 Level one is how do you get started? 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:35.359 Like, how do you set your privacy settings? 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:37.680 How do you personalize it so it knows you? 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:39.839 How do you build an AI knowledge base? 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.160 How do you work the human AI tandem relationship? 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:54.480 Like these are all little like five to seven minute videos that train, give you like that quick base understanding where you should be using it, how to use it. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.759 Level two AI is automations. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:58.880 Okay, cool. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:01.119 Let's start get the trigger. 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:03.200 What are the cascading events? 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:10.079 And we give you like 10, 12 of them that are like cool that you can use in every party, different parts of your business. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:29.599 Um, level three AI is those AI agents, but you gotta you've really gotta learn that prompt architecture, build the structure and the automation, learn it, and really make sure it's correct before you let loose some AI agents to really work things up every week for you or every couple days. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.759 I mean, listen, I have five AI agents working for me at UIB. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:47.440 And I mean, my morning reviews, um, a whole bunch of stuff with marketing, like they're great, but you got to build the structure first and be clear and refine it before you ever turn it into an agent. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:51.119 So definitely there's ways you can level up on your own. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:52.720 You go watch these videos. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:58.079 I do tons of free open office hours and things from time to time. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:11.519 But I think one of the greatest gifts that we have in this era that we're living in is that we have access to YouTube videos where we can listen to people that have been there, done that, understand it, can tell you what not to do. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:20.000 We have access to AI, to chat, to Claude, um, and it ask questions and it'll walk you through how to do things, right? 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:22.960 Um, so we have so many resources. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:26.000 It is a little bit about being diligent with your time. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:35.440 And sometimes you're like, oh, I can write all these policies and procedures with Claude, or I can just go buy Kristen's systems package and be done. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:38.160 You know, not done, but it's 90% done. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:39.839 You just have to tweak it. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.680 Um, and it's because I've helped thousands of business owners do this. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:47.359 So that's why we know these procedures work in law firms. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:50.880 Um, so definitely lots of free resources. 00:25:51.119 --> 00:26:06.240 I'm my biggest thing to everyone is set aside a

little time each week, work on this policies, the procedures, the systems, train yourself, delegate to your team, um, really get yourself start thinking like a CEO. 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.359 And when you get to be at that higher over half million, then come chat with me. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.279 You know, like the the team is ready, they've got lots they can do. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:17.359 But I'll leave it with this, Danny. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:20.559 Every one of us as owners is a little different. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:25.039 Some of us are great at marketing, some of us suck. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:27.359 Some of us are great with people. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:32.480 Some of us never were trained how to manage people or train them up. 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:38.240 Some of us are great with numbers, some of us are scared to death of numbers, right? 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:50.160 That's why we have all these different coaches because sometimes you just need to get in for two months and just work on your financials and build the financial systems manual, learn what you need to learn, and then get out. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:51.920 We kick people out all the time. 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:54.319 Like, cool, let's just fix this. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:55.680 Now go deal with it. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:00.640 And then when you're ready, we'll fix the next thing and work with you or work with your team. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:04.960 So I want everybody out there to recognize we're not perfect. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:14.480 We all need to up level our game in different areas, decide which one's your biggest pain point and tackle that first, and then move to your next one. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.319 So that's what I'll leave you with as a kind of final nugget. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:22.480 But listen, the door is always open, especially to my fellow lawyers. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:30.799 Like if you're struggling, you need help triaging, get on our calendar, whether it's with me or one of my team, we'll help you triage a plan. 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:37.200 And honestly, sometimes we might kick you out and be like, you're not ready for coaching, but here's your game plan. 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:41.200 Um, we just do that give back to help people on this journey. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:43.599 And we'll it'll come back later. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:44.400 So it's all good. 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.759 Well, love that. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:46.400 Thanks for sharing. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:52.559 And so, Kristen, for the folks that do want to connect with you and maybe take that first step, what is the best way for them to do that? 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:53.519 Absolutely. 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:59.839 I mean, listen, you guys, I still we still have email like Kristen at up leveling your business.com. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:05.680 You can go check out all of our stuff on our webpage, up leveling your business.com. 00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:18.319 If you want to see all those systems packages, I mean we've got how to hire on board, work with an associate, a paralegal, a legal assistant, an EA, uh, like all the different positions in a law firm. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:23.680 We've got you covered to help support uh Upleveling Your Business dot com slash packages. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:30.079 You can see the list of all those different systems packages if you're a systems person and want to take a look. 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:32.000 But um, don't be a stranger. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:34.000 DM me on social media. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:42.720 Danny, you and I need to connect in person next time I'm on the East Coast, maybe when the Clio conference or one of these fun events. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:46.240 I know we both go to drop into different events and have fun. 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:48.160 And it's always good to see people. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:50.640 And I love, I literally will be at these events. 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:53.599 People like, I heard you on the such and such podcast. 00:28:53.839 --> 00:29:01.839 So listen, everybody listening, just uh send me an email or come up to me at one of these events and say, I heard you on center stage. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.599 I will love to talk to you. 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:04.480 Fantastic. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:05.920 Kristen, this was fantastic. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:07.279 Thank you for joining us. 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:08.559 Thank you.