I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.

Albert Einstein

1.  Divorce Discourse by Lee Rosen: Who Should You Meet to Grow Your Business? Being a young lawyer, specifically a divorce and family lawyer this post really made a lot of sense to me and gives me some homework for the next few weeks.  Taking the time to talk to people who have “been there, done that” will give you a lot of inside perspective on what it takes to be great and to grow your business without making all of the same mistakes they did.

2.  NewSpring Church has done some amazing things over the last decade.  This year they are celebrating their 10 year anniversary.  As you may know from some of my writing on this site, I am really into church strategy and using video/digital media/technology in a church setting.  Few churches do that better than NewSpring.  I get a lot of inspiration from following what they do.  Here is a great After Effects video for their 10 Year Anniversary done by Ken Wilson:

The Best is Yet to Come (series opener) from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

3.  On weeks when I have a trial, I always seem to be drawn more closely in on my law practice and what I can do to improve it and make it better.  One of the blogs I follow, Legal Practice Pro written by Jay Fleishman touched on another topic that I am interested in – using video to market your law practice.  To boil the post down, Jay’s point was really that great/good legal marketing videos are great for your practice, but if you aren’t going to go all out or if you are just going to bore your potential clients to death you would be doing more harm than good.  It’s a great post and a great blog in general.  While I agree with the premise of the post in general, I want to make sure that lawyers who are considering using video are not automatically put off by this thought.  I’m a pretty introverted guy.  I don’t necessarily relish the times where I am in front of the camera or am the center of attention.  That may be you, but if you are practicing law that means you have clients.  If you are being retained by clients that means that they like you or they believe that you can resolve their legal problems.  If they are coming into your office and discussing their case with you and hiring you, then you can make video marketing work for you.  You just may have to work at it.

4. Streetwalking Lawyers of Aurura Avenue – Hilarious (hat tip Lawyers Video Studio)

Well, Christmas has come and gone.  I sincerely hope that you and your family were able to celebrate a wonderful Christmas holiday yesterday and remember that the real reason for the celebration is because of God’s gift of love he gave us, his son Jesus who died on the cross to save us from the penalty of sin.  In honor of Christmas and the winter season here in Greenville, SC I have chosen a photograph above of a beautiful Greenville site covered in snow (not at Christmas).

Without further delay, here is the stuff I liked this week:

During the Advent season we have really had some awesome services at Cross Roads Baptist Church.  The music, visuals, dramas, and messages have been outstanding.  Definitely true worship experiences.

One of my favorites services of the year is the candle-light service on Christmas eve where we share in communion as a family and have a peaceful celebration of Christ’s birth.

I hope you have somewhere to worship this Christmas where you can truly celebrate God’s love and Christ’s birth.

You can’t have a discussion of Christmas without Santa.  This video merges Santa and one of my favorite television shows, “24″.  Have you ever thought about what it would look like if Jack Bauer interrogated Santa?  Now you know:

Holiday Party Small Talk

I went to a little holiday gathering of some lawyers here in Greenville yesterday.  Doing those kind of things is essential to running a successful business and building a list of referral sources.  I always feel awkward at those kind of functions.  Never really sure what I’m supposed to say or what others are expecting from me.  Then, this morning I read a great post from fellow divorce lawyer, Lee Rosen, with some conversation tips for referral source meetings that can be used with slight modification at holiday gatherings.  Try it.

Photo Credit: Adam Drewes

Things are getting pretty excited around my house with Christmas coming up.  Our two year old loves Santa and is ready for Christmas to get here.  Even though he loves Santa, we know the real “reason for the season” – Jesus Christ.  And speaking of the Lord of Lord’s here is a video I saw this week of the “Silent Monks do the Hallelujah Chorus” – Enjoy!

One of the greatest – if not the greatest – athletes to don a Clemson University football uniform will be playing his final game as a Tiger on December 27.  Of course – it’s C. J. Spiller.  This week, C. J. was named as an All American by the Associated Press which makes him the first consensus All American from Clemson since 2006 when Gaines Adams won the honor.  Congratulations C. J. and thanks for the memories!  A good article here about C. J.’s AP All America Honors.

2009 has been a great year and it couldn’t have happened without you!  I’m so thankful for my friends, clients, and those I have connected with online this year so I just wanted to take a few minutes to let you know.  2010 is shaping up to be a great year and I’m really looking forward to connecting with you in 2010.  If I can do anything for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know and connect with me through this site or on Twitter or Facebook.

I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Tim Hawkins is hilarious and has an awesome song about one of my favorite restaurants – Chick-fil-a.

Church Online in Real Life Video from LifeChurch.tv – a visual look at what is going on in the Church Online chatroom.  I think online church is an awesome idea and a way to lower barriers to entry to church and reach people for Christ:

The Louder Trap from Tony Morgan – If everything we say is loud then it isn’t loud anymore.  If everything you do now is special, then it isn’t special any more.

Focus on a Niche and Be the Best You Can Be by Grant Griffiths at Blog for Profit.  Hopefully, by now it is clear that online and offline businesses need to focus down (at least their marketing efforts) into a niche to help identify and target prospects and customers.

3 Principles for Creating for Creating E-commerce Video that Sells from the guys are ReelSEO.com.  While this focuses more on using online video for retailers, the principles of (1) Motivation – what is motivating the shopper/prospective client to buy, (2) Simplicity/Ability – how can you simplify the process for someone to move from prospect to client , and (3) Triggers or call to action to let your prospects know what to do next.  These three steps can be applied to anyone wanting to use online video to increase their marketing efforts and offline-business.

“Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” — John Watson

I received an e-mail from a client recently and he had the above quote from John Watson in his e-mail signature.  It really hit home for me because I am a divorce lawyer.  In my law practice I am a assisting people as they go through divorces, property disputes, custody fights and other family court matters.  Most of these people are hurting.  They are dealing with something that no one wants to go through and no one ever thinks it will happen to them.  They are hurting and intimidated by the system.   I have found that being kind helps my clients and they really respond well to it.

While you may not be dealing with people in the same situation and circumstances as I am, you are coming into contact with people every day as well.  This day in time, people all over are hurting and dealing with all kinds of problems.  I challenge you to be kind to those you meet.

1. They think first, talk later;
2. They focus on depth;
3. They exude calm;
4. They let their fingers do the talking;
5. They embrace solitude.

Now, when I read the article the five points above really resonated with me.  You see, I’m an introvert.  So I got to thinking…can an introvert make a good lawyer?  More specifically, can an introvert make a good trial lawyer?

When I think of a trial lawyer, I think of a character such as Alan Shore from TV’s Boston Legal. Someone who is extremely quick on their feet with wit and sarcasm.  I’m asked occasionally by clients or prospective clients who want to know if I’m going to be a bulldog or super aggressive – someone who stands up and makes a show or screams and shouts around.

Can an introvert effectively represent their clients in trial?  I think so.  My experience has been that I examine a case in depth.  Preparation is of extreme importance.  More extroverted people are able to think on their feet and may not need to prepare as much in advance, but an introvert can get past that with in depth preparation where they plan a response for any conceivable argument or objection.

The third point, “exuding calm” is extremely important for trial lawyers – especially for divorce and family law lawyers because of the extremely personal and emotional nature of the cases we deal with.  By being able to stand back from the case from a non-emotional place and look at it objectively, you can more effectively represent and advise your clients.

I think introverts can make excellent trial lawyers and can effectively represent their clients.  What do you think?

“Crush It” is all about taking what you are passionate about and can talk about longer and more deeply than anyone else and building a personal brand and business around it.  Most people think that work is something that is supposed to be loathed and hated while their hobbies and the fun things in life are just for the weekend or for time off.  Now, I won’t go on and say that I have found the perfect job or career for myself or that I love everything that I do  every day, but I don’t hold out the misconception in my mind that I have to hate work and love my play.

Another thing that Gary stresses in the book is the balance and prioritization of family time with your work.  He says that he weighs every decision in terms of currency and legacy.  That means a business deal doesn’t make sense just because it is going to yield a lot of money.  It must be something that can be done with integrity that will allow you to leave a positive legacy your family can be proud of.  Oh yeah, that also means that your work cannot take up all of your time either – you have to have time for your family to cultivate that family legacy.

I really enjoyed the book and crushed it in a just a couple of days reading.  Here are some of the quotes I highlighted in my Kindle while I read:

• I knew from my experience with the baseball card business that people want to be told what’s good and valuable, and that they enjoy feeling like they’ve been turned on to something not everyone can appreciate.

• Nothing in life ever goes exactly the way you think it will, and that goes for all of your carefully planned entrepreneurial dreams and goals.

• everyone needs to start thinking of themselves as a brand

• I want my kids and my grandkids and great-grandkids to be proud of me. This is why every decision I make is weighed in terms of currency and legacy.

• Making connections, creating and continuing meaningful interaction with other people, whether in person or in the digital domain, is the only reason we’re here. Remember that, set the tone, and build legacy.

• true success—financial, personal, and professional—lies above all in loving your family, working hard, and living your passion.

The links in this book review are links to purchase the book/Kindle through my Amazon affiliate link.