Walking down my street this morning, I noticed the tree trimmers had just wrapped up their annual hurricane-season ritual—trimming branches away from power lines. Here in Florida, it's essential prep work designed to prevent outages and chaos when storms inevitably hit. #hurricaneprepOne tree, in particular,...
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When I was General Counsel for a theme park company, our management team brought in a pricing expert who had spent much of her career at Disney.If anyone understands the psychology of pricing, it’s Disney.She helped us see pricing in a whole new light —...
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My first management team meeting as a General Counsel, I was humbled by how little I really knew. I had fantastic mentors. Worked at respected firms. Litigator turned corporate and M&A attorney I read all the books. Took all the finance CLEs. But still—there was a gap that I didn’t even know existed. I...
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I came across a photo of myself on law school graduation day.Smiling. Hopeful. Incredibly Enthused.My lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, offer in hand from an amazing respected firm, the world was my oyster.I brought the skills that made me successful throughout school into my...
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Let’s be real for a second: Most lawyers treat referrals like the weather—something that just happens to them. But what if referrals could be predictable? What if you could build relationships that consistently send you the right kind of work? You can. You just need to look beyond...
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Here’s the thing no one tells you when you start your own law firm: Being “really good at what you do” isn’t enough to stand out. There are a lot of good lawyers out there. Your clients don’t need “good.” They need someone who makes them feel...
Read MoreReal talk, friend, You didn’t leave BigLaw to build a practice that drains you just a little less. You left because you believed in something better—for your clients, your family, and yourself. But somewhere between launching your firm and trying to keep the lights on, you started...
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I went to a summer enrichment camp that offered all kinds of creative electives—one of which was ceramics. That summer, I proudly sculpted a ceramic bear. And listen… it was bad. Like, so bad it became family legend. It was oddly shaped,...
Read MoreClosing out Women's History Month, we didn't want to end without giving a shoutout to a few of remarkable women - clients and collaborators - we have had the privilege to work with, who are leading firms and companies and shaping the future of the...
Read More🎉 It’s My Birthday—And I Want to Give Another Woman Lawyer the Gift of More Profit & More Freedom 🎉 https://vimeo.com/1067804581 You didn’t start your own firm to work more hours for less money—but if you’re still billing by the hour, that’s exactly what’s happening. And worse?...
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You are remarkable. You took the leap, and stepped out of the traditional law firm model because you believed in something better. You wanted more—more freedom, more joy, more alignment with the life you envisioned when you first set out to build your own practice. But...
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Whitney joined GC Murray on "The Greatness Curated Final Focus Series" to discuss disruptions in the billing model for law firms and an innovative solution to the long-standing pain point of the traditional billable hour. ...
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In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," Gary Miles, the host, a seasoned attorney with over 40 years of experience, engages in a compelling conversation with Gwen Griggs , a former big law attorney and in-house counsel who has transitioned to founding her own law...
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Most law firm owners start the year with big goals. 💡 Make more money 💡 Work fewer hours 💡 Get better clients But by March? Those goals are buried under urgent client work, last-minute fires, and a never-ending to-do list. That’s why annual planning doesn’t work. A year is too...
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In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," Gary Miles, the host, a seasoned attorney with over 40 years of experience, engages in a compelling conversation with Gwen Griggs, a former big law attorney and in-house counsel who has transitioned to founding her own law firm....
Read More🚨 If you bill by the hour, AI is your enemy – and you’re not going to win that fight. AI isn’t going to take your job; it’s just going to make you go broke. 💸 I said what I said. 🔥 AI is here – almost...
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When your phone rings and it's a client - what emotion hits you? Dread? Anxiety? What if it didn't have to be that way? What if, every time you saw a client's name on your phone or in your email, you felt excited to connect - energized at the...
Read MoreYou worked hard to get where you are - and we know lawyering can have its challenges, but this week we're celebrating all the GREAT things about practicing law! So, drop a comment below by 2/14 and tell us what you love about your law practice....
Read Morehttps://vimeo.com/1053518357/9b6d560742 Are you building a law practice you love—or just grinding away in one that drains you? 💼❤️ We believe every law firm owner deserves a PROmance—a practice that’s profitable, fulfilling, and built around the life you actually want. And we know so many of you are...
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Sad truth: The cobbler's children have no shoes, and many lawyers we know (even business lawyers) haven't handled the foundational basics that they'd advise their clients to address. Whomp whomp. No shame from us, though - just a game plan to help you get things set...
Read Morehttps://vimeo.com/1048397579 This isn't a question about corporate-sounding mission and vision statements. It's not about what you've been told you are *supposed* to want from your practice. It's not even about what your spouse or friends or law partners want for you. I'm asking YOU: what do you...
Read Morehttps://vimeo.com/1046795933 [TL/DR: Click here to take the PROmance Scorecard. Ready to join us in the Path to PROmance? Click here to join.] If you’re a lawyer in a solo practice or small firm, and you’re feeling burned out, dreading calls with your clients, having to collect on...
Read MoreDecember 2024 was NOT ideal for me, to put it mildly. There was terrible loss, serious injury, and tough conversation (incoming and outgoing), along with a lot of complex logistics to figure out. But December 2024 also showered me with love, and taught me a LOT....
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When you think about your firm, do you consider everything that goes into it? 🤔Think about the hours you spend working, how work flows to you, the tools you use to communicate, manage, bill, and report. Consider the team that supports you, how you bill,...
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Photo cred: By Ataturk.svg: NevitNevit Dilmen - Ataturk.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16060686...
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Here we go...
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It’s Thanksgiving week - are you stressing about how you’re going to get all the legal work done around your family obligations and Thanksgiving meal prep? Trying to fit a full week of work into the short week so you don’t let anyone (but yourself)...
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Whitney Harper and I have been building ADVOS legal pllc for over 10 years!! (Early November was the 10 year anniversary in fact!). After we figured out the hardest parts, our lawyer friends started to ask us how we did it -📏 How we built...
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A friend told me last week that she went into Target the day before Halloween, and the Christmas decor was already on the shelves. Apparently, Halloween is the new Christmas Eve!--->> Which means...
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The year is 2007, and I'm drafting another Asset Purchase Agreement, replacing the language with new particulars, tracking every six minutes. I had achieved everything that I once dreamed about -partner at a fantastic firm, working with amazing and grateful clients, putting together deals that...
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In 2010, I was racing through the airport, mind going as fast as my feet. With work demands, two middle schoolers, and a toddler at home, I felt pulled in a million directions—again. The book on the shelf - The Way We're Working Isn't Working...
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The end of the year can be chock-full of activity, from year-end strategic planning 🗓️, budgeting and goal setting, to client projects that need to be closed by 12/31, plus all of the holiday festivities happening in the professional and personal realms. We’re here for ALL...
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On the first day of a fresh calendar quarter, it's easy to be excited about new plans (fresh planner pages!), exciting projects, and big goals. And why not?! We're big advocates for quarterly strategic planning. Working in a 90-day world instead of thinking in terms of...
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If I ask you how much you weigh, you might "know" that answer based on the scale in your bathroom at home. But if you weigh yourself at home, and then later in the day visit your doctor, the doctor's number will inevitably be different....
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Do you ever feel like you're alone on an island because, in a sea of lawyers working in the traditional model, you've decided to lawyer differently? Or are you feeling trapped in that traditional law firm model, knowing there must be a better way and wishing...
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Are the robots coming to take your job? We've all heard the concern that the rise of AI will eliminate the need for, or at least automate, a lot of the work clients are currently paying lawyers to do. That is likely true - but it's...
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We often think about "right-fit" clients - the ones we love working with, they're fun/respectful/easy to work with, and they value what we do. At both ADVOS legal and ADVOS Pro, we have the greatest clients! Often times, these clients were referred to us by...
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As you start your week, are you feeling overwhelmed with the mountain of work in front of you? Does any of this resonate with you? You’re convinced that there are lots of angry (or at least annoyed) people on the other side of that mountain of tasks,...
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Let's start with a story...
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As a law firm owner, especially in the early days of starting your firm, it can feel like you need to say "yes" to every opportunity - every new client and matter, every networking event, every meeting with a potential client or referral source. The...
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We've been thinking a lot about metrics lately, and in particular, we keep hearing this question: "What metrics should I be measuring in my law firm?" Traditionally, law firms measure hours - and not much else. Of course, if you've spent any time around here, you...
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It's easy to think that every successful person out there is doing it ALL, but I think most of us have figured out by now (and may need a reminder) that they are successful in large part because they are NOT doing everything - They....
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Recently, we crossed the 6-month mark for the initial members of the ADVOS Accelerator (we call them the Founders Club), who have now experienced 2 Quarterly Strategic Planning sessions, 2 Quarterly Themed Workshops, and 6 monthly small group ("pod") Roundtable sessions. Our Accelerator members have...
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You break into a cold sweat. Your mouth goes dry. Your cheeks flush bright red. You'd give your right arm for any sort of distraction, anything to let you off the hook. Rewind 30 seconds - what just happened? The client sitting in front of you just...
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In the last few weeks, we have had lots of conversation with our Accelerator members about challenges around staffing – recruiting & hiring, performance management, division of labor, firing, and all of the micro-challenges in between. If you’re a solo lawyer or small firm owner facing...
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Ever heard the challenge to "be a thermostat, not a thermometer"? I love that one from Dr. King, and the empowerment and agency that come with it. It challenges us to set - and maintain - the temperature, not just report on or be in...
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When you've got your eye on a new "gadget", or are gasping for air under an enormous pile of work, and wondering whether tech could help you make things more efficient, the first instinct can be to go straight for the shiny object - the...
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As we stand at the midpoint of 2024 (how did that happen?!), now is the perfect time for reflection and planning. The ADVOS team and our law firm owner clients ask ourselves these questions as we continuously work together to build dream firms: Reflection: Review our calendars (and...
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I remember the first time I learned that lawyers bill in six-minute increments for things like reading and responding to email, faxing a document (the millennial in me is appalled!), and leaving a voicemail. I'd never before thought about how long it takes me to...
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As lawyers, we often find ourselves reminding our clients that if they aren’t completely honest with us about what’s going on, and we don’t have the whole picture, then we can’t deliver our best work to solve their problem. Trying to solve legal issues with partial...
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What’s with the name? We're frequently asked why the name "ADVOS". Like so much about the nearly 10 year journey, it was a reaction to the way it has always been done, that then found a source of original inspiration and ultimately grew to have...
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The more lawyers I talk to, the more I am convinced that most law firm owners are absolutely terrified of digging in to their firm's financial performance. In large part, that's because they feel like they don't (and can't) understand the mystery of "the numbers"....
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Believe it or not, despite their reputation, there's a treasure trove of insightful and impactful CLEs out there! To all my fellow lawyers in Florida, I have to give a big shout out @Florida Bar and their @Legal Fuel podcast – the content is gold. And...
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joined Kelley Brubaker on the Your Profitable Law Firm podcast to break down a smarter, more human way to work with clients: the P3 Method. Listen or watch here. No more ticking clocks. No more clients holding back because they’re afraid of the bill. Just clear expectations,...
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Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your law firm isn’t setting a goal — it’s drawing a line. The truth is, many law firm owners stay stuck in practices that aren’t working, not because they’re doing something wrong… but because they never stop...
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Our very own Whitney Harper—attorney, strategist, and ADVOS Pro co-founder—joined Rhonda Coleman Wandel for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to build a law firm you love (that also loves you back). They cover: ✨ Making the shift from billable hours to value-based pricing ✨ Building...
Read MoreWhen you started your firm, it probably wasn’t because you wanted to recreate the exact stress and structure of BigLaw. You wanted freedom. You wanted to build something that felt like you. But if you’re like most women law firm owners I talk to, you’ve ended up...
Read MoreReal talk: Hourly billing might be costing you your dream clients. Not because they can't afford you. Not because they don't value legal services. But because they don’t want to buy time — they want to buy results. https://vimeo.com/1085096255 Here’s what I mean: Clients who align with your values,...
Read MoreWhen they hear we don't bill by the hour, lots of law firm owners tell us the same thing: “I want to stop billing by the hour - I just need help with pricing.” But 9 times out of 10? Pricing isn’t the problem. The problem is how you're...
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