Velocity Work

Guest Jay Ruane followed in his father's professional footsteps, but carved his own path. In this episode, he reveals how he took a different approach to building his firm by recognizing how he wanted lifestyle to play a role in the businesses he built. Owner of Ruane Attorneys at Law and FirmFlex, a social media marketing company for law firms, Jay holds nothing back. He and Melissa discuss the hustle and grind of the early years, the importance of maintaining relationships, and the patience required to build the firm you envisioned. The rewards are worth it!

In this episode, Melissa answers a relatable question posed in Velocity Work’s private Mastery Group and her response serves up some lessons that will change your firm. They start with you. We all hit barriers or obstacles on the path to our goals. And at some point, most of us react with our brain’s default mode; we get tired, we don’t want to deal with it, we don't see a path forward and we create a mess of thoughts and ideas in our head. Sometimes we place blame ourselves, sometimes on other people, software or processes. Sometimes we do that all at once! That mess feels and looks like a classic case of overwhelm. But you have way more power here than you might think. Listen to learn how you can remove the mental log-jam and get back on track to your goals. Ask your tough questions and get feedback from Melissa and a community of other owner attorneys building the businesses they want. Join Mastery Group at www.velocitywork.com/join

Do the activities you spend time on create value for your business? Delegation can feel uncomfortable when you’re used to running your firm, but growing requires transferring responsibility to a team and getting out of the way. In the second installment of Fall Sprint Lessons Learned, Melissa reads the insights of law firm owners who used daily accountability and reflection to achieve big goals. The lessons don’t stop with the topic of delegation. As any business owner knows, a conversation about shared responsibility is a conversation about creating time, specific goals, and value for your business. Want to know more about how delegating responsibility can help you firm grow? Join Mastery Group at www.velocitywork.com/join

Are you committed to the goals and plans you make for your firm? Your commitment means everything. This episode is packed with insight! Melissa reads word-for-word insights from this fall’s Velocity Work Sprint participants. Dedicated firm owners reveal lessons learned from their month of daily accountability specifically highlighting the impact of planning and honoring the plan in order to reach their goals. Do you stay busy on the to-dos and feel like you have no time for big goals? Start the new year off with a plan. Join Mastery Group at www.velocitywork.com/join

Melissa welcomes Mastery Group member and Sprint participant Neeli Shah to the podcast this week. Neeli is an Atlanta-based estate planning attorney who works with high-net-worth individuals. Neeli shares her tips on how to finally “take the leap” to grow your business or firm to the next level. Maybe “taking the leap” for you is signing up for Mastery Group! For more information, check it out at: www.velocitywork.com/join

Are you thinking about growing your practice? Of course, you are! On this episode of Velocity Work Live, Melissa is joined by Attorney Seth Price. Seth, the founding partner of Price Benowitz LLP and the founder and CEO of BluShark Digital, discusses how he grew a two-person law practice into a 40 person practice in less than a decade and how you can do the same.

Melissa builds upon episode 123 about honing in on specific goals and feeling discomfort when trying to reach goals. Are you a virtuous procrastinator? It might be time to stop escaping and get in the trenches to embrace the discomfort during the journey to reach your goal. It's almost 2022; start the new year by investing in your firm's growth. Sign up for mastery group today at: https://www.velocitywork.com/join

Velocity Work Live is back! And what a guest to have on our show after our brief hiatus. Melissa welcomes Sam Mollaei, founder of Legal Funnel. Sam, an attorney, based in Los Angeles, discusses how he went from knowing zero about marketing less than a decade ago to heading seven law firms, all using automated systems and teaching other attorneys how to automate their practice. Sam discusses why working in a “desired zone” leads to success and how immigrating from Iran at a young age molded him to what he is today. Keep up with all things Velocity Work by following us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/meetvelocitywork/

Are you striving for $200K or $25MIL? It doesn’t matter! Episode 123 is for everyone. Melissa uses episode 122 as a jumping-off point to discuss opening yourself up to the discomfort required to reach the next pin on your map. And in this episode, she reminds us that barreling your way through to reach a goal is unsustainable. We get it; who wants to feel discomfort? But guess what? That discomfort will help you reach your next destination. Looking to unlock your firm’s TRUE potential? Sign-up for our Mastery Group at: www.velocitywork.com/join

Everyone says they have goals, but how specific are they? Wherever you are in your journey, episode 122 is for you! Melissa compares goal setting to putting a pin on a particular destination on a map and creating an efficient route to get there. If you’re questioning if your goals aren’t specific enough, you might reach them, but you’re going to be meandering to get there. If you’re looking to join a group of like-minded attorneys who are determined to do better, sign up for our next 30-day sprint at: https://velocitywork.com/sprint-1

Are you passing through the "unfortunate middle" in your firm's growth? What tactics are you using to get over this necessary hump between simple grace and complex grace? What exactly are simple grace and complex grace? Melissa discusses the struggle with reaching and completing steps when you're scaling your firm and trying to create a well-oiled machine. Check out the Free Time Podcast with Jenny Blake and her guest, Jonathan Fields! Check it out here: https://www.itsfreetime.com/episodes/033 Are you missing our live show? We'll be back next month with NEW episodes, but in the meantime, catch up on our previous episodes by subscribing to our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9mGO-yZ7R08cCt-gpENlcw/featured

Is a silent killer lurking around your firm? In episode 120, Melissa rips the bandaid off on a topic that can be more than a little difficult to talk about. Is your firm ACTUALLY profitable? You’re collecting a paycheck, so you must be in the black, right? Eh, not so fast. Melissa discusses how even if you feel your firm is turning a profit, it might be in the red and how you need to focus on numbers, not hunches, and guide your firm on facts, not feelings. Did you know that you can sign-up for our FREE Masterclass and watch it on your own time? Sign up today at: https://members.velocitywork.com/masterclass/

What is virtuous procrastination, and is it the same as run-of-the-mill procrastination? Is stopping to listen to episode 119 instead of doing work considered virtuous procrastination? Melissa discusses what makes procrastination "virtuous" and how to honor your plan even when unscheduled situations pop up. Did you know we have a FREE masterclass? To sign up, check out: www.velocitywork.com/join

Let’s huddle up! You’ve been in them, and most likely you’ve led them, but what exactly is the point of a huddle? In episode 117, Melissa talks about how a successful huddle should be conducted, the purpose of huddles, and how we can still do huddles in a remote work environment. If you’re looking for growth and accountability, why not join the Velocity Work Mastery Group? For more information, visit: www.velocitywork.com/join

Are you working smarter? It’s not as easy as you thought it would be to answer. This week, Velocity Work LIVE! welcomes Ernie Svenson, the founder of Law Firm Autopilot. Ernie discusses how Hurricane Katrina shifted his focus from working as an attorney at an old school firm to establishing his own practice and ultimately finding success by maximizing technology.

Is certainty for suckers? Mmhm. In episode 115, Melissa explains how embracing uncertainty can open you up for more success and a better chance of reaching your goals. Sure, we all crave reassurance, but the nature of being an entrepreneur is uncertain. Melissa also shares a story from attorney John Fischer about how taking chances doesn’t risk anything and how the risk is NOT taking chances. There are still spots available for our October sprint! Visit www.velocitywork.com/sprint for more information.

How are you benchmarking your success? Are you meeting goals? We’re back with Chris White for Part 2 of our episode of Velocity Work LIVE! Melissa and Chris discuss how it’s best to go with facts instead of feelings when recognizing your success and growth, accommodating your firm’s development adequately, and finding the right solutions internally after taking control of data that you already have.

How much should you invest in coaching and growing your business? Figuring it out is as easy as 1-2-3 (percent)! In episode 113, Melissa reveals that every business owner should be investing at least 3-percent of their top-line revenue in business growth to make sure they’re growing sustainably. Whether you have only a few hundred dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars to put towards business growth, every penny has an impact. Are you thinking about taking your business or firm to the next level quickly? Get information about our October sprint at: http://velocitywork.com/sprint

This is a big one, guys. So much so that we had to split it up into TWO parts. In Part 1, Melissa welcomes Chris White. Chris is an author, speaker, teacher, branding innovator, and attorney. Chris and Melissa discuss how using simple math is the best way to take risks, why taking a break from the daily grind is necessary, and understanding your target market correctly.