Yesterday marked the two year anniversary of Catina & Mara, PLLC. Laura and I (Amy) are so excited to see what year three will bring, but first, we thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the top lessons we learned in our second year of business.
- Reflect on Where You Are and How Far You’ve Grown. It is okay to take a moment from the day-to-day bustle to revel in where you are today. If you had asked either Laura or me 5 years ago if we would create our law firm today the way we are, we would have genuinely laughed at you and shrugged it off. Our dismissal of this would not mean that we didn’t want to bring our vision of a law practice to life – because trust us, we have been speaking this out into the world for years. But, looking back at where we were 5 years ago and seeing just how far we have grown and all of the hurdles we have overcome, we are so grateful that we kept this vision and dream alive inside us until it was ready to be brought to life. While we haven’t been an “overnight success” (newsflash: there is no such thing), year 2 has forced us to grow and level up much more quickly than we expected to. Specifically, we had to break away from the idea that we were the “workhorses” in our business and shift into a managerial role. Put another way, we had to ask ourselves, are we going to continue to be the talent, or are we now the talent managers?
- Delegate. Delegate. Delegate. Tying into that last question, we quickly realized this year – having hired our full-time paralegal and weaving attorneys into our practice – that we had shift our mindsets and expectations of just how much we could shoulder on our own. We also had to realize and accept that there are people that are better suited to complete some of the tasks on your “to do” list than you. And while this doesn’t mean that you can’t complete these tasks, it means that, by delegating, you can free up your time and mental space to tackle the items on your list that indispensably require you.
- Be a Servant Leader. As the leader of an organization/company/team/household – you name it – you need to remember to serve your team. The greatest lesson I learned in this area this year is to adapt to my team, and not require my team to always adapt to me. When you let go of the control over certain aspects of your business, allowing your team members the confidence, autonomy, and independence to fulfill those roles and responsibilities, you will not be disappointed. And even if you are, you have a baseline to work off of and pivot from, and I guarantee that your team member will be a willing participant in the future because you imbued your faith and belief in them to take the reins.
- Trust Your Gut. Laura and I love this one – we are firm believers in following your instincts. If you pay close attention, you will notice a “tap on the shoulder” that is trying to tune you into what you should do next or where you are going or a conversation that you should be having. This year, we felt many of these taps and they have developed into some of the greatest achievements of our year – namely, the physical expansion of our office into two jurisdictions and the addition of new team members. Another way that we listen to our instincts and trust them is by being very particular about who we surround ourselves with – not just on a day-to-day basis, but by being really intentional about where we spend our energy and with whom. Whether that means releasing a client that isn’t jiving with us or stepping away from committees or cases that aren’t aligned with our goals, we trust ourselves to know that the decisions were are called to are being made for a reason – one that we normally won’t realize until later down the road in hindsight. But, that’s also key to remember: where you are now is not just affecting your present situation, but also your future – it is setting you up to take you in a direction into your future.
For more on this topic, head over to wherever you consume podcasts, and listen to Episode 77 of the Be the CEO of Your Life and Business Podcast.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls and communications. Contacting us, however, does not create an attorney-client relationship.