Build Your Brand and Business Will Follow
By Catherine Henry
In the two years since I left the Public Defender ’ s Office and started my own solo law practice , I have been asked by law students and fellow young lawyers how I managed to do it and thrive . I promise you that I don ’ t have it all figured out , and please understand that my firm is still new , but I am happy to share with you the secrets of my success thus far .
In addition to seeking guidance from other attorneys who started their own law firms , I also joined groups in the community to meet business owners in other industries . Not only did this expand my network for potential clients and referral sources , but it also gave me a support network for all the little things that come with owning your own business that they don ’ t teach in law school . Like how to go from being an employee , clocking in and out , to having complete control over your schedule and workload . Or managing the stress that comes with being solely responsible for bringing in the
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While it might sound like a shameless plug for the St . Petersburg Bar Association ( SPBA ), I truly owe a large amount of my success to the connections I made through SPBA since joining as a newly licensed attorney . Not only have I developed mentor relationships with seasoned and respected attorneys who I can go to for guidance , but they know my work ethic and trust me enough to refer clients to me .
But it ’ s more than just networking and getting referrals . It truly is about building relationships .
When I began my leadership journey with SPBA , I had no intention of starting my own law firm . I simply enjoyed being a member of the bar and wanted to learn and grow from the inspiring attorneys within the bar . It was different from other organizations I had joined and events I had attended , where a lot of time was spent exchanging business cards and sending follow-up emails only to create surface-level relationships . Being involved with SPBA changed the way I viewed networking and enabled me to understand a deeper level of networking that is centered around meaningful relationships .
Networking is building your brand . It isn ’ t only about being known or knowing people . It is about cultivating and nurturing your reputation within the community . Within the legal community and the community at large . clients to meet your overhead . Having a support system of other similarly situated business owners helps to make solo practice less isolating and more fulfilling . Plus , you have people you can go to for feedback and guidance along the way !
For example , when I decided to change the name of my law firm to Henry Defense and needed a new logo , I reached out to my “ St . Pete Girl Boss ” network to get feedback on the various logo options . This was a great way to get opinions from non-lawyers and it was in a private , closed space where
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