Fretzin, Inc.

Fretzin, Inc. Helping lawyers grow the law practice of their dreams, not just settling with the one they have

We work exclusively with lawyers and law firms on business development and marketing to drive real growth and sustainability. Our goal is to help lawyers understand the business of law and to thrive within their law practices.

06/05/2026

One of the biggest myths I hear from lawyers is that their marketing challenges are unique to the legal profession.

They're not.

In my conversation with Sylvia Garibald, she shared how her marketing journey started by helping financial planners attract ideal clients and grow their practices. From there, she was introduced to Certified Divorce Financial Analysts, then mediators, arbitrators, divorce coaches, and eventually lawyers.

What struck me was how similar the challenges were across every profession.

Highly educated experts.

Deep technical knowledge.

Years of training.

And very little education on how to market themselves, build relationships, or generate business.

Lawyers often feel like they're operating in a world unlike any other profession. They went to law school to practice law, not to learn sales, business development, branding, or marketing.

But doctors face it.

Financial planners face it.

Accountants face it.

Consultants face it.

The reality is that expertise alone doesn't create demand.

People need to understand who you help, how you help them, and why they should trust you.

That's where effective marketing comes in.

Not gimmicks.

Not tricks.

Just consistently communicating value in a way that resonates with the people who need your help.

Sylvia Garibald has built a career helping professionals bridge that gap, and our conversation offers valuable lessons for any lawyer looking to grow a practice and attract better clients.

Watch the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI_vjUXkqbI

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

For many lawyers, the first summit feels like the destination.Make partner. Launch the firm. Hit a revenue target. Land ...
06/05/2026

For many lawyers, the first summit feels like the destination.

Make partner. Launch the firm. Hit a revenue target. Land bigger clients. Build a team.

But what many eventually discover is that reaching one summit simply reveals the next one.

And the next climb often requires a completely different version of the lawyer who reached the previous peak.

The skills that help build a successful legal practice are not always the same skills needed to scale, sustain, and lead one.

At some point, many lawyers face difficult truths:
• You cannot personally control everything forever
• Constant firefighting is not a growth strategy
• Being excellent at legal work is not the same as building an excellent business
• Exhaustion is not proof of leadership

One of the most important mindset shifts in legal business development and firm growth is learning to see the firm itself as something that requires care, structure, strategy, and leadership. Separate from the legal work being delivered every day.

From a recent podcast, that means creating intentional focus around:
1. people
2. pipeline
3. process
4. product
5. profitability

Because when everything feels chaotic, those categories often reveal where the real problem is.

Sometimes the next summit is not more hustle.

Sometimes it is:
• delegating instead of controlling
• protecting time to work on the business, not only in it
• hiring people who align with your values
• building systems that reduce chaos
• creating relationships that generate opportunities naturally over time

And perhaps most importantly, recognising that growth becomes much harder when you try to climb every mountain alone.

That is why communities of growth-minded lawyers matter.

Not because everyone has the answers, but because shared experience shortens the distance between challenges, lessons, opportunities, and perspective.

The legal industry is changing quickly. The lawyers who continue reaching new summits will often be the ones willing to adapt, collaborate, reflect honestly, and build relationships that strengthen the climb along the way.

That is a big part of what we explore inside the BE THAT LAWYER Community.

And it is also the spirit behind our upcoming webinar:

Climbing Karma Mountain: How Lawyers Build Business by Giving First

Because in the long run, sustainable growth is rarely built alone.

Sometimes the next summit begins with the people climbing beside you.

• Join the BE THAT LAWYER Community: bethatlawyer.com/community
• And join us for the Karma Mountain webinar on June 11: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climbing-karma-mountain-how-lawyers-build-business-by-giving-first-tickets-1989417542423?aff=Facebook

06/04/2026

One of my favorite moments from my conversation with Sylvia Garibald had nothing to do with marketing tactics, webinars, or referral strategies.

It was about growth.

Specifically, the difference between experience and improvement.

I often ask lawyers a simple question:

Have you been doing business development for ten years?

Or have you been doing one year of business development ten times?

That question tends to stop people in their tracks.

Because time alone doesn't create expertise.

Learning does.

Adapting does.

Improving does.

Too many professionals fall into the trap of doing the same activities year after year and wondering why the results never change.

The lawyers who build strong books of business aren't just putting in the time.

They're evaluating what's working, identifying where they're getting stuck, and continuously refining their approach.

That's one of the reasons I created Future Rainmakers.

I wanted lawyers to have access to practical insights on business development, personal branding, sales-free selling, time management, and the strategies that actually move the needle.

And I wanted them to hear from people like Sylvia Garibald, who brings a unique perspective on how professionals can better communicate their value, build trust, and create meaningful opportunities.

Success isn't about repeating the same year over and over again.

It's about growing through each year and becoming better because of it.

If you're serious about becoming a stronger rainmaker and building a practice on your terms, this conversation is packed with valuable insights.

Watch the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI_vjUXkqbI

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

06/04/2026

In my conversation with Sylvia Garibald, we discussed a challenge that lawyers often think is unique to them but it isn't.

Lawyers aren't the only professionals who struggle to explain complex services to prospective clients.

Doctors do it.
Architects do it.
Engineers do it.
Consultants do it.

As Sylvia pointed out, many highly trained professionals spend years developing expertise in incredibly complex fields. Then they enter the marketplace and discover that most people don't fully understand what they do, how they do it, or why it matters.

That's where communication becomes critical.

The reality is that prospective clients don't care about technical terminology or industry jargon.

They care about solving a problem.

They want clarity.

They want confidence.

They want to understand how your expertise can help them achieve a better outcome.

What I appreciate about Sylvia's work is her passion for helping professionals translate complexity into language that resonates with real people.

Not by oversimplifying their expertise.

But by making it accessible.

Because the professionals who grow their businesses most effectively are often the ones who can explain complicated concepts in ways that immediately connect with their audience.

If people don't understand your value, they can't hire you.

And if they can't explain what you do to someone else, they can't refer you.

That's a business development lesson every lawyer should remember.

Watch my full conversation with Sylvia Garibald here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI_vjUXkqbI

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

There is an uncomfortable truth about legal business development:Many lawyers are visible, active, posting, networking, ...
06/04/2026

There is an uncomfortable truth about legal business development:

Many lawyers are visible, active, posting, networking, and attending events, yet still feel like very little is actually moving.

The problem is not always effort.

Sometimes the missing piece is the quality of the relationships around them.

Most lawyers do not need more pressure to “network harder.” They need better conversations, stronger relationships, and a community of people who understand what they are navigating.

In today’s legal market, business development is more relationship-driven, trust-based, and human than many lawyers were ever taught.

Sometimes helping another lawyer looks like making an introduction, sharing perspective, supporting their work, commenting meaningfully, connecting them with the right person, or simply listening when things are difficult.

Not every valuable interaction has to lead directly to a transaction.

That is why communities matter.

When growth-minded lawyers spend time together, they start seeing the same patterns, frustrations, opportunities, and questions, and they stop feeling like they have to figure everything out alone.

That is part of what we are building inside the BE THAT LAWYER Community: a place for lawyers who want to grow through relationships, collaboration, accountability, generosity, and shared learning.

It is also the heart behind our upcoming webinar:

Climbing Karma Mountain: How Lawyers Build Business by Giving First

Because the lawyers who create the strongest long-term opportunities are often the ones who contribute value before they ask for anything in return.

Join us for the Karma Mountain webinar on June 11: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climbing-karma-mountain-how-lawyers-build-business-by-giving-first-tickets-1989417542423?aff=Facebook

We would love to have you in the conversation.

06/02/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions lawyers have is that they have less control over their careers than they actually do.

I understand why.

The billable hour demands your attention. Internal politics can drain your energy. Client work never seems to stop. It's easy to feel like you're constantly reacting to everyone else's priorities.

In my conversation with Clay Stelzer, we talked about how many professionals underestimate the amount of influence they truly have over their own lives and careers.

Is building a book of business easy? No.

Is becoming a leader easy? No.

Is creating a career on your own terms easy? Definitely not.

But neither is spending years doing work you don't enjoy, feeling stuck in circumstances you believe you can't change.

At some point, every lawyer has to make a choice.

Will you continue accepting the path that's been laid out for you?

Or will you start taking ownership of creating the path you actually want?

The lawyers who build great practices, become trusted leaders, and create meaningful careers aren't necessarily the smartest people in the room.

They're often the ones willing to take calculated risks, bet on themselves, and step outside their comfort zones.

We only get one shot at this.

Your time is valuable. Your career is valuable. Your opportunities are valuable.

Don't underestimate how much control you actually have.

Watch the full conversation with Clay Stelzer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4VaOzxnHlw

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

06/02/2026

One thing I've noticed after interviewing hundreds of successful lawyers, rainmakers, managing partners, and business leaders:

Very few got where they are completely on their own.

Behind almost every breakthrough, major career move, or business success story is someone who helped them see what they couldn't see themselves.

A coach.
A mentor.
An advisor.
A trusted guide.

In my conversation with Clay Stelzer, he shared his own journey from product innovation to what he calls "people innovation." Instead of helping companies create products, he found his passion helping people create better lives, stronger leadership, and more meaningful careers.

That resonated with me because I've seen firsthand how difficult it is to achieve clarity alone.

When we're too close to our own challenges, we often miss the patterns, blind spots, and opportunities sitting right in front of us.

The biggest breakthroughs usually don't come from working harder.

They come from seeing differently.

And sometimes the fastest way to gain that perspective is through someone who has the experience, objectivity, and courage to ask the questions we're not asking ourselves.

The most successful professionals I know don't view coaching or mentorship as a sign of weakness.

They view it as an accelerator.

If you're trying to grow your practice, become a stronger leader, or simply gain more clarity about what's next, this conversation with Clay offers some powerful insights.

Watch the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4VaOzxnHlw

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

06/01/2026

Fear doesn't usually stop lawyers from succeeding.

It just quietly shapes their decisions.

In my conversation with Clay Stelzer, we discussed how fear shows up in ways most leaders don't recognize. It's not always obvious. Sometimes it's avoiding a difficult conversation. Delaying feedback. Holding onto work you should delegate. Staying silent when something important needs to be said.

The challenge is that fear often operates beneath the surface.

Clay shared a simple but powerful insight: fear has a hard time staying alive in the light.

The moment you become aware of it, you gain a choice.

You can still avoid the conversation. You can still postpone the decision. But now you're consciously choosing the outcome that follows.

That's where leadership changes.

Most lawyers spend considerable time evaluating the risks of action. Far fewer examine the cost of inaction.

What opportunities are being missed?
What relationships are being weakened?
What results are being created because fear is making decisions behind the scenes?

The most effective leaders aren't fearless. They're willing to recognize what's holding them back and take responsibility for moving forward anyway.

If you've ever struggled with difficult conversations, delegation, feedback, or leadership blind spots, this episode is worth your time.

Watch the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4VaOzxnHlw

Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

06/01/2026

Scott Mason and I got into something in our recent conversation that I think every lawyer in business development needs to think about more deliberately, the power of stories.

Not just client stories. Not just case wins. Every story.
The stories you tell about your clients. The stories you tell about yourself as a professional. The stories you tell about how you approach business development, how you show up in a room, how you present yourself to the world, as a legal professional and as someone building a practice.

Scott's insight is this: stories only have meaning because they share an allegory. A metaphor. The circumstances, the people, the beats of the story itself, they're all symbolic. They're pointing at a truth. A description of something that happened for a specific reason that will help inform whoever is listening and move them in a direction.

Read that again. Move them in a direction.
That's what the best business developers do, consciously or not. They don't just share information. They tell stories that connect, resonate, and guide potential clients toward a decision.

Most lawyers are sitting on incredibly powerful stories and don't even realize it. The case that changed everything. The client who almost gave up. The moment that defines how you practice.
Those aren't just memories. They're your most powerful business development tools.

Start using them.

Watch the full episode with Scott Mason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7oHD6mbAm4
Thank you to our sponsors — Above The Law, Attorney At Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

05/29/2026

Scott Mason brought something into our conversation that I haven't been able to stop thinking about and I think it applies to a lot of lawyers who look successful from the outside but feel something is off on the inside.
He calls them toxic myths.

Here's the pattern Scott sees. High achievers, people with all the external markers of success, have often gotten there by following an internal story they told themselves early on. Chase the revenue. Hit the numbers. Build the reputation. And it worked. The markers are there.
But if they're not happy, if the success doesn't match how they feel, the culprit is usually the narrative driving it all.

Scott's process is direct and deeply effective:
1. Identify the narrative. What story have you been telling yourself that's driven your decisions?
2. Figure out how it's toxic. Where is it pulling you away from what you actually want?
3. Name it. Call the toxic myth out loud. Give it a name.
4. Write a hero story. A new narrative, one that points toward the success and life you genuinely want.

The reason naming it matters? Once you call it out, you can't run from it anymore. You have to face it. And facing it is where everything changes.
This is the real work behind sustainable success. Not just building a bigger firm. Building the right life.

Watch the full episode with Scott Mason: https://youtu.be/ZqwCRlv9e_Q

Thank you to our sponsors — Above the Law, Attorney at Work, and The National Law Review for their continued support of the legal community.

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