The Thoughts of a small-town man raising his family, growing a church, and building a law practice

 There are hundreds of things to do.  And prioritizing those things is one of them.  Sort of a metaphysical conundrum if an item on the to-do list can't be placed until one decides whether to do it.  Did you know "priorities" wasn't used until the 1940s?  Why is that?  When did we go from having a "priority" to several "priorities"? And where did all this importance come from?  One of my favorite quotes was from a guy who didn't have email (one of my ultimate goals).  He said that email was for staying on top of things and he was trying to get to the bottom of things.  That's what I'm trying to do as well. Get to the heart of the matter. Find the foundation and start building from there.  Sorta of the Descartes of the Texas Plains.  Though, admittedly, the Texas Hill Country is much more serene.  Hico. Dublin. Meridian.  Hamilton, on down and around.  To-do lists ultimately help me frame what I need to do. But the bi...

 Here's the pattern as far as I see it: 1. Start a law firm 2. Grow the law firm 3. Help others grow their law firm 4. Toggle between Steps 2-3.  Why not jump straight to acquisition? That's the Hormozi model.  He ran gyms.  Then opened his own gym.  Opened more gyms.  Launched other gyms for gymowners.  Then taught gymowners how to open their gyms.  Then provided infrastructure for those gyms.  Now he acquires other companies.  The ultimately leveraged move.  Law firms could do the same.  I keep coming back to this idea.  The issue is I don't know how the idea works, as though that was a necessary condition to working on the idea in the first place.  I see the pattern. I see the problem. I know the solution.  But how do I create the solution into an offer? A darn good offer? Certainly worth more research. 

 Money gravitates to value.  The economist nods his head.  The philosopher wakes up.  What is value?  Pirsig pointed out Quality.  And then went mad.  Well, I suppose Phaedrus went mad.  Value is like the sun, suspended in space, sufficiently huge to ensure the other planets gravitate toward it.  It's the bowling ball in the middle of the trampoline that causes the ping pong balls on the perimeter to roll toward to it.  Money is no different. Money is the same as those ping pong balls.  Value is the bowling ball.  So the question is not how to make money. Money already exists.  The question is how to create value. That's the intriguing aspect of life.  That's the question the creator seeks to answer with his work.  That's the question the philosopher seeks to find with his mind.  How to make money is the same as how to make water, air, sunlight.  Money simply exists.  And the desire to accumulate m...

 It's always the little things. Which binder to use.  The office supplies that have to be ordered.  We get so hung up on those minor details without focusing on the larger picture.  What would the client appreciate?  What would help the client along? Everything about the business should be with the client in mind.  Now at some point in time you can't think about the clients without thinking about your team.  They are just as important as the sturdiness of the office floors, walls, etc.  And you can't think about the team, without thinking about your definite aim.  "Why are we here" is the cliche question.  We already know the answer to that.  To glory God and enjoy him forever.  After that becomes the difficult part.  Figuring out exactly what you what out of life and then implementing a plan to achieve it.  Here's the business model so far: 1. Identify a pain point.  2. Create the solution.  3. Tell everyon...

 What I'd give to have the system already running.  Marketing seems easy now compared to managing the actual workflow.  If it was easy, what would it look like?  Client meets with me.  We design their estate plan.  Client agrees, signs the EA, pays retainer.  Then we send out an intake form for them to complete.  I don't necessarily need all their information.  Names, addresses, phone numbers should suffice.  Then that's pushed into LEAP.  Mainly because we're married to it at this point.  Why do we even need LEAP? Invoicing? Trust reconciliation?  Save their information, emails, documents in one place.  Is their automation any good?  I have no idea. I don't work on that side.  I think part of my issue is that I keep changing my mind about the forms we use. I want one solid template and then work in the difficult scenarios. That's basically what Wealth Counsel does. And we have access to that. So why not use...

 Another day, another dollar.  Or so the cliche goes.  Where do these dollars come from?  Where do they go? Where do these days come from?  Where do they go? One day comes from the previous.  And the dollars? They show up when value is created.  Tangible value of help and service to another human.  The misconception with attorneys is that we're only after dollars.  Most attorneys are after days.  But they conflate dollars for days and so they bill by the hour.  Attorneys that only bill by the hour fail to recognize the value rendered.  Make offers so good that clients would feel stupid saying "no." Or better yet: make offers so good that client know you're looking out for their best interest.  The attorney's job should truly be to understand the client's problem, issue, pain, worry, anxiety and then offer a solution based on knowledge, experience, and expertise. Whether it takes the attorney 1 hour or 1 year is certainly o...

 It simply depends on the size of the tank. Small tank = small goldfish  Why do I think I need to revamp SquareSpace in favor of ClickFunnels?  I'm trying to copy rather than create. I want to see that it's already been done and go from there.  I don't want to put in the hard work of creating value.  What about lead magnets?  What about value ladder?  What about them?  I'm justifying to myself that this is the most important thing.  It's a bell and whistle; shiny and new.  The sign is when I go to fiverr to hire someone else to do the thing.  To create the logo. Design the mailer.  The actual act of creating is up to you.  You can't outsource that.  You can look for inspiration and see what others have done.  But there is no golden bullet. There are a thousand silver BBs.  So the value stack is straight forward for now.  "You have estate planning concerns" They come in many different forms.  My sol...

 Another week gone by.  How did that happen? Fox and the Hound tonight.  Is this really a place to reflect?  Probably not.  I picture an audience reading these words, though I know no one does. Well some people do. You know who you are.  Do you ever wish you could have a conversation with your future self?  What would he say?  How would he encourage you in this moment?  He'd say keep walking the path.  So when I read this a year from now, will I then be encouraged?  Am I encouraged now?  I've certainly learned lessons along the way.  Flat fee for example. It's easy to say flat fee for each document.  But flat fee for offers--true offers--is the best path for leverage at this time.  Nothing new coming in will be done hourly. Just get the job done, get right to the heart of the matter.  Client like it so much more. They're not worried that I'm wasting time. They know I'm getting the job done. 

Failures have one trait in common: "Airtight alibis" We all have excuses to explain why we can't achieve our goals, dreams, visions. We've all been there, hearing these voices echoing in our mind: If only I didn’t have a wife and family... If only I had enough “pull”... If only I had money... If only I had a good education... If only I could get a job... If only I had good health... If only I had time... If only times were better... If only other people understood me... If only conditions around me were only different... If only I could live my life over again... If only I didn’t fear what "they" would say... If only I had been given a chance... If only I now had a chance... If only other people didn’t "have it in for me"... If only nothing happens to stop me... If only I were younger... If only I could do what I want... If only I had been born rich... If only I could meet “the right people”... If only I had the talent some people have... If only I...

Chasing the new trends.  It's always the newness.  The novelty.  That's the sign of anxiety.  Jumping from thing to thing. New project after new project.  The Woman in the Red Dress distracting each passerby in the Matrix.  Stick to what you know. Double down on what's working and find more ways to get more of those people in the door.  Yes, AI is exciting because it's changing everyday. (AI can now operate your computer for you. That's incredible).  But this act-- This act of creating. That requires discipline.  That's why we have business plans.  That's why we write down our goals and stay committed to the process.  Any one of the business model could work. It's not of matter of whether they will but how much effort you will put in to making them work.  Render value.  Stay focused.  Praise God for the straight and narrow. 

With 3 kids, 2 parents, and 1 business, it's no wonder the day zooms by in a blur.  The alarm goes off and then something happens--life moves through us or we move through life--and then it's time for bed.  Long days, short weeks.  Life lived in seasons at a time.  A difficult season.  And what of it? Would you have it any other way? I can't wait to see who we are on the other side.  How much more like Christ we will be after being the parents to 3 under 4.  The story goes that a man prayed for strength.  So God gave him opportunities to be strong.  The man prayed for wisdom.  So God gave him opportunities to be wise.  The man prayed for direction.  So God gave him opportunities to lead.  Should we be surprised then when the circumstances make the man?  Like the chisel against the granite.  Like the knife against the wood.  Like the words against the page.  These are the days that form the character nec...

 As a general rule of thumb for marketing: if everyone is doing it, do something else.  There must be a way to stand out  and provide an irresistible offer.  Maybe EDDM is that way.  I've done LinkedIn ads, Facebook ads, Google ads.  But the only reason I believe those work is because everyone else is telling me that they work.  Someone could keep a mailer. Post it on their fridge. Give it to a friend.  With digital media, they click and see. And then you have to retarget time and time again.  This could work. We'll see.  If it does work, I'll have a whole new problem on my hands.  But it is hard to be poor with leads knocking down your door.  Oh yeah and by the way: sickness stinks.  Everett was sick on Thursday so it's just made it's way through our home.  Once he "got it" then it was only a matter of time before we "got it" as well.  I guess the same thing could be said about marketing.  Once someone els...

 Fridays are the best day of the week.  Why is that? Anticipation of the weekend.  Reflection of a hard week of work.  Maybe that's why Monday is the worst day of the week. Anticipation of a hard week of work.  Reflection of another weekend gone by.  Weekends are usually when we get to live our dreams.  Either early morning coffee with dad or sleep until we wake up.  Big breakfast with the family.  Deep, creative work at the office. Then home for the afternoon, usually for cleanup or projects.  Saturday is the day our soul breathes.  Sunday is the day our soul worships with other souls.  And Friday is the day we get to anticipate those days.  But you know what would be super cool? If every day was lived like Friday: in full anticipation of life yet to be, lived in such a way that days of the week had no meaning; that life could be lived seasonally instead of day-by-day.  That'd be something else. That sounds like a li...

 Nothing like the normal routine being thrown up by throw up.  Topher comes down at precisely 7:15 a.m. He is the definition of clockwork. Followed by the sweet request of, "I wake up Everett?" We're always so excited to see each other in the morning.  That's a cultural piece of the Watson home.  "Dad, Everett threw up." Oh boy. Happy Thursday.  Sure enough, it's all over the place. "What did he eat that was so red?" I ask my wife.  She gives me a perfectly logical answer that I promptly forgot.  I take off the sheets.  She takes Everett to the bath.  So now the moral dilemma that every parent of littles faces: Should we take him to Mother's Day Out?  The concept of "should" is a philosophical marvel.  Should, not ought.  Should, not could.  And like all happenstances in the Absurd, as soon as the "should" becomes the real, we start feeling the weight of moral conscience.  "He's not acting sick," my wife sa...

 Encouragement.  Plain and simple. Outside perspective on an inside tract. Really more of a loop-dee-loop of repeated excuses.  Over-analysis. Paralysis from analysis. "55 Famous Alibis" as Napoleon Hill calls them on pages 286-88 of Think & Grow Rich . But here's my friend. A Godsend.  And he encourages and uplifts.  Praise God for great friends.  So walk the path.  Ride the wave.  And do it with a smile.  That's what Sisyphus did after all (or how Camus imagined him). So keep pushing the boulder up the hill.  The view is worth the climb, I promise.  But the path is not without its twists, turns, and topsy-turvy thorns.  We wouldn't want it any other way.   

New courthouse today. Archer City, Texas.  Quaint small town. Courthouse in the middle of the square.  Home of Larry McMurtry.  What happened to all those books?  Sold, shipped, seen elsewhere.  This case had been a long time coming.  Finally crossed the finish line.  Note to self: learn how to prove up attorney's fees.  Client was relieved. Hugs and smiles. Value rendered.  And now what? Does life go on?  Do other people have these issues?  Did I do a good job?  Did I make a mistake along the way?  Do I live to fight another day? Lunch with the Baptist preacher.  A dear friend. A man carving his own path as the Lord directs.  And back down the road for client meetings and new issues to solve.  All in all a good day.  Winter blues for sure.  The boys wrestle in their SpiderMan and Hulk masks. I'm the pirate tonight.  What's a pirate's favorite letter?  You'd think it'd be Rrrrr but it's a...

But the scorpion could not swim.  Next to him was a frog.  The scorpion asked the frog to let him ride on his back across the river.  The frog said no because he knew the scorpion would sting him.  The scorpion insisted and promised not to sting the frog.  The frog finally agreed. They began their journey across the river.  About halfway across, the scorpion stung the frog.  Right before they drowned, the frog asked, "Why?" The scorpion replied, "I'm a scorpion; it's what I do." How many of us have clients that come in the door and we know they are scorpions?  We can see their nature from a mile away.  Yet we acquiesce and get burned. Or in this case, drown.  The same can be said with other people coming into our lives.  As much as we may want to help them, we know that when we do, they will ultimately harm us in the process.  The best thing for the frog to do is not necessarily run away, but teach the scorpion how to swim. Per...

The signs are right in front of our face. Every CLE presentation I've been to warns that: - 32% of lawyers under 31 have a drinking problem - 28% of lawyers face depression - 19% of lawyers experience anxiety - 11% of lawyers have experienced suicidal thoughts And what about those that didn't report? I still remember the first speaker (who was a practicing attorney) at our law school orientation—orientation!—warn us about substance abuse. -Not how great a career this is -Not how we'll change the world -Not that this is a great profession to support a family Just that we better be careful because it's really easy to start drinking away our problems. Why is that? How can so many of our colleagues be depressed, anxious, and suicidal? We have tons of education. We solve other people's problems all the time. And yet our own problems? We just ignore those apparently. Why is that? How is it that a third of attorneys my age and younger have a drinking problem? ...