No matter what line of work you choose to pursue, finding a clear niche and narrowing down who you serve and how you add value will be one of the best ways to ensure your career success. Today we welcome Jay Harrington to share his story starting at a large law firm, then starting his own private law, and finally launching his current consultancy. Jay is also the author of three books, The Productivity Pivot, The Essential Associate, and One of a Kind.

Jay covers the pivotal moments of his journey from attorney to co-founding a firm and how he used the lessons he learned along the way to successfully transition into his current role as coach, trainer, and consultant. Jay shares his thoughts about growing your practice, embracing fundamental entrepreneurial ideas, and focusing on prioritization, impact, and target markets. He also shares his framework for insights, introductions, and invitations, and towards the end of our conversation, Jay distinguishes these business development methods from the vital marketing piece.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Looking at Jay's history and the beginnings of his law career in Chicago.  
• The transition that Jay made from his work in bankruptcy law to consultancy work.  
• How Jay took the lessons he had learned himself and began using these to help others.  
• What Jay wishes he had known when starting out; the links between autonomy, motivation, and satisfaction.  
• Framing a practice as an entrepreneurial project and working on your business, not just in it. 
• Escaping the hamster wheel of billable hours! 
• Working within the time limitations that we all experience; investing in yourself and the business through better time allocation. 
• Jay's perspective on the most critical areas to focus on when building a practice and finding clients. 
• An argument for niching down your offer in order to gain traction. 
• Choosing your own game and finding a less crowded field to win on. 
• Jay's recommendations for best practices, and his emphasis on separating marketing and business development.  
• Allowing space for chance connections and opportunities; why consistently putting your business out there is so powerful. 
• Unpacking the marketing component of building and maintaining a practice. 
• Jay explains his LinkedIn strategy and how it has evolved over time.  

Jay Harrington on LinkedIn
The Productivity Pivot
The Essential Associate
One of a Kind
Connection Builders
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Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn