I feel like so many attorney colleagues operate like Maui (The Rock’s) character from Moana. Especially with the song “You’re Welcome.”
- I got this client X
- I did this great thing
- I won this amazing award for lawyers who lawyer good and do other things good too…
It’s like if the MCU just had every character hogging the spotlight in every scene, with no room for any crossovers, team ups or the Avengers.
But, building a successful business is somewhat similar. It’s not about just one superhero (YOU); it’s about a whole team (your team).
And I want to be REALLY honest…I was that guy. I remember as a 1L, having a 3L pull me aside and tell me more or less that being an egotistical asshole was holding me back. For 45 minutes I thought it was the pot calling the kettle black…then finally I realized she was right.
The Origin Story
When I founded Jordan Law (now Driven Law), it was actually all about me—Jordan answered the phone, Jordan handled the cases, Jordan did the consults, and Jordan went to court.
Everyone who called knew they were talking to Jordan from Jordan Law AND they thought it was super cool. Okay enough third person…this is not the Jimmy Training Shoes.
But eventually, I got bitten by a radioactive spider and…oh wait, wrong story…instead I realized that I wanted to step back from these day-to-day tasks.
The Big Moment of Change
The real turning point came when my wife told me she was pregnant. Suddenly, I realized I couldn’t sustain the 80-hour weeks. We were $200,000 in debt, and I needed a new strategy. My wife continued focusing on being a lawyer, and I transitioned to a business owner role. We had four to six attorneys at the time, but nobody was in a CEO-type role.
And it wasn’t about just abandoning personal branding…that would have crushed my ability to generate the work and tanked our firm. Look at Bruce Wayne. Even as Batman, he needed a team – Alfred, Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, Oracle, Catwoman sometimes, etc… The same principles apply to your firm.
People care about other people, not just logos or company names, so it’s about highlighting each member of the team AND the team’s impact rather than JUST my own.
As you grow your team, you will come to realize that it’s not just about you/me anymore; it’s about showcasing the entire team’s capabilities.
Because remember all those “oh wow I am talking to THE Jordan…” then they become “why isn’t this Jordan?” “Why isn’t Jordan handling my case?” “I was told I needed to speak to Jordan. That’s when I realized my mistake.
Overcoming the Challenge
One of the biggest challenges was convincing myself and others that clients weren’t just hiring “Jordan from Jordan Law.” They were hiring a team. It’s like when Frodo had to trust Sam and the rest of the fellowship. It was about showing that the team could deliver, not just the individual hero.
And I swear to you, I am not the best at everything (or even most things). So it’s not that they NEEDED to only talk to me…it’s that I marketed myself (and honestly my firm too) in a way that made them THINK they needed me.
Think about the Avengers. Each hero has unique strengths. The same goes for my team. I got to start highlighting everyone’s contributions. Heather did a great job on this case. This client loved how Lianet worked with them through this issue. Andria was so kind and sweet to them during their intake.
By sharing those stories I got to 1) give credit where it was due, AND 2) convince people who knew me to trust my team, AND 3) scale a firm by adding more people, AND 4) bring in people with other talents that I don’t have (like patience and empathy…kidding…mostly).
Then to drive it all home, we transitioned from Jordan Law to Driven Law, and to be honest, at that point it wasn’t as important for the name change. I don’t recall the same push for people demanding “The Jordan” because of the efforts I took to sing the praises of my team. Avengers Assemble!
Embracing the Team Brand
We changed our firm’s branding to highlight everyone’s contributions. We shared reviews mentioning other team members by name and created content that showcased their skills. We then empowered them to get REALLY good at their jobs instead of everyone dabbling in everything.
It was about building genuine trust in the team externally and internally and letting them build genuine skills to do an amazing job for our clients, like Martian Manhunter sending the right group of Justice League members to each problem.
When clients call now, they’re not only reassured by hearing about the great work done by the whole team…but the intake person raves about the attorney doing the consult (or does it herself). We then rave about the paralegal and attorney on their case…who then rave about the legal assistant reaching out for some simple documents, etc.
And we can do that because we trust each other to do an amazing job, we know what everyone is supposed to do and so does the client. It’s like knowing the Millennium Falcon runs smoothly because Chewbacca is co-piloting with Han and R2-D2 is there to fix anything quickly while C3PO…well he just complains…
The Takeaway
The shift from personal branding to team branding isn’t about disappearing from the spotlight. It’s about sharing it. It’s about building a team where every member is a hero. More like X-Men ’97, where each member’s unique abilities contribute to the team’s success and less like the original X-Men was basically Wolverine or Cyclops resolved everything.
So, are you ready to transform your firm’s branding? Highlight your team’s strengths, celebrate their contributions, and build a brand that clients can trust—not just for one superhero, but for the entire team.
Until next time, keep your cape ready and your team strong!