The Retreat 2019 Dyan Burgess— Design thinking or MVP: Call it what you want – let’s get creative!

November 13, 2019November 12, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Design Thinking or MVP: Call it what you want- let’s get creative!

Dyan Burgess

As you may already know Dyan is amazing at visual note taking so instead of a ‘written’ blog post here is a ‘visual’ blog post of the framework Dyan shared with us at the Retreat!!

Dyan's Magic Formula
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Dyan shared with us that every project she tackles, no matter big or small, Dyan takes the same approach each and every time. Dyan went on to explain to us that her magic formula follows six simple steps and assures us that it will be the fool proof answer to all our project planning and needs.

Step one: You’ve Got Your Idea

Dyan tells us that every idea that we may come across should be tested using her magic formula. At this step, you might have a wish list longer than your arm, but remember each and every idea deserves a shot.

Step two: The Domino Test

Dyan tells us to always start from the beginning. Dyan reminds us that just like dominos, an idea will trigger a series of other ideas to fall in line just like a domino. However, Dyan warns, that you must start at the beginning and we never start our domino test half way along, this is to ensure we have maximum impact throughout our planning process.

Step Three: The Before Action Review

Dyan stresses careful planning, visualisation, and review before starting any project. Here, you get started on imagining all the different things you might face on your planning journey and really look at locking down what you hope your idea will look like. Dyan tells us that by visualising ahead of time what we might come across during our planning journey, we’re better suited to face anything that comes our way.

Step Four: Project Outline

Here is where we map out and then action our idea. Dyan uses the example of a flow chart to help us do so.

Step Five: The After-Action Review

Here it’s time for a debrief. Go over absolutely everything that you’ve faced on your project journey and talk, talk, talk about all you came across along the way.

Step Six: Update Checklists

Here is where you make a contingency plan for next time, keep all of your notes about what was faced along the way and update any resources or precedents you might have to help you along the way next time you tackle this same feat.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Our platinum partner Automio are thrilled to a part of the Club Retreat 2019. If you have been wanting to find out more about Automio’s combination of legal automation software and world-class training to scale your law firm to 7 figures you can book in a demo session with Business Development Manager, Mike Mullins here.

Automio love working with entrepreneurial lawyers just like you to help you scale up your law firm. And the final ‘Automio bedazzle’ we have for you is a special offer for you on Automio’s ‘Scale Up Springboard Training Program.’

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

The Retreat 2019 Jacob Aldridge – Everything I Learnt, I Learnt from Cinema: Lessons from the World’s Greatest Cinephile!

November 12, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Everything I Learnt, I Learnt from Cinema. Lessons from the World’s Greatest Cinephile.

Jacob Aldridge

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

For the final session of the Retreat 2019 (can you BELIEVE we’re done for another year?), we were in the presence of greatness. Now- international business coach, new father, inspirational club faculty member or not, Jacob is a world record holder. Yes, in June 2003, Jacob was crowned the world record holder of the longest movie marathon ever. From Saturday to Tuesday, Jacob sat and he watched. It’s important to note, his movie marathon was more of a marathon than any athletic feat. What’s a few hours of running, anyway? Jacob’s task took days! Jacob remembered the moments in his life that matter- the birth of his daughter who was so very, very wanted, his wedding day and the memorable first kiss, and some moments of learning from his movie marathon too. Here’s what Jacob has to say, told through the movies-

Harry Potter

Harry teaches us to choose greatness, choose magnificence and to create your whole reality.
Harry Potter shows us like not many others could, that you can have life happen to you, or have life come through you.

the Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club taught Mr Murray that we see people as we want to see people, no matter who they really are;
You can be a Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess and a Criminal. Jacob reminded us that far too often we’re told we have to specialise, that we have to take away the parts of us that don’t fit into ‘the box’;
You have permission to explore, to go where you might not usually. Chase your wildest dreams and ask all the questions.

Star Wars: A New Hope

Star Wars fans know it pays to be human, no matter what the gang come up against, humanness triumphs;
If we follow the idea that we can get 80% of the outcome from 20% of the input, we can get 50% with just 1% input. In Star Wars land, we learn that it’s all about knowing your 1%, which part of the Death Star to strike;
Go with the force. The Star Wars crew will always have their strategy, their goal. But, it is the force, the systems, that make it count.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Despite Alec’s greatness, this is a lesson on what not to do. Glengarry Glen Ross teaches us that the hard sales tactics still exist- 3rd prize is never ‘you’re fired’;
Know your numbers, know them well. More importantly, it’s the conversation that flows after the numbers that counts. If a member of your team is underperforming, what do they need to improve?;
If you ever do need to have that difficult ‘do better’ conversation, it’ll change you as a leader for the better, you’ll know what you need to do to never have to have that conversation again.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Champagne before breakfast is a ‘sometimes’ activity;
There’s not much to find at Tiffany’s for under $10;
Spend your days doing things you’ve never done before- whether they take place on the streets of New York with a very handsome author as your date is another story.

the Lion King

Never stand downwind of Pumba;
You know this one: it’s a problem free philosophy, it means no worries for the rest of your days! No but really, Jacob reminded us that between action and reaction we always have choice, so choose not to worry.

It's a Wonderful Life

This one is up to you- you have choice. What makes a wonderful life?

Over the course of the Retreat, we’ve had a lot of lessons, we’ve got new energy and there’s been so much excitement. Maybe we’re leaving a little fearful of the choices we have ahead. Jacob reminds us we do have the choice, if the wrong choice does arise, just like a movie, we can choose to pause, turn it off, and we won’t choose it again.

I can’t help but to feel Jacob was the perfect choice to send us off and close out all our Retreat learnings for another year. With his usual wisdom and epic delivery, I just loved Jacob’s presentation today.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Blogger and Happy Lawyer

Hi! I am Kiarah Grace Kelly, I have just finished a dual Bachelors degree in Law and Government and International Relations at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. I tested my legal toes in the water at a boutique Gold Coast law firm before starting as a Law Graduate at Brisbane Family Law Centre in November 2018. I’ve just been admitted here in Queensland which makes me a Brand New Lawyer or #babylawyer as the BFLC gang likes to say. My sole practice area is Family Law.

I’m looking forward to writing about and sharing with you all that I can at this crazy-exciting but daunting stage of my career. I think there’s a need to talk about our experiences as early career lawyers so that we can all lean on each other as much as we can.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Katherine Maslen – Do It Now: You Have Everything Inside Of You To Make That Shift & Make It Now

November 13, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Do It Now! You Have Everything Inside of You to Make that Shift & Make It Now

Katherine Maslen

Author: Hannah Trotter

Our resident naturopath, author and natural health expert, Katherine Maslen, shares on health goals, why they are so hard to achieve, and how we can start reaching them.

What's Your View on Health?

Do you value it? Is it a chore? What does good health mean to you?

Health impacts every area of our lives but it’s more than diets and exercise – it’s about being happy and content, knowing who you are, being comfortable with yourself, and being happy with where you are at.

Why Are Health Goals So Hard to Achieve?

Making health goals are easy, the trouble comes with seeing them through.

Why is it so hard?

So often, we make excuses when it comes to seeing our health goals through.

The most common excuses:

Time – “I’m too busy!”
Money – “I can’t afford it!”
Knowledge – “I don’t know how!”

These excuses so quickly become ‘I can’t!’ So let’s take a closer look at these excuses.

Time – Does the time not exist? Or do you value other things more?
Money – Do you not value it enough to pay for it?
Knowledge – Do you know how to find out?

The reality is, it’s not that we ‘”can’t” it’s that we “won’t”.

Katherine says it’s okay not to want to – we just have to be conscious and aware if it’s not a priority. When health isn’t a priority, but we tell ourselves it is, that’s when we start to feel failures.

What Drives Us?

We are driven by 3 key factors:

Our Values – we are living our highest values right now. If we value health, we will be driven to achieve our health goals. On the other hand, if we don’t value health, our motivation to persist and commit to our goals waivers until we give up and say we can’t.
Our Beliefs – Only 5% of what’s going on in our brains is conscious. This means, if it’s not something we subconsciously want, health will quickly move down the priority list.
Our Mindset – it’s easy to go over our negative thoughts and not nearly as easy to play out the positive. If we tell ourselves we can’t be healthy, that triggers an emotion, and goes on to trigger a behaviour. Chances are if you think you can’t achieve your health goal, you won’t try very hard to prove you can.

How To Best Set Yourself Up To Achieve Your Health Goal

Katherine helpfully gave us 5 tips to setting ourselves up with the best chance of achieving our health goals.

Be Clear – Write it down, understand it, don’t complicate it!
Be Real – Be honest with yourself. Life isn’t perfect and you don’t need to be – be aware of where you’re at and work from there.
Plan it – to succeed at anything, you need a plan. Not a plan for achieving it just this week, but what you need to put in place to achieve it in the long term.
Visualise it! It’s not about visualising the end result, think of the journey and imagine yourself taking the steps to get there.
Support – don’t do it alone! If things get hard, have someone you can fall back on who will encourage you to continue and do the same for them. We thrive in community.

The Take Home

The ultimate thing I took from Katherine today is that we do and prioritise the things we value. It’s so important to be self-aware to know whether you value the goals you set enough to achieve them. That way you can accurately understand why you’re not achieving those goals – it’s not because you can’t and it’s not because you’re a failure .

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

Bronwyn and Belinda, two of the #radboss ladies from Lacuna Legal Providers will be with us over the 2 days at the Retreat. Now these ladies are cleaver- they provide ‘back of house support to solo and small law firms aka YOU!!

Lacuna Legal Providers have a special offer for all attendees of the Club Retreat 2019 to sign up for a practice management or BD profile check in at 2 hours for the price of 1! At the end of the session you will get 10 tips on how you can improve your practice. More details will be shared on the flyer at the Retreat.

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Hannah Trotter

Blogger and Happy Law Student

Hi there! I’m Hannah and I am a law student currently in my third year at Queensland University of Technology. I graduated high-school in 2014 completely clueless about who I was, what I wanted and how I intended to get there. To many people’s surprise (including my own) I moved from my family farm on the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane to start my law degree in 2016.

Following my first year I commenced work as the Receptionist at Brisbane Family Law Centre. Having worked with this amazing team for nearly 2 years, I have been given a learning opportunity that goes beyond lectures and tutorials by providing a practical experience of the world of Law. My experience as part of the BFLC team has taught me that a Law career does not have to fit into a traditional box which has ignited a new passion for my studies as well as my future career in the legal profession.

In the meantime, I’ll stick to writing musicals, drinking coffee and playing board games.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Lucy Dickens – Productise & Profit

November 13, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Productise & Profit: How to simplify your business so you can do work you love.

Lucy Dickens

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

Lucy Dickens is the queen of all things productising. Lucy sees the world differently to many; in Lucy’s world there’s no legal product that can’t be productised. Lucy Dickens hails from Perth and graces the halls of city firm Birman & Ride by day. It is at Birman & Ride where Lucy has built and built and built. Birman & Ride now points so heavily to its inner productised businesses every day and Lucy has been such a huge part of that.

In opening her presentation, Lucy asked of us- why are we all here today? Lucy posed that there was something bigger bringing us all together, she suggested that was our collective care for meaning. Lucy goes on to explain how to get from productised services right to your meaning.

But, Why?

Productised services will allow us to simplify our businesses, we’ll go from selling time to selling solutions.

It’s productised services that will allow us to penetrate our potential client’s scarcity mindset in a buyers market. Why? Lucy tells us that the drivers of selection when potential clients are choosing between us all are; the benefits to them, our communication with them, whether they perceive any hassle for them ahead and, in fourth place, price.

What is a Productised Service?

Productised services are packaged, sold and delivered. They are made up of deliverables and outcomes. They are always fixed price and fixed scope. Productised services position you as the expert.

The magic of the productised service is that it is tangible, Lucy told us how it’s always easier to say yes to something you can see. When you can deliver someone something, you delight them.

Keys to Success

So what are Lucy’s ‘must-dos’ when it comes to the productised service? Here’s the situation-

Keep your ideal client at the centre of everything while you build, but also while you deliver;
Sell what your client’s want, not what you want to sell;
Remember that the solutions your ideal clients want, are bigger than law;
To get from customer to solution, you need systems;
Once you’ve got it, cross sell with it!

The Journey

Lucy took us through her productisation ladder, where do you fit?

the traditional practice – you sell your expertise according to time, you tell, tell and tell again what your skills are and your client finds it difficult to know what they can do with them;
you sell packages – you’ve got the ingredients and you tell your client’s what you can do. But there’s no method;
the specialist – you know your knowledge is worth more than your time. You’ve got the packages and you’re value priced;
you’re productised – you take your clients from problem to promise. They get the product that they’ve been waiting for and you made it happen;
you have a product ecosystem – you’ve got many products, they’re automated. You’re spending the time you’ve saved by automating meaningfully. Plus, you get to choose the parts of the products process you get involved in!

Parting Words

Lucy left us by giving us a challenge- be more like a haiku (simple, elegant, full of meaning).

If you’re looking for more, Lucy has written an e-book(!) all about this topic and you can get it at lucydickens.com.au. Lucy is happy to take questions at lucy@lucydickens.com.au.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Blogger and Happy Lawyer

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Ann-Marie David – The Power of Connection: It Starts With You!

November 13, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

The Power of Connection

Ann Marie David

Author: Hannah Trotter

In classic Ann-Marie David fashion, she instantly has the crowd on their feet demonstrating their superpowers to one another but, with a twist – no speaking allowed!

There’s a bit of dancing, a lot of giggling and with that, the after lunch lull has certainly left the room.

Ann-Marie’s first acknowledgement was about how every presentation, despite our speakers having been given complete free-reign as to topic, has had the common thread of being centered around humanity.

Ann Marie is famous for her super power of connecting people with opportunity and ideas but she encourages us to realise how this can also become our super power.

As people, we have thousands of interactions every day and with each one of these, we are given the opportunity to create connection.

5 Senses and Their Roles in Connecting Us

As humans, connection is innate – it’s within us from the very beginning. Each of our senses are designed to bring about connection.

Sight – When we make eye contact with one another, our brains physically light up. We engage, we connect and pathways are created within our brains.
Touch – physically reaching out to touch someone. When we hug, hold, touch – our brains remember the experience and form pathways that can never be erased. The physiological impact of hugging is astonishing – it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and boosts serotonin levels. The electrical charge we given one another allows these pathways to embed within our brains.
Hearing – we have a radar for voice. If you register and know a voice, you can be in a crowded and noisy room and still hear it.
Smell – one of the strongest sources of memory that we have. It can connect us back to a place, a time, a feeling, a person.
Taste – working in unison with smell to connect us to memory.

Super Charging Your Power

The key to using the power of connection is building empathetic engagement. It is this empathy that sets us apart from technology.

Empathetic engagement creates the difference in how we make decisions and it develops trust.

We are living in a world of disruption. Today, from the moment children are born, they are bombarded with technology. With screens held up to their eyes, they lose the opportunity to develop human connection.

The philological impacts on the brain of a child when it is neglected, that is lacking connection, are astounding.

We need to make the conscious effort to utilise our five senses and empathetic engagement to connect with someone at every opportunity.

With that, Ann Marie has every attendee linking arms, swaying, smiling, reaching out to one another, and she has certainly come through on her own power of connecting each human here today.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Hannah Trotter

Blogger and Happy Law Student

In the meantime, I’ll stick to writing musicals, drinking coffee and playing board games.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Jo Alilovic – Scaling the Old Fashioned Way

November 13, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Scaling the Old Fashioned Way- With People!

Jo Alilovic

Author Hannah Trotter

AI, Automation, Technology – it’s everywhere in business, but buying and using tech isn’t always the best way to scale your law firm.

While tech is great and often essential, it can’t do ‘human’. It can’t empathise with a client, see how they’re feeling, or give suggestions and solutions based on that understanding.

Every firm needs humans but there’s a lot of nervousness when it comes to employing people.

Jo is here to bust some myths about hiring employees.

Myth 1 - Use Contractors (it's easier!)

Jo’s first myth is for those who think they’re better off using contractors than hiring employees.

Jo encouraged us to consider whether contractors really understand our business, our values, and whether they are really invested in the vision of our businesses.

When you have a team of employees, they are invested in helping your business succeed.

If you’re convinced that this isn’t the case for your contractors, ask yourself:

Are they really a contractor or are they actually an employee?
Whose business is their priority? Remember! Contractors need to make their own businesses their priority and yours will likely come second to that.

Employees can bring huge advantages for your business. Finding the right person can make all the difference to how your business functions.

Myth 2 - It's Just Too Difficult to Have Employees

We all know people have their own values, beliefs and issues – so why would we want to deal with them as employees?

One of the most common complaints from business owners is the admin involved in hiring.

Jo has provided the 5 things we need to do to hire employees (and they really aren’t that difficult!)

Have a job description;
Have a contract of employment;
Consider the insurance;
Forms! (Tax forms, super forms)
Payroll (add them to your system!

Beyond hiring, the most common complaints from employers is that their employees don’t know what they’re doing or behave unacceptably. To this, Jo says that this problem can be solved by having clear job descriptions, a code of conduct, open communication, and leading by example.

Myth 3 - I Can Do It Alone!

The reality is, unless we acknowledge that we can’t do it all alone, we are going to end up feeling burned out.

33% of lawyers are suffering from some type of distress or depression.

Having a team to carry the load is a huge antidote to this sense of being alone and isolated. You are given the opportunity to not only share in the difficult times but share in the wins.

When we bring on team members, we surround ourselves with different strengths. Employees bring fresh ideas and insights that we can’t achieve on our own.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Hannah Trotter

Blogger and Happy Law Student

In the meantime, I’ll stick to writing musicals, drinking coffee and playing board games.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Dave Eddy – The Funny Thing(s) About Lawyer Marketing

November 12, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

The Funny Thing(s) About Lawyer Marketing

Dave Eddy

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

Dave Eddy is the all-humour, all-fun marketer from Newcastle that came along to the Retreat to tell us all about the good, the bad, and the ugly of lawyer marketing. Dave has experience in advertising, of course marketing, but also as a start-up founder in his venture, Camplify. Despite the hilarity that did ensue (and the ever-amusing banter between himself and Clarissa) Dave really drove home for us the importance of what we face outward.

Where to Look: Your Marketing Priorities

When visiting New York this year, Dave encountered some very slippery stairs. After carefully traversing down the stairs and thankfully making it to the bottom unscathed, he looked up to see a quite giant billboard advertising a personal injury law firm. Dave went on to show some further examples of the big and bold, more traditional marketing examples of outdoor and newspaper advertising that were also really hilarious. Tactful? No. Get’s the eyes on the prize? Yes. Dave uses these slightly problematic examples as a way to reinforce the need to be unique in marketing.

Dave then pointed us to a completely bogus report authored by a ‘David Eduardo II’ that said; “lawyers are a funny breed, some are brilliant at marketing” it went on to say; “lawyers are a funny breed, some are woeful at marketing.” But, what are the key traits of these brilliant, lawyer marketers? Take it away, Dave-

brilliant lawyer marketers are trustworthy;
they are articulate and direct communicators;
they are knowledgeable;
they are persuasive and compelling;
they avoid jargon.

Dave left us by reminding us that we already have the skills it takes to be a great marketer due to our legal lives, we just have to use them. Also, did you know the team pages of service based business websites are the 2nd most visited pages they have, and about 40% of all traffic will flow there? Now get updating those pages! And finally, it’s all about content that cuts-through and giving one thing a go at a time.

Thanks Dave!

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Blogger and Happy Lawyer

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Sam Buckby— Creating inspired work spaces with people, performance and purpose in mind.

November 12, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Creating inspired work spaces with people, performance and purpose in mind.

Sam Buckby

Author Hannah Trotter

Sam Buckby is a tradie who has been in the construction industry over 20 years. In the last few years, he developed a design and consultancy firm. Passionate about space, Sam is adamant that we can make our work spaces better.

Sam’s podcast ‘Spaces’ interviews humans who have successfully designed beautiful spaces and below he shares a few snippets he has learned from his guests.

Design Areas For Performance, Not To Produce.

“Time invested does not equal output achieved. Forget productivity, think performance. Time away from the desk is not a bad thing”.

We want work spaces that inspire creativity and high performance.

Thinking outside the box is more than just a metaphor. It’s not about speaking outside the box, we need to get ourselves out of the box. Square rooms, white walls encourage institutionalised thinking.

Sam went on to say that if you think your office is about impressing your clients, you’ve missed the point. The most important asset in our businesses’ are our people – our staff. We need to set up our environments base don our people and what we stand for. This way, we can inspire our staff and that will bring the clients in.

Creating Healthier Homes & Work Spaces

“One third of illness comes from our environment. In many cases, we have control of this. If we don’t have our health, what do we have?”

We need to be aware of the environments we are creating. Consider air flow, natural light, our spaces should encourage health and our staff should feel well being there.

“Work spaces that harm your health are unacceptable. Something as simple as bad lighting can damage your sleep patterns at night” and decrease your ability to work well the next day.

Wellness Standards and Creating Environments to Thrive

“Social connection is proved to help with creativity, innovation and collaboration.”

Sam’s guest Heidi encouraged us to have collaborative spaces central to our office and to push the quiet spaces out.

Create break out spaces that your staff enjoy and want to be in then create a culture around it.

Scent, Sound, Colour and Light in the Work Place

When setting up her Family Law firm, Clarissa Rayward deliberately set up in a house to make people feel warm and welcome. This has the wonderful by product of people walking in and knowing whether her firm was for them or not.

Clarissa modeled a space to create energy through scent and sound. “Busy energy creates meaningless chaos, whereas calm energy is high performance”.

Small changes make huge differences. The space we create determines the how well we provide our service and attitude in providing it.

Smart Design Living Buildings and Taking Influence From Nature

“Describe a flower, it’s grounded, it’s 100% naturally fueled, it has no waste or toxicity, it’s beautiful. A building can be all of these things.”

Guest Stephen Choi encourages us to be inspired by nature and the world around us. We can do this through foliage, architecture, and colours.

It’s not something we can necessarily achieve over night but as Stephen says “everything in the world that is good takes time. Doesn’t ever expect perfection on inception”.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

If you enrol in Scale Up by 5pm AEDT 12 November you will get these fabulous free bonuses:

– A new, high-converting law firm website OR have our fabulous copywriter write high-converting copy for your firm’s website.

– A bonus small group VIP Event with Claudia King in Sydney before the 2 day Intensive.

– Up to $500 off your travel to the Sydney Intensive paid for

You can learn more about this offer at the Automio booth!

Hannah Trotter

Blogger and Happy Law Student

Following my first year I commenced work as the Receptionist at Brisbane Family Law Centre. Having worked with this amazing team for nearly 4 years, I have been given a learning opportunity that goes beyond lectures and tutorials by providing a practical experience of the world of Law. My experience as part of the BFLC team has taught me that a Law career does not have to fit into a traditional box which has ignited a new passion for my studies as well as my future career in the legal profession.

In the meantime, I’ll stick to writing musicals, drinking coffee and playing board games.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Jennifer Harris— More Than Monthly Macchiatos: Mentoring for impact.

November 12, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

More Than Monthly Macchiatos: Mentoring for impact.

Jennifer Harris

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

I had been so looking forward to Jen’s presentation at the Retreat 2019 that Hannah and I, on our way down to Kingscliff on Friday, rearranged our whole weekend just so I could write this recap. Jen has long been an incredibly inspiring force for me, there’s only a very special few people in our industry that would, despite their success and influence, find the time to keep a tabs of and even reach out to law students and early career lawyers to just check in. Jen has often done just that for me throughout my studies and now my early career and I am incredibly indebted to her for the inspiration she has given me. Here’s Jen’s story…

Jen's Story

Jen started her life as a lawyer as a 22 year old, the age I am now. Jen was an all-rounder, jill-of-all-trades superstar at her first firm; a sole, general practice.

Jen bravely remembers her very early carer as being filled with unbelievable pressure, Jen described real difficulty.

Jen is the eldest sister, she was the valedictorian at her high school- she knew how to use her voice. Her experience as being everything to her sole-practitioner boss but not being everything she needed to be for herself, took her voice. Enter, the angel in the red power-suit.

The Angel in the Red Power-Suit (with shoulder pads)

Jen’s voice was down but not out, she used her voice to talk to her loved ones about how she was feeling and from there she was introduced to the angel in the red-power suit (with shoulder pads, it was 1996 after all).

Three hours into her lunch date with the angel, and the suit, Jen was still crying. Jen felt hopeless and that she just couldn’t do it. It was here that Jen received an incredibly powerful piece of advice- “Jen, you’ve never done this before.” A lightbulb moment for me for sure, this part of Jen’s presentation reminded me of the quote that says- “if you judge a fish in its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend its whole life believing it is stupid.” A message I will absolutely be taking from this part of Jen’s presentation is that we can only know what we know, until we know more.

The angel and the suit inspired Jen’s passion for mentoring. Jen went on to tell us all how her next move into a mid-tier firm taught her to talk and then talk some more to people who need it. Jen became known for her empowering honesty in that business, one that was full of competition. Jen’s empowering honestly became her superpower and her superpower became mentoring.

The Why and How of Mentoring

The law is a people business. People are at the centre of all we do and Jen tells us that mentoring, whilst also being the best thing she’s ever done, allows her to be a people person. Jen goes on to tell us that mentoring allows a diversity of experiences and beliefs into her legal life, and that brings joy to the mentor and the mentee. Jen tells us that mentoring has become at part of her, it has stayed with her since the angel and the suit.

Great mentoring, Jen tells us, comes from mentors that hang on to their mentees and mentees that hang on to their mentors. Great mentors ask questions, they won’t tell their mentees what to do.

Jen's C Game

Jen teaches her mentees, and encourages us to adopt, the C Game. The C Games insists we don’t Criticise ourselves, Condem ourselves or Compare ourselves to others. Instead we must be Conscious, be Curious, be Compassionate, be Courageous, be Confident and have a Community.

When being Curious we don’t need to accept what we have if it doesn’t suit us. When being Curious, we must name our feelings. When being Compassionate we must first practice it with ourselves. When being Courageous, we must remember it only takes 20 seconds of bravery to start something new. When being Confident, we must know we are free to do so; confidence is the general view of how likely you are to achieve something based on your past results, it is not arrogance.

With her C Game, Jen doesn’t always need her A Game.

I am truly so grateful for Jen and her impact on the Club but also on myself. I can’t thank Jen enough for particularly pointing to early career lawyers and letting them know how they are feeling is okay, and that they are not alone. As there is no one better to talk all things Jen, then Jen herself, I will leave you all with some quotes from Jen-

“you can be happy, hurting and healing at the same time”

“life is full of befores and afters, it is the stuff of being human”

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jen.

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

My friends over at Vincents Chartered Accountants— aka John Thynne and Peter Haley are joining us for the 2 days of business and law innovation fun! John and I have been working together for many many years now and the value, knowledge and bad dad jokes he brings to my clients and their matters is just incredible. John and the team at Vincents specialise in the provision of expert evidence into the Family Law arena.

Vincents are expanding their “Vin-link”— a support network for accounting and legal firms to give them access to knowledge of Vincents specialty services they don’t have in their practices such as business valuations, forensics, taxation, superannuation, financial advisory, insolvency or audit. The program gives members free telephone access to the specialists, webinars, seminar and events. More importantly, the programs puts members together who can benefit from each other.

John and Peter invite you to join the Vin-link program and if you mention #theclubretreat they will waive your monthly membership fee for the first year.

PLATINUM PARTNER

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Blogger and Happy Lawyer

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

The Retreat 2019 Andrew Griffiths— Future Proof Your Spirit: 7 strategies to reconnect, to protect and to nurture your true self.

November 12, 2019November 9, 2019 by Clarissa Rayward

Future Proof Your Spirit:

7 strategies to reconnect, to protect and to nurture your true self.

Andrew Griffiths

Author Hannah Trotter

One of the biggest challenges we face in business (and in life), is managing our spirit. Our spirit is what drives us and gives us passion – it’s imperative to us so how do we reconnect, protect and nurture it?

Introducing Andrew Griffiths – an entrepreneurial futurist.

Andrew wrote the book(s) on business, is an international speaker and is here to spread his knowledge about how we can future proof our spirits.

Here are his 7 strategies to do just that!

1 - It's Time To Let Go

Who of us are hanging on to something we should let go of? Most of us are.

Our lives are shaped by holding on to old, lingering beliefs and experiences. We have to make decisions not to let these beliefs and experiences define us and choose to let them go.

When we hang on to things they become our comfort.

Andrew spoke of the dive shop he owned as an 18 year old and an experience he had when his business partner did away with the whole business while Andrew was away.

Andrew spent years seeking revenge on this person and focused his life around bringing him down. One day, he was finally ready to enact his revenge when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was losing his hair, he was covered in boils, he didn’t recognise himself. His lingering anger had physically changed him into a person he didn’t like.

That day, Andrew let that anger go and things immediately turned around.

Often, to let things go we simply need to change our perspective. When we change our view on the situation, we are given the opportunity to let it go.

This starts with empathy – it’s easy to feel anger and resentment towards a person or situation.There are times where life gets on top of us, and we hold onto that unless we consciously decide to let it go.

How good are you at letting things go that simply don’t matter?

2 - Know Thyself

How well do you know who and what soothes your soul and feeds your spirit?

It’s not just about knowing what they are, it’s about making TIME to do them.

When we don’t plan for things properly, we don’t find the time for them. So make a plan and make it a priority!

Think about the people who recharge your spirit. Make a conscious decision to spend time them and make them more prominent in your life.

Identify them. Write them down. Make them a priority.

3 - Power of Curiosity

How curious are you about this incredible world and all that it contains?

Curiosity isn’t passive, we have to be aware of it. We live in a world where it is easy to be curious.

When we become excited, dive deep, and become passionate and curious about everything we can be, the whole world changes. We miss out on incredible things when focus inwards.

Curiosity keeps the ‘imagine if’ mentality alive.

Don’t lose it – look for things that are inspiring, that make you laugh and put the world in a positive light.

4 - Let Time Work For You

How often do we feel completely overwhelmed by a situation that simply hasn’t played out?

Andrew encouraged us to let situations go a little further. When we are in the middle and circumstances are unfolding around us, we can’t see beyond the middle. When we let it play out, we are given the opportunity to see the big picture. “Play the long game”.

5 - Live Intuitively

Have you lost your connection to intuitive self?

We find ourselves in the habit of muffling the little voice inside our heads.

Often, we know when we are making mistakes but we ignore the intuition telling us.

Intuition’s purpose is to keep us alive. It plays the drums, cymbals and screams at us – and while we can usually hear it, we choose not to listen.

Your decision making process should be driven by intuition.

The more we listen to it, the louder it becomes.

6 - Find Your Passion

Our spirit is so dependent on passion.

Have you lost your passion for life?

We are all inspired by amazing people doing incredible things and we have the opportunity to be among them.

If you find yourself not feeling passionate about anything, then TRY EVERYTHING! There is so much to be passionate about, find your thing.

7 - Create Meaningful Connection

Do you go through life missing opportunities for meaningful connection?

Make every interaction with another human meaningful – whether it be your Uber driver, a stranger in the lift, or the person sitting next to you on your flight.

“The spontaneity of being brave is how we create connection”.

It should be our mission to be fully present, engaged and being making a difference for someone else.

“The most important time for meaningful connection is when you don’t have time”.

The Take Home

It’s safe to say that this was a pretty impacting presentation from Andrew. I can tell because as I look around the room, almost everyone has their iPhone out taking pictures of his slides and madly scribbling each of his off the cuff quotes in time to catch the next one.

My favourite take home was Andrew discussing that 99% of the things we worry about never happen. The way we deal with the 1% is to make a rainy day plan. Prepare for what would happen if that thing really did happen. It helps us take the fear out of those worries.

“This is not a passive process. It takes conscious effort – every single day.”

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

John and Peter invite you to join the Vin-link program and if you mention #theclubretreat they will waive your monthly membership fee for the first year.

PLATINUM PARTNER

Hannah Trotter

Blogger and Happy Law Student

In the meantime, I’ll stick to writing musicals, drinking coffee and playing board games.

I would love to connect with you on Linkedin and Instagram!

Design Thinking or MVP: Call it what you want- let’s get creative!

Dyan Burgess

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Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Everything I Learnt, I Learnt from Cinema. Lessons from the World’s Greatest Cinephile.

Jacob Aldridge

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

Harry Potter

the Breakfast Club

Star Wars: A New Hope

Glengarry Glen Ross

Breakfast at Tiffany's

the Lion King

It's a Wonderful Life

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Do It Now! You Have Everything Inside of You to Make that Shift & Make It Now

Katherine Maslen

Author: Hannah Trotter

What's Your View on Health?

Why Are Health Goals So Hard to Achieve?

What Drives Us?

How To Best Set Yourself Up To Achieve Your Health Goal

The Take Home

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

PLATINUM PARTNER

Hannah Trotter

Productise & Profit: How to simplify your business so you can do work you love.

Lucy Dickens

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

But, Why?

What is a Productised Service?

Keys to Success

The Journey

Parting Words

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

PLATINUM PARTNER

Kiarah Grace Kelly

The Power of Connection

Ann Marie David

Author: Hannah Trotter

5 Senses and Their Roles in Connecting Us

Super Charging Your Power

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

THIS SESSION WAS SPONSORED BY

PLATINUM PARTNER

Hannah Trotter

Scaling the Old Fashioned Way- With People!

Jo Alilovic

Author Hannah Trotter

Myth 1 - Use Contractors (it's easier!)

Myth 2 - It's Just Too Difficult to Have Employees

Myth 3 - I Can Do It Alone!

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Hannah Trotter

The Funny Thing(s) About Lawyer Marketing

Dave Eddy

Author Kiarah Grace Kelly

Where to Look: Your Marketing Priorities

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Kiarah Grace Kelly

Creating inspired work spaces with people, performance and purpose in mind.

Sam Buckby

Author Hannah Trotter

Design Areas For Performance, Not To Produce.

Creating Healthier Homes & Work Spaces

Wellness Standards and Creating Environments to Thrive

Scent, Sound, Colour and Light in the Work Place

Smart Design Living Buildings and Taking Influence From Nature

Thank you to our partners for helping us bring The Retreat 2019 (a law conference like no other!) to you!

PLATINUM PARTNER

Hannah Trotter

More Than Monthly Macchiatos: Mentoring for impact.

Jennifer Harris

Dyan's Magic Formula
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