Somtimes You Just Have to Want it More

I've got a couple of secrets to tell. First, I started my law practice for two reasons: first, I love to win, and I feel like I know what it takes to win; and second, I want to make so much money I have to give some of it away. It may not be the best motivation. It may not be your motivation. But it is mine. I accept it. I embrace it. And it drives what I do every day (including writing these posts).

And there is something about knowing why you are doing what you are doing that makes getting out there and making yourself uncomfortable easier to do than it might otherwise be. And yes, you read that right. Every day I do things that I've never done before, ask questions I've never asked before, put myself in situations I never thought I'd be in, and otherwise act like the CEO of a (albeit small) law firm.

I rub elbows with gray hairs, with public defenders, with seasoned prosecutors, and with newbies. And I do it all like I've done it a million times before (though I must admit, if the timing calls for it, I will readily admit ignorance and ask for help - humbleness is not weakness, particularly when it comes to courtroom procedures and paperwork).

I think the point here is that before you decide you are going to start your own law firm you need to know why you are doing it. And, contrary to popular belief, it can be for the most selfish of reasons. What matters is that you know why you are doing what you are doing, have a plan so that you know when you get there, and are working every day to get where you want to go. If you are slightly ashamed of it, tuck it away and hold on to it until you are ready to tell people.

I was in court today and was reminded of why I do what I do. I am a Seattle DUI attorney and Seattle criminal attorney. This means a lot of my time is spent in court trying to work out deals for clients that for whatever reason have gotten themselves in a sticky situation. A lot of the time they did what they are accused of doing. And the punishments they face are harsh. But every once in a while you get that client that, whether or not he did it, was not afforded the opportunity he should have been to get out of the jam without law enforcement being involved. When that happens I get to actually employ the skills and knowledge I have for the benefit of my client. I get to be a lawyer.

I was in court, doing the routine stuff that is criminal defense for the most part, and I heard the judge ask another attorney if their motion hearing was going. So I decided to stay and watch. It took about an hour out of my day, but I'm glad I stayed. This was a guy who'd been charged with Seattle DUI, and he was caught by a ferry cop who was investigating a report of someone cutting in line at the ferry terminal. It happened to be the guy, and he happened to smell of alcohol at the time the officer made contact with him. In the end, the contact was deemed illegal and the DUI was dismissed.

And seeing the victory was nice. But it was the work of the defense attorney, the prosecutor, and the judge, that reminded me of why I'm an attorney. Not only is the law extremely complicated, but it is exciting and fun. And every once in a while, you get into a gray area where you actually not only get to argue a novel idea but have the opportunity to have that idea heard and accepted by the court. I'm here to get rich, I'm here to win, and I'm here to do it in a way that makes me great at what I do.

And this is where the title of the post comes in. I was watching America's Got Talent tonight, and if you aren't familiar with it it is basically a talent show - you can do whatever your talent is - with a million dollar prize, and there was a guy on there that reminds me of me right now. This is a show of people that are truly chasing a dream. They aren't attorneys. They aren't accountants. They are performers in a cut throat business. There is no faking what they do. Either you are liked or you are not.

And there is this guy on there, he is a singer. He comes on stage, and the judges basically tell him he is hanging by a thread, that he better give the performance of his life. And you know what, he comes out and gives the performance of his life (it didn't hurt that he sang a Fray song, which immediately put him on my side).

The next day is the day they find out if they move on to the next round. And the guy made it, over a lot of other talented acts. When they announced that he was moving on, the judge that is the toughest, most honest of the three, and probably the true evaluator of talent of the group, had this to say about the guy, "you aren't the most talented singer here, but you want this more than anyone else. Sometimes that counts for something." And you could see it in the guys eyes, that he wanted it. That he had decided he was here on this Earth to sing, and while he was trying to be a singer, he was going to give it his all.

I think the point of my story, the point of this post, the point of opening a law firm, for me at least, is this. If you think this is something you want to do. If you decide it's the course you want to take, don't do it half way. Half way gets you broke. It gets you unhappy. It gets you working for someone else. If you are going to do it, you have to want it more than the next guy. You have to know why you are here. You have to not take anyone's shit. And you have to want it more.

Starting a law firm is something you can do. It is something you can start tomorrow and make work. But you have to want it. You have to commit. You can't put it off until tomorrow. You can't wait until the stars align. You have to make the leap. And sometimes you just have to want it more.