New, New, New

New Year. New business. New site.

2020 is off to a promising start at Agent Neon. But if to be honest, the beauty of 2020 would not have been possible without the hustle and hard work of 2019.

Like many small business owners, life and business became extremely (and at times, intensely) intertwined for me in 2019. I was able to work from Arizona for almost four months, thereby wholly avoiding Minnesota’s Polar Vortex. However, I also had to deal with some scary family emergencies and even a couple of sad goodbyes. There were periods where it was tough for me to work, periods where I absolutely could not work, and times when I had to work, even if I didn’t want to, to make up for all the other times I couldn’t. In other words, 2019 was the year I realized that life happens, and it will continue to happen whether I am ready or not.

This is not to say I hadn’t had stretches like this before; however, this was my first extended rough patch as a small business/solo law firm owner. And nothing sheds a brighter, more glaring light on what is and is not working in your business than a drama-filled year.

During my 2019 “recovery” periods, I started to evaluate what was working for my practice and what was not. Where could I let go? Where could I improve? Where could I spend less? Where could I make more? What required my attention and effort? And what could be done without me? After three years of steady business, it became painfully aware I could not be everything. I had to start letting go of the minutiae. However, I also could not afford a team of assistants. I tried using virtual admins, but there was a disconnect between what I needed and the quality of work being done. Further still, the work I was paying for was so simple, I couldn’t believe I was paying $20-$40 an hour for someone to do it.

I started to focus on workflows for things I did routinely in my practice. Consultation appointments, emails, follow-ups, representation agreements, trademark registrations, etc. And after a lot of time, research, and effort, I developed a system that met a vast percentage of my admin and CRM needs via Dubsado.

Dubsado is a software developed for creative business owners and not specifically for attorneys. So, the learning curve was a bit steep. I had to reimagine a few things, develop a few workarounds. I had to figure out how things worked and what that meant for my business and my workflows. However, in the end, the results were well worth it. I had a system that worked…on its own. It was consistent. It was professional, and I could even make it look and feel like my brand.

After demonstrating my end product with a few colleagues, I was encouraged to share what I know with other attorneys. So I developed a course, DubLaw: Foundations. In it, I teach others, in a matter of hours, what took me weeks and months to learn and develop. The first - and only - class of its kind, DubLaw: Foundations can do the same for you.

Agent Neon and the DubLaw offerings were born out of (and a direct result of) 2019’s intensities. Thus, I am excited to begin 2020 anew. A clean slate. A new page. And the beginning of business built to help others succeed and affordably manage their own business and lives.