119. Jo-Ná Williams — The Entrepreneurial Attorney: Achieving Freedom by Serving Others

The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

Michael Mogill

Business, Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

5.0 • 539 Ratings

🗓️ 2 August 2022

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"I had to draw on my own resilience and grit to keep believing that yes, I could do this." - Jo-Ná Williams How can firm owners achieve a version of success that reaches the top while honoring personal development? What drew the young entrepreneur to the creative industry of singing and songwriting? What fortuitous adversity was the genesis behind Jo-Ná's motivation to become a lawyer? What did she learn from 70 NOs it took her to get one YES? In a world vocal about prioritizing self-care, is there room for the grind mentality when starting a business? What habits has Jo-Ná adopted to be able to stay in the game — at peak performance — for the long term? Go the Distance Entrepreneurship whispers many promises: freedom, security, autonomy, and creative expression. Success is not possible for the faint of heart or weak-willed. To go the distance, the refrains of “grind” in the church of hustle are nonstop. While striving day after day for perfection, burnout often looms on the horizon, a seemingly inevitable byproduct of securing the win. But what if attorneys could build the firm of their dreams that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside? World-renowned attorney and business strategist Jo-Ná Williams lays legal foundations for businesses to flourish. Under her guidance, business owners have enjoyed seven-figure growth while remaining grounded in personal development goals. She helps create businesses that feel more like home than a war zone, removing the day-to-day constant battle. With 23 years in the entertainment industry, the founder of Jo-Ná Williams has dedicated her life to educating and protecting entrepreneurs. Recently named a Top 40 Lawyer under 40 by the National Black Lawyers, she has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, Fortune, and more. She discusses the grit necessary to achieve her goals, the paradox of self-care in entrepreneurship, and marrying the internal measures of success with the needs of an evolving industry. The Secret to Being Happy Success is measured by internal satisfaction. Jo-Ná reminds us that the success of others should serve as inspiration for what is possible, not the ever-moving benchmark of personal achievement. Combine the achievements of others with personal goals to level up. As attorneys and entrepreneurs, the goals that dictate our measure of success can be shifted or changed entirely. Evaluate the trajectory. Trust yourself to know what you want. Chart a new course when necessary. "When I am in alignment with my values, grounded, caring for my internal and external wellbeing, I'm not worried about what everyone else thinks I should be doing. I know that I am on track, and I feel most successful." - Jo-Ná Williams Key Takeaways: Ask for help. Hire advisors to help run the firm. Even the best education can't teach you everything. Success is never achieved in isolation. Slow down to maintain velocity. To successfully navigate challenges, firm owners must be creative and malleable. Take time out to reset, recenter, and recover. Sidestep burnout and come back stronger. Give more. Shift your focus to helping others succeed. Gratitude and a sense of accomplishment are natural byproducts of each win. Links and Resources The Game Changing Attorney Podcast Michael Mogill Facebook Michael Mogill Twitter Michael Mogill Instagram Michael Mogill LinkedIn Crisp Website Crisp Facebook Crisp Twitter Crisp Instagram Crisp LinkedIn Jo-Ná Williams Website Jo-Ná Williams LinkedIn Jo-Ná Williams Twitter Author Michael Mogill, Crisp, and Jo-Ná Williams

Transcript

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0:00.0	I knew that I had to go farther. And if I had to go 80 times, I would have, you know.
0:06.6	If I had to go 90, if I had to go 100, I would have did that too. You know, I would have never stopped.
0:11.3	That's Joan A. Williams, CEO and principal attorney of J.A. Williams Law.
0:15.3	It took a lot of resilience and a lot of grit because I had to, in a sense, kind of draw from my own self the belief that I
0:25.3	could do this.
0:30.1	I'm Michael Mogul, founder and CEO of Crisp, the nation's number one law from growth company.
0:35.1	I've built my business through practice, not theory.
0:38.2	Crisp started with just $500 to my name and has grown to over eight figures in revenue over the last
0:42.6	few years, earning a spot on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America.
0:47.9	Our approach has been to take everything we've learned about generating massive growth within our
0:51.6	own organization and help the country's most ambitious and committed law firm owners do the same for theirs. In each episode of this podcast,
0:58.6	I sit down with innovative market leaders from the legal industry and beyond to learn from those
1:03.1	who thrive in the face of adversity, challenge the status quo, and define what it means to be a true
1:07.6	game changer. I sat down with Joan A. Williams to discuss why we can't take care of our firms if we're not
1:13.1	taking care of ourselves, how 70 knows eventually became one very important yes, and the
1:18.3	importance of protecting your business and adapting as an entrepreneur.
1:20.9	You kind of run the risk of your company either going away or being completely irrelevant
1:25.9	if you don't kind of pay attention to the way the world and the economy and the shifts in culture
1:31.6	and the shifts in media, like you have to pay attention to those things as an entrepreneur.
1:35.9	And I feel like if you don't, then you're not setting yourself up for your company to be here for the long term.
1:42.4	That's coming up on the Game Changing Attorney Podcast.
1:51.2	Before we begin today's episode, I want to remind you that we aren't beholden to
	...

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