I have a complicated relationship with social media. Take Facebook, for example. On most days, it feels like a highlight reel of vacations, meals, and opinions I didn’t ask for. It can be noisy, distracting, and, at times, a complete waste of time.
But every once in a while, something cuts through that noise and reminds me what these platforms were supposed to be about in the first place. For me, that’s a group called the Deerfield Dads. It’s a simple concept. A group of local dads helping each other out. Need a contractor? Someone’s got a recommendation. Looking for a great restaurant? You’ll get 10 suggestions in minutes. Trying to help your kid land an internship? People show up.
It works because people care. They contribute. They want to help. And most importantly, they share a common bond.
That experience stuck with me, because it highlights something that is missing for far too many lawyers. Community.
Too many attorneys are trying to figure out business development on their own. Inside their firms, there is often little guidance. If you are a solo, the isolation can be even more pronounced. You are expected to generate business, build relationships, and grow a practice, yet no one is teaching you how to actually do it.
So where do you go?
Where do you learn the skills that turn service partners into rainmakers? Where do you find people who understand the challenges you are facing and are willing to help you navigate them?
That question sat with me for a long time. After years of coaching lawyers, hosting podcasts, writing books, and building relationships with top rainmakers, I kept seeing the same pattern. The lawyers who grew the fastest were not doing it alone. They were surrounded by the right people, the right ideas, and the right support.
That realization led me to build something that I believe fills a real gap in your profession. A place where growth-minded lawyers can come together, learn, share, and push each other forward.
It’s my all-new BE THAT LAWYER Community. What makes a community like this valuable is not just one thing. It is the combination of access, curated content, and engagement that creates real momentum.
Start with the foundation, which is content. Most lawyers are already consuming information, but it is scattered. A podcast here, an article there, a book they started but never finished. When everything is organized in one place, categorized by topic, and designed for practical application, it changes how people learn. If you want to get better at networking, you can go deep on networking. If you want to understand personal branding or my methodology “Sales-Free Selling™,” you can focus your time where it matters most. It stops being random acts of learning and becomes internalized.
Then there is the ability to develop skills through structured courses. Watching content is helpful, but applying it is what creates results. When lawyers take the time to go through a focused course on business development, time management, or relationship building, they start to see where the gaps are. More importantly, they begin to close them. It becomes less about theory and more about execution.
Another piece that often gets overlooked is access to trusted resources. Lawyers waste an incredible amount of time trying to figure out who to hire, what tools to use, or where to go for help. Whether it is marketing, financial planning, technology, or operations, having a curated group of vetted professionals removes the guesswork. It allows lawyers to make faster, smarter decisions without going down the wrong path.
But the real magic of any community is the people inside it.
This is where it starts to look a lot like that Deerfield Dads group. When lawyers have a place to ask real questions and get honest answers, everything changes. Someone might admit they feel uncomfortable walking into a large networking event. Someone else shares how they navigated that exact challenge. Another lawyer offers a completely different approach that worked for them. Suddenly, what felt like an individual struggle becomes a shared experience with multiple solutions.
That kind of interaction builds confidence. It normalizes the challenges that come with growth. And it creates a sense of accountability that is very hard to replicate on your own.
Finally, there is the opportunity to learn in real time. Live events, group coaching sessions, and interactive discussions give lawyers direct access to ideas, strategies, and guidance that they can apply immediately. It is not one on one coaching, but it is far from passive. It is dynamic, collaborative, and focused on solving real problems that lawyers are dealing with right now.
When you put all of this together, something important happens. Lawyers stop guessing. They stop chasing. They start building.
They begin to see that business development is not about being the loudest person in the room or the best salesperson. It is about having a system, surrounding yourself with the right people, and consistently taking the right actions.
That is what a strong community can provide. Not just information, but transformation.
If you are serious about growing your practice, the question is not whether you need help. Everyone does. The question is whether you are putting yourself in an environment that actually supports that growth.
If you want to learn more about how this kind of community works and what it can do for you, visit bethatlawyer.com/community. If you would rather reach out directly, you can email me at steve@fretzin.com.
The lawyers who succeed in today’s market are not doing it alone. They are finding the right rooms, surrounding themselves with the right people, and committing to getting better every day.
That is how you start to BE THAT LAWYER.
Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the BE THAT LAWYER and Future Rainmakers podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling™ approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at steve@fretzin.com, or through his website at www.bethatlawyer.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin. His ALL NEW BE THAT LAWYER Community is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at www.bethatlawyer.com/community.
The post The Power Of Community: Why Lawyers Can’t Grow Alone Anymore appeared first on Above the Law.
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