086: Resources for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

Welcome back. Today, we’re taking a little bit of a detour to talk about entrepreneurship. Or, maybe it’s not such a detour, given the number of lawyers who end up creating solo practices or small firms, or who leave the law entirely to start new businesses!

If you are looking to start your own business or create a side hustle, tune in!

In this episode we discuss:

• Why everyone should think of themselves as an entrepreneur, even if they have a steady paycheck
• Why every BigLaw lawyer should read The 4-Hour Workweek
• Lee and Alison discuss their paths to entrepreneurship
• Why it might be a terrible idea to build a business around what you love to do
• Strategies for getting your business or side hustle off the ground
• How technology can make it easier to start a new business
• Books that we found helpful on the entrepreneurial path
• When it makes sense to work with a business or life coach
• Resources for raising funding for your new endeavor
• Why community matters if you want to be an entrepreneur (and how to build your community)

Resources:

Books

• The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman (https://www.amazon.com/Start-up-You-Future-Yourself-Transform-ebook/dp/B0050DIWHU/)
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss (https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Expanded-Updated-Cutting-Edge-ebook/dp/B002WE46UW/)
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini (https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials-ebook/dp/B002BD2UUC/)
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck-ebook/dp/B000FCKPHG/)
• Brene Brown books (https://www.amazon.com/Bren%C3%A9-Brown/e/B001JP45BA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1487290640&sr=8-1)
• Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck (https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Own-North-Star/dp/0812932188/)
• $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau (https://www.amazon.com/100-Startup-Reinvent-Living-Create-ebook/dp/B0067TGSOK/)
• Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-For-It Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D5BDK9E/)
• Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Harold Schultz (https://www.amazon.com/Pour-Your-Heart-Into-Starbucks-ebook/dp/B007MB5UIW/)
• Steve Jobs Biography (https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson-ebook/dp/B004W2UBYW/)

People to Follow

• Rachel Rogers, The Small Business Bodyguard (http://smallbusinessbodyguard.com/)
• Chris Guillebeau (https://chrisguillebeau.com/)
• Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You To Be Rich (http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/)
• Marie Forleo (https://www.marieforleo.com/)
• Pat Flynn, Smart Passive Income (https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/)
• Meg Keene (http://www.megkeene.com/)
• Seth Godin (http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/)
• Tim Ferris (http://www.timothyferris.com/)
• Copyblogger (http://www.copyblogger.com/)

Software

• Clio (http://www.clio.com/)
• Zapier (https://zapier.com/)

Resources for Raising Capital

• Elizabeth Yin (http://blog.elizabethyin.com/)
• Mark Suster, Both Sides of the Table (https://bothsidesofthetable.com/)

Other Resources

• Podcast: Seth Godin Tells Lawyers How to Make Art and Start a Ruckus (https://www.countertax.ca/bnlpodcast/s01e10-seth-godin)
• CodeX FutureLaw Conference at Stanford University (https://law.stanford.edu/event/codex-futurelaw-conference-2017/)
• Upwork (for outsourcing) (https://www.upwork.com/)
• Harvard Business Review Emails (https://hbr.org/email-newsletters)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Thanks for listening! Good luck with your path to entrepreneurship!

Alison & Lee