Law firm first hire and marketing decisions collide. When your agency says wait but your numbers say move—what do you do?
In this episode, Tom Hartin walks through the exact tension every growing firm owner faces: balancing expert advice against your own business instincts and financial reality.
You'll hear how Tom analyzed his second office failure in Melville (competing against firms with 500+ reviews and thousands of backlinks using just 11 backlinks and 12 reviews), calculated his $25K break-even formula for his first hire, and made the gutsy decision to relocate his Google Business Profile to less competitive territory.
This is law firm scaling strategy in real-time—complete with the revenue per attorney math, overhead calculations, and CEO transition mindset required to know when expert advice doesn't fit your situation.
📲 Subscribe Now: https://www.youtube.com/@jsterlinghughes
📝 Get your FREE Law Firm Growth Guide: https://jsterlinghughes.com/
📚 Order the Waterfall Method Book Now: http://www.RocketClicks.com/pre-order
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📄 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Law Firm First Hire: When Marketing Advice Doesn't Fit Your Business
3:00 - Solo Practitioner Growth: $150K to $250K in 13 Months
5:43 - The #1 Startup Lesson: Work With a Marketing Team (But Think For Yourself)
8:30 - Second Office Failure: Zero Consults After 7 Months in Melville
14:44 - Overriding Your Agency: When to Trust Your Own Business Instincts
17:12 - Hiring Risk Management: Finding the Right Associate Attorney
20:26 - Delegation Strategy: How to Hand Off Client Files Without Losing Trust
23:04 - Break-Even Analysis: The $25K First Hire Formula Explained
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