We can all point to moments in our professional lives that changed the course of our careers — crushing a stretch assignment, really connecting with a mentor, seizing a new job opportunity.
Those moments don’t happen all at once. And sometimes we only appreciate their origins with the benefit of hindsight.
In our experience, business development and marketing successes often start out small, whether you’re networking with potential new clients, establishing yourself as a thought leader, or building your brand on social media.
Co-hosting PLI’s inSecurities podcast, which focuses on developments in the securities regulatory, enforcement and accounting space, has been one of the coolest and most rewarding opportunities of our careers. And like so many great opportunities, it started small — with a hashtag.
Long before we hit “record” on the first episode of inSecurities, we connected through a hashtag at a securities enforcement conference. Attending the conference for our “day jobs” as forensic accountant (Chris) and securities regulatory attorney (Kurt), we were among a handful of people “live-tweeting” the event.
After we connected “IRL” at the conference networking happy hour, our bosses were impressed (and surprised!) that we managed to make meaningful professional connections over this “social media thing.”
We’d each found a kindred spirit in the securities enforcement and regulatory space, and we spent the next several years trading well-meaning barbs over lunches on K Street and in posts on LinkedIn and Twitter. We referred one another business from time to time, but we were mostly in it for the banter.
Along the way, we began to carve out space as thought leaders in our practice areas and on social media, and when PLI approached us with the opportunity to develop a podcast, we jumped at the chance. We saw the podcast as an opportunity to explore our love of content creation and marketing, to build our profiles in the regulatory and enforcement space, and to offer substantive — and fun — commentary for industry leaders.
Over the past 18 months, we’ve recorded pilot episodes, built a network of guests, and planned, recorded, edited, and produced more than two dozen episodes of the inSecurities podcast. It’s been quite a journey, and we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity and the help we’ve received along the way.
We want to pay it forward by sharing some of the lessons we’ve learned, and some of the great advice we received from Deborah Farone and Stefanie Marrone on Episode 11 (“Business Development for Lawyers & Law Firms: A Conversation About Marketing, Selling and Social Media in Today’s Legal Environment”). Our top takeaways:
- Don’t go it alone – We never would have been able to finish 25+ episodes on our own — or had as much fun doing it. Along with our incredible partners at PLI who help shoulder the heavy burden of content creation, idea generation and promotion, and the enthusiastic, insightful guests we interview, we’re able to achieve results well beyond what we could have done alone.
- Be flexible – Our conception of the podcast has changed (more than once!) over time. Between the complex issues we tackle on the show and challenges arising from COVID-19, we’ve had to be flexible and strike out in new directions. We’ve also responded to the market — we’re sometimes surprised by the episodes that get the most downloads, so we take the feedback and adapt.
- Know when to skate, and when to glide – We have busy day jobs and competing demands for our time. There are times to push hard and churn out a few episodes quickly, and other times to focus our energy elsewhere. We’ve felt the tension of balancing deadlines in client matters with other professional commitments, our personal lives . . . and a podcast! Learning to navigate peaks and valleys has helped us to continue producing quality episodes at a steady pace (and to enjoy it!).
- Don’t be afraid to brag – As with our live-tweeting at the conference, we experienced mixed reactions to exploring this new media. But we took time to sit down with our colleagues, share the metrics, and discuss the meaningful connections created by our podcast efforts — to brag a little. Now, our firms fully support us, and recognize the potential business development and marketing opportunities that come with the podcast.
Our podcast hasn’t become the next Serial, but it has given us a platform and the chance to learn, grow, and share knowledge with listeners around the globe — and to build relationships with experts in our field. Think about how you might create and seize opportunities, even when they start out as small as a hashtag.
Access the full inSecurities archive on PLI’s website and on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.