Category: Personal Streams :-)

The Chaotic Life of an Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner

Being a small business owner is crazy hectic. Despite our best efforts, we always seem to be pulled in one direction or another on a daily basis.

The needs of our customers and clients and the demands of ongoing administration, marketing, and paying the bills never stop. For many, doing all this while balancing personal obligations tugs without relief on our hearts, minds, and souls.

This is a reality. This is what it’s like to own a small business and be an entrepreneur.

And it’s all OK.

When I first started practicing law way back in 1986, a partner in a big firm said, “Mitch, get ready to spend the rest of my career trying to get caught up.”

He was right. I’ve never been fully caught up since that day.

You may feel the same way. I want you to know that you’re not alone.

I believe there’s a difference between being caught up and keeping things manageable and under control.

In the law (yes this is a business), we’re all dealing with continually evolving facts, laws, calendars, and jurors. Change and uncertainty are constants.

But here’s the deal. I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s always something new each day, and I haven’t been bored in more than three decades of practice.

The art of enjoying your business and practicing effective time management is to understand and embrace controlled chaos. Do what you enjoy doing and for the most part, delegate everything else out.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Understand that you don’t have to be in control of everything.

Appreciate the reality that when all said and done, the sun will come up tomorrow and everything you didn’t get to today can probably be done tomorrow, the next day or maybe even next week.

It’s OK.

Most concerns of small business owners are just first world problems.

When I’m neck deep in controlled chaos, I try to do what Mike the Milkman suggested long ago. Do this, and you’ll be just fine.

I promise. I speak from experience.

I’ve been there. Hell, I’m still there. I’ve just learned not to let all of the nagging first world problems get under my skin.

Embrace the opportunity and excitement of having your own business. Enjoy the journey, take care of your customers and clients, and always keep moving forward.

By the way, if this post made sense to you and, you think I added a bit of perspective to owning a small business and being an entrepreneur, feel free to click here to share this post on Twitter 😉

Mitch Jackson, Esq.
LegalMinds.lawyer

Mike the Milkman Delivers His Three Keys to Success!

I’m a trial lawyer, and when I go to court, I’m usually surrounded by a lot of really smart people. For the most part, the judges are brilliant, and opposing counsel usually brings their “A” game.

But here’s the deal; despite being around all these bright people day in and day out, none of them come close to being as smart as my father-in-law. His name is Mike, and he’s a retired milkman.

He has a year or two of community college under his belt, he enlisted in the army, didn’t finish his formal degree, and the rest is history. Mike majored in people skills and minor in street smarts, common sense, and hard work.

His business career started out with loading heavy milk crates onto the back of tall trucks. Twenty years later, it ended with him owning a successful dairy distributorship and being selected as Chairman of the Board of his bank.

He retired at 52. Not bad for a milkman.

Mike’s one of the brightest guys I’ve ever been around, and he’ll tell you that one of his best early decisions in life was marrying Joyce, his bride of 57 years. She’s not only been his business partner since day one but also a big reason their three daughters have all grown up to be smart, intelligent and successful independent women.

After Mike and Joyce had sold the dairy distributorship, he and some friends decided their community needed a new bank, and so they started one. None of them had any banking experience, and I still remember Mike sitting on the living room floor playing around with different bank logo designs, with stacks of banking regulations and documents stacked beside him for review. As things turned out, the bank thrived and was eventually sold to a large national banking institution for a very nice profit.

Mike’s Three Keys To Success

Before I married his daughter, Mike asked me if I had my priorities in the right order. The look I gave him must not have been very reassuring because he immediately added, “Mitch, here’s what you need to do. Here are my three keys to success…

Continue reading “Mike the Milkman Delivers His Three Keys to Success!”

What’s Your ‘Why’ on Social Media?

Towards the end of 2017 I shared this little rant with my LegalMinds Mastermind. Today, I’m sharing it with you.

I believe there’s a right and wrong way to build your social media brand and business. This is especially true if you’re a professional.

With this in mind, this video shares one of the most important messages I’ve posted in years. I hope my short rant will help you find success in 2018!

If you’re interested, here’s a bit more about my LegalMinds Mastermind

I created my cutting-edge mastermind community for professionals. It’s a global community that revolves around giving and helping others. At the same time, it’s designed to show members how to embrace and tap into the power of social media to expand their brand and top-of-mind awareness from local to global.

Depending on the membership plan you select, members get:

  • Private Consulting
  • Private 24/7 membership website
  • Exclusive email updates and content on practice development and entrepreneural digital tips, approaches and news
  • Weekly Live Video Conference (group) for all members with Q&A (recorded for 24/7 viewing)
  • Private 24/7 Facebook Group updates, resources, and networking
  • Immediate access to all content
  • Immediate membership in a trusted global community
  • Legal and business networking
  • Ongoing accountability and much more!

    If you’d like to learn more about my LegalMinds Mastermind, click here.

 

There’s Nothing I’d Rather be Than a Trial Lawyer– and I just may owe you an apology

I’m sorry if I’ve ever come across as being rude, impatient or more interested in going for the win than giving you my shoulder to rest upon.

Trial lawyers have to wear many different hats and sometimes I forget which one I’m wearing.

Mitch Jackson Profiled at INC.com

“Mitch Jackson leveraged the power of social media and live streaming to take his brand from local to international. Here’s what you can learn from it.”

by Dakota Shane

When you hear the word ‘law’, a lot of things come to mind. More than likely, none of those things are the phrase ‘social media’, but that didn’t stop this California lawyer from using the power of social to take his firm from a local to an internationally recognized brand, and it shouldn’t stop you either.

Click here to read the full article at Inc.com

Speaking at the Clio Cloud Conference in New Orleans

Lisa and I had a fantastic time in New Orleans visiting with friends, enjoying good food and music, and speaking at the Clio Cloud Conference.

Our friend, Nicole Abboud of Abboud Media rocked the stage with a great presentation about millennials. Later that day, I also had the pleasure of presenting my thoughts about using VR, AR, MR and AI in litigation and trial. It was also great having dinner with LegalMinds mastermind member, friend, and fellow motocross rider, Thomas Wallin, and his wonderful friend Madison.

Several additional highlights for us included meeting and chatting with Preet Bharara and disability rights and global inclusion leader, Haben Girma. In addition to the pictures below, we shared a few personal memories on my Facebook page.

David Lat, the founder and managing editor of Above the Law wrote a wonderful overview of the #ClioCloud9 event titled, “4 Trends Shaping The Future Of The Legal Profession” (thanks David!).

xxx