Eight Years, Countless Coffees, and One Lasting Lesson: Authenticity Wins

Eight years ago today—September 28, 2017—I held a copy of my first book in my hands. Intentional Marketing: Building Your Legal Practice One Relationship at a Time was the culmination of decades of work inside law firms and years of consulting with attorneys one-on-one. It was both professional and personal—an attempt to take what I had seen work and put it into a format that would help lawyers cut through the noise and focus on what really matters: being intentional.

When I began writing, I didn’t want to produce another textbook-style volume full of theory and checklists that would end up collecting dust. I wanted to break down the process in a way that was real, practical, and fit into the daily lives of busy attorneys. Out of that desire came the IMAP—my Individual Marketing Action Plan. The IMAP breaks down marketing into manageable sections, so it feels less overwhelming and more like something you can actually implement. For many attorneys, that structure was the first time marketing made sense in a way that aligned with how they already worked.

The writing process itself became a journey. I spent countless mornings and afternoons at M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC—coffee in hand, laptop open—piecing together stories, frameworks, and lessons I had lived. That cozy corner table became my writing office, and I’ll always remember the energy of that space fueling the words on the page.

Looking back, I realize the heart of the book wasn’t about marketing tactics at all—it was about authenticity. It was about lawyers finding their own voice, leaning into who they really are, and building practices one genuine relationship at a time. Eight years later, that hasn’t changed. In fact, in a world where trends shift by the minute and technology keeps moving faster, authenticity is more valuable than ever.

Publishing that book was a milestone, but more importantly, it was the start of ongoing conversations. I’ve had the privilege of working with attorneys across the country, seeing how the principles of being intentional—and the IMAP framework—have shaped the way they approach their careers and their clients. And for me, it was a reminder that the best strategies are the ones grounded in honesty, consistency, and a willingness to show up.

Eight years later, I’m still grateful—for the lessons learned, the lawyers I’ve worked alongside, and yes, for those long hours at M. Judson with a good cup of coffee and a blinking cursor waiting for the next sentence.

Here’s to the journey—and to the truth that being authentic still works.

And because every ending sparks a beginning… stay tuned. A follow-up book is in the works, one that builds on these same principles while helping lawyers think even bigger about how to scale their practices with systems, strategy, and service.