By David Shapiro | Point of View
I am a second-generation Arizona native and have been running my own business for over six years. As an entrepreneur, I have generated a staff of 60, helped more than 4,000 clients and learned many invaluable lessons.
Through my company, Shapiro Law Team, I aim to help those around me, not just my clients, by providing advice to fellow aspiring lawyers and business owners while also staying involved in my community.
I was working at a competitive law firm for six years when I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to present better legal representation to more people in my local community and knew that starting my own firm would be the only way to do this.
My inspiration came from several LA-based law firms that had aggressive plaintiff’s litigation firms, something I noticed was missing in Arizona. Believing it would offer more to my clients than other models could, I took this vision of an aggressive plaintiff’s personal injury litigation practice and made it a reality.
My greatest challenge when starting my firm was learning to manage all the various aspects of being a business owner including bookkeeping, HR, marketing, the practice of law, money managing/budgeting and company culture. These are skills that I learned as I went. I had formal education in entrepreneurship, but these practical skills I had to experience, and I am still learning to this day.
Part of the journey included sourcing talent for my firm, and I did this through networking. I went to lunch with anyone and everyone so I could learn about the types of clients I wanted to represent and the staff I wanted to hire. I convinced the new staff to take a leap of faith to join a new and growing enterprise that would yield a tremendous upside.
I was able to do this because I marketed myself as a known and proven advocate. Even though the firm was new, I had been practicing for several years and had already obtained countless multimillion settlements in that short time. I assured clients that I would work harder and better than anyone else in town, and I earned their business.
My journey to starting my own firm was not easy, but the process also was not as difficult as I expected because I lived in the moment – only focusing on making the decisions necessary to thrive.
For example, I chose to start my office in Scottsdale because I wanted an office close to my home so I could spend more time with my family. This was the most efficient way for me to focus on both my family and business.
I knew there would be unavoidable sacrifices; however, I believed — and still believe — that one can be family-oriented and successful. For me, this meant waking up earlier and staying up later. I made it a priority to spend time together when everyone is awake, and when the kids go to bed, get back to business. This allowed me to never miss a precious moment.
Now, I am not only a firm owner but a mentor to others. One of my main goals is to connect with others and share valuable information that can positively change the trajectory of their career. I know that my own mentors have helped me tremendously, and I want to ensure everyone has the same opportunity: someone willing to help them grow.
I also want to let others know that building connections and networking continues to provide extraordinary benefits to my own success. Building connections should not just happen at the beginning of a career either, it should be happening as long as you are working professionally.
Outside of the firm, I am passionate about philanthropic work and being able to sit down and chat with people in my own community to ensure I am helping in the best way possible.
Editor’s note: Mr. Shapiro is founder and principal at Shapiro Law Team.
