013: My “Secret” is Consistency. James Whalen, Esq.

Tony Robbins once said that “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”

James Whalen, Esq.

James Whalen is a federal criminal defense attorney who truly believes in the power of consistency in managing and building his boutique law firm. Creating productive policies and consistently applying them played a major role in transforming his law practice into a law business.

What sets the Whalen Law Firm apart from the competition? James is truly passionate about helping his clients. He strives to deliver value to his clients in all phases of the engagement. This is why the firm’s tagline is “Personal attention, aggressive defense.”

The first mindset shift that James went through was to view his practice as a business. This is not an easy change, but necessary to develop a long term vision and strategy for the firm.

To take control of the direction of his firm, James started with the financial aspect and implemented a detailed budget. Measuring and comparing his actual achievements to his set goals gave James a chance to spot problems quicker and correct them faster.

The only person you need to compete with is yourself. But how can you do that if you don’t even measure your progress? Getting more comfortable analyzing financial information gave James an edge to make better and profitable decisions.

Having a fulfilling personal life is often sacrificed among small business owners. James is able to maintain his work-life balance by consistently managing his calendar and setting limits to himself.

A piece of business advice from James: “There is plenty of work out there, don’t give in to the scarcity mentality. Do what you love to do, and do it well consistently.”

Book recommendations:

• The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz