Legal Imposters – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Want to win a Sponsor? There are 3 things you need to do:

1. Identify the right Sponsor Candidate
   
2. Build a Sponsorship Relationship
   
3. Hold a Sponsorship Conversation
   

These 3 steps form what we call inside BE THE FIRST, the Sponsorship Triad, and they form a simple actionable process for getting the right support from the right people to guarantee you achieve your progression goal.

In last week's episode of Legal Imposters I introduced you to part 3 of the Sponsorship Triad: the Sponsorship Conversation. In it I gave you an actionable framework for getting a potential sponsor to commit to advocating on your behalf.

This week we're talking about the step before: the Sponsorship Relationship - what it is and why it's absolutely critical to the Sponsor winning process. (I also explain why I tackled part 3 first, before coming to this part 2)

In addition to walking you through the 3 simple steps to winning a sponsor, here's what you'll learn:

• The no.1 objective when building a Sponsorship Relationship
• 3 scenarios where building the Sponsorship Relationship is the answer
• 9 ways to win over a potential sponsor
• 3 ways you get stuck trying to win a sponsor (and what to do instead)
• 3 trust-building essentials every Sponsorship Relationship depends on
• 5 commitments to ask of your Sponsor

Happy listening.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress in the next 6-12 months, join BE THE FIRST and start prioritising this sponsorship work now. Enrolment for the January 2026 class opens in December so now's the time to get ready. For more details on what the programme is, who it's for and why it's the no.1 solution for navigating the challenges of being a black lawyer, click here.

Let's talk about Sponsors. Why you need one and how to win one.

You don't have to have a Sponsor to progress to the next level. But having a person of influence invested in you and going out to bat for you Is going to make achieving that promotion significantly quicker, easier and likely to result in success. Especially if you're a black lawyer. 

There are 3 steps to winning a sponsor:

1. Identify the Right Sponsor 
   
2. Earn trust by building the Sponsorship Relationship; and
   
3. Get a firm commitment to sponsor you by having the Sponsorship Conversation
   

Together these 3 make up the Sponsorship Triad, a model I teach you inside BE THE FIRST that makes the work of winning a sponsor so clear and actionable, you'll wonder what you'd ever have done without it. 

In this week's episode of Legal Imposters we focus on part 3 of the Sponsorship Triad: The Sponsorship Conversation. 

Heres what you'll learn:

1. The common mistakes lawyers make when seeking a Sponsor
   
2. The 3 parts of the Sponsorship Triad and how they work together
   
3. The purpose of the Sponsorship Conversation and why never to assume you have a Sponsor without one 
   
4. A framework for holding a Sponsorship Conversation you can start using today, including examples from Clients inside BE THE FIRST
   
5. The top 3 commitments to seek from your Sponsor
   

Happy listening. 

Caroline 

P.S. if your a black lawyer, you want to progress within the industry and you don't have, sponsorship I can help you with that. Join BE THE FLIRST and ll teach you a simple framework for winning a sponsor so you get to support you need to progress to the next level. Click for details  

It's never too soon to think about Business Development.

But when should this be your main focus? And what should you do about Business Development when you've been told to focus on something else?

This week on Legal Imposters, inspired by a client inside BE THE FIRST, we're talking about the importance of building your book of business and what to do when, for reasons personal or professional, you're unable to make this your primary focus.

When you're at the very start of your career, this doesn't matter so much.

But what do you do when you're trying to build your business case for promotion and you're told by the Partner you work for not to focus on Business Development?

This was the dilemma facing my client.

If this has happened to you, you're in the right place. Even if it hasn't, knowing what to do when Business Development can't be your main focus is going to ensure you're never left scrambling around for a business case because of all the relationships you've neglected to build over time.

How you avoid this is simple: you keep your Business Development at a simmer. Just as you would a saucepan of hot water, you maintain a low level of activity that enables you to focus your attention elsewhere without neglecting your Business Development altogether.

This has two advantages:

1. When the time is right to make Business Development your primary focus, all you have to do is turn the heat up. The water is already simmering. It takes relatively little effort to bring it to the boil. So it is with the low level Business Development activity that you've been maintaining all along. It takes nothing to ramp up your relationship building to full capacity. Your relationships are already warm. All you have to do is step things up and call them in.
2. When the time comes, you'll have highly developed relationship building skills. This ensures you're not having to learn these skills in the exact same moment you want to use them. You've acquired them over time through the simple act of keeping your Business Development at a simmer.
   

So how do you do it? How to keep your Business Development at a simmer so you can focus elsewhere?

Below are 4 suggestions to get you started.

1. Stay connected to peers and those you already know
   
2. Deepen relationships with the clients you currently serve
   
3. Watch and learn from those who already do it well
   
4. Develop your understanding of how the business operates by filtering actions and decisions through a business lens
   

What else could you do? Can you think of more? Share your ideas in the comments.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress to the next level in your career, I can help you with that. Join BE THE FIRST career progression coaching for black lawyers and learn the 5 vital steps to progressing your career as a black lawyer and be coached by me every step of the way. Enrolment for the September 2025 class opens 21st August 2025. Save this date to your calendar and make sure you follow me on social media so you don't miss the announcement.

The February 2023 class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching for Lawyers is OPEN FOR ENROLMENT

Join me.

If you want better balance, more confidence, more recognition and to lawyer with more ease this year, you have to sign up.

Just imagine.

• No more feeling like all you ever do is work.
• No more feeling anxious and stressed all the time.
• No more waiting to feel confident before you seize opportunities;
• Or thinking youre not where you want to be, or should be, in your career.

Just you, rising to the challenge of the career you worked so hard for and fulfilling your potential along the way.

Here's what you get to ensure your progress is inevitable in this programme:

The 6 step Progression Process that makes success inevitable

The Imposter Toolkit for getting out of your own way when your Imposter Syndrome is triggered

The Success Skillset Weekly Coaching to keep you on track

Consolidation Months for the busiest times of the year

Group Exponential so you get further faster and grow your network

Slack Community to keep coaching out of your inbox and away from social media

Session Recordings for when your schedule clashes with your coaching time.

Every one of these features have been thoughtfully developed to make your progress inevitable.

Join me.

Sign up to the February class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching. We are open for enrolment until Wednesday 18th Jan.

Click the link below to take the next step:

https://carolineflanagan.com/imposter-syndrome-coaching/

Not sure this programme is right for you? Book a free consult with me here (lawyers only):

Book a free consult

P.s. Places are limited and for lawyers only.

In Tuesdays Masterclass I taught you how to be less stressed, more confident and get more of the recognition you deserve this year. I covered EVERYTHING you will need to progress your law career in 2023.

Listening to the replay is worth your time. One attendee described it as a gift and thanked me for the "transformation" it had given here.

She got all of this for free. Tune in, and you will get it too.

Youll get:

• A clear understanding of what Imposter Syndrome is and how it is holding you back in your career
• The reason youre not progressing as quickly as you should or as easily as youd like
• The 6 step process to progressing your career
• How your Imposter Syndrome will try to stop you (and what to do when it does)
• How to implement everything I teach you right now, to guarantee your progression this year.

The February class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching is open for enrolment until Wednesday 18th Jan. SIGN UP now to make 2023 the year you get out of your own way and start achieving your potential.

Click the link below to find out more:

https://carolineflanagan.com/imposter-syndrome-coaching/

Not sure if this if for you? Book a call with me here (lawyers only):
https://calendly.com/carolineflanagan/free-consult

P.S. Places are limited and for lawyers only.

If you want to progress to having Better Balance and Lawyering With More Ease this year, start getting up early.

Getting up early has been a regular routine of mine for years and it's the secret to why I feel calm and in control of my days, why I can respond to the unexpected and why I almost never feel overwhelmed.

It is one of the simplest and fastest ways to get better at MANAGING YOUR TIME. And when you're good at managing your time, you won't just have MORE of it, you'll feel more IN CONTROL of it.

And you know what that means -

• More time for the other important things like friends, family, fitness and fun
• feeling a lot calmer throughout the day and
• being better able to respond to the unexpected or when things don't go as planned.

In other words, you do your day job with more ease.

Tune in now to find out:

• 6 reasons why getting up early is a must
• 4 things you need to stop doing in the mornings right now
• 3 common mistakes to avoid when getting started
• 5 objections your brain will offer you to keep you where you are (and how to answer them)

In Imposter Syndrome Coaching for Lawyers I teach you how to get up early as part of a proven strategy to get you Better Balance and to get you Lawyering With More Ease this year.

The February class is open for enrolment until Wednesday 18th Jan. SIGN UP now to make 2023 the year you get out of your own way and start achieving your potential.

Click the link below for details

https://carolineflanagan.com/imposter-syndrome-coaching/

Not sure if this programme is for you? Book a call with me here (lawyers only):

https://calendly.com/carolineflanagan/free-consult

P.s. Places on the programme are limited and for lawyers only.

So you want to get fit for 2023!

So you join a new gym or renew your old membership. You find a new form of exercise youre convinced youre going to love, or you sign up with a new fitness coach who youve been eager to try.

All of this seems like the right approach to achieving your fitness goal, but is it?

Lets face it, the reason youre not already as fit as you want to be or exercising as regularly as youd like is NOT because you dont have the right membership. Or because you havent found the right fitness coach.

Its because youre Overworking.

Overworking is a secret sign of Imposter Syndrome. Its the work you do that adds little or no value because its driven by fear, and which means work takes you longer than it should. Perfectionism. Not delegating. Labouring over the simplest email. These are examples of Overworking and the reasons why you are not making time to exercise.

So if youre serious about getting fit this year, dont look to your gym membership or your choice of fitness coach, look at how you manage your time.

Managing your time is the key to achieving your fitness goals. It forces you to be more efficient (so you stop overworking), ensures you are putting your work out sessions in your calendar and it means that when the moment comes to don your work out gear and get out of the house, you feel safe and in control enough to step away from your work.

In this episode of the podcast I explain the importance of managing your time and I give you 3 strategies to help you do that in a way that will transform your productivity and make it easy for you to honour your commitment to getting fitter.

Tune in to learn more.

Think Imposter Syndrome is your weakness? Think again

Feeling like a fraud.
Thinking your success is down to luck.
Worrying that any minute now youre going to be exposed.

Welcome to Imposter Syndrome.

Experiencing Imposter Syndrome feels like a weakness. It feels like a problem you have to fix before you can succeed.

But Imposter Syndrome isnt your weakness. Theres a way to use it to your advantage to progress your career - by making it your strength.

This episode of the Legal Imposters podcast is a recording of this week's free Masterclass: How To Make Imposter Syndrome Your Strength (and use it to progress your career).

It covers:

• What Imposter Syndrome is (and what it isnt).
• How to tell if you have it (and how to be sure you dont).
• Whats causing your Imposter Syndrome.
• How Imposter Syndrome is holding you back.
• What resisting Imposter Syndrome is costing you.
• How accepting your Imposter Syndrome will elevate you.
• How to use Imposter Syndrome to progress your career.

A proven strategy

In this episode, I teach you the simple 3 step strategy I teach paying clients inside Imposter Syndrome Coaching for Lawyers.

When you implement this strategy, youll have everything you need to make Imposter Syndrome your strength. This session gives you practical advice you can start implementing immediately.

The January 2023 class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching for Lawyers is ENROLLING NOW.

Apply here

You must be a lawyer to apply.

P.S. Don't delay. The application deadline is Thursday 15th December, 2022 at 13.00 GMT.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Hey Legal Imposters! Today I'm offering you the opportunity to PRE-ENROL for the January 2023 class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching. Doors open to everyone (as long as they're a lawyer of course) on 6th December. But Im giving you the opportunity to pre-enrol TODAY.

This means getting your application in first. Which means I'll review it first. Which means as long as you meet the requirements, you'll be first in line when it's time to offer places on the programme.

Places are limited, so take advantage! Go straight to the application form here: Imposter Syndrome Coaching Pre-Enrolment Form

Right, let's talk about Making Imposter Syndrome your strength.

This episode is a Call To Action! I'm calling on you to stop resisting your Imposter Syndrome and focus all your effort and attention on Making It Your Strength.

This is the unique solution to your Imposter Syndrome that will get you out of your own way, and set you up to fulfil more of your potential.

You won't find this solution anywhere else.

In this episode:

• The 4 common mistakes people make about Imposter Syndrome
• Why getting rid of your Imposter Syndrome will devalue who you are
• How devaluing who you are is negatively affecting how you work
• How valuing who you are is the key to working at your highest level
• Why making Imposter Syndrome your strength is the only solution you'll ever need.

REMINDER: As a podcast listener you're invited to PRE-ENROLMENT for the January 2023 class of Imposter Syndrome Coaching. Places are limited and will fill up quickly. Doors open to everyone (lawyers) on 6th December, but you can enrol TODAY! Click the link to access the pre-enrolment application page now:

Imposter Syndrome Coaching Pre-Enrolment Form

Why do you need to change the way you think about career progression goals?

1. Many of you HAVE no career progression goals at all.

• Youre floating along
• You have no intention or direction
• Maybe it hasnt occurred to you that you should.

1. A lot of you have this ideathat career progression is only about getting a promotion.

1. Some of you do have a career progression goal, but its not the right one.

1. You have a career progression goal, its the right one, but the way youre chasing after that goal is going to make it unsustainable when you get there.

So youre either

• underestimating the IMPORTANCE of career progression and/or
• youre taking such a narrow a view of it, (I.e. that career progression = promotion) that you are missing out on the VALUE of other forms of career progression.

This means you are denying yourself the opportunity to create the results of:

• Being in a better place in your career today than you were yesterday
• Or at the end of this year than you were last year
• And to have as your future goal: the ambition of being in a better place in your career at the end of 2023 than you are the beginning.

In this episode of Legal Imposters, we cover:

• Why you should ALWAYS have a career progression goal.
• Why its really important to make sure that your goal is the RIGHT goal.
• How to choose the right goal by focusing on the 4 Pillars of Career Progression, the concept we teach in Imposter Syndrome Coaching.
• What the 4 Pillars of Career Progression are and how to use them.

In my Imposter Syndrome Coaching programme, you do a Progression Audit to work out which of the 4 pillars needs the most immediate attention, and we spend 6 months progressing that pillar first.When you do the work to progress one pillar and this has a knock on effect of progressing the other pillars too.

You can get started RIGHT NOW with identifying your progression goal for the next 6 months.Im giving you FREE ACCESS to the Progression Audit Form (the exact same one we use when you join in Imposter Syndrome Coaching) to everyone who joins my Waitlist. .

To access your audit now, join the Waitlist. Add your details there, and a link to the Progression Audit will be sent straight to your inbox.

And make a note! Enrolment for Imposter Syndrome Coaching opens on 6th December. So head over to the waitlist and get your Progression Audit. This is your opportunity to be ready for when doors open on enrolment.