Six To-Dos Every Firm Can Embrace in 2026
New Solo
Long-range planning and SMART goals
Kellam recommends five-year, three-year, and one-year goals broken into quarterly rocks and weekly reviews.
Where do you want your firm to go in the new year? Do you have a plan to get there? Intentional firm design and strategy trumps reactive growth every time. Don’t let your firm run you; take charge today!
Guest Kellam Parks is a partner with the metrics- and technology-driven family and cybersecurity law firm Parks Zeigler PLLC, and he runs the coaching program “The Motivated Lawyer,” helping firms craft a path to a successful future. Hear how he recently took on one new client pro bono to demonstrate how his coaching helps lawyers visualize and achieve their goals.
Parks began his own Virginia Beach firm as a “paperless” entity nearly 15 years ago, incorporating emerging tech to maximize efficiencies. As the firm developed, tech tools have helped his team automate the routine and focus on the most important and demanding tasks. He is a regular speaker and provider of CLE programs for attorneys and firms and produces educational videos and a popular newsletter packed with tips.
Do you need help building out your technological capacities and marketing? As Parks points out, “Nobody knows everything.” Always be learning and open to new ideas.
Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com
Topics:
- Too many solos start out with no intentional plan, opting instead to gather as many clients as they can then scrambling to keep up. A recipe for stress and inefficiency.
- In 2026, think about what you actually want from your firm. Then create an intentional plan to get there, step by step.
- Technology is not an option. Use the tools available to you. But remember “technology does not fix chaos.” It all starts with your plan, your established systems, and understanding what you’re doing (and why).
Mentioned in This Episode:
Ben Glass, Great Legal Marketing
Allie K. Miller, understanding AI
“Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire,” by Dan Martell
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