In my experience, most of the best writing is done away from the keyboard. Coming up with ideas is like hunting for treasure with no map to rely on. The gold coins are buried deep within old books, niche podcast episodes, and the recesses of your own memory. Content creation is a bit of a messy process. There’s no hack or shortcut that I’m aware of. However, I think it’s worth the effort. “Story, lesson, takeaway” is the type of content I like to read. I hope you feel the same way, and can use a bit of my perspective to inspire your own writing process. Just as a dish is more than its ingredients, a story is more than its words. It's the art of assembly and presentation that makes all the difference.

Some lawyers opt to buy attention (e.g., advertising). Others choose to earn it (e.g., creating content). There is no “right” way to market. Many factors go into the decision—the most important one: what’s the best way to reach your ideal-client audience? And while there’s no right way to market (everyone’s practice and circumstances are unique), I believe that earning attention is the most effective path for most lawyers. Creating content, for example, tends to come across as more authentic and has a higher likelihood of helping the person consuming the content, which helps build trust.

The only thing you’ll find in an email is a demand or request reflecting someone else’s priorities. Those types of distractions can and should wait if you’re serious about making progress. Almost everything you’ll find in email can wait for at least an hour, so reserve the first hour of your day for yourself. Put another way, as Charlie Munger advises all of us to do, start treating yourself as your own most important client and “sell” yourself the most valuable hour of your day.

Expressing big ideas through simple, easy to understand language is the most impressive form of writing. And clear, concise writing makes for effective marketing.