What does most people think of when they hear “insight?” Knowledge? Understanding? Predictability? Existence?

By now you’ve probably heard my story. But chances are you’ve never heard the story of “insight.”

Back in 2000, I was running a small Boston-based law firm called Bell, Holbrook, Kelly & Wilson. Laughs would fill the office every time someone mentioned the company or me. But I enjoyed it that way.

Over the next seven years I built the firm into one of the most recognizable firms in our region, but sometimes, in spite of ourselves, I found myself wondering, “Why did we come into this business?”

Over the next six years I realized how unique my job was: We not only had to make a business, but we had to keep a business going. It was a bit like trying to keep a championship basketball team on the court when most NBA seasons end with seven or eight teams vying for one spot in the playoffs.

As I looked at the world, I realized how much I needed to change. I wasn’t good at creating the alignment I knew I needed with everyone on the team. And sometimes, some of the things I needed to change in my life were downright negative. For example, I was not active enough in sports. I would spend far too much time reading books about parenting or parenting techniques instead of spending time with my family. And my love of sports didn’t provide me with enough excitement or inspiration for the law.

I needed a chance to refocus.

I realized that what I needed to do was for me to start connecting more with my clients. And in order to do that, I needed to start cultivating a different perspective.

So, I decided to stop studying parenting and parenting theories and instead started writing. I asked myself how I could enhance my professional knowledge. What could I write about that I wasn’t hearing in the business world? What type of tools and resources did I need to be successful?

I studied a wide range of subjects, including family law, wills and estates, the legal and tax aspects of college savings plans, and more. I became a fan of blogger sites and webinars. With the help of dedicated mentors and volunteers, I built a strategic platform to help my business prosper by sharing my vision with others.

While our firm grew dramatically in size and prominence, I was still a law firm owner. My colleagues and I did the best we could with the constraints of current technology. But eventually I realized, given that I didn’t have “inbound” tools, I was creating a voice that may be appropriate to some clients, but not others. So the following year, I took an after-hours class at Georgetown University for “Inbound Marketing.”

I started to feel reenergized by the subject matter. I’d like to say I took it lightly, but there’s a lot of truth to that statement.

Five years after the initial classes I went on to author “Your Most Important Resource,” a guide to helping the business mind understand the power of using search engines, blogs, directories, and social media to reach out to clients and prospective clients.

While I’m a firm believer in the power of the hard sell, I firmly believe that connecting to people strategically, with the right ideas and credibility, is often more effective than merely selling to them.

Like most attorneys, I don’t get to travel much. I make do with less time, more exposure, and more socialization to add value to clients and prospects.

There’s an old adage: “What do you put on your resume?” Now there’s an even newer one: “What’s on your head?”

(Thanks to “Milestones in Life” by Simon Sinek and co-author Lynn Hirschberg, on behalf of a number of “MIL” clients.

MEMO HERE FROM MIRIAM HART, FORMER MILLIONAIRE LAWYER, INVENTOR, FOUNDER, LODI-DESIGNER DIAMOND: A story of how I used new “inbound” tools and practices to grow my business, increase my authority, and listen to my customer’s needs.