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The January Reality Check: how to make stuff actually happen
It’s early January. Fresh notebook. New determination. Clear goal: this is the year you make serious progress towards partnership. You’ve written down your intentions: “Build my profile. Win more work. Delegate more” By February, that notebook is buried under client files. By April, you’ve given up pretending. By December, you’re making the same promises for…
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Stop Waiting for Permission: Why 2026 is Your Year to Act
Picture this: It’s December 2026. You’re looking back at the year, and once again, you haven’t moved your career forward. Not really. You meant to. You had good intentions in January. But somehow, twelve months slipped by whilst you waited for the right moment, for your partners to give you clearer guidance, for your workload…
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To Say Yes or No? How to be seen as a good firm citizen without burning out
Picture this: You’re on the partnership track. Your partners want to see you being a good firm citizen – getting involved in office initiatives, social mobility programs, pro bono work, workplace culture activities. So you say yes. You say yes again. And again. But now you’re stretched thin. Your utilisation is suffering. You’re working longer…
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5 mistakes great candidates make on the way to partnership
You’ve spent years building your career. Strong financials, great client relationships, partners telling you you’re on track. You’re in touching distance of partnership – maybe 3 months away, maybe 15 months away. This should be the exciting final stretch. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: this is exactly when some of the best candidates accidentally derail themselves….
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The “Peace of Mind” Test: Do your partners think you are ready for partnership
Do you ever wonder why partners seem hesitant about your progression despite your strong performance? Here’s the truth: it’s not about your technical ability or billable hours. It’s about something partners call the “peace of mind test” – would they sleep soundly knowing you’re handling their top client while they’re on holiday, or would they…
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Stop waiting to build your network of introducers
Are you waiting until you make partner to start building your referral network? Do you struggle to get referrals from your contacts because they don’t really understand what you do? If you’re wondering when the right time is to start nurturing relationships that could send work your way, this episode will change how you think…
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Don’t make this mistake – here’s how to build the right relationships
You can work 60-hour weeks, say yes to every request, and still get overlooked for promotion. Why? Because it’s not about pleasing everyone, it’s about building strong relationships with the right people. In this episode of the How to Make Partner Podcast, Heather Townsend explains why political savvy means going deep with 10–15 influential partners,…
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How to have the account management call without feeling like you are being an order taker for the client
Do your client ‘account management’ calls feel more like taking orders than giving valuable advice? In this episode, I explain how to change these conversations so you feel like a valued professional and trusted advisor not just another pair of hands. This problem often happens when we let the client dictate the entire relationship, slowly…
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What to do before you write a proposal to increase the chances of the client saying yes
Do you spend hours writing the perfect proposal, only to be ghosted by the prospect? In this episode, I explain why the problem isn’t your proposal, but what you did before you ever started writing it. Too many of us treat a proposal like a sales brochure, but the sale should be made long before…
