Now that Easter and Spring Break are behind us, it’s a great time to reset and refocus.

Coming out of spring break, a few clients mentioned having a hard time finding their rhythm again. Honestly, I felt it, too. We were down in Palm Springs for the week with the family, and it took me a couple of days to get my own BD swing back. That stuck with me, so let’s talk about how to get the wheel turning.

There’s a moment in business development when things just click.

You’re not pushing as hard, yet conversations feel easier. New opportunities show up more regularly. It’s like a flywheel finally catching speed.

That’s not magic; it’s momentum.

The professionals I coach who consistently generate business aren’t necessarily the most connected, the most charismatic, or the loudest voices in the room. They’re the ones who keep showing up. They check in with their network. They follow up. They ask better questions. And over time, those small, intentional actions start to compound.
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That’s the BD flywheel.

Business development is still about curiosity, follow-up, and staying visible. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is how efficiently we can do those things if we’re willing to experiment. AI won’t do the work for you, but it can remove friction and help you move faster.
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Professionals who integrate AI into their BD routines are freeing up time, staying more visible, and following through more consistently without having to work harder or become “tech people.”

​Here are a few areas where I’m seeing AI make a real difference:

Do Awards Actually Drive Business or Just Ego?

I can’t help but think about this on a regular basis. I see so many lawyers and consultants posting about awards on social media, such as Super Lawyer, Top Consultant, and 40 Under 40. And to be clear, I think it’s great that people get recognized. That stuff matters to them, and I get it.

But I gotta wonder—how much of this self-promotion actually helps grow their business?
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Does it lead to new clients? Or is it just another feel-good post that gets a few likes and disappears?

The Mental Game of BD: Lessons from Mikaela Shiffrin's Resilience

​Mikaela Shiffrin recently hit an incredible milestone, her 100th World Cup victory. That’s a staggering achievement in an already legendary career. She’s the most decorated Alpine skier in history, with 15 World Championships, three Olympic medals, and wins across all six disciplines. And she’s done it in a sport traditionally dominated by Europeans. But here’s what’s even more impressive: it’s not just about the stats; it’s about what it took to get there—resilience, discipline, and the mental strength to push through setbacks.

I was coaching two consultants based in São Paolo who were preparing for a major client pitch. When I asked how they planned to approach the meeting, they confidently laid out their strategy:

“We’ve compiled a detailed PowerPoint deck with our qualifications, case studies, and bios. We also have a one-page leave-behind. Once we get there, we’ll dive into the presentation and then tell them how we can solve their needs.”They saw the meeting as a chance to prove their expertise. This certainly seemed logical, especially since it was how they had always done it.

I said, "Okay, I want you to do something completely counterintuitive."

I told them to scrap the PowerPoint and the leave-behind. Instead, I wanted them to walk into the meeting with a blank notepad, a pen, and a list of well-researched questions about the company’s business and challenges.
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“I want you to approach the meeting as if you’ve already been hired,” I said. “Forget ‘pitching’—just have an open, engaged conversation.”

​During the pandemic, I had a coaching session with a group of law firm partners who were feeling overwhelmed. As new work kept pouring in, they struggled to find enough support from their associates to meet client demands. Many associates felt underappreciated and overworked, leading to a significant shift toward in-house opportunities. This exodus created a cycle: longer hours for the partners, higher client bills, and a work pace that was pushing both partners and the remaining associates to the brink of burnout.

This issue was bittersweet for many firms I spoke with during that time. While the partners enjoyed the short-term profits, they were paying a long-term price.

Our conversation shifted from “How can we attract more clients?” to “How can we better support and grow our internal team?” What followed was an incredibly productive brainstorming session. We uncovered a number of practical, yet often overlooked, strategies, alongside creative ideas that could not only boost the team’s productivity but also retain valuable talent. At the heart of the discussion were two key concepts: acknowledgment and inclusion.