How My Heart Attack Changed My Business

“I had a massive heart attack in November 2013. I should have died, but by some miracle I survived. Reflecting on it, I gained a lot of clarity about what I wanted out of life—and what I didn’t. I decided I needed to do something different, and put in writing a new vision of what I wanted a law firm to look like. I blew up a successful $5 million law firm to restructure it in an entirely different way. We changed the organization from a multi-owner environment to a largely one-owner environment. It’s much more corporate, with the structure based on roles and responsibilities. It’s also very performance-based and gives people a lot of freedom to do what they do great. I couldn’t have pulled it off if it wasn’t for the heart attack. It powered me through the pain, the indecision, and all the tough conversations that allowed this kind of place to be created. I got a second chance at life, so I feel I have this duty to make the best of that.”