Exemplar Vice President and Atty Jessica Manganello Interviewed @ DART Boston

We hate to toot our own horns (actually...hmm... not really), but it seems Boston can't get enough of Exemplarites these days. Click here to watch Exemplar VP Jessica Manganello, Esq. talk about entrepreneurial growth challenges and finding that "secret sauce" that will aid a company on its path to success. Way to go, Jessica! You do Exemplar proud every day.

Here are some of the highlights of the interview **PLEASE NOTE: These are selected quotes and may not be verbatim**:

Webber's comments about Exemplar:

"The Exemplar model is different from the traditional law firm factory."

"Your secret sauce is:

• Your hiring practice;
• Your decisionmaking practice;
• Your billing practice."

[With regard to the hiring process]: "People chosen to work with you must pass a litmus test."

"You [sic] focus on and invent new language – e.g., customer vs. client."

[On Exemplar's Full Service Model]: "You’re not in the law business as it is simply defined. In other words, you are not simply doing legal work for a client. You are also in the consigliore business. You’re adding advice and counsel and strategic business help, which is why all lawyers are educated in business or have business experience. You’re giving organizations that come to you for help more than legal help; you’re giving them ‘counsel’. A ‘trust consigliore’ is what businesses need today. This is a different and a great business."

[On expanding the team]:

Moderator: As concerns human capital, you have a young core team and want to bring in an older generation to work with you. During our discussions Jessica, you mentioned that you were nervous about this process.

Jessica: We have a ‘no asshole’ rule. We have slow growth because we are protective of our model. Yet, we don’t want everyone to be like us. While the young people are excited about the new model, the older people are hesitant about it because it is so different. It is a challenge growing when you bring in someone who is older and more experienced, but is answering to you or other attorneys who have tattoos or high heels. Even when you work collaboratively, older attorneys ask for coffee and we say Whoa! What? It presents a challenge to your culture.

[On Inspiration and Best Ideas of the Firm]:

Where do you get your best ideas from, in terms of firm and future?

Jessica: When we are sitting around drinking we have inspirations concerning our core values and how they can be implemented. We are currently going through a rebranding, have created a new logo and are launching a new website.

Our branding person asked the firm:
• If your firm was a person, what would it look like?
• What music would it listen to?
• If your firm was a politician, what would its platform be?
• If your firm was a food, what would it taste like?

The cornerstone of our company is to keep social ideas running.

Check out the whole interview for more insight not only into Exemplar, but into best practices for building YOUR entrepreneurial venture!