From Law Partner to Top Recruiter: Richard Hsu, Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa
In this episode
Summary
Introduction: 1:15
- Introducing Richard Hsu, managing director at Major, Lindsey & Africa as well as the host and producer of the Hsu Untied podcast.
- Chatting about special places in the Bay Area.
Finding your path to becoming a law firm partner: 4:07
- Choosing a surprise career in law after studying engineering.
Dealing with the stress of a big law partnership: 6:46
- Feeling daily pressure from clients and bills.
- Surviving a difficult role by loving what you do.
- Considering alternative, smaller, or virtual law practices with less stress.
Making the transition from law firm partner to executive recruiter: 8:45
- Recognizing the depth of knowledge required to recruit for a law firm.
- Underestimating the size and scale of your personal network.
Unpacking the responsibilities of an executive recruiter: 12:26
- Explaining the retained search model and the sports agency model.
- Advice for candidates on the best way to position themselves for executive roles.
- Comparing recruiting to the real estate market.
Tactical tips for legal career searchers: 16:14
- Making the first ninety seconds of every answer count.
- Setting the tone and looking out for body language.
- Finding responses that resonate and reusing them whenever you can.
Interviewing legal leaders like Mark Cuban on the Hsu Untied podcast: 18:33
- Pursuing a dream to be a radio interviewer and growing a series with more than 300 episodes.
- Attracting big-name guests like Tony Robbins by reaching out until they respond.
- Episode recommendation: Sesame Street puppeteer Caroll Spinney.
Helping your professional development by making a podcast: 24:15
- Becoming comfortable with rejection as a recruiter by experiencing constant rejection booking podcast guests.
- Drawing connections between recruiting, podcasting, and traditional sales roles.
Advice to lawyers who want to start a podcast: 26:57
- Focusing on the interview and the act of interviewing.
- Sustaining a podcast with an engaged audience.
- Understanding the difference between a good and bad interview by doing a lot of them.
Book recommendations: 29:59
- Magic Words by Jonah Berger.
What you wish you’d known as a starting lawyer: 32:31
- Understanding legal is a client service business that requires a desire to help others.
- Knowing that if you aren’t happy serving others, you won’t enjoy your work.