MD Communications is four years old today – Happy Birthday to us! We are celebrating this evening aboard HMS President with our clients, supporters and friends, to whom we are extremely grateful because without them today would not have been possible.
I set up the agency back in 2010 with a vision of delivering a holistic approach to meet the needs of the legal sector, at a time of unprecedented change and challenge, with measurable return on investment.
Today, four years after we launched, we are a team of six directors competing against not just the agencies in our sector but also the big boys (and girls) in the international agencies. A very good friend of mine told me that “running your business is like a drug…. if you can’t handle the highs and lows then get a full time job”…. and he was right. There have been highs, such as winning our first Chilean client on the back of the launch of our White Paper on UK Legal Services and Latin America, and there have also been lows, such as making tough decisions in order to restructure in response to changing client demands.
One thing that has never changed during the last four years is the commitment from supporters to help us achieve our vision – to have people on the ground in several jurisdictions by 2015. Stephen Denyer, now Head of International and City at the Law Society, previously at A&O, has been instrumental in introducing me to contacts worldwide who have offered speaking opportunities, other introductions and of course the chance to work with them.
Elizabeth Fehnrich at UKTI has helped our international expansion with contacts and experience of overseas markets and never fails to respond to an email or promise to deliver. Our first clients (who we still retain) Gerard McDermott QC, leading cross border barrister in PI and employment and Peters & Peters, leading boutique law firm in white collar crime and commercial litigation have not only been a pleasure to work with but have provided the type of support that only a friend could give; the loyalty between us is second to none. There is nothing in it for the few people I have mentioned, besides the desire to want MD Communications to succeed.
So what point am I trying to make? Relationships. At our two year anniversary party, Keith Oliver, Senior Partner at Peters & Peters, kindly told the attendees that he thought I was better connected than Kofi Anan. I’m not sure how true that is but I can say that the success of a business with clients across several jurisdictions and an enviable team of high level directors, has thrived off the back of strong relationships, people who act as brand ambassadors and who believe that we can add value to the whole sector.
Whether it’s Twitter you’re getting to grips with, connections on Linkedin, attendance at a conference or 1:1 meetings, there is one constant.Your network is as valuable as the product or service you deliver; working hard to get people you admire to trust and believe in you will go a long way to making your business successful.
Thank you to everyone far and wide who has made this possible. Here is to another exciting 12 months.
