Episode Details

"If you spend too much time worrying about the outcome and not about the process, then you just create anxiety and a lack of focus."

In this Best of Series episode, we replay a chat we had in 2019 with Rob Patterson, Managing Director of Parkins Lane, on humility, relationships and scaling fast.

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Rob is a CEO and COO with extensive experience in leading the significant growth of national professional service firms.

He is the former COO of HWL Ebsworth, where he played a key role overseeing the metamorphosis of a small Melbourne-based legal practice (40 employees, turnover $3m) into a national commercial law firm of over 600 people and turnover in excess of $150m, now Australia's largest firm by partner numbers.

Rob then joined Macpherson Kelley as COO and led a similar transformation there, followed by an MD stint at Rankin Business Lawyers. For the past 2 years, Rob was GM of FCW Lawyers but has returned to Parkins Lane Consulting Group as the Managing Director once again. The firm focuses on creating and executing on strategy, growth and marketing for professional services firms.

Outside of work he is a keen surfer and he also grows Sangiovese vines.

In this episode we talk about:

✅ How he grew their business from $3M to $150M

✅ The importance of relationships and being a known quantity when going for roles, especially useful when you hit a career crossroads

✅ Humility and self-regulation, and

✅ How to grow your personal brand and business

Connecting with Rob Patterson

You can reach Rob on LinkedIn and on X.

Books and Resources

• Built to Last by Jim Collins

• Good to Great by Jim Collins

• Starts with Why by Simon Sinek

Similar Episodes on scaling fast

• Vince LeBon, CEO of Rollie Nation on Streamlining systems, scaling up and business rhythm

• Ben Lipschitz, Co-Founder and CEO of FoodByUs, on Being data-driven, starting and exiting a business, and successfully securing funding

• Celebrity Apprentice Mentor, Nick Bell, on The threat of AI on addressing productivity gaps, looking after his A-players and living to 150 years old

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