From Law Partner to Top Recruiter: Richard Hsu, Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa

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.

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