Heard it on the Podcast: Guests Share How New Solo Got Them Started, Kept Them Going

2025-08-28

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Checking in with returning guests Dean Blachford and Ella Sui, who started the Blachford Tax Law firm in Ottawa, Canada in 2021. Blachford is the tax lawyer and Sui is the clerk, paralegal, and more, forming a small tag team specializing in Canadian tax law. This is a fun episode because before they hung out a shingle, Blachford and Sui listened to the entire New Solo podcast library, building an understanding of a solo practice as host Adriana Linares and her guests discussed the challenges, and solutions, new practitioners ...

This is a fun episode because before they hung out a shingle, Blachford and Sui listened to the entire New Solo podcast library, building an understanding of a solo practice as host Adriana Linares and her guests discussed the challenges, and solutions, new practitioners encounter. Soon after they opened, the duo joined Linares for a podcast to share what they found to be the most impactful episodes.

So, how did that work out for Blachford and Sui? Four years later, hear what they learned from New Solo and how they put it all to work their firm. Bookkeeping, accounting, systems and processes, collections, clear goals, and careful documentation are all part of the firm’s success.

The firm considered hiring a junior attorney but instead leaned into tech by hiring a remote assistant (in the Philippines) and a human resources consultant. And (of course) this wouldn’t be a New Solo podcast with a whole bunch of cutting edge legal tech solutions.

Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com

Topics:

Guests Dean Blachford and Ella Sui started their New Solo practice by listening to the catalog of New Solo episodes. Four years later, hear how that worked out and how they learned to incorporate processes, procedures, remote help, and the latest tech.
In a small firm, it’s important colleagues’ workloads. People may not always tell you when they are overloaded. Know when it’s time to bring on help, whether in person, with a remote assistant, or through better technical tools and programs.

Don’t wait to document and establish clear processes, and stress those to new assistants. The things you put off early never get done. Document and follow your processes in the moment, don’t procrastinate.

Mentioned in This Episode:

New Solo podcast, prior episode, “Marco Brown’s Eight Commandments for Getting Paid”

New Solo podcast, prior episode “Ernie The Attorney: A Tech Whisperer Shares His Legal Tech Secrets”

Loom

Zoom Clips

Clio

Introducing ChatGPT

Adobe

HubSpot

SharePoint

LastPass

RingCentral