As we celebrate the twelfth anniversary of our firm, I have reflected on how we got here and where we are going. The question that has come to mind is, “Why is your partnership a success?” I have been asked some form of this question many times over the years, but I never put pen to paper, until now. Here goes.
Why is my partnership a success? Well, it starts with my partner. Brett Amron is a badass. He is a smart, thoughtful litigator with good business sense. Our partnership works for many reasons, and here are a few. The first is trust. I trust Brett. I believe he will always act in the best interest of the firm, as do I. When making business decisions, we both put Bast Amron ahead of Bast and Amron. The second is respect. We respect each other. And we both live by the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I treat Brett the way I expect to be treated and vice versa.
Third, we share a similar moral compass. We are driven by doing the right thing. And when we face difficult situations or decisions, we can each lean on the other for guidance. Sometimes we do it without even knowing it. As I often say, “It’s hard to see the picture when you’re in the frame.” For me, Brett is a partner who can help me identify and overcome blind spots, even when I don’t see them (duh, that’s why they’re called blind spots). And I do the same for him.
Trust, respect, and morality are obviously critical characteristics of any partnership or any relationship for that matter. My wife and I share those as well. But romantic relationships are bound by love. Business relationships are more utilitarian. In business, the partnership has to make sense. Ours does because Brett and I also have complementary strengths and styles. Brett is strong where I may be weak (or less strong) and vice versa. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I am better with him as my partner, and he is better with me as his.
That brings me to the final piece of the puzzle. Our partnership is not just me and Brett. It is our entire team. Since the beginning to this day, we have surrounded ourselves with good people. Like us, they are trustworthy, respectful, and moral. But they bring so much more to the table. They are diligent, creative, and thoughtful. They genuinely care about each other and the firm and our clients. They are a diverse group of individuals who collaborate and support each other to achieve our purpose of helping others. They are also smart. I subscribe to the maxim, “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are probably getting bad advice.” We surround ourselves with smart people, and we get good advice. With them on our team, I am better and so is Brett. Bast Amron is so much more than Bast and Amron. And I know that we will celebrate many many more anniversaries together as a firm and as a family.
Happy anniversary to my partner and my Bast Amron family. And thank you to all the friends, family, clients, and colleagues who have believed in us and supported us over the years.