We were lucky to catch up with Trisha Widowfield recently and have shared our conversation below.

Trisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

I became involved in the Facebook group Ms. Esquire in 2015, which is a platform for female attorneys to empower each other through resources, referrals, and advice. It currently has over 10,000 members across the country. In my role as Vice President of this group, I started collaborating with its Founder and President, Rahysa Vargas, to bring the concept “off the page” with in-person networking Chapters throughout South Florida. We started our first two Chapters in Fort Lauderdale and Miami in August 2021. Due to the overwhelming demand and our intention to keep the Chapters to less than 25 people, we now have 8 Chapters, 2 in Fort Lauderdale, 2 in Miami, one in West Broward, 1 in West Palm Beach, 1 in Boca Raton, and our newest Chapter just launched in Orlando! While we maintain the name-brand of Ms. Esquire, the live Chapters are open to men, as well as non-attorney professionals. Ms. Esquire’s mission is to help grow our members’ business, not just through referrals but also by providing members with coaching and educational presentations on topics like marketing, personal development, and scaling. We’re proud to report that in 2023, members of the 7 Chapters in existence at the time closed a total of $15.5 million in referred business through Ms. Esquire! Rahysa and I have put so much time, energy, and dedication into this organization, so it is fulfilling to see that our members are directly benefiting!

Trisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am fortunate enough to have been with my law firm Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm for my entire legal career, from being a first-year law student all the way to becoming a Partner. Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm is a well-known boutique litigation firm specializing in medical malpractice cases all over Florida. What makes us unique is that we have decades of experience defending doctors and hospitals against medial malpractice. But then in 2017, we “switched sides.” I went from being a defense attorney to a plaintiff attorney almost overnight- talk about pivoting! I now represent the patients and families who have suffered catastrophic injuries or death due to medical malpractice by doctors and/or hospitals. Because of the complex nature of this work, we intentionally accept a small number of cases. This way we can give my clients the attention and focus that they deserve to bring their case to a successful resolution. It was because of this need for personal rebranding, pivoting from being a defense attorney to a plaintiff attorney, that I first became involved with Ms. Esquire. I love sharing the story of how Ms. Esquire helped me rebrand. I’m proud to be personally involved in all 8 Chapters, from selecting quality members to ensuring that our programming benefits members of all professions, as well as encouraging and facilitating business referrals. I truly believe that behind every successful person is a network of strong relationships.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media has really evolved from being purely social to being a powerful professional platform to develop and market your brand. But to use social media successfully in this manner, you need to be intentional. Not just about what content you’re posting but, more importantly, how you’re responding to others’ content. Look, no one posts something to get zero likes or zero comments- so take some time so share some love, support, and encouragement as you see your colleague’s posts! You want the same from them, right? I do have to say, you shouldn’t just rely on social media to cultivate your professional relationships. If it’s a big event- good or bad- I put the time and effort in to send a handwritten note of congratulations, sympathy, or support to my contacts. It’s too easy to write a quick comment and move on. Some of these life events deserve more effort than that and it will help make you memorable.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think that it is my level of responsiveness that has helped build my reputation as a successful medical malpractice attorney. When anyone refers a case to me, I immediately reach out to explain the next steps- how I’ll contact the potential client, evaluate the case, and, if we take the case, what to expect during the investigation. I also keep them informed of the status of the case until it is resolved. But even if a case comes in that is not within our practice area or threshold, I still take the extra step to try to connect the client to someone who CAN help them. Even if I’m not taking the case, I find that both the referral source and potential client are exceptionally thankful for these additional efforts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hpslegal.com/our-team/trisha-sanor-widowfield-2/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trisha.widowfield
• Linkedin: hhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/trisha-widowfield-5048126/

Image Credits
Serina Prado- On Target Marketing Natalia Perez