Dean Tingey

Find objective ways of measuring progress and success of [your] business. Look for good data…to analyze what is working and what is not working.

 

Dean M. Tingey was born in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1964. He has been practicing law for twenty years, and his dedication and diligence make him an exemplary attorney within Tingey Injury Law Firm. Dean attended Brigham Young University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989. In 1997, he received a Juris Doctorate degree from Gonzaga Law School. He was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1998. Dean is a member of the Clark County Bar Association and the Nevada Justice Association. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Susanne, as well as his children and grandchildren, and in his spare time, he can be caught watching Star Trek.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

My father has been practicing law since I was five years old.  I admired the work he did and the way he helped other people.  I worked as his runner for several years in my teenage years.  The office environment appealed to me.  When I took those career tests in high school, the result often showed my personality fit the role of attorney.  When I entered college, I decided to get a degree and continue to law school.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I am a personal injury lawyer for part of my day.  That means I meet with clients and figure out what we can do to help them get compensated for the losses and harmed caused by others.  I am also a business owner for part of my day.  That means I do my best to improve each part of the law firm to better help our clients and staff and to make the firm more successful.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Careful planning, clear presentation, and follow-up with feedback. I wait to present ideas until I’m confident that they are cohesive and ready to be put into action. Then, during weekly staff meetings, I present improvements to our current system concisely, along with any necessary, clarifying visuals. Once a new idea is being adopted by employees, I check in to see how it is working. I remain humble and allow for critical feedback to improve any new system.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Virtual reality. I’ve always pictured being able to complete all of my work in a virtual world. VR technology has the potential to make a lot of things easier.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I really enjoy optimizing my workflow as much as possible. If I have to do any task twice, I like to automate it as much as possible. In the past, I would create macros to physically automate repetitive computer tasks. Now, I create lists to organize my tasks and seek any optimization that can make those tasks more efficient.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Invest in tech stocks whenever a financial bubble bursts and the stock market dips down.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

It is best to buy an investment when the majority of people are frantically selling and it’s best to sell when everyone is frantically buying.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I try to find objective ways of measuring my progress and the success of my business. Looking for good data allows me to analyze what is working and what is not working. I try to make everything that goes on as visible and trackable as I can.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Focusing on customer service. A large number of clients we help are recommended by prior clients. We focus on providing a great customer experience, and it has turned our prior clients into our most valuable advertisers.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

It took me a few tries to find the correct career path. I would consider my initial failed attempts at choosing the right career to be good learning experiences. I value my experiences while working at a cellular phone company and restaurant franchise organization, but I was glad to leave them behind and pursue the practice of law.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Creating a service that allows the public to rate the conduct of other drivers by their license plate number. An app could pay for itself through advertising.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Equipment for “sensory blackout” while sleeping. Noise-canceling headphones and a good sleep mask.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Spectacle. I use four monitors at work and like to use my virtual real estate as effectively as possible. This program helps me see everything on the screen I need.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The E-Myth. You will see your role in your business in a new, powerful way.

What is your favorite quote?

Why didn’t you list that among our assets?” – Westley, The Princess Bride

Key Learnings:

• Optimize workflow.
• Focus on customer service.
• Look for opportunity when others are panicking.

Connect:

www.tingeylawfirm.com

www.twitter.com/tingeylawfirm