Deborah Farone
CEO/Author
New York, NY
My Role
My advisory practice focuses on helping and coaching all sizes of law firms and individual lawyers with their business development and marketing strategy and upscaling the development of the marketing and business development department's creation. I am also known for speaking at retreats, practice groups and workshops around the world. I am the author of the best-selling legal marketing book, Best Practices: Marketing and Business Development for Law Firms (PLI 2019), a work based on more than 60 interviews with successful law firm leaders and marketers, general counsel, and innovators in the profession. My new book, Breaking Ground: How Successful Women Lawyers Build Thriving Practices (PLI Press, 2026), distills insights from more than sixty of the world’s leading women rainmakers across multiple continents. Through research-based analysis and deeply personal stories, the book reveals the habits, strategies, and mindsets that enable lawyers to develop meaningful client relationships and build sustainable practices.
What I love most about my role
Helping women develop and grow their practices whether they are lawyers or other professionals. I love to help them build their confidence, develop a niche and create and take part in a business development plan.
How I define success
Success, to me, is when a woman is able to step fully into her potential and do work that energizes her rather than depletes her. It’s not about titles or perfection. It’s about discovering what you’re uniquely good at, developing it fiercely, and creating a career that brings both purpose and joy. When we’re brave enough to follow the work we love, everything else—including impact—flows from there.
The best piece of business advice I ever received was
The best piece of advice I ever received came from my dad. He told me to find the thing I love and do it. He said not to worry about success or money. Those things would come when I was passionate about my work. That mindset has shaped my entire career and is at the heart of how I define success today.
I believe success is the ability to use our skills in ways that feel meaningful, to grow continually, and to create lives where our professional paths and personal values reinforce one another. When women can do the work they love and are supported, seen, and valued while doing it, that is success.
What would I tell my younger self
I would tell my younger self to trust her instincts and have more confidence in the things that make her different. For a long time, I did not realize that my mix of quirks was actually a strength. I loved being creative and artistic, and I also loved analysis and the challenge of working with people. At the time, those interests felt like separate pieces that did not quite fit together.
What I know now is that the very combination of those qualities would become the foundation of my career. My creativity helped me see possibilities. My analytical side helped me build strategies. My interest in people helped me understand how relationships grow. I would tell my younger self that none of this is accidental. It all matters and it will all come together in ways she cannot yet imagine.
Above all, I would remind her to trust her voice, to take up space with confidence, and to know that what makes her unique is exactly what will make her thrive.
What 2B Bolder mean to me
To me, 2B Bolder represents possibility. It is a reminder that women thrive when they can see other women who have pushed boundaries, created their own paths, and succeeded on their own terms. Throughout my career, I have seen how powerful it is when women have access to real examples of what leadership can look like. It gives us permission to dream bigger, to trust our instincts, and to believe that our potential is not limited.
2B Bolder celebrates that idea. It shines a light on women who are building meaningful, ambitious careers and it shows the next generation what is possible. For me, it is about empowerment. It is about lifting up voices and stories that inspire confidence and courage. When women can look around and see role models who reflect their own aspirations, it becomes easier to step forward, speak up, and pursue the work they were meant to do.
That is what 2B Bolder means to me. It is both a platform and a mindset, one that encourages women to imagine more for themselves and to take bold steps toward achieving their greatest potential.
Years of Experience
30-plus Strategic insight: I have always had a strong ability to see the bigger picture and connect the dots between people, opportunities, and ideas. This helps me guide lawyers and professionals as they build practices that are both purposeful and sustainable. Relationship building: I understand how trust is formed and how relationships grow over time. Much of my work centers on helping others deepen client relationships and become true advisors. I rely on this same skill in my own work as well. Creative problem solving: I love the combination of analysis and creativity. It allows me to design programs, books, training, and strategies that feel both fresh and practical. I can take complex challenges and find solutions that are clear, engaging, and tailored to the people involved.
I recommend you focus on developing these 3 skills to succeed in a role like mine
Strategic insight: I have always had a strong ability to see the bigger picture and connect the dots between people, opportunities, and ideas. This helps me guide lawyers and professionals as they build practices that are both purposeful and sustainable.
Relationship building: I understand how trust is formed and how relationships grow over time. Much of my work centers on helping others deepen client relationships and become true advisors. I rely on this same skill in my own work as well.
Creative problem solving: I love the combination of analysis and creativity. It allows me to design programs, books, training, and strategies that feel both fresh and practical. I can take complex challenges and find solutions that are clear, engaging, and tailored to the people involved.