Marc Anidjar is a Founding Senior Partner at The Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine. Born and raised in Hollywood, Florida, Marc is dedicated to serving the South Florida community and beyond. At the personal injury firm based in Fort Lauderdale and with offices across Florida, Marc is primarily responsible for handling business operations of the firm, including all cases up to the point of litigation. He is experienced in designing and implementing the firm’s marketing strategies, client consultations, networking, and implementation of operational strategies. Marc has won thousands of cases for his clients and together with his co-founder, Glen Levine, they have won over $450 million for their clients.
Please tell us a little bit about your company
At the Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine, we specialize in personal injury law. We proudly offer our clients all the services needed to complete their cases. By offering both pre-litigation and litigation services under one room, we aim to give our clients a seamless experience, making a hard time in their lives a little easier. We handle every case with passion and focus from start to finish, which sets us apart from most other law firms.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company
I graduated from the University of Florida in 1999, then moved onto Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad School of Law in 2003 where I obtained my JD. Afterwards, I went on to start my first job. Even though it had a low salary, I took the position anyway because it offered a commission structure that would allow me to grow. I’ve always had the habit of betting on myself when given the option.
I met my partner, Glen Levine, at a Miami Dolphins game while we were both working at separate personal injury firms. At the time, my firm was in need of a litigator who could resolve our cases that had to go to trial. We passed many of these along to Glen who was very experienced in this area. The working relationship started there and ultimately, we decided that we would partner up and open our own law firm of Anidjar & Levine.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
In order to be a successful entrepreneur, one needs to have a vision of where he or she wants to go. Part of being a good businessman is seeing the chessboard. If you anticipate the next moves, you can then know what the best strategies are to achieve your objectives.
Resolve comes into play because a business owner needs to have an unwavering commitment to the strategy. You need to ensure that any obstacles that arise can be overcome. It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them, but you will never get ahead by being indecisive.
Patience is a virtue. Nothing happens quickly and there are no legitimate “get rich quick” schemes. A business plan takes time to materialize. You have to have patience in your strategy.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow your company?
More of the same! People often attempt to dabble in multiple areas of business, but I believe using what you know best is the greatest way to grow your company. If you have a strategy which has been proven to be successful time and time again, continuing this business model is the best option. At The Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine, we will continue to advertise and open up new offices, which will allow us to bring a higher level of legal expertise and customer service to our clients. For us, that is the best business plan for growth.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
Nothing we do is proprietary, and there’s really no secret sauce. It’s really just a commitment to treating every client like a human being. If you focus on your clients and the people in your company, then the money will always follow. At Anidjar and Levine, we pride ourselves in being accessible to our clients. Placing our cell phone numbers on our business cards Is just one of the ways we show our commitment to them and that we are always there for them when they need us.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
The first mistake I made was going too hard, too fast with an advertising campaign we started in a new market. It takes time for trust to be established and the best way to do that is with time and patience. When entering into a new market, clients can be skeptical of a new firm that advertises very heavy and very quickly. I learned that by doing more community events and showing potential clients that we want to be part of the city’s fabric, we grew trust and had a far better outcome than unnecessary advertising.
The second mistake was being “too cute.” Our first advertising campaign was on a Spanish radio station. This particular campaign was a play on a popular TV show called “El Gordo y La Flaca.” The title translates to “The Heavy Guy and the Skinny Girl.” I attempted to play off the popularity of that show by creating the slogan “Llama al Gordo.” At the time I was carrying a little extra weight and felt it would play well on the Spanish radio. Needless to say, it failed miserably. The lesson was learned to never make a legal issue a joking matter.
The third mistake I made was treating all my staff equally. I felt that having a uniform approach to working with all of my staff members would be the fairest way of running a business. As I matured and gained experience, I realized that my staff comprised human beings, so each member has different desires and motivations. I now cater my management style to fit each person depending on their needs, which ensures good people will stick around.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process. What has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Developing a marketing campaign has been extremely successful. In doing so, I have developed our type of law firm and what we offer to your clients. Refreshing our marketing campaign is also equally important. If we don’t refresh it on occasion, it can send a stale message.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I knew that I would spend more time with my staff and family. Making sure they are happy is as important as my bottom line. A happy employee works much harder and is far more loyal. Turnover in staffing is your enemy and a drag on your bottom line, so spending the time growing relationships with your family and staff and taking good care of them is worth the effort.
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is an excellent book. I know this sounds like a cliché, but the simplicity of his approach is why the 1936 book is still being taught today. Its message is that with praise and interaction with other people in any negotiation, you can achieve the desired result in making that person feel that the end result was their decision.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would save it. The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is being nonchalant and risky about spending money. While there’s always going to be a time to invest, make sure you’re making wise decisions with your money.
What is your favorite quote?
“The further society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it”
– George Orwell.
It reminds me to always speak my mind, even if what comes out is unpopular.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Learn from others’ mistakes. Listen to other entrepreneurs and their stories. There’s always important information that you can pick up from them and you hopefully won’t make the same mistakes they did.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can connect with me by visiting my website: www.anidjarlevine.com contact us via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Related Interview: Meet Glen Levine, Senior Founding Partner at Anidjar & Levine
