Todd J. Griset is a partner with Preti Flaherty's Energy and Telecommunications practice group helping clients make critical decisions on energy and utilities matters. Blogging gets him up close to his clients issues and requires him to research, digest and produce palatable material. Griset’s word of advice for new writers: Just do it. Don’t wait to know everything. Just do it and learn along the way.

Why did you decide to write?

It was an opportunity to reach people that I wasn’t already reaching. I had been practicing law for seven years before I started blogging and I wanted to find a new way to connect with people who were interested in the energy and utility sectors.

What is your writing process?

On average, I write one to three articles per week. I read other articles and legislation for writing ideas and look for topics that interest me and my audience. What’s cool about blogs is it’s so easy to refer to your sources using hyperlinks in your article. Readers can click right through and see the documents I looked at when drafting the piece.

What were your expectations for writing when your first began? How have those expectations changed over time?

I had modest expectations when I first began writing. I didn’t have much original material but instead had lists and links to other work. I didn’t know who would read it, how they’d find it and what they’d find interesting. Although there’s still some mystery in each of these categories, I have a better idea of it now and produce much more original work.  

What value do you find in writing?

Writing a piece that hopefully people find interesting, being published, and circulated on the internet exposes prospective clients, existing clients, and governmental decision-makers to my work. There’s value in the process of producing blog posts that gets me up close to the issues relevant to my practice and clients, issues that I might not otherwise have a chance to research or confront in this way.

...it’s certainly helped with client acquisition—fertilizing the field of prospective clients and helping them understand that we’re knowledgeable

How do you benefit from your writing?

I have certainly met a lot of people I wouldn’t have otherwise met through my writing. And it’s certainly helped with client acquisition—fertilizing the field of prospective clients and helping them understand that we’re knowledgeable and skilled advocates on these issues.

What does success mean for you as a writer?

One element of success is process oriented. Continuing to be engaged in the process, identifying topics, research, and then writing. Another element of success is when a new client comes into the office and they say that part of the reason they came to us is because they read my material. Or when a legislator or regulator says that they read my blog and it helped them make decisions.

What advice do you have for writers just starting out?

Start writing. You can always improve or change your process or product later. When I first started I didn’t really know what I was doing but I still gave it a go. Overtime I’ve improved. If I had tried to know everything before I began I would have never started. Don’t be afraid to start and learn from the process.

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[Todd was recognized as a top author in the energy and utilities categories of JD Supra's 2016 Readers' Choice awards. Follow and read his latest writings here.]