"Don't worry about the way others are doing things or what others might think of you changing the way it's always been done."
Jim Lucas is a successful business leader and entrepreneur. Over the past 25 years, he has expanded his portfolio of expertise from architecture with a specialty in zoning and legal issues, to the fields of law and video production. Jim transitioned his talent for creating compelling, state-of-the-art zoning board presentations to the courtroom when he launched Legal Graphicworks in the summer of 2010. By bringing together professionals from diverse professions, including architecture, art history, engineering, information technology, marketing, and psychology, Legal Graphicworks has built a nationally known reputation for innovative legal presentation solutions, quality, and economy of resource to help attorneys win the case.
In 2017, Jim expanded once again by creating LGW Mediaworks to offer the high-quality multi-media services he and his team developed as Legal Graphicworks to a wide range of industries. As president and CEO of both divisions, Jim is the steward of a vanguard media company consistently achieving clients’ desired results through the innovative use of technology, a sound grasp of graphics, and communicating often complex information. His strategic vision for the company focuses on three fundamental aspects: priority of boutique customer service; results-driven creative content; and providing the best value. An innovator at heart, Jim has excelled in the design and implementation of new technologies to create solutions for graphic systems and procedures in the fields of architecture, engineering, land development, and the highly complex legal arena. He is credited for designing and writing specification modules for some of the country’s leading software developers.
Jim began his career with The Lawrence Group, a landmark Palm Beach architectural firm, where he worked with the state’s foremost zoning and land use attorneys on some of the most complex zoning and legal issues throughout Palm Beach County and the state of Florida. He continues to provide his architectural expertise as President and CEO of ACI Architectural Consultants Inc., a full-service architectural design firm. Jim is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed his architectural engineering degree in 1987 and achieved national accreditation for legal videography in 2010.
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Table of Contents
Thank you so much for giving us your time! Before we begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and take us through what exactly your company does and what your vision is for its future?
Jim Lucas: Yes, thank you so much for this opportunity! Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked to marry my expertise from architecture with a specialty in zoning and legal issues, to the fields of law and video production. I knew there was synergy in creating compelling, state-of-the-art zoning board presentations that would translate to the courtroom. In the summer of 2010, I took those skills and launched Legal Graphicworks. By bringing together professionals from diverse professions, including architecture, art history, engineering, information technology, marketing, and psychology, Legal Graphicworks has built a nationally known reputation for innovative legal presentation solutions, quality, and economy of resource to help attorneys win the case.
In 2017, we expanded again and created LGW Mediaworks to offer high-quality multi-media services to a wider range of industries. We work hard to consistently achieve our clients’ desired results through the innovative use of technology, a sound grasp of graphics, and communicating often complex information. In addition, I enjoy designing and implementing new technologies and creating solutions and am proud of the work I’ve done designing and writing specification modules for some of our country’s leading software developers.
This year, we also added three new divisions – 3D graphic illustrations, court reporting, and tech-savvy trial and litigation services. We are honored to have incredibly well-recognized leaders located across the United States as a part of our team. We like to think of ourselves as a one-stop partner, seamlessly folding into our clients’ team and helping them to achieve their goals without worry. In addition to Legal Graphicworks and LGW Mediaworks, I continue to provide architectural expertise as President and CEO of ACI Architectural Consultants Inc., a full-service architectural design firm.
NO child ever says I want to be a CEO/entrepreneur when I grow up. What did you want to be and how did you get where you are today?
Jim Lucas: For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an architect. I graduated with a degree in Architectural Engineering and found myself working for a firm in Palm Beach, Florida that specialized in very high-end projects that had very changeling zoning or land use issues. We worked very closely with the legal teams to put together impressive presentations to make the difficult issues easy to understand. In 2009 the construction industry took a turn and slowed down. We happened to be working on a project in Gainesville, Florida at the time and managed to get all of our approvals to move forward on a huge residential project. One of the investors on that project was a West Palm Beach attorney who needed help with some legal presentations. In my heart, I knew that we could take the skills I had been building making difficult issues easy to understand. From there, Legal Graphicworks was born.
Tell us something about yourself that others in your organization might be surprised to know.
Jim Lucas: I played on two USA Baseball Teams that traveled throughout Europe and Australia in the 1980s as part of an effort to promote baseball as a major sport in the Olympics.
Many readers may wonder how to become an entrepreneur but what is an entrepreneur? How would you define it?
Jim Lucas: In my case, it means being able to stay in front of the curve and be able to reinvent yourself and your business to make the most of your opportunities. That comes with a lot of personal risk and innovation. It also awards you many opportunities. To be a successful entrepreneur you have to be passionate and willing to continue to find ways to achieve your success despite hardships. Being able to look around corners and identify what’s coming next is key to staying ahead of trends and relevant in your industry.
What is the importance of having a supportive and inclusive culture?
Jim Lucas: The culture of a business is one of the most important factors as to whether a business is headed for success or failure. If you create a workplace where people enjoy the work, feel included and supported in all ways, and have growth opportunities, then the employees will always take care of your clients. We are proud to have staff from all walks of life who live in a way that is true to them and brings new perspectives to the work we do.
How can a leader be disruptive in the post covid world?
Jim Lucas: As a business owner you must be willing to change as the industry changes. Don’t follow ” the way it’s always been done.” Don’t be afraid to create industry disruption by finding new and better ways to do things. Your biggest competition is yourself. Don’t worry about the way others are doing things or what others might think of you changing the way it’s always been done. Be inventive and find better ways to cut costs or better ways to approach difficult issues.
If a 5-year-old asked you to describe your job, what would you tell them?
Jim Lucas: We take very complicated issues and distill them down so that anyone can understand them.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Jim Lucas: The hardest thing for me was the decision to not have everyone working from an office space. Even before COVID, we made the decision not to have a bunch of “brick and mortar” locations but rather hire top talent wherever they might be located and work remotely. It allowed us to bring in very talented members of the team and it allowed us to keep our rates competitive for our clients and to invest the money into the employees instead of rent.
Leaders are usually asked about their most useful qualities but let’s change things up a bit. What is your most useless talent?
Jim Lucas: I can convert decimals to feet and inches in my head.
Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, we do have one more question. If you wrote a book about your life until today, what would the title be?
Jim Lucas: “My Way – Bumps and bruises as told by an entrepreneur“
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jim Lucas for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Jim Lucas or his company, you can do it through his – Facebook
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