who is stage? changing the script for business development and marketing.

meet the team

Megan Senese (she/her)

co-founder & principal
new york
email megan
Who is Megan Senese, anyway?
Obsessed with ideation, creation, execution, and speed (just call me super speedy Senese). I have 18 years of marketing and business development experience, instituting client teams and launching industry programs at three different Am Law 100 firms. A straight shooter with a deadpan sense of humor, I quickly solve problems and move to solutions. With a knack for orienting conversations back to what is practical and actionable, I flex between the two, particularly in complex organizations such as law firms. As a certified Smart Collaborator and accredited partner to administer the Gardner & Co. Smart Collaboration Accelerator, I bring teams and individuals who are looking to work and communicate more effectively or cross-sell together.
My strengths are in executing and coaching lawyers and business development (and marketing) professionals on client- and industry-specific strategies to generate growth, revenue, and relationships, as well as creating multi-pronged content campaigns, generating ideas, and increasing brand and market visibility. I love helping individual lawyers grow their books of business and supporting legal marketing professionals. I am a frequent writer on LinkedIn, offering real talk about the legal industry and practical tips on how to build relationships and business.
I am also the co-host of stage’s podcast: So Much to Say: A Legal Podcast for People.
podcast guest appearances + other features: The Women Who Wow Series, in Lawrina’s “Social Media Tips for Lawyers”, and was a podcast guest on This Legal Life: NOT Another Legal Podcast (S1, episode 14) and For Your Listening Pleasure: The Podcast (episode 68) and The Free Lawyer: Achieving Clarity and Personal Freedom: The Key to Successful Business Development for Lawyers (episode 120), Passle CMO Series: Taking a Client-First Approach to Legal Business Development (episode 105), Woman to Woman Podcast Series, shespeaks Powerhouse Women Show, The Legal500 Podcast (season 2, episode 23), The Lawyer's Edge, (episode 25), The Legal Burnouts, The Newfangled Lawyer,Legally Different and LMA Podcast The Trust Factor: Business Development and Relationship Building Tips That Stick.
speaking: Closing the Loop: Mastering Post-Event Follow-Up, with Nexl, Network Where You Are with The Authentic Lawyer, Power of Collaboration: Driving Client Retention and Success in Law Firms with Nexl, co-presented at the LMA SouthWest 2023 Virtual BD Boot Camp Series, New York Local Group LMA Northeast Region, Marketing with Empathy Workshop, moderated at the LMA 2024 NE Region Conference session and, Kayo Women in M&A Conference Series.
writing: Authored, Path to Partnership: Here’s What You Need to Do to Stay on Track (Bloomberg), You’re a Newly Minted Partner. Now What? 5 Tips for Your First 90 Days (PLI), Why September is the Ideal Time for Business Planning (PLI), First-Gen Lawyers Can Reach New Heights and Succeed in Big Law (Bloomberg), Law Firms Can Keep Lateral Partners With Support at Work, Home(Bloomberg), Lateral Partner Recruiting Must Focus on Honesty and Clear Data” (Bloomberg), Lateral Partner Integration Requires Business Development Plan(Bloomberg), The impact of AI on BD and marketing in professional services with The BD Ladder, Authenticity Is the New Professional: Why Being Yourself Is Key to Success(Practicing Law Institute), Leading with Heart: Megan K Senese of stage On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership(Authority Magazine), Building Strong Relationships At All Stages Of A Legal Career(Law360), Win the Tug of War for Law Talent with These Strategies(Bloomberg Law), Perfecting Outreach Cadence Between Lawyers and Clients”(Law360), contributed to Nexl’s 2023 Law Firm Growth Strategy Report, co-authored A Law Firm's Guide To Producing A Podcast(Law360), 5 Attorney Business Development Tips For The New Year(Law360).
coaching client quotes:
“Megan has been instrumental in helping me grow my book of business and help me navigate moving to a Big Law firm and then to a specialized boutique firm. I can confidently say I’ve generated more than six figures of new business directly because of the guidance I’ve received from Megan.” - Shams Merchant
“Megan Senese is a one-stop shop of guidance and ideas (and resources). I have been working with stage through their "corduroy" program, which offers (FREE) business development coaching for any lawyer going out or coming back from parental leave. She can do it all but has a special niche in working with young partners and the overlap between that career inflection point and parenthood. I cannot recommend Megan (and stage) enough. She knows the industry and syncs up incredibly well with whatever you've got going on at your firm, whether it's a robust BD team, a small team, or it's just you pitching you. There's no dream too big or pitch too small for her. She'll dream up next steps for you and give you all the materials to make it happen.” - Ale Dalton
“Working with Megan has made me more confident. I stopped trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and learned that I could have more success by looking for counterparts who are like-minded and have similar values/goals.” - Lora Krsulich
“stage isn't just coaching me. Megan is actually behind the scenes creating content and pitching me. The 1:1 conversations with Megan have been invaluable to my success and growth of my firm.” - Allie Levene
“I wanted to tell you how impressed I’ve been with you generally and the business model you have at stage. I’ve used a lot of service providers in the past where it really feels like the person/team is operating at arm’s length, but this really feels like having an in-house person. I think there are particularly a lot of female solo practitioners and partners at small firms who are missing out on tons of opportunities and don’t even realize that a service like this exists. And the price point is a no-brainer when you consider what a senior associate or partner is likely billing and how many hours you are saving them, then that’s an easy argument to make.” - Solo Law Firm Owner
“Since working with Megan, shareholders applaud my intentionality and my follow-through on business development opportunities.” - Big Law Law Associate

email megan

listen to our podcast

I cannot say enough about my friend Megan Senese and stage. If you know her, you know she does not just open doors. She builds the room, invites everyone in, and makes sure you walk away with new connections and a bigger vision for yourself. She is generous with her time, endlessly creative, and always looking for ways to elevate the people around her. That kind of leadership is rare, and it makes a real impact. If you are looking for support with business development at any stage of your legal career, I highly recommend scheduling a call with Megan. Whether you are just getting started or refining a well-established practice, she meets you where you are and helps you move forward with clarity and confidence.

— Big Law Lawyer
I had only known Megan through LinkedIn. This was the first time we saw each other on camera. And within minutes, I understood why women in legal keep showing up for her. Her energy is contagious. She's building a space where women attorneys lift each other up, refer business to one another, and grow revenue while being kind to ourselves along the way. That combination is rare. And she's not the only one doing it.

- Business Owner
Megan has a way of bringing people together is so nice in a world on fire and an industry that often does not lead with empathy.

— Solo Law Firm Owner
Through coaching, having someone to talk through and brainstorm was incredibly helpful. I appreciate the weekly follow ups + action items

- Solo Law Firm Owner
The conference prep tips were great and helped me see the work I should do ahead of time rather than just after.

- Big Law Lawyer

who is stage? changing the script for business development and marketing.

Megan Senese (she/her)

Megan has a way of bringing people together is so nice in a world on fire and an industry that often does not lead with empathy.

Through coaching, having someone to talk through and brainstorm was incredibly helpful. I appreciate the weekly follow ups + action items

The conference prep tips were great and helped me see the work I should do ahead of time rather than just after.