Lawyerist Podcast

Author Erica Keswin discusses what it really means to bring your human side to work and the action steps you can use to infuse that throughout your firm on a regular basis. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LawPay, Back Office Betties, TextExpander, and Casetext for sponsoring this episode!

Basecamp founder & CEO Jason Fried discusses how the pandemic has shifted the perspective on remote work, what companies need to do to thrive with newly-remote teams, and how to handle the influx of communication that could overwhelm team members. If you want more insight on how to succeed with a remote law firm, check out our resource page on virtual law firms. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, TextExpander, LawPay, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

SVP of Methods and Intelligence at Cisco Ashley Goodall discusses leading and managing at work the right way and some of the biggest lies we believe about work. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! If you’d like to learn more about how to manage successfully in your firm for the long term, check out our resource page on law office management. Thanks to First Place Legal, LawPay, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Consultant, author, and inclusion expert Jennifer Brown discusses how to build a law firm with a hiring process and culture that meets the needs of diverse audiences. If you’d like to learn more about inclusion and equity, please visit our resource page on diversity and inclusion. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LexReception, Back Office Betties, TextExpander, and LawPay for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab leader Stephanie Everett and Marketing Director Laura Briggs discuss the three steps you need to take before building and implementing a strategic marketing plan for your law firm. If you’d like to learn more about marketing for your small firm, check out our resource page on legal marketing. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, TextExpander, LawPay, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab member Ryan McKeen discusses how to strategize and make action plans for moving forward even with an uncertain future on the horizon. If you’d like to learn more about deciding on your goals and next steps right now, check out our resource page on personal and career goals. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Lawyers With Purpose, Back Office Betties, LawPay, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Family lawyer Emily Cooper discusses how to set your law firm team up to succeed when you’re not in the office or need to adjust to outside circumstances. If you’d like to learn more about planning for incapacity or your departure from your firm, check out our resource page on succession planning. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Mockingbird Marketing, TextExpander, Back Office Betties, and LawPay for sponsoring this episode!

Elder law attorney Amy McGarry discusses how to create and define processes for your team and your legal clients to explain steps and keep them in the loop. If you’d like to learn more about creating easily repeatable processes in your firm, check out our resource page on project management. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, LawPay, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab leader and coach Stephanie Everett discusses why you need a business advisory council for your law firm and how to create one. If you’d like to learn more about investing in support for your professional development and law firm growth, check out our resource page on law firm coaching. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to First Place Legal, Back Office Betties, TextExpander, and LawPay for sponsoring this episode.

Author Mike Michalowicz discusses why so many business owners struggle with naming their biggest challenge and how to set priorities for what to work on next. If you’d like to learn more about defining your plan as a law firm, check out our resource page on law firm strategy. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, TextExpander, LawPay, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Author and business strategist Alan Smith discusses business models optimized for today and tomorrow, how to transcend industry boundaries, and stay adaptable. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! For more information about defining your business model, check out our resource page on law firm strategy. Thanks to Captorra, Back Office Betties, LawPay, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

CPA Greg Crabtree discusses the most important metrics to measure when striving for a profitable small or solo law firm. To learn more about what to track in your firm and what to know to prepare for a possible 2020 recession, read our resource page on law firm finance. Thanks to First Place Legal, LawPay, TextExpander, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Clio CEO and author Jack Newton discusses why lawyers have to adapt and what it means to have a client-centered law firm in 2020 and beyond. To learn more about serving clients effectively, read our resource page on client experience. Thanks to Smith.ai, LawPay, TextExpander, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Author David Burkus explains what’s wrong with the traditional approach to networking and how to build your connections more effectively instead. For more information about leveraging your marketing plan more effectively, check out our resource page on law firm networking and referral strategy. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LawPay, TextExpander, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab leader and coach Stephanie Everett discusses how to be tech and remote ready, finding the right crowd of peers to push forward together, and keeping yourself mentally healthy while facing serious external challenges like a pandemic. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, Rankings.io, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode! For more information about transitioning your law practice to a virtual law firm, check out our resource page on remote law firms.

Speaker and author of Double Double and Meetings Suck Cameron Herold explains how the stages experienced in the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship translate to different action steps. For more information about taking care of yourself and how your background can influence your work, read our resource page on mental health. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to GNGF, TextExpander, Back Office Betties, and Rankings.io for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab member Amber James discusses shifting from a client-focused to a team leader-focused role in her own firm and the mindset and strategy required to make that transition with Stephanie Everett. For more information about stepping into a leadership role in your firm, read our resource page on people management. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Rankings.io, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Discover the five financial numbers you need to know to run your law firm, to scale successfully, and to forecast your future, with Stephanie Everett. For more information about financial KPIs, read our resource page on law firm finances. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LexReception, TextExpander, Back Office Betties, and Rankings.io for sponsoring this episode!

Author and speaker Adam Markel talks about pivoting your life and career and what it means to be a resilient leader of your firm. For more information about leadership, read our resource page on managing people in your firm. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Rankings.io, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab member Tyler Inkster discusses targeting the right clients, leveraging the most powerful referral sources, niching down, and the value of content marketing with Stephanie Everett. For more information about marketing strategy, read our resource page on legal marketing. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, TextExpander, Rankings.io, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Law professor Benjamin Barton discusses how the Great Recession impacted law school admission, performance, and curriculum, and what this means for the future of law schools. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Ruby, Rankings.io, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander, sponsoring this episode!

Our newest Lawyerist team member, Laura Briggs, explains what to know before you outsource, what to look for in a freelancer, and how to hire and work with independent contractors. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, Back Office Betties, TextExpander, and Rankings.io, for sponsoring this episode!

Remote working expert Maryellen Stockton explains how to write a job posting that attracts the best talent, and job descriptions that set employees up for success. Mentioned in this episode: Textio If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Lawyaw, TextExpander, Rankings.io, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Jonathan Hawkins explains how to transition out of your practice, whether you are squashed by an anvil out of the blue or planning to cash out and retire. Plus, common mistakes lawyers make when planning their exit (besides not planning in the first place). If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Rankings.io, Back Office Betties, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

Annie Grace has helped over a hundred thousand people answer a simple question: “Would my life be better if I were drinking less?” (If you’re asking yourself that question, it probably would be.) She explains how to think about your relationship with alcohol and why moderation is harder than just drinking or not drinking. Plus, good manners for drinkers in the company of non-drinkers! Try The Alcohol Experiment yourself. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, Back Office Betties, Rankings.io, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode!

In learning about his own ADHD, Marshall Lichty realized that he’s not alone. Many lawyers struggle with untreated ADHD, but it can also be harnessed like a super power. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Smith.ai, Back Office Betties, TextExpander, and Rankings.io for sponsoring this episode!

Lawyerist Lab member Jennifer Longtin let us record a portion of a recent coaching call with Stephanie Everrett, so this week you get to eavesdrop on that conversation and learn the strategy they developed to help Jennifer take charge of her firm finances! If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to GNGF, TextExpander, Rankings.io, and Back Office Betties for sponsoring this episode!

Nathan Hightower explains Culture Index, a scientific approach to the “right people, right seats” concept, and why too much distance between your core traits and the behaviors required to do your job well might be hurting you and your law firm. To get an idea of what a Culture Index graph might look like so you can picture it as Nathan refers to it, here is Sam’s: If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Earth Class Mail, SaneBox, Alert Communications, and ROSS Intelligence for sponsoring this episode!

Dan Pink suggests that your legal work probably isn’t as valuable in the afternoons—the “trough” of your day. (For similar reasons, he avoids afternoon doctor appointments and thinks you should, too.) In this episode Dan discusses the science of timing and productivity, the subject of his latest book, When, and also compensation and motivation, the subject of Drive. Also, Dan says science doesn’t think much of the billable hour: The billable hour is one of the most autonomy-thwarting, controlling, self-direction inhibiting mechanisms that one has. It puts the focus on the clock rather than on the work. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Mentioned in this episode: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Thanks to PwC Insights Officer, ROSS Intelligence, SaneBox, and Alert Communications for sponsoring this episode!

While we’re not big fans of easily broken resolutions, the end of the year is a great time to reflect on the past year for yourself and your business and set goals for next year. Stephanie Everett explains how she helps Lawyerist Lab members set personal and business goals and follow through to meet them. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Mentioned in this episode: The Small Firm Scorecard Thanks to Smith AI, Alert Communications, ROSS Intelligence, and SaneBox for sponsoring this episode!

Disclaimer: This episode was originally aired on September 6, 2017. According to Dr. Doug Brackmann, traditional meditation may not work for innovators, entrepreneurs, and other highly “Driven” individuals who may possess characteristics commonly associated ADHD or OCD. Instead he proposes an alternative meditation style and productivity tools better suited to the Driven brain. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to the Law Firm Growth Summit, ROSS Intelligence, Sanebox, and Alert Communications for sponsoring this episode! Show notes: To find out if you are Driven, take the assessment at HighlyDriven.Life. If you want to learn more, pick up Doug’s book, Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe YOU.

According to Vanessa Van Edwards, charisma is charisma is “a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.” In this episode she explains what factors into charisma—and awkwardness—and how everyone can learn to be more charismatic. Thanks to PwC Insights Officer, Alert Communications, Sanebox, and ROSS Intelligence for sponsoring this episode! Watch Vanessa’s presentation at TEDxLondon in 2017, “You are contagious.” Take the Charisma Quiz and find out where you fall on the charisma scale.

Dr. Sherry Walling helps smart people do hard things, but trauma can get in the way. In this episode she explains what trauma is and where it comes from, how to find out if you have trauma, and how it can be linked to other mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. Thanks to PwC Insights Officer, Alert Communications, Sanebox, and ROSS Intelligence for sponsoring this episode! Sherry’s book is The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together: How to Run Your Business Without Letting it Run You. To learn more about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research, visit the CDC resource portal.

Maryellen Stockton helps companies figure out how to build healthy, productive remote or hybrid workplaces. In this episode she explains the different kinds of remote workplace arrangements, discusses some of the biggest challenges, and how to hire and manage effectively. Plus, she shares some of her favorite software tools for collaborating remotely.

Todd Herman’s book, The Alter Ego Effect, offers a tool for getting more out of “the six inches between your ears,” as he likes to say. In this episode he explains what the alter ego effect is, and how to use an alter ego to overcome your biggest challenges.

Ben Hudson made a hire for his small firm that really didn’t work out. So he went back to the drawing board on his hiring process. He took the time to outline his core values and build a thoughtful, slow-moving hiring process around them to make sure his replacement was the right person. Ben doesn’t take unscheduled calls, either, because it’s better for him and his clients.

In this episode with Jim and Jamie Sheils, we talk about work-life balance and what it’s like raising entrepreneurial kids.

In this episode with Justie Nicol, we talk about her transition from a solo to small firm, KPI’s, and her Harry Potter-style House Cup system.

In this episode with Geoff Woods, we talk about what the ONE thing means, why we shouldn’t focus on more than one thing, how to pick a “thing”, and how to overcome the challenges along the way.

In this episode with Adriana Linares, we talk about how lawyers can “level up” their tech savviness. We talk about transitioning to the cloud, dropbox versus document management, basic automation, and outsourcing simple tasks to make work and life easier.

In this episode with Rand Fishkin, we talk about Moz, Rand’s book, Lost and Founder, and SparkToro. We go back to the basics about SEO on this podcast, and also discuss how most law firms are bootstrapped and how firms should think about structure services in the age of Uber and Amazon. Lastly, we dive into the difference between having an audience versus retaining attention.

In this episode with Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and author of Brave, Not Perfect, we talk about the importance of reframing the messages society delivers to girls and women.

In this episode with Stephanie Everett, we talk about our new book, The Small Firm Roadmap and why we wrote it. This podcast outlines major points from the book including why law practice is broken and how we can create successful, future-oriented small and solo law firms.

In this episode with Larry Lessig, we talk about law and context. Larry shares with us the two phases of his work: intellectual property and its impact on culture, and then his focus on political reform with Change Congress, Mayday PAC, Rootstrikers and his presidential campaign. We dive into Larry’s book, Fidelity and Constraint, and how it can help lawyers think about how the Supreme Court decides cases. Lastly, we ask Larry about his fairy novel style of doing slideshow presentations.

On this week's Lawyerist podcast, Sam Glover talks with Jason Rosoff about how to become a better leader and manager by using radical candor. Jason shares how to care personally and challenge directly to break the barrier between employees, clients, and customers to create real, human relationships and a thriving workplace environment.

In this episode with Neil Tyra, we talk about the difference between being an entrepreneur and being a lawyer, all the things they didn’t teach you in law school, and some of the mistakes Neil made along the way in his own practice that helped him grow. We also talk about real estate planning, the future prospects of that practice area, and Neil’s own podcast, The Law Entrepreneur podcast.

In this episode with criminal defense lawyer Erin Gerstenzang, we talk about how her firm has evolved since the last time she was on the podcast two years ago. Erin fills us in on her vision, what success looks like for scaling, and what is working versus what is not.

In this episode with Haben Girma, we talk about her new book The Deaflind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. We also talk about the state of accessibility and what barriers we still need to remove, the theme of “exclusion” in Haben’s book, and how to change the ableist mindset.

In this episode with Matthew Dicks, we talk about storytelling, and why it’s an important skill to learn in business. Matthew shares tips for better storytelling, how to approach storytelling as a lawyer, and how it can help lawyers teach witnesses how to tell better stories on the stand.

In this week’s episode with Amy Morin, we talk about what it means to be mentally strong and the steps it takes to get there. Some key points we cover are finding independence and resilience, practicing optimism, and learning how to think, feel, and behave as someone who is mentally strong.