Shows
Author's Edge: the Go-to Marketing Podcast in PublishingWriting a Memoir That Sells: 4 Simple Steps with Allison K Williams | Ep. 16Send me a text!In this episode, Allison Lane sits down with editor and author Allison K Williams to discuss the four simple steps to writing a memoir that sells. Both Allisons dive into the nuances of memoir writing and offer actionable advice for authors who want to craft a memoir that resonates and connects with their audience.Key Takeaways:1. You Don’t Need a Massive Platform Allison K Williams dispels the myth that you need 100K followers to sell a memoir. Instead, focus on...2024-09-2429 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Lead Your Business To Success | feat. Steph TussSteph Tuss is an extraordinary woman who took advantage of every opportunity she was given because she was able to live by the mantra, “just say yes.” She has a vast knowledge of business even though she didn’t come from an entrepreneurial background, and didn’t even major in business courses. Yet, she is now the CEO of a hugely successful company, Life Is Now, Inc. In this episode we discuss: How people will be smooth when they have an agreement. Being able and open to experience whatever you need to experience knowing that whatever happens, yo...2022-08-1636 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorTake The Bookkeeping OUT Of Your HandsThere are many benefits to having a bookkeeper and using automation in your business. They save you time, money and energy that can be put back into your lawfrim. How will you know when it is time to hire a bookkeeper? In this episode we discuss: How doing your own bookkeeping is taking time, money, and energy that could be going into your law firm. What are the benefits of choosing the right bookkeeper. Bookkeeping will save you time and energy while you run your business. What your numbers are telling you about the he...2022-08-1222 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorDefining Roles in Your Law FirmWhen we are talking about role description, we are actually talking about role differentiation. What are the key differences between a task list and a job description? In this episode we discuss: What is the difference between a task list and a job description. How to make sure that the content you are defining for a job description is not a static idea. When you create a job description add a growth path for the person's future. Be aware that all the gaps or activities should be covered in advance to grow your business. Allison Bi...2022-08-0921 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Plan Ahead for Summer ProductivitySchool is out for a lot of you that are parents and for a lot of people, the warm months are the time of the year where they like to get away. They like to lawyer at the beach, they like to do a lot of things that will support overall mental health, but of course, rejuvenation so that they can be their best selves. So, of course, we want to make sure that you are planning your law firm in a way that allows you to be able to not just take time off and to have your...2022-06-2820 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorREPLAY - Creating Your Virtual CommunityA virtual community is about how we stay connected as people, despite the fact that we're not physically working with each other. What's important is how to master your work communications in a way that builds a strong collective culture in your law firm, even when it's virtual or a hybrid of brick and mortar and virtual. In this episode we discuss: How to master your work communications in a way that builds a strong collective culture. 3 Key Strategies to create your Virtual Community at work. Encouraging people to engage in light chatter through an app...2022-06-2424 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorStop the Vanity NetworkingThere's a great skill set that comes with being a people person who knows how to make connections, who knows how to drive engagement, and get people interested in your message. Vanity Marketing, however, is done by those who go into a networking opportunity as an experience of being social and making friends instead of finding a way to get business in the door. In this episode, we discuss: Vanity networking means those people that don't network with intentionality. How important is it to have a map of the people that are attending the n...2022-06-1610 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Implement Process And Structure And Use Your Time Efficiently w/ Steve FretzinWhether you are a big firm, a solo practice, or something in between - you need process and structure. Today I chat with Steve Fretzin about how he helps his clients by understanding their personalities and leverages that to create processes and structures that give them the best chance to succeed in efficiency. No one has to be terrified of winging it, or feeling like they are flying by the seat of their pants with a proper structure in place. In this episode we discuss: How important is developing your time management skills. Learn how...2022-06-1424 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCrush Your Email ChaosEmail really does require a level of maintenance and I wanted to share the rules that I actually created around email, the email inbox, and why I constantly struggle with email. In this episode, we discuss: The email requires a level of maintenance. Setting rules and boundaries around communication through emails will help you to prioritize. How to use the tools that are available electronically to manage what is getting in your inbox. Making time to check and deal with email and how to stick to it Allison Bio: Allison C. Wi...2022-06-0726 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorPresentation Skills 101What are the things that you have to work on in order to get to a place where you are magnetic on stage, where you draw people in, and where you’re able to cultivate either referral relationships or new clients from being in front of people? I have three major strategies for you… In this episode, we discuss: How amazing your life can be when you learn the skill of being decisive. Creating what you desire when you have a thought that continues to come to your mind. Allowing yourself to feel and think...2022-06-0318 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThere Is No Such Thing As One And Done In NetworkingAre you making the most out of your network? Make sure that every opportunity, every speaking engagement, every networking event, every referral partnership is one that can produce a snowball effect of opportunity. This episode will include three things that you have to do in order to ensure that your activity and your marketing events are never one and done. In this episode, we discuss: Every time you go out, you represent your business. When you're speaking on a stage, you might be in front of your ideal client. The mindset has to be that every o...2022-05-3114 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Add Two Zeros To Your IncomeWhat would life look like if we added two zeros to our personal income? I want you to go with me on a journey to contemplate that for a moment. If you are a law firm owner and you have ever contemplated the idea of adding more money into your business and more money into your personal income, I'm sure you've thought about having more, right? That's kind of the first place that we all start. I don't like what I have because I want more. In other words, if I have X more dollars - I’d be happy. Fi...2022-05-2720 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Shift Your Law Firm CultureShifting culture takes time. It's not as simple as kind of going in, firing everybody and starting over again because, frankly, most of us can't afford to do that. So, how do you shift the culture? Here’s what to do, and, especially, what NOT to do. In this episode, we discuss: Having a reset conversation and following through with new rules. The importance of enforcing the new rules. Hiring people that will fit your culture and know the rules from the start. Allison Bio: Allison C. Williams, Esq., is the Foun...2022-05-2411 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm Hiring in a Tight MarketWhat do you do when it’s a tight market, but you need people now? Here’s what it comes down to: you have to be more aggressive about going after talent. How do you do that? Get Off Your Ass and get into action. In this episode, we discuss: G.O.Y.A. and what it stands for in the context of this podcast. Breaking the habit of waiting for good people to respond to your boring ads. The importance of creating a careers page on your website. How to get the right people looking at you...2022-05-2018 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorTaking Prospect Calls After HoursIn this episode, we cover a topic fueled by a question posed to me recently by one of our clients here at Law Firm Mentor. The question was, should I be taking calls from prospective new clients on nights and weekends? I always love when this topic comes up because there are a lot of strong opinions out there about the right way to build a law firm and whether or not you should be taking calls during hours that are not your typical business hours. I want to give you both of the competing views on it and then...2022-05-1719 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLong Term ContractsWhen to sign a long-term contract, and when not to? Society enters into long-term contracts all the time. But we rarely recognize that it could very easily span a period of time where we might change our position. Yet, somehow, we don't feel that we are somehow being taken advantage of by having a long-term contract. In this episode we discuss: Ways you can spot when a long-term contract is appropriate. What is the deliverable and what is my projected return on my investment? If you're considering a long-term contract, verify if there has been a h...2022-05-1029 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorGrowing with Contract AttorneysHow do you grow with a contract attorney? There are times when you need help with your workload. You can actually monetize getting help with the work if you get some initial help from a contract attorney! By doing so, you can dial in some of your delegation systems, so more revenue comes in the door faster. In this episode we discuss: What type of work do you want your contract attorney to do? Make sure that you build your communications ecosystem on your law firm. A contract attorney is helpful when you need t...2022-05-0628 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow to Use Free Marketing to Build Your Law FirmI'm a big proponent of investing in the right marketing strategy, and including having a digital marketing company on your team at some point. But, if you build your law firm solely through one marketing avenue and focus on-page strategies, or you're throwing your money behind SEO/ pay per click marketing, you are going to be far more vulnerable when there are economic changes. In this episode we discuss: Low-cost and free marketing tools to expand your opportunities in marketing. How important is having a topic of interest to educate your ideal clients. Having a free piece of...2022-05-0323 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorPeople Produce ProfitDo you get the money and then hire the person? Or do I hire the person to make the money? Choose the former. Hiring the person to make the money is not just going to support your economic needs in the present, it is also going to fuel the growth of your law firm if you adopt this method. See people as profit in your business and you will have a much better business because you will not be working more than you desire to work in your law firm, and you can have the best of...2022-04-2928 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorMarketing Your Law Firm AssociatesAre you supposed to market your associate? Many have expressed concerns about marketing other lawyers because it takes time to market and there is a risk the lawyer could eventually leave with all of their clients. In the grand scheme though, while it does exist, the risk is nowhere near as omnipresent as people believe. Here’s why… In this episode we discuss: Three major considerations to figure out the right strategy for marketing. Consider the turn rate of the average employee attorney. Whether or not it is economically worth it to in...2022-04-2630 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorConfronting Fear, High Functioning Anxiety and Insecurity For A Better Law FirmWhat happens when you are faced with fear and high anxiety? Attorneys are used to being highly powered and powerful and empowered and in control. So when something happens in their sphere of experience that feels a bit out of control, they try to just push it down or push it to the side or ignore it. So I find that this is a group because they have a lot of their esteem based on their skills and how they show up in the world. They oftentimes feel very, very insecure about even admitting to insecurity. 2022-04-2248 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWho Defines Your WorthWhat is your worth to this world? I want to give you a five-step process for how to shift your own thoughts around how someone else may be defining your worth and how to segregate what their feelings are of your worth from your feelings of your worth. In this episode we discuss: Five-Step process for how to shift your own thoughts around how someone else may be defining your worth. Set high expectations of yourself by developing the ability to acquire any aptitude or knowledge. Do not ask others unless their expectations of you exceed you...2022-04-1936 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhat is Your Law Firm's Perceived Value?When you offer premium pricing in your law firm, are you including the basics that everyone has come to expect? Raising your prices can elevate you in a whole host of ways. When you raise your prices, there are some people that will simply say, that's not for me, I can't afford it. They will have a belief system that says it's a waste for me to spend a certain amount of money on this product or service. In this episode we discuss: It’s important to know what your own rules of professional con...2022-04-1527 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorREPLAY - Always Be SellingIs it odd to always feel like yourself? Absolutely not. While many people do not like the word selling, it is time to reframe our conversation around the word “selling”. I want you to think about this as a purely loving act, something that you're doing for another person. This is going to be the way in which we make money and opportunity moves. You are selling your value to someone who desperately needs it - so sell it to them! In this episode we discuss: Living in a state of selling. Sales as a ver...2022-04-1235 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorREPLAY - Deserve The BestI've seen commentary on social media lately where people are presupposing that they deserve the best in terms of acquiring employees and resentment about the fact that they're getting what they feel to be less than what they deserve. When there's any type of distress in the marketplace is- there's almost always an inherent lack of mindset that goes into that level of business development. But if the problem around you is lacking, the solution is abundance. When there's not enough, how do you create more than enough? Tune in and I’ll show you! 2022-04-0831 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorMaster Your Firm AuthoritySometimes there are instances when we need to understand the authority we yield in our business as it relates to clients. But how do we use those communication strategies to manage your clients more effectively? I'm going to share the top three ways that a proactive attorney can use communication and effectively manage communication in order to get to a better attorney-client relationship. In this episode we discuss: How to improve the attorney-client relationship. Three Key strategies to effectively manage client communications. How you can elevate your status by being unavailable. The importance of c...2022-04-0532 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorSoul Guided Meditation For Entrepreneurs With Allyson ScammellLawyers need an awareness of the different ways that you can integrate your whole self into the business of law. Today my guest is Allyson Scammell, a master intuitive business coach, a psychic medium, and an energy healer. Let’s discuss amplifying your spiritual gifts, activating your big soul mission, and releasing the energy box tethering you down. In this episode we discuss: The four intuitive gifts and how to start using them Awareness of different ways that you can integrate these gifts into the businesses of law How to use your intuition to get...2022-04-0355 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorIntake Training StrategiesWhen we hire someone, we need to train them to fit our system - what is the best way to make sure they are at the level we need them to be? There are five different components of your intake training. Additionally, you need to listen to your intake professional to ensure that they are ultimately getting the job done. In this episode we discuss: Five Key-Strategies for training your intake professional. Structuring your intake onboarding. Being prepared to discuss the recordings with your intake professional. How having a multi-tonal voice affects how you present in a conversation. E...2022-04-0133 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhen Lawyers DisappointLawyers, despite their best efforts, do disappoint. But how do you handle that disappointment as it relates to your business? Disappointment can push us into reaction mode, and by failing to delegate the people who are supposed to handle certain tasks because we don't trust them, we are capping our ability to grow. We are restricting ourselves from the next iteration of our business, which requires that we perform at our highest level all the time. And we don't get there when we are holding on to things that are frankly below our pay grade. In...2022-03-2933 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorREPLAY - How To Be DecisiveBeing decisive is easy, right? Absolutely not, and it takes a lot of effort to decide what is best for you and for your company. Let’s chat about why being decisive is so important, and the framework for actually how to be truly decisive. We must recognize that the power is in the decision because decision is what moves things forward in life, always. In this episode we discuss: The importance of being decisive. A three-step process for creating a framework for being decisive in your life. Considering who you are and what fits you when making a d...2022-03-2531 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThree Questions to Define SuccessHow do we define success in our business? There are many different ways through all the different coaching programs I have studied that help define success. But, the way that I coach our clients here at Law Firm Mentor, is to use this process intentionally to create what you desire faster, easier, and better. In this episode we discuss: A process to define your success and ultimately create the outcomes that you desire in your law firm. Starting your process of success by redefining yourself. Becoming successful with intentional thoughts, feelings, actions, and results. E...2022-03-2227 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCreate Your Own PlatformWhat is the value of creating a virtual space that is just yours? What if, instead of relying on other people’s platforms to reach prospective clients, you made your own? Don’t rely on someone else’s infrastructure to grow. Here’s how: In this episode we discuss: Creating your own platform so you can start the practice of generating clients. How having your own platform helps you speak directly to your audience. Getting referrals by drawing people into a funnel, collecting their information, and marketing to them. The inexpensive cost of virtual platforms making it possible to start v...2022-03-1823 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorABA Tech Show KPI’sWhat are the KPIs we need to hit for our business? Today’s episode is a small overview of the presentation I shared at the ABA Tech Show in early March. In that talk, I discussed how we need to think about different questions we ask to optimize our business. We often dive into solving problems without creating a comprehensive list of items we really have to master. As such, we often fix marginal problems while leaving greater problems, which present much greater opportunities for business growth, on the table. Let’s find the right solution to the problems which are...2022-03-1513 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm Enterprise GoodwillMany of you think that you can’t sell a law firm because it is so reliant on talent. But the reality is that successful law firms continue to provide amazing value. Let’s discuss the concept of enterprise goodwill and the repeatable processes that will make your business ready to sell. In This Episode We Discuss: What you need to be creating for your law firm for it to have value and make it sellable. Creating the greatest value in your law firm by having justifiable, quantifiable, recurring revenue. How the more s...2022-03-1118 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorBatching Law Firm ContentThere’s nothing more important than consistency in your marketing, and when it comes down to it, that’s just not something that we as lawyers enjoy. Today I’m going to show you how you can use batching techniques to keep your content production quick and consistent. Let’s discuss 3 key strategies for easily batching your content and creating a marketing bank for your business. In this episode we discussed: Batching and how to use it to your benefit. How batching is really just creating a lot of content at once on a sche...2022-03-0829 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorSoul Guided Meditation For Entrepreneurs With Allyson ScammellLawyers need an awareness of the different ways that you can integrate your whole self into the business of law. Today my guest is Allyson Scammell, a master intuitive business coach, a psychic medium, and an energy healer. Let’s discuss amplifying your spiritual gifts, activating your big soul mission, and releasing the energy box tethering you down. In this episode we discussed: The four intuitive gifts and how to start using them. Awareness of different ways that you can integrate these gifts into the business of law. How to use your int...2022-03-0455 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm MultipliersWhat is a multiplier? (And I’m not talking about math) I mean someone who attracts talent, liberates employees to do their best to make decisions and a leader who invests in human capital. I want you to think about how you engage with other people on your team. Let’s discuss how your leadership qualities either contribute to or detract from your team's ability to excel and become their best selves. In This Episode We Discuss: The difference between being a multiplier or a diminisher as a leader How your leadership qualities contribute to or...2022-03-0135 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorVirtual Law Firm HacksMany people are struggling with how to create and sustain a positive culture in a virtual law firm. Today I want to give you some clear strategies you can use to create and sustain an intentional culture within your firm that will thrive within a virtual business. Let’s discuss how you can nurture effective communication and become a better leader. In this episode we discussed: Clear strategies for intentional communication. Institutionalizing a culture around your virtual law firm that will make you more effective as a business leader. Installing some form of communication. How connecting daily, creates st...2022-02-2529 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm BurnoutHave you ever felt ineffective and burnt out? It can be difficult for anyone, and lawyers especially, to wrap our minds around the difference between burnout and stress. And it can be incredibly tricky to find a solution to either when we receive so much praise for how much stress and work we can take on. It is our job to take on part of the client's burden. Let’s discuss how to frame the job of being a lawyer in a positive manner so that you can stay effective. In this episode we discussed:...2022-02-2225 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm KPIs Inviting in More Work l Part ThreeDo you want to invite in more work? Welcome back to part three of Law Firm KPIs where I’ll show you how to improve the ways you serve your clients. Here are three straightforward methods to optimize how you expand your work. In this episode we discussed: How creating an SKU will help you to not underprice your services. Tracking every client conversation in the past, present, and future. Keeping your clients seeking you out for more opportunities to serve them, as a future goal. How staying connected with your clients correlates with generating more org...2022-02-1522 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm KPIs Doing the Work l Part TwoAre you really doing the work? Welcome back to part two of Law Firm KPIs, where I'll show you how tracking your metrics will optimize and automate your business. To ensure that you are moving a case from start to finish as efficiently and profitably as possible. In this episode we discussed: How to make sure you’re doing the work, and the metrics you need to do so. How to automate your workload. Monitoring the average hours per case and by subtype Knowing the level of cost per case and case type How to use the utilization rat...2022-02-1137 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm KPIs Getting the Work | Part OneDo you want to break free of the revenue rollercoaster that holds back so many law firms? It's a challenging task for those of us who are concerned about the quality of care we can provide for our clients and employees—often neglecting many things that would make the business and everyone's experience with it much better. Here are three categories of KPIs that will help you overcome just that! In this episode we discussed: Restructuring your thinking around different metrics in order to have recurring revenue in your law firm. Getting out of that feast or...2022-02-0834 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLinkedIn For LawyersLinkedIn is a golden opportunity for lawyers seeking to uplevel your clientele. Today I'm going to show you that LinkedIn is not just somewhere to find a job or public speaking gigs. You can find clients there, but the way that most lawyers use LinkedIn is counterproductive. Let's discuss some strategies to uplevel your social media performance. In this episode we discussed: 3 Key Strategies You Can Use To Dramatically Improve Your Results On This Platform How To Optimize Your Profile For Search Engines Optimizing Content With Video Marketing How Significant A Page Can Be For You...2022-02-0423 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCold Hard Truths About Owning A Law FirmThere are a lot of misconceptions that people have about owning a law firm as a business because they focus on just doing well in their practice. The lawyering part you know already, but owning a law firm and knowing the cold hard truths of what it takes to be successful takes an entirely new perspective. Many people will give you the wrong advice because they don't want to shock you with reality, but not me. In this episode, I want to talk about the cold hard truths of being the owner of a law firm and the journey of t...2022-02-0153 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorFour Quadrants To Crush Your Work ChaosOwning a business is chaos (I’ve been there). As a CEO without a full team or the resources to build one, the work can just seem to pile up. Let’s chat about my 4-quadrant system that will put your work into the right context so you can get more done, and find a team that connects with you. In this episode I discuss: Using a Four Quadrant System that helps you understand how to put your work in the proper context Identifying which category each task belongs in by asking yourself 3 key questions. How to find the...2022-01-2835 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Perfect Time To Solve ProblemsYou have probably heard the saying, “the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago. The second best time is today.” There is so much truth in this proverb and it applies perfectly to how we handle delays, and negative mindsets in our law firm. Let’s chat about how you can approach problem-solving in your business. In this episode I discuss: Three things to think about when you are approaching problem-solving in your law firm. Developing strategies for how to solve problems. Additional problems caused by delaying solutions. How delay tends to beget more delay...2022-01-2530 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorRebounding From Bad HiresWhat do you do when you hire a person that does not fit your needs? Don’t fret - it happens! Let’s figure out how to fix it and review actions you can take to avoid this pitfall in the future. In this episode I discuss: Getting the right people on your team. Transforming your business through the people you hire. Having the right mind frame around what to do when you have made a poor choice. Three key strategies for rebounding from a bad hire. Elevating your leadership as you hire. My Favorite Exce...2022-01-1937 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorDon't Abandon ShipDo you have problems maintaining a positive culture in a rapidly growing company? Unfortunately, there can be a lot of dysfunction in a business that expands quickly, especially in situations where the owner is not physically present with the team. In this week's episode of the Law Firm Mentor Podcast, I want to give you some positive cultural idioms that you can use to structure your business. Allowing you to work from anywhere at any time and still give your employees their lane. It's an incredible thing to embolden and empower your team, and by...2022-01-1133 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWelcome To 2022! The beautiful thing is that with a new year, we get new opportunities to change the way that we're looking at the world, change what we are doing to bring about new opportunities in the world. I wanted to share with you some of the things that we have coming up here at Law Firm Mentor that is going to help you to do just that. Actually, look at your business differently and create better results than you have already created for yourself. So our first webinar of the year is going to be on Thursday, January 13th...2022-01-0849 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorDeserve the BestI've seen commentary on social media lately where people are presupposing that they deserve the best in terms of acquiring employees and resentment about the fact that they're getting what they feel to be less than what they deserve. When there's any type of distress in the marketplace is- there's almost always an inherent lack mindset that goes into that level of business development. But if the problem around you is lack, the solution is abundance. When there's not enough, how do you create more than enough? Tune in and I’ll sho...2021-11-2331 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWho Does What in Your Law Firm?Who does what in your law firm? There are many different roles in law firms, and I think most people conceptually understand the distinction between a lawyer and a paralegal and a legal assistant and a file clerk. There are three categories of behavior required in every law firm, finders, minders and grinders. I’m sure you’ve heard of these before, but I wanted to give a perceptual frame for them that might be a little different than what you've heard before. It’s so important as a solo law firm own...2021-11-1933 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorReplay: Why Employees FailWith the holiday season quickly approaching, we here at the Law Firm Mentor have been very busy preparing for a new year! Enjoy this Replay of one of my most favorite, thought provoking episodes. I have seen quite a bit of commentary in the Law Firm Mentor movement about hiring lately and mental blocks to hiring. I feel many develop those mental blocks to hiring because of the problems that they encounter with employees once they are on-board. So, today I wanted to give you a framework for thinking about the failure of your employees.2021-11-1624 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorFour Quadrants to Crush Your Work ChaosHow do you do all of the work that is mounting on your desk when you don't have a full team or lack the resources to be able to assemble a team? Many lawyers often say to themselves, “I have too much and I'm not yet at the place where I can hire.” Almost invariably that's the wrong assumption, but that's the belief system at that moment. So I wanted to share with you all a four-quadrant system that I created that helps people to understand how to put their work in the p...2021-11-1235 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCrush the Chaos of Your Law Firm Scholarship AwardIn today’s episode I talk about law firm scholarships. Recently, I remember seeing a post where someone raised the question about how to create a law firm scholarship. This individual had seen a lot about them and thought, “Hey, this seems like a really cool idea, and I want to help our local high school community.” So, in essence this scholarship would be a philanthropic tool used to help this person’s small town. I loved that idea! I’d like to share with that person and then ultimately share with you guys some of the thoug...2021-11-0918 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCrushing the Chaos in Client CommunicationsToday I am talking about crushing the chaos in your client communications. I want to direct your attention to the idea of automating as many of your client communications as possible. I realize that automating client communications can be a cringe-worthy topic for many lawyers. There is a belief system that says, “Hey, I can't automate communications! There's a relationship component that's really where those increased referrals come from.” Yes, client communication gives you an opportunity to be a rock star, but lawyers are learning that there's a differentiation that comes from having a really solid...2021-11-0525 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorFiring Your Family from Your Law FirmIn today’s episode, I’m talking about firing your family from your law firm. I know I have talked about the need for us to really have very clear boundaries with those that we employ so that we can get optimal performance out of our team, and how that is particularly necessary when you have family members in your law firm. Today, I want to expound upon that a little bit because I know that there are several people out there who started off their law firm not having a whole lot of revenue, not having a whole lot o...2021-11-0219 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm RetreatsIn today’s episode I talk about law firm retreats. For me, this is a fun topic because I love talking about what we can do to up-level our law firms. Even though I spend a lot of time talking about solving the problems of our law firms, I know that there are plenty of people who listen to this podcast and already have a fully systematized law firm. These firms aren’t necessarily perfect or running at top speed, but they’re established enough for law firm owners to feel comfortable enough to begin planning...2021-10-2922 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Easiest Way to Create Success - Replay from May 2021This episode is dedicated to the topic of success. It was originally recorded and published in May 2021, so if you’re new to my podcast, I’m bringing this one back just for you. Several of us as solo and small law firm attorneys want success, and we all have these grandiose thoughts about what success looks like. But then, we see people that we perceive to be successful who are not living that for themselves. Instead, they are working 80-90 hours a week. They're exhausted, moody, or may even have health problems. They may have j...2021-10-2629 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Necessity of Growth - Replay from March 2021Today we are sharing a previously recorded episode that is just as timely as it was when it was first recorded. In it I wanted to talk about the need for growth and how it ties into the subject of intake. You want more clients and more money, which means you need to grow. However, growth is often destabilizing. How can you and your law firm successfully work through the ‘growing pains’? Stay tuned to find out! In this episode we discuss: How grow...2021-10-2248 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow to Go On Law Firm Sabbatical without Checking In - Replay from December 2020Is it October already? Seeing as the holidays are quickly approaching, it seemed appropriate to replay an episode from December 2020. This episode is one that I think you're going to get plenty of value out of because even though the topic is sabbatical, and you may or may not have even thought about the possibility, let alone the desire of taking a sabbatical. Freedom to be able to take a sabbatical implicates a lot of different moving pieces in a law firm. I want to go over some of the key thi...2021-10-1541 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLaw Firm PTSD?In today’s episode I’m talking about law firm PTSD - which can be defined as that very tricky, undiagnosed mental health disorder that is seen when we are dealing with a new employee who's come into our company and is still suffering the effects of their residuals from their previous employer. Now I know a lot of you have had experiences where you bring in a new employee and you're really excited to work with them as soon as they come in. But pretty soon in the process, you start to see some pretty...2021-10-0819 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWho Are Your Clients?In today’s episode I’m asking you all “who are your clients”? I've gotten a lot of questions recently about how to serve clients, take care of oneself and family, while creating financial wealth? It's almost like the idea of helping people who are poor is so foreign to the legal profession that people who want to do that work also assume that what comes along with the legal profession is affluence, abundance, financial success. It's not true, but that's the perception. This leads to the thought that, “if I do anything...2021-10-0538 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm Mentor"It Has To Be Me" and Other Myths in Law FirmsAs we continue coming off of the high of our one-hundredth episode, today I’m bringing you a throwback to one of our most popular episodes. This episode is entitled “It Has to Be Me and Other Myths in Law Firms”. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes, and obviously you guys share the same sentiment because this is our most downloaded episode! I think this episode continues to get more traction because the message really resonates with lawyers that believe that they started off in business with the mindset of ‘it has...2021-10-0137 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm Mentor“Manifesting Like a Motherf**ker”Today is our 100th podcast episode! I am so excited about this milestone and I wanted to mark this occasion by talking about manifestation. Unfortunately for so many people, what stops them from making real strides and scalable growth in a law firm is the fact that they are often mired down in decisions. There's so many things coming at you, so when your energy, your time, your attention, your focus is stratified over a lot of different activities, it is really challenging to not fall prey to decision fatigue. ...2021-09-2448 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLessons From Hurricane IdaIn today’s episode, I talk about a recent weather event that we experienced. Hurricane Ida ravaged New Orleans. Our thoughts and our prayers are with Louisiana and everyone that was affected in the South. But Hurricane Ida also made its way up to the East Coast. As a result of massive change in our climate, we have seen a significant uptick in weather events across the country. When Hurricane Ida became Tropical Storm Ida and hit New Jersey, many people that I am personally connected to were adversely affected. So, I want...2021-09-2129 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorYour Budget is NOT Your BibleToday I talk about one of my favorite topics, Your Budget is NOT your Bible. Now, I know the title alone may be triggering for some people. So, I'm going to explain to you what I mean by this topic. I'm also going to give a shout out to all of our financial people out there in the world that keep us financially stable through budgeting and sound financial decision-making - no matter whether we are investing it or whether we are saving it. Oftentimes, not universally, financial people tend to be somewhat of an a...2021-09-1727 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLet Others FailIn today's episode, I’m talking about letting others fail. This is my favorite topic, actually, of all the things that we talk about involving people- the idea of training and cultivating a culture of people that know how to do things without you. It's such a challenging topic for most law firm owners, current/former clients, and even for people that have approached me online. Many believe there's no freedom in owning a law firm because there's so much stress and agita that's involved in actually having people work for you. Countless law firm owner...2021-09-1435 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorBuying Attorney AwardsToday I’m talking about buying attorney awards. Many of us are familiar with some of the big organizations that give out “awards” to attorneys. We know about Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers of America, and the growing cottage industry around different types of awards. Some awards can be bought while others cannot. So, I’ve decided to give you some frame of reference for thinking about attorney awards and whether or not it's worth your investment to get them. If you do choose to get them, I'll show you how you can use them effectively in your bu...2021-09-0719 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Gift of Constant FeedbackIn this episode I talk about constant feedback. Constant feedback refers to being in a state of giving people your perspective on how they are doing on an ongoing basis. A few of you may remember when I requested your feedback in an episode called “Pivot The Annual Review”. In that episode I remember explaining that when you give the annual review, the annual review is a reciprocal process - You are reviewing your employee, and your employee is reviewing you- and how that should not be your only time to give them feedback. An employ...2021-09-0320 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorParenting Your Baby LawyersIn this episode, I’m going to be talking about parenting your baby lawyers. Yes, I know that the term "Baby Lawyers” can be considered controversial, even offensive to some new lawyers. And if you are offended by that term, please know that I use the term, not with any level of condescension. A baby lawyer simply means the individual does not yet have the knowledge, skill, or context that a seasoned practitioner naturally acquires over years of practicing law. There's a lot that goes into lawyering! Part of the reason why I think the term b...2021-08-3133 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhen Your Bills Are PaidIn this episode, we're going to talk about when your bills are paid. Yes, you read that correctly. What do you do when all of your bills are paid and you have a comfortable life? How do you keep yourself motivated? This topic is actually coming up because I've talked to a couple of lawyers recently who have been interested in joining the Law Firm Mentor community. We are always looking for the right type of client for this community but, there is a certain type of solo and small law firm attorney we're looking for. In e...2021-08-2718 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorTapping Into InspirationToday I’m going to talk about how to tap into inspiration. I wanted to cover this topic because I know many people are wondering “Is this all there is?”. There is confusion about where we stand in life and a lot of that really does derive from a lack of inspiration. Therefore, I am going to give you three strategies for how to tap into your inspiration - because at the heart of your inspiration you will find your purpose in life. In this episode we discuss: Three strategies for how to tap...2021-08-2424 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow To Be DecisiveIn today's episode, we're going to talk about the importance of being decisive. More than a few of our guests recognize the power of decision, but I think many lawyers struggle with knowing how to be decisive. Therefore, I’d like to provide a framework to help you to learn how to be decisive in your day-to-day lives. In this episode we discuss: The importance of being decisive. A three-step process for creating a framework for being decisive in your life. Considering who you are and what fits you when making a de...2021-08-2031 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWork Without YouDescription: Today we're going to talk about work without you. The idea that you don't have to be the focal point at the work of your business may be a hard concept for some lawyers to grasp. You may love lawyering so much that you might want to stay in the actual doing of the work. However, there are many lawyers that possess the desire to have more for themselves. That desire often leads to wanting more than just day-to-day practice of law. Wanting more than day-to-day practice of law evolves into a management role, w...2021-08-1723 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhy Your Facebook Ads May Not Be WorkingIn this episode, I talk about why your Facebook ads may not be working anymore. I’ve had a lot of questions about Facebook ads lately, because in our community in particular, we are a proponent of both online and offline strategies for growing your law firm. Many people have an audience on Facebook already - either because they started a page when they first opened their law firm, or because they're just familiar there so they have other lawyer contacts who referred them cases from having met them on social media. It's a comfortable place to get started and...2021-08-1319 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorDealing With Data OverwhelmIn this episode, I cover the topic of dealing with data overwhelm. Many people struggle with being productive and not being overwhelmed. However, when the business starts to grow, the very first experience many law firm owners experience is a feeling of overwhelm. Data overwhelm feeling occurs when firm owners have to fit too many work tasks and detail in a confined schedule. The surface never goes away even when they tack on more hours and work more on their jobs. Tune in to today’s episode to learn more about strate...2021-08-0328 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCreating your Virtual CommunityIn this episode, I talk about creating a virtual community for your law firm. Many individuals have made adaptations to go virtual during the pandemic. This fact proposes various positive benefits for law firm owners. Virtual communities present how we stay connected as people, although we're not physically working with each other. Many lawyers are interested in the idea of creating virtual law firms. Therefore, it's essential for law firm owners to learn how to master their work communications in a way that builds a solid collective culture in their businesses, even when it's virtual or...2021-07-3024 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorLeave Your Ego At CourtIn today’s episode, I talk about leaving one's ego at the courthouse. It is an essential topic for law firm owners who desire to expand their business. Many lawyers decide to become solo law firm owners due to the poor management from their previous law firm. Therefore, I'm excited to share exclusive insight into the difference between being an adversarial lawyer and a managerial role in a law firm. There is a different personality, a different set of skills and a different set of communication strategies that you're going to use as a litigator vers...2021-07-2719 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorMeetings That MatterIn this episode, I talk about meetings that matter. Many lawyers are anti-meetings, including my past-self. I wasn't too fond of the idea of having meetings unless they were necessary. I firmly believed that a meeting was a waste of time and productivity. However, in the present, I see meetings as opportunities for teams to collaborate, preventing future issues in businesses. It doesn't mean that you will need to have a meeting anytime your team wants to communicate something. Tune in to today's episode to find out how you can have high productivity meetings that ca...2021-07-2322 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorToo Fragile for Law?In this episode, I cover the topic of whether or not some personalities are too fragile to work in a law firm. In other words, I want to help you hire employees with suitable personalities for your organization. After my conversation with a client who raised an issue about a particularly sensitive employee in their law firm, this topic came to me. I describe various types of personalities that I often see in a law firm as Employee Avatars. The big issue here is how to train your employees effectively while allowing them to be their best s...2021-07-2018 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorIt can be done! Reducing Client Work to Under 5 Hours a Month with Joey VitaleIn this episode, I share a conversation with an extraordinary guest, Joey Vitale. Joey is a trademark attorney, and he’s also known as the brand legitimizer for online entrepreneurs, emerging thought leaders and creators. His approach to systematize a law firm is unique and highly valuable to learn from. He successfully cut down the client work to five hours a month or less. We cover several topics in this episode, including lawyer mental health, business systemization, and Joey's great lessons along his journey from a litigating attorney to a business owner. Tune in to find...2021-07-1656 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorTikTok For LawyersToday’s episode is all about TikTok, one of those social media platforms that have become ever-elusive and popular. A lot of us have been enjoying it, especially since quarantine. However, many lawyers have been asking the question of whether TikTok is the right platform for them. It might seem inappropriate for many of us, who consider ourselves a little bit older, a little bit wiser, maybe even a little bit conservative regarding how we present ourselves to the world. However, since TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms out there, I think we would be...2021-06-2924 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhat If It’s PossibleThis week, I'm going to talk about a question of what stops people from stepping into the changes that they know they need to make. Many of us don't even try as we are so mired in the notion that we haven't figured out how, that we fear that we're going to start and that we're going to fail. The fear of failure is a genuine human fear. But it also is a fear that is disproportionately found in success-oriented people. "What If It's Possible?" - tune in now to find out how to overcome the fear of...2021-06-2524 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorStop Hiding Behind EthicsWhen I talk about ethics, I am talking about not just the existence of ethics, but the fact that lawyers hide behind their ethics as a means of staying small. We all know who those people are. There are those skeptical lawyers out there with an assumptive belief that other lawyers who are finding success are doing something wrong and inappropriate, rather than ask themselves the hard question of, if it's working for you, could it work for me too? A lot of times lawyers hide behind their ethics and this episode is dedicated to th...2021-06-2225 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorKeep Your Difficult Clients?Today we're going to talk about keeping difficult clients. This is probably somewhat outside of the normal thought process, because a lot of people talk about firing the difficult client and keeping your sanity. I certainly am a proponent of defining what constitutes what you will and won't accept from your clients, but I do think that there is often not enough attention paid to the aspect of keeping difficult clients. That is something that can actually make you more successful in business and in life. Tune in to learn more! 2021-06-1526 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorSuccessful TerminationsOn this episode I talk about the undesirable of letting people go. I don’t go into all the logistics of how to let people go, because one of the things that I always recommend is that you need to have an employment lawyer on your team of advisers for your law firm. Lawyers are not cheap. But here's the thing, even if you just start a relationship with an employment lawyer where they're not on retainer, per say, but they give you some initial guidance about what to do to get yourself structured and get...2021-06-1132 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorStop Lying to YourselfThis episode is about one of my favorite topics, which is money. Money is such a wonderful gift that we have that we can create in our businesses. We as business owners don't fully appreciate all that money opens us up to. One of the things that recently spurred me to record this podcast was that I was watching an exchange on Facebook. I was in a Facebook group, and the question was posed, how do you compensate associates? And there were probably 70 or so responses on the thread by the time I saw it. Of those 70, there had...2021-06-0831 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Company That We KeepI know a lot of people have struggled with the idea of growing in a business, not so much because they personally don't want to grow or see the benefits of it, but because they know it's going to cause interpersonal issues either in their romantic relationship or in their friendships. So I wanted to talk to you about that topic and share some strategies that you can use to have success both professionally and personally. I also share a little story about what prompted my personal interaction with this topic so that you know tha...2021-06-0438 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorWhy Employees FailIn this episode we're going to talk about employees. I have seen so much commentary in the Law Firm Mentor Movement about hiring lately and mental blocks to hiring. I think a lot of people develop mental blocks to hiring because of the problems they encounter with employees once they are on board. So I wanted to give you a framework for thinking about the failure of your employees, the people that you have brought in that have been what you consider to be nightmares. I talk through some of the thin...2021-05-2524 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorThe Easiest Way to Create SuccessWe all want success. We visualize the life that we'll have when we are making enough money and are spending ample amounts of free time, whether it's on a beach or at our kids school or just relaxing. We all have these grandiose thoughts about what success looks like. Then we see people we perceive to be successful who are not living that for themselves. They are working 80 hours a week. They're exhausted. They may have health problems. We think we can either be a great parent or successful, creating these binary choices around the idea that we can...2021-05-2129 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorMarketing Your Personal StoryA lot of us have had compelling events in our lives that have caused us to become the people that we are today. Sometimes those stories are replete with positive, exciting, really engaging stories. Other times they are downright scary. Things that we don't like to talk about. There are also aspects of our story that we know could inspire someone, but we're just not ready yet to go full throttle and market our story. Some people believe that you are exploiting your tragedy or your family by virtue of disclosing things that could very much be your drivers...2021-05-1827 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorBranding the WeDescription: This week's episode is dedicated to the topic of branding the ‘we’. What do I mean by branding the we? When entrepreneurial lawyers first hire an attorney, they often encounter the problem of having their clients actually want to work with the attorney. Your clients come to you because they know, like and trust you. They don’t want your associate doing the work. It has to be you. Oftentimes the first hire that the lawyer makes in the law firm of their associate attorney is someone younger, typically at the start...2021-05-1423 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorYou Are In Your Own WayHow can I be successful? I get this question a lot from lawyers when they have a call with us, or a breakthrough session with our office. They assume that what they really need is the tactic, the strategy, the know how. But what most people will encounter when they realize that there's a lot more to building a business than just what you do, in fact, what you do is far less important for the most part than the actual who you become and how you show up. So In this episode I wanted to talk about a...2021-05-1129 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorYou Must DECIDE What You WantToday I’m talking about the fact that you must decide what you want. What you want to create in terms of how big a profile you want to have, what types of accomplishments you want for your career, all of those things are a matter of intentionality. We don't create those things in our lives without some level of intentionality. And the more intentional that you are, the easier time you're going to have creating what you want and most importantly, sustaining it. You should be thinking about what you want to create in terms of who the pe...2021-05-0732 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorTo Recruit or Not to RecruitA lot of you may be thinking, I can't afford a recruiter. That's far too much money. I always use the traditional pathway of writing an ad, posting it on the usual places, seeing who applies, maybe asking around, and hopefully I'll find the right person for the role. In this week’s episode I share my thoughts on why I think that may or may not be the right perspective for you and another perspective to consider. I'm going to give you some actual strategies for evaluating recruiters so that if you do decide to work wi...2021-04-3037 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorHow to be the best reviewed lawyer with Andrew StickelLawyers who have ventured online to market their businesses are often surprised at how powerful it is to have clients and colleagues review their services. The online review has quickly become the staple of impactful online marketing. Of course, with every positive phenomenon, we also encounter the flip side - the dreaded negative review. What can be done about them? Should we address them, and if so, how? In this episode we discuss: The importance of online reviews in building your law firm business. A good approach for asking clients to leave a review. Advice on duplic...2021-01-2630 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorCrushing the Challenge of Change in the Legal Industry with Moshe AmselWhen it comes to progress you can either get ahead of it, embrace it, or stand in its way and ultimately get run over by it. In today’s episode my guest Moshe Amsel and I look at how you can embrace technology and the changes that occurred in 2020 to encourage growth in your law firm. In this episode we discuss: The acceleration of change in the legal industry because of working virtual. Setting yourself up for success by embracing change. The potential of a new app called Clubhouse. Why lawyers tend to be risk averse when...2021-01-1247 min
Crushing Chaos with Law Firm MentorChoose Wisely When You HireWhen it comes to hiring for your law firm there are three elements you need to consider: when to hire, who to hire and how to hire. Today we are going to be looking at all three elements and some ways you can take the chaos out of the hiring process. In this episode we discuss: Considering your business model before you hire. Knowing when it makes sense for your business to hire. Weighing monetizing versus convenience when making your hiring decision. How your mindset about money will dictate your level of comfort dealing wi...2020-12-0154 min