Much is made about the creative decisions in ads for the Big Game, but how does all that money, those requisite celebrity cameos, and everything else that goes into these multi-million dollar investments translate into Return on investment? Today we’re going to talk about what the numbers tell us from all those high-profile ads and who the winners and losers of the Advertising Bowl are in 2025. To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Nataly Kelly, CMO at Zappi, who unveiled their annual Super Bowl Ad Success report on Monday. We’re here to talk about the approach, the results, and what those results mean for brands that invested a lot of money - and time - into their campaigns. About Nataly Kelly I help companies unlock global growth For more than two decades, I have helped scale businesses across borders, as an executive at B2B SaaS and MarTech companies. I’m Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, a consumer research platform. I spent nearly 8 years as a Vice President at HubSpot, a multi-billion-dollar public tech company, driving growth on the international side of the business. Having served as an executive at various tech companies, I’ve led teams spanning many functions, including Marketing, Sales, Product, and International Ops. I’m an award-winning marketing leader, a former Fulbright scholar, and an ongoing contributor to Harvard Business Review. I love working with interesting people and removing barriers to access. RESOURCES Zappi website: https://www.zappi.io/web/ Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Listen to The Agile Brand without the ads. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3ymf7hd Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company…
Welcome to the one and only podcast that's more thrilling than a last-minute court adjournment, 'The Successful Barrister! The podcast discusses marketing, management, and life skills for lawyers, which probably won't get you disbarred.
Welcome to the one and only podcast that's more thrilling than a last-minute court adjournment, 'The Successful Barrister! The podcast discusses marketing, management, and life skills for lawyers, which probably won't get you disbarred.
In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc and Diana discuss the Stay Interview, a concept introduced by Richard P. Finnegan. The idea of a stay interview is simple – companies conduct exit interviews to understand why employees are leaving, but if they had that information before they left, they could have prevented that turnover. Marc and Diana explain the questions Finnegan coined, and how Marc Whitehead & Associates handles its version of stay interviews. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:07] Keeping your best people doesn’t have to be difficult, and Marc has a tool to keep them – stay interviews. This concept was popularized by Richard P. Finnegan, who has written multiple books on the subject. [4:03] Stay interviews are about proactively talking to your best people about their experiences to help them stay engaged and prevent them from being picked up by another firm. Replacing an employee costs roughly 6-9 months of that employee’s salary. [9:22] According to Finnegan, poor leadership causes 60% of all employee turnover. The best conversations have two engaged people, and it is not fair to ask your employees to be vulnerable without admitting any room for improvement yourself. [14:10] Finnegan suggests five interview questions. The first is “what do you look forward to each day when you commute to work?” The second is “what are you learning here, and what do you want to learn?” [17:22] The third question is very straightforward: “why do you stay here?” The fourth is very loaded, “what is the last time you thought about leaving us, and what prompted it?” [18:34] Finally, the fifth question is “what can I do to make your job better?” [20:49] Before adopting EOS, Marc Whitehead & Associates did not have a formalized system for stay interviews. He assumed that periodically taking staff to lunch and checking in on rumors he heard was enough to keep most employees. [25:11] People problems require different interventions than resource or circumstantial problems. You can’t process your way around people, and often you have to deal with them more directly. [30:21] The firm does the People Analyzer quarterly, which starts with an evaluation on six core values and three questions. The 5-5-5 tool discusses how staff feels about their role and their rocks, or long-term goals. [35:58] Ultimately, the stay interview is about being proactive, which is the best way to prevent burnout. Buy The Stay Interview: A Manager's Guide to Keeping the Best and Brightest by Richard P. Finnegan: https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Interview-Managers-Keeping-Brightest/dp/0814436498 Listen to The Stay Interview: A Manager's Guide to Keeping the Best and Brightest : https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Stay-Interview-Audiobook/B00U0NMYYM Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Productivity might be even more important than you realize. As Marc describes it, productivity is about buying back your time – it allows you to work faster, make more money, and spend more time living the life you want to live. In today’s episode, Marc and Diana discuss productivity through the book Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. They pick their favorite tips and explain how they apply to Marc Whitehead & Associates and firms more generally. Marc and Diana begin by discussing the importance of productivity. Then, they move into discussing how to set aside time to think, delegate tasks, and make changes in your firm. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:45] Today’s episode is about the lessons Marc and Diana learned from Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. You may know of Charles Duhigg from his bestselling book The Power of Habit . In Smarter Faster Better , he walks readers through eight points to help them become more efficient. [5:29] Marc defines productivity as profitability and the ability to live a stress-free life, particularly by buying back your time. The more productive you become, the less time you have to spend working, and the more time you can spend living the life you are working to live. [10:51] Thinking is a time to free yourself and your mind from your responsibilities and envision the big picture. Setting aside time to think is a great way to make sure you don’t get bogged down in the day-to-day functions of your firm. [14:41] Once you have that time set aside, you create your mental models. There are two components to a mental model: what is working, and what is not. When something is not working, there are multiple approaches you can take to address it. You may need to abandon that problem, or you may just need to innovate. [17:48] Often, incremental innovation can be more effective than trying to make changes in your practice all at once. It is important to be open to change, which can be difficult as a firm working in government regulations that rarely change. [20:53] After creating your mental model, you can move into “who not how.” This involves delegating decision making to a qualified person near you. If you only rely on yourself, you become a bottleneck and limit your firm. [25:31] Part of empowering your team to make decisions is allowing them to make mistakes. While you can and should set up guardrails, there is no way to prevent mistakes completely when delegating. [29:43] Businesses are complex organisms. When you make changes in one part of your firm, those changes will ripple through other parts of your firm, often with unintended consequences. Failure to anticipate these consequences accounts for many of the mistakes that firms make. [34:33] A major change Marc Whitehead & Associates is making that is starting to work is moving into elder law. Elder law allows Marc Whitehead & Associates to follow its clients into the next step of their journeys as they age. Buy Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg: https://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Faster-Better-Productive-Business/dp/081299339X Listen to Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg: https://www.audible.com/pd/Smarter-Faster-Better-Audiobook/B017WRZO9U?source_code=AUDORWS0718179KY7 Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Is your firm afraid of AI? Or are you one of the many of firms who have adopted it? While AI has a mixed reputation in the legal industry, it can be extremely useful when applied responsibly. In today’s episode, Marc and Diana discuss their firm’s adoption of AI and advise listeners on how they can adopt artificial intelligence responsibly. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:17] Today’s episode is about the latest CLIO trends report, which was published at the end of 2024. This year, the report is focused on law firms’ usage of artificial intelligence. AI has gotten a bad reputation in the legal world in the past, but there are many real uses for AI. [4:45] Atticus offered monthly AI training sessions through Steve Riley through 2024, and will continue to offer them quarterly through 2025. From those sessions, a key takeaway was that AI will not replace lawyers. Instead, AI can help firms shift their business strategies. [9:10] The CLIO report states that 79% of legal professionals surveyed are now using AI. Marc believes the real number is closer to half, which is still a large shift. [11:49] AI will affect different business models differently. For billable lawyers, the adoption of AI can be scare because adopting AI reduces your billable hours substantially. [13:30] For flat fee models, the goal is the opposite – you want to work as few hours as possible because you will make the same amount regardless of how long you work. Marc encourages listeners to shift to a flat-fee model to adjust to the technological shift. [17:33] Flat fee lawyers can leverage AI to complete routine tasks that do not require their specialized expertise. For example, ChatGPT can help write emails, summaries, and more. It is important to keep in mind that public chatbots do not protect the information entered into them, so avoid entering personal information. [23:53] Marc Whitehead & Associates recently signed a contract with Westlaw to use their AI CoCouncil. CoCouncil is a closed AI, so lawyers can safely enter client information when prompting it. Marc suggests asking for small, specific outputs. [29:38] Diana explains the factors that made the firm comfortable with working with CoCouncil. One of those factors was the longevity of the firm’s relationship with Westlaw, and how long Westlaw’s technology has existed. Another factor was their monthly plan. [33:04] One reason the firm adopted AI is to help with recorded calls. The AI listens to and summarizes the calls, looking for certain patterns for quality control. [36:20] Diana and Marc discuss an AI vendor that the firm temporarily worked with and why the contract did not last. They found that the AI component was oversold and that the team did not buy into the new technology. [38:40] You don’t have to adopt all AI technology right now. Your firm can start small and adopt new technology slowly overtime. Diana explains a promising vendor she is interested in working with that the firm has not adopted yet. [43:47] Another factor in AI adoption is your type of practice. If it is highly specialized to the needs of individual clients with a smaller caseload, you may not need AI services to the same extent as a larger and more routine-based practices. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc give you the secrets to being brilliant. While that may sound a little far-fetched, they have the tools to do it; specifically, they are pulling from The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman. The book asks a series of 49 questions to help you become brilliant, guiding you through topics like your health, your focus, your fears, and your fulfillment. With the insights from these questions, you can learn new insights about yourself and bring brilliance into 2025. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:45] Today’s episode is all about how to be brilliant going into 2025. Specifically, Diana and Marc are discussing The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman. Often, lawyers are hesitant to look outside the legal profession for tips on running their firms – but they shouldn’t be! [5:00] The Personal MBA provides 49 questions to ask yourself to be brilliant. The first set of questions is about how you use your body optimally – how you manage your diet, your sleep, your exercise, and more. [11:32] The next set of questions is related to knowing what you want. It’s important to check on your priorities, which naturally shift over time. This includes questions about which achievements would make you excited, where you focus your energy, and how you define your values and priorities. [16:55] Next, what are you afraid of? This set of questions asks you to determine what is holding you back, and importantly, why it is holding you back. You have to get to the “fifth why” of your fears to fully understand where they come from and how to conquer them. These questions also help you understand and mitigate risk. [22:10] Is your mind clear and focused? The next set of questions asks about how your organize your ideas, capture your thoughts, and guide your attention. [27:00] Next, are you confident, relaxed, and productive? This involves regularly reviewing your commitments, forming new positive habits, and learning to say no. Diana explains a four-quadrant technique that she used to set goals in the new year – “keep,” “improve,” “start,” and “stop.” [31:06] The next section, Marc’s favorite, asks how you perform best: how you learn, how you like to work, and what you’re good at. Diana points out that this also has to do with your health. [39:45] The final section asks what you need to be happy and fulfilled. It asks how you define success and how often you compare yourself with others. Marc defines success as helping as many families as possible through his work. Read the 49 Questions from The Personal MBA and buy or listen to the book: https://personalmba.com/ Visit to the Atticus website: https://atticusadvantage.com/ Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc discuss one of Marc’s biggest pet peeve: new years resolutions. Most people do not stick to their new years resolutions – they tend to be lofty and ill-defined, and few people hold themselves accountable to them. Because of this, this episode focuses on setting realistic goals – helping you avoid “shiny object” thinking, create milestones to track your progress, and get your team on board. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:40] Happy new year! Today’s episode is about Marc’s pet peeve: new years resolutions. He believes that waiting for the start of a new year to improve yourself is pointless. What really matters is executing on your plan for the year. [2:36] Marc Whitehead & Associates looks at the results from the previous year to set new goals starting in November. Then, the firm goes through all aspects of its activities to set small goals to reach throughout the new year. [6:55] The firm started using EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) a little over a year ago. EOS has helped the team understand and take accountability for this year’s goals, and will help them continue to do so moving into 2025. [9:07] Diana and Marc share their best practices for goal setting. To begin, Marc explains his fear of coming up with the wrong “rocks,” or long-term goals. He has people come into goal-setting meetings with ideas to avoid getting attached to “shiny object” ideas. [15:19] Marc always looks about two components when setting goals: profitability and growth. As his goals filter into other departments, factors like complexity and capacity become more relevant. Diana is a key player in making sure the firm has the capability to accomplish Marc’s goals. [20:25] Another component of good goal setting is making sure everyone in your organization is on board. If your goals only matter to upper leadership, they will not be accomplished by your team. [26:36] Marc’s 2025 professional goal is to get back to being more of a one-on-one marketer. He used to go to more lunches and networking events, but he has not gotten back to it since the pandemic. His SMART version of this goal is to go to at least two lunches each month. [29:27] Diana’s professional goal is to attend the EOS Integrator Masterclass. She believes it will help her be the best integrator she can be for the firm. [31:15] Marc’s personal goal is to build his relationships. He wants to spend more time and have more conversations with his wife. He also wants to spend more time with his friends and building new friendships. [34:35] Diana wants to work on her flexibility by stretching five times a week. She learned recently that flexibility is important to your bone health and mobility as you age. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc are reviewing their top takeaways and presentations from the Atticus Summit they recently attended. Focusing on mental and physical health, the summit included a variety of keynote speakers and experts with tips on how to build a better life outside of your practice. Marc also discusses his work with Atticus and offers a free call to discuss the benefits to listeners who are interested in becoming members. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:40] In today’s episode, Marc and Diana will discuss the Atticus Summit they recently attended. The summit involves presentations and speeches from keynote speakers, lawyers, and other experts. This year’s theme was “Great Practice, Great Life.” [4:47] According to Mark powers, you need to establish a “health reserve” for when you will need it. Everyone will start to experience health challenges in older age, but those who are healthier to begin with will be more likely to survive them. [7:52] Diana’s first highlight is Colleen Goldenfarb’s presentation, “Why Does Work Get the Best of You, and Your Loved Ones Get the Rest of You?” One aspect that resonated with Diana was the idea that time does not equal presence. [13:05] Marc’s first highlight is Glen Finch. Glen has been an Atticus advisor for over 20 years, but he is also a Colonel in the army. He spoke about the ability to manage your thoughts and feelings and how emotional intelligence can improve your work. [19:05] Victor Medina’s presentation, “The Perpetual Law Firm” also stood out to Diana. Only lawyers can own law firms, so selling your law firm can be difficult. He discussed how to maintain your law firm as an asset without having to work there. [22:34] Another highlight for Marc was Jennifer Felton’s presentation on building her practice and taking control of her health. She said that greatness lies at the intersection of passion, skill, and monetization. [27:14] Diana’s final highlight is Max Lugavere’s talk on unlocking your brain’s potential. He gave actionable tips about improving your brain function and preventing dementia. [31:09] Marc’s last highlight is Robert Rose’s presentation on harnessing the power of your brand’s voice – in other words, making money off of your brand. The process involves building your audience and then finding ways to monetize that audience. [39:44] Marc is a spokesperson for Atticus and credits them for the success of his practice. You can go to https://atticusonline.com to learn more about Atticus’s programs and offerings. There are lots of free opportunities to explore Atticus’s benefits, and you can also email Marc to set up a call with him on Atticus’s benefits. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Are you managing your time effectively? In this episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc and Diana give listeners their guide to managing your time (or focus) more effectively. Time management sets the best firms apart, and mastering it can help your firm run efficiently. Learn how to delegate your tasks, schedule time to think, and minimize your distractions. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:11] In this episode, Diana and Marc are discussing time management (or “focus management,” as Marc prefers to call it). Focus management is all about managing how you think. [4:26] The ability to focus on the right things sets the best apart. What are you supposed to think about as the leader of organization? Thinking correctly means thinking about strategy and the future of your firm. [8:22] The first tenet of time management in Time Management for Attorneys is prioritization. You have to prioritize the “highest and best use” of your time. [11:27] The next step is delegating tasks so that you can spend your time where it matters. Ask yourself what you are doing that you should not be doing. [12:41] One often overlooked piece is marketing – you have to spend time on marketing if you want to attract cases. You also have to spend time on management. In a well-run organization, these should be the key focuses of the head of the organization. [14:22] Think about your goals – from daily goals to five-year goals. Write down your plans to track and execute on them. [18:22] The next tenet is “blocking and tackling.” This is essentially thinking time. Blocking off time to think will allow you the space to think through your goals instead of getting stuck on the day-to-day minutia of your firm. [23:51] There are two parts to delegation: delegating the task itself and delegating the authority to execute and finalize the task. If you need to review all materials before they go out, you are creating more work for yourself. [28:03] The final tenet is managing your interruptions. Marc closes his door when he needs to focus, and tells people to meet him at other times when he is busy. [33:38] Email can be a big distraction because it can parachute into your day at any point. Marc manages his email through Outlook and organizes his emails into folders. He created a rule that court emails go into one folder, outside attorney emails go into a second folder, and staff emails go into another folder. [40:13] Marc also has a “for further study” where he puts emails that he wants to go back to – usually emails from vendors making offers. His system helps him prioritize emails and frees up his time. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Marc’s Marketing Plan, A Free Marketing Plan for 2025, Giving the Gift of Marketing Happy Holidays! In the spirit of the season, Marc has a gift for you in today’s mini-episode: a free copy of his marketing plan. He has presented his plan to lawyers across the country. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [2:12] Are lawyers too focused on being profitable? Marc believes this is the wrong framing. Lawyers have an ethical duty to be wildly profitable – to help the most people and give them the best service. [4:15] Marc gives an outline of the marketing strategies covered in his plan – from intakes to referrals. [5:25] To get a copy of the marketing plan, email Marc at marc@marcwhitehead.com Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Marc has a second gift for you! As he has discussed on the podcast, Marc is a coach for Atticus and helps lawyers build successful practices (not prisons). Normally, these courses cost money, but Marc is giving you a freebie in the spirit of the season. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [0:50] This episode is about Marc’s coaching work. For well over a decade, Marc has coached lawyers through Atticus. [2:17] This week, Marc is offering a free one-on-one conversation about building a practice, not a prison. [3:21] If you’re interested in setting up a conversation, email marc@marcwhitehead.com. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
Want to double your revenue? In this episode, Diana and Marc give you the tools to get there. These tools, the eight levers of profitability from the Atticus Double Your Revenue Workshop, are the key ways that your firm can increase its profit and grow. The levers cover all aspects of your firm, from how your build your caseloads to marketing and implementation. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below [2:30] Today, Diana and Marc will be discussing the eight levers of profit. The concept comes from an Atticus workshop called “Double Your Revenue” that helps firms create plans to double their revenue in the next three years. [6:25] Diana’s biggest takeaway from “Double Your Revenue” was that being a great lawyer was not the goal. In fact, being a great lawyer can be a trap. If your identity is around being a great lawyer, you may feel like you have to do everything and become a bottleneck. [8:38] The first lever is increasing your case value, or the amount you make per case. Marc Whitehead & Associates has caps on the fees they can charge because of government regulations. Increasing case value at the firm is about only taking high-value cases. [12:05] Next, think about your pricing strategies. You can increase your hourly rate or consider bundle billing to promote efficiency. [14:33] People also tend to think they are stuck at a one-third contingency fee, but there is no rule saying you cannot take 35% or 40%. [16:15] The third lever is strategic delegation. Think about all of the things you do and determine whether or not you have to be doing them. You will find that many tasks can be delegated, freeing up time and increasing your efficiency. [19:46] Particularly with new firms, new tasks arise with growth that you may not realize are being completed by your top employees. Try to match the value of the tasks performed to the cost of your employee. The fourth lever is to develop an all-star team, and this is necessary to delegate effectively. [22:08] Two years ago, Marc began having monthly lunches with his middle managers. He works with them on strategies like the Eisenhower Matrix to help them lead more effectively. [26:20] The fifth lever is about technology. Technology can help you do more with less by creating scalable processes that make your firm more efficient. Marc Whitehead & Associates is a paperless firm. [29:53] Marc Whitehead & Associates uses Case Status as a client portal. It is an app that clients can use to track their cases. It allowed their case managers to take on larger case loads. [36:31] The next lever, Focus Management Efficiencies, is about focusing on the most important tasks and deferring the tasks that don’t move the needle. The best use of Marc’s time, for example, is working on marketing and mentorship. [39:02] Focus Management is all about scheduling time to think. Taking time to think strategically about where you want to go and how you can get there is extremely important. [41:32] Your firm won’t be able to generate any profit if you aren’t attracting good clients. The next lever, marketing, is crucial to this piece. Building a good referral network is crucial to this step. [45:29] The final lever is implementation. You can have a ton of great ideas, but those ideas aren’t worth anything if they are not properly executed. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com Attend a Double Your Revenue Seminar: https://atticusadvantage.com/what-we-do/in-person-workshops/…
In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss my many firms are afraid to hire all-star attorneys and how those firms can face their fears. Firms have three main concerns about all-star attorneys: they are costly, they might leave after resources are wasted on training them, and they may leave and take staff and clients with them. Marc and Diana provide potential solutions to all three of these concerns. You cannot be the only top lawyer at your firm; as Marc puts it, you can’t scale yourself. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below [1:23] Today’s episode is about the fear that many firms have of hiring all-star attorneys. Many firm owners are powerhouses in their own right, and sharing the spotlight can be scary. [2:59] You can’t scale yourself. If you are the only all-star attorney at your firm, the size of your firm will stagnate. [4:53] There are three legitimate reasons that firms may be hesitant to hire top attorneys. First, they are more expensive to hire. Second, firms are concerned that attorneys will take valuable resources to train and then leave the firm. Finally, firms worry that top attorneys will leave and take top clients with them. [7:25] An all star attorney is an attorney who you are confident can successfully work and generate revenue without you. [10:12] Business owners worry about the cost of all-star attorneys. Marc believes that all-star attorneys should be able to generate three times the amount that they cost. [14:26] You can address the concern about your top lawyers leaving by creating conditions where they want to stay. Treat your attorneys fairly and create a culture that they want to be a part of. [20:09] To address the fear that firms have of their best attorneys leaving and taking their clients, Marc Whitehead & Associates has employees sign a fee split for clients that originate from the firm. [26:59] Marc Whitehead & Associates has a non-equity partnership track for attorneys who have been a part of the team for seven years or more. This provides further motivation and incentive for top performers to stay with the firm. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the seven habits of highly effective lawyers. Based on the book by Stephen Covey, these habits are tailored to setting your firm up for success. Habits are important because they build on each other, so establishing a good habit early on can help you be successful over time. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below [2:30] Today’s episode is about choices and how they can lead to good habits. The idea of the episode comes from a Successful Barrister Newsletter article called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Lawyers. [4:03] Why are habits so important? Habits are something that you can build on. Over the long run, habits lead to momentum and push you forward. [7:44] The seven habits are be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand then be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw. [8:43] Initially Marc struggled to be proactive. Over time, Marc learned what to cut and what to focus on to maximize his time. [13:24] The second habit is to begin with the end in mind. For lawyers, this means beginning with your jury charge. Even better, envision the future of your firm and plan for it. [18:43] Putting first things first is all about focus and focus management. This involves allocating people to best use their abilities. It is about determining what you should and should not be doing. [25:17] Thinking win-win is all about recognizing mutual benefits and creating situations where both parties can win. Unnecessary win-lose situations may benefit you in the short term, but they can damage long term relationships. [29:39] The fifth habit is to seek to understand before seeking to be understood. For Marc, this is about meeting people where they are at. This means that sometimes Marc deals with different people differently. [35:12] Marc has reinterpreted synergy to refer to building an effective team. This could include people you have hired full-time, fractional hires, and outside vendors. [40:00] The final habit is sharpening the saw. This has to do with improving your teams through training and development. It can also have health implications because being at your best can help you perform at your best. Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the book Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward is a book by Dr. Henry Cloud. Necessary Endings, or “breakups” as Marc calls them, are extremely important to running a successful firm. They allow you to free up resources to spend on better opportunities. Necessary endings can encompass vendors, staff, clients, and services. Learn which necessary endings you may be missing on this episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast. [1:11] The topic of this episode is breakups, also known as necessary endings. Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward is a book by Dr. Henry Cloud on things that you should stop doing. The book is ultimately about the allocation of resources – where to invest, and where not to. [4:09] It is difficult for people to say no. For example, denying cases from referral sources can be difficult, but learning how to do so is a necessary part of being successful. [6:25] Sunk-costs make these decisions particularly difficult, but they are ultimately irrelevant. If a project is failing, you need to learn how to let it go. [8:41] What are examples of necessary endings? In Diana’s first year, the firm “broke up” with their IT provider. The provider was a financial burden to the firm, and they were replaced with a much more effective provider. [11:17] Vendors often try to hook you with a low rate and price you up over time, which can be understandable to an extent but often gets out of hand. Other times, vendors start to prioritize a market that you are not a part of and they become a burden. [14:49] Necessary Endings are difficult. However, if you do not learn how to end things, you are missing better opportunities. [16:59] Sometimes, things work well initially but become irrelevant over time. Marc Whitehead & Associates had initial success from LSAs, but over time they became less effective and more expensive. [19:04] Another type of Necessary Ending is with practice areas. Some practice areas are interesting but do not pay well enough to justify working on them. Marc had to stop working in criminal law and personal injury law to grow his disability law firm. [23:20] Letting people go can be particularly difficult. Marc refers to this as “emotional cost” because the emotions around letting people go make removing people who are not pulling their weight painful. [27:52] Difficult relationships are like a hurricane. If a Necessary Ending between two people is being avoided, the “fan” can be more damaging to the people around them than to the people involved in the “eye.” [32:57] Marc Whitehead & Associates is normalizing necessary endings in its culture. Marc looks at the plan for each year and makes a list of aspects that are not working such as marketing channels, tools, and processes. These aspects then become necessary endings. Buy Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward by Dr. Henry Cloud: https://www.amazon.com/Necessary-Endings-Henry-Cloud/dp/0061777129 Listen to Necessary Endings : https://www.audible.com/pd/Necessary-Endings-Audiobook/B004J0YIQ4 Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
In this episode, cohosts Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss strategy by discussing the book Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins. Learn how to find your unique strengths and cater your firm to them, place your big bets, and learn why you should be firing “rifle shots” before you fire “cannonballs.” Marc and Diana get into the specifics of how Marc Whitehead & Associates came to dominate the disability denial law market in Houston using Collins’s advice – and how you can do the same. [0:53] Marc Whitehead introduces himself and chief operating officer Diana Berry. He also introduces the subject of today’s episode, which is one of Marc’s favorites - strategy. His favorite strategist is Jim Colins, who reissued his book Beyond Entrepreneurship with updates during the pandemic, calling it Entrepreneurship 2.0 . [2:50] Strategy is all about making good choices in your business. Marc notes that Diana and himself often differ on the choices they should make. Having methodology to make strategic decisions will help you make consistent choices that propel your business forward. [4:53] Entrepreneurship 2.0 may be a better fit for law firms than Colins’s more famous books, which tend to focus on large corporations. [8:54] Marc made strategic decisions about where to focus his practice as the legal landscape around his work shifted over time, specifically around bankruptcy law and personal injury. He made the strategic decision to focus on disability law. [11:24] The first step in making good choices is to understand your strengths and weaknesses and make choices based on your unique strengths. Marc’s strengths are that he is a good organizer, a good mentor, and good at setting up systems that run efficiently. He found that disability cases suited his unique strengths. [17:45] Collins advises entrepreneurs to determine where to place their “big bets” by testing different paths, or “firing rifle shots, not cannonballs.” Moving into new legal territory on a small scale can help you find the best paths to success. [20:55] Another Collins principal is to protect your flanks. This refers to mitigating risk by protecting steady, sustainable sources of work. [25:10] Diana and Marc move on to scaling, or “extending your victories” as Collins calls it. This means taking what you do well and finding a way to do more of it. To scale up, you have to have effective marketing in place and have the infrastructure to support an influx of cases. [30:46] Marc is currently adding elder law cases to his practice. These cases have significant overlap with the Marc Whitehead & Associates client base. [35:13] It is okay to make mistakes and take risks – Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 is all about ensuring that your mistakes will not bankrupt you. Buy Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/BE-2-0-Beyond-Entrepreneurship-Business/dp/0399564233 Listen to Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 : https://www.audible.com/pd/BE-20-Beyond-Entrepreneurship-20-Audiobook/0593398629 Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com…
플레이어 FM에 오신것을 환영합니다!
플레이어 FM은 웹에서 고품질 팟캐스트를 검색하여 지금 바로 즐길 수 있도록 합니다. 최고의 팟캐스트 앱이며 Android, iPhone 및 웹에서도 작동합니다. 장치 간 구독 동기화를 위해 가입하세요.