15 Minutes Share Your Voice

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Verne Harnish, Owner and CEO of Scaling Up, on the biggest challenges businesses face today in this post pandemic world and how he and his coaches are helping their clients through them.

Verne is a world-leading expert, speaker, author, and entrepreneur in the field of business growth. He has spent more than 30 years educating entrepreneurial teams. As part of his personal mission to support entrepreneurs, he co-founded Growth Institute, a premier online training company that has helped mid-market companies in over 50 countries learn and implement the latest business methodologies.

He also founded the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and chaired for 15 years EO's premier CEO program, the "Birthing of Giants", held at MIT. Verne is also the Founder and CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 180 partners on six continents.

Known as the "Growth Guy" syndicated columnist, Verne is also a regular columnist for Fortune magazine. He's the author of Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and, along with the editors of Fortune, authored The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, for which Jim Collins wrote the foreword.

With his expertise in high demand, Verne chairs annual Growth Summits in North America, Europe, and Asia and continues to teach in the MIT-based executive program he founded. He is also a private investor in many scaleups.

Verne is a father of four who enjoys piano, tennis, and magic as a card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Recorded 09/12/2022.

Ross Epstein is a Partner at Intelink Law Group PC, an international business and law services firm. He is a legal advisor to various clients, including US, European, and Asian multinational corporations, universities, and other research institutions.

Ross' main practice area is a mix of intellectual property and corporate transactional work, handling patents and trademarks on the prosecution side rather than litigation. He helps startups set up their operation, structure, formation, mergers and acquisitions, key employee agreements, and incentive plans. His love for corporate transactional work comes from his first-hand entrepreneurial experience, having been the Founder, President, and CEO of BCH Communications, a company he developed into a multi-million dollar telecommunications/internet business.

One of the biggest concerns for law firms is how to secure their law practice with a steady inflow of clients. However, there are many ways to attract clients to your firm.

Realizing that everything you do is based on relationships and the right connections is a game changer. Your law firm will succeed or fail based on the quality of the relationships you build and the people around you. You also need to develop a client base as another security leverage you get in any service kind of business. Without it, your firm will be at the mercy of whoever has those relationships — and you don't want that. All this comes alive as you listen to Ross Epstein talk about his journey as an intellectual property and corporate transaction lawyer.

Listen to this episode of 15 Minutes with Michael Renfro featuring Ross Epstein, a Partner at Intelink Law Group PC. Together they discuss the struggles of building a law firm, the marketing approach that worked for Ross, the best advice he's received, and why relationships make all the difference for a thriving law firm.

On this week's episode, Ami Kassar interviews Jeff Bruno, founder and CEO of B.Modelr, on how businesses manage performance.

Jeff has over twenty years of experience in financial and operating strategy. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from George Washington University and a Master's Degree in International Business Administration from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

Jeff started his career in the retail brokerage world at Prudential Securities before several stints in the start-up or small business space before his current role as CEO. Over the past 18 months, Jeff describes his journey of rebranding from Your Outsourced CFO to B.Modelr - or Business Modeler. "We are business model specialists who use modeling, measurement, and analysis to glean insight, illustrate logic, gauge [business] performance, and inform decision making."

B.Modelr is based out of Philadelphia and works with companies nationwide. Jeff and his team help companies find clarity on their business concept, focus on the highest value areas, and decision making is supported by quantitative analysis.

Jeff has a great family with a beautiful wife and three amazing kids. While not focusing on growing his business, Jeff loves dinner out with his wife, board games with his son, and drawing contests with his two younger daughters.

Recorded 09/09/2022.

As an early adopter of Bitcoin, Andrew Bull, Esq. is a knowledgeable lawyer in the cryptocurrency space. He is the Founding Partner of Bull Blockchain Law, Philadelphia's first law firm dedicated to cryptocurrency. He also founded Titan Ventures, which was a cryptographic mining and hosting business. His early work was in government and law, including extensive time in political campaigns and a position as a Research and Writing Specialist for the US Department of Homeland Security.

Do you want to get into the cryptocurrency space, but you're not sure how? It sounds interesting, but you're not sure if you should because you don't know the risks it may involve. It's helpful to have someone who can navigate the technology with you.

Despite its growing acceptance, cryptocurrency is still the new Wild West for many people. Because of its rapid expansion, most people are unfamiliar with the full extent of the technology. There is plenty of misinformation floating around, which makes it even more confusing for newcomers. Fortunately, there are lawyers helping illuminate the legal parameters of the new field. Andrew Bull is one such lawyer, having founded his own law firm dedicated to blockchain and cryptocurrency. His industry experience and legal expertise make him a perfect candidate to explain the subject.

Michael Renfro takes the time to sit down with Andrew Bull, Esq., the Founding Partner of Bull Blockchain Law, to discuss the intersection of the law and blockchain. The two dive into topics of cryptocurrency, the common pitfalls of the technology, and how Andrew's law firm helps its clients. They also touch on his personal life and the decisions that led him throughout his career. Find out the rest by tuning into this episode of 15 Minutes!

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Eric Griffin (better known as Griff), co-founder of Mobile Outfitters, on the biggest lessons learned during his entrepreneurial journey.

Griff co-founded Mobile Outfitters, a 5x Inc. 5000 company, which is a U.S. manufacturer, innovator, and consumer brand of mobile accessories, with 900 retail locations spanning 55 countries. Mobile Outfitters is best known for its award-winning RapidCut system, an all-in-one solution for on-demand manufacturing of mobile screen protection and 360° full body skins directly in retail stores, completely eliminating the need for inventory.

Griff is passionate about business strategy, vision, startups, sales development, product design, and marketing. Finding an opportunity, bringing it to life from napkin sketch to reality, and creating a game plan that turns potential opportunity into a brand that employees and customers are enthusiastic about is his favorite thing to do. Talking with people who are interested in (or are already) building sustainable, responsible, growing companies is a close second.

Griff is also a board member of the Philadelphia chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization, a non-profit network exclusively for entrepreneurs, chairman of the board at Back on my Feet Philly, a non-profit combatting homelessness through the power of running, co-founder of GSW Apartments, a 33 unit real estate development and property management company, and co-founder of PAW5, a consumer brand of puzzle feeders and enrichment products for dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys helping Philly not-for-profits, running, gardening, woodworking, cooking, and coffee.

Recorded 08/30/2022.

Amanda Shaffer, Esq. is a partner and the Chief Marketing Officer at The Shapiro Law Firm. She has worked for this small, family-oriented firm for over a decade, starting her work there as a law intern. Her areas of expertise include civil litigation, business organization, property, wills, and a focus on immigration. She earned her J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law and her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan.

What does it look like to practice law and care for people?

While the service is essential and desperately needed, the very idea of a law firm conjures fears of heavy fees and tedious litigation. It can be challenging to untangle the two concepts and find a direct path between the two. Amanda Shaffer finds purpose in her position by focusing on immigration law through her modest law firm. Likewise, she started small, teaching herself legal marketing and proper lawyering. It has been a long but fruitful journey; now, she shares her hard-won insights with you. In this episode of 15 Minutes, Michael Renfro sits down with Amanda Shaffer, Esq., a partner and the Chief Marketing Officer of The Shapiro Law Firm, to sift through her approach and her story. They begin with starting at the law firm with her brother-in-law and what she learned early on. They also discuss her daily rituals, her greatest inspirations, and even touch on some of her favorite podcasts. Stay tuned to hear all of this and much more!

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Elisabeth Garson, Executive Creative Director of Steel Owl, about her creative journey, her favorite projects, and what she is working on now.

Elisabeth is an Executive Creative Director and an Experience Producer that builds interactive brand experiences, and develops gamification for corporate training (learn as you play). She's given dozens of lectures on experiential design, advertising, escape rooms and more. She authored two industry books and is the owner of Steel Owl Productions, with the award-winning game room, Escape The 1980s.

Her current work blends interactive, off-screen experiences with advertising and learning. In 2015, she founded Steel Owl Productions, a company that works with brands looking to promote or train via real-life experiences. She's developed interactive experiences for the museum industry, training industry and Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to Steel Owl Productions, Garson worked in Advertising for 20 years as a Creative Director. Her clients included large companies (Comcast, Advanta, The Franklin Mint), medium sized businesses and start-ups. From craft beer…to cable TV — her creative work explored consumer experience, from the perspective of targeted audience research. This knowledge acted as the primary building block for the Steel Owl business model, including game development, company branding, and puzzles to create player engagement.

In addition, she created several Philadelphia events including the sold-out "Dating Game Live" (set up like the 1980s show) and a sold out "Happening Event" where participants purchased tickets to something that was happening (but they didn't know what it was). She was the co-creator of an independent short film that created outlandish experiences for unsuspecting deliverymen. She also the developed The Philadelphia Arts Market concept for the City of Philadelphia, which is still in process of development, and on-hold for the moment.

Over the years, Garson's endeavors have attracted press from The Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS 3, NBC 10, ABC 6, KYW News Radio, Time Magazine and dozens of others.

Recorded 08/26/2022.

Owen McGrann is the Founder and Managing Member of McGrann Law, a modest firm that works with ordinary people on estate planning and small businesses. His background includes work at law firms such as Picadio Sneath Miller & Norton, P.C. and Tucker Arensberg, P.C. Owen has been on the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars list on six separate occasions for his expertise and hands-on work with the community. He received his JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his master's in literature from Binghamton University.

It's no secret that lawyers have a stigma in western culture. Even the best law firms can be perceived as manipulative or conniving based solely on stereotypes. The profession comes with its own pitfalls and preconceptions and, unfortunately, some lawyers only serve to perpetuate those notions. Meanwhile, others work tirelessly to serve their clients and practice fairly. One such lawyer is Owen McGrann. After a decade at larger law firms, Owen decided to start his own to help his clients better. He has a direct but honest approach that filters to the rest of his team at McGrann Law. Their reputation is built on these ideals, and on today's show, Owen explains exactly how they operate. Michael Renfro interviews Owen McGrann, the Founder and Managing Member of McGrann Law, on this episode of 15 Minutes to talk about his approach to practicing law and what's worked for his firm. They discuss the overlooked mechanics of running a law firm and why knowing your numbers is so important. They touch on subjects such as CRMs for law firms, using storytelling to win clients, and some of the best attorneys working today.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Dave Mastovich, founder & CEO of MASSolutions, on how to eliminate BS marketing tactics and replace them with proven growth strategies.

Dave has helped companies achieve top and bottom line growth through marketing and storytelling for decades. He helped grow the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center into a multibillion dollar healthcare system and drove record breaking recruitment in both size and academic talent for Duquesne University as a senior executive leader before starting MASSolutions, the world's only No BULL$H!# Marketing Consultancy.

He started MASSolutions because he wanted any company, regardless of size or industry, to be able to leverage real marketing through his No BS Go To Market System. He and his team help companies achieve massive growth through strategic marketing, customer experience solutions and top and bottom line storytelling.

Dave has been quoted or published in Entrepreneur, Inc, Fortune, ABC News and many other outlets on Marketing, Branding and Crisis Communications.

He's author of the book Get Where You Want to Go Through Marketing, Selling and Story Telling and host of the No BS Marketing Show podcast with nearly 500 episodes over 7 years. His blog has been featured in over 50 media outlets with readership of more than 1 million. Dave is also a nationally-recognized speaker.

Recorded 08/17/2022.

Michael Renfro is a Strategist at Gladiator Law Marketing, an award-winning law firm marketing agency that helps law firms get their ideal clients. At Gladiator, they help law firms capture their online market through web marketing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and decades of experience. Michael has over 30 years of sales experience. He is not your average sales professional — he believes in putting people first and delivering genuine service.

He previously worked as the Chief Creative Officer at Skylar Forrest Games, LLC, and he became a US Patent holder in 2011 for an abstract strategy board game he developed.

Are you looking for expert strategies that will optimize your law practice? If you're looking for a better way to grow your business, Michael Renfro is here to share his strategies for connecting and cultivating lasting relationships with your ideal clients.

Trust and transparency are at the forefront of Michael's work. With years of experience, he knows what it takes to help great companies grow and effectively target and market to their clients. Michael treats clients with respect and provides them with the services they need to best utilize legal SEO marketing. Michael and his team deliver tangible results that optimize your online presence through website remodeling and marketing.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, Chad Franzen of Rise25 sits down with Michael Renfro, Strategist at Gladiator Law Marketing, to discuss how legal marketing through SEO and pay-per-click advertisements can scale a firm. Michael talks about how to build a reputation based on trust, proven strategies to drive traffic and produce growth, and ways to keep the momentum going behind your firm.