Counsel Cast

Imagine having a network of trusted and supportive colleagues supporting you in every new business venture or idea?

The power that a network has is crucial in any industry, but it’s especially important in the law industry, as it has an impact on your retention, client satisfaction and overall success of your firm.

In this episode, I speak with Kristen Gyolai, who has been representing injured employees in workers' compensation matters for 8 years. Three years ago, she started her own law firm, as you’ll hear in this conversation. After starting her own law firm, she was flooded with inquiries from fellow attorneys looking to go solo. 

In the summer of 2021 she launched Lure of Law, a mentorship service for attorneys who want to start their own firms. We get into so many aspects of launching a new business in this conversation, but in particular how important it is to have a network you can count on.

We talk about:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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How do you build rapport on social media as a lawyer? It’s a balance between ‘sharing it all’ and building that know, like and trust factor.

In this episode, I speak with Mitch Jackson, one of the most well-known active trial lawyers on social media.

Mitch was a “2009 Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year” and “2013 California Litigation Lawyer of the Year.”

He’s been profiled in best-selling marketing books and dozens of publications and platforms including INC., Mashable, and The Wall Street Journal. During the past several years, Mitch has presented cutting-edge business/legal/marketing techniques at the Tony Robbins Business Mastery with his good friend, David Meerman Scott. 

We talk about:

Mitch is the founder of the global LegalMinds Mastermind, and has book, “The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Business Owners, Professionals and Entrepreneurs”, is a #1 best seller on Amazon and top #1 new release in two separate categories. Mitch’s friends know of him as “The Streaming Lawyer” (live video) and you can stay connected at Streaming.Lawyer.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode, I speak with Scott Pruim, who is with Integris, and we chat all about why it’s so important for law firms to hire out professional IT.

Scott had a short stint in law school, and has been in sales since 1998 across all sectors: blue collar/construction sales to white collar IT. 

We talk about:

Fun facts about Scott: he coaches youth sports, likes to scuba dive and climb, has two kids aged 16 and 13, and his lifelong dream is to visit Egypt!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

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In this episode, I speak with Wendee Lee Curtis about why it’s so important for lawyers to be on camera.

Wendee is a veteran Broadway performer, former entertainment & traffic reporter / news anchor and Founder of Confidence On Camera for CEOs & Entrepreneurs. 

She shares with us in this week’s podcast episode why video is key in building the know, like and trust factor, and how if you’re not leveraging it, you're leaving money on the table.

We talk about:

She has spent over a decade on the "Great White Way" performing at venues such as Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center & Carnegie Hall. She made the leap from Broadway to broadcasting, working for KTNV-ABC in Las Vegas. Wendee is also a five-figure paid corporate host, emcee & moderator for global Fortune 500 companies. Her emcee experience includes live & virtual events for numerous pharmaceutical and Fortune 500 companies.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Brag Better by Meredith Fineman

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In this episode, I speak with Pete Everitt, a UK-based digital entrepreneur. Pete learned his craft working in digital agencies specialising in e-commerce, SEO and paid traffic. 

In 2016 Pete started his own agency, SO…, and in 2020 launched SEOHive - a productised SEO service that helps digital agencies build streams of recurring revenue. Pete also podcasts at RetainFM.

Pete is a wealth of knowledge and we go into the ins and outs of SEO, and how it will help your law practice stand out against competitors.

We talk about:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Rise of the Youpreneur by Chris Ducker

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In this episode, I speak with Jake Minick -- the ‘Asheville DWI Guy’.

 Concentrating his practice in DWI / DUI Defense, he has handled hundreds of DWI cases throughout Western North Carolina. The National Trial Lawyers association has named Jake one of its Top 100 Trial Lawyers from 2014-2017. 

He is a General Member of the National College for DUI Defense, and has successfully completed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s course on DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, a 24 hour course taught to officers trained in DWI investigations. 

We talk about:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• John Fisher and Thomas More: Keeping Their Souls While Losing Their Heads

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In this episode, I speak with Sarah Moon, the founder & strategist at Sarah Moon & Co, a boutique website design and business strategy studio based in beautiful Portland in Oregon.

We talk a lot about how marketing and pricing your services go hand in hand, because ultimately how your packages are structured and packaged impact your revenue and marketing plan.

We talk about:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode, I speak with Steve Fretzin, who is regarded as the premier coach, skills trainer and keynote speaker on business development for attorneys.

Over the past 17 years, Steve has devoted his career to helping lawyers master the art of business development to achieve their business goals and the peace of mind that comes with developing a successful law practice. 

We talk about:

In addition to writing three books on legal marketing and business development, Steve has a highly rated podcast BE THAT LAWYER and has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s and Entrepreneur.com. He has appeared on NBC News, WGN Radio and has written articles for Attorney at Law Magazine, the National Law Review, the American Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. You can also find his monthly column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode, I speak with Ali Katz, Family Law Attorney and Founder and CEO of New Law Business Model.

What Ali Katz kept discovering was that the traditional law practice model we’ve been taught -- based on forms and documents, billable hours, and one-off transactions -- is broken, both for lawyers and their clients. 

So, she invented a new law business model in her own practice back in 2003, and within three years had built a 7-figure law practice on this new model, as a single mom, working just 3 days a week in her office. From there, she founded New Law Business Model to teach her revolutionary model to other lawyers who want to serve families and business owners as a trusted advisor, while loving their lives and law practices. 

Today, Ali is the CEO/founder of New Law Business Model, as well as the lead Personal Family Lawyer, serving as senior partner and law business mentor to more than 300 Personal Family Lawyer law firms across the US.

We talk about:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode, I speak with Shermin Lakha, the Managing Attorney and CEO of LVLUP Legal, a boutique female-owned virtual law firm dedicated to empowering underrepresented startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs to “level up” and make smart legal decisions. 

Shermin started LVLUP Legal with the goal to modernize the legal field by creating an open level of communication. What sets her apart is her philosophy to build long-term relationships with her clients as a trusted legal advisor, and become an integral part of building their success.

We talk a lot about how she built her brand and company with virtually no overhead, and without spending any money on digital advertising.

Shermin gives listeners actionable tips on:

Since launching her practice, she has worked with a variety of clients ranging from digital companies, tech startups, restaurants, beauty and fashion brands, artists, event planners, and marketing companies.

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