On the show this week, we are re-releasing one of our favourite episodes with Nathan Hepple.  Nathan is a Lawyer and a Director of the law firm HBA Legal based out of Sydney, Australia. He is also half of the talent on the podcast "Pardon My Objection”, a show that challenges the status quo in the legal industry with one of our past guests, Mitch Kowalski.

In this wide ranging discussion, we cover many topics including:

* How in Australia, law firms are permitted to be organized as corporations, and owned by non-lawyers, and how this type of structure can lead to better outcomes for all involved; 

* How our current partnership model is failing both the lawyers who work within the system and the public at large, except for the very few at the top of the pyramid;

* The high rates of depression and mental health issues currently being experienced by lawyers; and

* What we can do to reform our legal system to make it...just a little more human.

Despite the heavy nature of some of the topics, as you will hear, the tone of the show is quite upbeat. Nathan has an infectiously positive outlook, and it is inspiring to know that Goodlawyer has allies all over the world who are working towards positive change in our antiquated legal system. 

Today on The Goodlawyer Show we welcome Aaron Baer, a typically clean-shaven Bay Street lawyer tackling the world of big law a little differently than most. Aaron has quickly ascended the LinkedIn pecking order by sharing his (often cutting) thoughts on how the legal profession works today, and how it ought to tomorrow. 

In today's episode we dig into some of the most frustrating issues that plague lawyers and impact their mental health. We also assess:

* The billable hour and it's significant drawbacks (for clients and lawyers alike); 

* The challenging aspects of working remotely; 

* How to add real value to your clients' business; 

* And why in most cases, fixed-fee services provide an elegant solution for lawyers and clients alike. 

We close off with some ideas about how to train lawyers in the future, systemic issues found in law schools, and ways that we can make the legal services industry a kinder, more compassionate place for lawyers and clients. Needless to say, Aaron's approach to law resonates with our mission at Goodlawyer. 

We hope you enjoy this truly insightful episode of The Goodlawyer Show as much as we did.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronbaer2/

https://www.adamgrant.net/podcast/

https://brenebrown.com/podcasts/

Our guest today is Darrel Rolheiser. Darrel is a Business Centre Manager at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). While he is an experienced banker by trade, Darrel sees his role with BDC as more of a business developer, focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed and thrive.

BDC supports small and medium-sized businesses in all industries and at every stage of growth with money, advice and resources. They take a more wholistic approach to lending money than its traditional banking counterparts. It's not only the bottom line that matters, it is also the people and the ideas behind it.

On the show we discuss:

* How BDC can help finance your business;

* How BDC differs from "traditional" banks, and why that is a good thing for entrepreneurs; and

* The different types of businesses BDC supports. 

Thank you to Darrel for taking the time to come on the show! For more information on BDC, please visit their website at https://www.bdc.ca/en.

Our guest today is Tom Freeman, General Counsel at Midwest Laboratories, Adjunct Professor of Law at Creighton University, and founding member of the Institute for Digital Humanity.

Tom joins us to discuss some of this issues facing the legal profession including the billable hour and some of the consequences of this method of pricing legal services, how technology will impact the practice of law and some of the unintended consequences that will need to be navigated, and the problems with the purely theoretical teaching model currently in vogue at most law schools.

For any of you interested in hearing more from Tom, please check out his excellent LinkedIn page where he has helped build a diverse community aimed at discussing many of the important issues surrounding the law and lawyers. 

All opinions expressed by Prof. Freeman are his own.

https://www.institutefordigitalhumanity.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfreeman/

Today on the podcast we have Thomas Walker, Chief Operating Officer at Wild Leaf Beverages, and Partner at Bast Capital. Thomas is also a lawyer who began his career working at one of Canada's major law firms. 

Thomas possesses a distinct perspective on entrepreneurship and law (two topics near and dear to our hearts at Goodlawyer) both of which we delve into deeply on today's show. 

We discuss a wide array of topics including: 

* Thomas's journey from lawyer to entrepreneur; 

* The pressure law students face on procuring "Big Law" jobs, and how easy it is to get caught up in that craze;

* Why Thomas left the law, and some of the issues facing the legal profession;

* How Thomas manages the relationship with his highly driven partners;

* The importance of prioritization and allowing some fires to burn in your business;

* Why you should always carry a bias towards action; 

* And many others! 

Whether you are a lawyer, law student, entrepreneur, business owner or any combination of the above, Thomas has tons of wisdom to share.

https://bastcapital.com

https://wildleafbev.com

https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath

https://shiftstate.io

https://www.breathwrk.com

https://www.michaelegerbercompanies.com/theemythlibrary/

Joining us on the show is Arin Klug, Co-Founder and COO of Epilogue Wills. Epilogue is an online will and estate planning service that can deliver a will in less than an afternoon, and for a fraction of the prices charged by the big firms. 

We cover many topics with Arin including how high legal fees prevent many from accessing the services; why some regulations may need to change to allow non-lawyers to deliver certain legal services; how universities can better prepare lawyers for the realities of day-to-day practice; the benefits of multi-disciplinary practices, among many others.

If you are in need of a will, be sure to check out epiloguewills.com/ to get it done fast, and without breaking the bank.

https://www.legalinnovationzone.ca/

https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this

https://www.startupschool.org/

On the show today we have Bobbie Racette, founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus.  Virtual Gurus is a virtual assistant marketplace that matches businesses and entrepreneurs with freelancer assistants. 

We discuss the unique challenges of building a two-sided platform, Bobbie's experience pitching investors over 170 times before securing funding, the importance of continuous learning, how Bobbie keeps her team motivated and aligned with the companies mission, among many other topics. 

If you are in need of some extra administrative help, make sure to check out https://thevirtualgurus.com to find the perfect virtual assistant. 

https://www.saastr.com

https://fromfoundertoceo.com

https://www.nfx.com

As another year has drawn to an end, we at Goodlawyer took some time to reflect on the year that has been, and cast our gaze to the horizon for the year to come. No question 2020 was a year like none other.  Alongside COVID-19 came many unexpected challenges, not only for our company, but for society at large, and undoubtedly for each one of you.

While it is tempting to bid 2020 an unceremonious good riddance, 2020 was in fact a formative year at Goodlawyer. To be sure there were challenges; 2020 saw a co-founder depart from the Goodlawyer team, initiatives failed, and COVID-19 played havoc with literally every single plan we had.

However, it was also the year Goodlawyer pivoted to an offering based around micro-legal services, grew the team by multiple members, won Start-up Calgary's “Alumni Choice Award”, and launched our most exciting product to date: the Goodlawyer PRO subscription.

Joining me on the show to discuss all of this and much more is my co-host and Goodlawyer CEO and Co-founder Brett Colvin.  As you will hear we are very excited for the year to come (even to some of the challenges that are sure to await). After successfully navigating the challenges of 2020, we have developed a deep belief that the Goodlawyer team, along with all the lawyers' operating on the platform, are up for the task. 

We hope you enjoy today’s 2020 recap, and wish you nothing but success in 2021!

Today we are excited to be sharing an episode of Startup Canada's "Thrive" podcast where Goodlawyer's innovation strategist, and contract lawyer extraordinaire, Amy Grubb,  was recently interviewed to discuss her legal and entrepreneurial journey. 

The conversation covers (among many others):

* The importance of taking a step back to ensure the path you are on is taking you to where you want to be.

* The importance of knowing you ideal client no matter what your industry.

* When you should contact a lawyer.

* How to find the right lawyer for your situation.

* Red flags entrepreneurs should be looking out for in contracts. 

Thanks to Startup Canada and the Thrive podcast for allowing us to share this episode!

On the show this week we have Jaime Wood, Co-Founder and COO of Fanoramas. Fanoramas is a fan engagement company focused on building the fans experience through personalized content. 

On the show we discuss the challenges facing the entertainment industry with COVID-19. The importance of staying resilient in the face of adversity. How the idea for Fanoramas came about. How Fanoramas built their product and tested some of their core assumptions. The importance of breaking your big idea down into manageable pieces. And why you must be an evangelist for your business and product. 

https://fanoramas.com/

https://www.take2.tech/

https://blog.goodlawyer.ca/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-LxSSuAUPTjtsgGsc3-nA

https://www.strategyzer.com/

http://theleanstartup.com/

https://www.kimorlesky.com/blog