Have you ever wondered what would happen if you wrote down your most ambitious dreams and revisited them two years later? In this eye-opening episode, I pull back the curtain on my "Vivid Vision" exercise—a powerful three-year life design framework that has quite literally transformed both my law practice and personal life.

Walking through my December 2025 vision that I originally created in 2023, I provide a brutally honest assessment of what materialized and what didn't. The revelation? While I missed many of my financial projections (hitting $5 million instead of $8 million in firm revenue), nearly everything that truly matters manifested exactly as written—from creating a self-sustaining practice with outstanding client care to finding our forever home with space for family and an outdoor oasis.

This episode isn't just about my journey; it's a masterclass in intentional life design for lawyers who want to build practices aligned with their deepest values. You'll learn why three years is the perfect planning horizon, how to create your own vivid vision, and why sharing it widely creates powerful accountability. Most importantly, you'll discover that when you focus on designing the life you truly want rather than chasing arbitrary revenue targets, extraordinary things happen.

If you're tired of showing up to a practice that drains rather than fulfills you, this episode offers a proven pathway forward. As I share from my beach house in Italy during a three-week family vacation (yes, that was in my vision too!): "You will be surprised at how much of this shit actually comes true if you just write it down."

Ready to design a practice you genuinely look forward to on Mondays? Listen now, then create your own Vivid Vision. I'd be honored to read it and provide feedback—just leave out the numbers, because as I've learned, they're the least important part of the equation.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

You don’t need a niche practice—or a marketing department—to grow on LinkedIn. You just need better stories.

In this episode, Jacob Molina shares how solo and small firm lawyers can turn everyday conversations, client wins, and even tough calls into content that builds trust and drives business. We talk about why the client should be the hero, how to get out of your own head, and why visibility beats vanity metrics every time.

If you’ve ever said “I don’t know what to post,” this one’s for you.

Connect with Jacob on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/molinajacob
Or visit storyleads.io to learn more.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

Lawyers are leaving significant money on the table by stubbornly handling cases outside their expertise when referrals could generate higher profits per hour with zero risk. This eye-opening episode breaks down the surprising economics of legal referrals through the lens of a recent case where I wrote a six-figure check to an out-of-state attorney for essentially making one phone call.

When an attorney from Texas contacted me about a Virginia crash case, he declined my offer to handle it for a referral fee. Instead, he spent 20 months struggling with unfamiliar law before finally sending it my way just before the statute of limitations. After settling for $925,000, I wrote him a check exceeding $100,000. Had he referred it immediately, he would have earned the same amount with virtually no work while avoiding potential malpractice exposure.

The math becomes clear: your return on time skyrockets when you focus exclusively on cases within your geographic and subject-matter expertise. I share multiple examples of general practitioners who mishandled "simple" injury cases by missing immunity issues or incorrectly identifying corporate defendants, inadvertently creating legal malpractice claims more valuable than the original cases.

This philosophy extends beyond case management into personal finance and life planning. Just as I've stopped investing in real estate requiring active management, preferring limited partnerships with slightly lower returns but dramatically higher returns on my time, our firm has abandoned expanding into new practice areas. We've found cultivating strong referral relationships delivers superior results while preserving focus on our core expertise.

With my oldest son turning ten—marking the halfway point of his time under our roof—I'm increasingly aware of how precious time truly is. Are you optimizing your practice to maximize both profit and personal fulfillment? The highest hourly rate you'll ever earn may come from having the wisdom to know which cases to send away.

Subscribe now for more insights on building a law practice you actually enjoy showing up to on Monday.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

What can a law firm learn from a tech startup?

In this episode, I sit down with Manny Griffiths, CEO and co-founder of Hona, to talk about how his journey, from selling pest control door to door to building a 67-person legal tech company, is full of lessons for law firm owners looking to grow without burning out.

We talk about:

• The real-world use cases for AI in law firms (including after-hours lead capture)
• Why “automate the redundant to empower the personal” is more than a catchy phrase
• How to hire and fire with clarity, and why doing both faster might save your culture
• What pain journaling is, and how it’s boosting settlement values for personal injury firms

Manny also opens up about Hona’s early days: working out of his basement, building a sales team through a window, and how venture capital changed their growth trajectory.

Learn more about Hona’s VoiceAI and connect with Manny here:
🔗 Hona on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/honasoftware
👋 Manny Griffiths: linkedin.com/in/manny-griffiths/

🎧 Tap play to learn how startup thinking can unlock your firm’s next chapter.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

Every growing law firm reaches a crossroads where the founding attorney can no longer juggle every role. The marketing director decision becomes unavoidable, but timing and selection make all the difference between transformative growth and costly disappointment.

When should you hire a marketing director? The answer might surprise you: now, or at least as quickly as possible. A dedicated marketing professional creates a powerful multiplier effect – while you handle cases and client meetings, they ensure your pipeline stays consistently full. The right marketing hire doesn't just cover their salary; they generate significant returns that compound over time.

Most small firm owners struggle with relinquishing control of marketing. We started our firms because we wanted more than just practicing law – we wanted to build something, learn business skills, and wear multiple hats. But this mindset creates problems when hiring marketing talent. Your first marketing hire rarely comes with comprehensive expertise, and neither do you. The solution? Experiment with fractional relationships first, bring your marketing person to educational events where you're learning, and develop their skills alongside your own.

Creating an effective hiring process means developing a clear ideal candidate profile, prioritizing attitude over specific skills, and asking revealing questions during interviews. Try these: "What are you currently reading or listening to?" "What would a previous employer say was your worst quality?" Watch how candidates explain topics they're passionate about, then compare their enthusiasm when discussing previous marketing work. This reveals whether they genuinely know what they claim to know.

Remember to respect title progression – don't call your entry-level marketing hire a "Director" or "CMO." They must earn those titles through demonstrated competence and leadership. Your ultimate goal should be building a firm that doesn't collapse without your daily presence – one where you can disappear for three weeks knowing everything will continue running smoothly.

Ready to transform your marketing approach and build a firm that works for you rather than the other way around? Join us at the Great Legal Marketing Summit on October 23-25 in Washington DC – bring your marketing director! Get tickets at glmsummit.com.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

Most entrepreneurs say they’re building for their family… but their calendar tells a different story.

In this episode, Brian sits down with Mike McCarthy—real estate entrepreneur, co-founder of GoBundance, and creator of FAMBUNDANCE, a mastermind for entrepreneurial families. Together, they dive into what it truly means to design your life around your values, not your workload.

Mike shares how he stepped away from the hustle culture and chose a path centered on intentional leadership, present parenting, and lasting legacy. He introduces the concept of the "enough number," helping high-achievers define how much is actually enough to live well without burning out.

This episode isn’t just about productivity. It’s about reclaiming your time, protecting what matters, and building a life that works for your whole family.

You’ll learn:

• How to calculate your “enough” number and create true work-life alignment
• Why mentorship that stings a little can lead to your biggest breakthroughs
• How FAMBUNDANCE helps families grow together through shared values
• What a purpose-driven calendar really looks like

Plus, Mike shares the best thing he’s done recently with his son, and why choosing experiences over excess may be the smartest business decision you make.

Want to learn more about Mike and his work?
📲 Instagram: @gomikemccarthy
🌐 GoBundance: gobundance.com
🌐 FAMBUNDANCE: fambundance.com

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

At the year's midpoint, many attorneys find themselves contemplating their career path - distant enough from their last bonus but not yet focused on the next one. This critical juncture prompts the fundamental question: "Is this where I want to be?" Drawing from both personal experience and observations as a firm owner, I explore the delicate art of recognizing when it's time to move on and executing that transition with professionalism and integrity.

The markers of career dissatisfaction often appear gradually. While everyone experiences challenging days or weeks, consistent unhappiness over months signals it's time for change. I recommend implementing a simple system to track your professional satisfaction, evaluating factors like compensation alignment, work-life balance, colleague relationships, client satisfaction, intellectual stimulation, feeling valued, and organizational direction. When multiple areas consistently disappoint, it's time to explore new opportunities.

Leaving a legal position requires careful planning and execution. I advocate providing generous notice (4-6 weeks minimum) while simultaneously preparing financially for potential immediate termination. The most successful transitions involve proactive case management, clear client communication, and thorough documentation that allows seamless continuity of representation. Even when departing, maintaining professional bridges creates possibilities for future collaboration and referrals, while burned bridges permanently limit opportunities.

Have you contemplated a career change recently? What signals would indicate it's time for you to move on? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the reviews or connect directly through my website. And if you're enjoying these Friday solo episodes, or would prefer different content, please let me know - your feedback shapes the podcast experience!

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

Forget SEO. Forget paid ads. What if the real key to law firm growth is… client happiness?

In this episode of Life Beyond the Briefs, Brian sits down with Brittany Green, co-founder of Best Era Law Firm Consulting, to talk about building a values-driven, relationship-first law firm that actually feels good to run.

Brittany went from being a "Client Happiness Director" at a small firm to co-creating The Way—a simplified, people-first operating system for small firms who want freedom, fulfillment, and financial clarity.

Inside this episode:

• The grassroots beer-at-a-hockey-game referral that led to a $100M case
• Why she swapped a “10-year vision” for a 5-year destination
• How “The Way” creates structure without suffocating solos
• Why branding isn’t a logo—it's culture
• What makes a firm the wrong fit for Best Era
• How to train your team without becoming their full-time babysitter

This episode is a must-listen for any lawyer who’s done with hustle culture and wants to build a law firm that works for their life—not the other way around.

More from Brittany Green:

Learn more about Best Era Law Firm Consulting: https://bestera.io/
Explore the Para Era paralegal training program: https://mailchi.mp/bestera.io/paraera
Listen to The Way podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way-with-best-era/id1760546831

If you’re ready to stop chasing metrics and start creating meaning—hit play now.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

The quest for clarity in law firm metrics can feel overwhelming – staring at spreadsheets filled with numbers, wondering what actually matters, and questioning whether you're tracking the right things. But what if you could distill the noise down to just a handful of metrics that genuinely move the needle for your practice?

This eye-opening exploration of key performance indicators cuts through the complexity that typically surrounds law firm analytics. Whether you're a solo practitioner or leading a multi-lawyer team, you'll discover how tracking fewer metrics – not more – leads to greater clarity and better decision-making. We reveal how Ben Glass Law achieved 4X growth by focusing on a streamlined dashboard of numbers that tell the real story behind their success.

At the heart of effective metrics tracking lies a counterintuitive truth: simplicity outperforms complexity every time. We share practical strategies for determining which numbers truly deserve your attention, how to work backward from revenue goals to identify the metrics that predict success, and the game-changing approach of assigning metric ownership to team members. This distributes accountability throughout your firm and empowers your team to solve problems before they ever reach your desk.

You'll learn how to avoid being fooled by small sample sizes, establish clear criteria for what you're measuring, and implement systems that track case velocity – revealing bottlenecks in your processes that directly impact profitability. We also demystify calculating your true cost to acquire clients, explaining why improving your intake process might be the fastest path to reducing that number and boosting your bottom line.

Ready to transform how you track, measure, and improve your law firm's performance? Join us to discover the metrics that actually matter and the systems that make tracking them nearly effortless. The path to predictable growth starts with knowing your numbers – but only the right ones.

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn

Why do clients leave bad reviews even when you win their case?

In this episode, Brian chats with Paul Bamert, VP of Marketing at Case Status and a speaker at the upcoming Great Legal Marketing Summit. They dig into the real reason law firms struggle with client satisfaction — and why the legal industry is way behind when it comes to measuring it.

You’ll hear:

• Why communication — not results — drives most one-star reviews
• How AI can now predict client sentiment without a single survey
• The terrifying truth about law firm security risks (750,000+ breaches!)
• And what Paul means by “the martini test” — and why your firm might be failing it

Paul also shares what he’s building with the CX Summit, what excites him about law firm transformation, and why happy clients are your biggest growth asset.

🔗 Connect with Paul & Case Status:
🎧 www.casestatus.com/podcast
📲 www.linkedin.com/company/casestatus
📈 Get on the list for the CX Report + CX Summit info: www.casestatus.com

____________________________________
Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

Want to connect with Brian?

Follow Brian on Instagram: @thebrianglass
Connect on LinkedIn