A real Olympian on our little podcast?! Athlete and lawyer Rich Ruohonen shows us all how excellence and commitment are good for business. And, more importantly, how standing up for what’s right as both a citizen and a representative of the law is so necessary in our current cultural climate. 

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Okay, so maybe you can’t be an Olympian, but you can grow your business by pursuing your passions, investing in your community, and showing genuine care for those around you. Gyi and Conrad are honored to welcome Rich Ruohonen, the oldest-ever American winter Olympian, to talk about his experiences with the American Curling team in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games. Oh, and for all you lawyers out there, Rich shares down-to-earth insights on how his personal injury law firm engages with their community. 

Later, in the wake of the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Rich was compelled to use the Olympic stage to speak out about ICE violence in his home state of Minnesota. He shares what that experience meant for him as both a lawyer and a citizen of our great country. Thank you to Rich for representing our country and the profession so well. 

📺 Watch: Rich's Olympic Speech

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In This Episode:

00:00 Fit Check

02:24 Starting with the News

07:50 Introducing Olympian Lawyer Rich Ruohonen

08:18 Rich's Olympic Journey in Curling

15:15 Curling, Law, and Business: The Intersection of Being an Athlete and a Trial Lawyer

29:11 Making a Stand: Rich Ruohonen's Olympic Speech on the Rule of Law in Minnesota

41:18 Closing & Final Thanks

Business feeling stagnant in your smaller market? Contradictory to our previous claims, adding a new practice area might be just the thing. But first, new Direct Business Search data just dropped—what do you do now?

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Fantastic news, everybody—Google has finally segmented out your Direct Business Search results. What does that mean for you? Gyi and Conrad hash out the details to help you understand how this new data could affect your tactics and budget, ultimately bringing better focus to your marketing efforts. 

Later, we’ve often said that finding your niche area in legal practice can be a very effective way to capture more business in your market. Buuut… is that always true? Could there, perchance, be a situation where adding new practice areas is the best move for your business? Gyi and Conrad discuss the pros and cons of practice expansion and how to stay tactical and competitive in the process. 

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Hey, friends. The hard truth of it is—It’s bad for business if there’s no rule of law. We’re grateful for the voices in the profession that have shown a willingness to defend our nation’s laws in the midst of uncertainty. Later, Conrad shares tips for making friends.

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We’ve been heartened to see a variety of voices standing up for the rule of law in recent weeks, and working in legal, we know the pressures firms feel as they consider how to engage in our current political climate. But, on this we can all agree: The rule of law is essential for the health and prosperity of our nation. Gyi and Conrad take a moment to share stories and amplify the voices of those who have shown their commitment to uphold the Constitution. 

Next, Conrad really opened a can of worms on Facebook this week. Come for the drama, stay for the tactical tips on standing out in a world of private equity-backed agencies. Grab some popcorn.

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As you advertise locally, advertise your localness! Then, what's a small firm to do in the sea of reviews? And, we really hate Google’s Performance Max nonsense. 

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Lots to cover today, folks! Being connected to your community matters, and consumers respond with notable positivity to ads that emphasize all the local feels. Gyi and Conrad have plenty of insights on making the most of where you’re planted.

Next, fake reviews keep pouring in, and you need a clear strategy to rise above the flood. The guys share tactical tips for directing your resources to become a strong competitor in your marketplace.

And, lastly, Google’s PMax campaigns are a mighty unfunny joke. Ugh. The data is in, and—surprise, surprise—Google might not have your best interest at heart. Gyi and Conrad pick apart the latest data to help you understand what these campaigns are (not) doing for your law firm. 

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How did our delightful little pod become what it is today? Gyi and Conrad chat with Ben & Brian Glass at The Great Legal Marketing Summit about their respective entrances into the legal marketing world and the story of the podcast’s growing-up years. They discuss what podcasts can & can’t do as a marketing tool for your business and how to create a conversation worth listening to.

Father-Son duo Ben and Brian Glass are prominent personal injury lawyers and business partners at BenGlassLaw in Fairfax, Virginia. They are known for their trial work, business acumen, and innovative marketing.

Mystic for hire! Conrad dusts off the ol’ prophetic orb for a look at what 2026 has in store for lawyers and legal marketers.

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We know you’re itching to hear those future fortunes, but hang on a second! First, Gyi and Conrad look back at their previous predictions to see how well they forecasted 2025. I mean, you want to know whether you can trust these guys, right? 

And, well, those results aside, the guys then gaze into the depths to pick out the important marketing trends to watch in 2026. More AI stuff, new law firm business structures, anybody who could do anything about fake reviews will do absolutely nothing about it… and more! Cheers to a New Year!

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First—watch out, Ohio. The guys are sore losers, so they’re taking it out on one of your websites. Later, what should law firms be doing during the honeymoon phase with new clients?  

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Sour grapes, for sure: Following Michigan’s painful loss to Ohio State, Gyi and Conrad take revenge on Ohioans with a teardown of the Buckeye Law Group’s pathetic website. (Eesh—harsh, guys.) From ineffectual “Buckeye” branding to affinity-building misses to a phone number that leads to SOMEONE ELSE’S LAW FIRM, it’s not great. So, basically, Ohio drools, Michigan rules.

Later, Gyi and Conrad want you to have a long and happy marriage with your clients, so you’d better not bungle the honeymoon. During this new, formative time, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do! The guys talk about building trust through great first impressions, exceptional communication, clear expectations—all the things that create a delightful customer experience for your new clients. 

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Authenticity can be a powerful differentiator in legal marketing. Many lawyers hesitate to share their personal story, but doing so can create real connection and trust with the right clients. Gyi sits down with Chris Earley to talk about his marketing journey and why authenticity matters. They also dive into Chris’s involvement in masterminds and coaching programs, his commitment to integrity and positive firm culture, and how those values show up in the way he connects with clients.

Sign up for Chris’s weekly email: practicetipoftheweek.com

Read Chris’s book! - Scaling the Wall: One Man's Journey of Healing Childhood Trauma to Find Fulfillment and Success: Earley, Christopher

Chris Earley is the founder and CEO of the Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Where are your competitors spending their marketing money? Gyi and Conrad’s insights into this valuable data can help you stay ahead of the rivals in your market.

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Competitive research is an oft overlooked marketing activity, but you should definitely be focusing on this valuable information to make smarter decisions for your law firm’s marketing efforts. However, getting your hands on this research might not be as easy and obvious as you’d like it to be. So, how do you find out what you need to know? The guys talk through what to keep in mind as you pursue your research.

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Craving a sneak peak of our live recording from Filevine's Lex Summit? This year, Filevine’s Josh Hostilo and Stefanie Minter joined us at the table table to tackle one of the most confusing—and most important—topics in legal marketing: accurate attribution. Gyi and Conrad dig into how Lead Docket approaches first-touch, last-touch, and dual-source attribution, why “How did you hear about us?” still matters, and how UTMs, web forms, call tracking, and client feedback all get folded together to give firms real visibility into ROI. We even get into Google Ads optimization, Zapier webhooks, and the surprising disconnect between what clients say and what the data actually shows. 

This  is just a small appetizer. Check out the extended interview on YouTube!