Market Leaders Podcast

Join host David Ackert as he explores business development in the digital age with guest Adrian Lürssen. Adrian is Co-Founder and VP Strategic Development at JD Supra, a leading online publishing and targeted content distributor, empowering professionals to showcase their expertise, gain media attention, and establish authority in their respective fields.

In this episode, David and Adrian explore key aspects of business development in today's digital landscape. Starting with David’s five-stage framework for relationship building, straight from his upcoming book, "The Short List."

Adrian shares his ideas on thought leadership, content creation, distribution, and promotion, highlighting the importance of crafting a unique voice that resonates with your target audience and builds trust.

Then they discuss the role of data-driven marketing in making informed strategic decisions. Adrian will share insights on leveraging large datasets to gain a competitive edge and convert prospects into loyal clients.

If you're ready to advance your business development efforts, join us for this insightful conversation.

Listen, Subscribe, Like, & Comment to receive business development tips and insights from market leaders.

Join David Ackert in this episode of the Market Leader’s Podcast as he welcomes special guests Robin D. Davidson, Head of Business Development and Communications at Boies Schiller, and Matt Plavnick, Director of Client Development at Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell. They engage in a conversation centered around the concept of "constructive pushback" in legal business development and the challenges it presents.

David explores Robin and Matt's experiences with past leaders and how their leadership styles have shaped their approach to navigating constructive pushback in the legal industry. They discuss the critical components essential to authentic leadership, emphasizing the importance of framing pushback as a collaborative conversation to improve outcomes rather than opposing ideas.

Moreover, they delve into the increasingly blurred lines between personal and work lives and the significance of forging genuine human connections in a digitized economy. The conversation also covers strategies for training and developing junior professionals to handle such interactions effectively, including encouraging observation, modeling, and feedback.

Tune in to learn about the power of saying “No” to create space for “Yes” in client interactions, the why behind actions, and the consistent delivery of excellent service. Discover how to empower teams and employees through authentic leadership and gracefully navigate the complexities of legal business development.

Listen, Subscribe, Like, & Comment below to gain valuable insights into navigating constructive pushback in legal business development and fostering a culture of collaboration and creativity from our PipelinePlus community.

In this episode of The Market Leaders Podcast, host David Ackert sits down with John Byrne, Chief Marketing Officer at Gould & Ratner and incoming President-elect of LMA. They explore upcoming themes and objectives for the Legal Marketing Association as they approach their fortieth anniversary in 2025.

Highlights include:

- Reflections on the evolution of the legal marketing profession and the challenges and opportunities posed by generational differences in the workplace.

- Recognition of the growing value brought by legal marketers and the importance of collective knowledge-sharing within the profession.

- Emphasis on the need for legal marketers to adapt to changing dynamics and embrace new perspectives to continue driving growth and innovation in the industry.

John also touches upon:

- The evolving roles of Chief Marketing Officers, with many transitioning to Chief Strategy roles.

- Increased recognition of marketing talents, resulting in more marketers sitting at decision-making tables.

- A shift towards results-driven marketing and ROI-driven strategies.

- The impact of technological advancements on modernizing marketing practices.

- Challenges and opportunities in education and networking, particularly due to the pandemic’s shift to remote interactions.

- Advice for professionals looking to get involved in LMA, encouraging proactive engagement and leveraging networking opportunities within the legal marketing community.

Tune in for these insights and more from John Byrne on this episode of The Market Leaders Podcast.

In this episode of The Market Leaders Podcast, host David Ackert chats with Kevin Iredell, the new 2024 Legal Marketing Association President and Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Lowenstein Sandler. They delve into Kevin's game plan as LMA President, his sharp business approach at his firm, and strategies for post-pandemic growth.

Highlights include:

- Kevin's LMA presidency priorities: profitability, member experience, and expanded education.

- Navigating leadership in a post-pandemic world.

- LMA National 2024 Keynote speaker, Jamie Lawless from Husch-Blackwell

- Why having business minds in law firm leadership matters.

- Embracing iterative progress over perfection.

- The power of collaborative leadership and streamlining operations.

Tune in for these highlights and more from our conversation with Kevin Iredell.

In this episode of The Market Leaders Podcast, join host David Ackert and special guest Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law, for a conversation that looks back at the industry trends that defined 2023, Roy’s tenure as the President of the Legal Marketing Association, and where the legal marketing industry is heading in 2024 and beyond.

Tune in to hear about:

- Building community and collaboration in and after the pandemic

- Reflections on organizational impact and personal growth

- Exploring unique expression and authenticity in relationships

- Managing challenges and building unity in a diverse community

- The importance of data and accountability in organizational management

- The art of risk-taking in leadership

- And more

Market Leader’s Podcast Episode 87: “Authentic Leadership: The Power of Purpose and Genuine Connection in Leading Others” with Justin Portaz

In this episode of the Market Leader’s Podcast, Justin Portaz, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Jenner & Block LLP discusses authentic leadership and its influence on firm culture.

Tune in to hear about:

- The impact of authentic leadership style

- Why genuine human connections are becoming increasingly important in an ever-accelerating digitized economy

- The increasingly blurred lines between personal lives and work lives

- The impact and influence generated through empowering one’s team, employees, and more

In this episode of the Market Leaders Podcast, David Ackert welcomes special guest Diane Paoletta, Director of Marketing at Phillips Nizer. Diane has had a dynamic career, spearheading marketing and business development efforts at multiple professional services firms – from accounting to consulting to legal. David and Diane explore the similarities and differences in applying business development principles and tactics at professional services firms across different industries, particularly examining the dynamic between law and accounting.

David and Diane engage in an insightful discussion, including:

- Diane’s personal account of the transition from accounting to legal

- Strategic similarities between the two industries and common tactics that Diane has successfully implemented at each

- Industry/firm perspectives on the practice of business development, as well as the tracking and reporting on progress

- Tips to successfully leveraging personal networks and the shared networks of those around you

- Advice for marketers looking at transitioning from one industry to another

- And more

In this episode of the Market Leader’s Podcast, David Ackert welcomes Samantha McKenna, founder of #samsales, for an insightful conversation centered around creating, leveraging, and maintaining relationships in a hyper-personalized way – by showing them that you truly know them.

Samantha and David discuss a wide range of topics around this centralized issue, including:

The hyper personalized approach AKA “Show Me You Know Me” (#SMYKM)

Email frameworks around how to approach the buyer as a human

Specific knowledge and awareness of the buyer as a member of an industry, executive decision maker, and most importantly- as a real person

How to stay top of mind in an ever-accelerating age of information

Intelligently leveraging LinkedIn to remain connected and relevant to your buyers

And so many more insights and methods to assist in optimizing business development efforts

In this episode of the Market Leader’s Podcast, join David Ackert and special guest Roberto Pont, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at McInnes Cooper, as they engage in an enlightening conversation regarding innovation within law firms, specifically the use of technology and financial forecasting models, the rise of AI, and how to overcome the challenges inherent to law firms – and in working with lawyers – that can emerge throughout the implementation of such initiatives.

David and Roberto cover a vast array of topics, including:

Making meaningful change

Perfect is the enemy of the good

Shifting the lawyer mindset

Client partnerships

How to use and not use AI

and much more.

This edition of the Market Leaders Podcast features Koree Khongphand-Buckman, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Foley & Lardner. She joins host, David Ackert, for a conversation on data-driven marketing and business development strategies in the legal industry.