Stop letting valuable cases walk out the door. In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Matt Thelen reveals how modern referral networks are transforming case sharing and creating new revenue streams for forward-thinking firms. From automated case distribution to nationwide partnerships, discover how technology is eliminating the inefficiencies that have plagued referral management for decades.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

We discuss:

Matt Thelen holds a joint JD/MBA and has taken a startup through an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Now he's applying that same efficiency-focused mindset to solve one of the legal industry's biggest headaches - referral management.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro 

00:51 Breaking away from old-school referral networks 

02:27 The three major pain points in case sharing 

05:27 From IPO to legal tech innovation 

07:07 Automating case distribution with waterfalls 

09:14 Integration with case management platforms 

10:30 Building nationwide network effects 

14:31 Future-proofing your practice through diversification 

15:00 Simple pricing for maximum value

"When I started LawHer, only 18% of law firm partners were women. Just 3 years later, it's 22% - and that's just the beginning." - Sonya Palmer. Listen to LawHer here.

From intake mastery to AI implementation, Rankings.io's VP of Operations Sonya Palmer shares the systems and strategies that actually move the needle in 2024. If you're looking to scale your firm while building a culture that attracts top talent, don't miss this special partner episode from Be That Lawyer with Steve Fritzen.

In this special partner episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, we're excited to share a powerful conversation from Be That Lawyer with Steve Fritzen featuring Sonya Palmer, VP of Operations at Rankings.io and host of the LawHer podcast. From scaling operations to empowering women in legal leadership, Sonya shares insights on building successful teams and transforming law firm culture.

We discuss:

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro 

01:03 Leadership Philosophy & Vision 

04:41 Women in Legal Leadership

09:12 Marketing & Content Strategy 

13:34 AI Tools & Implementation 

15:32 Hiring & Team Building 

20:36 Performance Management 

24:27 Scaling Operations 

28:05 Future of Legal Industry 

31:00 Closing Thoughts

Most new firms struggle for years to build a steady caseload. But what if you could shortcut that journey? Kurtz Riley Law doubled their expectations every month by combining smart referral partnerships with cutting-edge tech.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Austin Kurtz shares how his firm scaled rapidly by focusing on attorney referrals and operational efficiency. From AI-powered file management to strategic case selection, this is the roadmap for accelerating your firm's growth through smart partnerships and systems.

We discuss:

Austin Kurtz is co-founder of a rapidly growing personal injury firm in Arizona. Known for their innovative approach to operations and marketing, they've built one of the fastest-growing referral networks in the Southwest through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro 

00:32 Tech-first approach to scaling 

02:12 Building elite referral partnerships 

04:34 Strategic case selection 

07:02 From commercial litigation to PI 

09:30 Operational efficiency 

10:44 The referral advantage 

12:30 Future of legal tech 

14:30 Arizona’s evolving legal landscape

16:00 Serving underserved communities 

17:03 Culture and authenticity

Most law firms never reach $1M in revenue, but Sasha Berson has helped countless firms double their income through data-driven marketing. We dive deep into the exact metrics and strategies needed to hit critical revenue milestones. From calculating your required lead volume to identifying untapped practice areas, Sasha shares the framework that's helped 2,000+ firms scale their practices.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, the Chief Growth Master at Grow Law Firm reveals his proven blueprint for scaling from $1M to $10M+.  Learn how to leverage untapped practice areas and optimize your marketing spend for maximum ROI.

We discuss:

Sasha Berson is the Chief Growth Master at Grow Law Firm, where he's helped over 2,000 law firms double their revenue through data-driven marketing strategies.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro 

01:37 Finding Profitable Niches 

04:32 Scaling to Your First Million 

07:27 The Path to $10M Revenue 

09:12 Search Marketing Dominance 

12:03 Social Media Reality Check 

13:38 Sales Enablement in Law Firms

Most lawyers think success means looking polished and professional. This former firefighter proved them wrong. In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Ryan reveals how his early attempts at "looking like a lawyer" bombed, while raw, emotional content built him a following of 1.9 million. From getting rejected by 13 law schools to becoming a social media phenomenon, Ryan breaks down why authenticity beats credentials in modern legal marketing.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, former firefighter turned employment lawyer Ryan shares how he built a following of over 1.9 million people through education instead of advertising. Ryan found his path and revolutionized legal marketing by focusing on authentic content that serves his audience.

We discuss:

Ryan Stygar is a former firefighter who spent four years battling California's wildfires and serving as a desert-rescue specialist in the Ocotillo Wells region before becoming an employment lawyer. He's built an incredible following with 1.9 Million TikTok followers and 191K YouTube subscribers.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro

02:11 Why Ryan Left Firefighting 

04:14 Starting from Zero: Early Days of Marketing 

05:47 The Anti-Sell Approach: Education Over Advertising 

07:03 Content Strategy: Why Practice Area Doesn't Matter 

08:41 The Evolution: From Polished to Authentic Content 

13:20 Organic vs Paid Growth: Strategic Approach 

14:33 Building a Personal Brand vs Traditional Marketing 

15:34 Don’t Box Mike Tyson: Play Him at Pickelball 

16:25 The Power of Authenticity and Work-Life Balance 

17:30 Closing Thoughts

Mike Perez, founder of iLawyer Marketing, reveals groundbreaking research that challenges everything you think you know about legal marketing. His latest click study exposes why being #1 doesn't guarantee success and how some top-ranked firms are losing cases to lower-positioned competitors.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In this data-driven episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Mike shares proprietary research showing why traditional marketing metrics mislead PI firms, and how understanding client behavior transforms marketing ROI. He reveals why some firms spending $100K+ monthly on Google Ads see exponential returns while others waste money on the same platforms.

We discuss:

Mike Perez, has conducted pioneering research on legal consumer behavior through iLawyer Marketing and 1.21 Interactive. His click studies and heat map analysis have revolutionized how elite firms approach digital marketing, leading to breakthrough insights about how serious clients actually choose their lawyer.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro

03:15 Click Studies: How Clients Actually Choose Lawyers 

05:30 The Truth About LSAs: Is the Golden Age is Over?

06:57 Put it All on Google Ads: Why Six-Figure Budgets Win (And Small Spends Fail) 

09:45 Fight Fake Reviews & Spam to Boost SEO

11:42 Earned Media: Turning Data into Headlines

13:15 Designing the Perfect Website to Attract Seven-Figure Cases 

15:00 The Ultimate Marketing Mix: Strategies from Startup to Empire

When TopDog Law discovered they were overstaffed but still missing calls, they knew something had to change. In this episode, James Helm reveals how they transformed their intake from a traditional answering service into a data-driven powerhouse that's converting at elite levels.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

Your firm can live and die by intake. In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, James Helm returns to share how TopDog Law scaled their in-house intake team while improving conversion rates. From AI-powered quality control to precision scheduling, this is the blueprint for building a modern intake operation. If you're ready to move beyond basic CRM and transform your intake into a revenue engine, this episode is your roadmap.

We discuss:

James Helm is the founder of TopDog Law, handling thousands of calls monthly across multiple states. Under his leadership, TopDog has built one of the most sophisticated intake operations in the legal industry, combining cutting-edge technology with precision operations management.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro

04:01 Evolution from Call Center to In-House Operations

08:24 Agent Performance & Turnover Management

13:19 Converting Web Forms vs Inbound Calls

16:42 Quality Assurance & AI Integration

22:00 Staffing & Scheduling Challenges

28:27 Tech Stack & Salesforce Implementation

30:21 CRM Solutions for Different Firm Sizes

33:43 Future of AI in Legal Intake

35:30 Outro

Stop throwing away marketing dollars. If your PI firm is spending on ads but tracking leads in Excel, this episode is your wake-up call. Legal intake expert Yani Smith reveals why most firms are leaking cases – and exactly how to fix it.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

Your marketing budget means nothing if your intake system is broken. In this episode od Personal Injury Mastermind, Yani Smith exposes why PI firms spending millions on advertising are still losing cases to competitors. Learn the exact systems, tech stack, and team structure needed to transform your intake from a cost center into a profit machine. From scaling your team to managing referral partners, this is the playbook most firms wish they had years ago.

We discuss:

Yani Smith is the Founder & CEO of Legal Intake Pros, launched in 2023. Previously, she spent a decade optimizing intake systems for PI firms, including her role at Steinberg Law Firm where she tripled the intake department size. Her expertise in conversion optimization and business intelligence has led to the implementation of cutting-edge intake management software, refined training protocols, and robust quality control systems. At Legal Marketing Company, her clients typically see a 2.5X increase in cases within their first year.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro

01:12 Meet Yani Smith - Intake Team Best Practices

01:34 The Marketing Money Pit, Why Firms Struggle with Intake

04:56 Quality Control Essentials: In-House vs. Outsourced Intake

10:00 Data Transformation: How to Triple Your Intake Department

12:30 Tracking What Matters: Essential KPIs for Intake Teams

16:29 Team Structure Guide: From 20 to 200+ Cases per Month

20:28 Modern Tech Stack

23:15 Lead Docket Deep Dive - Optimizing Your CRM

27:34 Managing Referrals: Live Transfers vs. Automated Systems

Daniel Callahan - one of America's top 10 trial lawyers - reveals how he engineered his own rise to prominence. From orchestrating media events around verdicts to creating high-stakes seminars with Supreme Court justices, learn how strategic thinking transforms good lawyers into legal legends.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In today's episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, learn how Daniel Callahan, founder of Callahan Consulting Group, engineered a $934M media frenzy, turned seminars into authority-building machines, and created his own path to legendary status - all through strategic thinking and bold moves in the legal space.

We discuss:

Daniel Callahan, founder of Callahan Consulting Group, has carved an extraordinary path in the legal field over his 42-year career, securing some of the most notable verdicts in U.S. history. His crowning achievement - a $934,000,000 unanimous jury verdict - stands as the highest in Orange County history, while his 2007 personal injury settlement of $50,000,000 set a national record at the time. As the former President and Managing Partner of California's premier litigation firm, Callahan & Blaine, Daniel was named one of the Top 10 Attorneys in the United States by the National Law Journal and voted California Business Trial Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer Magazine.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Opening

03:16 The $934M Verdict

07:00 Why choose Personal Injury Law 

07:42 What Makes Elite Litigators 

08:03 Smoke, Mirrors, and a Legal Looking Document: A Creative Repossession Story 

11:11 Callahan Consulting Group Overview 

13:44 Authority Building Through Seminars 

15:28 Developing Multiple Practice Areas 

16:02 The Road Design Liability Case 

17:54 Managing Case Costs 

18:35 Case Screening and Client Honesty 

20:27 Recruiting Top Legal Talent 

21:20 PIM Points: Key Takeaways 

23:09 Closing and Show Information

Jason Hennessey, CEO of Hennessey Digital, shares cutting-edge SEO strategies for personal injury law firms, AI content optimization techniques, and proven methods for dominating local search results.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT. 

In today's episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Jason breaks down 24 years of legal SEO expertise into actionable insights for PI firms. He reveals advanced digital marketing tactics for content strategy, technical SEO, and review management that drive high-value case acquisition.

We discuss:

Jason Hennessey is the CEO of Hennessey Digital, a leading legal marketing agency founded after his successful exit from Everspark Interactive. Since 2001, he has specialized in SEO strategy, with deep expertise in personal injury law firm marketing.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency. 

00:00 Intro

06:43 AI Content Strategy 

08:50 Content Pruning Strategy 

12:29 Technical SEO & URL Structure 

16:14 Law Firm Marketing Book Promo 

17:00 Local SEO & Law Firm Naming 

18:56 Link Building Philosophy 

20:30 Review Strategy 

23:30 Reddit Marketing Strategy 

24:38 PIM Points & Conclusion