"You don't deserve to go to the next level until you beat the current one. That's just life. But you don't have to go to the next level if you don't want to." - Eric Siu

Eric Siu: Gaming Life and Business

Eric Siu is an investor, podcaster, and author with a talent for leveling up businesses. But Eric's business know-how doesn't just come from book study. In fact, Eric credits most of his business acumen to his other passion: gaming.

By relating his world to aspects of his favorite games (power-ups, character classes, etc.) Eric discovered the key elements to succeeding in his work and professional life. Now, a few businesses, a book, and a podcast later, Eric shares all he has learned over the years to help others game the system.

Reframing Negativity to Feed the Fire

One game Eric has taken many life lessons from is poker. The key trait it has taught him is resilience. Playing through college, Eric experienced month-long spells of good luck, but also desperate losing streaks that threatened his college funds, teaching him the importance of perseverance.

Eric discusses how these highs and lows forged his ability to press on. He talks about his method of using negative energy to fuel his determination and how the amount of struggle you're able to endure is commensurate with you and your business's ability to grow.

Playing the Long Game

When you're building a business, you need long-term goals that you can work towards. Being short-sighted and only focusing on the immediate future might solve a few small problems, but you'll be neglecting the longer-term factors that could have a much more substantial positive impact on your clients.

Eric tells us why you need to focus on your big-picture strategies rather than your quick-fix tactics to offer real value. He also explains why chasing after the small wins will only move you further away from your goals and why your time is better spent focusing on perfecting what you do best, rather than jumping into scaling up.

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"When you say that Crisp was the first child — 100%! Before actually having a child, I was here seven days a week. We were here until 10 o'clock at night. There were no boundaries with that." - Jessica Mogill

The Midas Touch

Jessica Mogill is Head of Coaching Strategy at Crisp. After helping out at the company for 30 days, Jessica tamed the madness of the fledgling business and put into place structures and processes, contributing to Crisp’s first year achieving seven figures in revenue.

Jessica's background in engineering has given her a unique set of leadership and strategic skills, which she has used to take the company to new heights year after year. Since joining in 2014, Jessica has increased the Crisp team's effectiveness through the implementation of new processes and improved synergy, resulting in a 1,500% growth rate.

Get Yourself a Jessica

Having visionary ideas and realizing visionary ideas are two completely different skill sets. If you're coming up with big ideas for your business that you want to put into action, you need an implementer, a COO, a Jessica.

We discuss what key qualities you need to possess when working with a visionary in order to turn their ideas into a reality. Jessica also tells us about her experiences in her early days with Crisp and how she put replicable procedures in place to make Michael's dreams for the business come true.

Partners in Business, Partners in Life: Lessons From the Experts

Jessica and Michael have perfected the art of working with your spouse. Throughout their years working and being together, they've struck a perfect balance and developed an understanding of each other's boundaries and habits that would be the envy of any working couple.

They share exactly how they are able to separate their work and their personal life and reveal what their non-negotiables are when it comes to family. Jessica tells us about the merits of working with your partner — but also reveals the key factors you need to consider before going into business with them.

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"You have to go through a certain kind of death to transform yourself. And I feel like that's what happened to me. I had to get my ass beat to really come to grips with a better method and to learn to be able to deal with loss and fear — because to me, that is the greatest gorilla." - Rich Newsome

Champion of the People

Rich Newsome is the senior partner at the Newsome Melton Law Firm. Rich started out in product liability defense for manufacturers, but one case turned him away from the big clients and set him down a new path. For the last 25 years, Rich has dedicated himself to representing individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic and fatal injuries against the kinds of corporations he once defended.

In this episode, Rich tells us all about the case that got him into complex civil litigation and how time and again he has overcome professional and personal hurdles that would've beaten anyone else.

Collaboration, Not Competition

Within the plaintiff lawyer community, there is a duality of competition and collaboration. Competition for new clients is fierce, but the plaintiff lawyers' shared belief in advocating for their clients' rights also leads to unparalleled cooperation among rivals.

Rich shares with us what he loves about being a plaintiff lawyer and describes the altruistic exchange of information plaintiff lawyers engage in through the Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG).

Learn From Your Losses

Even in the legal profession, it's true that with every failure comes an opportunity to grow — and while losing in the courtroom can be devastating, you should use it as a chance to reflect and improve.

Hot streaks can give us a false sense of confidence, which is something Rich knows all about. He shares with us one of his own opportunities for growth and how he learned from his hubris to never overestimate your own abilities.

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"You want a 30(b)(6) cross-examined and torn to shreds? I'm your girl." - Sara Williams

Attorney and Educator

Sara Williams is a Leading Trial Attorney at Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys. After attending Cumberland Law School and quickly falling in love with the work of a trial lawyer, Sara made her way to Shunnarah’s empire in 2013.

Sara has built up a name for herself as a truly formidable lawyer, and she litigates on various cases from motor vehicle negligence to wrongful deaths. As well as her work as an attorney, Sara is an educator. Serving as adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at Cumberland School of Law, Sara helps students "flip the switch" and go from good attorneys to great attorneys.

Advocate of Authenticity

One of Sara's core strengths is authenticity, and her main goal as an educator and mentor is to help others recognize that you cannot reach your full potential while you're pushing against — or hiding — who you truly are.

We discuss what it means to be authentic and the impact it’s had on Sara's journey. We also talk about her ongoing work to help others defeat generations of social conditioning to unleash their true voices, and why having authentic mentors is vital for personal and professional development.

Career Growth: Chase Skills, Not Roles

The factor that has most influenced Sara's career choices isn't money or titles, but skills. Time and time again, Sara's need for professional growth has made her choose learning opportunities over bigger paychecks — and even abandon the familiarity of one job for the educational value of another.

Sara explores why it's important to always be learning and why you should value opportunities to develop your skillset over bigger salaries or fancier offices. We also talk about how this single belief influenced Sara's trajectory and put her on the path to become the lawyer she is today.

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"What is average? Average is the bottom of good and the top of bad. Why would you not make a decision to be truly excellent in your particular business?" - Horst Schulze

The Advocate of Excellence

Horst Schulze learned early on that in order to excel, you must be excellent. From his humble beginnings as a server's assistant, he worked his way up through both the Hilton and Hyatt Hotels before helping to found The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 1983.

Horst's obsession with excellence has earned him commendations such as Corporate Hotelier of the World and the Ishikawa Medal for personal contributions to the quality movement — and his subsequent venture, Capella Hotel Group, continues to push the bounds of luxury and quality.

Excellence Permeates

To be the best — and to hold that position — you must always be looking for ways to excel. Not only does this benefit you, but it inspires those you lead to do the same.

Horst tells us all about the role self-betterment plays in your company and how striving to be the best can positively influence those around you, resulting in happy customers and a stronger company.

Customer Loyalty Through Company Culture

Customer loyalty doesn't necessarily depend on the quality of the product. It is fostered through continued excellence in the service you provide, which can only be delivered through your employees.

We discuss how instituting a culture of excellence can improve your law firm and result in more loyal clients. We also talk about the dangers of poor service and how a loyal customer can quickly switch from being an evangelist for your company to a terrorist for your reputation.

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"A gift isn't about you. A gift, by its very nature, if you want it to move somebody's heart, better be about the other frickin’ person." - John Ruhlin

John Ruhlin: Revolutionizing Gift-Giving

John Ruhlin started out with a simple desire to make some extra cash to fund his way through medical school. He got himself a job as a Cutco Knives sales rep, and after a few short years achieved the highest sales numbers in the company's history — a record he holds to this day.

John has since taken his secret to selling knives and turned it into one of the most successful relationship-building tools out there: Giftology. Through Giftology, John helps businesses to forge steadfast relationships with their stakeholders. He has shared his formula for top-tier gift-giving in his book “Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention*.*”

Planning: The Key to Great Gifting

You wouldn't buy flowers from a gas station at the last minute for your mom ON Mother’s Day (hopefully), so why would you rush getting a gift for an important client?

John explains why every gift requires forward-planning and lots of thought in order to make the biggest impact — and why gifts shouldn't be reserved only for the holiday season.

ROR: Return on Relationships, Not Investments

It's time to stop thinking about the short-term and how many leads your marketing campaigns bring in and start thinking about the long-term and how to foster your relationships.

We discuss how Giftology can result in huge benefits year after year and why it isn't about one-off gifts.

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"The outlets hated my guts. Hated me. It’s because I was unapologetically masculine. I rejected all kinds of all the stuff that became progressive woke-ism." - Tucker Max

The King of Controversy

Tucker Max took the internet by storm after his blog, *TuckerMax.com,* went stratospheric in the early 2000s. Two best-selling books, one movie, and a media empire later, Tucker's success is showing no signs of slowing down.

But Tucker's days recounting debaucherous adventures online are behind him, and the self-styled "fratire-ist" now focuses on helping others achieve their editorial dreams with the help of his publishing house, Scribe Media.

Metamorphosis: Psychoanalysis and MDMA

Tucker tells us about his journey from sensationalist blogger to entrepreneurial titan and how following a path of self-discovery has led to this transformation.

We discuss Tucker's ongoing process of facing hard truths with the help of cutting-edge treatments not yet widely available or sanctioned.

Expanding an Empire: Letting Go in Order to Grow

Tucker may have launched his publishing powerhouse, but in order to thrive, he's passed the role of CEO to someone else.

Tucker explores how delegating the task of running his business has allowed him to expand his media empire by giving him more time to focus on what he does best — and why you should do the same.

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"I eventually spent more than a million dollars on hacking my own biology." - Dave Asprey

The Father of Biohacking

Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley pro who's turned his sights from hacking computers to hacking biology — and today, his goal is to help us all live longer healthier and happier lives.

Dave started his career in the tech sector as an internet pioneer and IT expert. He has gone on to write three New York Times best-selling books and, working alongside doctors and scientists, he has developed the Bulletproof diet to allow everyone to access their full mental and physical potential.

Intermittent Fasting: Why Less Fuel Equals More Energy

Many people fuel up on food that they think will give them the mental and physical energy they need for the day. But Dave believes this is an outdated way of thinking and that there's a better and simpler way to get the most out of your brain and your body.

Dave tells us all about the virtues of intermittent fasting and how it could help you stay mentally sharp and utilize energy reserves you didn't even know your body had.

Pushing Boundaries: Living to 180 Years Old

Dave isn't just dedicating his time to helping us live healthier lives. He's trying to keep us breathing longer too — exceptionally longer. Dave's own (conservative) target is to reach 180, a goal he thinks is well within reach.

Join us as Dave explains why living longer isn't just a dream, but an inevitability, and how the tools to achieve prolonged life won't just be for the uber-wealthy.

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"If you constantly cheat on time, there is a massive price that you will pay." - Jay Papasan

From Artist to Entrepreneur

Jay Papasan is an executive, real estate expert, speaker, and best-selling author of Wall Street Journal Business best-selling book “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results.”

From his humble beginnings as a French/English major and self-confessed book nerd, Jay Papasan learned business in later life and underwent a total paradigm shift. Now a leadership coach and co-owner of several successful businesses, he shares his journey from craftsman and artist to entrepreneur — and the lessons he learned along the way.

Success is Sequential: The Devastating Costs of Multitasking

In the thirst for success, many entrepreneurs invite a level of complexity into their lives that can be utterly counterproductive. As Jay Papasan explains, making real progress professionally requires both discipline and simplicity — but that doesn't mean it's easy.

We discuss why the most successful people have an awesome day before noon, how mindful order and honed energy create a domino effect, and why multitasking breeds untold levels of inefficiency.

Misdirected Energy: Why Discipline Trumps Willpower

Jay Papasan is a serial entrepreneur who is consistently juggling numerous ventures at the same time. It takes a certain level of mental stamina to give maximum efficiency to all of his endeavours. Is it sheer strength of willpower...or is something else at play?

We explore Jay's thesis on the difference between discipline and willpower. He shares incredible scientific insight on the “horrible mileage” your brain gets out of willpower-based actions, and the physiological ramifications that have a huge impact on your workplace prowess.

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Game changing attorneys are a rare breed, but we've been fortunate enough to hear insights from a number of incredible law firm owners right here on this podcast.

This year we've pulled back the curtain on these market leaders — from how they think to how they lead to the decisions that got them to where they are today. They've shared their incredible stories and actionable advice, and they’ve dropped more truth bombs (and occasional F-bombs) than we ever anticipated.

For the first-ever season finale of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, we look back at the game changing conversations we had with some of the most iconic attorneys in the nation. Join us as we discover the mindsets that set these market leaders apart, the marketing strategies that took them to the next level, and everything in between.

Buckle up — it’s going to be a wild ride.

In this episode:

And the one thing they all agree on:

"Combine talent with hard work and a diligent desire for truth and justice, and those are three aces that’ll be hard to beat." - Mark Lanier

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