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The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill
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The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

Author: Michael Mogill

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How can you become a game changer?

Michael Mogill, Founder and CEO of Crisp, has used his mastery of marketing for lawyers to grow his company to an 8-figure powerhouse. In just a few years, Crisp has helped thousands of attorneys adapt to the new legal landscape, differentiate themselves from the competition, and earn millions in new revenue.

In every episode, you’ll hear from law firm entrepreneurs and market leaders — people who flourish in the face of adversity, challenge the status quo, and define what it means to be a game changer.

We investigate success stories and business growth and scalability strategies that can help you attract your ideal clients. Plus, discover hidden insights and actionable advice on how company culture and employee engagement, marketing and advertising, and management and hiring fit into the big picture.

What do all our guests have in common? These successful attorneys and business owners prove that the key to innovation is a game-changing mindset. If you want to run your law firm like an entrepreneur, achieve a greater ROI, and build a world-class organization that stands the test of time, then you’re in good company.

Subscribe to the Game Changing Attorney Podcast and get ready to take your business to the next level.

For more information, visit https://www.crisp.co/podcast/

440 Episodes
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How do empathy and employee investment transform a business into a powerhouse of growth and innovation? In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill interviews Sherry Stewart Deutschmann, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Lunch With Lucy: Maximize Your Profits By Investing In Your People. From humble beginnings, Sherry built a 40 million dollar company that was included in the Inc. 5000 List of Fasting Growing Private Companies for 10 years straight. Here’s what you’ll take away: How an employee-centric approach can drive business success by fostering transparency, trust, and engagement among your team The importance of empathetic leadership that enables you to connect with your employees on a personal level and integrate their feedback into actionable business improvements Why company-wide financial transparency leads to a more motivated, cohesive team that drives profitability and growth The secret to building a thriving law firm isn’t just about financial growth — it’s about elevating and empowering your team. Success comes from creating a people-first culture where employees are supported, challenged, and inspired to grow. When you invest in your team and align them with a shared vision, you unlock their full potential, driving results and redefining success not just for your business but for everyone involved. ---- Show Notes:  00:00 – Introduction 03:11 – From Humble Beginnings to Entrepreneurial Success 08:05 – Creating an Employee-Centric Business Model 12:03 – Revolutionizing Profit Sharing: A Monthly Approach 17:34 – Rolling Out Perks That Drive Engagement 21:16 – Why Transparency Fuels Buy-In and Productivity 25:30 – Lunch with Lucy: Building Relationships with Employees 34:59 – Lessons Learned from Selling the Company 39:38 – What Being a Game Changer Means to Sherry Stewart Deutschman ---- Links & Resources: Jehovah’s Witnesses Volkswagen Rabbit Mercury Lynx Nuts! by Kevin Freiberg Scripps Health Crossfit NetSuite Lunch with Lucy by Sherry Stewart Deutschmann Gallup Employee Engagement Study BrainTrust Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) ---- Listening to this episode but want to watch it? Check it out on Spotify.  Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: Episode 301 — Michael Cowen — Investing in Legal Excellence: Training, Tools, and Team Building Episode 279 — AMMA — Building Trust Through Authentic Leadership Episode 260 — Robert Simon — The Superpower of Authenticity: Building Communities with Aligned Values | Crisp
The decisions that felt simple at six figures become exponentially harder at nine. In this rapid-fire AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle seven of the most common questions from eight and nine-figure law firm owners navigating complexity at scale. From leadership misalignment to founder bottlenecks, this AMMA explores what actually breaks inside growing firms and how to recognize it before it costs you momentum. If you think bigger revenue will just solve all of your firm’s problems, this conversation will change your mind. Here's what you'll learn: Why leadership decisions have more impact as your firm scales, and how to evaluate when to replace a leader The framework for determining if a challenge is a systems issue, a leadership issue, or both How to evaluate high-reward opportunities when the personal cost feels too high If your firm is growing, this episode will show you where the real risks are hiding. ---- 03:32 – What decisions get harder as firms scale from six to nine figures. 06:28 – How to identify if a challenge is a leadership or systems issue. 08:50 – Why firm owners accidentally become bottlenecks as they grow. 11:00 – The early warning signs that a leadership team is misaligned. 14:43 – What separates teams that look good on paper from teams that can actually scale. 17:07 – What to focus on in your first 90 days as CEO of an eight-figure firm. 20:05 – What winning actually looks like beyond revenue at nine figures. ---- Links & Resources: Miracle (1980) ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 423. AMMA — How to Actually Scale Your Standards 403. AMMA — How to Scale Beyond Growth Basics 375. AMMA — Stop Being the Bottleneck: Lead Your Firm Without Being Needed
Radical respect is the prequel to radical candor. Without it, you won't bother challenging anyone. In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect, to tackle the workplace dynamics that quietly destroy firm culture. Kim shares how a colleague's feedback on her own book exposed the blind spots she had around bias, prejudice, and bullying in the workplace, ultimately leading her to write Radical Respect. This conversation reveals how leaders accidentally exclude top talent through "oblivious" promotion processes, and why the brilliant jerk who delivers results will ultimately cost you more than they're worth. Kim gives you the exact language to use when things get uncomfortable, so you stop defaulting to silence. Here's what you'll learn: The difference between bias, prejudice, and bullying, and how to respond to each The “I/It/You” framework for course-correcting conversations that lack respect How to create a shared vocabulary for disrupting bias on your team It's better to have a hole in your team than an asshole on your team. ---- Show Notes: 03:09 – The feedback from a black woman CEO that made Kim realize what she'd missed. 09:15 – How to know if you're dealing with bias, prejudice, or bullying in the moment. 09:15 – The I, It, You framework for responding to each type of disrespect. 16:14 – Why leaders need to create three types of consequences for bullying behavior. 19:38 – The difference between healthy conflict and repeated bullying that ignores feedback. 20:55 – What it means to be an upstander versus a bystander when you witness bias. 23:46 – Why silence is the default and how to calculate the ROI of speaking up. 26:40 – How to create a shared vocabulary so your team knows what to say when bias happens. 36:06 – How oblivious exclusion shows up in promotion meetings and how to catch it. ---- Links & Resources: Radical Respect by Kim Scott Radical Candor by Kim Scott Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Radical Candor Podcast Bob Sutton Episode 25. Kim Scott — Radical Candor: How to be a Kickass Boss ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 369. Your Ego Is Making You Miserable with Cy Wakeman 352. Susan Fowler — Why Everything You Know About Motivating Your Team Might Be Completely Wrong 25. Kim Scott — Radical Candor: How to be a Kickass Boss
"If I failed, I wanted it to be 100% my fault." In this special episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill reflect on 5000 days of building Crisp. They walk through the dark ages of working out of a dental office with $500 and no idea what they were doing, the years of building real infrastructure and systems, the $8 million Game Changers Summit at Mercedes-Benz Stadium that became their moon landing, and the final evolution where Michael removed himself as the bottleneck entirely. This is an unfiltered look at what building a nine-figure company actually requires at each stage: pure grit when you know nothing, relentless focus on brand when everyone's watching, and the discipline to build systems that work without you. Here's what you'll learn: Why working 100 hours a week got them to seven figures but would have capped them there forever How the brand became the only competitive advantage that matters and why people who hated them still respected what they built What it means to go from hustler to manager to leader to CEO to owner, and why each evolution requires letting go of what got you there 5000 days. Zero debt. 100% ownership. Built by people who believed before there was anything to believe in. ---- 01:53 – Why 5000 days of Crisp is worth celebrating and the surprise party that almost didn't happen. 09:57 – Why "I can outwork anyone" is a badge of honor early on and a liability later. 14:19 – What Jessica found when she walked into Crisp and why she bulldozed everything she saw. 18:13 – What it actually feels like to cross a million dollars in revenue when you've been grinding for years. 20:01 – The milestone that finally made Crisp feel legitimate and what it meant to be able to offer it. 31:41 – Why the Game Changers Summit was designed to feel like a rock concert, not a legal conference. 43:03 – What it took to pull off a legal conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and whether Michael would do it again. 48:49 – What the transition from CEO to owner actually looks like in practice and why it takes so long to get there. 53:25 – Why the value of your business is inversely proportional to its dependency on you. ---- Links & Resources: Game Changers Summit Joey Diaz Armageddon ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like 382. What It Takes to Build a $100M Legal Business 265. Jessica Mogill — Streamlined Operations: Relentless Execution 210. AMMA — Failure Isn’t Final: Lessons Learned From Setbacks and Struggles
You can't delegate your longevity to a system that only gets paid when you're sick. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Dr. Bill Kapp, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Fountain Life, to explore the cutting edge of longevity science. Dr. Kapp reveals how creating a comprehensive digital twin with 250 gigabytes of personalized health data can detect fatal conditions 20 to 30 years before symptoms appear, why your family doctor is 17 to 20 years behind the latest technology, and how exponential innovations from gene editing to AI-powered diagnostics are reshaping what's possible for extending your healthspan. This conversation cuts through the influencer noise in the longevity space to focus on data-driven approaches backed by science, not hype. Here's what you'll learn: How full-body MRI scans with 10,000 slices and whole genome sequencing create a complete digital twin that enables personalized optimization Why muscle mass is the number one predictor of disease-free longevity and how lifting heavy outweighs everything else you can do Why you need to become the CEO of your own health and stop delegating your longevity to a broken medical system What you don't measure, you can't manage. It's time to become the CEO of your own health. ---- Show Notes: 02:39 – What Fountain Life is and the paradigm shift from symptom-based to proactive care. 12:13 – The comprehensive assessment: what gets measured and why it matters. 16:48 – The real risk of waiting and the airplane maintenance analogy. 20:01 – Genetics versus lifestyle: what's actually in your control. 26:01 – Making longevity technology accessible and what's coming next. 30:34 – Beyond detection: optimizing cellular health, hormones, and mitochondrial function. 41:29 – Longevity escape velocity and whether we can reverse aging in our lifetime. 44:06 – High-performance aging: why 80 doesn't have to mean slowing down. 45:45 – The top 3 takeaways: baseline testing, sleep optimization, and lifting heavy. ---- Links & Resources: Fountain Life Dr. Bill Kapp Tony Robbins Dr. Peter Diamandis Dr. Bob Hariri Why We Sleep by Dr. Matthew Walker ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 396. Why High Performers Can’t Afford to Ignore Wellness with Dr. Taz Bhatia 283. Marcus Filly — Fitness Secrets for Professional Success 41. Dave Asprey —Becoming Bulletproof: Living Your Longest and Healthiest Life
Growth doesn't solve problems. It reveals which ones you've been ignoring. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle the leadership challenges that surface as law firms scale. From decision paralysis to team dependencies, this conversation explores why bigger firms face bigger problems and what it takes to lead through them. Michael breaks down the decision-making framework elite CEOs use, why leaders must stop being the bottleneck, and how world-class execution requires being 51% right and moving fast. This episode confronts the uncomfortable truth that your leadership team might look perfect on paper but fail in practice without the right incentives, speed, and simplicity. Here's what you'll learn: Why leadership teams get paralyzed and how to cut through indecision with a clear decision matrix How to stop training your team to depend on you and start building independent problem solvers Why being 51% right beats waiting for perfect information every single time Growth amplifies your leadership gaps. The question is whether you'll address them or let them cap your ceiling. ---- 09:26 – The decision framework elite CEOs use: first-order, second-order, and third-order consequences. 13:54 – The 51% rule: why world-class operators only need to be right half the time to win. 15:20 – Why your leadership team still waits for your approval on everything and the real reason behind the bottleneck. 17:09 – Creating a decision matrix that empowers your team to act without needing you. 19:34 – Why strong individual leaders fail to work as a cohesive team when you scale. 20:12 – Aligning leadership around firm-level metrics that drive collaboration and strategic unity. ---- Links & Resources: Charlie Munger 2024 Commencement Address by Roger Federer at Dartmouth ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 421. AMMA — Scaling Your Firm Starts With the Decisions You’re Afraid to Make 339. AMMA — The Growth Blueprint: What It Takes to Build a 7, 8, and 9-Figure Law Firm 140. Chris Ronzio — Building and Leveraging a Business Playbook
Your heart reveals more about your performance capacity than you think. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Dr. Leah Lagos, clinical psychologist and performance expert, to explore the science of heart rate variability and how a simple breathing practice can transform cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and long-term resilience. From working with elite athletes on the PGA Tour to coaching world leaders and executives, Dr. Lagos breaks down how resonant frequency breathing changes baseline heart rhythms, prevents cognitive fatigue, and allows high performers to make critical decisions without fear. This conversation will equip you with the physiological tools that separate sustained excellence from burnout. Here's what you'll learn: Why heart rate variability is a more reliable indicator of cognitive capacity than most people realize How 15 minutes of resonant frequency breathing twice a day can rewire your nervous system Why comparing your HRV to others is meaningless and what metrics actually matter for performance Want to improve your performance? Start with your heart. ---- Show Notes: 02:58 – Dr. Leah Lagos explains the science of resonant frequency breathing and how it creates homeostasis in the nervous system. 06:20 – Why comparing your HRV to others is meaningless and what metrics actually matter for performance. 12:06 – How chronic stress compounds over time and shows up reliably in your heart rate variability. 13:36 – The lifestyle factors that tank HRV: alcohol, dehydration, excessive caffeine, and who you spend time with. 17:59 – Why HRV training expands prefrontal lobe bandwidth and prevents cognitive fatigue under pressure. 22:35 – How resonant frequency breathing differs from meditation and produces measurable baseline changes in four weeks. 28:45 – The practical protocol: 15 minutes twice a day, finding your resonant frequency, and committing for ten weeks. 37:35 – The role of vagal tone in connecting heart, gut, and brain for better decision-making and health. 39:25 – Why breathwork is a must-have practice for longevity and sustained excellence, not just recovery. ---- Links & Resources: Dr. Leah Lagos Heart Breath Mind by Dr. Leah Lagos Oura Ring WHOOP Garmin Polar Alex Honnold ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 420. The Sleep Science That Separates Elite Performers with Dr. Michael Breus 396. Why High Performers Can’t Afford to Ignore Wellness with Dr. Taz Bhatia 125. Health Hackers: Mastering Habits to Operate at Peak Performance
Confusing great culture with unconditional acceptance is one of the fastest ways to destroy a business. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill challenge the belief that accountability and close relationships can’t coexist. The conversation begins with Michael reflecting on Steve Wynn's philosophy of creativity and how it applies to standing out in saturated markets, then shifts into three critical questions about culture, accountability, and performance. From diagnosing silent culture problems to justifying special privileges for top performers, this episode tackles the hard truths that most leaders avoid. The tightest cultures are built on standards, not sentiment. Here's what you'll learn: Why creativity is not about invention but about creating contrast between expectation and reality How to maintain accountability and culture simultaneously without confusing the two Why special talent deserves special privileges and how to defend that to your team Unconditional love has no place in business. Unconditional standards do. ---- 02:25 – Michael Mogill explains Steve Wynn's definition of creativity as the clash between thesis and antithesis. 03:54 – How the Game Changers Summit became innovative by defying conference expectations rather than matching them. 11:09 – Jessica Mogill shares how skip-level meetings reveal patterns and uncover real culture problems. 13:43 – Why calling your business a family creates unconditional expectations that destroy accountability. 15:45 – How transparency with performance data prevents resentment when underperformers are let go. 17:39 – Why exceptional performers deserve exceptional privileges and how to defend that decision. 18:52 – The NFL veteran principle: special treatment must be earned daily and can be taken away. ---- Links & Resources: Steve Wynn Video on Creativity The Mirage The Game Changers Summit Fyre Festival The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 394. How to Grow Without Losing Culture (Or Your Sanity) with Varghese Summersett 352. Susan Fowler — Why Everything You Know About Motivating Your Team Might Be Completely Wrong 54. Eric Farber — The Case for Culture
Drama isn't just annoying. It's measurable, costly, and completely avoidable. In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Cy Wakeman, leadership expert, author of No Ego, and founder of Reality-Based Leadership, to unpack the staggering cost of emotional waste in the workplace. From venting and scorekeeping to resisting change and holding organizations hostage, drama silently destroys productivity and engagement. This conversation challenges the conventional wisdom around employee happiness and exposes the hard truths about accountability, leadership myths, and what it really takes to build a high-performing culture. Here's what you'll learn: Why the average employee spends over two hours a day stuck in drama, and what that really costs your firm How to stop managing emotional waste and start building a culture rooted in accountability and results Why popular leadership advice is often based on flawed research, and what the evidence actually says about engagement and performance Stop managing the drama and start building the culture you actually want. ---- Show Notes: 02:56 – Cy Wakeman discusses her mythbusting approach to leadership and why she brings evidence-based research back into HR instead of relying on pop psychology. 05:15 – Understanding the invisible tax that drains productivity and engagement from every team without most leaders realizing it. 06:12 – The cost of workplace drama and why it's affecting far more of your organization than you think. 14:25 – Why the strategies designed to boost engagement often backfire and create the opposite of what leaders intended. 16:09 – The accountability paradox that makes it impossible to satisfy everyone on your team with the same approach. 19:20 – Where leaders should actually invest their time and energy for maximum organizational impact. 24:35 – What really happens when you raise standards and why most leaders are wrong about the consequences. 28:26 – A new framework for measuring employee value that goes far beyond traditional performance reviews. 36:20 – Rethinking generational differences and what younger employees actually bring to high-performing organizations. ---- Links & Resources: No Ego by Cy Wakeman Reality-Based Leadership by Cy Wakeman The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace by Cy Wakeman Reality-Based Leadership Website ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 369. Your Ego Is Making You Miserable with Cy Wakeman 191. Joey Coleman — Never Lose an Employee Again: The Simple Path to Remarkable Retention 97. Liz Wiseman — Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact
Longevity doesn't equal excellence, but somewhere along the way, we started treating it like it does. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in leadership: tenure is not a metric for promotion. From attorneys demanding partnership based on years served to team members resenting promotions they believe they "deserved," this conversation exposes the friction that happens when loyalty is mistaken for performance. Michael also shares how he's training his daughter to see skills as learnable, not innate, and why the same growth mindset applies to building teams that reward excellence over seniority. Here's what you'll learn: Why rewarding tenure over performance quietly destroys your standards and demoralizes top performers How to define partnership expectations before resentment builds and misalignment festers What to do when you've been delaying a termination decision, and why waiting only makes it worse Time served is not the same as value delivered. This episode is your reminder to lead with clarity, not comfort. ---- 01:57 – Michael introduces his new daily training sessions with his seven-year-old daughter and explains why focus is a trainable skill that nobody teaches. 06:47 – How the triathlon training principle applies to business: success has less to do with natural ability and more to do with time dedicated to practice. 09:26 – An attorney with six years of tenure demands partnership and equity, claiming the firm owner is "moving the goalposts." 14:26 – Why tenure doesn't trump performance, and how to explain promotions based on meritocracy without apology. 18:07 – Michael explains why delaying a termination decision only makes it more painful, and why it will never be easier than today. ---- Links & Resources: Marshmallow Test Lewis Hamilton ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 411. AMMA — What to Do When Everyone Wants Something From You 401. AMMA — From Girl Dad to CEO: The Michael Mogill Playbook 52. Brian Chase — Aligning Passion and Purpose
Most people think they have a revenue problem, but in reality, it’s a reputation problem. In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Rory Vaden, co-founder of Brand Builders Group, New York Times bestselling author, and the youngest person ever inducted into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame. Rory reveals why personal branding isn't about vanity or follower counts, but about the digitization of reputation in an industry where trust determines everything. Through frameworks like Sheehan's Wall and insights from building multiple eight-figure businesses, this conversation challenges the myth that you need to be everywhere, talk about everything, and serve everyone to break through. Here's what you'll learn: Why 58% of Americans want their lawyer to have an established personal brand and how the digitization of reputation drives warm inbound leads in high-trust professions How to break through Sheehan's Wall by identifying your one uniqueness and focusing all your energy on one audience, one problem, and one revenue stream Why serving the person you once were unlocks your most powerful competitive advantage and creates trust that transactions alone never will The biggest personal brands aren't the most talented. They're the most focused. This episode will show you where to aim. ---- Show Notes: 03:43 – Rory shares how he made $250,000 in his summers doing direct sales door-to-door to fund his first company. 09:10 – Why 58% of Americans want their lawyer to have an established personal brand and what that means for the legal industry. 12:08 – Rory introduces Sheehan's Wall and explains why most people fail to break through by being everywhere at once. 16:04 – Larry Winget's transformative advice on finding your uniqueness and exploiting it in the service of others. 28:19 – Rory reveals the shortcut to finding uniqueness by serving the person you once were. 30:33 – John Maxwell's definition of success and why the people who know you best should respect you most. ---- Links & Resources: Brand Builders Group Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden  Sheehan's Wall ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 378. Your Law Firm’s Ads Suck: Here’s Why (and How to Fix Them) with Billy Gene Shaw 205. Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam — Marketing Mash-Up: Scalable Strategies from Industry Experts 32. Seth Godin — Putting Your Best Work Out Into the World
The people slowing you down aren't always the ones you'd expect, and they're closer than you think. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill break down the three types of people who quietly drain your time, energy, and momentum, and why distancing yourself from them is one of the most important leadership decisions you can make. From the ones who talk in circles to the idea generators who never execute, to the "must be nice" crowd who confuse luck with sacrifice, this conversation is a tactical guide to protecting your bandwidth and building a culture of accountability. Here's what you'll learn: Why the people who say the most often have the least to offer, and how to identify when someone is avoiding accountability How to separate real initiative from empty ideation, and why ideas without execution are just hallucinations What the "must be nice" mindset reveals about envy, effort, and the victim mentality that holds people back This episode is your reminder that who you surround yourself with determines how far you go, so choose carefully. ---- 00:02:07 - The three types of people that will get in the way of your growth 00:06:02 - The Mexico vacation story and what people don't see behind success 00:07:02 - Abundance mindset vs. zero-sum thinking 00:10:05 - You can't change people, but you can align incentives with their goals 00:12:23 - Nature vs. nurture: the role of childhood trauma and intrinsic drive 00:13:40 - Why you can't teach hungry and screening for it during hiring 00:15:56 - The importance of clarity and trial roles before promotion ---- Links & Resources: The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni Nature versus nurture Chip on your shoulder mentality ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 359. AMMA — The Ultimate Guide to Retaining Top Talent 328. Sherry Stewart Deutschmann — Transform Your Business with Bold, People-First Leadership 240. Jessica Mogill — Why Hiring A-Players is Important
The best marketing strategy is the one nobody wants to hear. In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Ryan Deiss, CEO of Digital Marketer and one of the most respected authorities in modern marketing. Ryan shares the brutal lesson he learned sitting at a bar with a quarter million dollars in debt, the napkin that changed everything, and why the principles that saved his business contradict nearly every marketing trend being sold today. This conversation strips away the hacks and shortcuts to reveal what actually determines who wins in any market, why weak businesses fail faster with good marketing, and how the most successful entrepreneurs think about growth, identity, and what success really means. Here's what you'll learn: Why the entrepreneur who can spend the most to acquire a customer always wins, and how to engineer your business to do exactly that How to recognize when chasing marketing tricks is costing you more than it's gaining you, and what to focus on instead What separates entrepreneurs who scale successfully from those who burn out or plateau along the way Marketing without a solid foundation is just expensive noise. ---- Show Notes: 03:44 – The unexpected lesson from selling a $14 ebook and thinking beyond a one-time sale 04:58 – Why entrepreneurs need the dangerous mix of naivete and overconfidence to get started 08:30 – The back-of-a-napkin decision that changed everything 10:40 – How simplifying the business model led to the first $1 million year 15:32 – The real metric that matters in marketing and why most people focus on the wrong one 17:19 – Marketing as an amplifier and why it can’t fix a broken business 25:46 – Why great marketing must get people to not just notice, but stare 31:00 – The patterns behind the least successful entrepreneurs 39:40 – How Ryan defines success and the power of optionality ---- Links & Resources: Digital Marketer Viktor Frankl Vincent Van Gogh Pablo Picasso ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 211. Pat Flynn — Superfans: How to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business 180. Seth Godin — Putting Your Best Work Out Into the World 29. Billy Gene Shaw — Entertain, Educate, Execute: How to Dominate on Social Media
What's stopping you from keeping the promises you make to yourself? In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill unpack the real cost of breaking commitments to yourself and why most New Year's resolutions fail before February. From outgrowing old friend groups to walking away from prestigious obligations that no longer serve you, this conversation challenges you to stop negotiating with yourself and start building a life that reflects your actual priorities. Here's what you'll learn: Why breaking small commitments to yourself erodes your ability to follow through on bigger goals How to recognize when relationships and obligations are holding you back instead of pushing you forward What it takes to stay a student of your craft even when you think you've figured it all out This episode is a challenge to stop breaking promises to yourself and start building the discipline required to become who you say you want to be. ---- 05:26 — Why breaking small commitments to yourself erodes your ability to follow through on bigger goals 06:02 — How to build discipline through stacking small wins that compound over time 06:50 — The power of recording your goals on video to create accountability 09:47 — Understanding envy and why people give you a hard time when you remind them of what they gave up on 14:24 — The concept of insouciance and why you should stop playing the validation game as an adult 15:32 — Recognizing the trade-offs and opportunity costs of every commitment you make 20:34 — Why maintaining a student mindset prevents stagnation even after decades in business ---- Links & Resources: Peter Diamandis Elon Musk Interview CES ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 411. AMMA — What to Do when Everyone Wants Something From You 288. AMMA — The Art of Being Decisive 194. AMMA — The Harsh Truth About Entrepreneurial Success
What if the reason you're not achieving extraordinary results isn't because you're doing too little, but because you're doing too much? In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Jay Papasan, Vice President at Keller Williams Realty and bestselling author of The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Jay breaks down why the popular concept of balance is a fallacy, how multitasking is actually killing your productivity, and why discipline is not what you think it is. From understanding the truth about willpower to mastering the focusing question that changes everything, this conversation delivers a master class in achieving more by doing less. Here's what you'll learn: Why multitasking is a lie that's costing you 28% of your day and lowering your IQ by 11 points How to use selective discipline and the 66-day habit formation principle to make success automatic What the focusing question is and how it creates clarity around your most leveraged activities Want to achieve extraordinary results? This episode shows you exactly how to get there. ---- Show Notes: 03:52 – The origin story of The One Thing, from a 14-page handwritten essay to a bestselling book 05:59 – Why focusing on one thing is such a challenge despite being simple 09:01 – Walking through the process of using extreme Pareto to narrow down priorities 13:04 – Debunking the myth of multitasking and why it's costing you 28% of your day 19:36 – The Green Beret story: how training creates habits that last decades 28:26 – Defining willpower as different from discipline and why it's a limited resource 30:16 – A powerful study on parole judges that proves willpower depletion is real 36:47 – Counterbalancing instead of balance and why it matters for business and life 47:23 – How purpose gives you direction and a clear sense of priority ---- Links & Resources: The One Thing by Jay Papasan Atomic Habits by James Clear Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy Grit by Angela Duckworth Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod The Pareto Principle ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 383. AMMA — Why Comfort Will Quietly Destroy Your Law Firm 334. Dr. Benjamin Hardy — From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Potential: A Guide to Personal Growth 78. Dr. Katy Milkman — How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
If you’re carrying the same problems into the new year, it’s not because you don’t know what to do. It’s because you’ve been avoiding the hard calls. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill kick off the new year by answering real questions from law firm owners submitted during our Crisp workshops. These are not theoretical leadership conversations. They are real scenarios about bad hires, private equity pressure, painful lessons, and the habits required to lead at a higher level in 2026. If you’re entering the new year with uncertainty about your decisions, your team, or your direction, this episode brings clarity to what actually matters. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why keeping the wrong person on your team costs more than the discomfort of letting them go How to think about private equity without fear and what actually makes a firm competitive What leadership habits matter most in 2026, including extending your time horizon and protecting sleep quality This is not a motivational reset. It’s a reality check for the year ahead. ---- 02:14 – The bad apple problem and why keeping the wrong person always costs more 04:25 – The real question leaders avoid when it comes to firing decisions 05:00 – How to think about private equity without fear or distraction 08:55 – What actually makes a law firm competitive long-term 09:06 – Why pain is the fastest teacher and how lessons really stick 12:33 – Extending your time horizon to reduce stress and make better decisions 15:23 – Why sleep, recovery, and clarity are leadership advantages 17:25 – How to think selfishly in the right way as a firm owner ---- Links & Resources: Private equity Sleep hygiene ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at https://crisp.co/coach ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 420. The Sleep Science That Separates Elite Performers with Dr. Michael Breus 377. AMMA — Market Chaos: How to Not Just Survive, But Thrive 240. Jessica Mogill — Why Hiring A-Players is Important
The difference between those who scale and those who stall isn't talent. It's the willingness to act when every instinct says quit. In the Season 6 finale of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill revisits the most powerful conversations from 2025. From David Kolbe's insights on understanding your instinctive strengths to James Amaro's blueprint for building accountability culture, James Lawrence's discipline in mastering discomfort, Verne Harnish's framework for scaling past plateaus, and Kat Cole's philosophy of relentless self-improvement, this episode distills the season’s most actionable wisdom into one comprehensive guide for growth. Here's what you'll learn: Why understanding your conative strengths can prevent years of burnout and misalignment in your career and your team How deliberate discomfort and daily disciplines train your mind to refuse quitting when adversity hits What it takes to build an accountability culture that drives KPIs without sacrificing team morale or losing top talent The leaders who dominate 2026 will be the ones who stopped waiting and started executing on what they already know they should be doing. ---- 3:04 — David Kolbe explains the four action modes and how understanding your conative strengths changes everything 9:57 — Why your Kolbe result doesn't change over time and what that means for your career 13:16 — James Amaro shares how he rebuilt his firm from 6 people to over 80 after losing almost everything 17:07 — The accountability culture that took profit from 5% to 34% 23:24 — Triathlete James Lawrence reveals his genetic testing results 28:17 — Mental toughness requires doing activities you hate 36:32 — Verne Harnish on why ambitious goals drive energy while attainable goals kill it 42:09 — Founder Mode: why you can delegate everything except the soul of your business 52:18 — Kat Cole's journey from Hooters hostess to leading billion-dollar brands 56:44 — “The Hotshot Rule” for relentless improvement ---- Links & Resources: Kolbe Assessment  Amaro Law Firm  James Lawrence (Iron Cowboy)  Iron Hope  Verne Harnish  Scaling Up  AG1 ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at https://crisp.co/coach ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: Episode 423: How to Actually Scale Your Standards Episode 404: The Dangers of Premature Growth with Eric Siu Episode 365: Discipline Is a Daily Decision
What you let into your life matters just as much as what you work on. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill break down the books, habits, tools, and experiences that actually added value to their lives this year. From business and fiction reads to recovery, breathwork, entertainment, and everyday performance habits, this conversation cuts through recommendations and trends to focus on what held up in real life. Here’s what you’ll learn: What habits and tools actually improve your sleep, recovery, and day-to-day energy How to be more intentional with your downtime and choose entertainment that’s genuinely worth your time Which books, apps, and routines will continue to add value as your life gets fuller and more demanding If you’re going to be selective about anything, be selective about what earns a place in your life. ---- 03:01 – Why most business books stop being useful and the one Michael keeps rereading 05:12 – The fiction book that pulled Michael back into reading and why it worked 06:41 – How Michael chooses movies and shows that are actually worth the time 09:56 – Why this was a standout year for gaming and the underdog game that won everything 12:31 – The recovery gadget Michael thought was a gimmick but now uses consistently 14:09 – Breathwork, daily clarity, and the app that made the habit measurable 16:14 – Sleep, meal timing, and the change that most improved daily decision making 23:07 – The productivity app that dramatically reduced screen time 26:53 – The AI experience that genuinely felt like stepping into the future 31:31 – The documentary that had a lasting emotional impact 34:56 – The snack Michael relies on and why NFL teams consume thousands of them 38:36 – Closing reflections on being more selective with what earns space in your life ---- Links & Resources: Michael Mogill’s Favorites Roundup: Gear, Books, Games, Tech, and Wellness Essentials The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir F1 Mr. Robot Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  “Don’t Let Me Drown” by Burna Boy  a16z Podcast Murph Workout Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot Yudemon HRV App AG1’s AGZ Episode 420. The Sleep Science That Separates Elite Performers with Dr. Michael Breus Bryan Johnson Opal NewYorkTurk Nex Playground ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 420. The Sleep Science That Separates Elite Performers with Dr. Michael Breus 402, How to Hack Your Biology for an Unfair Edge with Dave Asprey 123. Game Changing Authors: Lessons from Best-Selling Writers
When growth starts to feel messy, the real risk is not the chaos. It’s what you quietly allow to slide. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill reflect on the last AMMA of the year and explore a recurring insight that emerges as firms scale. Most breakdowns do not start with big failures. They start with paper cuts, rushed training, and hires made out of urgency instead of alignment. This conversation unpacks how leaders should think when growth forces them to loosen their grip, without lowering the standard that got them there. Here’s what you’ll learn: When to recognize growing pains are signaling an actual standards problem, and not just temporary chaos How to approach training and delegation when you cannot be as hands-on, without letting quality slide How to evaluate hires made out of necessity and decide when filling a seat helps growth or quietly hurts it This final AMMA of the year offers a clear lens for scaling responsibly without normalizing mediocrity in 2026. ---- 02:14 — Michael shares his biggest lesson from the year and explains why there is no finish line in business or life 06:33 — Why the most important work in building something great is often mundane, repetitive, and unglamorous 10:27 — Why growth problems rarely show up as major failures and usually begin as small paper cuts and quality slips 11:01 — How tolerating minor issues quietly resets the standard for the entire organization 16:03 — The challenge of training as you scale and why leaders cannot rely on being hands-on forever 18:38 — How unclear expectations and rushed onboarding lead to performance breakdowns 22:17 — How to decide whether filling a role actually helps growth or creates more downstream work 23:06 — What standards leaders must personally protect as the business grows beyond them ---- Links & Resources: Knife Edge Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Nick Saban ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 285. Morgan Housel — Mastering the Psychology of Wealth: Beyond Money and Success 233. AMMA – How to Find Meaning in the Journey 214. Dream Team: How to Hire and Keep High-Performing Talent
What if the only thing standing between you and the next level is the courage to ignore the experts? In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Kara Goldin, Founder of Hint Water and bestselling author of Undaunted, to reveal what it really takes to build a brand, a company, and a category from the ground up. From rejection and industry pushback to Goliath competitors and well-meaning “experts” who swear your idea won’t work, this conversation is a blueprint for staying unshakably committed to your vision, even when no one else understands it. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why bold ideas are doubted before they’re celebrated — and how to push forward anyway How to distinguish genuine insight from the limiting beliefs of others What it takes to stay persistent when you’re creating something no one has ever done before If you want a real-world example of what unwavering commitment can create, this episode is it. ---- Show Notes: 04:32 — Why Kara says she never would have started Hint if she knew how difficult the journey would be. 06:34 — What it took to create a completely new beverage category and convince buyers it mattered. 08:57 — The moment a senior Coca-Cola executive dismissed her idea and told her Americans “love sweet.” 12:51 — How Kara learned to separate genuine expertise from limiting beliefs disguised as advice. 16:06 — What watching Ted Turner build CNN taught her about conviction and pursuing ideas others doubt. 22:01 — How giving up Diet Coke for her own health became the unexpected catalyst for creating Hint. 30:56 — How little she actually knew about the beverage industry and why that ignorance helped her innovate. 35:25 — How landing Starbucks became a breakthrough moment that suddenly reversed without warning. 39:07 — Why Kara believes dark days don’t last forever and how unexpected opportunities follow adversity. Links & Resources: Hint Water Undaunted by Kara Goldin Ted Turner Steve Jobs ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 262. Roland Frasier — The Secret to Scale: How to Grow Your Business 193. Dan Fleyshman — Just Get Started: A Serial Entrepreneur’s Secret to Success 172. Marcus Lemonis — The Three Keys to Business: People, Process, and Product
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