He left Big Law after 90 days to chase juries. Now Sharif Gray, Richmond trial lawyer and co-host of the RVA Trial Lawyers podcast, breaks down how authenticity (not interrogation) wins over jurors and drives real results in the courtroom. We get into the hard stuff: valuing cases beyond medical specials and policy limits, the “speed-trial” mindset of cutting what doesn’t serve the story, and why parachuting in close to trial can actually sharpen your case. Sharif also shares a tough crime-vi...
Forget boring branding and forget trying to please everyone, this episode is about standing out, building trust, and boldly owning your space. This week, Brian sits down with Lee Rudin, founder of RUDIN LAW and the brain behind the unforgettable “Get Rude” brand. If you’ve ever wondered how to create a law firm identity that clients actually remember and wear on a t-shirt, this is your playbook. Lee shares: Why polite branding gets you forgotten (and what to do instead)How niche swag and gras...
What if the fastest way to grow your firm was not another ad, but a joke? n this episode of Life Beyond the Briefs, Brian sits down with Jimmy Lai, an immigration lawyer with a fast-growing, empathy-first practice, to ask a simple question: Could humor make you more hireable? From Taiwan to Oklahoma City, Jimmy’s story shows how culture, personality, and daily LinkedIn posts can turn strangers into clients and advocates. You will learn: How to use humor and empathy to lower client anxiety a...
What if the thing capping your firm’s growth is you? Seth Price scaled from 2 to 40 lawyers by making the move most founders avoid. He let go, then replaced himself with systems, A players, and data that compound. In this episode, Brian and his friend Seth get specific about what actually works, not theory. You’ll learn: why speed to lead wins cases before your coffee coolsthe first two hires that free your week and raise the barthe core systems that run without youwhat to automate and what...
Sick of pouring budget into ads that attract the wrong cases? In this episode, Delisi Friday breaks down a referral-first growth plan built on two pillars: better intake and the CORE method—Create Once, Recycle Everywhere. We get into the exact intake language that protects trust (“Who can we thank for the referral?”), the follow-up rhythm that keeps you top-of-mind, and how to turn one recording into weeks of credibility-building content without burning out your team. You’ll learn: The intak...
What does a real CMO do, and why do most law firms get it wrong? In this episode, Cassidy Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer at Cooper Hurley and founder of the CMO Academy, breaks down why marketing isn’t about tactics or title inflation; it’s about teaching, strategy, and trust. We talk about building in-house marketing teams that actually scale, how community marketing drives referrals, and why omnipresence is the name of the game in 2025. If you’re tired of wasting marketing dollars and ready...
Are you pouring marketing dollars into a leaky bucket? That's exactly what's happening at law firms with broken intake systems. As a personal injury attorney who has quadrupled my firm's revenue in just four years, I can tell you with absolute certainty: fix your phones before spending another penny on marketing. In this eye-opening episode, I share the shocking story of how we fired our answering service within just 48 hours of hiring them—after they cost us $18,000 in potential revenue fro...
You’ve hit $500K in revenue—but can your law firm run without you? While Brian’s sipping aperitivos in Italy for three weeks, Chelsea Williams—the Money Whisperer behind Core Solutions Group—is here to break down what it really takes to create a firm that functions (and flourishes) in your absence. In this episode, we unpack: Why your bookkeeper ≠ your CFO—and why that mattersHow to build a financial team that gives you freedom, not more workWhat “Profit First” actually looks like in a law fi...
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you wrote down your most ambitious dreams and revisited them two years later? In this eye-opening episode, I pull back the curtain on my "Vivid Vision" exercise—a powerful three-year life design framework that has quite literally transformed both my law practice and personal life. Walking through my December 2025 vision that I originally created in 2023, I provide a brutally honest assessment of what materialized and what didn't. The revelation? Wh...
You don’t need a niche practice—or a marketing department—to grow on LinkedIn. You just need better stories. In this episode, Jacob Molina shares how solo and small firm lawyers can turn everyday conversations, client wins, and even tough calls into content that builds trust and drives business. We talk about why the client should be the hero, how to get out of your own head, and why visibility beats vanity metrics every time. If you’ve ever said “I don’t know what to post,” this one’s for yo...
Lawyers are leaving significant money on the table by stubbornly handling cases outside their expertise when referrals could generate higher profits per hour with zero risk. This eye-opening episode breaks down the surprising economics of legal referrals through the lens of a recent case where I wrote a six-figure check to an out-of-state attorney for essentially making one phone call. When an attorney from Texas contacted me about a Virginia crash case, he declined my offer to handle it for...
What can a law firm learn from a tech startup? In this episode, I sit down with Manny Griffiths, CEO and co-founder of Hona, to talk about how his journey, from selling pest control door to door to building a 67-person legal tech company, is full of lessons for law firm owners looking to grow without burning out. We talk about: The real-world use cases for AI in law firms (including after-hours lead capture)Why “automate the redundant to empower the personal” is more than a catchy phraseHow t...
Every growing law firm reaches a crossroads where the founding attorney can no longer juggle every role. The marketing director decision becomes unavoidable, but timing and selection make all the difference between transformative growth and costly disappointment. When should you hire a marketing director? The answer might surprise you: now, or at least as quickly as possible. A dedicated marketing professional creates a powerful multiplier effect – while you handle cases and client meetings,...
Most entrepreneurs say they’re building for their family… but their calendar tells a different story. In this episode, Brian sits down with Mike McCarthy—real estate entrepreneur, co-founder of GoBundance, and creator of FAMBUNDANCE, a mastermind for entrepreneurial families. Together, they dive into what it truly means to design your life around your values, not your workload. Mike shares how he stepped away from the hustle culture and chose a path centered on intentional leadership, present...
At the year's midpoint, many attorneys find themselves contemplating their career path - distant enough from their last bonus but not yet focused on the next one. This critical juncture prompts the fundamental question: "Is this where I want to be?" Drawing from both personal experience and observations as a firm owner, I explore the delicate art of recognizing when it's time to move on and executing that transition with professionalism and integrity. The markers of career dissatisfaction of...
Forget SEO. Forget paid ads. What if the real key to law firm growth is… client happiness? In this episode of Life Beyond the Briefs, Brian sits down with Brittany Green, co-founder of Best Era Law Firm Consulting, to talk about building a values-driven, relationship-first law firm that actually feels good to run. Brittany went from being a "Client Happiness Director" at a small firm to co-creating The Way—a simplified, people-first operating system for small firms who want freedom, fulfillme...
The quest for clarity in law firm metrics can feel overwhelming – staring at spreadsheets filled with numbers, wondering what actually matters, and questioning whether you're tracking the right things. But what if you could distill the noise down to just a handful of metrics that genuinely move the needle for your practice? This eye-opening exploration of key performance indicators cuts through the complexity that typically surrounds law firm analytics. Whether you're a solo practitioner or ...
Why do clients leave bad reviews even when you win their case? In this episode, Brian chats with Paul Bamert, VP of Marketing at Case Status and a speaker at the upcoming Great Legal Marketing Summit. They dig into the real reason law firms struggle with client satisfaction — and why the legal industry is way behind when it comes to measuring it. You’ll hear: Why communication — not results — drives most one-star reviewsHow AI can now predict client sentiment without a single surveyThe terrif...
Want to transform your law firm's marketing without chasing endless tactics? Discover the five fundamental systems that create sustainable, profitable growth - regardless of your practice area. Marketing a law firm shouldn't require constant platform-hopping or tactic-chasing. The truth is simpler: five core systems form the foundation of effective legal marketing, and most firms are missing at least one crucial piece of this puzzle. The first pillar is a robust client attraction system tha...
Looking to accelerate your law firm's growth? Forget the slow grind of traditional marketing. Firm acquisitions might be your smartest strategic move. In this eye-opening conversation from the 2024 Great Legal Marketing Summit, attorneys Ed Alexander and Jonathan Hawkins—who have closed 24 law firm deals since January 2023—reveal why buying an existing practice delivers faster growth, instant client acquisition, and remarkable ROI potential of 33-40%. We're facing an unprecedented moment: a...