Dive into the complete episode list for The 80/20 Principle. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
21 Aug 2018
Episode 10 - Delegation
00:10:18
The only tasks you should do in your practice are (1) things that require a law license to do, and (2) things you enjoy doing. Everything else should be delegated.
Finding good people to delegate work to is easier because of the Internet, and the availability of outsourcing. But finding qualified assistance is still hard because you have to properly vet candidates. It's better to work with VA companies that are adept at pairing you up with people that are qualified AND compatible with your work style.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
24 May 2022
205: Modern Legal Ethics (with Dane Ciolino)
00:50:35
Can you ethically practice New York law if you're licensed there but actually living in Louisiana? Listen and find out.
Modern legal ethics is now driven by technology, so how can regulatory bodies keep up with the pace of change? Short answer: in many key areas, they can't and aren't.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
302: Photographic Memory: A Skill You Didn't Know You Had
00:33:50
In this episode, you'll learn that you have a photographic memory without knowing it. Just like Baton Rouge attorney Tony Clayton who can remember names and faces instantly, which helps him recall details about jury pool members, even groups of 50 to 75 people. By the end of the episode, you'll understand how to unlock this skill to remember anything you want to and you'll be completely astonished.
In this episode, you will hear:
Unlocking the potential of photographic memory through accessible techniques.
Exploring the historical and modern relevance of the loci system, dating back to Simonides of Ceos.
Using mnemonic devices and bizarre visual imagery to enhance memorization and retention.
The transformative impact of memory mastery on personal and professional growth.
Practical applications of memory techniques, including memorizing numbers and historical figures.
Getting clients to write reviews is vital to your marketing success, but most lawyers struggle to gather reviews.
Andy Stickel has helped hundreds of lawyers develop solid marketing strategies, especially showing them how to effectively and most easily gather reviews that are posted online. His new book is a trove of valuable strategies and tactics for attorneys who want to get more great reviews.
In this episode, Andy explains how to get client reviews that help Google rank you higher by using 5 basic questions. And he explains why getting a few bad reviews can actually wind up being a good thing.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Larry Weinstein understands the special needs of lawyers and helps them create clever tax plans to save more money. As he points out “the less you pay in unnecessary taxes, the more money you can invest in your life and business.”
In this episode, Larry shares six tax-reducing strategies that small business owners (i.e. lawyers) should be aware of and take advantage of. And then he and Ernie discuss some of their best marketing strategies and tactics for small firm owners.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish. Then can screen callers (obviously) but they do much more. Like create appointments and accept payments if you charge for initial consults (which you should!).
And they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don’t just handle these conversations by phone — they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even via Facebook Messenger).
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai. As they say, “don’t let another day go by without trying Smith.ai.”
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
245: How to run a new law practice without any prior business skills (with Chris Earley)
00:46:20
Chris Earley had no idea how to run any business when he graduated from law school in 2004. But he figured it out through a series of strategies and tactics, which you'll learn about in this episode.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
206: Exceptional Client Service (with John Strohmeyer)
00:56:14
If you want a high-level practice, you need high-level clients. The first step is making sure you can deliver exceptional service.
John Strohmeyer joins me to talk about how to do that, which he first learned before law school when working as a manager at a Four Seasons hotel. How did that experience help him in his law practice? Listen and find out.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Frameworks (or “mental models”) help you better leverage high-value information, such as the kind you’ll find in books like the ones I discuss in this episode. And when you’re organizing information you should consider using tags as much as possible (and be aware of how they are better than folders or notebooks).
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week 24 hours a day! And they don’t just handle conversations by phone — they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even Facebook Messenger). If there’s one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith’s friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you’re working, knowing that you’re not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there’s no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai; receptionists are the “secret to business growth and client happiness.”
Smith.ai; offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, “Don’t let another day go by!” Try Smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Your ideal clients are looking for you, their ideal lawyer. But they don't know how to find you, so you have to find them. And strategic marketing is the way you can do that.
Unfortunately, too many lawyers have no idea how to market strategically. And copying other folks who aren't properly informed about marketing isn't a good strategy.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
21 Feb 2023
244: Interesting Questions about Law Practice Management
00:34:14
Managing a law practice doesn't have to be as hard as many lawyers make it. I've gotten some interesting questions about this topic, so in this episode, you'll learn more about how to make major improvements more easily.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
The kid played by Ralph Macchio didn't understand that in life you can have what you want if you're willing to work for it. And if you aren't fixated on how you'll get it. Oh, and it helps to have a good guide to help you stay on track.
This was good advice for the kid in the movie, but it also relates to building the law practice of your dreams.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
What if you could revolutionize your legal practice with technology? This provocative question led to an enlightening chat with legal tech consultant, Adriana Linares, who shared insights on how transitioning to cloud-based services and leveraging tools like TextExpander and ChatGPT can significantly enhance productivity and writing skills.
That's not all, folks. Join us as we share personal anecdotes about the transformative power of effective communication skills, honed through Toastmasters, and how this aids career progression. We also discuss the wonders of ChatGPT technology, which can help us create speeches that sound more natural and professional. But it doesn't stop there - we discuss utilizing ChatGPT for generating language for attorney forms or creating starting templates for your work.
We also talk about the paramount importance of password managers and TextExpander in maintaining flexibility and security in your computer setup. Picture being able to easily store emails, logins, and calendar appointments, and sharing passwords between people - all with maximum security. And let's not forget how TextExpander snippets can simplify communication and save time. So, are you ready to transform your legal practice with technology? Tune in, and let’s explore these game-changing tools together.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Overture Law
Overture Law is the first private attorney network enabling them to refer matters to one another and ethically share in referral fees.
Membership is free if you're accepted. Apply for membership at Overture.law
Once you're accepted, you'll start getting valuable referrals and earn fees for matters you refer out. A powerful win-win for U.S.-based solo and small firm attorneys.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
14 Mar 2023
247: Productize Your Legal Services
00:28:56
If you can create an information product for potential clients to get a meaningful result, they will trust you more and possibly hire you later for full-scope work. Many lawyers are now productizing their legal services, and in this episode, we discuss why you should do this, the best way to start, and the small hurdles to surmount to make it happen in your practice.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
This episode discusses Google's NotebookLM, an AI research assistant designed to handle groups of complex documents. Listen and learn about its amazing features, such as generating summaries, citations, and FAQs.
You can also hear the “audio overviews” feature, in which two bots discuss a recent case (Matter of Weber) involving the use of AI in the courtroom.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
303: From Russia with Passion & Drive - Miami attorney Ilona Anderson
00:54:11
In this episode you'll meet an attorney named Ilona Anderson who was originally from Russia but came to the U.S. when she was sixteen and pursued her passion for law. You'll learn about her first job working in a big Miami firm, where she handled commercial litigation cases.
We discuss the importance of using systems and her interesting take on what good systems look like in a law practice. We talked about the best tools to store SOPs, and why she's exploring the use of a popular tool called Notion (and why I recommended she think that decision through carefully).
In this episode, you will hear:
Ilona Anderson's journey from Russian immigrant to successful Miami attorney and entrepreneur
Founding her own employment law practice after facing career challenges and denied flexible work arrangements
Importance of systematization and delegation in law practice management
Embracing technology and automation tools like MyCase, GoHighLevel, and AI to enhance legal practice
Transition from litigation to trademark law to support entrepreneurs
Radical responsibility and mindset shifts for personal and professional growth
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
21 Jun 2022
209: Build Trust More Effectively
00:29:21
If you want people to trust you more (and, as a lawyer, you should), then it's vital to learn the keys to creating and building trust — even with complete strangers.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
071: Simplify Your Practice (to make it run smoother, and be more enjoyable)
00:22:48
If you want to simplify your practice you need to be realistic. It’s important to work from a plan as much as possible, so you can keep the overall process in mind easily. If you want the blueprint/framework I created you can click here to download it now.
And below I’ve listed the various resources that I mentioned:
Free to Focus, by Michael Hyatt (includes discussion of mapping out your ideal week)
Typography for Lawyers, by Matthew Butterick (step-by-step guidance on how to set up templates for stationery, pleadings, contracts, business cards etc.)
Acuity Scheduling (automate the scheduling of various kinds of appointments; all you have to do is be there on time)
TextExpander; - (powerful text automation for email signatures to complex forms)
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Lawyers who fully understand what's known as "megatrends" will thrive. And those who ignore the megatrends or (worse) resist them, will probably struggle to survive. The megatrends we'll discuss are ones that are inherent in the shift from an industrial society to one based on the flow of information —specifically, digital information.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
194 - Effective Information Processing for Lawyers
00:28:24
Lawyers need to learn the new rules for effective, efficient information processing. These rules have arisen because the information we deal with has become increasingly digital. That part is obvious, but learning how to deal better with digital information is definitely not obvious.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
284: Get Better Clients Using Conversational Emails
00:34:26
If you want better clients, you need to convey that you are very special, not like most attorneys. How you convey that message is everything. You can't communicate in cliches or brazen claims. You must come across as sincere, thoughtful, and truly considerate. In this session, we'll discuss how to do that using simple, easy-to-write emails.
In this episode, you will hear:
Marketing tactics for attracting quality clients
Effective marketing strategies for lawyers
Client referral strategies with testimonials
Email marketing for lawyers
Show Notes
Sign up for my Educational Email course to see my process for encouraging opt-ins and then sending valuable information by email.
Some lawyers resort to overly aggressive or awkward tactics that make them seem desperate and are off-putting to higher-quality clients (here's an example of what I mean).
You can subscribe to my email list to see what my "conversational emails" look like.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
28 Apr 2020
097: Specialized search tools for lawyers
00:44:08
Show Notes
In this episode, you’ll meet Erik Pickering, whose company (Tracers) helps lawyers and investigators turn up vital information that’s often indispensable to the outcome of cases. From doing social media research about jurors or witnesses to finding missing witnesses or missing heirs in probate matters, Tracers is a service that can probably help you more than you might imagine.
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don't just handle these conversations by phone -- they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even via Facebook Messenger). If there's one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith's friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you're working, you're not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there's no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the "secret to business growth and client happiness."
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, "Don't let another day go by!" Try Smith.ai.
Gathering information is important for lawyers, especially lawyers who do litigation. As you no doubt know, law doesn't win cases, facts do, and often one or two key facts can make or break a case.
Key facts are tied to witnesses who sometimes are elusive. Key facts can involve things about your client that they conveniently “forget” to tell you.
And for sure key facts are incriminating things about the opposing party. Key facts can be in social media or any number of public databases. So how do you find the key facts quickly and easily?
Well, you can find them but not usually quickly and easily. Even the publicly available information is strewn about in lots of different public records or online locations that you can’t find using one Google search.
So stop trying to use Google and don’t waste time, energy, or money. Use Tracers instead. That’s how you can get cost-effective access to asset records, social media posts, and detailed background information on anyone of interest to you or your client.
The cost is based on a “pay per search” pricing with a$39 monthly minimum. The searches aren’t super expensive so you might only spend $39 per month and be able to do a few searches.
But however much you use it you can expense the cost to your client matter because it’s an essential service.
I recommend that every lawyer at least sign up, learn what it can do, and get used to having an amazing resource at your fingertips. If you use the promo code Ernie100 the first $100 of your search will be free.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Episode 40: Overview of Strategic Marketing Principles
00:35:59
Most lawyers don't understand the proper way to market their practices. There are only two kinds of marketing lawyers should do, and you should not spend a dime until you understand how to properly market.
In this episode, I provide a comprehensive overview of effective marketing for lawyers. Here is an outline of the points covered in this session.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers.
I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability.
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
13 Jul 2021
160: Kaizen for Lawyers
00:27:02
If you want to make steady, powerful improvements to your law business, in a way that's super effective and surprisingly easy, you should leverage the principle of "Kaizen." It's a Japanese business philosophy of continuously improving operations in small incremental steps. But it's also a powerful tool for solo and small law firm owners in the modern tech-driven world
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
241: A Retrospective of Tech Adoption by Lawyers (Interview with Monty McIntyre)
00:52:52
Many lawyers who entered the practice of law in the 1980s ignored technology or dismissed its potential for making law more efficient and easier to practice. But not Monty McIntyre, a San Diego trial lawyer who adopted technology and remains open-minded and curious about leveraging it to improve his practice.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
287: Social Media Marketing: 5 Pro Tips for Lawyers
00:39:27
Social media marketing is easy and inexpensive if you approach it right. Being authentic is one key to success, but there's another word that's even more important. And that’s what this episode will explain and discuss.
In this episode, you will hear:
Leveraging social media for attorneys
The importance of relationships in social media marketing
The pitfalls of chasing viral content and the value of authenticity
Practical social media marketing strategies (ex. content harvesting and sharing local events)
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
22 Sep 2020
118: How to Get Free Advertising Online
00:33:42
Below are the resources Ernie discussed in this episode.
Loom video demo- (Ernie demonstrates how he tweaks his LinkedIn “headline” bio on his iPhone)
Linktr.ee service-Allows you to bundle several link sources and link to a page that hosts those links. Also allows you to track how many clicks each link gets.
Here are the character limits for some popular online platforms: LinkedIn Headline (120), Instagram (150), Twitter (160), Facebook (101)
Character Counter- A free web tool for calculating the number of characters in text.
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week 24 hours a day! And they don’t just handle conversations by phone — they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even Facebook Messenger).
If there’s one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith’s friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you’re working, knowing that you’re not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there’s no excuse!
Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the “secret to business growth and client happiness.”
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
298: Thinking Like a Philosopher: Jonny Thomson on Truth, AI, and the Socratic Method
00:39:14
Oxford philosophy professor Jonny Thomson explains how philosophy sharpens critical thinking, reveals hidden biases, and helps uncover the truth in a messy, complex world. From the Socratic method to the role of testimony and the challenges posed by AI, this episode dives into the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and the modern search for knowledge. A must-listen for lawyers and anyone who values sharper thinking.
In this episode, you will hear:
Exploration of the intersection between philosophy and artificial intelligence
Johnny Thomson's transition from educator to full-time writer and his book "Mini-Philosophy"
The role of the Socratic method in philosophy and law
Discussion of Meno's Paradox and the debate between rationalism and empiricism
Examination of the reliability of knowledge and the importance of reliable sources
Contemplation of artificial intelligence's ability to replicate human intelligence
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
29 Aug 2023
265: Digital Nomadism for Lawyers (with Megan Hargroder)
00:40:53
Step into the extraordinary world of digital nomadism with my wanderlust-filled guest, Megan Hargroder. Megan, a seasoned digital nomad, has been living out of her suitcase and working from the picturesque locales of Europe for the past eight months. Join us for a riveting conversation that explores the exhilarating freedoms and intricate challenges that come hand-in-hand with her unique lifestyle.
Navigating time zones, hiring international talent, managing remote work, and maintaining cyber security are just a few of the topics we delve into. We also touch upon the fascinating subject of managing a virtual team of assistants, specifically from the Philippines, and how to evolve a contractual role into a full-time position. You'll be riveted as Megan shares the secret to maintaining a secure online presence while globe-trotting and highlights the hidden benefits of a WeWork All-Access membership.
Ready to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle? Get an insight into Megan's tech arsenal as she reveals how she stays connected with the help of Airalo, a virtual SIM card app. Plus, learn about the magic of automation and outsourcing, and how these can free up your time for, well, more freedom! And as a cherry on top, we even touch upon the importance of a systematic onboarding process and learning from mistakes. So, buckle up for an episode that's brimming with insightful takeaways, hilarious anecdotes, and trailblazing ideas!
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Overture Law
Overture Law is the first private attorney network enabling them to refer matters to one another and ethically share in referral fees.
Membership is free if you're accepted. Apply for membership at Overture.law
Once you're accepted, you'll start getting valuable referrals and earn fees for matters you refer out. A powerful win-win for U.S.-based solo and small firm attorneys.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
16 May 2023
256: Get Staffed Up with Remote Workers in Latin America (Guest: Brett Trembly)
00:44:09
In this episode, Brett Trembly, a business lawyer and founder of Get Staffed Up, shares how his company helps law firm owners hire talented virtual assistants from Latin America. He discusses his new book, which sets forth a 24-month game plan for hiring seven specific positions. He also explains the best practices for working with virtual assistants, including repeatable tasks, daily check-ins, and quarterly conversations.
Tune in to learn about the nuts and bolts of building a remote workforce based in Latin America.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their businesses and impact the world.
30 Nov 2021
180: Paperless Lawyering Questions from Attorney Joe O'Keefe
01:07:52
St. Louis estate planning attorney Joe O'Keefe had some questions about optimizing his practice to be more paperless. In listening to this discussion, you'll learn about why you might want to use a digital document management system, and which one is best for lawyers. And many other aspects of being paperless are discussed as well.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
080: Smith.ai Virtual Receptionist's services are top-notch and low-cost
00:35:29
In this episode I talk with Maddy Martin of Smith.ai about why their services are especially beneficial to solo and small firm lawyers.
For many attorneys affordability is the primary motivation for signing up. (i.e. plans start at $70/month). But the more you research Smith.ai the more reasons you’ll discover for giving it a try. For example, they can make outbound calls for you— everything from routine appointment reminders to bill payment calls when your invoices have gone unpaid.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Discover the secret to unlocking human growth and genuine connections in our increasingly digital world. This episode promises to reveal the power of face-to-face interaction and why it's crucial for personal and professional success. Let me take you on a journey through our experience with Laurel Street Music in New Orleans, where an inspiring story of community events and real-world connection unfolded during the pandemic. Learn how the simple act of getting to know your neighbors can lead to profound human growth and support that social media just can't provide.
We also dive into the fascinating 80-20 principle and its application to our lives for greater success. By emphasizing the importance of building deep connections and prioritizing face-to-face interactions, you'll be able to maximize your ROI with minimal effort. Don't miss out on this opportunity to reflect on the dangers of confusing natural growth with technological change and finding balance in our screen-centric lives. Tune in and reconnect with the power of genuine human interaction today!
In this episode, you will hear:
The power of face-to-face connection
Building real connections through community events
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to Our Sponsor
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
13 Dec 2022
234: Marketing with Authenticity - Part 2
00:19:41
Marketing, when done effectively, is powerful. And the best approach is to communicate with people authentically, especially on platforms like LinkedIn.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
A new law business model is vital now. Ali Katz’s book explains exactly how lawyers should revamp their practices to make them more enjoyable and more profitable.
Ali's NLBM is most beneficial to lawyers with estate planning or business law practices that use flat-fee pricing, but the principles and tactics she teaches can help any lawyer in any kind of practice area.
In this episode, you’ll learn about the 5 critical shifts solo and small firm lawyers need to make to revitalize their law businesses. We also discuss which practice types lend themselves most readily to transformation.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
053: Practice Management Challenges with Jared Correia
00:42:47
Practice management advisor Jared Correia is back again to discuss how solo & small firm lawyers can meet the common challenges of growing their practices.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
14 May 2019
046: Email Effectiveness
00:28:39
I studied high performing business leaders who are amazingly proficient at managing email. Then I identified common tactics and strategies they used and then adopted those tactics as my own email processing system. My new system is radically more efficient, simpler and less stressful. Best of all: I can run it easily from my smartphone.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
21 Dec 2021
183: Your Best Marketing Focus for 2022 (with Megan Hargroder)
00:31:16
If you want to get better clients, consistently, and cost-effectively, you need to focus on this one thing above all else in the coming year.
Megan Hargroder joins Ernie to delve into the thing that will make the best impact on your marketing efforts if you focus on it, and do so consistently.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly. The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started. Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today. And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast… Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish. If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of. Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at EmeraldCity Pro
23 Jul 2019
056: Insights from savvy legal technology consultants with Chelsey Lambert
00:35:16
Chelsey Lambert knows what software works best for solo & small firm lawyers, and she shares insights that will help you find more success and less heartache.
Chelsey Lambert is an author, speaker and tech consultant whose mission is to help lawyers better understand their best tech options.
Her career has given her a truly unique perspective on how solo and small firm attorneys can best leverage technology in their day-to-day operations.
In this episode, we’ll focus on the challenges of selecting the right tech consultants for making software selection deacons, including selecting practice management software.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
07 Nov 2023
270: Build a Successful Law Firm and Run it While Living in Europe
01:06:03
This episode features an interview with a lawyer who went from helping build a multimillion-dollar firm to practicing law from coffee shops in Europe.
Sheila Wilkinson helped build a highly successful law firm from scratch even before she went to law school. Crazy but true. And after law school, she created her own successful practice, which she still runs, often from coffee shops in the country of Brussels.
Another focus for Sheila is providing what she calls "Socratic coaching" for lawyers. Specifically, those who feel frustrated in their practices. Sheila's message is: Law practice doesn't have to be unfulfilling and frustrating. You can transform your life, your practice, and your state of mind.
Listen, and find out how to make major improvements to your law practice.
In this episode, you will hear:
The transformational journey of Sheila, who transitioned from building a million-dollar law firm to practicing law from various coffee shops in Europe.
How Sheila Wilkinson leverages technology, practices Socratic Coaching for Lawyers, and benefits from digital nomadism.
Sheila's approach to overcoming personal and professional hurdles by emphasizing clarity, confidence, and understanding one's mental processes.
The significance of emotional decision-making and proper risk assessment in law practice.
A deep dive into social conditioning and its impact on decision-making abilities.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Overture Law
Overture Law is the first private attorney network enabling them to refer matters to one another and ethically share in referral fees.
Membership is free if you're accepted. Apply for membership at Overture.law
Once you're accepted, you'll start getting valuable referrals and earn fees for matters you refer out. A powerful win-win for U.S.-based solo and small firm attorneys.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.comLet them know we sent you.
14 Sep 2021
169: Self Sufficiency
00:41:58
The less you need to rely on other people the greater your flexibility and resilience. The same goes for relying on resources. Keep your needs to a minimum to survive and thrive.
In this episode, Ernie focuses on several key principles to help you be as self-sufficient as possible.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
While some prospects want to talk to a person at the law firm, many want answers to questions without having to book a call. For example, in family law situations, many clients want to ask questions by texting so their soon-to-be ex-spouse won’t overhear.
So chatbots are being widely adopted. And there are lots of options to investigate but only one company, Gideon, is focused 100% on the legal market. My good friend, Jared Correia co-founded Gideon after many years working as a law practice management advisor to solo and small firms.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
Smith.ai; is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai; offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week 24 hours a day! And they don’t just handle conversations by phone — they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even Facebook Messenger). If there’s one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith’s friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you’re working, knowing that you’re not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there’s no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai; receptionists are the “secret to business growth and client happiness.”
Smith.ai; offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai;. Trust me when I say, “Don’t let another day go by!” Try Smith.ai; .
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
259: A Celebrity Actor Shares Law Practice Insights (Surprise Guest)
00:27:23
Ever wondered how the 80-20 principle applies to a Hollywood actor's life and career? I have an exclusive chat with the legendary Tom Hanks, shedding light on the topic and sharing his personal experiences!
But there's more than meets the ear – my friend and computer forensics expert Craig Ball joins me to reveal the cutting-edge AI technology from ElevenLabs that made our "interview" with Tom Hanks possible. We dive into the potential dangers of AI-generated deep fakes, the importance of verifying sources, and the implications of rapid advancements in AI technology becoming more accessible to everyone. This captivating episode not only entertains but also opens your eyes to the future of technology's impact on our lives.
In this episode, you will hear:
AI voice synthesis
Potential dangers of deep fakes and the importance of verifying sources
The impact of AI and voice recognition on the legal industry, including the potential for creating deep fakes and the need for debunking tools to detect them.
The importance of corroborating sources in a world where technology can easily deceive, such as using the Shepherdizing method for lawyers.
The implications of rapid advancements in AI technology becoming more accessible to everyone and its impact on society.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
12 Nov 2024
295: Deb Feder, a Business Attorney Now Helps Professionals Grow Their Businesses
01:01:21
In this episode Deb Feder shares her transition from business lawyer to a coaching business for business professionals. You'll hear about her early career trials, favorite book picks, and how technology has changed the legal profession. She'll also share her great advice on email efficiency, time management, client rapport, boundary setting, and using LinkedIn for business development.
In this episode, you will hear:
Deb Feder's transition from business law to coaching business owners, including lawyers
Insights into refining email communication and mastering time management
The challenges and opportunities of practicing law in the pre-tech era of 1999
Importance of authenticity and building genuine client relationships
Mindfulness practices and setting boundaries for personal and professional success
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
19 Jun 2018
Episode 1: Building Your Dream Practice
00:09:50
Too many lawyers struggle with the business side of their practices. And that’s without considering the ever-increasing dependence on technology. As you probably realize, many lawyers find technology frustrating and counter-productive.
But, if you approach it sensibly, technology will make your practice much more profitable and easier to manage. Best of all? You don’t need to be a tech-wizard to harness its power.
Anyone can use technology to radically improve their law practice—even so-called “dinosaur lawyers” who can barely do email or surf the web. In this episode, and the ones that follow, you’ll discover how.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
26 Apr 2022
201: Toxic Clients - Part 2
00:28:41
In this episode we'll delve deeper into how to avoid toxic clients, or at least minimize their toxicity as much as possible.
Check out the prior episode for a full discussion of the key indicators of toxicity in people.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
In this episode, Ernie speaks with an anonymous associate at a large firm about resistance she faces in her attempts to get her firm to adopt technology. Ernie shares some strategies and tactics for getting buy-in. Human nature is a bigger factor than cold logic and well-pled arguments.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Today's episode is about a very important topic: namely, how you persuade jurors, judges, and others more quickly and more effectively.
Scientific studies establish that visual information is easier for the human brain to process and is remembered for longer periods of time. So we'll be talking about how to create "brain-friendly" presentations. And at the end of the episode, I'll show you a magic trick that will amaze you and demonstrate in a powerful way how you can use brain-friendly visuals to remember things you normally couldn't remember at all.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers.
I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability.
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
05 Apr 2022
198: How to Take a 1 Month Vacation (Interview with Andrew Legrand)
00:50:47
Business attorney Andrew Legrand is planning to go rafting in the Grand Canyon for 21 days during September, and will be completely out of touch with his law firm for a full month.
How can he be sure that everything will continue to run smoothly while he's gone? Listen and find out. (spoiler alert: he relies on well-documented systems)
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Tracking your firm's revenue and expense numbers gives you helpful insight into which areas of your practice are more profitable or which staff members or contractors are truly valuable. Melissa Shanahan, a top-notch business coach for solo and small firm attorneys, joins Ernie to discuss how best to track these metrics.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Scaling your business in a sustainable way is possible, but the way to do it is counter-intuitive for many reasons. In this episode, I'll complete my 3-part discussion of this issue and recommend a sane, sustainable, and effective solution.
Mac Power Users podcast, with David Sparks (the California business attorney that Ernie is close friends with and recommends that you follow if you're a Mac user)
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
In episode 4 we talked about how to find good technology consultants. Here I'll tell you about seemingly helpful technology advice that you should avoid like the plague.
It comes from well-intentioned people that are sincerely trying to help you. How could that be a problem? Listen and find out.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
30 Aug 2022
Join the Inner Circle
00:21:51
The best way to learn is to watch other people who are doing what you want to do. When it comes to using technology, that's very hard to do. It would be great if you could peer into the practices of many different lawyers who have practices like yours.
You can't peer into other lawyers' computers, obviously. But the next best thing is something called the Inner Circle, which I just created and am excited to tell you about. So that's what we'll be talking about today.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Joel Oster is a comedian who practices law, and he puts on highly entertaining CLE programs that you can access online. Plus he just wrote a funny book.
In this episode, Joel explains how he started using comedy to get speaking gigs. His thesis is that "the true role of the law can best be understood with a dose of humor." We discuss that and reveal the best place for getting charbroiled oysters in New Orleans.
The Official Lawyer's Handbook, by Robert White (Ernie mentioned as source of quote: "there are no funny lawyers, only funny people who made the wrong career choice")
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Your beliefs are the biggest factor in how much success you can achieve, and it’s hard for people to adjust their beliefs without help. The people who help you overcome limiting self-beliefs will often make you feel uncomfortable. But if you can’t deal with discomfort you’ll never achieve your biggest dreams.
Get my free Tech Resource Guide for solo and small firm lawyers, which includes recommendations about working remotely.
Or better yet, join my Co-Pilot Group Mentoring program which will help you make steady progress improving your practice, with support from other like-minded attorneys who are working right alongside you.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don't just handle these conversations by phone -- they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even via Facebook Messenger). If there's one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith's friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you're working, you're not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there's no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the "secret to business growth and client happiness."
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, "Don't let another day go by!" Try Smith.ai.
Gathering information is important for lawyers, especially lawyers who do litigation. As you no doubt know, law doesn't win cases, facts do, and often one or two key facts can make or break a case.
Key facts are tied to witnesses who sometimes are elusive. Key facts can involve things about your client that they conveniently “forget” to tell you.
And for sure key facts are incriminating things about the opposing party. Key facts can be in social media or any number of public databases. So how do you find the key facts quickly and easily?
Well, you can find them but not usually quickly and easily. Even the publicly available information is strewn about in lots of different public records or online locations that you can’t find using one Google search.
So stop trying to use Google and don’t waste time, energy, or money. Use Tracers instead. That’s how you can get cost-effective access to asset records, social media posts, and detailed background information on anyone of interest to you or your client.
The cost is based on a “pay per search” pricing with a$39 monthly minimum. The searches aren’t super expensive so you might only spend $39 per month and be able to do a few searches.
But however much you use it you can expense the cost to your client matter because it’s an essential service.
I recommend that every lawyer at least sign up, learn what it can do, and get used to having an amazing resource at your fingertips. If you use the promo code Ernie100 the first $100 of your search will be free.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
165: Flat Fee Billing & Other Alternatives (with Kristin Tyler)
00:46:22
Historically, the flat fee was the only "ethical fee" for lawyers. Now, it's more often the most sensible type of fee—both for clients and lawyers. The question is: what kind of flat fees are most successful and profitable for lawyers?
In this episode, Kristin Tyler shares insights gleaned from her own practice and from helping other lawyers understand the ins and outs of flat fee billing (and eight other alternative billing methods).
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
The best way to set up systems for your law practice is not obvious to most attorneys. And many choose the less effective way, as opposed to the easier, more effective way.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Social media is helpful when you use it to complement your strategic referral marketing efforts. Mostly, it's a way to remind potential referral sources that you are a good lawyer, and remind them what kind of law you practice.
In this episode, I talk about the perils of automating your social media posting and the proper ratio of promotional to non-promotional posts. And I talk about which social media services are best for your law practice.
Remember: Getting new clients coming in the door in a regular flow is crucial for your practice. Doing this requires an effective method that will take time to set up and optimize.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
06 Sep 2022
220: PDF Essential Skills for Lawyers
00:24:10
PDFs are essentially a form of “digital paper”—that is, a way to display text and graphics on a computer or mobile device. PDFs have been fully adopted by federal courts for e-filing and are increasingly being adopted by state courts as well.
Although PDFs were not created specifically for the legal profession, with the adoption of PDFs as a way of producing case documents, as well as their use in e-filing, lawyers now routinely encounter PDFs as part of their daily practice.
So it makes sense for lawyers and legal professionals to learn more about how to use PDFs. And that’s what this session is designed to help you do.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
The happiest lawyers are those who spend more of their time thinking creatively and solving interesting high-level problems. They also get paid more than ones who are stuck doing low-level drudgery.
So happiness in the practice of law is about more than just money, and I'll share some personal experiences about why that's true in this episode.
Show Notes
The Systems Workshop - the best way to create a happy practice is to develop solid systems.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
17 Jul 2018
Episode 5: How to Market Your Practice (Basic Principles of Trust-Building)
00:12:28
If you want to attract a steady stream of great clients you absolutely must understand how to establish trust and then build it up. Most lawyers do not understand this, which is why they fail in marketing their practices.
Trust is not based on logic or reason. It’s based on emotion and empathy.
There are deep-seated psychological principles you need to grasp in order to build trust effectively, and tastefully. But the good news is, the principles are easy to grasp. And this episode will explain the basics of the psychology of trust-building.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
04 Aug 2020
111: Amazing transcription tool (and more…)
00:34:18
Streamlining and improving your key workflows can result in improved revenues and profits for your firm, like Lori Gonzales discussed in this blog post (i.e. 260% revenue increase for a solo practitioner in less than six months.
As she said, just being curious about how to leverage technology can propel you forward in astonishing ways. And I believe if you’re curious about using a new app on your smartphone that can transcribe what you say, or what everyone in a meeting says you’ll become exponentially more efficient.
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don't just handle these conversations by phone -- they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even via Facebook Messenger). If there's one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith's friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you're working, you're not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there's no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the "secret to business growth and client happiness."
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, "Don't let another day go by!" Try Smith.ai.
Gathering information is important for lawyers, especially lawyers who do litigation. As you no doubt know, law doesn't win cases, facts do, and often one or two key facts can make or break a case.
Key facts are tied to witnesses who sometimes are elusive. Key facts can involve things about your client that they conveniently “forget” to tell you.
And for sure key facts are incriminating things about the opposing party. Key facts can be in social media or any number of public databases. So how do you find the key facts quickly and easily?
Well, you can find them but not usually quickly and easily. Even the publicly available information is strewn about in lots of different public records or online locations that you can’t find using one Google search.
So stop trying to use Google and don’t waste time, energy, or money. Use Tracers instead. That’s how you can get cost-effective access to asset records, social media posts, and detailed background information on anyone of interest to you or your client.
The cost is based on a “pay per search” pricing with a$39 monthly minimum. The searches aren’t super expensive so you might only spend $39 per month and be able to do a few searches.
But however much you use it you can expense the cost to your client matter because it’s an essential service.
I recommend that every lawyer at least sign up, learn what it can do, and get used to having an amazing resource at your fingertips. If you use the promo code Ernie100 the first $100 of your search will be free.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Lawyers, of all modern “knowledge workers,” should be highly adept at gathering key information. Sadly, too many of us lack the search skills we need. Mostly, it’s a problem of insufficient awareness about where to search or how to search using tools that aren’t law-specific.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to become more aware, and what exactly to focus your “search awareness” on.
Check out Melissa Shanahan’s website: Velocity Work (she and her team can help you identify key business metrics and then build a customized tracking portal so you can plan better as you work on growing your law firm)
Get my free Tech Resource Guide for solo and small firm lawyers, which includes recommendations about working remotely.
Consider joining my inner sanctum (i.e. private online discussion forum) if you want ongoing guidance and support.
Gathering information is important for lawyers, especially lawyers who do litigation. As you no doubt know, law doesn't win cases, facts do, and often one or two key facts can make or break a case.
Key facts are tied to witnesses who sometimes are elusive. Key facts can involve things about your client that they conveniently “forget” to tell you.
And for sure key facts are incriminating things about the opposing party. Key facts can be in social media or any number of public databases. So how do you find the key facts quickly and easily?
Well, you can find them but not usually quickly and easily. Even the publicly available information is strewn about in lots of different public records or online locations that you can’t find using one Google search.
So stop trying to use Google and don’t waste time, energy, or money. Use Tracers instead. That’s how you can get cost-effective access to asset records, social media posts, and detailed background information on anyone of interest to you or your client.
The cost is based on a “pay per search” pricing with a$39 monthly minimum. The searches aren’t super expensive so you might only spend $39 per month and be able to do a few searches.
But however much you use it you can expense the cost to your client matter because it’s an essential service.
I recommend that every lawyer at least sign up, learn what it can do, and get used to having an amazing resource at your fingertips. If you use the promo code Ernie100 the first $100 of your search will be free.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. After years of working with various receptionist services, I recently discovered Smitha.i and was blown away by their range of services, which are available at a cost any attorney -- even those of you in the smallest solo practice -- can afford. Their friendly receptionists respond to potential clients in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults -- and they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don't just handle these conversations by phone -- they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message! They tell me this is just the beginning, with Facebook Messenger and other channels coming soon! If there's one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith's friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you're working, you're not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there's no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the "secret to business growth and client happiness."
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, "Don't let another day go by!" Try Smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
215: Cyber Security for Small Law Firms (with Tom Lambotte)
00:47:14
Small law firms face constant, dangerous cyber threats. Usually, it's too expensive for them to get expert guidance, but Tom Lambotte is a good friend who has been offering affordable cyber security help for solo and small firm attorneys.
In this episode he shares his top 3 recommendations for protecting yourself against cyber threats, including some valuable resources he is making available for free.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
216: A Better Way to Collect Documents from Clients & Other People
00:20:55
A huge pain point for many attorneys is gathering documents from clients & others. Now, there's a better and easier way of doing this.
In this episode, we discuss a new service called Pipefile, and you'll hear from Steve Recile, the developer who created it.
Show Notes
Click here to try Pipefile for 14 days (no credit card required). If you decide to continue using it, enter the promo code 'ernie30' when you sign up for the paid plan to get 30% off your first year's subscription.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month. The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
267: Getting The Most out of Microsoft 365 - Part 2
00:39:20
This episode continues a discussion on how to get the most out of Microsoft 365 tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Whether you use a Mac or a PC, these tools help streamline the most common workflows in your law practice.
I invited Ben Schorr to explain the ins and outs of 365 software. Ben works at Microsoft as a senior-level product manager for content, so he has major insight into how to get the most out of your Microsoft Office software.
In this episode, Ben discusses the following:
Exploring Microsoft 365's Mobile App
Leveraging Office.com
Quick Access Toolbar
Email Management and Learning Resources
Windows Speech Recognition and Dictation Options
Follow and Review:
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Overture Law
Overture Law is the first private attorney network enabling them to refer matters to one another and ethically share in referral fees.
Membership is free if you're accepted. Apply for membership at Overture.law
Once you're accepted, you'll start getting valuable referrals and earn fees for matters you refer out. A powerful win-win for U.S.-based solo and small firm attorneys.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.comLet them know we sent you.
25 May 2021
153: Creativity for Lawyers
00:24:53
In my Systems Workshop, we begin by delving into the role of creativity in creating systems for improving a law practice. There are some common myths about creativity that need to be debunked, and that's where we start in this episode.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Getting what you most want in life is important, but many people get derailed, discouraged, or defeated in their attempt. Michael Lewis faced adversity, and so did Ernie. Even Ernie’s dad, the psychoanalyst that helped people get what they most wanted had struggles.
Understanding other people’s struggles helps you realize that you’re normal if you struggle. After listening to this episode you’ll understand the common struggles better, and you’ll know how to overcome them so you can get what you truly want out of life and your law practice.
Get my free Tech Resource Guide for solo and small firm lawyers, which includes recommendations about working remotely.
Or better yet, join my Co-Pilot Group Mentoring program which will help you make steady progress improving your practice, with support from other like-minded attorneys who are working right alongside you.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
Smith.ai is a superior virtual receptionist service for small businesses. They specialize in working with solo and small law firms. Smith.ai offers friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish, screen and schedule new leads, and even take payment for consults.
And they do this 7 days a week. The best part is they don't just handle these conversations by phone -- they also have 24/7 live agents and chatbots capturing leads on websites and via text message (even via Facebook Messenger). If there's one growth hack for your practice, this is it. Smith's friendly gatekeepers can staff your front lines while you work uninterrupted. You can finally have the peace of mind that while you're working, you're not missing out on future work.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. They even offer a totally free chatbot, so there's no excuse! Try Smith.ai today and see for yourself why attorneys like Justie Nicol in Colorado say Smith.ai receptionists are the "secret to business growth and client happiness."
Smith.ai offers a free trial, and podcast listeners get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up and learn more at www.smith.ai. Trust me when I say, "Don't let another day go by!" Try Smith.ai.
Gathering information is important for lawyers, especially lawyers who do litigation. As you no doubt know, law doesn't win cases, facts do, and often one or two key facts can make or break a case.
Key facts are tied to witnesses who sometimes are elusive. Key facts can involve things about your client that they conveniently “forget” to tell you.
And for sure key facts are incriminating things about the opposing party. Key facts can be in social media or any number of public databases. So how do you find the key facts quickly and easily?
Well, you can find them but not usually quickly and easily. Even the publicly available information is strewn about in lots of different public records or online locations that you can’t find using one Google search.
So stop trying to use Google and don’t waste time, energy, or money. Use Tracers instead. That’s how you can get cost-effective access to asset records, social media posts, and detailed background information on anyone of interest to you or your client.
The cost is based on a “pay per search” pricing with a$39 monthly minimum. The searches aren’t super expensive so you might only spend $39 per month and be able to do a few searches.
But however much you use it you can expense the cost to your client matter because it’s an essential service.
I recommend that every lawyer at least sign up, learn what it can do, and get used to having an amazing resource at your fingertips. If you use the promo code Ernie100 the first $100 of your search will be free.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
PKM is a new term, but an important one for all knowledge workers (i.e. lawyers and others who think for a living and solve problems by thinking). Here are some basics of PKM, which will probably seem alien to many lawyers. But it's worth making the effort to grasp the power of PKM.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
When starting a new firm, what types of things are important to get right in the beginning to scale later? That's the question I was asked recently by a new lawyer.
The answer is applicable or at least helpful to any lawyer thinking about how to improve their practice.
Vision & Traction - blog post about the importance of creating a solid vision for your law practice
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, book by Gino Wickman (a powerful, actionable guide for lawyers who want to get a grip on how to better run their practices)
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
What is a "personal brand?" You are a personal brand, so you should understand what it means and how to strengthen your brand in powerful and tasteful ways.
Smith.ai; is a superior receptionist service for law firms that also helps you convert first-time callers or website visitors into paying clients.
They also offer a free AI Chatbot that provides 24/7 service on your website. Ernie appreciates the superior service they provide to his callers and web visitors, and you will too.
And if you’re curious about how a virtual receptionist service can help you take your practice to the next level, check out this ebook.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Systematizing your law firm requires you to understand a few important things, one of which is how "creativity" works. In developing systems, you're creating something special for your law business.
So you need to understand that the process of creating things is not usually linear or completely predictable —especially for creating systems for doing knowledge work.
Show Notes
Working Smarter (a short PDF guide on using technology better in a law practice)
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
269: Master of Tech, Deficient in Delegation (Interview with lawyer Brandon Siegal)
00:58:19
This episode is a deep dive into the law practice of solo attorney Brandon Siegal, a seasoned Canadian tax specialist who is comfortable using technology but finds delegation more challenging.
The discussion was informed by answers he provided in taking my comprehensive Law Practice Assessment.
We talked about software tools he uses, such as Clio, RingCentral, Microsoft Bookings, Email efficiency tools, ChatGPT, and Zapier. And by the way, he doesn't necessarily love everything he's using, and you'll find out why.
So listen and gain insights that will help you improve your practice as well.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Overture Law
Overture Law is the first private attorney network enabling them to refer matters to one another and ethically share in referral fees.
Membership is free if you're accepted. Apply for membership at Overture.law
Once you're accepted, you'll start getting valuable referrals and earn fees for matters you refer out. A powerful win-win for U.S.-based solo and small firm attorneys.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.comLet them know we sent you.
22 Oct 2019
069: Outsourced Lawyer Work with Kristin Tyler
00:32:26
If you’re a solo or small firm lawyer struggling to get quality legal research and writing done on short notice (without needing to hire an associate) you should check out a service called Lawclerk.
In this episode I talk with one Lawclerk’s co-founder, Kristin Tyler, about how their service works, and why so many attorneys are enthralled when they discover what it can do for them.
If you want to see an example of the work product done by one of Lawclerk’s freelance contractors, check out this memo that I submitted to the Texas Bar Association.
If you decide to try LawClerk’s service you can get a $50 rebate on your first project by using the code: ernie50
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Documenting your workflows is boring but essential if you want to crank the gears of your law business, and evolve into something that doesn’t depend on you doing all the work and making all the decisions.
Why is it so hard to document workflows? Well, it has to do with the nature of the work we do, which is mostly information processing that’s intangible and ephemeral. But if you learn to visualize the work in the way I describe in this episode you’ll find it a lot easier to map your workflows, and then steadily refine them in a way that leads to blissful freedom.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
280: Update on Generative AI Chatbots & How Lawyers Can Use Them Safely
00:33:08
AI Chatbots powered by GPT-4 technology are improving rapidly so the opportunities are expanding for lawyers who want to leverage this to improve aspects of their practices. But which GPT4 chatbots are best? And what are the best opportunities for using them in your practice? That's what we'll cover in this episode.
In this episode, you will hear:
The emergence of generative AI chatbots and their implications for the legal industry
Maximizing the features of advanced AI writing models
The use of RAG and proprietary data to mitigate AI “hallucinations”
Strategic use of AI for ideation and Grammarly for writing
More ways to think about implementing AI effectively
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
03 Jan 2023
237: Multi-Disciplinary Thinking for Lawyers
00:18:44
To succeed in big ways today, it's best to think in multi-dimensional or multi-disciplinary ways. That has been the key to attorney-businessman Charlie Munger's success and many others. In this episode, we'll talk about what it looks like to do this and how you can start to do it as well.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
To succeed in delegating work you need to be realistic about the challenges you’ll face, and how to overcome those challenges.
One of the most common misjudgments we tend to make is assuming that other people are like we are and know what we know.
Understanding the 5 levels of delegation will help you overcome harmful assumptions, and help identify what kinds of tasks can be delegated to different kinds of people.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
26 Mar 2019
Episode 39: The 80/20 Principle
00:19:45
If you're looking to work less but earn more, then you must learn as much as you can about the 80/20 principle. And you must strive to leverage it in every aspect of your life—especially in managing your law practice.
Here's the key thing to understand. If you're looking for uncommon results you'll have to eschew common methods.
The 80/20 method is powerful, and it's proven to work. But it's uncommon, so many people downplay it or ignore it. Those kinds of people will get paltry results, instead of the spectacular results that folks who follow the 80/20 principle will get.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers.
I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability.
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
17 Jul 2018
Episode 2: Your Law Firm “Success Plan”
00:10:22
The key to creating a successful law practice is having a clear plan. Creating that plan is crucial, and yet too many lawyers don’t take the time to do it.
There are three pillars to a Law Firm Success Plan. But you have to fill in the gaps, which starts with you envisioning what “success” means to you. How many hours do you want to work per week? Do you want to have a traditional office, with employees? Or do you want something different?
You can create any kind of law practice you want, but you have to be clear about what you want. In this episode, Ernie lays out the 9 parts of the LawFirm Autopilot Success Plan.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls, and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans, including add-ons (up to $1000).
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
25 Jan 2022
188: The '5 Whys' is a Powerful Problem Solving Tool
00:19:39
As knowledge workers, we need to think well to solve important problems. Asking the right questions is how we find root causes for problems versus superficial ones.
The "5 Whys" is a powerful interrogative process for asking better questions. What is the 5 Whys process? That's a great question!
Thanks to Our Sponsor Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all plans, including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
277: Traction Business Coaching for Law Firms (w/ Kellam Parks)
00:46:26
In this episode, you'll learn how a Virginia lawyer found the best business coach to help his firm implement principles from the popular book “Traction” (by Gino Wickman). Listen as Kellam Parks shares the process he used to research and vet candidates, and why he says the decision to hire a coach was "transformative." He also explains exactly why the principles in Traction are so helpful in growing a modern law practice.
In this episode, you will hear:
The benefits of applying the business book "Traction" to law practices
Some challenges traditional law firms face
Understanding the concept of Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)
The challenges and benefits of coaching for solo lawyers
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
15 Oct 2024
293: Want to Travel the World While Practicing Law? Here’s How Brian Dixon Made It Happen
00:37:57
Believe it or no, it's possible to work as "digital nomad lawyer" and spend all your time traveling the world. Our guest Brian Dixon knows this first hand. In this episode, you'll learn about his journey from a traditional law practice to fulltime globetrotter.
Listen and learn which practice areas are best suited to this kind of life, and which tech tools are most important to adopt.
In this episode, you will hear:
Transition from traditional legal practice to digital nomad lifestyle.
Balancing work-life with travel, highlighting benefits like flexibility and reduced stress.
Practical advice on maintaining reliable connectivity and managing correspondence remotely.
Exploration of tools and strategies for remote legal work, including Airalo and VPNs.
Importance of having a well-established process before adopting a digital nomad lifestyle.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
04 Feb 2025
301: Stop Losing Billable Hours: How AI Simplifies Time-Keeping & Billing for Lawyers
00:42:46
Nancy Jeng, co-founder of Billables.ai, reveals how passive time-keeping is changing the game for lawyers—capturing billable hours with zero effort and tailoring entries to your style. Learn how this AI-powered tool integrates seamlessly with Clio, Microsoft, and more, while offering surprising benefits even for lawyers who don’t bill for their time.
In this episode, you will hear:
The transformative power of AI in legal timekeeping and billing
Seamless integration of Billables AI with platforms like Clio, Microsoft, and Google
Automation of time capture processes for precise and efficient billing
Overcoming challenges in legal time management with AI-driven tools
Versatility of Billables AI for various billing models, including flat fee and contingency-based firms
Emphasis on personalization and adapting to individual user preferences in billing practices
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
08 Nov 2022
229: Crowdsourcing Lawyer Insights & Perspectives
00:23:55
In this episode I'll be sharing recent questions from lawyers posted in my Inner Circle community, along with the insights and perspectives offered in response.
It's important to remember that a lot of what you need to know about how to use technology and improve your practice is stored in the minds of other lawyers —not in online databases or social media posts. *wink*
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
We must learn to think sensibly about security in order to properly implement it and manage it. According to Bruce Schneier, a renowned security expert, there are 5 elements to consider when making security decisions.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
054: Business Coaching for Lawyers with Patrick Slaughter
00:37:27
Why do some lawyers get business coaches? And how can having a coach help you improve your law firm? That’s what this episode is about.
Show Notes
Patrick Slaughter is a practicing lawyer in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has improved his law practice so much that other lawyers are now asking him to coach them, so we’ll talk about why coaching helps solo and small firm lawyers.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
11 Aug 2020
112: Digital Evidence
01:13:24
Show Notes
Craig Ball is a highly successful plaintiff’s lawyer who became a nationally respected computer forensic examiner. He is currently teaching a course on digital evidence at Tulane Law School. He teaches regularly at the University of Texas Law School (his alma mater) and Georgetown University Law Center, among other places.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
The public's perception is that most lawyers care more about making money than helping their clients. Instead of trying to argue against this, realize that: perception = truth.
For prospective clients, their truth is all that matters. To help reorient their perceptions we need to first listen to their concerns.
This is called "empathy," and most lawyers are not good at it. We tend to focus too much on proving that we're skilled, knowledgeable and zealous advocates.
But the public cares more about whether we're sincerely motivated to help. Remember: no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
A virtual executive assistant can be a boon to your productivity. But how can you get a good EA and what is it like to work with one?
One person who knows is Valerie Trapunsky, the founder of a virtual assistance company called ChatterBoss. Her company pairs virtual executive assistants with entrepreneurs, even some lawyers.
ChatterBoss is not like most virtual assistance services, because they go beyond just VA match-making. They are also outsourcing coaches, which means they're fully invested in helping you succeed in working with virtual assistance. This conversation will give you some uncommon insights into how to find and work effectively with a high-quality virtual assistant.
Show Notes
ChatterBoss website (where you can schedule a free meeting to discuss how their executive assistant service might be right for you)
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Your intuition is a vast repository of life experiences, insights, and deep knowledge. There are times you should trust your intuition, and times when not doing so will put you in peril. In this episode, you'll discover when and how to tap into the immense power of your subconscious knowledge to get more good clients more easily.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
In this episode I briefly discuss gumbo, ChatGPT and a new development in my Systems program. You'll also hear from Matt Granda, the managing partner in a P.I. law firm who is serious about systematizing and improving his firm's operations.
"ChatterBossis an incredible remote executive assistant company that helps solopreneurs and small businesses grow quickly and save money. Your dedicated ChatterBoss assistant can help you with case management, billing support, email optimization, social media, process building, automation, and more. They even have on-demand paralegals and legal assistants.
The service is customized to your budget and is on-demand, so you are able to work with your assistant as much or as little as you need throughout the week. The minimum monthly spend for adedicated executive assistant is only $200/month.
The best way to get started is to schedule a free consultation and find out exactly how the service works.Click this linkto schedule a free 30-minute call, and you’ll get a special 15% discount when you sign up with ChatterBoss."
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
You need to train yourself to understand how the most common attacks work. That's how you avoid them. So that’s what we’re going to talk about, with a special focus on phishing attacks & ransomware.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Sometimes you just need someone to point out a new more effective way of doing things. I feel like that’s my role here in this podcast, and in my online programs.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Ruby Receptionists Ruby is a virtual receptionist service that provides all of your law firm's callers with first-class service. I used them for my solo practice and they were phenomenal in helping me surprise and delight my callers. I've been enthusiastically recommending Ruby to hundreds of lawyers and they also have been amazed by the quality of service and its affordability. To learn more about Ruby Receptionists’ exceptional services (and get a special discount for podcast listeners only) click here.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
04 Dec 2018
Episode 25: Effective Goal Setting
00:13:56
When you commit your goals to writing you'll automatically clarify them and drastically increase your odds of achieving them. Defining your goals by using S.M.A.R.T. attributes is also very beneficial.
General Resources
Learn to use technology to reduce friction & gain freedom with this resource: https://www.the8020lawyer.com/
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Thanks to My Sponsor
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai, you’re hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
10 May 2022
203: Paperless Law Practice - Common Questions
00:45:37
Creating a paperless practice is vital if you want to reduce friction in workflows, and improve efficiency. Lawyers have some common questions about how to make this happen, and this episode will provide answers.
Show Notes
2017 ABA Article ("How a Paperless Practice May Be Right For You")
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at $210/month for 30 calls and pricing starts at $140 for 20 chats, with overage at $7 per chat. They offer a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee on all receptionist and live chat plans including add-ons (up to $1000). And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a risk-free start with a 14-day money-back guarantee now (and learn more) at smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
You can learn to be more persuasive, but if you want to learn the most important elements then you should read the short book discussed in this episode. You'll also learn why polarization is persuasive even though it's usually immoral and improper.
SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.
The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.
Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.
And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…
Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.
If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.
Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai.
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
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