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 Show Notes Atomic Habits , book by James Clear Loom video comparing SweetProcess to Process St. The Seven Habits of Highly Effec...
Jul 13, 2021•27 min•Ep. 160
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. Show Notes Nick Milo's PKM story (article published on Medium) Nick Milo's YouTube channel What is PKM (Nick MIlo's YouTube explanation) Focused podcast episode 122 (where Nick Milo's appeared and discussed PKM) Wiki...
Jul 06, 2021•46 min•Ep. 159
Unfortunately, most lawyers don't know how to write persuasively, and their marketing copy is boring. And surprisingly, many marketing folks (who supposedly are experts in persuasive ad writing and marketing writing) also do a really poor job. So don't feel bad if you struggle to write persuasively. It's not something you were ever taught to do, certainly not in law school. In this episode, you'll discover the best strategies, tactics, and tools for creating more persuasive briefs and marketing ...
Jun 29, 2021•39 min•Ep. 158
Discover how he approached the creation of his solo practice, and which tools and resources he has found most useful in the process. Show Notes Episode Transcript (via Otter.ai) Team Desk (database software) ScanSnap iX1600 scanner Paperless Lawyering course (that Bin took to learn to become paperless) Zoho CRM TextExpander (amazing keyboard macro software) SweetProcess (process documentation software) Law Firm Systems Workshop The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right , by Atul Gawande G...
Jun 22, 2021•53 min•Ep. 157
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. Show Notes Episode 154: Security for Lawyers Beyond Fear (recommended book by Bruce Schneier) LastPass (free password manager) Password Management Policy (good overview of using passwords effectively) VPN Security - basic information about VPN use 60 Minutes Segment on Ransomware attacks General ...
Jun 15, 2021•38 min•Ep. 156
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. Show Notes The free preview to my Working Smarter course contains the discussion about using automated calendaring that we discussed. General Resources The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter) The 5 Pillars of a...
Jun 08, 2021•47 min•Ep. 155
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. Show Notes Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World , by Bruce Schneier General Resources The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter) The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice The Inner Circle (an online community for law firm owners) Thanks to Our Spons...
Jun 01, 2021•25 min•Ep. 154
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. Show Notes Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide , by John Cleese The HBR Guide to Better Business Writing: Divide the Writing Process into Four Separate Tasks , by Brian Garner (where he explains his "madman, architect, carpenter, judge" model) General Resources...
May 25, 2021•25 min•Ep. 153
You know your situation better than anyone else. Sometimes you should trust what your gut instincts tell you is best for you, and not what a supposed expert says. We'll talk about some things that experts say that need to be questioned, and we'll also talk about places where your intuition can be wrong. Interestingly, persuasion is one area where both supposed lawyer experts and your intuition are probably wrong —unless you closely study the books I'll recommend and discuss. Show Notes To Sell I...
May 18, 2021•45 min•Ep. 152
Joe Emmerth is a family law practitioner in the Chicago area who left the firm he joined out of law school to start his own firm. After 15 years of practice, he knew a lot about being a lawyer, but suddenly he had to make sure he knew enough about running his own law business. In this episode, he explains how he planned his move, and what tools he finds most essential in his new firm. Show Notes Emmerth Divorce Law (Joe's firm website) Clio (practice management software) Gravity Legal (payment p...
May 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 151
Warren Buffet nails it when he observes: "The interesting thing about business is that it's not like the Olympics. You don't get any extra points for the fact that something's very hard to do. So you might as well just step over one-foot bars, instead of trying to jump over seven-foot bars." In other words, find the easy path and take it. Finding the easy path isn't so easy though. In this episode, we explore how to make it easier using concrete examples. Show Notes What if it were easy ? Tim Fe...
May 04, 2021•36 min•Ep. 150
Creating radical improvement requires radical new ways of solving a problem, which requires radical new ways of thinking. And that radical thinking will inevitably feel like crazy talk at first. But it’s not, if you are willing to listen and open your mind and discover that some things that seem incompatible in what you want actually are not. Show Notes The Power of Simplicity (2015 YouTube presentation by Alan Kay) A World Without Email , by Cal Newport Trello (a popular Kanban tool that's free...
Apr 27, 2021•32 min•Ep. 149
Melissa Shanahan coaches attorneys and insists that they define key benchmarks as a way of growing their practices. In this episode, she and I discuss whether Jason Fried's statement is crazy talk or whether maybe there is some wisdom behind it. Show Notes " I've Never Had a Goal " (article by Jason Fried) Rework: Change the Way You Work Forever , by Jason Fried Remote: Office Not Required , by Jason Fried It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work , by Jason Fried VelocityWork (Melissa Shanahan's webs...
Apr 20, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 148
These books have been influential in helping many successful people learn to “work smarter.” Study them carefully Strive to absorb the key principles so they become part of your regular thought patterns . Once that happens, your massive success is virtually guaranteed. Show Notes Mindset: The New Psychology of Success , by Carol Dweck The Effective Executive , by Peter Drucker The Four Hour Workweek , by Tim Ferriss Super Thinking: Make Better Decisions with Mental Models , by Gabriel Weinberg a...
Apr 13, 2021•38 min•Ep. 147
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. Show Notes Future Shock , by Alvin Toffler book Remote: Office Not Required , by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson Rework , by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work , by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hans...
Apr 06, 2021•32 min•Ep. 146
I've been participating in Melissa Shanahan's 30-day sprint. I've gained so many valuable insights and practical takeaways that have helped me start working at a much higher level. The way Melissa gets results is by helping you achieve more—but without that achievement coming at the expense of your enjoyment of life. But there is a mindset shift that has to happen and that's what we'll talk about in this episode Show Notes Deep Work , by Cal Newport A World Without Email , by Cal Newport Episode...
Mar 30, 2021•39 min•Ep. 145
While email overload might seem like one big reason for our being mired in busywork, the root cause is something deeper. In this episode, I’ll lay out the real problem and start to share some thoughts about the best solution. And we’ll be talking about the solution for the next few episodes because the best solution is also counter-intuitive. Show Notes Otter.ai transcript of podcast Deep Work , by Cal Newport A World Without Email , by Cal Newport Episode #127 : with Melissa Shanahan Velocity W...
Mar 23, 2021•41 min•Ep. 144
Keith Lee is a good friend (and fellow contrarian) from back in 2010 when he started a law blog called Associates Mind . In this episode, we'll reminisce about big shifts that technology has created in the legal profession over the past decade. And we'll focus on a new tool that now makes it easy for lawyers to provide quick case status updates to clients via a smartphone app. Show Notes Associates Mind (The blog that Keith started in 2010) LawyerSmack (the Slack-based lawyer community Keith run...
Mar 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 143
Lawyers who write briefs know that their first drafts are usually filled with errors and inconsistencies. Having a set of fresh eyes look over the draft helps tremendously, and now you can use artificial intelligence to help you edit faster and do a better job with less stress. In this episode, premier legal writing instructor Ross Guberman explains how he created his A.I.-driven "legal-writing coach," which he named BriefCatch . BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or answer any questions you hav...
Mar 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 142
These are the essential software options that many lawyers aren't using but should be using, or should be using more than they are (if they're using any of these options). BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or answer any questions you hav e ( which can get to in an upcoming episode ). Show Notes Here's a list of essential software that was discussed: Automated Scheduling (e.g. Acuity , Calendly , ScheduleOnce ) PDF Manipulation software (e.g. Acrobat , Kofax PowerPDF , PDF Pen , PDF Expert ) Dic...
Mar 02, 2021•48 min•Ep. 141
Morning pages is a simple, easy tool that can help you overcome a lot of what’s keeping you confused or stuck about many important things in your life and in your law practice. This simple daily exercise has made helped me make massive progress in areas where I was perpetually stuck. And apparently, this process has worked for thousands of people. Of course, just because it's easy and simple doesn't mean that you won't create excuses to not do it. In this episode I'll share my insights so that y...
Feb 23, 2021•46 min•Ep. 140
In the Information Age (which we are now living in) there's a lot of information to keep track of. Most of it is useless, but some of it is powerful. The trick is to separate the signal from the noise, and having "information sherpas" will help you do that. Information sherpas are people who pay close attention to particular areas of interest. In this episode I'll share some of the best sherpas to help you learn the principles and best practices for becoming more productive. am Show Notes The Ti...
Feb 16, 2021•29 min•Ep. 139
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. Show Notes Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives , by John Naisbitt Creating Online Courses (a video session by Joey Vitale, which was part of the...
Feb 09, 2021•25 min•Ep. 138
Kerry Wallis practices family law in Los Angeles California, and aspires to spend more time traveling the world. She's been working on building systems by documenting workflows, and she's been traveling Europe with her family during the pandemic. How is she able to do this? Listen to this episode and find out. Show Notes Gray Law Corp (Kerry's law firm website) Slack (tool Kerry uses extensively) Otter.ai (free transcription tool) Otter transcript of this episode Evernote (online note storage) G...
Feb 02, 2021•46 min•Ep. 137
If you’re need to hire an associate but don't have enough work for a full-time person check out a legal outsourcing service called Lawclerk . In this episode Kristin Tyler (one of the founders) explains how their service works, and talks about their new subscription program. Show Notes LawClerk.legal home page Details on Associate Subscription Program (features & pricing) 50-State Review of Rules re: Outsourcing for Lawyers YouTube video discussion of program (featuring the two founders of L...
Jan 26, 2021•41 min•Ep. 136
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. Episode Notes The One Sentence Persuasion Course - 27 Words to Make the World Do Your Bidding , by Blair Warren General Resources The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter) The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice The Inner Circle (an online commun...
Jan 19, 2021•43 min•Ep. 135
Learn how to recover 5 more hours of your time per week. Dina Cataldo is a criminal defense lawyer turned coach who helps lawyers master time-management, grow their businesses, and have more fun. In this episode, she and Ernie talk about getting leverage in your law business and gaining margin in your life. Episode Notes Dina's business website Dina's Be a Better Lawyer Podcast Dina's downloadable PDF guide: the Busy Lawyer's Guide to Getting 5 Hours Back Dina's Instagram page General Resources ...
Jan 12, 2021•44 min•Ep. 134
Leveraging strengths and conquering weaknesses is vital to your success. When you harness strengths you can make big improvements in your practice that make your life a lot easier. The key to doing this is with a well-known 4-step analysis called S.W.O.T. which many business managers find to be indispensable. In this episode, we'll delve into what the SWOT analysis looks like for a solo or small firm lawyer. Episode Notes Click here to download a 1-page S.W.O.T. worksheet ( PDF ) Click here to f...
Jan 05, 2021•21 min•Ep. 133
The less paper you handle the more freedom you have in your practice. David Sparks is a California business attorney who teaches others how to use technology to shed paper and be more productive and less stressed out. While he focuses on Mac-based technology in terms of the tools he uses, his systems are platform-independent. In this episode, he talks about how he created his paperless practice and the challenges he faced. He also explains how modern lawyers should go about making their practice...
Dec 29, 2020•59 min•Ep. 132
You want your practice to run better, with less involvement on your part. But there are several challenges to making this happen. One is finding the best tool to document, refine, and optimize all your workflows. The more workflows you document the less involved you can be. The better those workflows are described (and optimized over time) the smoother your practice will run. In this episode, we will delve more into this important topic with Owen McGab Enaohwo, the creator of SweetProcess, one o...
Dec 22, 2020•46 min•Ep. 131
