Happy New Year! In the spirit of the season, Marc has a gift for you in today’s mini-episode: a free copy of his marketing plan. He has presented his plan to lawyers across the country.
Some key points from this episode:
-Are lawyers too focused on being profitable? Marc believes this is the wrong framing. Lawyers have an ethical duty to be wildly profitable – to help the most people and give them the best service.
-Marc gives an outline of the marketing strategies covered in his plan – from intakes to referrals.
-To get a copy of the marketing plan, email Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Happy Holidays! Enjoy this special holiday message & gift from Marc.
Did you know you can work 4 hours/week and still make a ton of money? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk the key lessons from the iconic bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss - and apply them to creating your lifestyle law firm. Hear whether a 4-hour workweek is actually achievable, how to apply the DEAL framework to your lifestyle law firm (Define, Eliminate, Automate, Liberate), how to fire low-value clients & employees, whether you can take a sabbatical as a lawyer, and how to build a think day into your weekly schedule. We hope you love this episode more than Diana loves this book.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know dying with zero is the goal? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk lessons on lifestyle & law from the hit book Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. Hear how to find a task to delegate, how to design your lifestyle law firm, how to audit your firm for sellability, why you should schedule a postponed experience, and why money is a resource meant to be used. Who’s joining Marc for Machu Picchu?!
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
You should take some time off. That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry get real about burnout - and how to eliminate burnout in your law firm. Hear why burnout is so prevalent in the legal field, whether multitasking can ever work, how burnout impacts your customer service to clients, how AI & automation can help reduce burnout at your law firm, and why you should consider changing your pricing structure. This episode is spicy, snappy, sassy, and SaaS-y.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know learning critical business skills is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk through the 5 critical business skills for success at your law firm. Hear how to think like a CEO, how to choose your strategy, the importance of documenting operations, why you need to know your numbers, and how to invest in your people. Enjoy this episode with your best homemade BBQ & veggie tray.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know showing up for the 3rd day is the key to your success? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry recap their takeaways from keynote speakers Dre Baldwin, Barb Betts, and Matthew Emerzian at The Summit by Atticus. Hear why the 3rd day is so important with any new habit, why business moves at the speed of relationships, how to practice human-centered leadership at your law firm, why authenticity & emotional intelligence are crucial for building influence, and how to remind your law firm clients they matter. See if you can listen to this episode while crossing your fingers AND your toes.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Does Diana want to be Marc’s Marketing Director? That’s absolutely the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal when it’s time to hire a Marketing Director for your law firm - and how to do it successfully. Hear the difference a Marketing Director can make for your law firm, how to create the job description & set proper expectations, the importance of being crystal clear with your marketing budget, why the ideal Marketing Director should be both a strategist and a creative, and why you should treat the hire as a growth investment. Put those chocolates on your desk and that Devo hat on your head. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know unreasonable hospitality can be a competitive advantage in your law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to offer Unreasonable Hospitality for the benefit of your law firm, inspired by the bestselling book by Will Guidara. Hear how hiring shapes the culture of your law firm, why unreasonable hospitality is not hard or expensive to provide, why you should let your team members lead more meetings, how to commit to one hospitality improvement for the year, and how to get your team to abide by your nonnegotiables. Tune into this episode before Marc whines more about pickleball or that Holiday Inn Express last night.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know answering 5 simple questions can solve all your marketing problems? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk through how to build & keep marketing momentum in your law firm. Hear why small consistent efforts build momentum, how to find your ideal client, how to convert attention into relationships, how to deliver & delight, and the importance of measurement. Marc’s back from vacation and already rewriting episode outlines.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know growing your law firm isn’t always a great idea? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry debate whether it’s actually in your best interest to scale your law firm. Hear why growth isn’t always as beneficial as it seems, the dangerous parallels between growth & bankruptcy, what happens when you hire too fast, why you should hold off on marketing until your intake systems are solid, and how growth directly affects your cash flow. Diana finally admits Marc might’ve been right - and now, Marc has a new ringtone.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know you can learn everything you need to know about trust from the Blue Angels? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry take notes on trust from the Blue Angels in High Trust Leadership by Captain George Dom. Hear the trust continuum model, The 5 C’s of Trust, why trust is crucial in a law firm, why low trust leads to micromanaging & turnover, and the trust-building activities that actually work. Marc loves micromanaging and still owes Diana lunch.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know AI can run your law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explore how to use AI to improve your strategic thinking and enhance your law firm, inspired by The Ai-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods. Hear what Marc’s learned from his experiments with Claude, whether AI can replace human decision-making, how to find the bottleneck at your law firm, the drivers of growth AI can help with, and how to find an AI Champion in your law firm. Be warned! Marc’s grumpy and Diana doesn’t want to celebrate her birthday.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know the secret to a great hire is a successful onboarding? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to onboard new hires so they become successful at your law firm. Hear what onboarding should look like, the importance of a well-planned first day, how to teach your core values to every new employee, how often to check in with your new hires, and why you need to hire slow, fire fast. Plus, whether it’s cool to microwave fish in the office.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know scaling your law firm is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry detail how to grow your law firm by adding branch offices (aka satellite offices) and through clever use of your Google Business Profile listing (GBP). Hear how to tailor your law firm marketing to local communities, why visibility equals credibility, how to recruit in different markets, disclaimers to consider for each branch office, and how to navigate obstacles on your strategic expansion. Including how to avoid getting hangry.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know Mark Lanier knows how to try a case using just AI? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry dive into Mark Lanier’s tips for using AI to become a better lawyer. Hear the pros & cons of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, how ChatGPT can help you manage unhappy clients, the ability of Claude to review lengthy contracts, how Gemini stays on top of current events, and the importance of solidifying your firm’s AI policies. You’ll hear everything from AI hallucinations to AI affirmations.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know you can teach your lawyers to act like Navy SEALs? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry prioritize the key lessons from the iconic bestseller Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin - and translate how they’ll help your leaders build a better law firm. Hear why leaders must own everything, the importance of clear & concise communication, why discipline equals freedom, how to empower leaders at all levels, and how to prioritize ruthlessly. Tune in for Marc’s massive ego and why Diana almost got fired this week.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know getting a 1-star review isn’t really all that bad? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explore the power of Google Reviews for law firms - the word-of-mouth marketing of the digital age. Hear how to handle negative Google Reviews, proactive strategies for positive Google Reviews, how frequently to monitor Google Reviews, how to perfect empathetic replies, and how to encourage more Google Reviews. Diana’s jealous of Wendy’s and Marc’s still pissed off about law school.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know you can work 4 hours/week and still make a ton of money? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk the key lessons from the iconic bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss - and apply them to creating your lifestyle law firm. Hear whether a 4-hour workweek is actually achievable, how to apply the DEAL framework to your lifestyle law firm (Define, Eliminate, Automate, Liberate), how to fire low-value clients & employees, whether you can take a sabbatical as a lawyer, and how to build a think day into your weekly schedule. We hope you love this episode more than Diana loves this book.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know you can still make money on Pay-Per-Click (PPC)? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk the good, the bad, and the ugly of PPC advertising as a law firm. Hear how PPC ads work, Marc’s best advice for law firms starting PPC campaigns, how to select the right keywords for your PPC ads, the pitfalls of automated bidding, and how PPC ads compare to LSA ads (Local Service Ads). Listen closely for Diana’s eye rolls.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com
Did you know your law firm might be worth nothing? That’s the - wait, what?! In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk all things succession planning as it relates to your law firm. Hear how to confront your fears about succession planning, the best options for your succession plan, whether you need to sell your law firm, how to transition from Operator to Owner, and the introduction of our new segment: Marc’s 5 Action Items. Including Marc’s plans at age 110.
Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at Marc@MarcWhitehead.com