Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Do you struggle with keeping realistic expectations? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Tyson and Jim share their insights on unbridled optimism and how it relates to the field of law.

Unbridled optimism involves the idea of being overly optimistic and not focusing on the right things. Jim and Tyson share the reasons why people tend to act this way. For some, it is done to avoid having negative conversations. Being optimistic turns your mind away from potential downfall or feelings of heartache. As it relates to the legal field, it is important to see a problem and figure out how to address it. For Jim and Tyson, it could be seeing a dip in email signups, thinking about why it happened and finding ways to solve the problem.

Jim and Tyson share the importance of accurate thinking. Things are not always going to go your way and decisions you think are good will not deliver perfect results every time. Accurate thinking involves being realistic about the outcomes of situations. Setting benchmarks can help create action. If something does not go according to plan, set a benchmark or action that will lead to another result.

Listen in to learn more!

1:35 Discussion on the negative impact of unbridled optimism

11:18 Explanation of the Stockdale Paradox

13:04 Importance of accurate thinking and setting benchmarks

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, co-host Tyson Mutrux delves into the advantages of shared inboxes for law firms, as they can enhance team collaboration and efficiency.

Tyson provides a detailed look at Zoho Team Inbox's features, such as customizable views and email templates, which streamline communication within legal teams. Listen in!

03:15 The benefits of using team inboxes, including improved collaboration, productivity, and reduced response times

04:07 The various features of Zoho Team Inbox, such as customizable views, email assignment, chat integration, snooze option, and email templates.

08:13 How to use client names as tags, integration with automation rules, and the importance of integrating with case management systems.

09:05 Analytics and reports available for law firm owners, including email response tracking, activity logs, encryption, two-factor authentication, and role-based access.

• Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.
• Ask us a question about starting your own law firm here. 
• Peak Performance Intensive with Dr. Jason Selk, sign up here.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you someone who is looking to transition into law? In this engaging podcast episode, Jim and Tyson sit down with Bill Gshwind of Minnesota Construction Law, who shares his unique journey into law after a 25-year tenure in business.

Bill shares lessons learned from a business failure which led to a transition into the legal field. After spending over 5 years owning a business where many financial mistakes were made, Bill decided to take a chance and sell the business after realizing he had lost control. Transitioning into the legal field came from working with a lawyer who did not understand him as a small business owner. From that point on, Bill dedicates his time working with clients in which he understands what their needs are as business owners.

Bill provides insight in his decision making processes and how it structures his firm. One thing Bill has implemented is strategic planning, which involves long term planning and mapping out how you will get to your goals. This can ultimately lead to certain decisions being made to ensure that goal is reached. Bill also shares the importance of ensuring the responsibility for the performance of work is not put on a client. It is important that lawyers are doing what they are hired to do and have clients leave feeling satisfied.

Take a listen to learn more!

Jim's Hack: Tell clients that: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Tyson's Tip: Get your blood tested.

12:16 The impact of the business failure on the decision-making process

18:38 The challenges of the billable hour system 

19:24 The importance of delivering value to clients 

22:27 Using tools to solve client problems

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here. 

Connect with Bill:

• Website 
• Instagram  
• Facebook  
• X 
• Linkedin 

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, co-host Tyson Mutrux explores the strategic use of target lists in law firms. Target lists are more than just a to-do list; they are a strategic tool (spreadsheet) that can focus your firm's efforts on specific cases, ensuring that you're not just busy, but productive. 

By identifying the cases that are most likely to be resolved within a quarter, you can allocate your resources effectively and increase your chances of success. This approach is about working smarter, not harder. Listen into the full episode to hear how Tyson does this!

02:51 The components and tracking methods of target lists

04:43 How target lists allow teams to focus on specific cases

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Ask us a question about starting your own law firm here!

Peak Performance Intensive with Dr. Jason Selk, sign up here!

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you a lawyer who is thinking about starting their own firm? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer podcast, Jim and Tyson speak with Lauren Klein, co-founder of Flourish Law Group. Lauren shares her transformative journey working in a large firm to starting her own boutique firm.

Lauren provides some insight on the challenges and rewards that come with leaving Big Law and starting a small firm. One of the rewards is the focus on marketing. For small law firms, there is flexibility to focus on the clients you want to and design a marketing plan that is unique and not controlled by a larger company. Another reward that comes with having your own firm is the ability to control the delegation of tasks and create a system or workflow that works for you as the owner.

Transitioning from big law to a small firm owner can allow you to help guide new law school graduates. Most new graduates are eager to work in big firms because it means more money and more success. But, Lauren dismisses that idea in that the team and culture you have regardless of the size of the firm is what matters. Asking questions about work life balance as well as what a typical day looks should be used to make a decision.

Listen in to learn more from Lauren!

Jim's Hack: The phrase “first party data” which are the emails and phone numbers of people who consume your content. From an analytics perspective, it is important to know who is watching your content and how to connect with them.

Lauren’s Tip: Do not fall into the trap of thinking that in order to become a successful attorney, you need to be overworked, unhappy and unhealthy. 

Tyson's Tip: Just let it go. If you are having feelings of resentment or anger towards someone, just try to find a way to let it go and focus on yourself.

2:57 The challenges and rewards of starting a law firm

6:30 The struggle of delegation

16:01 Experiences in big law 

28:19 The myth of overwork in the legal profession 

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Connect with Lauren:

• Website 
• Instagram

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you looking for ways to spice up your team meetings? In the latest episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Tyson reflects on his law firm's recent quarterly meeting, which embraced a "Future is Bright" theme. 

Tyson shares the activities that occurred during the firm's quarterly meeting that can be impactful for staff. Activities included functional games that had a purpose. Some included playing games where you would get feedback from colleagues or games to get to know each other. The goal for these activities is to share ideas that could lead to a change in how something is done in the workplace or the implementation of a new process. Another aspect of these quarterly meetings is to go over the company’s core values, mission as well as the review of the past 4 months to see what has been accomplished.

Listen in to learn how to incorporate Tyson’s ideas into your quarterly meetings!

1:35 Explanation of the theme for the quarterly meeting 

4:32 Description of the light-hearted activities that happen during the meeting

7:03 Discussion and sharing of simple yet impactful ideas

10:01 Review of priorities and future focus for the upcoming quarter

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you a law firm owner who needs to market their firm better? In this insightful episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Jim and Tyson engage with Vaidas and Steve from RizeUp Media to explore the intricacies of selecting a digital marketing agency. 

When searching for a marketing agency, it is important to find one that aligns with your goals as a firm. Vaidas and Steve share a few red flags to look out for and some things to consider. One red flag is working with a company that does not truly understand the vision of a law firm and what the firm needs from a marketing standpoint. Marketing a firm involves a lot of things, including knowing who your audience is and where they are located. A good marketing agency is going to do the research and work with you to determine these factors.

When it comes to the relationship between a firm and a vendor, like a marketing agency, communication is key to a successful partnership and results that will make the firm money. For a firm it is important to let your partner know what is and isn't working. To maintain consistent communication, set up recurring meetings for 15-30 minutes to go over how things are going for the firm as well as strategizing if a change is needed.

Take a listen to learn more!

RizeUp Media is offering Maximum Lawyer listeners a free competitive analysis of your competition and your market. They will review your current performance and compare it to your competition to help determine what you can do better. Claim yours here! Or email vaidas@rizeupmedia.com or steve@rizeupmedia.com.

Jim's Hack: Using the phrase “happy and grateful” which for him means something needs to get taken care of.

Vaidas’s Tip: is to use the app Loom, which is a recording tool and can be utilized to record short videos or snippets to send to people.

Steve’s Hack: is using legal directories as an analytics tool and seeing how many calls you get from individuals who have found your firm through a directory.

Tyson's Tip: Use a Notebook LM which is a virtual AI assistant. You can upload documents and ask the tool anything which will then provide answers using those documents.

2:49 Discussion on red flags when hiring a digital marketing agency

7:51 Seeking exclusivity in their marketing partnerships.

17:33 The importance of communication for successful partnerships 

19:42 Importance of regular follow-ups and communication with clients

Connect with RizeUp Media:

• Website  
• Instagram  
• Facebook  
• Linkedin 
• X 

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here. 

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you a law firm owner that is looking for ways to show appreciation to your staff? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Tyson delves into the positive impacts of the "Teammate of the Quarter" award at his law firm. 

Tyson shares some highlights of the award and what makes it such a great aspect of the law firm. Since law firms are such busy environments, it can be difficult to stop, reflect and recognize the hard work of those who work at the firm. What this award does is cultivate a culture of appreciation for those that contribute to its success. Having a positive work environment is crucial to any successful law firm, and awards like the Teammate of the Quarter help achieve that goal.

The Teammate of the Quarter award contributes to better collaboration and engagement amongst a team. The award allows for team members to get to know each other on a personal level and it can lead to better collaboration when working on tasks and projects. Tools like Zoho and Google Meets Polls can be utilized to create surveys for staff to provide their input on who the Teammate of the Quarter should be!

Listen in to learn how to integrate this award within your firm!

00:24 The benefits of the Teammate of the Quarter Award

3:16 How the award drives a positive work environment

10:28 The success of the award process

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here. 

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you a law firm owner who is thinking about integrating automation into your workflows? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Ali Zahid, CEO of LegalMate, delves into the transformative impact of legal tech on law firms. 

Ali shares the concept of LegalMate and what it tries to solve for law firms and lawyers alike. LegalMate is an automation platform that is integrated with CRM’s like Clio to streamline processes that would otherwise be done using traditional paper based methods. What makes LegalMate so efficient is it takes away the manual labor and gives time back to lawyers. Tasks like intake can be time consuming and using a paper based system is prone to error and can get lost if not filed properly. LegalMate does all the work for law firms and helps with keeping everything in order.

When it comes to integrating automation with workflows, Ali recommends it is best to start small. This is more so for law firms that do not have an automation system in place at all. It can be tough for teams to adapt to a new system if too many things are being implemented at once. It will take time for teams to learn a new automation system and let go of the old way of working. For firms that have a process mapped out already or currently work with some kind of automation, it is still best to start small but aggressively expand to move things along quicker.

Take a listen to learn more about automation in the legal space!

1:42 How Legal Mate helps law firms streamline processes

8:43 The process of assessing law firms' workflows 

11:02 The approach for law firms to start small with automations 

29:43 Discussion on injecting AI into workflows 

Connect with Ali:

• Website 
• X 
• Instagram
• ali@legalmate.co

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you a lawyer that would like to work on their public speaking skills? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Jim and Tyson are joined by Kerry Barrett, an expert in on-camera media training for Fortune 500 companies. Kerry shares her insights on public speaking and offers tips for lawyers to improve their on-camera skills and connect with potential clients. 

Public speaking can be a very intimidating thing to overcome. For lawyers, public speaking is something that needs to be mastered as there are instances like tv work or in person court hearings and trials that provide the space to speak in front of people. Carrie provides some tips for lawyers to get over this hurdle. One way is to step outside of your comfort zone and find ways to make yourself and your name known to people. Apply to be on a podcast about the legal field or research media opportunities to network and let others know who you are. It is all about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.    

Communicating to people as a lawyer can be a tricky task, especially if someone is not well versed in speaking with clients. One issue Kerry identifies for lawyers is that most speak to clients using legal terms. Clients do not know any legal jargon, so it is important to break down what is being said in simple terms. This also applies to lawyers who are speaking on camera. In this setting, lawyers are performing and not simply delivering information in a courtroom. What is being provided in terms of content needs to be laid out in a way that can be understood easily.

Listen in to learn more from Kerry on public speaking!

Jim's Hack: If you find yourself with a few minutes to spare, just pull out your phone and record a TikTok to see what happens. Get the content out there and then deal with graphics later on.

Kerry’s Tip: When you are on stage or you're in front of a camera, there are two things you always need to have. One is a plan and one is presence. The plan is that you understand your delivery and the presence is what comes into play when all that other stuff goes sideways.

Tyson's Tip: Ted Talk called the 100 Days of Rejection, where this guy puts himself through 100 days of possible moments of rejection from people. It is a great watch for those that struggle talking to people, being on stage or doing videos.

4:19 Advice on teaching public speaking skills

7:09 Discussion on common mistakes lawyers make on television

17:14 How lawyers can build connections with potential clients

20:06 How to use simple language for effective communication

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Connect with Kerry:

• Website
• LinkedIn 
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook 
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• Blog