The modern world places even greater strain on our mental well-being. How can we become more resilient, strong, and balanced? Sometimes it's not easy to understand. But we can gain useful perspective that helps us stay calm, and make better decisions under pressure. Or just in the everyday stress moments that routinely present themselves to us. Show Notes The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz (concise guide to putting everything important into helpful perspective) The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle (for learning to become more present and less distracted) Insight, by Tasha Eurich (for improving self-awareness) The Artists Way, by Julia Cameron The Importance of Labeling Your Feelings, a good web article. My blog posts about meditation BTW, I'd love to hear your questions or get feedback (if you want to record your thoughts using this cool tool). Also, you might want to download my free Guide to Working Smarter in the Digital Age (to help you optimize your practice —so you start working less and relaxing more). And if you want to make improvements faster, check out my Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

Law Firm Autopilot

174: Mental Trauma & Stress

Jury consultants assemble focus groups and then use psychology-based interview strategies to help lawyers get in the minds of jurors. Now they can do it virtually. Elizabeth Larrick is an attorney who also does focus group consulting, and in this episode she shares insights into how this is now done virtually, using Zoom. Show Notes Elizabeth Larrick's website Elizabeth Larrick's PDF Guide checklist for doing your own focus groups Judge Emily Miskel's Twitter BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Guide to Working Smarter in the Digital Age (which will help you streamline & optimize your practice —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in making changes sooner, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

173: Reading Jurors' Minds (with Elizabeth Larrick)

California attorney Denise Howell reflects on the many changes that technology has brought to the practice of law over the past two decades. Denise Howell was working in a large L.A. firm when started the fourth lawyer weblog. Five years later she went out on her own, and also was the host of probably the first legal podcast. In this episode, she and Ernie examine some of the tech-driven changes that have taken place in the practice of law and society in general. Show Notes Denise Howell's Twitter Denise Howell's Instagram Denise Howell's website Denise Howell's Sustainable Fashion website Bob Ambrogi's blog post about early legal bloggers BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

172: Review of The Law+Tech Evolution (with Denise Howell)

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) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

171: Virtual Executive Assistants (with Valerie Trapunsky)

How can we make better, more effective decisions? It's important to find out because the quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our decisions. Many of our decisions are impaired even before we start to make them because of cognitive blind spots. So what are some examples of these cognitive glitches, and how can we overcome them? That's what you'll discover in this episode. Show Notes Read Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo (will help you develop your “figure it out” muscle) Read Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (and examine your thinking with more examples like the "baseball and ball" test) Read The Great Mental Models, Vol. 1 by Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish (An overview of key “thinking principles”) Visit Farnham St. Blog (An ongoing examination of key “thinking principles”) Listen to The Knowledge Project podcast (An ongoing discussion of key “thinking principles”) Listen to Tim Ferriss Show podcast (will help you find successful people to model and learn how they made good decisions) Listen to Mixergy podcast with Andrew Warner (will help you find successful people to model and learn how they made good decisions) Read Post-Corona by Scott Galloway (Discover the powerful trends that are driving radical change now, and what you should do to capitalize opportunities and meet challenges) Read Thinking In Bets by Annie Duke (Develop better decision-making skills in general) Read The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel (Develop better decision-making skills regarding finance) Read Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland (to understand how some things work even though they don't make sense, and vice-versa) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

170: Effective Decision-Making for Lawyers

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. Show Notes Episode 167 - Crisis Management OODA Loop, cited in Episode 167 John Boyd, cited in Episode 167 Uncluttered.com Tim Ferriss, Author of Four Hour Workweek Heat, movie with Robert DeNiro & Al Pacino Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke Deep Work by Cal Newport BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

169: Self Sufficiency

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. Show Notes The New Law Business Model, the book by Ali Katz that we discuss in depth. New Law Business Model, Ali’s website Private Facebook Group created and run by Ali MoneyMap for Lawyers (resource provided by Ali to help figure out what income you need your practice to provide BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

168: The New Law Business Model (with Ali Katz)

Learning how to manage a catastrophic crisis like the hurricane that just hit New Orleans (or fires, earthquakes, and pandemics) will help you in everyday life for reasons that are surprising. Even "smart people" wind up making bad decisions in a crisis. But a prepared person who isn't that "smart" can do surprisingly well. In this episode, we examine exactly why that's true. And Ernie's examination takes place in the aftermath of an actual crisis: i.e. Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm that ravaged Louisiana on August 29th (the 16th anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans). Show Notes Hurricane Ida (Ernie's blog post) OODA Loop (Wikipedia article) John Boyd (Wikipedia article) VUCA (Wikipedia article) Curated Twitter feed (Ernie created for Ida) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

167: Crisis Management for Lawyers

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. Show Notes- Advice to a New Lawyer - blog post that inspired this episode 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) My Email Marketing Course ConvertKit Email Service BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

166: Q&A: Advice to a New Lawyer

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). Show Notes How to Flat Fee Bill As a Lawyer, Kristin Tyler's blog article (discussed in depth during this episode) Outsourced Lawyer Work: Episode 69 of LFA Podcast (Kristin Tyler discusses LawClerk Legal project-based services) Subscription Outsourcing of Legal Work: Episode 136 of LFA Podcast (with Kristin Tyler discusses LawClerk Legal subscription services) The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande Asana (online project management service) Being a Mom While Creating Law Practice: Episode 164 of the podcast (with Kim Felton) 2021 Virtual Small Firm Bootcamp (where attorney Andrew Legrand explained how he implemented subscription-based billing for his business law practice) Kristin Tyler's email address: ktyler@lawclerk.legal Kristin's Twitter address: https://twitter.com/KristinTyler BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

165: Flat Fee Billing & Other Alternatives (with Kristin Tyler)

Kim Felton had her first child in law school, then figured out how to be a lawyer and build an online Immigration practice, using technology as much as possible. In this episode, she shares her challenges and how she met them using exceptional wile and grit, and by discovering how best to leverage the power of technology. Show Notes Innovation Litigation (Kim's website) Onward Immigration (Kim's other website) A Better Way: How Motherhood Changed My Perspective Of The Legal Field & What I’m Doing To Change It (Kim's article about how "resourcefulness under pressure" led to her starting a virtual law firm that was both successful and enjoyable) Boundless Immigration Law website LawClerk Legal (virtual freelance help from other lawyers) Outsourced Legal Work (episode 69 of the podcast, with Kristin Tyler) Subscription Outsourcing of Legal Work (episode 136 of the podcast, with Kristin Tyler) Zapier (cloud automation service) Asana (online project management service) Trello (kanban project management tool) Basecamp (popular project management service) Click up (project management service Kim tried and still uses) Lawcus (law-specific project management service Kim tried) Time Blindness - people with ADD who lack the ability to track the passing of time Client-Centered Law Firm, by Jack Newton Madman, Architect, Carpenter, Judge - (writing process explained by Bryan Garner) Point Made#: How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates, by Ross Guberman (excellent book on legal writing) Ross Guberman (another writing instructor) Client Rock (enables online consultations to be booked, generate, send, and e-sign fee agreements, and get paid using a LawPay account.) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

164: Being a Mom While Creating Law Practice (with Kim Felton)

Making your work visible is vital for knowledge workers (like lawyers), and the best way of doing that is by using a Kanban Board. Task managers just can't cut it. In this episode, Ernie talks with John Grant a consultant who helps fellow lawyers fix their legal workflows using Kanban Boards to help them manage tasks more effectively and collaborate better. Show Notes Agile Attorney (John Grant's website) The Voice of The Client (John's podcast where he interviews lawyer clients) Thinking Fast & Slow, Daniel Kahneman Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow, by Dominica DeGrandis (John's book recommendation) The Rise & Fall of GTD (Cal Newport's article in the New Yorker) Lean Software Development (Wikipedia article) Agile Software Development (Wikipedia article) Scrum Software Development (Wikipedia article) Knowledge Workers (Wikipedia definition) How to Think Better And Profit More (Ernie's blog post) Feedback loops (Wikipedia definition) Kanban (Wikipedia definition) Trello (Kanban board tool used by Ernie, which he recommends) KanbanZone (Kanban board tool that John recommends) WIP: a task started by not yet finished (Wikipedia definition) Start less to finish more (a key principle of the Agile work method) Optimism Bias (Wikipedia definition) Why All Your Projects Are Late And What to Do About It (Freakonomics podcast) Less Doing: Ari Meisel's website (productivity guru that Ernie follows and recommends) "Honest reckoning with capacity" (John's advice for not succumbing to optimism bias) "Brutal assessment of priority" (John's related advice) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

163: Visualizing Workflows using Kanban Boards (with John Grant)

You are a brand. The only question is whether you want to understand it and improve so your reputation is enhanced? Or do you prefer to leave things to chance? If you prefer the former, then reading Mike Kim's new book "You Are The Brand," is your starting point. In this episode Mike shares some of the key lessons from his book, but in a way that relates to lawyers with solo or small firm practices. Show Notes You Are The Brand, by Mike Kim BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

162: Your Personal Brand (with Mike Kim)

Clients are the lifeblood of your business, but they can also be frustrating and annoying. You must manage clients very well if you want a happy law practice. The simplest, most important business goal you can have is to optimize for happy clients. But you must understand what that actually means in practice. I learned a lot about what this means as a waiter at a prestigious New Orleans restaurant. The principles for effectively managing your law clients are the same as those for managing any kind of high-end customer. Show Notes BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

161: Managing Clients

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 Effective People, book Steven Covey Evernote - digital dumping ground TextExpander - text automation tool Notion - online wiki/database tool Obsidian - new PKM tool (Mac or PC) BTW, I'd love to get your feedback or hear about your questions (which I'll answer in upcoming episodes). And when you get a chance, download my free Solo & Small Firm Lawyers’ Guide to Working Smarter (which will help you streamline, automate and outsource —so you start working less and relaxing more). Oh, and if you're interested in radical improvement for your law practice, check out my new Working Smarter course. Thanks to Our Sponsors 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

160: Kaizen for Lawyers

Ernie Svenson is an attorney on a mission to help solo and small firm lawyers improve their practices. He started the 5th lawyer blog in 2002, which garnered national attention from folks inside and outside of the legal profession. Since then he's been helping lawyers who want better practices, and understand that technology is an integral part of creating a profitable, smooth running firm. Law Firm Autopilot features interviews (with attorneys and law practice consultants), listener Q&A, and practical strategies for folks who want to earn more, and work less, while spending more time relaxing away from the office!

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Law Firm Autopilot

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