Episodes

Did you know command and control can make or break your law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry discuss command and control leadership for law firms following their workshop at the Atticus quarterly meeting in Orlando. Hear the difference between a technician & leader mindset in your law firm, how the command and control leadership model works, the ideal day exercise, how many goals to focus on each quarter in...

Did you know the right report can make you money? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal the 5 operations (ops) reports you can’t live without in your law firm. Hear the background of closed without a fee, how Pareto analysis works, what to consider when it comes to exceptions reporting for your law firm, why cash flow is crucial, and how to develop a pipeline analysis for your law firm. Who are YOU taking to ge...

Did you know your culture might be more important than your next AI tool? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share why culture matters more than ever in your law firm. Hear how to define & reinforce your core values, how to measure engagement regularly in your law firm, how to create equitable opportunities for advancement, how to communicate your non-negotiables, and why you should eliminate secrecy in your law fi...

Did you know Trader Joe’s can teach you everything you need to know about running a law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry discuss law firm strategy and why strategy means making choices for your law firm. Hear the difference between strategic planning and your company vision, how to define success for your law firm, how to identify your ideal clients as a law firm, why you should stay away from price competi...

Did you know getting visible in AI is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue their AI Search discussion by sharing how to get cited by AI as a law firm. Hear the attributes that AI Search rewards, how to inspire third-party validation, why you should consider publishing case studies, how to approach social media with AI Search in mind, and how to create helpful content that truly answers the questions yo...

Did you know Google is obsolete? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry break down what you need to know about AI Search as a law firm. Hear why Google Search is changing so much, how to focus on AI citations as your new marketing objective, how to make your website AI-friendly, why recognition & awards are even more important now, and why you should avoid vague marketing language. Diana’s on Part 7 of the outline, and...

Did you know your intake team can make more money for you than your attorneys? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal how to transform your intake team as a law firm. Hear how to standardize your intake process as a law firm, how to leverage technology correctly during the intake process, how to develop ongoing sales & intake training, what you can learn from looking at your intake numbers, and the value of deci...

Did you know deciding which tech tool to use is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry showcase the tech tools they can’t live without as a law firm. Hear how to decide which tech tools to implement in your law firm, whether you should use AI agents as a law firm, the essential client communication platforms, how Marc Whitehead & Associates navigates complex medical records, and how Foundation AI has made them mo...

Did you know building a diversified marketing portfolio is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry break down how to build a diversified marketing portfolio as a law firm. Hear why diversification matters in your marketing mix, an overview of their current marketing mix, the importance of defining marketing campaign goals & timelines, when to cut losing marketing campaigns in your law firm, and how to audit your m...

Did you know teaching your team accountability is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share the 3 habits that make or break leaders in your law firm from the hit book How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability by Michael Timms. Hear Marc’s approach to onboarding new employees, why engagement alone doesn’t guarantee results, how to welcome feedback as a leader in your law firm, the items you should automate in your...

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 ...

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 l...

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 ...

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 i...

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...

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 int...

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 D...

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 me...

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 rewriti...

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 af...

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 mic...

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...

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 ...

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, an...