Episodes

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 polic...

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 al...

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’...

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...

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 e...

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...

Did you know making new habits is easy? 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 Atomic Habits by James Clear - and apply them to Marc’s busy calendar. Hear how to use the Four Laws of Behavior Change from Atomic Habits, the problem with our calendars, how to pair enjoyable activities with less appealing tasks, how to avoid perfectionism, and how to stay accountable with yo...

Did you know TV advertising still works for law firms? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to TV advertising for law firms - with all sorts of highs & lows from Marc’s 30+ years running TV commercials. Hear whether TV advertising is dead, the main benefits of TV advertising for your law firm, how to avoid the mistakes Marc made, where to run your ads, and how much ...

Did you know a good vendor can manage themselves? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry recap their visit to the AAJ 2025 Annual Convention in chilly San Francisco and set the record straight on building & managing strong vendor relationships. Hear how to choose the right vendor for your law firm, how to set clear expectations with your vendors, why you need to communicate frequently & transparently, how to track thei...

Running a profitable law firm is one thing, but maintaining healthy cash flow is another. In this episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry dive into the numbers behind law firm management, specifically focusing on the cash strategies outlined in Verne Harnish’s book Scaling Up. While EOS offers a solid framework for team health and traction, it doesn’t address the cash side of business—so Marc and Diana walk through the cash flow tools they’ve adopted from Scaling Up a...

When you’re running a law firm, pressure is part of the package—but how you respond to that pressure determines your long-term success. In this episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry explore how Stoic philosophy can help lawyers navigate the inevitable stressors of legal practice. Drawing from Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way, they discuss how perception, action, and inner strength are essential tools for staying grounded, making better decisions, and leading w...

When you're building a legal career, it’s easy to focus on success inside the courtroom—but what about financial success outside of it? In this episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry dive into the path toward true wealth and financial freedom for lawyers using the framework from Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant. They break down the four types of earners—employee, self-employed, business owner, and investor—and explain how lawyers often end up as accidental busine...

What do cargo planes, Star Wars, and disability law have in common? In this episode, Marc and Diana dive deep into the power of storytelling and why every lawyer needs to master it—both in the courtroom and in their marketing. Whether you’re persuading a jury or speaking to potential clients, turning your cases into compelling narratives makes all the difference. They discuss insights from Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand and break down the SB7 framework with a fictional—but all too familia...

When you're running a firm, having great ideas isn't the hard part—implementing them is. In this episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry introduce you to the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a proven framework that helps law firms gain traction. From the Vision Traction Organizer to Level 10 meetings and scorecards, they walk through the tools that brought clarity and accountability to their firm. You'll learn how to identify the right tools for your team, whe...

Labor shortages, retention problems, and rising costs—sound familiar? In this episode, Marc and Diana discuss how offshoring (and nearshoring) can solve staffing problems without compromising quality. You’ll hear firsthand experiences, best practices, vendor recommendations, and how Marc Whitehead & Associates integrates offshore staff into the firm culture. If you’ve been curious about how offshoring could work in a legal setting, this episode is packed with the insight and cautionary wisdom yo...

When cash flow gets messy, even the most organized firm can spiral into chaos. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry dive into the mechanics of law firm profitability, from phantom income to the RULES matrix. They talk candidly about the financial traps contingency firms fall into and how Marc Whitehead & Associates dug their way out. You’ll learn why more cases don't always equal more profits and how law firm owners can use financial data—not gut feelings—t...

Marketing on a budget? As Marc Whitehead sees it, most firms are looking for a way to compete with the 800-pound gorilla in their market. How do you outcompete someone with a million-dollar budget? You don’t—you outsmart them. Tune in for tips about smart marketing, the top three channels for marketing on a budget, and key tips from Allan Dib’s Lean Marketing. Marc and Diana start by defining lean marketing, and then they dive into the book Lean Marketing and their takeaways from it. They move ...

Looking for the latest insights on marketing and managing your firm? In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc and Diana discuss their key takeaways from the PILMMA (Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing & Management Association) Super Summit. They share their most memorable insights and favorite speakers, and share how they plan to apply these insights to Marc Whitehead & Associates. Tune in for information on holding your vendors accountable, scaling your firm, and making the mo...

Looking to level up your firm? There are lots of programs out there to help small businesses create better internal systems, and Marc Whitehead & Associates uses EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System. After one year of EOS, Marc and Diana give their review of EOS’s top benefits and surprises, as well as the issues EOS was not able to fix. Tune in to find out what to expect from EOS, how to make the most of it, and whether it is the right fit for your firm. For detailed show notes, naviga...

Marketing is only half the battle. While marketing can be extremely valuable, any marketing spending is wasted if your firm does not have the capacity to sign on the cases your marketing attracts. In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc and Diana discuss how Marc Whitehead & Associates created a winning intake department; from early mistakes the firm made to five quick tips to set your intake department up for success. Plus, Marc is offering his firm’s intake training manual...

Your clients shouldn’t just be your clients. They should be a crucial piece of your marketing strategy. In today’s episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the basics of client referral marketing, from how to collect client referral sources to how to create memorable moments with your client to keep your firm top-of-mind. From digital newsletters to snail mail to social media, there are lots of ways to stay in touch with your clients and community. Diana and Marc discuss some of the ways...

Are you making the most of your referral network? Building and maintaining a robust referral network is a long-term strategy that will help you get consistent sources of new cases, but building a network is a marathon, not a sprint. In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, learn how to build a referral marketing network, how to maintain your network, and how to stay top of mind for your referral sources. Marc and Diana begin by explaining what attorney referral marketing is, how ...

Marc’s Top 10 Books, Ten Books for a Better Law Practice (And Business), Ten Books to Grow Your Firm Are you taking business advice from outside of the legal world? In today’s episode, Marc presents his top ten books for growing your law firm. True to character, he has broken his own rules and covers fourteen books in the episode. Some cover the legal field specifically, while others focus on business more generally – your firm will benefit from both. Find out Marc’s favorite books and key take...

Is People Intelligence, Getting Emotional: Improve Your Firm’s EQ Sometimes, the soft skills are the hard skills. While emotional intelligence may seem like a fluffy concept, it can have real benefits in your practice. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc and Diana discuss (and debate) the importance of emotional intelligence in law firms, particularly in your leadership team. They discuss the four components of emotional intelligence, times they applied at the firm, and how emotio...