Episodes

In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana Berry presents a list of her top ten book recommendations for law firms. From general business tips to books specific to firms, Diana covers books that have helped her gain a better understanding of Marc Whitehead & Associates and her role at the firm. Reach out to Diana to let her know if you agree or disagree with her favorites – and tune in next week to hear Marc’s list. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [2:14] ...

Are you an effective executive? If you’re not sure, or even if you think you are, you can learn something from this episode of the Successful Barrister. In this conversation, Marc and Diana discuss leadership skills as conceptualized by Peter Drucker in his book The Effective Executive. Importantly, Drucker conceptualizes leadership as different than management; and argues that while many of us learned how to manage, that does not mean we know how to lead. Learn how to treat leadership as a skil...

Thirty-Year Working Relationship! How do you retain your top talent? Fostering working relationships that last can be complicated, but Marc has worked with his paralegal Mel for thirty years, so he must be doing something right. On this first-ever guest cohost episode of Successful Barrister, Marc and Mel discuss why Mel stay for so many years; from how they met to the qualities that make them compatible. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:29] For the first time...

In some ways, business can feel like a sport – there’s players, strategy, and to an extent, rules to play by to be successful. However, unlike a sport, business is not static; it does not have set p-layers, a set length, or an endpoint. In this episode, Marc and Diana discuss The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. The book explores business through the lens of longevity and legacy, and gives tips to help you address the infinite nature of your business. Marc and Diana move through the five concepts ...

How do you get in front of the right clients? In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc and Diana discuss The One Page Marketing Plan as it relates to the marketing strategy of Marc Whitehead & Associates. Lots of firms are stuck in the past with their marketing, so taking inspiration from other industries can help your firm reach its future clients. There are three main pillars of marketing: the channels you choose, your USP (unique selling proposition), and your customer se...

Success can be simple. In today’s episode, Marc and Diana offer ten simple strategies that have contributed to Marc’s success for your practice to adopt. From scalability to marketing, these tips will help you plan for your firm’s future instead of getting caught up with in the whirlwind of day-to-day tasks. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:50] Instead of discussing a book, today’s episode is about the top ten things that have made Marc successful. [4:23] Marc...

Do you think you’re a great boss? Most of us do, but being a great boss is deceptively difficult and takes practice. Today, Marc and Diana discuss the appropriately titled How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer. They dive into the appropriate balance of friendliness and detachment from your employees, the key areas where bosses often fail, and how your workplace compares to a bus. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [2:28] Today’s episode is about how t...

As a leader in your firm, you are not paid to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks of your practice –you are paid to think. This can be difficult for many of us, because thinking is amorphous and unstructured. However, Paid to Think: A Leader’s Toolkit for Redefining Your Future by David Goldsmith gives a structure for your thinking. Learn how you can think and plan more effectively, how to project the future, and how to broaden your perspective to benefit your firm. For detailed show notes,...

In today’s episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc and Diana discuss the Stay Interview, a concept introduced by Richard P. Finnegan. The idea of a stay interview is simple – companies conduct exit interviews to understand why employees are leaving, but if they had that information before they left, they could have prevented that turnover. Marc and Diana explain the questions Finnegan coined, and how Marc Whitehead & Associates handles its version of stay interviews. For detailed show notes, ...

Productivity might be even more important than you realize. As Marc describes it, productivity is about buying back your time – it allows you to work faster, make more money, and spend more time living the life you want to live. In today’s episode, Marc and Diana discuss productivity through the book Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. They pick their favorite tips and explain how they apply to Marc Whitehead & Associates and firms more ...

Is your firm afraid of AI? Or are you one of the many of firms who have adopted it? While AI has a mixed reputation in the legal industry, it can be extremely useful when applied responsibly. In today’s episode, Marc and Diana discuss their firm’s adoption of AI and advise listeners on how they can adopt artificial intelligence responsibly. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:17] Today’s episode is about the latest CLIO trends report, which was published at the en...

In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc give you the secrets to being brilliant. While that may sound a little far-fetched, they have the tools to do it; specifically, they are pulling from The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman. The book asks a series of 49 questions to help you become brilliant, guiding you through topics like your health, your focus, your fears, and your fulfillment. With the insights from these questions, you can learn new insights ...

In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc discuss one of Marc’s biggest pet peeve: new years resolutions. Most people do not stick to their new years resolutions – they tend to be lofty and ill-defined, and few people hold themselves accountable to them. Because of this, this episode focuses on setting realistic goals – helping you avoid “shiny object” thinking, create milestones to track your progress, and get your team on board. For detailed show notes, navigate using the ti...

In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Diana and Marc are reviewing their top takeaways and presentations from the Atticus Summit they recently attended. Focusing on mental and physical health, the summit included a variety of keynote speakers and experts with tips on how to build a better life outside of your practice. Marc also discusses his work with Atticus and offers a free call to discuss the benefits to listeners who are interested in becoming members. For detailed show notes, navi...

Are you managing your time effectively? In this episode of the Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc and Diana give listeners their guide to managing your time (or focus) more effectively. Time management sets the best firms apart, and mastering it can help your firm run efficiently. Learn how to delegate your tasks, schedule time to think, and minimize your distractions. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [1:11] In this episode, Diana and Marc are discussing time mana...

Marc’s Marketing Plan, A Free Marketing Plan for 2025, Giving the Gift of Marketing Happy Holidays! 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. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [2:12] 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...

Marc has a second gift for you! As he has discussed on the podcast, Marc is a coach for Atticus and helps lawyers build successful practices (not prisons). Normally, these courses cost money, but Marc is giving you a freebie in the spirit of the season. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: [0:50] This episode is about Marc’s coaching work. For well over a decade, Marc has coached lawyers through Atticus. [2:17] This week, Marc is offering a free one-on-one conversati...

Want to double your revenue? In this episode, Diana and Marc give you the tools to get there. These tools, the eight levers of profitability from the Atticus Double Your Revenue Workshop, are the key ways that your firm can increase its profit and grow. The levers cover all aspects of your firm, from how your build your caseloads to marketing and implementation. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below [2:30] Today, Diana and Marc will be discussing the eight levers of pro...

In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss my many firms are afraid to hire all-star attorneys and how those firms can face their fears. Firms have three main concerns about all-star attorneys: they are costly, they might leave after resources are wasted on training them, and they may leave and take staff and clients with them. Marc and Diana provide potential solutions to all three of these concerns. You cannot be the only top lawyer at your firm; as Marc puts it, you can’t scale y...

In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the seven habits of highly effective lawyers. Based on the book by Stephen Covey, these habits are tailored to setting your firm up for success. Habits are important because they build on each other, so establishing a good habit early on can help you be successful over time. For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below [2:30] Today’s episode is about choices and how they can lead to good habits. The idea of the episode co...

In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the book Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward is a book by Dr. Henry Cloud. Necessary Endings, or “breakups” as Marc calls them, are extremely important to running a successful firm. They allow you to free up resources to spend on better opportunities. Necessary endings can encompass vendors, staff, clients, and services. Learn which necessary endings you may...

In this episode, cohosts Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss strategy by discussing the book Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins. Learn how to find your unique strengths and cater your firm to them, place your big bets, and learn why you should be firing “rifle shots” before you fire “cannonballs.” Marc and Diana get into the specifics of how Marc Whitehead & Associates came to dominate the disability denial law market in Houston using Collins’s advice – and how you can do the same. [0:53] M...

In this episode, cohosts Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the ins and outs of creating a sustainable referral base. Identifying your target audience and curating campaigns that resonate will help other firms send you your perfect client. Learn tips and tricks for building your base, maintaining it, and segmenting it to determine who to prioritize. [0:53] Marc Whitehead introduces himself and chief operating officer Diana Berry, and he also introduces the topic of the episode, which is B2B...