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I want to take half the year off. That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry debate the 175-Day Challenge, and whether your law firm could survive without you. Hear how to have your best earning years while working less, how to create more freedom as a law firm owner, what to do if your law firm is too dependent on you, how to deliver more value with your law firm, and how to plan your vacation days for 2027. Happy spring! Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know your beliefs limit your outcomes? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share 3 ways to apply the power of beliefs to your law practice, inspired by the book The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life by Shawn Achor. Hear how to find what’s holding your law firm back, how to change your law firm’s results by changing your beliefs, why you are what you tolerate, what happens when your law firm team stops believing the work matters, and how your core values impact the success of your law practice. Softball tryouts start as soon as you finish this episode. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know you can still finish the year strong without setting new goals? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to finish 2026 strong as a law firm, including organizational strategies for Q4 2026. Hear how to think about goals in Q4 2026, how to be realistic with your Q4 law office plans, what to do if you have unfinished goals from Q3 2026, how to balance your professional life & personal life in Q4 2026, and how to find out what’s holding you back as a law firm. Will your To-Do List Batting Average take you to Cooperstown? Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know you’re your own worst enemy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk some life, leadership, and business lessons from the book Life is Luck by John Morgan. Hear why big dreams require uncomfortable work, why it makes sense to go the extra mile, how to leverage your law firm vendors as a networking shortcut, how to set proper goals for your law firm, and how to make yourself approachable in the legal world. This episode was created while kayaking. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the biggest threat to a law firm’s success is success? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to make workplace change stick in your law firm, inspired by the book Leading Change by John P. Kotter. Hear how to establish urgency with any big change, why early wins can blind your law firm to danger, whether management or leadership is more important for the future of your law firm, the 8 steps for making workplace change stick, and what can turn change into failure. This episode contains bar reviews, vampire reviews, and a large amount of cheese. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know one of your employees could be stealing from you right now? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explain how to avoid scams by using financial controls in your law firm. Hear whether you should trust your people or your systems more as a law firm, where fraud thrives when it comes to law firms, how fraud happens to good law firms, who should be allowed to write checks in your law firm, and the tasks you should do daily to avoid scams. Don’t make your password “PASSWORD” Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know you’re probably tracking the wrong things? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal how to manage your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), dashboards, and metrics with accountability as a law firm. Hear what KPIs to track as a law firm, the difference between a KPI and a metric, how to audit your dashboard, why a green dashboard doesn’t necessarily mean you’re winning, and the difference between leading & lagging indicators. Marc’s next trip will be to film The Godfather Part IV. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Do you want to be a software company? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share why they’re not building their own AI agent for their law firm…yet. Hear whether to build your own AI agent for your law firm or outsource it, what the team at Marc Whitehead & Associates is doing with AI today, what AI has to do with the purpose of your law firm, what the future of AI technology will look like, and how to train Claude to act like a CFO for your law firm. Cue The X-Files Theme. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know our listeners ask the smartest questions? That’s the smartest thing Marc’s ever said. In this special Part 2 episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue to answer your listener questions. Hear why AI can’t make legal decisions, how to keep your youthful hunger as a lawyer, the most toxic thing for the culture of a law firm, the question that scared Diana the most, and what Marc would be doing if he sold his law firm. Meet us in Machu Picchu? Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the secret’s not in the answer, it’s in the question? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this special Part 1 episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry answer your listener questions. Hear the type of clients you should never work with in your law firm, the biggest lie lawyers tell themselves, how to find your purpose as a law firm, why travel & conference budgets are a worthwhile perk for your law firm team, and how to tell when a law firm employee isn’t happy. What’s the plural of thesis? Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know Marc’s more important than Diana is? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue their COO talks by sharing what you should look for in a Chief Operating Officer for your law firm. Hear the DiSC profile that makes the best COO for your law firm, the most important thing to look for in a COO candidate, why you need to know yourself before hiring your COO, the non-negotiables when it comes to hiring a COO, and a peek at Marc & Diana’s DiSC profiles. Who’s doing the outro today?! Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Why the heck did Marc hire Diana anyway? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal when to hire a COO (Chief Operating Officer) for your law firm. Hear why your law firm needs a COO, what a COO should own in a law firm, how to designate authority to your COO, Diana’s rules of thumb on when to hire a COO for your law firm, and the COO’s value when it comes to systems & processes. Marc’s on the mend. Send us your highlighters. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know winning for your client isn’t enough to get them to refer you? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share how to improve your law firm client experience for more client referrals, based on findings from the Case Status Legal CX Report 2026. Hear how to stop losing referrals for your law firm, why winning cases isn’t enough to earn client referrals, the real reason law firm clients refer, how to nail the “no update” update, and how to know who your real competition is as a law firm. Take us out to the ballgame–we’re a grand slam. Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the smartest lawyers don’t necessarily know more? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal the 11 mental models every successful lawyer should know. Hear how to make smarter decisions for your law firm, why smart lawyers get stuck, why a metric can’t become the goal, how long to assume noble intent for, and how to be smarter about hiring for your law firm. This episode has more razors than a barber shop.  Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.

Did you know the harder I work, the luckier I get? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share what John Morgan got right about luck in his new book, Life is Luck. Hear why luck favors motion instead of waiting, how to increase your odds by taking small risks, why luck isn’t random, why hope is not a legal strategy, and the truth about “lucky” lawyers. Break out your finest calculator for this one.  Learn more about the Successful Barrister at SuccessfulBarrister.com, Marc Whitehead & Associates at DisabilityDenials.com, and contact Marc Whitehead at [email protected] to get your AI Checklist & Core Values Checklist.