Advertise on podcast: The Fireproof Podcast

Gary Sarner has spent 35 years in radio—and he believes most law firms approach broadcast advertising the wrong way. From spending time inside radio studios as a teenager to working in national sales and now guiding 36 law firms across 54 markets, Gary has seen what separates campaigns that build powerful brands from campaigns that simply burn through a budget. In this episode, Gary sits down with longtime friend Mike Morse to explain why firms cannot afford to dabble in radio, why owning an audience matters more than buying a few spots and how the right media partner can make the difference between wasted spending and market dominance. They also covered: → Why firms need to commit to a marketing channel instead of simply testing it → How radio ratings work—and why the numbers can be misleading → Why traditional attribution misses much of brand marketing’s impact → How a focused radio strategy helped TopDog Law expand into 39 markets → What it can cost to own the airwaves in a midsized market → Why advertisers need the cash flow and patience to survive the early months → How intentional creative helps firms connect with the right audience → Why 98% of law firm marketing is brand building and 2% is a call to action → How radio compares with television, streaming and YouTube → Why consistent messaging and a trusted partner matter The biggest takeaway: You cannot build market dominance by dipping your toe into advertising. Choose an audience, commit to a consistent brand and work with someone who knows how to make every dollar count. Gary, thank you for joining Mike and sharing what law firms need to know before investing in radio! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:37 Meet Gary Sarner 01:47 Growing up around radio 03:42 Landing his first radio job 05:24 Learning to lead without becoming the bottleneck 06:34 Moving from radio sales to media buying 09:00 Serving 36 firms across 54 markets 09:07 Is radio advertising dead? 09:55 Why firms need to own a marketing channel 11:28 How radio ratings work 13:13 Evaluating stations in a new market 14:25 Why lawyers need experienced media buyers 14:57 The problem with marketing attribution 16:42 How TopDog Law scaled through radio 20:13 Trust, transparency and real KPIs 20:55 What it costs to own a midsized market 21:53 Preparing for the cash-flow gap 22:46 Why the creative and audience matter 24:39 Why dabbling in radio usually fails 25:11 Brand building versus calls to action 26:05 The mistake that causes campaigns to fail 27:23 Why your brand needs one consistent message 28:18 “Nobody listens to radio” 29:41 Radio versus television and streaming 32:14 Consolidation and the value of local talent 33:41 Who is still listening to radio? 35:22 YouTube as an alternative to television 36:35 Why radio buying goes beyond drive time 37:38 Finding a marketing partner you trust 38:04 Closing

Corey Vandenberg has spent more than 15 years helping law firms get found online—and he believes the rules of SEO are being rewritten in real time. Since 2019, Corey and Clixsy have managed the Mike Morse Law Firm’s SEO strategy. During that time, search has expanded beyond traditional organic results to include map packs, AI overviews and platforms like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity. In this episode, Corey sits down with Mike to explain why the old “blog about everything” model is losing ground, why local maps remain one of the strongest sources of high-intent leads and how law firms can use real case data to build authority in the age of AI. They also covered: → Why informational website traffic is declining across the legal industry → How AI decides which lawyers and law firms to recommend → Why the most valuable content may already exist inside your cases → How national ranking reports can create a misleading picture of performance → What law firm owners should ask their SEO agencies → Why reviews, Reddit, Yelp, social media and other third-party signals matter → How brand building is making a major comeback in legal marketing → Why traditional SEO remains the foundation of online visibility The biggest takeaway: SEO is not disappearing—it is evolving. The firms that build recognizable brands, strengthen their local authority and turn real experience into credible content will be positioned to stay visible wherever clients search. Corey, thank you for joining Mike and breaking down what law firm owners need to know about the rapidly changing search landscape! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:34 Meet Corey Vandenberg of Clixsy 01:31 How AI is rewriting law firm SEO 01:54 Why “content is king” is changing 02:56 How law firms can protect their visibility 03:30 Why the gold is in your cases 04:42 Creating case content without compromising clients 05:22 Why the map pack still matters 06:24 How AI decides which lawyers to recommend 07:48 Questions to ask your SEO agency 09:02 Why national ranking data can be misleading 10:45 Competing with national firms in local markets 12:03 Can AI identify firms that are not truly local? 12:39 The third-party sources shaping AI answers 14:10 Does organic search still generate cases? 16:20 Understanding Google Search Console 17:44 How to evaluate your website’s performance 19:16 The return of brand building 19:58 Why social signals matter more than ever 20:34 Closing ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Josh Inkell is building a Delaware personal injury firm designed to punch above its weight. After nearly a decade defending doctors and insurance companies, Josh encountered a case that made him question which side he wanted to represent. Today, The Inkell Firm handles car crashes, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice—using the predictable revenue from auto cases to fund complex, high-cost litigation. But Josh’s connection to personal injury law is deeply personal. Twenty years ago, his sister Jenny was killed by a drunk driver while riding her bike home from work. Watching his uncle guide the family through the aftermath helped set Josh on a path toward becoming an attorney and fighting for people facing powerful institutions. In this episode, Josh sits down with Kate to explain how he operates what he calls “three firms in one,” uses AI to review thousands of pages of records and tracks the numbers that allow him to hire, market and scale with confidence. They also covered: → Why different case types require completely different intake systems → How AI is transforming medical malpractice case review and legal drafting → Why introducing AI should make your team feel supported—not threatened → How average case value and time on desk influence hiring and marketing decisions → What a difficult business partnership taught Josh about ownership → Why optimism and a “figure it out” mindset shape his leadership → How the Fireproof community helps small firms compete at a higher level Josh, thank you for joining Kate, sharing your story and making your first podcast appearance on The Fireproof Podcast! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:36 Meet Josh Inkell 01:08 Fighting for the small guy in Delaware 02:25 Running three practice areas under one roof 04:49 Building different intake systems for different cases 05:32 Using AI to evaluate complex cases faster 06:51 How AI changed document review and legal drafting 08:31 Identifying viable medical malpractice cases 09:27 The loss that inspired Josh to practice law 11:19 Why he left insurance defense 12:32 Taking a year to travel before law school 16:22 Joining Fireproof Coaching and Masterminds 18:08 Firm ownership and challenging broken systems 19:18 Will AI replace legal jobs? 21:56 Introducing AI without threatening your team 23:00 Building an AI agent to open insurance claims 25:19 Kate’s Burning Questions 27:42 Using data to overcome imposter syndrome 30:07 Marketing math and knowing when to spend more 31:28 Choosing optimism through tragedy 35:42 Building a “figure it out” culture 39:28 The difficult end of a business partnership 43:16 Rethinking attorney compensation 44:09 AI, legal drafting and human review 47:42 Is AI making us less capable? 50:13 The risky decisions that changed Josh’s life 51:11 The numbers every law firm owner should know 54:42 Dollars per day and moving cases efficiently 56:26 Finding the right caseload for your firm 57:52 What lawyers should—and should not—be doing 01:00:13 Why the Fireproof community stands apart 01:02:02 Closing Connect with Josh Inkell! https://www.linkedin.com/company/inkellfirm/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshinkell/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/

Jesse Callahan took an unconventional path from practicing attorney to law firm operator. After starting as a law clerk and gaining experience in pre-litigation, Jesse discovered that she was more energized by the business behind the practice. Today, as Chief of Staff, she connects teams, improves operations and helps turn leadership strategy into action. In this episode, Jesse joins Kate at the Fireproof Legal Production Summit in Chicago to explain why firms need strong processes before adding AI. She also shares why trust matters more than a title, where technology can create meaningful efficiency and why people will remain essential to the client experience. They also covered: → What a Chief of Staff actually does inside a law firm → How servant leadership builds credibility and team buy-in → Why firms should strengthen their foundation before adopting AI → How to decide whether a problem requires technology or another employee → The data Jesse uses to monitor intake, settlements and cash flow → Why traditional work-life balance can set leaders up for failure → How radical candor makes difficult conversations more productive Jesse, thank you for joining Kate in Chicago and sharing an honest look at leadership, operations and the human side of building a better law firm! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:27 Meet Jesse Callahan 00:50 What a Chief of Staff does 02:07 From practicing attorney to law firm operator 03:16 Why trust matters more than credentials 04:27 Building relationships and leadership credibility 06:19 Servant leadership and asking better questions 07:02 Redesigning the claims-handling process 07:42 Building the foundation before adding AI 08:47 Hiring in the age of AI 10:08 Why technology still needs people 12:16 The importance of human review 13:26 Using AI to improve the client journey 15:20 The emotional weight of client service 18:06 The law firm metrics Jesse tracks 18:53 Settlements, disbursements and the final client experience 20:37 Kate’s Burning Questions 21:08 Leadership lessons from Multipliers and Radical Candor 21:49 The myths of work-life balance and “almost being there” 28:47 Navigating guilt as a working parent 34:10 Building habits around presence and priorities 39:23 Clear expectations and difficult conversations 44:14 Making hard decisions about the wrong people 47:12 Transparency inside the Fireproof community 48:44 Weekly accountability and coaching 51:10 Closing thoughts ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance. Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Riz Ali is building a personal injury firm in one of the country’s most competitive legal markets. With an eight-person team and Riz serving as the firm’s only attorney, he has grown without relying on television, radio or billboards. Instead, he shows up at community events, builds referral relationships, creates social media content and invests in learning from law firm owners who are further ahead. In this episode, Riz sits down with Mike Morse in Chicago to share why he joined the Fireproof Masterminds early in his career, what happened when he examined his firm’s numbers in detail and how that experience helped him identify his biggest priorities for growth. They also covered: → How community involvement builds trust without a massive advertising budget → Why language access matters when serving immigrant communities → How simple social media content can keep your firm top of mind → What law firm owners learn when they openly compare KPIs → Why small-firm owners cannot afford to wear every hat forever → How coaching and peer relationships can help firms avoid costly mistakes → Why investing in yourself is one of the smartest investments you can make The biggest takeaway: You do not need the biggest budget to build momentum. You need to know your numbers, show up consistently and learn from people who have already solved the problems in front of you. Riz, thank you for joining Mike in Chicago and sharing an honest look at what it takes to build a growing law firm early in your career! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:28 Meet Riz Ali in Chicago 00:53 Discovering Fireproof 02:29 Building an eight-person firm as the only attorney 03:04 What sharing your numbers reveals 04:01 Why small-firm owners need support 05:03 Growing without television, radio or billboards 06:22 Building trust within your community 07:38 Digital advertising and social media 08:45 Creating social content in real time 10:34 Serving new communities authentically 12:24 Using food reviews to build community connections 14:26 The value of referrals and trusted peers 16:15 Wearing every hat in a small firm 17:16 The right time to find a coach 18:14 Comparing KPIs with other law firms 19:26 Knowing your numbers and cutting waste 20:55 The secret sauce behind faster growth 22:43 Why lawyers should not build alone 24:31 Investing in yourself and your firm 25:30 Building happy, healthy and successful lawyers ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Perry Schneider has had a front-row seat to nearly two decades of growth at the Mike Morse Law Firm. He joined when the firm had roughly 30 employees, inherited a distressed docket and was asked to lead the pre-litigation department within his first year. Today, Perry is an attorney and senior business coach at Fireproof, helping law firms build the leadership, structure and accountability needed to grow with intention. In this episode, Perry breaks down the “how” behind scaling from a small team into a 350-person organization without losing the culture at its core. He also shares why panic hiring creates bigger problems, how weekly leadership meetings reduce noise and what firms should identify before making a major investment in AI. They also covered: → Why attorneys can successfully report to non-attorney business leaders → How a firm’s culture moves from the founder through every level of leadership → Why clearly defined roles become critical as a firm grows → The hiring mistakes that set employees up to fail → How to approach AI as a solution instead of a shiny new tool → The two numbers every law firm should be tracking → Why profitability and growth do not have to be competing goals → How delegation empowers people and creates stronger leaders The biggest takeaway: A scalable law firm is not built by throwing more people, money or technology at every problem. It is built through clear roles, intentional decisions, disciplined communication and leaders who are willing to let go. Perry, thank you for sharing your experience and so many practical lessons for building a stronger law firm!

Jen Harvala has spent more than two decades growing alongside the Mike Morse Law Firm. Starting as a receptionist after working as a hairdresser, she built her career one opportunity at a time—becoming a paralegal, joining the leadership team and eventually overseeing nearly 60 domestic and offshore employees in pre-litigation. In this episode, Jen breaks down the “how” behind two major department restructures, including why the firm moved from a traditional generalist model to specialized, centralized services. She also shares how her team built employee buy-in, hired ahead of growth and created clearer career paths without automatically pushing great producers into management. They also covered: → Why the traditional case manager model stopped supporting the firm’s growth → How specialization helps cases move faster while improving the client experience → Why growing firms need to hire proactively instead of waiting for a backlog → The mistake firms make when integrating offshore team members → Why promoting your best producer can create the wrong manager → How servant leadership helps people grow without holding the firm back The biggest takeaway: The strongest leaders are not the ones who pretend to have every answer. They are the ones willing to say, “I don’t know,” use their resources and help their people move forward. Jen, thank you for sharing your story, leadership experience and practical lessons for growing law firms! Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:53 Meet Jen Harvala and her role in pre-litigation 02:16 Why the traditional case manager model stopped working 05:51 Moving to specialized, centralized services 07:15 Restructuring the department and building team buy-in 12:35 Managing capacity and hiring ahead of growth 19:00 Strategic workforce and succession planning 21:05 Managing a major “Disruption Day” 23:38 Treating offshore employees like team members 27:59 Building career paths inside a growing firm 35:07 Resource hoarding and putting the firm first 38:59 The Peter Principle and servant leadership 41:07 From hairdresser to law firm leader 45:30 Advice for new and aspiring leaders 48:24 The wisdom in saying “I don’t know” 50:13 Why leadership requires emotional intelligence ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

For years Mike Morse hired on gut alone, but he was burned more than once. So he built a system. Now interviews carry 40% of the decision, testing and resumes split the rest. He reads people the way he used to read tables as a waiter, watching for small tells: a jumpy resume, a typo on a cover letter, a candidate who's five minutes late. After implementing this system, Mike Morse has built one of the largest personal injury firms in the country. On this episode of The Fireproof Podcast, Mike and Kate covered: → Hiring for traits and training for skills, even for candidates with zero legal background → How much weight to actually give resumes, tests, and interviews → The offbeat questions Mike uses to see how someone really thinks → Why he ends interviews early for tardiness, gum chewing, or a sloppy resume → The difference between onboarding and training, and why the firm treats them as two completely separate systems The big takeaway: the best hiring decisions are built on a process you trust to follow, even when you really want to like the person across the table. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Hiring for traits, training for skills 04:34 How much weight tests, resumes, and interviews should carry 08:27 Reading nervous candidates and what their tells actually mean 10:50 The salad question and other ways to make candidates squirm 17:00 Why five minutes late means no interview 20:19 Balancing speed with a thorough hiring process 22:08 The onboarding philosophy behind a great first day 25:35 Onboarding versus training, and why they're not the same thing 27:09 Building the Mike Morse Law Firm training academy Connect with Mike https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljmorse https://www.instagram.com/855mikewins/?hl=en ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Paul Faust runs RingBoost, the country's largest marketplace for custom phone numbers, and he's spent 20 years inside the legal industry building relationships instead of selling to them. Early on, his job was simple. Sell to a lawyer. But a few years in, he figured out that wasn't actually his job anymore. When Paul switched his approach from selling to connecting, it changed everything about the work and the results. In this episode of The Fireproof Podcast, they covered: → Why Paul stopped selling and started connecting people instead → What actually makes Fireproof different from other coaching programs → How to pick a vendor you can trust, and the questions most people skip → Why a strong foundation matters more than any new technology → The moment Paul stopped suffering alone Chapters 00:00 Intro and meeting Paul Faust 00:50 From selling phone numbers to connecting people 02:46 What makes Fireproof different 04:06 "I'm bringing these guys with me" 06:09 There's enough business for everyone 09:19 How to actually pick a trustworthy vendor 11:21 Bring your team, not just yourself 15:59 A tree with strong roots doesn't fear the storm 18:10 I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of not living. 21:08 Don't suffer alone Connect with Paul https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfaust/ https://www.instagram.com/coolguypaulfaust/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ringboost/ https://www.instagram.com/ringboost/ https://www.facebook.com/ringboost/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

After two decades in the digital marketing trenches, Wes Mathews grew restless with the model of just “selling product.” He realized the industry had become a black box, and left many founders blindly trusting vendors with their budgets. After pivoting to the founder's side, he launched Stealth Consulting to audit marketing services and provide objective clarity. In this episode of The Fireproof Podcast, Wes explains his process of auditing the Mike Morse Law Firm to identify an underperforming vendor, and helped the firm reclaim over $800,000 in wasted ad spend by changing how their marketing approach. They covered a lot more: → Building and selling a digital marketing agency from the ground up → Why Wes walked away from selling product to auditing it instead → The vendor audit that saved $800,000 on one marketing silo → The visionary and integrator lesson that changed how he runs his company → What most firms get wrong about their own marketing spend Thanks to Wes for making the time to sit down with Mike and walk through your process! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:35 - Wes Mathews' 20 Years in Digital Marketing 2:39 - Selling High Level Marketing and Launching Stealth Consulting 4:19 - The Cruise Story Behind Wasted Marketing Spend 5:20 - Rebuilding What a Fractional CMO Actually Does 7:12 - Auditing Mike's Firm and Firing a Vendor 8:12 - The $800,000 They Saved on One Marketing Silo 10:59 - Pulling the Emotion Out of Vendor Decisions 13:07 - The Blind Spot Costing Them Truck Accident Leads 14:53 - The Visionary and Integrator Lesson That Changed Everything Connect with Wes linkedin.com/in/wesleymathews https://www.linkedin.com/company/stealthconsultant/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Mike Morse ran his law firm as the Visionary and the Integrator for 12 years.. he didn't know there was another way to do it. He set the firm’s direction and worked the daily grind of every detail to achieve that vision. Which works fine… until it completely collapses. The moment Mike finally brought someone in to run the operation, he saw what he'd been missing plus his firm grew from 27 employees to 300. What we covered: → The exact point to hire your first integrator → What actually separates a visionary from an integrator → Why alignment matters more than friendship → How personality testing changes who you hire → The wish list that grew Mike’s firm from 27 to 300 people The biggest takeaway: the people who build the biggest things are rarely the ones running them day to day. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:41 What a visionary and an integrator actually do 05:32 The right time to hire your first integrator 08:39 Why the integrator runs with the vision, not their own opinion 10:40 The wish list that took the firm from 27 to 300 people 13:50 Why alignment matters more than friendship 18:36 Personality testing and finding your integrator through your network 21:27 The traits that separate a visionary from an integrator 22:53 Knowing what you don't like versus what you're not good at 29:07 The steps to find your integrator, starting from square one Connect with Mike https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljmorse https://www.instagram.com/855mikewins/?hl=en ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Larry Disparti has built one of Chicago’s most dominant personal injury firms.. Starting in Florida in 2004 with a Social Security disability firm, he expanded into Chicago in 2013. Faced with a hyper-competitive market, he pivoted back to his roots: community-first advocacy. Through initiatives like backpack giveaways, holiday free-ride programs, and anti-bullying campaigns, he transformed his firm into a community pillar. In this episode, Larry breaks down the 'how' behind his growth, including why he believes brand equity (not just lead generation) is the only way to scale. He also shares the mastermind nudge that took his firm from $150M to $300M, and the operational 'Ambassador Program' he uses to turn former clients into a consistent referral engine. They also covered: → Why he nearly pulled his ads within a year of landing in Chicago → The backpack and free ride programs that keep his name in the neighborhoods he serves → How one family's story turned into an anti bullying campaign → Why he separates brand building from lead generation → The ambassador program that turns former clients into referral sources The biggest takeaway: People forget you unless you keep showing up. Show up enough times and they call you first. Larry, thank you for flying in from Chicago to speak at the 2026 Fireproof Conference; we’re so grateful for sharing your time! Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Meet Larry Disparti and 855 Larry Wins 02:08 From Florida in 2004 to Chicago in 2013 03:26 Almost giving up in one of the toughest markets 04:33 Building trust through backpacks and free rides 07:29 The anti bullying campaign that started with one family 10:12 Brand versus non brand, renting versus owning 12:39 The ambassador program keeping former clients close 15:52 Why masterminds matter 17:07 The nudge that took him from 150 million to 300 million Connect with Larry https://www.dispartilaw.com/our-attorneys/lawrence-disparti/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Nick Schnyder spent his first years as a lawyer fighting to try a single jury trial and getting told no every time. So he quit. His wife had just left her job when their son was born. He started with zero clients out of a spare bedroom, but cold emaied every lawyer in a ten mile radius asking them to send him their worst cases. But that was 10 years ago. Now he runs his Atlanta litigation firm with 11 lawyers and 60 employees. In this episode of The Fireproof Podcast, we covered: → Starting a firm with zero clients and no advertising budget → Building a marketing mix of billboards, digital, and Hispanic radio → The $22 million verdict and the client who turned down a million → Handing trials off to his team without losing his mind → Why the most successful trial lawyers are the ones most willing to teach Thanks to Nick for making the trip out to Austin to join us on The Fireproof Podcast at the Fireproof Conference! Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:17 Quitting a safe path to start the firm from nothing 04:20 The first trial loss that earned him a client for life 06:08 Growing to 60 employees and expanding into new states 07:43 Building a marketing mix that actually works 09:30 Giving back to the community and the $22 million verdict 11:01 What coaching through Fireproof actually changed 12:37 Finding the sweet spot and letting go of the reins 14:34 Learning from the best trial lawyers in the room 18:45 Family, purpose, and being built for this Connect with Nick https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-schnyder-b29b77215/ https://www.instagram.com/schnyderthefighter/ https://www.facebook.com/Schnyderlaw/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Mike Morse built a personal injury firm from nothing into an operation with 300 people. For a long time he thought he was the only one who could talk to clients, close deals, and hold the operation together. But he was wrong. And it nearly wore him out realizing it. After a hire through a newspaper ad, came the slow and painful process of handing off the parts of the business he thought only he could run. What we covered: → Why "nobody can do it better than me" is usually ego, not truth → The lunch conversation that led to his first real delegation → How to tell if you hired the wrong person → Building a training academy instead of throwing new hires into the deep end → Keeping culture alive once a firm hits 300 people Every leader has a list of things they're convinced nobody else can do. Most of that list is just ego - the list that is truly yours is usually shorter than you think. Chapters 0:00 Intro: delegation and core values 0:28 Why lawyers say they can't delegate 2:09 The list of things nobody could do better than him 2:49 The lunch that changed how he hired 4:26 Delegating himself out of a job 9:23 Delegate and elevate, working at capacity 13:39 What to do when you have the wrong people 18:33 Why firms wait too long to hire and train 22:19 Core values that never changed in 19 years 28:21 Keeping culture alive at 300 people Connect with Mike https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljmorse https://www.instagram.com/855mikewins/?hl=en ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/

Phil Pendergrass has been practicing personal injury law for over a decade... Last year, he merged his firm with two of his closest colleagues and built something new from the ground up. But it hasn’t been an easy transition: Two firms with different cultures, both with different ways of doing things. Plus a leadership team that wasn't fully aligned. Eight weeks into Fireproof, they've redefined their core values, restructured their org chart, and let go of employees who didn't fit. The meetings they weren't having before, they're having now. Every week. With every department. And Phil says it's already smoother. We covered a ton: → How merging two firms forced them to redefine their culture from scratch → Why "selflessness" became a core value and what it actually means inside the firm → The litigation strategy his partner uses to make defense attorneys so uncomfortable they sometimes overpay → What accountability looks like when you're 62 people spread across four offices → Why they want a trial date on every case they file, even though they'll probably settle on the courthouse steps Phil, I appreciate you being on and sharing the wins and lessons; your firm’s doing serious work and I love to hear the progress! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - About Turnbull Moak Pendergrass: offices, team, and what they handle 2:27 - Big verdicts: $15M trucking case and $17.9M product case 2:54 - Phil's first experience with coaching and why they joined Fireproof 4:30 - Weekly meetings, accountability, and getting everyone on the same page 6:53 - Partner buy-in and early wins from the coaching process 7:20 - Setting core values and letting go of people who didn't fit 8:32 - Selflessness as a core value and what it means for their clients 9:31 - Building the org chart and rolling it out to the firm 10:27 - The five-year vision: more offices, deeper bench, West Coast expansion 11:59 - Visionary vs. integrator: figuring out the roles inside the new firm 13:26 - Trial strategy: speed, pressure, and making defense attorneys uncomfortable 15:46 - Delegation, trust, and investing in the team's growth Connect with Phil https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-pendergrass-66931242/ ~~~ This episode is powered by Fireproof Performance Ready to fireproof your firm? https://www.fireproofperformance.com/ Prefer to listen? https://open.spotify.com/show/7IaooNnVVvvQ483fPz7qAd?si=f9fce90599014a4d https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fireproof-podcast/id1895057184 Connect with us! https://www.youtube.com/@FireproofPerformance https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireproof-performance/ https://www.facebook.com/fireproofperformance https://www.instagram.com/fireproofperformance/