162: Nehal Madhani of Plainlegal, Inc. discusses how lawyers can embrace technology as part of their practice with us.

Nehal Madhani HeadshotNehal Madhani is a lawyer, programmer, and the founder and CEO of Plainlegal, whose software automates administrative and repetitive work for lawyers (starting with IP law). Before starting Plainlegal, Nehal practiced at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. Nehal has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Certificate in Business and Public Policy from the Wharton School of Business, and a B.A. from Northwestern University.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Nehal tells us that he spent 3 months more in development time that they needed to get the product out.
  • Hear how Nehal now hunts for hypotheses and tests them quickly.  When he finds one that works, he doubles down.

Tell us something good

  • Listen as Nehal explains how PlainLegal.com is supporting thousands of firms since its inception and that the vision is to take the idea to the next level to support even greater numbers of attorneys more effectively.

How do you support a Lawpreneur?

  • PlainLegal.com provides a streamlined platform for Intellectual Property filings with tools to speed the process.
  • Nehal also runs the networking group New York Lawyers, which offers help with marketing and education for attorneys.

Favorite Resource

Favorite Books:

  • The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do BusinessThe Innovator’s Dilemma is the revolutionary business book that has forever changed corporate America. Based on a truly radical idea—that great companies can fail precisely because they do everything right—this Wall Street Journal, Business Week and New York Times Business bestseller is one of the most provocative and important business books ever written. Entrepreneurs, managers, and CEOs ignore its wisdom and its warnings at their great peril.

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This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

158: Eight Success Track Essentials with Bill Jawitz of SuccessTrackEsq

billjawitz2014Bill Jawitz, founder of SuccessTrack ESQ is a law practice development consultant and coach who’s worked exclusively with attorneys since 2012 to become more fulfilled, successful practitioners.

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Eight Essential of Powerful Productivity: 

1.  Effective Daily Planning

2.  Capturing and Reviewing Tasks

3.  Prioritizing and Scheduling

4.  Effective Delegation/Supervision

5.  Organization – Physical, Digital and Email

6.  Optimizing Procedures

7.  Setting Expectations and Boundaries

8.  Applying Self-Awareness

Here are the tools that Bill referenced in the conversation:

Favorite Resource

  • Me Mail app by Day One Design – MeMail does one thing exceptionally well: send quick emails to a pre-set address. Email yourself reminders or notes? Just launch, type, and send — that’s it! No fishing around for the right contact. Simply set your address the first time you open the app and you’re good to go.

Favorite Books:

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This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

161: Maria Mahecha of Law Office of Maria Mahecha discusses becoming a Lawpreneur with us.

Maria MahechaMaria Mahecha is a California civil attorney, practicing primarily in Southern California, admitted to practice in the Southern, Central and Eastern Districts and the Ninth Circuit. When she is not busy building her business, she is busy being a mom to a beautiful eight month old boy. An entrepreneur at heart, she recently decided to jump into the deep end and go entirely solo. She is enjoying the ride, bumps and all.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Maria felt unable to leave the firm where she worked 9 – 5 until she found out that she was pregnant.  Her desire to be a devoted mom to her son gave her the impetus to go out on her own.

Tell us something good

  • Maria tells us that being able to choose her clients, including turning people who don’t fit away, is a huge success
  • Hear Maria discuss how it is a big win for her to be able to focus on doing the right thing rather than the bottom line.
  • Maria reminds us that “The juice has to be worth the squeeze.”

What’s on your desk?

  • Maria helps people and businesses fight off judgement enforcement attorneys to protect their assests.

Favorite Resource

Favorite Books:

  • FoundationFor twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Sheldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future–to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire–both scientists and scholars–and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a fututre generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation. But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. Mankind’s last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and be overrun–or fight them and be destroyed.

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This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

160: Alexandra Baron of The Mindful Divorce discusses reducing the stress of divorce with mindfulness.

Allie BaronAlexandra Baron, Esq. is an attorney and founder of The Mindful Divorce, a law firm specializing in divorce mediation. Alexandra utilizes research-based mindfulness techniques and cutting-edge technology to reduce conflict so that families can begin to heal and individuals can begin moving forward in their lives.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Allie knows she learns through her experience.  When Allie was getting her website developed she learned that she wasn’t clear on what she wanted, and that lack of clarity was causing the unsatisfactory results.  Once she got clear, she got what she wanted.
  • Allie points out that you either “Learn to fail or you will fail to learn.”

Tell us something good

  • Allie tells us that her biggest success was overcoming her fear of inadequacy and just jumping in and doing it.

What’s on your desk?

  • In The Mindful Divorce Allie focuses on clarity.  She has adopted a module based fixed pricing policy based on a purely mediated approach to divorce.  All of the process takes place outside of court.

Favorite Resource

Favorite Books:

  • The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content. Some of you might think, as the corporate attorney I lunched with recently said, “Four-hour workweek? Is that a thing?” but Tim’s premise is my goal and aspiration.  To be “locationally independent,” use virtual assistants, and take intermittent retirement sounds awesome to me!
  • The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and HappinessThe Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. It’s not just another self-help motivation tool of methods you must learn in order to travel the path to success. It shows you how to create powerful results from the simple daily activities of your life, by using tools that are already within you.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

159: Josh Abel of Abel Law Offices discusses becoming a Lawpreneur with us.

Josh Abel HeadshotAbel Law Offices is a concierge law office dedicated to excellence and integrity in the practice of business and real estate law. Josh provides high quality service to his clients, who can always find him because he provides his cell phone number to clients. Josh has diverse courtroom experience. He has prosecuted numerous short civil trials, over 150 criminal infractions, and argued in excess of 350 civil motions in both state and federal court. He has successfully mediated cases and participated in a variety of alternative dispute resolution methods to achieve the best-possible results for his clients. His legal experience includes having worked for a large, international law firm representing major U.S. banks and financial institutions and also having worked for a mid-sized law firm representing industrial, retail, and service industry clients. He has also represented entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized entities in a variety of legal contexts including transactions, general counsel, and litigation. Josh draws upon his experience working with local, regional, national, and international companies to provide sophisticated, seasoned legal judgment for individuals, small and medium sized businesses. Josh’s clients enjoy large-firm high-quality legal work, but with the careful attention that clients expect from a boutique practice.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Josh tells us that the practice of law isn’t always the obvious black and white.  You can have all of the facts and the law on your side and at the end of the day you still have to explain to the client why you didn’t prevail.

Tell us something good

  • Hear Josh describe wins where he thought that he had no chance and was able to get a favorable result for the client.
  • Josh discusses the tenacity that it takes to get out and do the job.  He reminds us that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog.

What’s on your desk?

  • Josh works primarily in contracts.  He drafts, negotiates, analyzes and resolves conflicts.  All of this is directed towards litigation prevention, as he points out what he has learned about litigation:  In the courtroom, even the winners are losers.  The costs in money, time and stress are very high.

Favorite Resource

  • Clio
  • d2 Business Solutions for cloud computing, IT, and communications.
  • ProVisors is a community of over 4,000 senior-level trusted advisors, including attorneys, accountants, and financial services professionals, from international, regional and boutique firms. All have the common goal of sharing knowledge and  resources to help each other provide exceptional service to their clients.

Favorite Books:

  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius provides stirring reflections on the human condition from a warrior and emperor provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind and personality of a highly principled Roman of the 2nd century. Recognizing that suffering is at the core of life, he counsels stoic detachment in the face of inevitable pain, loss and death.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here. Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

157: Jan Schau of Schau Mediation discusses mediation with us.

Jan Schau

Jan Frankel Schau, Esq.of Schau Mediation is one of the leading mediators in the industry, recently being named by the Daily Journal as one of the 50 “Top Neutrals” in California.  Ms. Schau settles litigated cases arising out of employment, business and tort disputes. With over twenty years of experience as a litigator – 10 years in Insurance Defense and 10 years representing Plaintiffs in employment, business and personal injury – Jan has an unique ability to understand and evaluate both sides of every claim. She is also a popular speaker and author of the book, “View from the Middle of the Road: A Mediator’s Perspective on Life, Conflict and Human Interaction”.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Jan tells us that initially she was marketing to the wrong people.  individuals that couldn’t afford mediation.
  • Jan was enchanted with the whole world of mediation, and spent her time and resources there – – ultimately, that was not good marketing as mediators weren’t going to be her clients.

Tell us something good

  • Hear Jan tells us about a young woman that had a transformative experience with Jan and “grew up” in Jan’s office at the conclusion of a dispute.
  • Jan explains that she gives people the space they need to reach the resolution that they are working towards.

What’s on your desk?

  • Jan is currently working on an account issue, a disability discrimination case and an employment case.

Favorite Resource

  • LinkedIn.com – It’s the professional version of Facebook

Favorite Books:

  • The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building PeaceJohn Paul Lederach’s work in the field of conciliation and mediation is internationally recognized. As founding Director of the Conflict Transformation Program and Institute of Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University, he has provided consultation and direct mediation in a range of situations. In this new book he explores the evolution of his understanding of peacebuilding by reflecting on his own experiences in the field. Peacebuilding, in his view, is both a learned skill and an art. Finding this art, he says, requires a worldview shift. Conflict professionals must envision their work as a creative act – an exercise of what Lederach terms the “moral imagination.”
  • View From the Middle of the Road : A Mediator’s Perspective on Life, Conflict, and Human Interaction Every day in mediation offices around the world, parties come together to tell their unique story as it relates to a conflict in their lives. In a single, prescient day, they expect to end their pending litigation. Sometimes the resolution requires money. Other times it requires an apology, an explanation or an agreement to put the conflict behind the disputants and move forward in peace. Sometimes, it just requires an impartial set of ears, an open heart and a willing third party to lead the way with dignity, decency and humanity. Such is the life of a mediator.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

156: Joe Donnini of Legal Value Firm discusses how Legal Value Firm is changing the delivery of basic legal services with us.

Joe Donnini Head ShotJoe Donnini, Esq. of Legal Value Firm is an experienced attorney, entrepreneur, educator, and business consultant. Having a diverse background has positioned Joe to gain perspective in multiple industries on many matters. Joe has assisted clients in key areas of business creation, development, operations, and finance.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Joe tells us that success is the definition of multiple failures.
  • Joe gives the example of having had family businesses that grew too fast.
  • Joe reminds us that even when the money is appealing you have to make sure that you are working with the right partner.

Tell us something good

  • Joe says that one of his biggest successes was having the practical wherewithal to be able to take their business from an idea through its early iterations to the successful format they have now.
  • The two biggest outward signs of that success are:
    • Repeat clients.
    • Expanding relationships with professionals in the area around the business.
  • Joe reminds us that growing our own team is a success, and discusses training young attorneys to achieve their highest and best.

What’s on your desk?

  • Joe explains that for Legal Value Firm they have taken an upfront approach with their services and pricing which are clearly laid out on their website.
  • Legal Value Firm provides services in these areas of law and more:
    • Business formation
    • Dispute resolution
    • Real Estate
    • Trusts/Wills
    • Family Law

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

155: Marc Lazo of Wilson Harvey Browndorf, LLP discusses becoming a trial lawyer with us.

Marc LazoMarc Lazo of Wilson Harvey Browndorf, LLP is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried numerous bench and jury trials.  Mr. Lazo is the Managing Partner of Wilson Harvey Browndorf, LLP and heads the firm’s litigation practice out of the Irvine, California office. He focuses his practice on complex business and commercial litigation, with an emphasis in real estate, as well as insurance coverage and personal injury.  Mr. Lazo has tried numerous cases to successful verdict and has obtained multiple six-figure judgments as well as unanimous defense verdicts in both state and federal court. His achievements include the following:

■Secured multi-million dollar settlement for buyer mandate in international oil trade dispute
■Obtained unanimous defense verdict for private lender holding security instrument encumbering multi-million dollar property following 30-day jury trial in real estate fraud case
■Awarded over $2.4m judgment against corporate finance company for breach of contract and fraud on behalf of commercial lender

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Tell us something good

  • Marc explains to us that he learned to always keep a cool head and stay professional even when up against a manipulative and difficult opposing counsel.  Marc tells us that jurors notice.

What’s on your desk?

  • Marc tells us that he is currently working on business litigation involving contracts and fraud in business ventures gone wrong.
  • Marc has a real estate fraud case involving nondisclosure of items known by the seller.
  • Marc tells us about BP Law Group which is WHB’s offshoot firm that handles collections.

Favorite Resource

  • Marc says that the people at Wilson Harvey Browndorf are his favorite resource.  He tells us about the team of interns who gain great experience, and whom Marc depends on significantly.  Marc has surrounded himself with a team of people that he knows he can trust.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

154: Evan Lamont of TLG Marketing discusses the Latest Trends for Online Attorney Marketing with us.

Evan-LamontEvan Lamont is the CEO of TLG Marketing, a next generation marketing agency that helps attorneys and law firms generate more revenue through a quantitative, systematic approach to generating new client leads.

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How do you support a Lawpreneur?

  • Evan tells us about the process they use to define their clients niche to most effectively target online advertising efforts.
  • Hear how TLG has worked with Lanzone Morgan, LLP to have their web presence be among the strongest of Elder Abuse practices in the western US.
  • Evan discusses the importance of A-B testing for designing landing pages that leverage the practices focus on a niche market for online advertising.

Favorite Resource

  • Google AdWords Editor
  • WhatsApp is amazing for communicating with our overseas employees.
  • We also regularly use HootSuite for pushing out client’s and our own social media.
  • I love Unbounce.  It is a terrific service we use to rapidly A:B test landing pages for our online advertising campaigns.

Favorite Books:

  • The E-Myth : Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It .  In this expanded edition of The E-Myth, business guru Michael Gerber adds new information from both small and Fortune 500 companies to guide people through a business’ developmental growing pains, showing them how to turn around a business that doesn’t work into one that works in a predictable and profitable way.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here.
Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

153: Gina Oddo of the Center Club Orange County discusses the value of having a business club membership.

Gina OddoGina Oddo of the Center Club Orange County has nearly 20 years of experience in the Hospitality Industry.  She was intrigued by the wedding business and her first catering position was at golf course located in Orange County.   In 2008, Gina joined ClubCorp to help open the Aliso Viejo Country Club, and in 2010, she transferred to Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club.  She joined the Center Club team in December of 2013 as a Membership Director.   She graduated from California State University Stanislaus with a BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Exceptional Children and Youth.

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Benefits of a business club membership at the Center Club Orange County

  • Connect – Exchange business cards with new contacts at a wide selection of networking activities and business events.
  • Work – Grab a cup of coffee and plug in a laptop or device to be productive, or relax while catching up on news.
  • Host – Invite friends, family and colleagues to savor the best the city has to offer, and enjoy a nightcap at the bar.
  • Play – Gather friends and associates around the communal table for crafted cocktails over games, movies and more.
  • Celebrate – With a beautiful club and personalized service, it’s easy to impress clients, colleagues and associates.
  • Travel – Entertain on trips with access to a worldwide network of more than 200 private clubs and special offerings at more than 700 hotels, resorts and entertainment venues.

Thanks for Listening

This information is coming to you to inspire you and drive you forward. Be bigger than you know yourself to be! If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to leave a quick 5-star review rating and honest review on iTunes by clicking here. Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio