182: Chuck Bankoff of Kreative Webworks, Inc. discusses online marketing with us.

Chuck BankoffChuck Bankoff is Founder and Director of Web Services for Kreative Webworks, a full service digital marketing agency since 1999. Chuck is a speaker and author and has trained other marketing consultants in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Amsterdam, South America, Canada, and the US in a vast array of Digital Marketing concepts and techniques. He’s spoken at numerous digital marketing conferences across the world, written papers and books on topics such as Landing Page Design, Reputation Management, and Managing the Creative Process. His team has won a variety of awards including “Creative Excellence for Website Design”, and most recently the “People’s Choice” award for best website. Chuck directs a team of creative and technical professionals to develop business ready web solutions for their clients, essentially becoming their digital marketing department, taking care of their website, search engine marketing, social media management and reputation management.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Chuck tells us that everyday is an opportunity to fail at something new – especially in the internet business.
  • Listen in as Chuck tells us the story of working with a dental malpractice attorney.  Chuck reviewed the attorneys statistics and saw that while the phone was ringing the leads weren’t qualified, so talking to them wasn’t a good use of the attorney’s time.

Tell us something good

  • Chuck  says that he has found success in offering his clients a full-service package.  Basically they become their clients’ digital marketing department.

How do you support a Lawpreneur?

  • Chuck tells us that Kreative Webworks can become your outsourced digital marketing team.  This includes:
    • Website Design and management.
    • Online reputation protection.
    • Branding.
    • Blogging and website content creation.

Favorite Resource

  • Chuck tells us that they use Google Analytics and AdWords along with a variety of proprietary tools to manage their clients digital foot print.

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

181: Jon Ferrara of Nimble, Inc. will be discussing: “Your network is your net worth, using the power of your personal brand and your professional network to achieve your life goals.”

Jon_Portrait_BW_400x400Jon is a pioneer & creator of Customer Resource Management (CRM) solutions.  Jon is also a noted speaker about Social Media’s effects on Sales and Marketing. His most recent venture is Nimble.com, a leading Social Relationship Manager. He has been recognized on Forbes as one of the Top 10 Social Chief Executive Officers, Top 10 Social Salespeople in the World, and among the Top 50 Social Business Twitter Accounts You Must Follow.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Jon originally started GoldMine by creating a network accounting program.  In building the business he realized he needed a CRM tool.  He pivoted and GoldMine was born.  That ultimately led to the creation of Nimble.

Tell us something good

  • Jon tells us that he is proud of how many professionals he has been able to help grow.  He loves to inspire and empower people.

How do you support a Lawpreneur?

  • Jon tells us to use Nimble to grow your personal brand and professional network by using the tools built in to Nimble to get in to conversation with your contacts.
  • Jon reminds us that today there is no more powerful way to connect these days than by using social media.
  • Using Nimble you can easily share valuable content with your tribe.  For example, when you open an email in Nimble you can check out that contacts history with you and their social media stream and be able to respond to the email in context.

Favorite Resource

  • John says that the camera on his computer is is one of his most valuable tools.  He believes that people need to develop connections face to face.

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

180: David Rohlander of DGR discusses his book the CEO Code with us.

David RohlanderDavid Rohlander of DGR is a bestselling author, former CEO and USAF fighter pilot with 208 combat missions. David is also a seasoned professional speaker, mentor and coach. His clients are executives from Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized companies and government organizations – his specialty is working with CEOs. Since 1979, David has been influencing CEOs and executives to create their own masterpiece personally and professionally. David’s book, The CEO Code, is a practical guide that explains how to create a great company and inspire people to greatness. The content is divided into three parts: Communication, Execution and Operations. The book is a synthesis of his breath of experience and depth of expertise.

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Show Highlights:

  • David tells us that he has followed a winding path to where he is today.  He started as a college freshman at Rutgers University and when he had an opportunity to move to California shortly after that he jumped on it. He took this opportunity to start over academically.
  • Hear how David saw the writing on the wall about the war in Vietnam and chose to join the Navy Reserve to avoid getting drafted in to the Army.  When the Navy wasn’t what he expected it to be he managed a transfer to the Air Force where he became a combat pilot, flying 208 missions.
  • Listen as David discusses choosing pursuing an MBA over going to Law School.
  • David initially worked in finance and now offers executive coaching to professionals in many areas of business.
  • David tells us that his first book was triggered when his grandson was born.  David knew that he had information and experience that he wanted to be able to share with his grandson, even if he wasn’t around when his grandson was ready for it.
  • David outlines the CEO Code for us:
    1. C = Communication
    2. E = Execution
    3. O = Operations

Books by David:

  • The CEO CodeThe CEO Code shows how to develop the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to master leadership and build a great company. This practical book shows you how to design your own program of development and create a masterpiece, personally and professionally. It is based on the wisdom gained from more than 30 years of business experience.  Inspirational and informative, Rohlander shares real-life stories of success and failure from his personal journey and work as mentor and coach to CEOs and executives of Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized companies, and start-ups.
  • Idiot’s Guides: Management SkillsBeing a manager is tough, and being a first-time manager is even tougher. Idiot’s Guides: Management Skills is a hands-on guide to helping managers of all experience levels survive and thrive in the often murky and difficult world of management. Readers of all skill levels will benefit from this book. First-time managers will learn how to make the transition from peer to leader, how to formulate their own management style, the basics of managing people, how to recruit and hire key talent, and how to communicate constructively. Experienced managers will benefit from proven advice and techniques to help fine-tune their skills and deal with many of the most common problems that every manager is confronted with – from hiring and firing, to dealing with problem employees, to motivating and inspiring employees to be self-driven and successful. Along the way all readers will learn essential skills that will help them be more successful as a manager and employee.

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

179: John Zahn of Omnibeat discusses Digital Marketing solutions for lawyers with us.

Headshot John ZahnJohn Zahn of Omnibeat is a successful business person who has learned the value of social media marketing and now shares these strategies with forward thinking clients. Times have changed and so have the way that people find and want to work with your business. Social media is no longer thought of as a fad, it is a huge wave of opportunity. Are you ready to ‘Catch the Wave’? John has more than 25 years’ experience as an owner of a high end swimming pool design and build firm. It was from the efforts of outstanding Digital Marketing that proved so successful that the idea of Omnibeat was born.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Early on John helped clients set the stage for online success and expected them to perform.  He realized after a few non-successes that Omnibeat would need to walk them through the steps diligently.

Tell us something good

  • John tells us that they are finishing a website for an attorney, Laura Bromlow, who is newly on her own that really showcases her personality and skills as an attorney.

What’s on your desk?

  • Omnibeat offers foundation to Lawpreneurs.  They start with a digital marketing plan which includes making sure that your website is state of the art.
  • John reminds us that consistency in staying in touch with contacts and referrals is vital to building long term brand success.
  • John strongly recommends that busy firms outsource their social media management.  Omnibeat offers a customer digital solution for each client.

Favorite Books:

  • How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital AgeAn adaptation of Dale Carnegie’s timeless prescriptions for the digital age. Dale Carnegie’s time-tested advice has carried millions upon millions of readers for more than seventy-five years up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now the first and best book of its kind has been rebooted to tame the complexities of modern times and will teach you how to communicate with diplomacy and tact, capitalize on a solid network, make people like you, project your message widely and clearly, be a more effective leader, increase your ability to get things done, and optimize the power of digital tools.

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

178: Jay McDowell of ActionCOACH of Orange County discusses the value of a business coach with us.

400x400-profileJay McDowell of ActionCOACH of Orange County spent 30 years in Corporate America in Supply Chain and Logistics management for companies like American Hospital Supply, PepsiCo, TruValu Hardware, and Apria Healthcare. For the last 9 years Jay has been working with Business Owners driving results and profit with the purpose of getting their life balance back through Planning, Accountability and Time Management

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Jay describes moving 13 times in 30 years while working in Corporate America.  When he had the “opportunity” to move again, he decided to be a business coach with small business owners despite not knowing any.  He found a way to make it work.

Tell us something good

  • Hear Jay describe celebrating five years with a client.  It took the client six months to say yes to Jay for coaching and now they have a five year history of success.

How do you support a Lawpreneur?

  • Jay reminds us that in Law School you aren’t taught to run a firm, and he has a program that will teach you to run a business.
  • ActionCOACH of Orange County offers a six month twelve session “Action Club” which is an education on how to run a business.
  • ActionCOACH of Orange County also offers their “Profit Club” which develops the concepts from the “Action Club” further.
  • ActionCOACH of Orange County also offers complimentary events.  You can learn more about those here.

Favorite Books:

  • The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at WorkThis is one of the most useful and clearly written books on the leading edge of management that I have read. – Warren Bennis — Peter Block, the author of the classic Flawless Consulting, is a true visionary. And here he turns his sights on management. Managers and other employees who feel powerless to control their own destinies, who feel stifled by bureaucracy, who feel sapped of creativity – will feel invigorated by Block’s legAndary insight. Offers practical advice to help your managers: * Empower themselves to help shape the organization* Develop positive political skills in their dealings with all levels of employees* Take responsibility for their own actions* Negotiate with their allies and adversaries* Face failure courageously…and much more!
  • Buying CustomersWhy do you need to read Buying Customers? “Buying Customers” is an innovative breakthrough in customer acquisition, lead generation, and customer service with proven strategies that consistently drive repeat business.  Follow ActionCOACH Founder and Chairman Brad Sugars as he outlines tested methods for “Buying Customers” in ways you can immediately understand, use and apply. If you’re just starting out in business, or are a seasoned entrepreneur, business owner or marketing professional, “Buying Customers” Will give you new insights and inspiration to boost your efforts in a way that turns all of your sales and marketing investments into guaranteed results!

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

177: Scott Bailey of Sandler Training by Bailey Marketing Concepts discusses Sales Training for Professionals with us.

ScottBaileypixScott Bailey of Sandler Training by Bailey Marketing Concepts is a 21 year veteran of the global network of Sandler Trainers who are authorized to conduct courses and coaching based on the proven communication concepts around The Sandler Selling System.
The Sandler System’s content focuses on these 4 areas:
1. Sales
2. Sales Management
3. Leadership
4. Customer Care
Sandler has been described as a “contrarian” system of selling and is used widely across all industries and is especially embraced by trusted advisors (financial planners, consultants, attorneys, entrepreneurs) because they do not have to sound “salesy” to their potential clients.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Scott tells us how he bought the training business because he enjoyed the sales and business development that were involved.  He subbed out the training to another trainer.  That trainer dropped dead and Scott had to jump in as trainer, and make the business work.

Tell us something good

  • Hear Scott talk about an immigration attorney that came to him.  This attorney was the “poster child” for unpaid consultant.  He would spend an hour with a potential client on the free consultation and they wouldn’t retain.  He had the attorney make one change to his process and he went from closing one out of six potential clients to closing five out of six potential clients.
  • Scott explains that the power in sales comes from asking questions.

How do you support a Lawpreneur?

Favorite Books:

  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – Scott reads this book once a year to review the timeless concepts laid down by Hill having to do with Self-improvement and reviewing the winning concepts of very successful people.

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

176: John Corcoran of Corcoran Law Firm and Smart Business Revolution discusses how to get more clients by building better relationships and expanding your network with us.

John Corcoran HeadshotJohn Corcoran of Corcoran Law Firm and Smart Business Revolution is an attorney, writer, and a father, and a former Clinton White House Writer and Speechwriter to the Governor of California. Throughout his career, he has worked in Hollywood, the heart of Silicon Valley, and currently owns his own boutique law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area catering to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
He is the creator of Smart Business Revolution and the Smart Business Revolution podcast.
His writing has appeared in Forbes, Huffington Post, Art of Manliness, Lifehacker, Business Insider, Get Rich Slowly, Dumb Little Man, and numerous other publications, blogs and websites.

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Show Highlights

  • John tells us that business and life success all come down to relationships.
  • Listen as John explains that while people’s attitudes about networking can be negative most people are actually quite good at it.
  • John recommends that we be givers – the more we give, the more we get.
  • Hear John remind us that relationships don’t have to be connected with your vocation.
  • John suggests that a great way to build relationships is to be useful to someone’s life.
  • Reciprocity is a powerful tool and John tells us how to wield it.

Favorite Resources:

Favorite Books:

  • Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling The new edition of the bestselling business development guide Book Yourself Solid, Second Edition reveals why self-promotion is a critical factor to success, giving you a unique perspective that makes this guide much more than an ordinary “how to” manual for getting more clients and raising a business profile.
  • Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, luck. Today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In the workplace, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return
  • How to Win Friends & Influence People For more than sixty years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available in trade paperback for the first time to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! Learn:
    * Three fundamental techniques in handling people
    * The six ways to make people like you
    * The twelve ways to win people to you way of thinking
    * The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment

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

175: Brett Burney of Burney Consultants LLC discusses supporting Lawpreneurs with us.

Brett BurneyBrett Burney of Burney Consultants LLC focuses the bulk of his time working with lawyers on tough e-discovery issues. Brett is also very active in the Mac-using lawyer community, working with lawyers who want to integrate Macs, iPhones & iPads into their practice. Brett is a frequent contributor to LegalTech News and speaks around the country on litigation support, e-discovery, Mac and iOS-related topics. Brett currently serves as the Chair of the ABA TECHSHOW 2015 Planning Board.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Hear Brett discuss how he was impatient early on.  He initially expected that it would take two or three years to get the business to where he could be comfortable, however, it took more like five or six years.

Tell us something good

  • Brett tells us that finding a niche to focus on has allowed him to develop expertise in his area of e-discovery and document management.

What’s on your desk?

  • Brett explains that his big focus right now is preparing for the ABA Techshow 2015 in Chicago.
  • Brett tells us that his daily business is e-discovery and litigation support, as well as providing private businesses guidance in planning their document management so that they are prepared for the day when they have to provide discovery in a matter.

Favorite Resource

Favorite Books:

  • The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to GoogleHailed as “the most influential book so far on the cloud computing movement” (Christian Science Monitor), The Big Switch makes a simple and profound statement: Computing is turning into a utility, and the effects of this transition will ultimately change society as completely as the advent of cheap electricity did. In a new chapter for this edition that brings the story up-to-date, Nicholas Carr revisits the dramatic new world being conjured from the circuits of the “World Wide Computer.”

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

174: Mahyar Ghassemian of Ghassemian Law Group, APC discusses becoming a Lawpreneur with us.

Mahyar-05 (2)Mahyar Ghassemian of Ghassemian Law Group, APC is originally from Iran, but has spent most of her life in Southern California. She has a Masters’ degree in Physics and just after receiving her degree spent a year as a faculty member at California State University in Long Beach. Mahyar went to law school mid-career and graduated Cum Laude and was invited to extern at the California Court of Appeal while in law school. She has been an attorney since 1999 and was a partner with Morrow & White, an AV rated 12-attorney law firm in Costa Mesa until October 2010 when she started her own firm. Throughout her career, she has represented some of the nation’s largest businesses; and is general counsel to several Orange County and San Diego businesses who come to her for their everyday legal problems. Mahyar is currently practicing Business and Construction law and has represented her clients in numerous large scale, multi-million Dollar litigation cases in each of these areas. However, her passion is helping small to medium sized businesses and individuals get out of legal trouble, or better yet prevent it. Two interesting facts about her are that she speaks 5 languages and has earned a Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do. She has been a resident of Laguna Niguel since 1989 and lives there with her two children.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

  • Mahyar tells us about a case where as it grew it became obvious that the person would not be able to pay to see the case to its end.  She choose to refer the case out.  She wished that she could have done more and knows it was the right choice at the time.

Tell us something good

  • Listen as Mahyar discusses representing partners in a dispute where there was no partnership agreement.  Working with another attorney they were able to resolve the conflict successfully and at the end had a partnership agreement in place.
  • Hear Mahyar tells us about a client with a construction client who was hit with a $5 million law suit.  Initially the clients insurance refused to pay for the defense.  Mahyar was able to assemble a team that gathered the information that caused the insurance company to pay the cost of defense and they hired Mahyar to provide that defense.  She was able to resolve the case for less than $1 million .

What’s on your desk?

  • Mahyar’s focus is primarily construction and business law with both transactional work and litigation.  Mahyar’s niche focus is on the business issues of construction companies.

Favorite Resource

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

170: Jacob J. Sapochnick of The Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick discusses being a Lawpreneur with us.

Jacob Sapochnick HeadshotJacob Sapochnick of The Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick is an immigration lawyer in San Diego, CA. His firm uses YouTube and social media almost exclusively for its marketing, and his Facebook page now has almost 115,000 fans. Jacob blogs on immigration law at Visa Lawyer Blog and on twitter. He also consults other lawyers on Legal Marketing and Blogs at www.enchantinglawyer.com.
As an expert in his field, Mr. Sapochnick contributes to newspapers and radio shows worldwide, has authored various articles, lectures at conferences, contributes to online legal communities and is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The firm’s immigration website is the highest ranking site for immigration lawyers in San Diego and he was featured on ESPN, FOX News, Reuters and many other prominent outlets.

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Show Highlights

  • Jacob started blogging at VisaLawyerBlog.com right after opening his practice in 2004 because someone said that he should.  And, Jacob knew that while it was important to pursue traditional networking, that alone would not be enough to build the business Jacob wanted to build.
  • After about three months of blogging he was asked to be interviewed by Fox News.  The producer considered Jacob an expert in the field based on his blog, and thought he would be a good source.
  • Jacob says that interview was his a-ha moment.  He said, “If I can get media to call me I’m doing something right.”  He started putting more effort in to blogging, which led to more media connections.
  • Blogging became the first part of his platform and shortly after that he launched the “Enchanting Lawyer” podcast to appeal to those who were more auditory learners.
  • Jacob then saw an opportunity with YouTube as a more visual form of communication.
  • To round out his Platform, Jacob uses social media extensively.  At its peak his business facebook page had over 150,000 fans and had a reach in excess of 11 million.
  • Jacob tells us that you have to focus on the client and ensure that they feel that you care and they are important to you.  If you do that, your clients will become your biggest referral source.
  • His existing clients will walk their referrals in to the office to make sure that they are well cared for.

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