Successful Barrister

Did you know the biggest reason this podcast exists is because another podcaster trash talked Marc? That’s the absolute dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this special 100th episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share the podcast lessons they’ve learned creating 100 podcast episodes, and share why every lawyer needs their own content marketing platform. Hear how Mar...

Did you know the secret to success is not in the answers, it’s in the questions? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this 99th episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk Marc’s origin story & secrets for growing your law firm. Hear The 5 Versions of Marc Whitehead that led to where he & his law firm are today, how to actually grow your law firm, wh...

Did you know the best investment I ever made was in an airplane ticket? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk the top lessons for building a successful law firm, highlighting key moments from Marc’s journey building Marc Whitehead & Associates. Hear how to stop being the bottleneck at your law firm, the dif...

Did you know most law firms are pushing square wheels? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal how their flywheel is giving their law firm momentum, as an update to Marc’s favorite podcast episode, “ Ep. 6 - Is a Flywheel Giving Your Firm Momentum? ” Hear why no amount of great marketing can fix a law firm with...

Did you know the most dangerous lawyer in the room is the one using AI? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry do a deep dive on how lawyers are actually using AI to win more cases & grow their law firm, as an update to their most popular podcast episode, “ Ep. 62 - How to Use AI Like Mark Lanier to Become a Bett...

Did you know firing yourself is one of the smartest things you can do? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry talk the CEO vs. Producer roles in a law firm, and reveal how to stop being the chokepoint as a law firm owner. Hear how to build a practice instead of a prison, how to fix the chokepoint in your law firm, ho...

Did you know the future lawyer is part human & part machine? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explore how future lawyers can use AI smarter instead of fearing it, inspired by the book Primal Intelligence by Angus Fletcher. Hear why human lawyers still have the advantage over AI, how future lawyers can use b...

Did you know if your law firm can’t run without you, you don’t have a business - you own a job? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry discuss The Law Firm Owner Dependency Trap aka how to ensure your law firm excels without you. Hear why delegation is key to the growth of your team, why delegation is really about de...

Did you know leaving your law office can make you money? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share their favorite sessions from the Fireproof Conference in Austin. Hear the value in getting coached as a law firm owner, why you should consider a Management Services Organization aka MSO for your law firm, whether yo...

Did you know most law firm owners confuse activity with results? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explore organizational behavior for law firms, and why you should stop confusing activity with results in your law firm. Hear the difference between working on it vs. getting it done, how to define clear performanc...

Did you know you’re losing your clients to confusion, not to competitors? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry dive into marketing psychology to understand how to make clients choose your law firm. Hear how clients decide on their law firm, why clarity is so important to your law firm, why confusion causes inaction...

Did you know a client relations department is more important than AI? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry explore why every law firm needs a client relations department. Hear how they built a client relations department from the ground up, why client issues grow as your law firm grows, what to look for when hiring...

Did you know your marketing & intake team can kill your best leads without anybody noticing? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal the top marketing & intake reports every law firm needs to track. Hear why lead volume alone can be misleading, why you should track outcomes as a law firm, how to think a...

Did you know your clients will tell you whether your operations are working or not? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share 6 operations systems every law firm needs to retain more clients. Hear why ops are so crucial for client satisfaction, how to measure performance with the right KPIs (Key Performance Indica...

Did you know command and control can make or break your law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry discuss command and control leadership for law firms following their workshop at the Atticus quarterly meeting in Orlando. Hear the difference between a technician & leader mindset in your law firm, how the co...

Did you know the right report can make you money? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal the 5 operations (ops) reports you can’t live without in your law firm. Hear the background of closed without a fee, how Pareto analysis works, what to consider when it comes to exceptions reporting for your law firm, why...

Did you know your culture might be more important than your next AI tool? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share why culture matters more than ever in your law firm. Hear how to define & reinforce your core values, how to measure engagement regularly in your law firm, how to create equitable opportunities f...

Did you know Trader Joe’s can teach you everything you need to know about running a law firm? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry discuss law firm strategy and why strategy means making choices for your law firm. Hear the difference between strategic planning and your company vision, how to define success for your...

Did you know getting visible in AI is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry continue their AI Search discussion by sharing how to get cited by AI as a law firm. Hear the attributes that AI Search rewards, how to inspire third-party validation, why you should consider publishing case studies, how to approach so...

Did you know Google is obsolete? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry break down what you need to know about AI Search as a law firm. Hear why Google Search is changing so much, how to focus on AI citations as your new marketing objective, how to make your website AI-friendly, why recognition & awards are even...

Did you know your intake team can make more money for you than your attorneys? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry reveal how to transform your intake team as a law firm. Hear how to standardize your intake process as a law firm, how to leverage technology correctly during the intake process, how to develop ongoin...

Did you know deciding which tech tool to use is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry showcase the tech tools they can’t live without as a law firm. Hear how to decide which tech tools to implement in your law firm, whether you should use AI agents as a law firm, the essential client communication platforms, h...

Did you know building a diversified marketing portfolio is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry break down how to build a diversified marketing portfolio as a law firm. Hear why diversification matters in your marketing mix, an overview of their current marketing mix, the importance of defining marketing camp...

Did you know teaching your team accountability is easy? That’s the dumbest thing Marc’s ever said. In this episode of the Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead & Diana Berry share the 3 habits that make or break leaders in your law firm from the hit book How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability by Michael Timms. Hear Marc’s approach to onboarding new employees, why engagement alone doesn’t guaran...

Happy New Year! In the spirit of the season, Marc has a gift for you in today’s mini-episode: a free copy of his marketing plan. He has presented his plan to lawyers across the country. Some key points from this episode: -Are lawyers too focused on being profitable? Marc believes this is the wrong framing. Lawyers have an ethical duty to be wildly profitable – to help the most people and give them...