Power Up Your Practice

Hosted by Ruby Powers

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Episodes

118

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to Power Up Your Practice, the go-to law practice management podcast for law firm owners and managing attorneys working on the business, not in it. Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level.

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June 16, 202647 min

Ep. 119: Tax Planning, Retirement & Building Firm Wealth with Mike Milligan

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Mike Milligan, CFP® and founder of 1.oak Financial, for one of the most practically useful financial conversations Power Up Your Practice has had. Mike started his relationship with money early — watching his grandmother sell collard sandwiches at job sites after his grandfather couldn't work, charging $5 each at a time when a Big Mac cost a dollar. That foundation shaped everything: a belief that financial planning should serve real people, not Wall Street firms, and that the strategies available to the wealthy should be accessible to every business owner willing to learn them. For law firm owners, that means one thing above all: taxes are your single biggest expense, and most of you are overpaying because nobody on your team is actually doing tax planning. What we explore: ✅ Tax Planning vs. Tax Preparation: Why your CPA is a historian, not a strategist — and what changes when you finally have someone thinking about your taxes before they happen. ✅ Strategies You're Probably Missing: The Augusta Rule, hiring your kids as W2 employees, the Section 179 vehicle deduction, business structure by state, and geographic arbitrage — with real numbers attached to each one. ✅ Retirement for the Self-Employed: Why solo practitioners can contribute up to $80,000 a year to a solo 401k, what a cash balance pension looks like for high-earning partners, and why delay of gratification is still the foundation of everything. ✅ Building Firm Value for an Exit: Why PE firms are paying attention to law firms now, what makes your firm actually valuable on paper, and why your advisory team should be people who sign the front of their own checks. ✅ Ask Your Advisor to Show You Their Returns: The bold move Mike makes with every prospective client — and why law firm owners should expect the same transparency from the people they hire. If you've been avoiding the financial conversation because it feels overwhelming or you assumed someone else was handling it — this episode is your starting point. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

June 9, 202641 min

Ep. 118: The Success Trap: The Truth About Burnout & Career Change with Erin Gerner

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Erin Gerner — attorney, entrepreneur, coach, and founder of Powerhouse Lawyers — for a conversation that a lot of high-achieving women in law need to hear but rarely get to have out loud. Erin left BigLaw, then left an in-house counsel position when she became a mom, and spent years figuring out who she was when "attorney" wasn't the first thing on her list. That journey became her work: coaching women lawyers through burnout, identity shifts, and the career decisions that feel impossible to make — and impossible to keep avoiding. What we explore: ✅ The Success Trap: What happens when you've hit every milestone you were supposed to hit and it still doesn't feel like enough — and why the dopamine hit of achievement has a very short shelf life. ✅ The Hamster Wheel: How high-achieving lawyers end up running so hard toward the next thing that they never stop to ask whether they actually want it — and what getting still enough to hear the answer looks like in practice. ✅ What You Have to Let Go Of: Identity. Comparison. The opinions of people who aren't paying your bills. Imposter syndrome. Fear. Erin walks through what she had to put down to move forward — and why none of it is weakness. ✅ Paralysis Disguised as Productivity: The pattern of enrolling in courses, having conversations, doing research — and calling it progress when it's actually just a very convincing way to stay exactly where you are. ✅ No One Is Coming: Why waiting for the right moment, the right sign, or the right circumstances is itself a decision — and what it actually takes to take the next best step even when you can't see all the way to Z. ✅ Reclaiming Your Powerhouse Status: What it looks like in practice — not as a big production, but as the small, simple things that fill your tank back up when you've been running on empty. If you've ever stood at the top of the hill you were supposed to climb and thought — okay, now what — this episode is for you. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: • Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 • Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ • CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers • Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

June 4, 202653 min

Ep. 117: Architect Your Practice: Map Your Firm, Free Your Time

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Luis Baris, founder of Law Firm Architects, for a conversation about what actually keeps law firm owners stuck — and what it takes to build a practice that doesn't fall apart the moment they step away. Luis came to legal operations from an unlikely direction: 15 years at NASA as an engineer and eventually head of customer experience. He got his first look at law firm chaos trying to help his then-girlfriend (now fiancée) Nadine Navarro run her immigration practice, and realized band-aids weren't cutting it. What followed was a methodology built on the same process design principles he used at NASA and Pfizer — now applied to law firms. What we explore: ✅ The Real Problem Isn't People or Technology: Why firms feel stuck because their systems live inside someone's head — and why no hire or software purchase fixes that without first mapping the actual flow. ✅ Start With a Napkin: How to pick one stage of your practice, write out what actually happens, and immediately surface the gaps, duplications, and decisions nobody has ever written down. ✅ The Bottleneck Is You (And That Has to Change): Why the first move is mindset, the second is letting go of "only I can do this" — and why letting your team fail forward is the only way they grow. ✅ SOPs Nobody Reads: The common mistake of building an 80-page Google Doc that collects dust — and what to replace it with so your team actually uses it. ✅ 14 Weeks, Not Forever: What a realistic operation reset looks like from design to go-live, why the first six weeks are the most important, and why change management is half the job. ✅ The Denver Retreat: What Ruby and Luis are building together this August 5–8 for up to 15 firms who want to do the design work in person, leave with an action plan, and actually get out of their own way. If your firm runs because you're in the middle of everything — and you're exhausted by it — this one's worth your time. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

May 28, 202649 min

Ep. 116: Travel More, Spend Less: Travel Hacking for Firm Owners with Marco Scanu

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Marco Scanu — entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Andiamo Travel, Visa Business Plans, and ProfitWise Online — for a conversation that's equal parts practical and inspiring. Marco grew up in the travel industry — his father founded one of Venezuela's first travel agencies — and has spent decades helping people travel smarter. In this episode, he breaks down the travel hacking strategies that let busy firm owners collect points, fly better, and take their practice with them wherever they go. What we explore: ✅ Never Pay Cash: Why every business expense is an opportunity to collect points — and how to be intentional about it from day one. ✅ The Points Game: How to use tools like points to find the best deals with your miles — and why going straight to the portal is almost always the wrong move. ✅ Choosing the Right Cards: How to pick credit cards based on where you fly, where you stay, and how to maximize sign-up bonuses of up to 300,000 points. ✅ The Workcation Model: What separates a real workcation from just working on vacation — and how to structure your days so you actually recharge. ✅ Freedom Starts With Your Team: Why travel hacking and law practice management are more connected than you think — and why without the right people, systems, and delegation, you're not going anywhere. If you've ever watched someone else brag about their free upgrades and wondered how they do it — this episode is your starting point. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

May 19, 202645 min

Ep. 115: When Everything Hits at Once: Cancer, Addiction & How to Keep Going with Lambert Dunn

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Lambert Dunn — trial lawyer, immigration attorney, and solo practitioner based in Western Oklahoma — for one of the most honest conversations in the Resilience Series yet. Lambert's story didn't unfold in a single crisis. It accumulated. Cancer diagnosed months after getting married. A wife who fell into addiction while he was fighting for his own life. A firm quietly drained of nearly a quarter million dollars while he was in a fog. And through all of it — court dates, client calls, raising kids, keeping the lights on. What makes Lambert different isn't that he survived. It's how steady he stayed doing it. What we explore: ✅ The Diagnosis: What happens to your practice, your finances, and your family when cancer arrives with no warning — and no safety net. ✅ When Your Closest Person Falls Apart: How Lambert navigated his wife's addiction while managing a solo practice, young children, and his own recovery — and the decision he made with his last dollars. ✅ The Financial Hit: How a quarter million dollars disappeared from his firm while he wasn't looking — and what he did next. ✅ The Steadiness Philosophy: Why Lambert doesn't get too high or too low — and how that mindset is what kept him practicing, parenting, and moving forward through years of compounding crisis. ✅ Uncertainty as a Lawyer's Superpower: Why the same discomfort that breaks most people is actually the environment lawyers are built for — and how to use that. If you've ever felt like too much is happening at once and you don't know how you're still standing — this episode is for you. 📌 Connect with Lambert Dunn: https://www.dunnhdz.com/ 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

May 14, 202620 min

Ep. 114: Trust, Morale & Adoption: Getting Your Firm Through Legal Tech Change with Samantha Hamiel at #NeoSummit2026

Recorded live at NeoSummit 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Ruby Powers sits down with Samantha Hamiel, Chief of Staff at Neostella, for a conversation about the side of legal tech change that nobody talks about enough: the human side. Samantha leads change management from the inside of one of legal tech's fastest-growing companies — and before that, she was a litigation paralegal. That combination gives her a perspective most tech executives don't have: she knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a system change, and she knows what it takes to lead one well. In this conversation, she gets honest about what legal teams actually experience when technology changes, why so many people are traumatized by past implementations, and what firm owners can do right now to bring their teams along — without losing trust, morale, or productivity. What we explore: ✅ Both Ends of the Spectrum: The 20-year veteran who refuses to change and the Gen Z hire who won't apply tech at work — and how to get both on board. ✅ Trauma & Trust: Why so many legal teams are traumatized by past system changes — and how to rebuild trust before, during, and after a transition. ✅ Know Yourself First: The framework Tracy Lynn shared at NeoSummit — why understanding how you self-regulate as a leader is the foundation of leading any change. ✅ Open Office Hours: The monthly practice one firm shared that changed how their team experienced change — and how to create psychological safety around feedback. ✅ The Partner Ecosystem: Why giving firms choice in their tech stack — rather than forcing all-in-one solutions — is what the legal tech market is missing most right now. Recorded live at NeoSummit 2026, Fort Lauderdale — a special edition of Power Up Your Practice. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

May 12, 202619 min

Ep. 113: Building a Legal Tech Stack That Actually Works with Brian Mayer at #NeoSummit2026

Recorded live at #NeoSummit2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Ruby Powers sits down with Brian Mayer, VP of Product at Neostella, for a candid conversation about one of the biggest frustrations in legal tech: why the tools still don't work together — and what it's going to take to fix that. Brian leads the product team behind Neostella's enterprise case management platform, built from the ground up to be open and connectable in a market full of platforms that want to lock you in. In this conversation, he breaks down what a real legal tech stack looks like, what AI agents actually mean for how firms work, and why the biggest challenge ahead isn't the technology — it's the humans. What we explore: ✅ The All-in-One Trap: Why most legal platforms are designed to keep you locked in — and what a truly connected tech stack looks like instead. ✅ AI Agents & the Bridge Time: How firms will need to orchestrate work between humans and AI agents — and why that transition is going to take longer than most people think. ✅ The Legal Engineer: The role emerging inside law firms to manage it all — and why it doesn't require a technical background, just someone who deeply understands your processes. ✅ Document Everything: Why documenting your processes is the single most practical thing any firm — solo or enterprise — can do right now to prepare for AI. ✅ Scalability in Practice: Where workflow management breaks down as legal teams grow, and what actually separates firms that scale from those that plateau. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

May 5, 202639 min

Ep. 112: Merge, Sell, or Go Big: The Real Talk Every Firm Owner Needs with Christine Alden

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Christine J. Alden — immigration attorney, shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, and past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association South Florida chapter — for a conversation most law firm owners never get to hear: what actually happens when you merge your boutique practice into a big firm. Christine has run the full gamut — solo practice, boutique firm, fifty percent business owner, and now shareholder at a national firm. Eight years in, she hasn't looked back. But she's also refreshingly honest about the trade-offs, the diligence process, the questions you should be asking, and what nobody tells you before you sign. What we explore: ✅ The Real Pros: From 24/7 IT support and document services to a deep bench of partners across practice areas — the resources Christine didn't even know existed until she got there. ✅ The Real Cons: More layers, more approval processes, less lone-wolf decision-making — and why that's actually a relief for some and a dealbreaker for others. ✅ The Decision Framework: Will your clients follow you? Will you be comfortable there? What the due diligence process really looks like — and why you should never feel rushed. ✅ The Billing Conversation: From flat fee to hourly — why joining a big firm changed how Christine saw her own rates, and what the billable hour debate looks like right now. ✅ Leadership as Strategy: Why Christine has led bar associations and business councils — not just for the referrals, but for the growth she never expected. If you've ever wondered what it would look like to merge, sell, or go big law — this episode is the honest conversation you need first. 📌 Connect with Christine J. Alden: LinkedIn: search Christine J. Alden Firm: Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

April 28, 202645 min

Ep. 111: Smarter Automation: Knowing When to Use Rules-Based vs. Generative AI in Your Practice with Dorna Moini

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Dorna Moini — CEO and founder of Gavel, former Sidley Austin attorney, ABA Legal Rebel, and Fastcase 50 honoree — for one of the most practical legal tech conversations we've had on the show. Dorna didn't just build a legal automation tool. She started by solving a real problem — creating a TurboTax-style system for domestic violence survivors navigating restraining orders — and then built the platform that thousands of legal professionals now use to automate their practices. She knows the difference between what sounds good in a demo and what actually works on the ground. In this episode, she breaks down the automation decision every firm owner needs to make — and gives you the framework to make it right. What we explore: ✅ Rules-Based vs. Generative AI: What the difference actually means in practice — when to use each, which practice areas call for which tool, and why getting this wrong costs you time and money. ✅ RAG vs. Fine-Tuning: The technical distinction that determines whether the AI tool you're buying will still work in two years — explained in plain English for the firm owner who just wants something that works. ✅ 90% Time Savings: The real numbers behind document automation — and what it looks like when a firm finally builds a system instead of just copying last year's template. ✅ The VC Case Study: How one firm used AI to redline every new deal to the most favorable terms a VC had ever agreed to — and why that kind of data-driven lawyering is now possible for any firm. ✅ The Systems Architect: Why the future of the practicing attorney isn't competing with AI — it's designing how AI and humans work together in your firm. If you've been overwhelmed by legal tech options and not sure where to start — this episode gives you the framework. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731

April 21, 202643 min

Ep. 110: What Corporate Clients Wish Their Lawyers Knew with Nandini Nair

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Nandini Nair—partner at A.Y. Strauss, former Global General Counsel for a multinational corporation, immigration compliance attorney, and fractional GC—for a conversation that most lawyers never get to hear: what corporate clients actually wish their outside counsel knew. Nandini has sat on both sides of the table. She knows what it feels like to receive a ten-page memo when you needed three bullet points. She knows what it's like to get billed for a two-minute conversation. And she knows exactly what separates the outside counsel that gets called once from the one that becomes a trusted partner for years. In this episode, she shares it all — directly, practically, and without sugarcoating. What we explore: ✅ Business Answers, Not Legal Answers: Why corporate clients don't need more legal analysis — they need someone who understands how their business actually runs and can translate risk into decisions. ✅ Stop Being Transactional: Why billing for every email and every conversation is quietly killing your client relationships — and what the subscription model alternative looks like in practice. ✅ The LinkedIn Strategy: How Nandini stays connected with every client by following them on LinkedIn — and why a simple congratulatory call about a new hire has led to some of her most valuable relationships. ✅ Proactive Risk Assessment: Why giving clients the same generic checklist everyone else gives them — including what ChatGPT spits out — is no longer enough to differentiate your firm. ✅ The Origin That Drives It All: How arriving in the US at age 8, speaking no English and barely knowing her own parents, shaped the way Nandini shows up for every client she serves. If you work with corporate clients — or want to — this episode is your inside guide to what they actually need from you. 📌 Connect with Nandini Nair: LinkedIn: Nandini Nair Website: aystrauss.com Email: nnair@aystrauss.com 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731