Power Up Your Practice

Hosted by Ruby Powers

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139

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Nov 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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November 3, 202635 min

Ep. 139: Don't Just Add AI: Reimagining the Law Firm with Steve Embry & Carolyn Elefant

Recorded live at 8am's Kaleidoscope in Las Vegas, Ruby Powers sits down with two of legal tech's most trusted voices: Steve Embry and Carolyn Elefant. They talk about what's really happening beyond the tools and the hype. Steve is a writer for Above the Law, author of the Tech Law Crossroads blog, past chair of the ABA Law Practice Division, and a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience at a large firm. Carolyn runs the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, where she fights big energy. She trains lawyers on AI and writes MyShingle.com, the longest-running blog on solo and small firm practice, now in its 24th year. Together they bring a rare mix of big law, solo practice, and conference-circuit perspective. What we explore: ✅ The Business Model Squeeze: Clients now expect firms to invest heavily in AI to save the clients money. That puts hourly firms in a tight spot and raises a question nobody has fully answered yet: how do you turn a profit when the tools make the work faster? ✅ Don't Just Add AI: Carolyn's biggest frustration is that most firms are taking the existing model and tacking AI onto it. Why the real opportunity is starting from a blank slate and asking what clients actually value. ✅ MSOs, Private Equity & Non-Lawyer Ownership: Why Carolyn would rather see open co-ownership than management services organizations that quietly act as owners. Plus Steve's perspective on why big law and small firms are two completely different markets. ✅ How to Keep Up Without Burning Out: Tools that take hours one week and seconds the next. Why CLE isn't built for this moment, why peer groups matter, and why the first step is understanding your own business model before deciding what to learn. ✅ Succession Planning Beyond Retirement: It isn't only about lawyers aging out. What happens when your six-year associate leaves tomorrow, and what technology do you need in place to pick up their files? ✅ It's Not Harder to Change, It's Harder to Decide: Why age isn't the real barrier to adapting, and how AI makes experimenting cheaper and less risky than ever. ✅ Why the Optimism Is Justified: From the telephone to email to the cloud, lawyers have been skeptical of every new technology and adapted every time. Why this moment, especially for smaller and mid-sized firms, may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you're feeling behind on AI, or wondering what your firm's model will look like in five years, this conversation will give you a clearer way to think about it. 📌 Connect with Steve Embry and Carolyn Elefant: Carolyn: LinkedIn and TikTok (Carolyn Elefant) | myshingle.com Steve: LinkedIn | Tech Law Crossroads 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Own Your Next Chapter – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details here: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-january-2027/ 📊 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 • Lawmatics https://www.lawmatics.com/partnerleads?referral_partner=Powers%20Strategy%20Group • Lawbrokr https://www.lawbrokr.com/referral?fpr=powerup&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 • Wispr Flow https://wisprflow.ai/?utm_source=dub.co&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateProgram&via=5kpues8&dub_id=LPTZwLE7svFqsVCO

October 27, 202633 min

Ep. 138: Negotiate Better, Lead Better: Interest-Based Skills with Megan Daic

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Megan Daic — founder of Daic Law, mediator, adjunct faculty at University of Houston Law Center and St. Mary's University School of Law, and creator of Empathic Edge, an AI-powered negotiation training tool — for a conversation about one of the most underused skills in the legal profession: negotiating for yourself. Megan has spent over a decade coaching law students through competitions, running her own litigation firm, and teaching negotiation at the highest level. She's also a fellow retreat attendee — she was at Ruby's Denver retreat — and brings that same spirit of genuine connection and honest conversation to this episode. What we explore: ✅ Positions vs. Interests: Most lawyers walk into negotiations focused on terms — salary, price, timeline. Interest-based negotiation asks a different question: why does that term matter? And what does the other side actually need? That shift unlocks agreements that pure positional bargaining never finds. ✅ ZOPA & BATNA: Two terms every lawyer should know and use — the zone of potential agreement and your best alternative to a negotiated agreement. How to identify both before you sit down at the table, and why knowing your BATNA changes everything about how you negotiate. ✅ Why Lawyers Negotiate for Clients But Not Themselves: Vendor contracts, software agreements, leases, associate salaries — most firm owners accept the first offer. Megan explains why, and what to do instead. ✅ Genuine Curiosity as a Negotiation Skill: The three things Megan tells every student: prepare, summarize as you go, and approach the other side with genuine curiosity instead of ego. Why open-ended questions outperform arguments every time. ✅ Teaching That Actually Sticks: How a decade of coaching law students changed how Megan runs her own firm — the 15-minute teaching block model, monthly learning lunches, and why the same techniques that work in a classroom work in a team meeting. ✅ Letting Go of Perfectionism: Why control and perfectionism are the biggest blocks to building a team that functions without you — and what Megan does now instead when someone comes to her with a problem. If you negotiate every day for your clients and accept the first offer for yourself — this episode is your wake-up call. 📌 Connect with Megan Daic: Instagram: @megsmithnegotiates Email: megan@daiclaw.com Website: daiclaw.com 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Own Your Next Chapter – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details here: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-january-2027/ 📊 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 Lawmatics https://www.lawmatics.com/partnerleads?referral_partner=Powers%20Strategy%20Group Lawbrokr https://www.lawbrokr.com/referral?fpr=powerup&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 Wispr Flow https://wisprflow.ai/?utm_source=dub.co&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateProgram&via=5kpues8&dub_id=LPTZwLE7svFqsVCO

October 20, 202647 min

Ep. 137: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: Teams & Culture with Warren Fiihr

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Warren Fiihr — business coach, franchise owner of ActionCOACH Sugar Land, and soon-to-be author of Trust Your Caddy — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to build a business that grows beyond you. Warren grew up on a farm in Iowa, spent decades running TV stations and advertising companies across the country, and eventually landed in Houston to do what he's always done: fix broken things. Today he coaches business owners — including professional service firms — on the strategies, team dynamics, and culture that separate the ones that scale from the ones that stay stuck. What we explore: ✅ What Got You Here Won't Get You There: Why the hustle, grit, and sales instinct that got a firm to $2M or $4M is not the same skill set that gets it to the next level — and why business owners resist that truth longer than they should. ✅ Hire Slow, Fire Fast — Or Pay for It: Why the best interview is the best someone will ever be. Why marginal people don't get better. And why hanging onto the wrong person way too long is one of the most common and costly mistakes Warren sees. ✅ Delegation Is a Time Investment: The first time you hand something off, it's a negative ROI. The 20th time, it's pure upside. Why slowing down to train — and teaching your team to think critically instead of just bringing you their problems — is the unlock most leaders skip. ✅ Culture Isn't Tacos and Birthday Cake: Warren's USA framework — urgency, skills, attitude — and why culture isn't what you say it is, it's what you do in the small moments, especially when things go wrong. ✅ The Outside View: Why looking outside your industry — at ballerinas, Navy ships, Savannah Bananas, and bike teams — consistently produces the best breakthroughs. And why getting out of the building, literally, changes how you think. ✅ AI as the Next Delegation Layer: A candid, unplanned thread running through the episode — Ruby's current obsession with transforming her firm's operations with AI, and Warren's firsthand experience with what's actually possible when you stop making excuses and just try it. If you've been working harder than ever and wondering why the firm isn't growing the way it should — this episode names exactly what's in the way. 📌 Connect with Warren Fiihr: Website: warrenfiihr.com Book: Trust Your Caddy — coming soon 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Own Your Next Chapter – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details here: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-january-2027/ 📊 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 • Lawmatics https://www.lawmatics.com/partnerleads?referral_partner=Powers%20Strategy%20Group • Lawbrokr https://www.lawbrokr.com/referral?fpr=powerup&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 • Wispr Flow https://wisprflow.ai/?utm_source=dub.co&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateProgram&via=5kpues8&dub_id=LPTZwLE7svFqsVCO

October 13, 202655 min

Ep. 136: Stop Losing Clients: Intake, Consultations & Follow-Up with Scott Berry

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Scott Berry — founder and president of Market Crest and author of the Amazon #1 bestseller The Law Firm Intake Playbook — for one of the most practical revenue conversations the show has had. Scott spent two years embedded inside a large immigration law firm, listening to intake calls, watching consultations, and tracking what actually happened between the first phone call and the signed retainer. What he found changed everything about how he thinks about law firm growth — and it had almost nothing to do with leads. What we explore: ✅ You Don't Have a Lead Problem: Why the first instinct of most stalled law firms — we need more leads — is almost always wrong. The real problem is what happens after the phone rings, and most firms have no idea how bad it is until someone actually listens to the recordings. ✅ The Three Moments of Truth: Getting a prospect to pay for a consultation. Closing them on the spot. Winning them back if they walk out without signing. Each one is a distinct skill, and most firms are failing at at least two of the three. ✅ Close Ratios by Who's Doing the Closing: Founders close at 45-50%. Associates at around 25%. Non-attorney salespeople at around 15%. Same leads, wildly different results. And what that math means for your revenue when you step back from consultations. ✅ The Rule of Nine: Why three or four follow-up attempts is not enough — and why you shouldn't give up on a lead until they've told you they've hired someone else, don't call again, or you've made nine genuine attempts. ✅ One System, Not Four: Why marketing, intake, consultations, and follow-up need to be managed as a single revenue system — and how even a small firm can do this with a biweekly meeting, some role-playing, and a CRM that actually gets used. ✅ Listen to the Recordings: The single most important thing a law firm owner can do right now. Not once — every month. Scott says after five calls he can tell you exactly where the revenue is leaking. Most founders are shocked by what they hear. If you've been spending on marketing and wondering why the growth isn't matching — this episode shows you where to look first. 📌 Connect with Scott Berry: Website: marketcrest.com Book: The Law Firm Intake Playbook on Amazon New book coming January 2027 — watch for it. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Own Your Next Chapter – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details here: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-january-2027/ 📊 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 Lawmatics https://www.lawmatics.com/partnerleads?referral_partner=Powers%20Strategy%20Group Lawbrokr https://www.lawbrokr.com/referral?fpr=powerup&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 Wispr Flow https://wisprflow.ai/?utm_source=dub.co&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=AffiliateProgram&via=5kpues8&dub_id=LPTZwLE7svFqsVCO

October 6, 202641 min

Ep. 135: Build Your Own Legal Tech: No-Code, AI Research & What's Next with Chris Hammond

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Chris Hammond — immigration attorney, founder of Chris Hammond Law Firm, and creator of Passim AI — for one of the most exciting origin stories in legal tech right now. Chris didn't set out to build a company. He set out to make his own immigration practice better. In November 2025, he downloaded Claude Code, built a database of Texas native plants for his garden, and realized he could do the same thing for immigration law. Nine months later, he's a legal tech founder being recognized as an innovator by the American Law Institute, running a product used by immigration attorneys across the country, and still practicing law. What we explore: ✅ The No-Code Revolution for Attorneys: Why the barrier to building your own legal tech has essentially disappeared — and why domain experts, not software engineers, are now the ones building the most useful tools. If you can describe what you want in plain English, you can build it. ✅ How Passim AI Works: A legal research tool that plugs directly into your Claude or ChatGPT subscription and gives your AI access to a comprehensive database of immigration law — BIA precedent decisions, statutes, regulations, USCIS policy manuals, unpublished BIA and AAO decisions, and more. At $29/month versus $400/month for Westlaw or LexisNexis. ✅ The Research Math: A brief that used to take two to three weeks of associate time and billing can now be researched overnight, with a memo waiting for you when you wake up — with clickable links to the original sources. Everyone wins. ✅ Why Build for the AI Agent, Not the Human: The key insight that separated Passim from other tools — designing the database and the tooling to be searched efficiently by an AI agent, not a human with a search bar. ✅ Start With Your Hobby: Chris's advice for attorneys who want to get into these tools but feel intimidated — start with something low-stakes and personal. Build something for a hobby. Let the machine teach you how to use it. Then bring it into your practice. ✅ Where the Profession Is Heading: Why AI native law firms are already here, why solo and small firm practice is about to get a major upgrade, and why the attorneys who use these tools to provide better service — not just cheaper service — will be the ones who thrive. 📌 Connect with Chris Hammond: Website: passimai.com Note: Search for "BIA Edge" in ChatGPT or Claude connectors until the Passim AI rebrand is complete. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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

September 29, 202647 min

Ep. 134: Buying a Firm, PE Trends & Vaccine Injury Practice with Jon Groth

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Jon Groth — founder and managing partner of Groth Law Firm in Milwaukee, trial lawyer, and host of the Groth Law Firm podcast — for a wide-ranging conversation about where the personal injury space is heading and what firm owners need to be doing right now to stay ahead of it. Jon started his firm in 2010 in his basement with his dog running overhead. Today he runs an eight-attorney practice that grew through smart hiring, strategic acquisition, and a relentless focus on running the firm like a business. He's been to the conferences, read the books, done the deal — and he's here to share what he actually learned. What we explore: ✅ Private Equity Is Already Here: It's not coming — it's already buying family law firms, personal injury practices, and everything in between. Jon breaks down what he learned at the Vista consulting conference in Baltimore, who's getting approached first, and what the timeline looks like for small and mid-sized firms. ✅ How to Prepare Regardless: Whether you ever want to sell or not, the playbook is the same — run your firm like a business, understand your numbers, know your EBITDA, separate the law from the back office, and build systems that don't depend on you. The firms that have done that work will have options. The ones that haven't won't. ✅ How to Win Against PE-Backed Competitors: More advertising spend, more cases, more scale — but less personal service. Jon's answer is unreasonable hospitality, white glove client service, and becoming the hometown hero that a Morgan & Morgan never can be. ✅ Buying a Law Firm: How Jon acquired a Milwaukee practice through a firm broker, what the due diligence actually looked like, how they valued cases before any money changed hands, and the one surprise that came after closing — and why it wasn't the firm's fault. ✅ Vaccine Injury Practice: The practice area most lawyers — and most doctors — have never heard of. How the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program works, what on-table and off-table injuries mean, why billions of dollars sit in a fund waiting to pay valid claims that never get filed, and where COVID vaccine injuries currently stand. If you're a PI firm owner trying to understand what's coming, thinking about buying a practice, or just curious about a niche that almost nobody knows exists — this episode covers all three. 📌 Connect with Jon Groth: Website: grothlawfirm.com Podcast: Groth Law Firm Podcast 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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

September 22, 202647 min

Ep. 133: Vicarious Trauma & Resilience: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know with Jenny Hughes

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Jenny Hughes, PhD — trauma psychologist, founder of the Brave Trauma Therapist Collective, and creator of the Brave Method of Vicarious Trauma and Resilience — for a conversation that most lawyers have never had but desperately need. Jenny started her career in child trauma and infant mental health, then became the trauma psychologist at a Level 1 trauma center in New Orleans — where she went from zero-to-five-year-olds to gunshot survivors overnight. That experience is where she first encountered vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout up close, and where she realized nobody was helping the helpers. She's spent her career since then building the tools and the language that helping professionals — including lawyers — need to keep doing their work without losing themselves in it. What we explore: ✅ The Definitions You Never Got in Law School: The difference between vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout — what each one is, how they're different, and why you're likely experiencing at least one of them right now. ✅ You Cannot Avoid Vicarious Trauma: It happens through the same empathic engagement that makes you good at your job. The goal is not to avoid it — it's to normalize it so you can actually work with it. ✅ Vicarious Resilience: The counterbalance most people have never heard of. The same pathways that absorb trauma also give you access to the transformation your clients experience — and learning to notice and install that is one of the most powerful tools a lawyer can have. ✅ The Soft Transitions Exercise: A two-to-three-minute practice Jenny developed that can be integrated into any existing team meeting — no new meetings required. Ruby walks through it live on the episode, and it's worth pausing just to try it yourself. ✅ Community as the Most Protective Factor: The very first thing Ruby named when Jenny turned the interview around on her — and the research backs it up. Why peer groups, consultation calls, and even happy hours with colleagues who understand the work make a measurable difference. ✅ What Law Firm Leaders Can Do Right Now: Why the change has to be top-down, how to create space for lawyers and staff to talk about the weight of the work without shame, and why this is a retention and turnover issue as much as it is a wellness issue. If you've ever walked out of a client meeting carrying something you couldn't put down, wondered if something was wrong with you, or just needed someone to name what you've been feeling — this episode is for you. 📌 Connect with Jenny Hughes: Website: braveproviders.com Free resource: Soft Transitions Exercise — braveproviders.com Podcast: Vicarious Trauma and Resilience Podcast 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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

September 15, 202644 min

Ep. 132: Stop Playing It Safe: Ghostwriting, Poker & Bold Moves with Amanda Botfeld

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Amanda Botfeld — published author, founder of Finally Get Your Book Done, and author of A Girl's Guide to Poker — for a conversation about two things that have more in common than most people realize: writing your book and playing to win. Amanda has bylines in the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Los Angeles Times. She submitted to the WSJ op-ed desk over and over for a year before they ran her piece. She played the World Series of Poker main event with her father and they both cashed. She teaches poker to executive women at Goldman Sachs. And she built a ghostwriting company that helps people who have a story to tell finally get it on paper — in their own voice, live, sentence by sentence. What we explore: ✅ Why People Write Books: The permanence and crystallization of what you know, what you've been through, and what you keep repeating to everyone around you. Why a book is different from every other format — and why now might be your moment. ✅ The Finally Get Your Book Done Model: Collaborative ghostwriting done live on Zoom, where you're in the driver's seat for every sentence. Why it's faster than traditional ghostwriting, more authentic than handing off your story, and more demanding than people expect — in a good way. ✅ What Holds Most Manuscripts Back: Hands down, it's not being willing to be vulnerable. The people who hold back, gloss over things, and play it safe on the page end up with books that don't land. The ones who go there — that's what draws readers in. ✅ Poker as a Business Framework: Aggression frequency, playing the hand you have, why playing it safe is statistically a losing strategy, and what happens when you stop waiting for perfect cards and start making moves. ✅ Women in Poker, Women in Business: Why something changes between age 14 and 40 that makes women more risk-averse at the table — and how the same pattern shows up in boardrooms, pitch meetings, and business bank accounts. What it takes to lean into your strengths and stop being afraid of making a mistake. ✅ What Great Writing Actually Is: It's not about saying something new. It's about saying something people already believe in a way that is shockingly, refreshingly, and inspiringly clear. Pace, cadence, and sticking the landing. If you've been thinking about writing a book, or you've been playing it safe in your business — this episode is your permission slip to stop waiting. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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

September 8, 202635 min

Ep. 131: Stop Chasing Invoices: Legal Payments & Disbursements with Emery Wager

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Emery Wager, co-founder of Confido Legal, for a conversation about one of the most overlooked parts of running a law firm: actually getting paid — and getting money where it needs to go. Emery came to legal payments from the outside. While managing outside counsel relationships at a previous company, he was personally responsible for paying millions of dollars in legal bills — and was consistently putting law firm invoices at the bottom of the pile because the experience was so difficult. That frustration became the foundation for Confido, a digital integrated payments platform built specifically for the legal space, now working with over 1,600 law firms across North America. What we explore: ✅ The Collect Early Billing Model: Why the default — do the work, send the invoice, hope you get paid — is the worst possible system for cash flow. The four billing models that actually work: evergreen retainer, auto-billing, flat fee, and subscription, and why the best firms bill multiple times a month. ✅ Cash Flow vs. Collection Rate: Why getting paid in 15 days instead of 45 days is worth almost a month of revenue — and what you can do with that money when it's in the bank instead of sitting as accounts receivable. ✅ Why Disbursements Are Still Stuck in the Past: Almost every plaintiff firm Emery talks to is still sending paper checks. In 2026. With AI intake, AI demand letters, and sophisticated case management — and then the moment the case settles, everything goes completely offline. ✅ The Paper Check Problem: Why checks are becoming one of the most dangerous ways to move money, what the actual fraud loss rates look like, and why your account and routing number going out to hundreds of people a month is a risk most firms haven't thought through. ✅ How to Start: You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Try digital disbursements on one small case. See how the client reacts. See what it does to overhead. Then phase it in. Dip your toe in the water before you commit. ✅ The Marine Corps Lesson That Runs His Company: Go to the point of friction. Don't stand behind the battlefield directing traffic — find the single place where the outcome is being decided and get there. If your firm is still billing monthly, still sending paper checks, or still hoping invoices get paid — this episode is your wake-up call. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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

August 21, 202642 min

Ep. 129: Stop Blending In: Legal Marketing, GEO & CRM Strategy with Amanda Sexton

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Amanda Sexton, founder and principal at Focus Works, a marketing agency dedicated exclusively to law firms, for a conversation about what's actually working in legal marketing right now — and what's quietly becoming obsolete. Amanda has been in marketing since college, fell into the legal space when most of her network turned out to be lawyers, and has spent years helping firms build predictable pipelines based on data and results rather than vanity metrics. She's here to cut through the noise on AI search, CRM, content strategy, and what it actually takes to stand out when every firm in your market sounds exactly the same. What we explore: ✅ How Clients Are Finding Firms Now: AI search is converting at significantly higher rates than Google — because by the time someone asks ChatGPT who to call, they've already done the research and are ready to hire. What that means for your marketing strategy and why diversifying beyond Google is no longer optional. ✅ GEO vs. SEO: What generative engine optimization actually is, why recency and external validation matter more than ever, and the one thing you can do right now — just ask Claude or ChatGPT what it thinks about your firm and see what comes back. ✅ CRM: The Biggest Missed Opportunity: Less than 10% of law firms use their CRM well — and some are still doing paper intake. Why that gap is costing firms clients they've already paid to attract, and what the data actually tells you once you start tracking it. ✅ The Five-Minute Window: The drop-off after five minutes of not responding to a new lead is dramatic. What to do if your intake team is also your legal assistant — and how to build a backup system so no lead falls through. ✅ Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else: Most firm websites and social content are nearly identical. How to find your firm's actual through-line, use client stories to build trust before the first call, and create the parasocial relationship that makes prospects feel like they already know you. ✅ LinkedIn Is Still the Most Underused Tool: Why company newsletters on LinkedIn are getting indexed at rates far higher than regular posts, why consistent personal presence on LinkedIn generates referrals firms didn't know they were missing, and why now is the time to lean in. ✅ Waterfall Content Strategy: One video, turned into clips, blogs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, and GEO-optimized content — how to get the most out of the time you're already spending on content creation. If you've been doing the same marketing for years and wondering why it's not working the way it used to — this episode gives you the clearest picture of what's changed and what to do about it. 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Power Up Your Practice Into Reality – January 2027 in Austin, TX. More details coming soon — stay tuned! 📊 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