The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

Hosted by Michael Mogill

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493

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Sep 2026

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About the show

How can you become a game changer? Michael Mogill, Founder and CEO of Crisp, has used his mastery of marketing for lawyers to grow his company to an 8-figure powerhouse. In just a few years, Crisp has helped thousands of attorneys adapt to the new legal landscape, differentiate themselves from the competition, and earn millions in new revenue. In every episode, you’ll hear from law firm entrepreneurs and market leaders — people who flourish in the face of adversity, challenge the status quo, and define what it means to be a game changer. We investigate success stories and business growth and scalability strategies that can help you attract your ideal clients. Plus, discover hidden insights and actionable advice on how company culture and employee engagement, marketing and advertising, and management and hiring fit into the big picture. What do all our guests have in common? These successful attorneys and business owners prove that the key to innovation is a game-changing mindset. If you want to run your law firm like an entrepreneur, achieve a greater ROI, and build a world-class organization that stands the test of time, then you’re in good company. Subscribe to the Game Changing Attorney Podcast and get ready to take your business to the next level. For more information, visit https://www.crisp.co/podcast/

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September 10, 202617 min

496. AMMA — Permanent Solutions to Recurring Problems

If your team keeps bringing you problems instead of solutions, the pattern started with you, not them. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle three listener questions that all trace back to the same root problem: staying stuck in reactive mode. From training a team to solve its own problems to enforcing adherence to a process everyone claims to support, this episode unpacks why solving fires as they come keeps a firm from ever building the systems that prevent them. Here's what you'll learn: Why solving every problem for your team keeps them from solving any problem on their own How one four-word question shifts a team from asking to thinking What it actually takes to enforce adherence to a process your team already has Your team's problem-solving muscle only grows if you stop doing the lifting for them. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:05:39) Why your team hands you problems (00:06:32) The four-word question that fixes it (00:10:10) The intake leak that keeps returning (00:13:51) Firefighter ego vs. proactive leadership (00:15:44) Lay the groundwork now ---- Links & Resources: Dyson CameraJet ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 456. AMMA - Why It’s Your Fault If Your Team Isn’t Performing 423. AMMA - How to Actually Scale Your Standards 187. Dan Martell - Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire

September 8, 202644 min

495. Special Forces Lessons for Building a Self-Managing Practice with Sam Goodner

The instinct that built your practice from scratch is the same instinct that's keeping it dependent on you. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Sam Goodner, a former officer in the Swiss Special Forces who went on to build and sell multiple technology companies, including Catapult Systems and Flash Parking. A call about his father's cancer diagnosis once pulled Sam out of his business for five weeks. He came back to find his team running things better without him, and realized he'd been the bottleneck all along. Now the author of Like Clockwork: Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision, Sam breaks down how founders can build a practice that runs independently of them, from staging decision rights to designing a first day that sets the tone for years. Here's what you'll learn: Why the best predictor of future performance is a candidate's past, not a hypothetical answer What it takes to train your own replacement before anyone asks you to How codifying your best practices lets you step out of the day-to-day without losing quality If your firm still runs through you on every decision, this episode shows exactly where to start letting go. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:23) From Texas to Swiss Special Forces (00:06:17) Time-telling vs. clock-building (00:09:08) The call that exposed the bottleneck (00:13:53) A special forces first day (00:19:58) Cultural indoctrination day (00:22:27) Codifying your best practices (00:29:10) The topgrading interview method (00:31:18) Training your own replacement (00:42:12) Be different, not better ---- Links & Resources: Like Clockwork: Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision by Sam Goodner Sam Goodner Built to Last by Jim Collins Good to Great by Jim Collins Atomic Habits by James Clear Topgrading by Bradford D. Smart Scaling Up by Verne Harnish ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 359. The Ultimate Guide To Retaining Top Talent 287. Dan Martell - Buy Back Your Time: Mastering the Art of Delegation 282. AMMA - Beyond Business Cards: Building Real Relationships

September 3, 202624 min

494. AMMA — Navigating the Lows of Leadership

What if not wanting to be a leader is exactly what makes you a good one? In this AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill tackle three questions law firm owners keep sending in: why good employees walk out the door even after a raise, whether leadership can really be taught, and what to do when you catch yourself repeating the exact behavior you swore you'd never repeat. It's a candid conversation about what it actually takes to lead people, even when leading was never the plan. Here's what you'll learn: Why turnover in your firm rarely comes down to one cause How to lead your team when management never came naturally What it takes to stop repeating the leadership habits you swore you'd avoid The best leaders never stop asking whether they could be better. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:21) Why We Go To Bed At 8:30 (00:04:47) Why Discipline Feels Like Freedom (00:08:09) Diagnosing Sudden Employee Turnover (00:11:42) Exit And Stay Interviews Explained (00:15:12) Can Leadership Really Be Learned? (00:18:31) Why Leading Yourself Comes First (00:19:54) When You Become The Boss You Hated (00:22:44) The Power Of Asking What's The Argument ---- Links & Resources: Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink Shark Tank ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 460. AMMA - Why Your Top Talent is Secretly Quitting You 419. AMMA - The Harsh Truth About Leadership Nobody Wants to Hear 279. AMMA - Building Trust Through Authentic Leadership

September 1, 202643 min

493. Why Relationships Matter More Than Anything Else with Eddy Arriola

Eddy Arriola has built and sold multiple companies, and by his own account, he did it without ever being the smartest person in the room. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Eddy Arriola, founder of Apollo Bank and author of It's All About Relationships, to talk about the real driver behind his companies' success: the people around him. Eddy walks through the six categories of relationships every leader has to manage, why pausing before you react can save a partnership, and how trust is what actually holds a growing business together, more than authority ever will. It's a grounded, practical look at how the best leaders build the kind of teams and networks that carry them through hard times. Here's what you'll learn: Why relationships, not strategy or capital, are what actually scale a business How to build trust with your team instead of just demanding compliance Why pausing before reacting can save your most important partnerships Your business will only grow as fast as the relationships holding it together, so start building the right ones today. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:39) Growing up in an immigrant family (00:04:16) Starting Inktel in 1997 (00:10:38) A mentor who opened doors (00:12:49) Earning credibility in banking (00:15:46) Why he wrote the book (00:18:16) The six key relationships (00:23:43) The hardest relationship to build (00:27:21) The CARPET framework (00:30:16) The power of the pause (00:32:48) Trust over authority (00:33:49) Relationship with yourself (00:37:22) The Mr. Cooper story (00:40:38) The biggest lesson he's learned ---- Links & Resources: It's All About Relationships: Mastering the Art of Relational Leadership by Eddy Arriola Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 394. How to Grow Without Losing Culture (Or Your Sanity) with Varghese Summersett 282. AMMA - Beyond Business Cards: Building Real Relationships 47. Jessica Mogill - A Transformational Partnership: How Opposites Attract

August 27, 202623 min

492. AMMA — The Reality of Entrepreneurial Isolation and How to Break It

Most entrepreneurs are surrounded by people who love them and still have no idea what they're going through. In this AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill unpack why building a business can feel so lonely, even when you're surrounded by people who care about you. They answer three listener questions: how to close the gap with a spouse who can't fully relate, why chasing a challenge outside the business keeps you sharper inside it, and why family members and peers are rarely equipped to give meaningful advice. Michael's advice is simple: stop trying to get people to understand, and go find people who already do. Here's what you'll learn: Why the people who love you most still can't relate to what you're building How to invest in yourself in a way most entrepreneurs overlook Where to find people who've actually lived what you're going through Feeling isolated right now doesn't mean something's wrong. You just haven't found your people yet. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:47) Starting the Show With House Music (00:06:30) Q1: Business Straining My Marriage (00:10:31) Marriage Is 100/100, Not 50/50 (00:14:32) Q2: The Most Underrated Investment (00:15:10) Find a Challenge Outside the Business (00:17:08) Q3: When Your Spouse Can't Relate (00:17:51) Stop Seeking Advice From Civilians (00:22:00) Business Is Hard, Suffering Is Optional ---- Links & Resources: Hyrox Ironman Triathlon ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 490. AMMA - Why the Room You're In Changes Everything 480. AMMA - Why Dark Energy Becomes Dead Weight Over Time 462. AMMA - The Voices That Actually Matter for Business Growth

August 25, 20261 hr 3 min

491. Breaking the Stigma of Addiction in Legal with Brian Cuban [Encore Edition]

The same instincts that make a great lawyer can be the exact thing keeping them from asking for help. In this encore episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Brian Cuban, an attorney, author, and long-term recovery advocate, for a raw account of the depression, eating disorder, and addiction that nearly ended his life, and the moment he finally chose to fight for it. Brian pulls back the curtain on what drives so many lawyers toward substance abuse in silence, and why the legal profession's culture of strength makes it one of the hardest places to ask for help. This is a candid look at what recovery actually requires, and what it means to build a profession where struggling colleagues don't have to hide. Here's what you'll learn: Why lawyers face a higher risk of addiction, and why the profession makes it so hard to admit it How to spot the early warning signs before they become a rock-bottom moment What it takes to build a compassionate community that helps colleagues before they have to hit bottom Brian walked back from the edge. His story is here for anyone who needs to know it's possible. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:04:05) A childhood shaped by shame (00:14:55) Choosing law school to hide (00:27:04) His brother steps in to help (00:33:38) Trading tickets for cocaine (00:41:23) His first 12-step meeting (00:43:58) Writing The Addicted Lawyer (00:47:23) Addiction's toll on lawyers (00:53:43) Why compassion matters most (01:00:00) Careers rebuild, lives can't ---- Links & Resources: Brian Cuban The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption by Brian Cuban Mark Cuban Texas Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) 2016 ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation study on lawyer well-being Karen Carpenter ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 469. How to Turn Your Darkest Failures into Unstoppable Drive with Ken Rideout 412. Why Doing Hard Things Is the Ultimate Advantage with Joe De Sena 141. David Goggins - Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within

August 20, 202621 min

490. AMMA — Why the Room You're In Changes Everything

Consistency isn't a personality trait. It's the product of commitments you refuse to negotiate and environments that won't let you coast. In this AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael and Jessica Mogill dig into why most law firm owners plateau not because of talent or effort, but because they've outgrown the peers around them. From honoring the commitments you made when you were clear-headed to seeking out rooms where friction and accountability are features (not bugs), this conversation is a blueprint for the kind of consistency that compounds over years, not weeks. Here's what you'll learn: Why the commitments you make when motivated can't be renegotiated when you're not How to identify and seek out high-friction environments that attract higher-caliber peers What it takes to build systems that outlast motivation and make consistency automatic If you've been coasting on talent and wondering why results have flatlined, this episode will help you level up. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:39) The Power of Consistency (00:05:57) Systems Over Motivation (00:07:29) Nine Years of Daily Journaling (00:09:13) Q1: Outgrowing Your Peer Network (00:12:09) High-Friction Environments Win (00:14:04) Q2: What's New at the Summit (00:16:24) Q3: How to Keep Growing as a Leader (00:18:54) Curiosity as a Practiced Skill ---- Links & Resources: BoJack Horseman Conor McGregor EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) Tiger 21 ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 488. AMMA: Controversial Leadership Opinions That Will Make Your Firm Better 468. AMMA: Why Dark Energy Becomes Dead Weight Over Time 375. AMMA: Stop Being The Bottleneck: Lead Your Firm Without Being Needed

August 18, 202649 min

489. How to Overcome Your Own Biases in Decision Making with Annie Duke

Winning a hand doesn't mean you played it well. Losing one doesn't mean you didn't. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Annie Duke, former professional poker player, World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and best-selling author of Thinking in Bets and Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, to talk about why a great decision can still end in a loss, how confirmation bias hides behind our smartest instincts, and what it actually takes to know when to walk away. Here's what you'll learn: Why a good decision can still produce a bad outcome, and a bad one can still win How confirmation bias convinces smart people they've already got it right What it takes to know the difference between grit that pays off and grit that's costing you Good decisions and good outcomes are not the same thing. This episode will help you tell them apart. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:33) Why Annie returned to finish her PhD (00:04:48) How Annie built a $4M poker career (00:14:56) Why good decisions can have bad outcomes (00:20:16) Inside Pete Carroll's controversial call (00:27:29) Why confirmation bias feels so good (00:35:16) Why smart people have bigger blind spots (00:37:17) Why waste is a forward-looking problem (00:40:22) When grit stops being a virtue (00:42:59) How mental time travel aids decisions ---- Links & Resources: Annie Duke Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Grit by Angela Duckworth Confirmation bias Pete Carroll ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 443. Poker Face: The Framework for Navigating Professional Uncertainty with Tiffany Michelle 334. Dr. Benjamin Hardy - From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Potential: A Guide to Personal Growth 161. Joe De Sena - The Spartan Mindset: Embracing Discomfort and Unleashing Mental Toughness

August 13, 202628 min

488. AMMA — Controversial Leadership Opinions That Will Make Your Firm Better

Some of the most useful things a leader will ever hear are the ones nobody says to their face. This greatest-hits AMMA episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast pulls together six of the questions firm owners struggle with most, and Michael and Jessica Mogill answer each one with the candidness that comes from experience. The underperformer you keep protecting. The high-stakes call you can't seem to make. The endless learning that never turns into action. The anger that built your firm and now runs it into the ground. These are the takes most leaders only wish someone would tell them. Here's what you'll learn: Why the hardest conversation on your calendar only gets more expensive the longer you delay it How to make a high-stakes call with 70% of the information instead of waiting for certainty that never comes What it takes to trade spite-driven hustle for a vision that actually lasts The advice most leaders need isn't complicated. It's just hard to hear. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:33) When to let a bad hire go (00:04:21) Making decisions at scale (00:05:56) A framework for tough calls (00:07:45) Decision quality vs. outcome (00:10:45) Why you're the last to know (00:12:33) Setting rules of engagement (00:13:39) The information consumer trap (00:15:54) Why knowledge isn't power (00:18:32) The team member who drains you (00:22:07) Setting boundaries that work (00:22:47) When anger stops fueling you (00:27:09) Playing the infinite game ---- Links & Resources: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek Mark Manson Roger Federer’s 2024 Dartmouth Commencement Address John Morgan Nike, "Just Do It" Star Wars ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 468. AMMA - Why Dark Energy Becomes Dead Weight Over Time 432. AMMA - When Loyalty Backfires: The Hidden Cost of Tenure 247. John Morgan - Fortune Favors the Bold: How to Build a Legal Empire

August 11, 202651 min

487. The Secrets to Never Losing an Employee Again with Joey Coleman [Encore Edition]

What if the real reason your best people leave has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with the first 100 days? In this encore of episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill welcomes Joey Coleman, client experience expert and New York Times bestselling author of Never Lose an Employee Again, to break down the 8 phases every team member moves through and what it actually looks like to build a workplace people refuse to leave. Here's what you'll learn: Why "new hire's remorse" kicks in seconds after someone accepts your offer (and how to counteract it) How to make a team member's first day so remarkable they can't stop talking about it when they get home What separates firms with true advocates from those who can't even get an internal referral If your onboarding still looks like a binder and a benefits form, this is your playbook for something better. (00:00:45) Introduction (00:02:49) Joey Coleman returns to the podcast (00:04:28) Why new hires quit in the first 100 days (00:07:05) Show, don't tell: proving you care about your people (00:08:27) The 8 phases of employee experience (00:15:45) The ROI of remarkable onboarding (00:17:34) Job postings that actually stand out (00:22:14) Notre Dame's legendary offer letter (00:29:51) Creating a remarkable first day (the JAM example) (00:35:14) Coworkers vs. colleagues (00:44:29) The 2-minute video challenge ---- Links & Resources: Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman Tribute Yoko Co Bonusly Jim Kwik ---- Learn what sustainable growth can look like for your firm at crispcoach.com. ---- Do you love this podcast and want to see more game changing content? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ---- Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O'Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more. ---- If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: 220. Excellence Wins: Become the Best in a World of Compromise with Horst Schulze 162. Radical Candor: How to Be a Kickass Boss with Kim Scott 7. Ditching the Drama & Creating a Culture of Excellence in Your Law Firm with Cy Wakeman