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The Renegade Lawyer Podcast
I am more convinced than ever that nothing that traditional bar organizations are doing is going to move the needle on the sad stats on lawyer happiness ...
The root cause of all lawyers' problems is financial stress. Financial stress holds you back from getting the right people on the bus, running the right systems, and being able to only do work for clients you want to work with. Financial stress keeps you in the office on nights and weekends, often doing work you hate for people you don't like, and doing that work alone.
(Yes, you have permission to do only work you like doing and doing it with people you like working with.)
The money stress is not because the lawyers are bad lawyers or bad people. In fact, most lawyers are good at the lawyering part and they are good people.
The money stress is caused by the general lack of both business skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Thus, good lawyers who are good people get caught up and slowed down in bringing their gifts to the world. Their families, teams, clients, and communities are not well-served because you can't serve others at your top level when you are constantly worrying about money.
We can blame the law schools and the elites of the profession who are running bar organizations, but to blame anyone else for your own woes is a loser's game. It is, in itself, a restrictive, narrow, mindset that will keep you from ever seeing, let alone experiencing, a better future.
Lawyers need to be in rooms with other entrepreneurs. They need to hang with people who won't tell you that your dreams are too big or that "they" or "the system "won't allow you to achieve them. They need to be in rooms where people will be in their ear telling them that their dreams are too small.
Get in better rooms. That would be the first step.
Second step, ignore every piece of advice any general organized bar is giving about how to make your firm or your life better.
The Renegade Lawyer Podcast
Ep. 207 – Renegade Lawyer Marketing (Audio Book) – Chapter 20: Get Better at Marketing Because It’s Your Duty
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In Chapter 20 of Renegade Lawyer Marketing, Ben makes a bold claim:
Getting better at marketing isn’t optional. It’s your duty.
If you are a good lawyer…
If you deliver quality service…
If you genuinely care about your clients…
Then you owe it to the marketplace to make sure the right clients can find you.
In this episode, Ben challenges the myth that “good lawyers shouldn’t have to market.” He explains why average marketing produces average results—and why doing what most lawyers do guarantees you’ll get what most lawyers get.
Inside this chapter:
- Why solo and small firms can outmaneuver the 800-pound gorillas
- The danger of copying “safe” and generic lawyer marketing
- Why blind luck is not a business strategy
- How ethical marketing actually serves clients better
- The uncomfortable truth about average results
If you believe you are the right lawyer for someone out there right now… this episode will challenge you to act like it.
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Ben Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury and long-term disability insurance attorney in Fairfax, VA. Since 2005, Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing have been helping solo and small firm lawyers make more money, get more clients and still get home in time for dinner. We call this TheGLMTribe.com
What Makes The GLM Tribe Special?
In short, we are the only organization within the "business builder for lawyers" space that is led by two practicing lawyers.
One thing we're sure you've noticed is that despite the variety of options within our space, no one else is mixing
the actual practice of law with business building in the way that we are.
There are no other organizations who understand the highs and lows of running a small law firm and are engaged in talking to real clients. That is what sets GLM apart from every other organization, and it is why we have had loyal members that have been with us for two-decades.
Welcome And Show Context
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the Renegade Lawyer Podcast, the show that challenges the way lawyers and professionals think about life, business, and success. Hosted by Ben Glass, attorney, entrepreneur, coach, and father of nine, this show is about more than just practicing law. For over 40 years, Ben has built a law firm that stands for something bigger. He's helped thousands of lawyers create practices that make good money, do meaningful work, and still make it home for dinner. Each week, Ben brings you real conversations with guests who are challenging the status quo. Lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, thinkers, and builders. These are people creating bold careers and meaningful lives without burning out or selling out. If you're ready to stop playing small and start thinking like a renegade, you're in the right place.
SPEAKER_00Let's dive in. Welcome
Audio Book Chapter Setup
SPEAKER_00back to the Renegade Lawyer Podcast. My name is Ben Glass, and in this episode, we're back to delivering for you the audio version of my book, Renegade Lawyer Marketing. And so this we've made this available for free, and there are enhancements and commentary in the audio version that you won't find in the printed book. So this is uh chapter
Why Great Lawyers Must Market
SPEAKER_0020. Get better at marketing because it's your duty. And in the previous two chapters, we made the point that you need to get better and stay skilled at marketing. It's on you, the business owner. You don't need to be a pioneer to get better at marketing your firm, but you do need to know who to listen to, and it helps to be a renegade with ambition. In every market in America, you can find solo and small firms that are rocking it with their marketing, but not spending a lot of money doing so. These lawyers stand out, they make a great living, and they enjoy the practice of law. And I would say that for Brian and I, that's describing Ben Glass Law there. We don't spend a ton of money on advertising. We invest a lot sort of in our marketing, in our people and in our assets, but in terms of going out and buying ads, we just don't spend a lot of money, almost no money at all, actually, over the years in buying leads or ads for leads. And you don't have to reinvent the wheel to achieve the same for yourself. The strategies
Model What Works In Small Firms
SPEAKER_00and tactics of successful solo and small firms can be modeled by the big firms, although it's rare. They aren't as nimble as you are, and let me say that they are much more willing to go spend a ton of money on an agency and hope for the best. Modeling those who are successful at marketing their small firms is key. What are they doing differently from you? How do they think about marketing in a way that allows them to compete with the 800-pound gorillas in their markets? Doing what the majority does means getting what the majority gets. Average results. Remember, it's the person you see in the mirror who matters most in this discussion. While lawyers can be shy about being considered good at marketing, the smartest lawyers are not only comfortable with the idea, but welcome effective marketing as a part of their obligation as law firm owners. So let me ask you a few questions. Are you a good lawyer? Do you deliver quality services? Are you ethical? Do you and your staff put clients first and make them feel great about that they hired
The Duty To Reach Right Clients
SPEAKER_00you? Do you believe that right now someone in your locale is looking for a lawyer and that you would be the perfect lawyer to solve their legal problem? Do you think that person might be the perfect client for you? Someone who has a problem you can solve or an opportunity to exploit, and who will respect you and your staff and pay your bill or generate a contingent fee for you? If your answers are all yes, then why would you not try to get your message out and prevent that potential perfect client from walking into the law firm down the street where they wouldn't be as good for that firm and that lawyer wouldn't be as good for their client? And we believe that that's a big part of what we're supposed to be doing as lawyers. Getting the right people to the right lawyer so everyone with a legitimate need for legal services can access those services. And I argue that this is your duty. Boring, dull, and way too general lawyer advertising and marketing doesn't get the right people to the right lawyers, and it won't attract the right people to you except by blind luck. And while blind luck might be what the bar wants you to do, because they want to make all lawyer advertising look the same and all lawyers look the same to the consumers, it's not a great business plan. And in truth, it's not great for the consumers here in America. All right, so there you go. That's
Closing And Invitations
SPEAKER_00chapter 20. If you don't have this book, reach out to me. We'd like to get you a copy. If you'd like to get our newsletter, the Great Legal Marketing Journal, again, reach out. Brian and I are both easy to find on LinkedIn. We can give you details. If you have questions, if you have issues you'd like us to discuss, again, reach out to us. Uh, we'd love to have you on a podcast if you are doing something interesting, either as a lawyer or as a marketer who may be listening to our podcast. The Renegade Lawyer Podcast, we interview a lot of guests, a lot of interesting folks, and we'd love to chat with you if you have something interesting to say. All right, until next time, this is Ben Glass. This is the Renegade Lawyer Podcast.
SPEAKER_01That's it for today's episode of the Renegade Lawyer Podcast, where we're rewriting the rules of what it means to build a great law practice and a great life. If something sparked a new idea or gave you clarity, pass it on. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who's ready to think bigger. Want more tools, strategies, and stories from the trenches? Visit GreatLegalMarketing.com or connect with Ben Glass and the team on LinkedIn. Keep building boldly. We'll see you next time.
