Power Up Your Practice – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Matt Darner, co-founder and CEO of CollBox — the ABA Tech Show Startup Alley winner helping law firms recover what they've already earned but haven't collected yet.

Matt has seen the inside of hundreds of law firm billing situations. And what he finds is almost always the same: a growing number on the aging report, closed matters with unpaid invoices, and attorneys who know the problem exists but keep putting off fixing it. In this conversation, he breaks down why that happens — and exactly what to do about it.

What we explore:

✅ The $800K Blind Spot: Why small and mid-size firms consistently have $300K–$800K sitting in invoices over 90 days past due — and why most attorneys don't act until it's almost too late.

✅ The Leverage Window: Why the moment a matter closes is the moment your ability to collect starts shrinking — and what to do before you lose all your leverage.

✅ The Ick Factor: Why 99% of attorneys hate chasing clients for money, why the wrong person is usually doing it, and how to fix the system so it doesn't have to be you.

✅ Upstream Fixes: The retainer policies, intake conversations, and billing habits that prevent collections problems before they start.

✅ When to Cut Your Losses: At 90 days, you've already lost 47% of collectability. At two years, you're down to a 15% success rate. Matt breaks down exactly when to act — and when to write it off.

If you've got invoices sitting unpaid and you're not sure what to do about it — this episode is for you.

📌 Connect with Matt Darner:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewdarner 

Website: collbox.co

📣 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

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Jason Epstein — partner at Premier Law Group in Bellevue, Washington, Washington Super Lawyer, ABA trial skills faculty, and adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law — for a conversation about what it actually takes to build a law firm on your own terms.

Jason's path wasn't linear. He got fired after asking to see the firm's financials. He discovered he was unemployable. And then he built something worth having. In this episode, he breaks down the scarcity mindset that quietly traps most personal injury firms, shares the real story behind bringing on a third partner after 15 years — valuation, buy-in structure, promissory notes and all — and explains why most small firm owners never build a partnership track even when they should.

What we explore:

✅ The Scarcity Trap: Why most PI firms operate from scarcity — and how protecting "inventory" leads to bad decisions, locked-out attorneys, and a culture that stunts growth.

✅ From Fired to Founded: What getting fired for asking to see the firm's financials taught Jason about firm ownership — and why being "unemployable" turned out to be his greatest asset.

✅ Building a Partnership Track: The real process behind identifying the right candidate, valuing a firm, structuring a buy-in, and what to look for in a partner beyond just hard work.

✅ Teaching What Law School Skips: Why Jason pitched a Law Firm Entrepreneurship class at Seattle University School of Law — and what he wishes someone had taught him six or seven years into practice.

If you're a firm owner thinking about your next hire, your succession plan, or just wondering why your firm feels stuck — this episode is for you.

📌 Connect with Jason Epstein: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasongepstein Website: www.premierlawgroup.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-a7c6feafe9-74618973

In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Anthony Karls (Sterling Lawyers) to break down the "Waterfall Method." Anthony explains why most firms fail to scale because they are "light in the middle"—trying to wear every business hat while practicing law. He shares his blueprint for predicting bottlenecks before they burn you out and explains why scaling actually requires more discipline and less freedom.

What we explore:

✅ The Right People in the Right Seats: Why attorneys are notoriously bad at sales and how to fix the consultation room.

✅ The Waterfall Framework: How to track your value stream to stop playing "whack-a-mole" with your firm's problems.

✅ PPF Goals: Using Personal, Professional, and Financial coaching to drive elite team retention and engagement.

✅ Strategic vs. Aggressive Growth: Why scaling requires more discipline and less freedom, not the other way around.

If you are ready to stop playing "whack-a-mole" and start building a predictable growth engine, this episode is for you.

📌 Connect with Anthony Carls: LinkedIn: Anthony Karls | Website: rocketclicks.com

📌 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

• Lawmatics

• Filevine

• CandleAI

• Vonage

• Lawbrokr

We are kicking off something huge: Welcome to Chapter #1 of the Resilience Series.In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Kevin Block (Maui Immigration Law) to explore the architecture of professional grit. Kevin's life is a 40-year masterclass in survival—from a near-death cliff crash and an HIV diagnosis in the 80s, to leading his firm through the devastating Lahaina Fires.This isn't just a story; it's a blueprint for finding your Superpower when your world is on fire.What we explore: ✅ The Survivor's Advantage: Turning your hardest life tests into your firm's greatest competitive edge. ✅ Leading Through Disaster: The reality of managing a team and community during the Maui fires. ✅ Nervous System Hygiene: Kevin's "Soldier's Training" (yoga and breathwork) to stay calm in high-stakes advocacy. ✅ Institutional Resilience: Building a practice that survives personal and global crises.If you are ready to stop just "surviving" and start leading with a superpower born from experience, this episode is for you.📌 Connect with Kevin Block: LinkedIn: Kevin Block | Website: mauiimmigrationlaw.com 📌 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/powerupyourpracticeConnect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers:🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice🔹 Website: rubypowers.com🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on AmazonTrusted Resources from Our Toolkit:• Stafi• Lawmatics• Filevine• CandleAI• Vonage• Lawbrokr

In this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Holly Draper, CEO and Managing Partner of the Draper Law Firm, to discuss the operational and financial evolution of the modern law firm. Holly, a board-certified family law and appellate attorney, reveals why the traditional hourly billing model is hitting a breaking point in the age of AI.

Holly shares a jaw-dropping case study where she used AI to analyze 1,000 pages of evidence in just 10 minutes—a task that previously required 20 hours of manual reading. This efficiency doesn't just save time; it fundamentally challenges how attorneys charge for their expertise. They also explore Holly's "rebel" hiring strategy and her mission to build a firm that is a truly saleable asset.

Together, they explore:

✅ The Billable Hour Crisis: Why extreme AI efficiency is making hourly billing obsolete and how to successfully transition to flat fees.

✅ 20 Hours in 10 Minutes: A deep dive into using AI to replace manual research and evidence analysis in complex litigation.

✅ Hiring for Freedom: Holly's strategy of hiring five lawyers before her first paralegal to ensure the firm runs autonomously while she travels.

✅ The Saleable Firm Mindset: How to design your practice today so it becomes a valuable institution that can operate—and eventually be sold—without you.

✅ CliftonStrengths for Leaders: Why identifying whether you are a "strategic thinker" or an "executor" is the key to delegating effectively and scaling faster.

📌 Connect with Holly Draper:🔹 LinkedIn: Holly Draper🔹 Website: draperfirm.com

📌 Join our Skool Community: skool.com/powerupyourpracticeWatch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on:🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup

Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers:🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon

In this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Dominika Staniewicz (known as Brain Coach D), a TEDx speaker, certified brain health coach, and award-winning entrepreneur, to explore the intersection of neuroscience and leadership. With over 5,000 hours on global stages, Dominika specializes in helping leaders rewire their brains for peak performance and mental resilience.

They dive deep into how entrepreneurs and lawyers can navigate ADHD—or symptoms that look like it—and why optimizing your brain biology is the ultimate competitive advantage in a high-stress industry. Dominica challenges the traditional approach to mental focus, offering a blueprint for transitioning from a "scattered brain" to a focused, strategic leader.

Together, they explore:

✅ The Biology of Performance: Why you should audit your nutrition, sleep, and habits before jumping to any diagnosis, and how simple biology determines your firm's success.

✅ The ADHD Superpower: Why you might not want to "get rid" of all your symptoms. Dominica explains how to leverage unique brain traits to scale your business while hacking the parts that don't serve you.

✅ Rewiring for Results: How to use neuroplasticity to program your brain to notice opportunities and stay calm while others are in "doomsday" mode.

✅ "Human Being" vs. "Human Doing": A deep dive into the psychological necessity of detaching your personal identity from your firm's daily chaos to prevent burnout.

✅ Your 2026 North Star: How to align your strategic business goals with your brain's true capacity for long-term resilience and fulfillment.

If you are ready to stop operating in survival mode and start leading with biological precision to reclaim your time and focus, this conversation is your guide to mastering the engine behind your practice.

🎧 This episode is sponsored by Pipefile

📌 Connect with Dominika Staniewicz:🔹 LinkedIn: Dominika Staniewicz🔹 Website: yourbraincoachd.com

📌 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:

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• Lawmatics• Filevine• ⁠CandleAI

In this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Jennifer Kaplan, President and CEO of Evolve PR and Marketing, to discuss the transformative power of Public Relations for law firms. As the leader of Arizona's largest PR firm, Jennifer brings a wealth of knowledge on how to stop just buying attention and start earning authority.

Jennifer and Ruby explore the critical difference between static advertising and the dynamic nature of Earned Media. They dive into the "Perception is Reality" principle and explain why a media interview carries far more weight than a billboard. Whether you are a solo practitioner or a large firm owner, this conversation provides the blueprint for building a brand that clients already trust before they even walk through your door.

Together, they explore:

✅ Earned vs. Paid Media: Why Public Relations is the ultimate complement to your advertising budget and how it builds long-term credibility.

✅ Get Rich in Your Niche: The importance of staying in your lane to become the "go-to" expert that reporters (and clients) call first.

✅ The Trust Factor: Understanding the parasocial connection—how seeing you on the news creates an instant bond of trust with potential clients.

✅ Strategic Protection: Navigating "off the record" moments, protecting client anonymity, and managing your reputation during a crisis.

✅ PR on Any Budget: How small firms can leverage local news desks and award submissions to raise their visibility without a massive marketing spend.

If you're ready to move beyond basic lead gen and build a brand that stands out in a crowded market, this masterclass on Public Relations is for you.

📌 Connect with Jennifer Kaplan:

🔹 LinkedIn: Jennifer Kaplan

🔹 Website: evolveprandmarketing.com

📌 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: 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

• Lawmatics

• Filevine

• CandleAI

In this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Jeff Goldman, founder of Goldman and Partners Immigration Law, a veteran with over 30 years of experience who has transformed how we understand legal specialization and business resilience.

Jeff shares his fascinating journey from his early days in real estate —where he felt like he "wasn't a lawyer, but a document signer"— to becoming the go-to authority for elite entrepreneurs from MIT, Harvard, and Y Combinator. He also reveals the hard-earned lesson that led him to create the "10% Safety Rule," a vital risk management strategy that every firm owner must implement to protect their practice.

This conversation is a masterclass in strategy for firm owners and an inspiration for students looking for purpose in their legal careers. Together, they explore:

✅ The 10% Safety Rule: The real story of how Jeff lost 42% of his revenue in just 10 minutes, and why you must never let a single client dominate your firm's income.

✅ Elite Niche Mastery: How to capture high-level markets and why being an "expert in a niche within a niche" is the key to eliminating competition.

✅ Innovation Beyond the JD: The birth of the BUILD Fellowship and how to create synergistic businesses that solve systemic legal problems (like the H1B lottery).

✅ The Retention Secret: How Jeff has kept his senior attorneys for over 15 years through autonomy and a culture of "over-compensation."

If you're ready to stop being an administrative manager and start becoming a strategic leader in elite niches while bulletproofing your firm's stability, this episode is for you.

📌 Connect with Jeff Goldman: 

🔹 LinkedIn: Jeff Goldman (Boston) 

🔹 Website: gpimmigration.com 

📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. 

Watch more episodes on: 

🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 

📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 

💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice

Special thanks to our sponsor:🏛️ Lawfully: The best case management and analytics tool for immigration law. Visit lawfully.com/pro

Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit• Stafi• Lawmatics• Filevine• CandleAI

In this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Jacqueline Schaefer, Founder and CEO of Clear Brief AI, to discuss the operational and financial crisis facing litigators: the growing threat of sanctions due to AI hallucinations and research errors.

Jacqueline, a former litigator and Legalweek's 2025 Innovator of the Year, reveals why the problem is not just "hallucination," but the fundamental breakdown in a firm's Quality Assurance (QA) process. They unpack the non-negotiable risk under Rule 11, which holds partners personally responsible for accuracy, even if the work was done by associates or generative AI.

This conversation is mandatory listening for any firm that has introduced AI tools like ChatGPT, CoCounsel, or Harvey. Together, they explore:

✅ The Rule 11 Threat: Why checking citations is no longer just a junior task, and the $85,000 and $60,000 consequences facing firms right now.

✅ Subtle Errors, Severe Consequences: How tiny mistakes (like wrong page numbers or fabricated fact references) destroy judicial trust and create an audit risk.

✅ The Operational Fix (The Cite Check Report): How Am Law firms are using specialized, non-generative AI tools to create a verifiable audit trail that proves human review and protects the signing partner.

✅ Hyperlinking for Credibility: Mastering the technique of linking factual records and legal citations to win the judge's confidence immediately.

If you are ready to stop worrying about sanctions and start implementing the operational solutions trusted by the largest global firms, this episode is your blueprint for AI compliance.

📌 Connect with Jacqueline Schaefer:

🔹 LinkedIn: Jacqueline Schaefer

🔹 Website: clearbrief.ai

📌 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

• Lawmatics

• Filevine

• CandleAI

On this episode of Power Up Your Practice, Ruby Powers sits down with Andy Seavers, CEO and Co-Founder of Case Status and author of the provocative new book, Future Firm, Fossil Firm.Andy draws a line in the sand, challenging lawyers to confront the industry's outdated business models and "Comcast-level" client service. This conversation is essential for any firm owner ready to transition from a Fossil Firm (defined by industry limitations) to a Future Firm (defined by client experience and innovation).We dive deep into the strategic connection between Client Care and ROI, exploring the four core forces that are holding the legal industry back from achieving its true potential. Together, Ruby and Andy discuss:✅ The CX Imperative: Why the client experience is no longer a soft skill, but the single greatest driver of your firm's profitability and reputation.✅ The Future Firm Blueprint: How technology and AI must be leveraged not just for internal efficiency, but for external, client-facing engagement. ✅ Overcoming the Four Forces: A breakdown of the structural limitations preventing firms from embracing modern client-centric models. ✅ Accountability and Growth: How client engagement platforms like Case Status transform transparency, reduce friction, and increase case resolution speed.If you're ready to stop thinking like a traditional law practice and start building a modern, client-driven business that is designed for growth and resilience, this episode is your wake-up call.📌 Connect with Andy Sievers: 🔹 LinkedIn: Andy Sievers 🔹 Website: casestatus.com 📌 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• Lawmatics• Filevine• CandleAI