Explore every episode of the podcast Center Stage: Spotlighting Business Challenges
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Safeguard Your Firm Against Cybercrimes feat. Steven Kennen | 30 juil. 2025 | 00:26:52 | |
🛡️ Law firms are increasingly under siege — and most don’t even realize how exposed they are. In this episode, Danny Decker sits down with Steven Kennen of Proactive IT to unpack the real threats facing small and solo law firms today — from AI-powered phishing scams to shockingly common missteps in two-factor authentication. You’ll learn why DIY tech setups are a ticking time bomb, how cybersecurity impacts your firm’s bottom line, and what steps you can take right now to protect your clients, your data, and your reputation. 📌 Key Takeaways:
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| How to Get Your Law Firm Unstuck feat. Jackie Kibler | 23 juil. 2025 | 00:30:12 | |
🧠 Ever feel like your law firm is running you instead of the other way around? In this episode, Danny talks with EOS Implementer Jackie Kibler, whose no-BS, people-first approach has helped law firms go from disorganized and reactive to structured, scalable, and sane. Jackie shares how EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) gives law firm owners the tools to clarify vision, align their team, and finally gain traction—without working 80-hour weeks. 📌 Key Takeaways
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| The Law Firm Systems You Can’t Afford to Skip feat. Tamara Philabaum | 11 juin 2025 | 00:21:02 | |
🚨 Most law firms don’t fail because of bad lawyering — they fail because of broken systems. In this episode, operations expert Tammy Philabaum shares the critical processes too many firms overlook, from intake follow-up to hiring mistakes that cost time and trust. Whether you’re overwhelmed, understaffed, or just tired of duct-taping your workflow together, this conversation will help you build a firm that runs like a business — not a fire drill. 📌 Key Takeaways:
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| Stop Tolerating, Start Leading feat. Vanessa Shaw | 04 juin 2025 | 00:28:16 | |
Most law firm owners are stuck not because they’re doing the wrong things—but because they’re tolerating too many of them. In this episode, Vanessa Shaw breaks down the mindset shift from practitioner to CEO and why shedding low-value tasks is the first step toward building a law firm that serves you. If your firm feels heavy, this episode is your wake-up call. 📌 Key Takeaways
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| How to Escape the Law Firm Grind with Systems That Actually Work feat. Adam Ouellette | 28 mai 2025 | 00:24:12 | |
⚙️ Feeling stuck in a never-ending loop of admin tasks, burnout, and 15-hour days? In this episode, former lawyer and law firm owner Adam Ouellette reveals the exact systems he used to reclaim his time, scale his practice, and finally walk away—on his own terms. If you’re ready to stop surviving and start designing a practice that runs with less of you, this is the blueprint. 📌 Key Takeaways
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| 150 - Elevating Your Financial Stability with Susanne Mariga | 13 déc. 2023 | 00:28:25 | |
Ever wondered how to transform your business's financial stability and increase your profits? We're joined by Susanne Mariga, a CPA and fractional CFO with two decades of expertise. Susanne shares the revolutionary Profit First model, a strategy that has been a game changer in our own business. We dive into the basics of this model, shedding light on the importance of having multiple bank accounts and how to pay yourself as a business owner. It's all about intentional profitability! | |||
| 149 - Unlocking the Art of Rainmaking with Elise Holtzman | 06 déc. 2023 | 00:33:17 | |
Do you ever wonder how lawyers seem to bring in an endless stream of clients? This week's guest, Elise Holtzman from The Lawyer's Edge, shares the secrets behind the art of rainmaking. We dive into Elise's personal journey, from practicing law to becoming a coach and trainer, and how she uses her knowledge to help lawyers transform into successful rainmakers. This concept, more than just attracting new clients, involves keeping existing ones happy, and importantly, having the right team to do the work. | |||
| 148 - Decoding the Kolbe Assessment with Dominic Loffredo | 29 nov. 2023 | 00:31:08 | |
Ever wondered how your cognitive instincts influence your professional life? This week we're joined by Dominic Loffredo, a certified Kolbe instructor, to cover this unique personality test that measures the cognitive part of the mind. | |||
| 147 - Propelling Success with Authenticity with Erin Hatzikostas | 22 nov. 2023 | 00:38:02 | |
Can revealing your authenticity propel you to success? Erin Hatzikostas, founder of B Authentic Inc., joins us to share her personal journey of how authenticity fuelled her rise in the corporate world. Erin’s unique leadership style, characterized by a robust dedication to her message, offers a refreshing perspective on standing out in the professional space. | |||
| 146 - Stepping into Disaster Preparedness with Jeffrey Weiss | 15 nov. 2023 | 00:30:53 | |
Picture your business caught up in the chaos of a disaster - may it be natural or manmade. Panic-stricken employees, clients bombarding you with questions, and a leadership team that is clueless about what to do next. Sounds like a situation you never want to be in, right? That's why we're talking with Jeffrey Weiss, founder of the Disaster Preparedness Network. | |||
| 145 - Embracing Change and Navigating Your Career with Nicole Andrews | 08 nov. 2023 | 00:28:20 | |
Get ready to be inspired as we discuss the power of understanding others, building credibility, and how having diverse passions paired with self-belief can lead to you chasing your dreams (even if that means no longer being a lawyer). | |||
| 144 - Mastering Law Firm Efficiency and Client Experience with Julie Perez | 01 nov. 2023 | 00:31:45 | |
This week we sit down with Julie Perez from Leap Legal, who guides us through the unique productivity hurdles that different types of lawyers encounter, the role of continuing education, and the cruciality of compliance in legal practice. | |||
| 143 - Building an Effective Intake Team with Chris Mullins | 25 oct. 2023 | 00:26:24 | |
Get ready to transform your law firm's intake procedures with actionable insights from Chris Mullins, the Phone Sales Doctor. This episode promises to deliver crucial tips on building an effective intake team in your firm, putting the spotlight on both inbound and outbound sales. Chris guides us through the necessity of a well-devised system to convert digital leads aggressively and the importance of chasing leads promptly to ensure they don't slip away. | |||
| 142 - Navigating Life as a Young Lawyer with Kelly Sturmthal | 18 oct. 2023 | 00:32:00 | |
This week, we unravel the unseen challenges young lawyers encounter as they're just starting out and underscore the necessity of grasping the business side of law, regardless of where your legal career takes you - be it in the corporate realm, a law firm, or government service. | |||
| 141 - Discovering Your Genius Zone for Business Success with Emily LaRusch | 11 oct. 2023 | 00:21:39 | |
Are you ready to tap into your genius zone? Our guest, Emily LaRusch, founder of Back Office Betties, shares her insights on how to discover the activities that leads to effective delegation for tasks outside our genius zone. | |||
| 140 - Mastering Trust Building and Credibility in Legal Marketing with Michael DeLon | 04 oct. 2023 | 00:37:14 | |
Join us in an enlightening conversation with Michael DeLon, founder of Paperback Expert, as we delve into trust-building and how it transforms prospects into committed clients. We spill the secrets on how to elevate your content game, cutting through the noise, and making your brand the go-to expert, using platforms such as blogging, videos, social media, and emails. | |||
| 139 - Text Marketing Tactics to Boost your Law Firm's Success with Alex Levin | 27 sept. 2023 | 00:28:52 | |
Ever thought about text message marketing for your law firm? This episode takes you into the heart of this powerful communication tool with our guest, Alex Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Regal.io. Alex is an expert in B2C technology and he shares enlightening insights into how law firms can leverage text message marketing to foster meaningful customer relationships. | |||
| 138 - Mapping Out Political Campaigns with Strategist Matt Krayton | 20 sept. 2023 | 00:40:22 | |
Do you have political aspirations? Want to know what it takes to navigate the complexities of running for office? Join us as we pick the brain of Matt Krayton, founder and principal at Publitics and a seasoned political campaign manager. Matt breaks down the journey of a political campaign, from choosing the right office to run for, to understanding the jurisdictional requirements and the formalities of getting started. | |||
| 137 - Choosing the Perfect Legal Marketing Partner with Fractional CMO Josh Ramsey | 13 sept. 2023 | 00:43:08 | |
Ever wondered how to select the perfect marketing partner for your business? This week we chat with fractional CMO Josh Ramsey, who brings his vast experience to the table as we navigate the complex world of marketing partnerships, with an emphasis on comprehending the value of your investment beyond just the price. | |||
| 136 - Beating Burnout in the Legal Industry with Dina Cataldo | 06 sept. 2023 | 00:35:34 | |
Burnout is prevalent among business owners, especially in the legal industry. This week we're joined by lawyer coach (and former lawyer herself) Dina Cataldo to talk about what burnout looks like, how it starts, and how to overcome it. | |||
| 135 - Taking Control of Your Law Firm with Dr. Steven Kirch | 30 août 2023 | 00:43:59 | |
Do you run your firm, or does it run you? This week we're joined by Dr. Steven Kirch from The Profit Minds to discuss various areas where business owners get taken over by their own firm such as hiring, delegating, and more. | |||
| 134 - Finding and Keeping the Best Employees at Your Law Firm with Molly McGrath | 23 août 2023 | 00:33:30 | |
We know how time-consuming and stressful it can be to find the right talent for your firm. It's also hard work keeping them! This week, we're chatting with Molly McGrath from Hiring & Empowering on what the current job market looks like, how to properly sell your business to attract the right talent, and how you can keep your employees engaged and feeling fulfilled. | |||
| 133 - Chunking Your Law Firm with Julie Steinbacher | 16 août 2023 | 00:43:31 | |
This week, we're providing you with a framework to help you be more productive! It's called "chunking," and it has been mastered by attorney (and owner of 5 other businesses) Julie Steinbacher. Join us as she breaks down the elements of chunking and how you can do it for yourself. | |||
| 132 - Examining Your Law Firm's Card Strategy with Rick Elmore | 09 août 2023 | 00:23:24 | |
Many small firms send birthday or holiday cards, but are you maximizing this strategy's effectiveness? This week we're joined by Rick Elmore from Simply Noted to chat about the value of handwritten notes and how to stand out from other businesses who send their own cards. | |||
| 131 - Law Firm Culture: Exploring Enneagram with Emily Wingfield, Part 2 | 02 août 2023 | 00:37:33 | |
This week we're concluding our discussion with Enneagram coach Emily Wingfield and explaining how you can integrate Enneagram discussions into your firm's culture. | |||
| 130 - Exploring Enneagram with Emily Wingfield, Part 1 | 26 juil. 2023 | 00:33:39 | |
This week (and next week), we're talking about the Enneagram! Why are we devoting two weeks to this? Because it can truly transform your relationship with your team and help you understand how they think and process things in their lives. | |||
| 129 - Taking Back Your Time with Nicole Greer | 19 juil. 2023 | 00:38:50 | |
It's no mystery as to why we've been talking about time management so much lately. Most firm owners have problems with it! This week, we're talking with business coach Nicole Greer about things you can do to control your time (instead of it controlling you), as well as how your leadership style can impact your firm's culture. | |||
| 128 - Building Your Freedom with Brett Trembly | 12 juil. 2023 | 00:30:07 | |
Attorney Brett Trembly built his successful law firm by mastering time management and delegation. Then he founded Get Staffed Up and mastered it again! Now, he's released a (BEST-SELLING) book titled 24 Months to Freedom where he shows you how it's done. | |||
| 127 - Keeping Clients Happy with Kristen David | 05 juil. 2023 | 00:36:47 | |
Many firms struggle to keep in touch with their clients, which results in unhappy clients complaining about bad customer service. This week we're welcoming back Kristen David to the show to talk about core values and how incorporating and systematizing them can help you create a better UX for your clients. | |||
| 126 - Attracting the Ideal Client with Adam Ouellette | 28 juin 2023 | 00:39:33 | |
Most firms struggle with attracting their ideal client, instead referring out more business than they take on. Our guest this week, Adam Ouellette, practiced law for 20 years and used his Ideal Client Attraction Formula to build a wildly successful real estate practice during the recession. He joins us this week to share his insight. | |||
| 125 - Building Confidence in Your Marketing with Lori Pulvermacher | 21 juin 2023 | 00:39:23 | |
This week we're joined by Lori Pulvermacher, a practice advisor from Atticus, to talk all things marketing strategy. We cover the importance of authentic messaging, how to ask for referrals, and how much of your firm's budget should be devoted to marketing. This conversation is FULL of great insight you don't want to miss. | |||
| 124 - Exploring Front End Tech with Jared Correia | 14 juin 2023 | 00:35:19 | |
The legal industry is notoriously slow to adapt to new tech, but there are so many great things out there that will make your life easier! This week we have a wide-ranging conversation with Jared Correia of the Legal Toolkit podcast and Red Cave Legal. In short: Have more intellectual curiosity! | |||
| 123 - Maximizing Your CRM with Melanie Leonard | 07 juin 2023 | 00:32:03 | |
We've heard you - and we know that most of you aren't maximizing your CRM/case management software. This week we're joined by Melanie Leonard from Streamlined Legal to talk about how deep these programs go and how you should approach building them out to your unique preferences. | |||
| 122 - Ethical Social Media with Emily Wiegert | 31 mai 2023 | 00:28:18 | |
Social media is the present and future of marketing, but it can open up several ethical concerns with regards to conduct and how you present yourself. This week's guest, Emily Wiegert, joins us to explain what to really watch out for and what you shouldn't actually be worried about. | |||
| 121 - Telling Your Story with Chris Vander Kaay | 24 mai 2023 | 00:38:28 | |
Your story is what truly connects you to your audience and builds that valuable trust more than any slogan or tagline ever could. This week in somewhat of a second part episode to a previous guest, Darryl Isaacs, we're joined by Chris Vander Kaay from Brain Trust Legal Group to talk about why your brand and story are such powerful tools and can help your firm's growth. | |||
| 120 - Shoring Up Your Cybersecurity with Juan Carlos Bosacoma | 17 mai 2023 | 00:26:47 | |
It's one of the biggest concerns at every firm, and we're telling you what you should be doing to make sure your email and client data is secure. The best part? The solutions aren't nearly as complicated as the inner workings of the tech itself! Juan Carlos Bosacoma from CIT Landing joins us to discuss. | |||
| 119 - Working with Fractional Leadership with Adi Vaxman | 10 mai 2023 | 00:36:57 | |
What would a fractional C-level leader do for your firm? Our guest this week, Adi Vaxman, has employed many, many C-level fractional leaders at firms of all sizes all over the country, and she joins us to talk about why you might need one and all of the things they can accomplish for you. | |||
| 118 - Rethinking Your Marketing with Natalie Armstrong-Motin | 03 mai 2023 | 00:30:31 | |
There's a lot of "old school" marketing that's still just as effective today, and even more so when you utilize modern technology! This week's guest, Natalie Armstrong-Motin, has spent decades serving the legal industry and shares her insight into what you should be focusing on. | |||
| 117 - Building Your Referral Strategy with Maile Collmer | 26 avr. 2023 | 00:33:09 | |
Referrals are the lifeblood of your firm. Do you have a strategy in place to receive them or are you hoping for the best? This week we're joined by expert referral coach Maile Collmer to talk about networking and strategic conversations around referrals. | |||
| 116 - Healing the Human Brain with Scott Warrick | 19 avr. 2023 | 00:39:45 | |
You have brain damage. But don't worry—we all do. Attorney Scott Warrick joins us this week to talk about the ways we damage our brains and how we can actually heal them just like any other part of our body. You don't want to miss this blunt and eye-opening conversation! | |||
| 115 - Building a TikTok Presence with Attorney Darryl Isaacs | 12 avr. 2023 | 00:37:04 | |
Whether TikTok gets banned by the government or not, the lessons and insight in this week's episode will absolutely help you with your firm's social media strategy. We're joined by The Hammer, attorney Darryl Isaacs, who has built a strong and engaged following on TikTok. He shares his approach, what's worked for him, and why other firm owners should be doing the same thing. | |||
| 114 - Building an Engaged Community with Rob Roseman | 05 avr. 2023 | 00:29:35 | |
You're on social media, but the needle isn't moving? Why? Could it be your content, or are you reaching the wrong audience? This week we're joined by Rob Roseman, founder of WTFDivorce to talk about how he built his community in the legal space and what you can do to find success on social media. | |||
| 113 - Scaling with Systems with Attorney Davina Frederick | 29 mars 2023 | 00:36:08 | |
It's no secret that systematizing and documenting your processes will absolutely fuel your firm's growth. This week's guest, Attorney Davina Frederick, has mastered the art of systemization and used it to scale her business into a multi-million dollar firm. Now, as the founder of the Wealthy Woman Lawyer, she's helping female firm owners enjoy the same success, and she joins us to explain how to make it happen. | |||
| 112 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Susan Harrow | 22 mars 2023 | 00:34:54 | |
Imposter Syndrome is very prominent in the legal industry. What is it? How can you overcome it? This week we're joined by Susan Harrow who works with professionals in the legal industry (and more) to gain control over themselves and squash Imposter Syndrome. | |||
| 111 - Managing Your Firm's Finances with Peggy Gruenke | 15 mars 2023 | 00:38:30 | |
What do your firm's books look like? Are they a mess? Are you accurately reporting your firm's revenue and expenses? This week we're joined by Peggy Gruenke of CPN Legal who specializes in bookkeeping for law firms to talk about the most common accounting issues in law firms and some things you can do to get a better picture of your firm's financial health. | |||
| 110 - Exploring Neurodiversity with Attorney Haley Moss | 08 mars 2023 | 00:47:00 | |
We couldn't be more excited about this week's episode. We're joined by Attorney Haley Moss to talk about autism, neurodiversity, and how firm owners should approach and work with those in the neurodiversity community. | |||
| 109 - Being More Inclusive with Dr. Debra Dupree | 01 mars 2023 | 00:40:13 | |
Inclusivity is becoming a more important conversation in workplaces all over the country, but what does it really mean? This week we're joined by Dr. Debra Dupree to talk all things inclusivity, how to be more conscious of it, and the steps you can take to make your firm a psychologically safe place for your team. | |||
| 108 - Building Your Marketing Strategy with Warren Miles-Pickup | 22 févr. 2023 | 00:29:51 | |
What's your marketing strategy? Do you have an ideal client profile, a funnel, and a unique value proposition? Maybe it's been a while since you looked at yours. Regardless, our guest this week, Warren Miles-Pickup, joins us to talk about the elements of a marketing strategy and how to make it work for your firm. | |||
| 107 - Making the Right Decisions with Rusty Gaillard | 15 févr. 2023 | 00:31:26 | |
This week, we're calling you out. Yes, YOU. For too long, many business owners have relied on their own expertise to make decisions even when that decision isn't something they have expertise in. This week's guest, Rusty Gaillerd, joins us to talk about how that mindset got in his way, how he overcame it, and what you can do to have the courage to make the best decisions for you and your business. | |||
| 106 - Setting Expectations with Matt Spiegel | 08 févr. 2023 | 00:22:24 | |
You don't have to be the best at your job to win the most business. Providing great customer service can be a real differentiator when it comes to winning clients and growing your firm. Our guest this week, Matt Spiegel from Lawmatics, joins us to talk about what you can do to set the right expectations and provide a stellar client experience. | |||