The Practice Playbook Podcast with Susan Guthrie – Details, episodes & analysis

Susan Guthrie is back with some big news: the podcast has a new name! Welcome to The Practice Playbook Podcast, your hub for building a smart, sustainable, and fulfilling practice. And what better way to kick things off than by tackling one of the most powerful (and most avoided) topics out there: finding your niche.

Niching can feel scary. Maybe you’ve worried about turning people away, missing opportunities, or “leaving money on the table.” But the truth is, your niche is not a limitation, it’s the key to standing out, attracting the right clients, and building a business that feels aligned with who you are. 

In this episode, Susan shares a simple, step-by-step playbook to help you get clear on your niche and shows you how to put it to work in your practice.

This is a conversation full of “aha” moments and golden nuggets that will inspire you to focus your energy where it matters most: on the clients and work that light you up.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why so many professionals resist choosing a niche (and why that fear is holding you back).
• The difference between a job title and a niche and why the latter is where your power lies.
• A step-by-step process to reflect, refine, and test your niche so it feels authentic to you.
• Practical ways to leverage your niche, from your messaging and pricing to building authority in your field.
• Golden nuggets to remember, including: why a well-defined niche builds trust, credibility, and income faster.

Resources and Next Steps:

Grab your copy of The Flat Fee Playbook:  https://amzn.to/4213I22

Download the Find Your Niche Worksheet: LINK https://bit.ly/PPP-Niche-Worksheet

Join the waitlist for The Practice Accelerator, Susan’s brand-new subscription program packed with resources, tools, and community support to help you grow smarter.

Inside The Practice Accelerator, you’ll get exclusive access to:

• Ad-free episodes
• A monthly behind-the-scenes email from Susan with insights, updates, and the real story of what she’s seeing in the industry
• Quick tip downloads like pricing tools, client scripts, checklists, and strategy sheets you can use in your practice right away
• And if you choose the higher tiers, you’ll even get live Q&A sessions with Susan, monthly office hours, practical, step-by-step action plans, access to our growing resource library, and discounts on courses and books.

This is not just extra content, it’s structured support to help you implement what you’re learning here and accelerate your growth. It was created because it’s time we stop just talking about what works and start giving you the tools to build it.

So if you want to be the first to know when we open the doors and get access to exclusive founding member perks, sign up for the early access list here! 

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This Episode is Sponsored by Fourth Party Ready to streamline your practice? Fourth Party is the all-in-one platform built just for dispute resolution professionals, handling your intake, scheduling, file management, payments, and more.

As a listener of The Practice Playbook Podcast, you’ll get 20% off your first three months. Visit FourthParty.app and use code SUSAN20 at checkout to start building your practice like a CEO.

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CHECK OUT THE PRACTICE PLAYBOOK SERIES: 

Susan's growing collection of practical, no-fluff guides designed for legal, mediation, and service-based professionals who want to build modern, profitable, and purpose-driven practices. Each book is a focused “playbook” packed with actionable strategies, tools, and templates to help you grow with clarity and confidence—one smart step at a time.

The first title, The Flat Fee Playbook, launched as a #1 New Release on Amazon. The next book, The Thought Leadership Playbook, arrives October 1st— with more to follow covering branding, business planning, launching your practice, and more.

Get the FREE LinkedIn Newsletter from Susan, "Practice Building Tip of the Day": Weekly Practice Building Tips Newsletter

Reach out to Susan at susan@susaneguthrie.com

Susan's Coaching Services:  https://susaneguthrie.com/services

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com

Social Media:

Susan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/susaneguthrie

Susan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie

Make Money Mediating on Instagram: https://instagram.com/practiceplaybookpod

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Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan Guthrie is a top 1% attorney, mediator, coach, keynote speaker, trainer and #1 Amazon bestselling author with over 35 years of experience, now helping professionals build modern, profitable, and purpose-driven practices. A leader in the legal and dispute resolution fields, Susan is the former Chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and the creator of The Practice Playbook Series and Podcast and The Practice Accelerator. Through her books, podcast, and coaching, she empowers legal and entrepreneurial professionals to grow with clarity, confidence, and impact.

Melissa Brogdon, CEO and co-founder of Fourth Party, joins me today for a must-listen conversation on the backbone of every successful mediation practice: your backend systems. Whether you're launching your practice or trying to fix one that's stalled, chances are the issue isn’t with your logo or your website colors—it’s in your operations.

Melissa and I go deep into why building a strong business structure is make-or-break, what most mediators get wrong (spoiler: it’s not your branding), and how Fourth Party is transforming the way dispute resolution professionals run their practices.

Here’s what else you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why the backend of your business matters more than your brand colors
• How Fourth Party helps practitioners go from booking to billing seamlessly
• The role of onboarding and client experience in sustainable growth
• Why ease of use and thoughtful tech matter more than flashy tools
• What to audit right now in your intake process to avoid losing clients

More About This Week's Special Guest, Melissa Brogdon: Melissa leverages a career in operations management as a law firm administrator and as a nonprofit executive. She has been recognized as one of Georgia’s top 40 under 40 business leaders and secured key partnerships with Google for Startups, SAP/Pyxera Global, and Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center, Georgia’s oldest tech incubator. Melissa is a graduate of Spelman College and The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Website:

https://www.fourthpartyapp.com

Social Media:

http://instagram.com/4thpartyapp

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This Episode is Sponsored by Smith.ai

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MMMP Listeners Get:

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WANT MORE CONTENT?

Get SUSAN'S FREE BOOK: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/tFTeMJf/SuccesswithSusan

Get the FREE LinkedIn Newsletter from Susan, "Practice Building Tip of the Day": Weekly Practice Building Tips Newsletter

Susan's New Weekly Business Journal is NOW AVAILABLE!  https://susaneguthrie.com/the-journal

Reach out to Susan at susan@susaneguthrie.com

Susan's Coaching Services:  https://susaneguthrie.com/services

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com

Social Media:

Susan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanguthrieesq

Susan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie

Make Money Mediating on Instagram: https://instagram.com/makemoneymediating

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Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law Attorneys and Mediators in the United States, has transitioned from a successful legal and mediation practice to become one of the foremost trainers and consultants for professionals in the field. As Chair-Elect of the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan is dedicated to advancing the practice and profession of dispute resolution worldwide. Through her Top 1% in the World podcast, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie," she continues to share her expertise, reaching millions of listeners globally.

Susan Guthrie welcomes Professor John Lande for an eye-opening conversation that blends innovation, insight, and the evolving role of AI in mediation.

In this special two-part series, Susan is joined by legendary dispute resolution scholar John Lande, yes, the same John Lande who generally is very cautious about electronic technology – but is all-in on AI but one conversation flipped the switch, and now he’s the mind behind the RPS Coach: a trailblazing AI tool powered by four decades of his research and writing. Built to help mediators, lawyers, educators, and students sharpen their skills and rethink their systems, the RPS Coach is more than just a chatbot, it’s a game-shifter.

In Part One, Susan and John get into why he became so enthusiastic about AI, how the RPS Coach came to life, and what it means to interact with a tool built from your own intellectual legacy. Whether you’re shaping the future of mediation or just curious about what’s next in the field, this episode delivers a fresh take on how tech and practice can elevate one another.

Here’s what else you’ll hear in this episode:

• What inspired John to create the RPS Coach despite hesitations about technology
• How the tool works and who it’s designed to help
• Real-world ways the RPS Coach can improve writing, curriculum, and mediation prep

Tune in next Thursday for Part Two, where we go deeper into how practitioners and educators are already using the tool and how AI might reshape the field of dispute resolution.

More About This Week's Special Guest, John Lande:  John Lande is the Isidor Loeb Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Law and a nationally recognized leader in dispute resolution. A mediator since 1982, he holds a J.D. from Hastings and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His groundbreaking work has shaped how practitioners, courts, and educators approach negotiation, mediation, and dispute system design.

John is the recipient of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work, the Mangano Dispute Resolution Advancement Award, and multiple writing honors from CPR, AFCC, and others. His scholarship on early dispute resolution, collaborative law, and legal practice innovation has influenced a generation of professionals.

He has taught widely on negotiation, lawyering practice, and dispute system design, and is a Fellow of Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers. He also serves on the editorial board of the Indisputably blog.

Websites and Resources: 

RPS Coach: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67bdbff0204c81919bae3f14ac7810dc-rps-negotiation-and-mediation-coach

RPS Coach is Biased -And Proud of It: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5213572

User Guide: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5199282

Mediate.com Podcast 46: Training an AI on Yourself with Prof. John Lande: https://mediate.com/mediate-com-podcast-46-training-an-ai-on-yourself-with-prof-john-lande/

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This Episode is Sponsored by Thinkific!

If you're ready to turn your expertise into scalable income, Thinkific is the platform to make it happen. I’m currently using Thinkific to build out my own suite of on-demand programs, and it’s become a key part of how I’m diversifying my business.

Want to do the same?

Get started with a free 30-day trial using my link: https://bit.ly/MMMP-thinkific

Be sure to check out my recent episode on diversifying your income as a legal or dispute resolution professional, and the companion article on monetizing your expertise with downloadable programs—both linked below to help you get inspired and started.

Article:  The Fast-Track Guide to Creating a Profitable Downloadable Course

Episode: Turn Your Expertise Into Income: A Step-by-Step Guide to Monetizing Your Knowledge on Make Money Mediating #529

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WANT MORE CONTENT?

Get SUSAN'S FREE BOOK: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/tFTeMJf/SuccesswithSusan

Get the FREE LinkedIn Newsletter from Susan, "Practice Building Tip of the Day": Weekly Practice Building Tips Newsletter

Susan's New Weekly Business Journal is NOW AVAILABLE!  https://susaneguthrie.com/the-journal

Reach out to Susan at susan@susaneguthrie.com

Susan's Coaching Services:  https://susaneguthrie.com/services

Website: https://susaneguthrie.com

Social Media:

Susan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanguthrieesq

Susan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie

Make Money Mediating on Instagram: https://instagram.com/makemoneymediating

*****************

Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie

Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law Attorneys and Mediators in the United States, has transitioned from a successful legal and mediation practice to become one of the foremost trainers and consultants for professionals in the field. As Chair-Elect of the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan is dedicated to advancing the practice and profession of dispute resolution worldwide. Through her Top 1% in the World podcast, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie," she continues to share her expertise, reaching millions of listeners globally.

So many mediation and dispute resolution professionals have pivoted to using Zoom or other video-conference programs to conduct their proceedings online that it seems everyone these days is "Zooming!"  However, there is one feature of Zoom (and many of the other programs) that is harldy used by dispute resolution professionals and that is the ability to RECORD!  Believe it or not, the ability to record a Zoom meeting can be an incredibly easy and inexpensive way to create useful videos that have a multitude of uses in your practice! You'll probably never hit "Record" in a mediation, but there are many reasons why it just might become one of your favorite features too!  Check out this episode to learn one more way you can benefit from your Zoom membership!

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.) 

Susan also offers additional training and webinars in:

Social Media Marketing for Professionals  NOW AVAILABLE AS A DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM 

DIY Website Basics DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM COMING SOON!

Building an Online Practice 

Starting Your Own Podcast 

A Family and Divorce Mediation Primer

and MORE so be sure to check the site for dates and times and to REGISTER!  LEARN TO MEDIATE ONLINE www.learntomediateonline.com 

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-creating and co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

On this episode of The Learn to Mediate Online Podcast, Host Susan Guthrie speaks with her friend and colleague, Doug Witten, who is an experienced mediator and arbitrator who has handled more than 1,200 cases mainly in workplace, healthcare and contract matters, and who has been conducting online virtual proceedings for years.  Susan and Doug explore their personal insights into what works well in the online format and what sometimes goes wrong and why.  For so many mediators and dispute resolution professionals who have practices similar to Doug's, who work mainly in separate caucus, will find his experienced insights invaluable in preparing for their own online cases. There is a lot here for advocates too - find out what an experienced online mediator thinks is most important for a successful virtual mediation!

Some Highlights from this Episode:

• How the pre-mediation conferences can be one of the most important parts of an online mediation process and why.
• How presentations from our ABA colleagues, David Larson and Noam Ebner about 10 years ago and a computer on Jeopardy got Doug interested in ODR.
• Why Doug says that COVID has done in a few months what innovators like Colin Rule and others have been trying to do for 20 years.
• What is the anectodal feedback about online mediation that Susan has received from the 15,000+ professionals who have taken her course?
• Because virtual mediation is so visual, what positive effect does this have on communication between participants?
• Why adaptability is so important to success with online mediation.
• What is one of the most important things to do BEFORE the mediation starts?
• The impact of multilingual participants in an online mediation.

More About This Week's Special Guest:

Douglas J. Witten, Esq., principal of Innovative ADR International LLC, is a mediator and arbitrator who has 24 years of legal experience and has mediated 1200+ cases since becoming a registered neutral in 2003. Doug offers dispute resolution services across a range of areas including healthcare, workplace injuries, and contract matters. He previously practiced healthcare and corporate law, and he also served Georgia’s workers’ compensation agency in management roles including Chief Mediator and Deputy Director of the ADR Division.

Doug is a panel neutral for the American Health Lawyers Association Dispute Resolution Service and for BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of ODR Latinoamérica and the International Council for Online Dispute Resolution (ICODR), and he currently serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section, Mediation Committee’s Just Resolutions subcommittee, and on the Board of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section.

You can reach out to Doug at dwitten@innovativeadr.com

You can read Doug's fantastic ODR Blog here:  https://www.innovativeadr.com/blog/

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.) 

Susan also offers additional training and webinars in:

Social Media Marketing for Professionals  NOW AVAILABLE AS A DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM 

DIY Website Basics DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM COMING SOON!

Building an Online Practice 

Starting Your Own Podcast 

A Family and Divorce Mediation Primer

and MORE so be sure to check the site for dates and times and to REGISTER!  LEARN TO MEDIATE ONLINE www.learntomediateonline.com 

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-creating and co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

As a leading online dispute resolution professional, by far one of the most common questions that I hear is how do you establish rapport with participants or manage difficult emotions in an online proceeding when everyone is remote from each other?  There is great concern that you lose "the personal touch" in a virtual mediation but the good news is that there are ways to adjust your approach to continue to connect with your participants naturally with easily implemented tips from this week's guest, Dr. Debra Dupree, The Mindset Doc!  Dr. Debra is a psychologist and leading mediator and trainer who shares her insights for transitioning the emotional content of your mediations and online dispute resolution proceedings to the online platform to help you help your clients to resolve their disputes and move forward as you have always done.  

Some highlights from this episode:

• Find out why the pre-mediation conference(s) with the parties is more important than ever in a virtual mediation.
• What is the question that most mediators miss asking?  
• How does the acronym BEACH help you to find out what is important to your participants?
• What percentage of our communication is through our expression, intonation vs. the words we say?
• What happens to emotional intensity when participants are not in the same room?
• Why are the attorneys in mediation often more challenging emotionally to work with than the clients?

Dr. Debra is a veteran of hundreds of workplace and family mediations herself, both in person and online, so she is the perfect person to help us all to create that "personal touch" online - be sure to listen before your next online dispute resolution proceeding!

More information on this week's guest, Dr. Debra Dupree:  Dr. D represents the best of the best as an extraordinaire Business Mediator/Trainer and phenomenal transformational Keynote Speaker and Workshop Facilitator.  As the MINDSET Doc, her program, The AGILE Lawyer:  Leveraging Your Mindset, decodes the formula for moving litigators into peacemakers for client preservation and how to monetize the mediation mindset to pivot successfully. Debra has extensive training and experience in the psychology of human behavior and dispute resolution.  As the Director of Training for Mediation Training Institute (MTI), she worked directly with MTI’s founder, Dr. Dan Dana, a forerunner in the field of dispute resolution, training attorneys and human resource professionals as Workplace Mediators throughout North America. While not an attorney, she thought often about pursuing law school and even taught at law school in ADR for several years.  But, ultimately decided to stick to her passion for dealing with human behavior in conflict, seeking resolution.  Afterall, she was married to two attorneys and learned a lot along the way. Needless to say, she is attracted to the legal mind, its intellect, and ability to solve legal problems...she just wants to see advancement in their ability to deal with people problems!

For more information on Dr. Debra's upcoming FREE Webinar on using ZOOM to gain, retain and sustain clients when social distancing and working virtually are the new way of doing business , visit the landing page:  http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=quhbr9cab&oeidk=a07eh4ghl8h151d362a

For more information on Dr. Debra's upcoming programs visit www.theagilelawyerlife.com.

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.) 

Susan also offers additional training and webinars in:

Social Media Marketing for Professionals

DIY Website Basics

Building an Online Practice 

Starting Your Own Podcast 

and MORE so be sure to check the site for dates and times and to REGISTER!  LEARN TO MEDIATE ONLINE

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-creating and co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

They say that when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail and in the world of virtual mediation and online dispute resolution this is especially true! In this episode, online mediation expert, Susan Guthrie, walks mediators and attorneys through the important steps that should be taken to prepare clients for a virtual mediation. The true path to a successful resolution starts long before the first mediation session actually begins and the attorney bears much of the responsibility for making sure the client is ready to go when they click the link to join the meeting. The client needs to know what practical information they need in advance, such as the programs being used and the equipment and set up that they will need to participate. Then there are all the process factors and issues of privacy and confidentiality to be communicated and understood. Finally, advocates should be aware of the potential for unconscious bias against an unprepared client.

There is a famous quote that says "give me 6 hours to cut down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." Preparing your client for mediation is the same and much of an attorney's effort should properly be focused on the process before the mediation begins. Don't get caught with a dull axe - LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE TODAY!

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.) 

Susan also offers additional training and webinars in:

Social Media Marketing for Professionals

DIY Website Basics

Building an Online Practice 

Starting Your Own Podcast 

and MORE so be sure to check the site for dates and times and to REGISTER!  LEARN TO MEDIATE ONLINE

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-creating and co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

As the new normal settles in of life during quarantine (and likely after), online dispute resolution continues to draw the attention of professionals and their clients alike.  With all that attention however, comes questions and Susan Guthrie, the Founder of Learn to Mediate Online is receiving hundreds every week.  In this episode Susan will name the top 8 questions that she receives and give you up to date answers to all of them!  There's even a bonus questions thrown in and she shares her expertise and the anecdotal feedback that she has received from her over 15,000 program attendees, so if you have questions about online dispute resolution, the answers are here!  Take a listen now!

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

 Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.)  Susan offers additional training and webinars in Social Media Marketing for Professionals, DIY Website Basics, Building an Online Practice, Starting a Podcast and more so be sure to check the site for dates and times!

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-creating and co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. (www.divorceandbeyondpod.com) which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

With our entire world moving online, is it any wonder that the courts are moving there too?  On this week's episode of The Learn to Mediate Online Podcast, Susan Guthrie speaks with leading family law attorney and litigator, Randy Kessler, a veteran of inumerable courtroom proceedings who recently had his first opportunity to experience a virtual courtroom and the results surprised even a seasoned attorney like him!  Randy shares his insights and thoughts about what worked about the online platform (and in some ways was even better than in person matters) and where it still may fall short.  This is a fascinating peek into what is sure to become a staple of our judicial system as we move through COVID and beyond!  

Some Highlights from this Episode:

• How are objections handled in a virtual trial and why is it better than in-person?
• What effect did the fact that all the participants could see themselves play in the proceeding?
• Why is witness sequestration so much easier online?
• What are the environmental benefits of holding trials virtually?
• Why is a virtual trial especially effective for family law trials?

Randy covers all this and more in the episode so be sure to LISTEN NOW!

Here is a link to Randy's article for Law.com on the Zoom trial experience.  Trial by Zoom

More about this week's guest:  

In 1991, Randall M. Kessler founded the law firm now known as Kessler & Solomiany, LLC, a 30 person family law firm in Atlanta. He is the author of many family law books including Divorce: Protect Yourself, Your Kids and Your Future, The GA Library of Family Law Forms, and How to Mediate a Divorce. He is an adjunct professor of Family Law Litigation at Emory Law School. Mr. Kessler has served as the Chair of the Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association.

Born in Gainesville, Florida, raised in New Orleans and having attended college at Brandeis University near Boston, MA, Randall M. Kessler came to Georgia in 1985 to attend Emory Law School. He has over 30 years of experience in Domestic Relations and Family Law matters including divorce, custody, paternity, prenuptial agreements and child support. He Founded KS Family Law in 1991 after practicing for years at other family law boutique firms. Mr. Kessler teaches family law jury trials at Emory Law School and taught Family Law at John Marshall Law School from 2005 – 2019. He has lectured for the ABA, AAML, AICPA, NACVA, IAAR, NFLPA, NBPA, the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA), the Georgia Society of CPAs, the Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Atlanta Bar Associations and others all over the country and in fact, all over the world. Mr. Kessler is the Editor Emeritus of the Family Law Review for the State Bar of Georgia and is the former Chair of the Family Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association and the Atlanta Bar Association. He is author of many Family Law Books including Divorce, Protect Yourself, Your Kids and Your Future, The Georgia Library of Family Law Forms and How to Mediate a Divorce. He is proficient in both Spanish and Hebrew.

You can find out more about Randy's passion project Starsona, and get your own personalized star shout out at www.starsona.com!

You can reach Randy at rkessler@ksfamilylaw.com and find out more about his firm, Kessler & Solomiany at https://www.ksfamilylaw.com/

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

 Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.)  Susan offers additional training and webinars in Social Media Marketing for Professionals, DIY Website Basics, Building an Online Practice, Starting a Podcast and more so be sure to check the site for dates and times!

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which has reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. (www.divorceandbeyondpod.com) which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!

In life, it is good to have options and that is true for online mediation as well!  Susan begins a special series of interviews with the Founders of some of the leading Online Dispute Resolution platforms out there, that offer an alternative to Zoom and the other big video meeting programs, with Nathan Polito, the Founder and CEO of MODRON Spaces.  MODRON has been leading the way in ODR platforms for 7 years and Nathan shares with Susan some of the major benefits of using a platform specifically designed for dispute resolution as well as sharing some exciting new upgrades that are just about to launch!  

Some Highlights from the Episode:

• What suggestions did Susan make when she spoke with Nathan the first time that they are incorporating into the upgrades?
• What are Space Talks and why will dispute resolution professionals love them (hint: think easy breakout rooms)?
• Why is it important that security has been the #1 priority at MODRON since day One?
• How does MODRON Spaces facilitate the secure exchange and storage of documents?
• What are the amazing new LOW PRICE POINTS that MODRON is introducing?
• How does MODRON's integrated systems help with scheduling and billing?

Susan and Nathan cover all the above and MUCH MORE in this episode so TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TODAY!

More about this weeks' guest NATHAN POLITO:  Nathan is the founder of MODRON and creator of its innovative technology products. Nathan has over 19 years’ experience in technology development and has developed several successful projects across the finance, real estate, government and legal sectors, both nationally and internationally.  

About MODRON:  MODRON Spaces, is an all-in-one software platform to bring parties together to resolve a dispute online. Spaces encompasses a suite of tools such as integrated video conferencing, secure file sharing, messaging, agreements, scheduling and billing as well as secure on-boarding of all users and case management.

GET YOUR FREE TRIAL OF MODRON SPACES!

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About Our Host:  Susan Guthrie, nationally recognized as one of the Top Family Law and Mediation Attorneys in the country, has been helping individuals and families navigate separation and divorce for 30 years. Susan provides online divorce mediation and legal coaching services to select clients around the world.As a leading dispute resolution professional, Susan is honored to serve on the Executive Council of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section as the Membership Officer and to be a Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee.

 Susan also is one of the leading experts in online mediation in the country and trains other professionals in the practical and ethical considerations of conducting their mediations online through her business Learn to Mediate Online (www.learntomediateonline.com.)  Susan offers additional training and webinars in Social Media Marketing for Professionals, DIY Website Basics, Building an Online Practice, Starting a Podcast and more so be sure to check the site for dates and times!

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, Eye on Chicago, WGN, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online among others. She is licensed to practice law in the States of California and Connecticut as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Susan's other Podcasts: After a year and half of co-hosting the award winning podcast, Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast which has reached over 3 million listeners, Susan recently launched her fresh and inspiring new podcast, The Divorce and Beyond Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq. (www.divorceandbeyondpod.com) which debuted on iTunes “Top Podcasts” List for self-help podcasts. Divorce & Beyond is focused on pulling back the curtain on the mysteries of the divorce process and bringing tips and resources to help people to thrive and shine in their new future beyond divorce.

Follow us on Instagram:  Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast and Learn to Mediate Online!

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so that you don't miss an episode and if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 Star Rating on iTunes and tell us what you liked in a REVIEW!