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What happens when law, business & life collide? What if you could hang out with law firm owners and accomplished business leaders earning seven, eight, and nine figures a year, and gain insights that propel legal cases, and businesses forward exponentially? The Lead Counsel podcast, hosted by Thomas Tona, is a weekly show that delves into the world of law, the business of law, life, and where the three intersect. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with industry insiders and exp ...
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266 Express

Co-hosted by John Noblitt and Donna Green

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Welcome to the 266 Express, your official podcast of Sanger, TX. In every episode, we paint a picture of life in this beautiful North Texas town. You will gain insight into everything from our rich history, community events, and the rapid growth and development of Sanger. Welcome to the 266 Express.
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This podcast is straight talk on how to build a family law firm. My team and I have scaled Sterling Lawyers from zero to 25+ lawyers and $15m a year in revenue since 2014. The purpose is to document what's working and not working so you can re-contextualize for your practice and shorten your success curve. Here’s why we are so open about what's worked, where we have failed and where we are aiming next: My teammates and I envision transforming how family law clients are served. And we can’t t ...
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Attorney Tom Tona's story is incredible. He has consistently defied the odds and built a highly successful litigation firm in New York. It started with Tom building his grit as an undersized boy as he pushed through regular bullying. His mindset later pushed him to achieve his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu--which is a decade-long undertaking in…
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Feedback is an underrated growth tool for law firm leaders. It is most certainly a shortcut to improving as a leader. And, when the leader gets better, the whole law firm benefits. In this show, I discuss how one moment of feedback from a teammate transformed how I lead. At first, I was resistant and defensive. Then, as I listened, I saw my blind s…
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In this episode of Lead Counsel, we sit down with the legendary Ken Hardison, a personal injury lawyer with over 35 years of experience, founder of PILMMA, and often called the 'Millionaire Maker' for his successful coaching of law firms. Ken shares his journey from practicing law to helping other lawyers build successful practices. He dives into t…
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We started and grew Sterling Lawyers from 0 to 25 lawyers with over $15M in revenue within the first 9 years. It has been fun -- and painful. The pain came from the four biggest mistakes I made along the way. Here they are: Not joining a mastermind group with other legal professionals Underestimating how growth can cover serious flaws Failing to ke…
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James Joseph's journey is inspiring and incredible. He is a deeply respected family lawyer who he has built a thriving practice on Long Island, New York. In the midst of building his firm and starting a family, he received life-altering medical news. The prospects looked dim. The doctors advised him to wait it out. So, James privately endured four …
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In this episode of the Lead Counsel Podcast, we dive deep into the world of law firm entrepreneurship with Charley Mann, the dynamic founder of Law Firm Alchemy. Charley shares his unique insights on transforming solo and small law firms through marketing and leadership, drawing from his extensive experience and background in acting, copywriting, a…
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Leah Miller is a law firm financials expert. Her career began with a 13 year stint as a paralegal and office administrator. In that role, she learned the ins and outs of running a law practice. In 2023, after earning her MBA, Leah founded LNM Financial Services to help law firm owners achieve their growth goals. In this show we discuss: The pivotal…
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What if a simple scrapyard could transform into a thriving business that uplifts an entire community? Join us as we welcome David Fulton, the driving force behind DEF Recycling, and uncover the remarkable 38-year journey that took him from working in his father's scrapyard to becoming a pivotal figure in Sanger's metal recycling industry. David's s…
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In this week's episode of the Lead Counsel podcast as they welcome Terry Devita, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, to discuss the crucial role of mental health in law firm leadership. With years of business experience and a deep understanding of mental health, Terry shares her unique insights on how addressing mental health issues can lead to bet…
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My guest, Mary Sankey, is the leader of our non-attorney sales team at Sterling Lawyers. We explore the genesis and development of our non-attorney sales team. We also discuss: Mary's experience with divorce as a child and how it shaped her empathetic approach Her transition from the coffee industry to leading our sales team The importance of non-a…
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Join us live from the PILMMA Summit 2024 in vibrant New Orleans! In this episode, we dive into our key takeaways from the first day of the summit. We share insights from our favorite session led by Bert Thornton, where he illuminated the three essential qualities for being a mentor and the key attributes of a successful mentee. Bert also provided v…
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Terminating lawyers on your team is a very difficult process. Yet, it is critically necessary for any healthy law firm to grow and serve clients well. Every firm that is growing will have to terminate a lawyer's employment. At Sterling Lawyers, we have fired lawyers for a range of reasons. This show details our firm's history in this sensitive area…
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Paid Search is the second most important component of search marketing for any family law firm. The first is map listings -- see earlier podcast on this topic. In this show, my co-founder, Tony Karls, and I discuss our firm's philosophy and strategy to employ paid search in our marketing mix. We cover: 1 - Diversifying your marketing tactics 2 - Da…
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In this episode of the Lead Council podcast, we sit down with Jeff Hughes, the founder of Sterling Lawyers, to uncover the secrets behind his remarkable journey in the family law industry. Jeff shares how he grew his fixed fee family law firm from scratch to a powerhouse with 25 attorneys and 75 team members, generating over $15 million annually. D…
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Gary Miles's journey is one of profound transformation. He battled and overcame the grip of alcohol to build and lead a successful family law firm. In this show, Gary's candid retelling of his challenges and how he prevailed is certainly inspirational. It also serves as a roadmap to family lawyers interested in building their practice and having pe…
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It's no secret that my Sterling Family Lawyers co-founder, Tony Karls, is the digital marketing mastermind behind our success. In this week's show, Tony and I reveal the precise marketing blueprint that propelled our family law firm from 0 to 25 lawyers and $15million in revenue in less than 10 years. We discuss: 1 - Establishing an initial online …
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In this episode of the Lead Counsel podcast, we delve into the profound impact of silence and measured speech. Reflecting on Dan Lyons' book, STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World, we explore how excessive talking can mirror addictive behaviors and diminish personal power. Whether you're seeking to improve your comm…
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Bo Royal is a former Fortune 500 advertising agency executive turned law firm marketing expert. After holding leadership positions at eBay’s marketing solutions division and scaling the online advertising revenues of a variety of well-known brands, such as Calvin Klein, Bo pivoted into the world of legal marketing over five years ago and never look…
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Map listings are the single most important component of search marketing for any family law firm. The maps are Sterling Lawyers' most important lead generation channel. In this episode, my co-founder, Tony Karls, and I discuss the essential elements that have amplified our firm's map visibility. If you want to rank highly in the maps, this is the d…
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Join us in this compelling episode as Molly Hough, a dynamic figure reshaping the legal landscape, shares her insights and strategies on empowering female attorneys. Dive deep into discussions about the unique challenges women face in the legal profession and explore practical solutions for overcoming systemic barriers. This episode not only highli…
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When I sat down with Jonathan Breeden for this episode, my intention was to get his blueprint on how to create a hyperlocal podcast for family law firms. We certainly covered that topic. But, there turned out to be so much value in hearing his story. Jonathan Breeden is a seasoned family lawyer who takes us behind the scenes of his North Carolina f…
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Step into the world of civic innovation with Jim Bolz, the Director of Public Works for the City of Sanger, as he unveils how a municipality breathes life into its infrastructure. With a wealth of knowledge from his nearly two-decade tenure, Jim walks us through the complexities of managing a city's vital systems. He enlightens us on the pioneering…
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The best law firm lead generation system in the world is useless without a good intake team. One of the performance secrets at Sterling Lawyers has been our intake team. They excel at the critical task of answering the phone and supporting potential clients facing a family legal crisis. In this episode, Tony Karls and I do a deep dive into our fami…
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Join us on this episode of the Lead Counsel podcast, where we dive deep into the mechanics of fear and the importance of facing it head-on. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into overcoming the psychological barriers to success. Tune in as we discuss real-life examples, strategies for…
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Kyle Harbaugh is the Founder and President of Chief Go Officers. He is a holistic business strategist for law firms and his focus is on helping firms grow and operate better by providing Done-For-You projects and fractional services. In this episode, we have a full conversation about the challenges that firms encounter to move from the founder(s) d…
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The Sterling Lawyers origin story began on a whiteboard in the late fall of 2013, where Tony Karls and I sketched out the strategic blueprint of the law firm. Today, ten years later, we are revealing the essential components of that strategy. It's not surprising that almost nothing worked out like we planned, including our firm's mission. There are…
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Join us on this episode of Lead Counsel as we engage in a thorough conversation with Adam Rossen, the innovative CEO of Rossen Law Firm, Broward County's largest criminal defense firm. This episode delves into Adam’s transition from his role as a prosecutor to establishing and leading a major criminal defense firm, detailing the motivations and cha…
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Katie VanDeusen co-leads a team of 25 family lawyers. She is a highly successful leader, especially when it comes to developing less-experienced attorneys. Katie has always been a top-performer at Sterling Lawyers. She has set more than a few performance records. In addition to her own prolific practice, she mentors other attorneys, some of which h…
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People are the most important success factor in every law firm. There are no exceptions to this rule. At Sterling Lawyers we take hiring (we call it "selection") very, very seriously. Over the past 10 years we have honed our selection process into a finely tuned machine. Robin Esch oversees the sourcing and selection of all our teammates. She is ou…
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If you're ready for continuos learning, strategic network, and innovations in your field - listen to this episode & join a mastermind. In this episode, we dive into the key takeaways from TT's high-level mastermind, the importance of networking, and innovations in the legal field. From an inspiring story of a law student's unconventional path to ne…
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Tom Lenfestey is the founder of The Law Practice Exchange. He's also a practicing North Carolina attorney, licensed CPA, and Accredited Business Intermediary. Tom is one of North America's most knowledgeable experts on selling a law firm. In this fascinating conversation we discussed: State of M&A in law People law firms v. Business law firms Law f…
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Attorney Patrick Slaughter is an attorney coach with substantial "Street Cred." He has built a very successful law firm and sold it. Now, he helps other lawyers do the same thing. His story is non-traditional to say the least. Patrick was a magician for 20 years before attending law school. Once out of law school, he hustled, networked, and worked …
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Fitness & health and how it ties to your wealth and success. In our latest podcast episode as we delve into the intricacies of optimizing health and wellness for a balanced life. From exploring the impact of sleep and breathing habits to discussing the significance of diet, exercise, and mindfulness, we cover it all. Discover expert insights on inc…
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Embark on a historical adventure as we sit down with Tona Batis, the dedicated president of the Sanger Area Historical Society, and uncover the evolution of Sanger, Texas. Our guest brings the past to life, revealing how the Sanger brothers and the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad were instrumental in transforming the town from a humble cattle…
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Business 101: If you are not measuring it, you are not managing it. This principle is true when it comes to a family law firm culture. My guest this week is Robin Esch, Sterling Lawyers' Director of Team Growth. We explore how we measure a critical aspect of our law firm -- our culture. ------------------------- Follow me on: LinkedIn - YouTube - X…
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Attorney Jeff Morrell is a Senior Partner at our family law firm, Sterling Lawyers. Since joining our team, Jeff has been a pace-setter. This episode is a conversation between me and Jeff riffing on his productivity strategies. He shares a load of valuable insights on how to improve the efficiency of a family law practice. Enjoy! ------------------…
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In this must-listen episode, we're thrilled to welcome back Craig Goldenfarb, not just a friend but a innovator in the legal industry. Together, we explore the Seven Figure Attorney Summit, Craig's brainchild designed to bridge the critical knowledge gap many attorneys face when scaling their practices. In this episode, you will hear: Goals of the …
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Jon Morris is the founder of Rise Interactive, a wildly successful digital agency that he exited a few years ago. Since then, Jon has started two more highly successful service businesses: (1) EngineBi (www.enginebi.net) and (2) Fiscal Advocate (www.fiscaladvocate.com). Jon also sits on the Sterling Lawyers Board of Advisors. Over the years, Jon ha…
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As I reflect on our first ten years of building and leading Sterling Law, there are 11 lessons that have surprised me. Here they are: 1 - Being a leader is your identity 2 - Building a law firm is a sprint and a marathon 3 - Vulnerability is confidence in action 4 - Discipline today avoids pain tomorrow 5 - Leadership isn't winning your way. It’s c…
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In this episode of the Lead Counsel podcast, we welcome Jeff Cunningham, an ethics attorney, to discuss the indispensable role of legal ethics in law practice. Jeff, who has carved out a niche in law firm risk management, talks about the journey from his initial career aspirations to becoming a key player in protecting law firms from ethical pitfal…
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Holly Mullin co-leads one of the largest family law teams in the United States. Her well-earned law leadership insights have come through years of trial and error. She has a reputation for professionalism and genuinely serving her teammates. Holly is well-respected by every member of the Sterling Law team. In this episode, we explore: 1 - Leading t…
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Law firm leadership is visual. Teammates do what they see. Leadership is not about title or position. It is about modeling the behavior that we want duplicated. The truth about leadership modeling in a law firm is: 1 - The higher up leaders go, the fewer privileges they have--and more weight they must carry. 2 - When the leader engages in bad behav…
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In this episode of the Lead Counsel podcast, we sit down with Glenn Gutek, an executive coach from Atticus. Glenn shares his journey from academia to becoming a pivotal figure in law firm coaching, revealing insights on ambition, leadership, and maintaining one's soul amidst the grind. Dive into a conversation that bridges the past, present, and fu…
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Paul Mackiewicz is the owner of Honorable.Marketing, an AI-powered digital agency focused on serving law firms. In this interview, Paul and I go deep down the digital marketing rabbit hole in the family law context. We discussed: - How to get started as a family lawyer online - The order of priority when building digital assets - How to hire and wo…
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So much about leading a law firm is paradoxical. On their face, the concepts don't seem to make much sense. Yet they often make the difference between success and failure. These are my favorite law leadership incongruities I have learned through the pain of failure. 1 - Unless the decision can kill you, make it fast 2 - Leadership vulnerability is …
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Join us for this episode as we explore the profound impact personal stories and authentic connections have in the realm of personal injury law. We welcome personal injury lawyer Neal Goldstein, highlighting his unique blend of professional expertise and personal experiences that underscore the significance of empathy and human connection in legal p…
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This episode is all about how to execute a podcast for a law firm. My guest is podcasting expert, Robert Ingalls, owner of LawPods. Robert is a lawyer and "gets" what it takes for lawyers to use podcasts to grow their firm. We delve into all the salient questions that need answers for attorneys to start and grow their podcast. Enjoy! --------------…
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Hiring great family lawyers is the leaders' most important task if the firm is to grow. Nothing is more important. At Sterling, our formula for hiring Family Law Lawyers: 1 - Must share our core values 2 - Don’t mind being measured 3 - Has drive and ambition 4 - Has high level of empathy and people skills 5 - Coachable to adopt proactive practice h…
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In this episode, we delve into the critical concept of identifying and following your "North Star" - a guiding principle that aligns your personal values with the needs of your business. Join us as we explore the profound impact of understanding what truly drives you, both personally and professionally. This episode is packed with insightful discus…
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Join the conversation as Sanger's own Mayor Thomas Muir sits down with John Noblitt for a heartfelt look behind the curtain of small-town governance. With his unique blend of humor and dedication, Mayor Muir unpacks the misconceptions surrounding the mayoral role and shares tales from his time conversing with school kids about civic responsibilitie…
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