Podcasts about rocket matter

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Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 42:33

In this episode, author and speaker Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., discusses how to handle stress and break the burnout cycle in your personal and professional life. Links from the episode:  Check out Rocket Matter: modern legal software for busy lawyers Burnout by Emily Nagoski If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free!

#506: Managing Stress & Avoiding Burnout, with Emily Nagoski (Replay)

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Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 42:33

#497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Schorr

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 44:05

In this episode, Zack talks with Ben Schorr, a Senior Content Program Manager at Microsoft and AI expert, about preparing to use Artificial Intelligence in your law firm. They discuss how the power of Artificial Intelligence can highlight the weaknesses of a firm in both their security and their processes. Links from the episode:  Check out Rocket Matter! If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free!

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#497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Schorr

TheTechSavvyLawyer.Page Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 44:05

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Navigating Legal Complexities in Dental Data Security

AI Lawyer Talking Tech

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 21:55

Welcome to today's episode of "AI Lawyer Talking Tech." In this episode, we explore the intricate landscape of data security and legal compliance in dental offices. Highlighting the article "FOCUS ON: Data Breaches and HIPAA," our discussion delves into the challenges faced by dental professionals as they grapple with safeguarding sensitive patient information amidst complex regulations and potential legal implications. From the convergence of cyber and healthcare laws to the intricacies of state-specific data privacy regulations, we unravel the complexities of mitigating legal risks, understanding employee training requirements, and ensuring compliance with ADA website standards in the dental industry. Join us as we navigate the multifaceted world of data security and legal obligations in dental practice. FOCUS ON: Data Breaches and HIPAA15 Mar 2024Dentistry TodayMicrosoft reaches out-of-court settlement with Caltech over Wi-Fi patent dispute15 Mar 2024Gizchina.comCultivating Client Relationships: Keys to Success for Lawyers15 Mar 2024Legal ReaderPornhub no longer accessible in Texas due to age verification laws15 Mar 2024TechSpotThe Future of Law Firm Marketing: Emerging Technologies and Strategies15 Mar 2024Legal ReaderHow AI Is The Catalyst For Reshaping Every Aspect Of Legal Work14 Mar 2024Above The LawECJ's ruling on the interpretation of “personal data” and “joint controller” in the context of the IAB TCF Framework15 Mar 2024Data Protection ReportThe Courtroom Factor in GenAI's Future15 Mar 2024Information WeekHow to set lawyer goals in 2024: Strategies for success15 Mar 2024Legal FuturesSeize Your Day with Rocket Matter's Office Management Tools15 Mar 2024LawyeristHow Law Firms Can Use AI Content Strategically to Satisfy Google's Quality Standards15 Mar 2024JD SupraAI Predictions for the Legal Industry in 202415 Mar 2024JD SupraJudicial Series: An insightful sit-down with Hon. Bernard Graham15 Mar 2024Brooklyn Daily EagleIn Conversation, Women Shaping the Future of Legal: Irene Fiorentinos and Amanda Jones14 Mar 2024JD SupraZephyr AI Announces $111 Million Series A13 Mar 2024CooleyCooley Wins Appeal for CoolIT Systems14 Mar 2024CooleyCommission Announces Speaker Lineup for April 18 Future Is Now: Legal Services Conference14 Mar 20242CivilityEU AI Act: What does it mean for UK business post-Brexit?14 Mar 2024MSN UKDraftWise Announces $20 Million Series A Funding Round15 Mar 2024Legal Tech BlogThe European Union's AI Act: What You Need to Know15 Mar 2024Holland & KnightNew York Lawmakers Aim to Close Loopholes in NYC's AI Bias Audit Law and Add Teeth to Workplace Protections15 Mar 2024Fisher & Phillips LLPCalifornia Determined to Take Lead on AI Regulation: A Glance at The State's Proposed Artificial Intelligence Rules15 Mar 2024Fisher & Phillips LLPEU: White paper "How to master Europe's digital infrastructure needs?"15 Mar 2024Hogan LovellsWho's Who under the EU AI Act: Spotlight on Key Actors15 Mar 2024Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PCThe European Parliament Adopts the AI Act14 Mar 2024WilmerHale

Episode 69: What is Cloud Computing and More with IT Specialist and Podcast Host Dave Ginsburg!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2023 27:44

Dave is an IT specialist and seasoned podcaster renowned as the host of the "In Touch With iOS" podcast. Dave and I delve into the world of cloud computing. With over two decades of hands-on experience in IT, an unmatched proficiency in business technology, and a love of all things Apple, Dave brings his genuine expertise to enlighten and engage his audience. In this TSL.P Podcast episode, we talk about what cloud computing is and explore its foundational concepts, benefits, and potential concerns. Listeners of today's podcast will hopefully leave with an enriched understanding of the basics of cloud computing for lawyers and the intriguing dynamics shaping the social media sphere. Join Dave and me as we discuss the following three questions and more! What are the top three reasons professionals would want to use cloud computing? What are the top three reasons a professional would not want to use cloud computing? As we peer into the future, what are your top three predictions for using cloud computing by professionals? In our conversation, we cover the following: [00:29] Diving into Tech: From Microphones to iPhones, Dave's Tech Setup and Insights [04:17] Demystifying Cloud Computing: From Remote Servers to Efficient Resource Management [06:14] Exploring Cloud Computing Benefits and Concerns: Security, Redundancy, and Global Accessibility [12:03] Assessing Considerations Against Cloud Computing: On-Premise Control, Service Management, and Data Security [14:23] Enhancing Client Data Security: Information Security Plans, VPN Usage, and Two-Factor Authentication [20:26] Peering into the Cloud Computing Future: Virtualization, Storage Evolution, and Industry Adaptation [25:26] The Landscape of Evolving Social Media Platforms: Threads, Blue Sky, and Mastodon's Unique Path RESOURCES: Connect with Dave: Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@daveg65 Twitter: twitter.com/intouchwithios Website: intouchwithios.com YouTube: youtube.com/intouchwithios Hardware mentioned in the conversation: Drobo: drobo.com/ Rode PodMic: rode.com/en/microphones/broadcast/podmic YubiKey: yubico.com/ Software & Cloud Services mentioned in the conversation: 1Password: 1password.com/ Amazon Web Services (AWS): aws.amazon.com/ Backblaze: backblaze.com/ Carbonite: carbonite.com/ Clio: clio.com/ Microsoft Azure: azure.microsoft.com/en-us Rocket Matter: rocketmatter.com/ Smokeball: smokeball.com/

#438: Harnessing Chat GPT in Your Firm, with Joyce Brafford from Rocket Matter (Sponsored)

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 21:24

Zack talks with Joyce Brafford, a lawyer and practice management expert at ProfitSolv, about incorporating AI into your firm's workflows and automations. See how you can use Chat GPT to do the heavy lifting for template creation, client emails, and even internal brand research. If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! About Rocket Matter Rocket Matter is legal practice management software that makes the lives of lawyers a whole lot easier Schedule a Personal Demo

#438: Harnessing Chat GPT in Your Firm, with Joyce Brafford from Rocket Matter (Sponsored)

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 21:24

#410: Making Workflows Work for You, with Joyce Brafford from Rocket Matter (Sponsored)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 29:55

Could a project management tool be the missing key in your law firm's arsenal? In this episode, Zack talks with Joyce Brafford, a North Carolina attorney with over a decade of experience in the legal tech industry. She and Zack dive into the benefits of project management for law firms, how workflows and automations (even imperfect ones) can eliminate common woes, and how Rocket Matter legal practice management software can help. If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! About Rocket Matter Rocket Matter is legal practice management software that makes the lives of lawyers a whole lot easier Schedule a Personal Demo Webinar: How to Get Paid Faster Top of Funnel: Guide for those looking to become more efficient as a practicing attorney Mid Funnel: eBook that is for those looking to buy practice management software. A must-read before buying.

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#410: Making Workflows Work for You, with Joyce Brafford from Rocket Matter (Sponsored)

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 29:55

5 Upgrades for Engagement Agreements; Lean Law with Larry Port & Dave Maxfield; & “Disposable Income”

The Legal Toolkit

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 38:46

A real shocker, we know, but many law firms are still struggling with efficiency. Surely you're not among them… ahem… but, just in case, Jared welcomes Larry Port and Dave Maxfield, authors of The Lean Law Firm and its accompanying training course, to help lawyers understand how to streamline processes and increase profitability. And, the term ‘fee agreement' really doesn't cut it, so Jared's here to clue you in on crafting an ‘engagement agreement' with his top five tips. ----- On the Rump Roast, Jared, Larry, and Dave play “Disposable Income,” where they examine some of the crazy stuff rich people buy and whether they'd do the same if they had money to throw away. Larry Port, CEO of Rocket Matter, is also a speaker and award winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology. ----- And in honor of all the stupid stuff people buy, here are some songs about straight, cash-money!

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5 Upgrades for Engagement Agreements; Lean Law with Larry Port & Dave Maxfield; & “Disposable Income”

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 38:46

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EP 122: Discovering Documate with Dorna Moini

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2021 13:02

Larry Port returns with Dorna Moini, the CEO and founder of Documate, a no-code document automation platform. Dorna walks us through the software and explains in detail the value it brings to the table for law firms. You won't want to miss hearing about this amazing time-saving functionality! The post EP 122: Discovering Documate with Dorna Moini appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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#337: Establishing Systems for Your Firm, with Valentina Rose

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021 43:46

Labster Valentina Rose shares about how systems and technology she put in place have helped propel her firm forward. If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to Rocket Matter, Rankings.io, TextExpander, and Postali for sponsoring this episode.

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Lawyerist Podcast : #337: Establishing Systems for Your Firm, with Valentina Rose

ABA Journal Podcasts - Legal Talk Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021 43:46

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Lawyerist Podcast : #337: Establishing Systems for Your Firm, with Valentina Rose

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021 43:46

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Ep 121: Increase Your Billable Hours with TimeSolv’s Zero AR Initiative

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2021 10:46

This week Larry chats with Raza Hasan, CEO of TimeSolv, about his company's new Zero AR initiative. Discover how this patent-pending technology allows you to control when you get paid, reduce your cycle time, and increase your yearly revenue. You won't want to miss this episode! The post Ep 121: Increase Your Billable Hours with TimeSolv's Zero AR Initiative appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 120: Gideon- A New Marketing Technology for Law Firms

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2021 12:52

Back from hiatus, Larry Port chats with Jared Correia of Red Cave Legal about his new product, Gideon. This chatbot technology helps lawyers automatically qualify leads, book consults, route leads to the right lawyer or staff person, and create new client matters. Tune in to learn more about how this technology is changing the game… Read More »Ep 120: Gideon- A New Marketing Technology for Law Firms The post Ep 120: Gideon- A New Marketing Technology for Law Firms appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 119: Boost Your Law Firm’s Business with Text Messaging

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020 13:54

Texting is the most widely-used method of communication nowadays, so how can you harness its power for your firm? This week you'll hear from Shaun Sorenson, CEO and founder of Kenect, about all of the ways texting can be used to boost your business. Whether you're trying to bring in more leads or better engage… Read More »Ep 119: Boost Your Law Firm's Business with Text Messaging The post Ep 119: Boost Your Law Firm's Business with Text Messaging appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 118: How Pay-Per-Click Ads Lead To More Clients

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 11:37

This week, Larry Port chats with Zeke Silvani, CRO of Convert IT Marketing, LLC, a digital marketing agency that works exclusively with law firms. Zeke discusses how pay-per-click (PPC) ads convert into clients and how the digital advertising market has changed and expanded over the years. Boasting a 30% conversion rate, ConvertIT has proven their… Read More »Ep 118: How Pay-Per-Click Ads Lead To More Clients The post Ep 118: How Pay-Per-Click Ads Lead To More Clients appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 117: Streamline Your Document Automation with Woodpecker

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 11:13

This special edition video podcast features special guest Alex Melehy, founder and CEO of Woodpecker. Alex showcases Woodpecker's robust document automation features with a short demo. Learn about how he came to the conclusion this product was needed in the market, the process behind creating it, and the advantage of utilizing Woodpecker in your law… Read More »Ep 117: Streamline Your Document Automation with Woodpecker The post Ep 117: Streamline Your Document Automation with Woodpecker appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 116: Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 12:38

This week, Larry talks with Erik Pickering, President of Tracers investigative research software (one of Rocket Matter's newest integration partners!) Erik discusses how his data information service helps attorneys, and separately, how his business advice “hope for the best, plan for the worst” is put into action. In order to survive current times, decisions must… Read More »Ep 116: Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst The post Ep 116: Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst appeared first on Rocket Matter.

9.25.20: Rocket Matter Acquired, ALSPs Seek Scalability, and More

Legaltech Week

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 49:24

This week on Legaltech Week, our panel of legal journalists discuss a range of stories. Among them: the acquisition of practice management company Rocket Matter, scalability vs. headcount at ALSPs, the challenge of naming a legaltech company, Fragomen’s acquisition of SimpleCitizen, Texas judiciary embraces long-term virtual hearings, man sentenced to death via Zoom, U.K. returns to lockdown, and the continuing foibles of the bar exam. This week’s panelists are: Nicole Black, legal technology columnist and legaltech evangelist at MyCase; Caroline Hill, editor in chief, Legal IT Insider; Victoria Hudgins, reporter for Legaltech News; Molly McDonough, media consultant, former publisher and editor-in-chief of the ABA Journal; and Joe Patrice, editor, Above the Law. Bob Ambrogi of LawSites blog and LawNext podcast moderates.

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Ep 115: Moving From Amicus to the Cloud

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2020 10:00

Rocket Matter CRO Jeff White returns to the show for another discussion about cloud migration. This week, Jeff reviews Amicus practice management and why its users are making the switch to Rocket Matter. Storage, speed, and reliability are just a few reasons that are touched on. If you're looking to get your law firm into… Read More »Ep 115: Moving From Amicus to the Cloud The post Ep 115: Moving From Amicus to the Cloud appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 114: Where PCLaw Fell Short

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2020 7:45

Larry sits down this week with Rocket Matter CRO Jeff White to revisit the topic of PCLaw as people continue to leave the service for alternatives. While PCLaw has things they do well, they fall behind on important advancements and developments that competitors have started to implement. Jeff offers advice and caution revolving around data… Read More »Ep 114: Where PCLaw Fell Short The post Ep 114: Where PCLaw Fell Short appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 113: Implementing Credit Card Payments for Law Firms

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2020 11:21

This week Larry brings Adam Holden, Director of Payments at LexCharge payment processing, onto the show to discuss the ethics of credit card payments for attorneys. In an ever-changing landscape (especially in 2020), law firms are moving more towards alternative methods of payment such as credit cards. Adam talks about the concerns with credit card… Read More »Ep 113: Implementing Credit Card Payments for Law Firms The post Ep 113: Implementing Credit Card Payments for Law Firms appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 112: Will iPads Replace Computers?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 16:14

This week, Larry Port talks with renowned eDiscovery consultant Brett Burney about the advancement and popularity of the iPad over the last few years. As people move more towards using tablets in their daily lives, the iPad has become a staple, and soon may become the standard for the workplace. Brett discusses the advantages of… Read More »Ep 112: Will iPads Replace Computers? The post Ep 112: Will iPads Replace Computers? appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 111: What’s Going On With Time Matters?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2020 11:10

This week, Larry Port and Rocket Matter CRO Jeff White discuss Time Matters and the lack of investment they appear to have. Many continue to want to move towards Rocket Matter, but don't know how to make the move. Jeff talks about how making this move is beneficial to a law firm long-term, and why… Read More »Ep 111: What's Going On With Time Matters? The post Ep 111: What's Going On With Time Matters? appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 110: Why People Are Moving Away From ProLaw

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2020 9:40

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many law firms to ditch their old on-premise legal practice management systems and move to the cloud. This week, Larry talks to Rocket Matter CRO Jeff White about concerns migrating from ProLaw to Rocket Matter. Breaking down the process and how it works, Jeff showcases how this switch can be… Read More »Ep 110: Why People Are Moving Away From ProLaw The post Ep 110: Why People Are Moving Away From ProLaw appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 109: Building Traffic to Your Website

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2020 9:22

Larry chats with legal entrepreneur Andy Cabasso about his new company, Postaga. During his time of applying to law firms, Andy noticed a surprising lack of good web design and hopped on the opportunity to create a new business. After creating websites for law firms for several years through JurisPage, Andy moved on to developing… Read More »Ep 109: Building Traffic to Your Website The post Ep 109: Building Traffic to Your Website appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 108: How to Get Paid Faster During COVID-19

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2020 9:21

This week, Larry talks with Adam Holden from Lexcharge about the difficulties of getting paid during the current pandemic. As remote work and limited business hours for banks continue to put a strain on law firms in terms of making and receiving payments, electronic methods are becoming more common. The country has started to reopen,… Read More »Ep 108: How to Get Paid Faster During COVID-19 The post Ep 108: How to Get Paid Faster During COVID-19 appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 107: Modernizing Presentations In The Courtroom

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2020 15:04

William Roach, a partner of ExhibitView Solutions and Simple Case, joins the podcast to discuss the trial presentation software they have created to help trials run smoothly. William showcases how this software simplifies the process, cutting the time that more traditional methods of presentation take up in the courtroom. Exhibit View Solutions demonstrates a method… Read More »Ep 107: Modernizing Presentations In The Courtroom The post Ep 107: Modernizing Presentations In The Courtroom appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 106: Reducing Overhead During Times of Uncertainty

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2020 10:41

This week, Larry sits down with Jared Correia of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting to discuss his upcoming webinar on reducing overhead for law firms. Together they speculate about what law firms might look like in the future, and how to prepare for the uncertainty that comes with the current economical climate. Taking the time… Read More »Ep 106: Reducing Overhead During Times of Uncertainty The post Ep 106: Reducing Overhead During Times of Uncertainty appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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Ep 105: Civil Rights During COVID-19- A Conversation with Michael Lieberman

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Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 16:26

This week, Larry sits down with distinguished ADL civil rights attorney (and Legal Freedom Fighter) Michael Lieberman. Together they discuss the current political, social, and religious climate in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus continues to change the way people interact with the world – unfortunately not always for the better. What… Read More »Ep 105: Civil Rights During COVID-19- A Conversation with Michael Lieberman The post Ep 105: Civil Rights During COVID-19- A Conversation with Michael Lieberman appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 104: Running a NY Company from Barcelona during COVID-19

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2020 16:49

Larry sits down with David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline and author of The Fast Forward Mindset, who is currently living with his family in a “year abroad” in Barcelona. David discusses running Lawline from Barcelona, talks about parenting philosophy, and what everyday life is like in Barcelona. David's book, which discusses how to be focused… Read More »Ep 104: Running a NY Company from Barcelona during COVID-19 The post Ep 104: Running a NY Company from Barcelona during COVID-19 appeared first on Rocket Matter.

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4.17.20: New Ethics Guidance on WFH and More from the Week’s News

Legaltech Week

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2020 18:32

This week’s top story is the release of the first ethics opinion to outline and address the issues raised by working from home due to the coronavirus crisis. We’re joined by an author of that opinion, Pennsylvania lawyer Daniel Siegel, to discuss its key points. Also this week: the first major virtual legal conference of the coronavirus era is held, ILTA’s CEO says its annual ILTACON conference is a go for August, and a contracts-technology company, saying corporations face a state of emergency, releases a free version of its product to help legal departments make their contracts organized and accessible. Story Sources Major ethics opinion (2:27): State Bar Issues Ethics Guidance on Working from Home During COVID-19 Pandemic. Full text: PBA Formal Opinion 2020-300 Ethical Considerations for Attorneys Working Remotely. First virtual conference (4:44): Rocket Matter to Stage ‘Rocket Aid,’ A Charitable Virtual Conference for Lawyers. What If You Threw A Conference And No One Came (Because They All Logged In Remotely)? Litera Announces Virtual Legal Conference April 23 on Adapting to the Changing Market. Rocket Aid. The Changing Lawyer LIVE! ILTA LegalSEC Summit. ILTACON is on (6:25): Law Insights Interview with Joy Heath Rush. ILTACON Is On, ILTA CEO Says, But It May Not Seem The Same. ILTACON planning going ‘full steam ahead.’ Knowable’s new products (6:56): Knowable Responds to Pandemic with New Products, Including Free Contract Management. GCs Face Contract ‘Chaos’ + Knowable Wants to Help. Guest Conversation (7:52): Daniel J. Siegel.

Legal Talk Today : Rocket Aid and Online Payments

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2020 14:27

Rocket Matter’s Larry Port sounds off about Rocket Aid, a virtual conference that both helps lawyers be more productive and donates proceeds to charity. Stay tuned for his mini-session about taking online payments. Sources and Links: Rocket Matter Rocket Aid Virtual Conference How to Safely Pass Credit Card Fees Onto Your Clients 6 Reasons Why Your Law Firm Needs Payment Processing Lean Basics for Law Firms

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Rocket Aid and Online Payments

Legal Talk Today

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2020 14:27

Rocket Matter's Larry Port sounds off about Rocket Aid, a virtual conference that both helps lawyers be more productive and donates proceeds to charity. Stay tuned for his mini-session about taking online payments. Sources and Links: Rocket Matter Rocket Aid Virtual Conference How to Safely Pass Credit Card Fees Onto Your Clients 6 Reasons Why Your Law Firm Needs Payment Processing Lean Basics for Law Firms

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Ep 103: Meet UberConference- An Exciting Alternative to Zoom

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2020 12:46

With millions of Americans working from home, programs like Zoom have become an invaluable part of remote business operations. However, Zoom has recently come under fire for security risks, leading many to try and find something better. In this episode, Kate Walsh, Product Marketing Manager at Dialpad, is brought on to discuss Uber Conference, an… Read More »Ep 103: Meet UberConference- An Exciting Alternative to Zoom The post Ep 103: Meet UberConference- An Exciting Alternative to Zoom appeared first on Rocket Matter.

Ep 32- Live from ABA TECHSHOW 2019

The Lean Law Firm Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2019 22:25

This week's episode of the Lean Law Firm Podcast is all about ABA TECHSHOW 2019! Larry Port (live from Chicago) chats with Dave Maxfield about what Lean concepts they hope to see at the conference this year. You'll also get a sneak peek of what Larry's company, Rocket Matter, will be showing off at their Read more about Ep 32- Live from ABA TECHSHOW 2019[…]

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RL 88: Nefra MacDonald— Emotional Awareness: Mindfulness' Secret Weapon to Psychological Health

The Resilient Lawyer with Jeena Cho

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2018 32:03

In this episode, I am excited to have Nefra MacDonald on to talk about how awareness of one's emotions can revolutionize your presence and how you communicate with others. Nefra MacDonald is the Business Development and Strategic Partnership Coordinator at Rocket Matter. After working in various capacities at law firms, corporations, and non-profit organizations, she decided to use her experience to help address the pain points that practicing lawyers feel every day. She currently co-chairs Rocket Matter's Product Advisory Committee, which serves as a source of targeted feedback for the company's product improvement strategy. Her passion for wellness has also led to heavy involvement in producing more wellness programming for lawyers, including Rocket Matter's Legal Wellness Retreat, where I will also be presenting. Topics Covered Nefra talks on how personal hardships changed her path from being a law student working at a firm, to where she is now helping other lawyers balance their life with mindfulness. How Kundalini Yoga helped her to be more present, more aware of her emotions, and how she uses that awareness to better control her emotions rather than the opposite. She talks about how she expresses those negative emotions to others and allows herself to feel it rather than bury it deep down. Common pain points with lawyers, work/life balance issues, and wellness and mindfulness issues, such as the inability to disconnect from work without feeling anxiety and trying to manage staff. Find out more on Nefra at: Twitter Legal Productivity podcast Links mentioned: Rocket Matter's Legal Wellness Retreat- save $100 off registration for the conference with the discount code "JEENALWR18" Questions? Comments? Email Jeena! hello@jeenacho.com. You can also connect with Jeena on Twitter: @Jeena_Cho For more information, visit: jeenacho.com Order The Anxious Lawyer book — Available in hardcover, Kindle and Audible Find Your Ease: Retreat for Lawyers I'm creating a retreat that will provide a perfect gift of relaxation and rejuvenation with an intimate group of lawyers. Interested? Please complete this form: https://jeena3.typeform.com/to/VXfIXq MINDFUL PAUSE: Bite-Sized Practices for Cultivating More Joy and Focus 31-day program. Spend just 6 minutes every day to practice mindfulness and meditation. Decrease stress/anxiety, increase focus and concentration. Interested? http://jeenacho.com/mindful-pause/ Transcript Nefra MacDonald: [00:00:12] I need to show up for myself first, every single day before I can be of service to anyone else. Intro: [00:00:18] Welcome to The Resilient Lawyer podcast. In this podcast, we have meaningful, in-depth conversations with lawyers, entrepreneurs, and change agents. We offer tools and strategies for creating a more joyful and satisfying life. And now your host, Jeena Cho. Jeena Cho: [00:00:43] Hello my friends, thanks for joining me for another episode of The Resilient Lawyer podcast. Today I have Nefra MacDonald, she is the business development and strategic partner coordinator at Rocket Matter, and she has worked in various capacities at law firms, corporations, and non-profit organizations, and she decided to use all of her experiences to help lawyers address their pain points that they feel every day. She is currently the co-chair at Rocket Matter's Product Advisory Committee, which serves as a source of targeted feedback for the company's product improvement strategy. Her passion for wellness has also led her to be heavily involved in producing more wellness programs for lawyers, including Rocket Matter's Legal Wellness retreat, where I will also be a presenter so I'm looking forward to talking about that. And with that, here's Nefra. Nefra, welcome to the podcast. Nefra MacDonald: [00:01:33] Thank you so much Jeena, it's great to be here. Jeena Cho: [00:01:36] So I want to just jump right in, one of the things that I've been thinking a lot about is how'd you decide to go from going to law school to be a lawyer, and to take a different path. So can you share your experience on how you went from going to law school with the intention of becoming a lawyer, to becoming a business development strategist at Rocket Matter. Nefra MacDonald: [00:02:03] Yeah, so when I decided to go to law school I was actually already working at a law firm; I was working at a local personal injury law firm in South Florida. And I started to see ways that I could benefit other people; I've got all these skills, I'm a really great people person, and being able to take my education and give people access to justice was something that really excited me. So I applied to law school, I got into the University of Miami, I got into their dual degree program for music business, because my dad was a musician. And I thought man, that would also be a great way to help with the family business. So it was so multi-faceted, really exciting time. And then I started my first year, and all of the lawyers that are listening to that, I'm sure you've got your favorite first year memories, probably the first time you got cold-called on or something like that, that sends a shudder through your spine. But for me, that wasn't the most traumatic thing about my first year. A few weeks into my first semester of law school, I found out that my father was diagnosed with lung cancer, pretty late stage. And it was really, really difficult. And his biggest ask of me was, "Just keep going, just keep going; focus on what you have to do there, and I'll focus on what I have to do here." And that worked for a few weeks, and then things started to get really bad as he started to go through treatment. [00:03:37] He had a heart attack one night after chemo, and it was just one thing after another that his health just continued to deteriorate, for the reasons of the cancer and other things. And it was very hard to stay focused at school, you know I'm getting updates from home in the middle of class. And of course emotions take over, and your classmates are interpreting that as, oh she can't handle law school. And really, in reality if I'm being completely honest, it was like I can't handle this and my life. But I didn't know what to do or what to reach for, I didn't have very good coping mechanisms at the time, and things just started to take their toll. I lost a ton of weight, I was completely anxious all the time, I was shaky and really just depressed. I was in complete auto-pilot, and I knew that if I'm going to make it here, nobody can see these emotions; nobody can see me struggling, I just have to keep going. And I know that a lot of people can empathize with that feeling, especially in this profession. Showing any sign of weakness, it's an opportunity for opposing counsel to prey on you; you feel like prey. And showing weakness doesn't exactly inspire confidence when you're dealing with clients and people that are paying you to get them a certain result. So how do we build up some of those skills and some of those coping mechanisms to combat that? Well I had no clue, and I didn't really have a whole lot of resources. [00:06:38] The only resource that was available to me at that time was our school counseling center. So I went to the counseling center and I was seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist, we came up with a treatment plan and I was a guinea pig. I was on all sorts of medications that weren't really making me productive or focused, I was losing a lot of sleep, all sorts of fun stuff, and just trying to get through classes. So law school in general, those few years were actually really difficult for me. My dad passed away my second year, and things with my family did not get much better after that, things actually were just getting started. So I don't think I was ever fully present during that time. And it wasn't until after I walked across the stage that I realized, maybe this isn't for me; maybe I'm not cut out for this. Maybe this kind of lifestyle is demanding too much of me for where I am right now. And I started to get on the path of taking good care of myself, because I knew that no matter what I decided to do, I needed to just feel better to approach it from a place of clarity. And so I started to dive into some self-help books, I started to work with a life coach who pointed me in the direction of resources that could really help to shift the way that I was approaching getting control of my own life. I'd been living my life for other people for a really long time, and you take on other people's problems. [00:08:01] And that really distracts from you focusing on what might be coming up for you, and how you show up for yourself. So the biggest lesson I learned out of that time was: A. I never want to get back to that kind of dark place that I was in, and B. I need to show up for myself first every single day, before I can be of service to anyone else. So I just started to dive into tools that could really help me do that. And one thing that has totally changed the way that I live my life and the way that I am mindful and present in the moment is meditation. And I've experimented with all kinds of meditation over the years, most recently I've been diving into Kundalini meditation. Which is a little weird for some people, it was a little weird for me at first too. I mean, the first time I saw somebody doing Breath of Fire and teaching someone how to do it, they were sticking their tongue out of their mouth and panting like a dog, and I was like oh my God there's no way I can do this. But really, you start to feel shifts and it's kind of a great new addiction. It's the healthiest thing that I've done for myself, and I'm more aware now of my emotions than I've ever been. And that awareness helps me to manage them and control them, and not get sucked down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts, or experience periods of really high anxiety or stress. I can really bring myself back to center fairly quickly because I'm so aware of what's happening now. Jeena Cho: [00:09:32] Yeah, I love that point you made about being aware of your emotions, because I find that so many lawyers are afraid of their emotions. So they just think, oh if I just disconnect and not feel them.. of course you still feel them. It's not like the emotions disappear just because you go, oh it doesn't exist; I'm going to deny its existence. So when you're working on coming more in touch with your emotions through mindfulness and meditation, how did that help you to actually.. because I think one of the things people are afraid of is that they're going to react from that place of emotion. So if you feel anger you're going to react in anger, which is actually very different than allowing yourself to feel it. So how did mindfulness actually help you to become more familiar with your emotions? And then how did that change or shape how you manage and express your emotions to others? Nefra MacDonald: [00:10:26] Yeah, so when a negative emotion comes up there's a feeling in your body that happens. And when you're doing certain meditations, well most meditations actually, you're bringing awareness not only to your breath, but to the feelings that are coming up in your body. Whether it's pain or discomfort or tightness, or if you're taking really short breaths as opposed to deeper breaths, any sort of illness you might be feeling; you really become so aware of what is happening in your body. And because of that, you know that those things may have an influence on how you react. They may be making you more irritable, and having that time to not judge what's happening but just notice what's happening allows you to also in the day-to-day life notice what's happening without judging it. We're really quick to react because we're being forced to judge something and say this out of it. When you're just taking a step back, being fully present, seeing what might be triggering you in the moment to maybe be angry or upset or cry. And say I'm not going to judge this, but what is this? What is it bringing up for me, and how does this really make me feel? I know I feel angry, but what else could this be? Especially in the context of interpersonal relationships, like when you're dealing with a boss or a co-worker or opposing counsel or a judge or your client, what else could this be? What could they be going through that's causing them to express themselves in this way, and how can you react from a place of kindness and love? And the thought process seems really long, but actually when you're sitting in that place constantly, at some point in your day (whether it's for six-minute increments, I know Jeena trains her lawyers to do, or 10 minutes or 20 minutes or however long your practice is) when you're practicing, doing that every single day, it's easier to do it moment by moment. To temper those reactions, to not ignore how you're feeling but also just asking yourself to approach it in a different way, and to choose differently than you normally would. And it starts to feel really good, it becomes a part of your practice. [00:12:41] But getting back to how I got to Rocket Matter, after I started doing some of this deep work I started to ask myself what kind of work I wanted to do. And I fell into a job at a healthcare technology company, and I really loved tech. I loved still being able to do the legal side of things, as far as helping with forming the corporation and doing minutes for board meetings. I worked under an attorney to help with due diligence for acquisitions and all of that really fun stuff. And there were certain parts of it that I really enjoyed, but the environment was very high stress; it was still a lot of the same. And I was also working with people that were not very good for me, they were very toxic people. So those two things were not good, I was still attracting some of that chaotic environment into my life. And so I needed to figure out a way out of that. So I started to think about what I really wanted out of a work environment, what I really wanted out of a job, how I wanted to grow. And I wanted to work with like-minded people who were passionate about what they do, who really wanted to help people. I wanted to get the opportunity to lead and to teach, and to expand my skills in new ways. And some of my skills, I went to undergrad for broadcast journalism and I really loved public speaking, so I also wanted those kinds of opportunities. And I thought to myself, if it happens it happens, but you never know. And I was working with a temp agency that I used during law school to find those rare paying jobs, and Rocket Matter had a position open. And so I got the call and it was supposed to be a two-week assignment, and then it got extended to another four weeks, and then our CEO Larry created a position for me. And it was something that they never had before. But I basically get to play a little bit in our product world, where I take feedback from our lawyers and hearing some of the things that they're going through day to day that are super painful, and figuring out how we can take our technology and develop it in a way that it eases that pain point. So they have more time to build, to develop their business, to become more profitable. I also was working in our customer success department, so helping our customers and training them. And I got the really cool experience to go back to my home country (I'm from Trinidad, and I got to go to Trinidad) and train an all-female law firm how to use Rocket Matter. They also wanted to go paperless, so help them develop their paperless protocols. So that was a really cool experience. And then last year I transitioned to our marketing department, where I get to work on our strategic partnerships with integration partners, that can also be really helpful to our clients. And then I also teach our CLE's and webinars every month, I host our podcast occasionally. So I'm getting to use all of these skills that I really love, I've gotten the opportunity to grow, I DO work with like-minded people, and because of my own experience and the things that I've done, I get to bring some wellness aspects to what I do at work. [00:16:14] I'm the girl at work that's diffusing essential oils and doing meditations at 4:00, but that's who I am and I'm proud of it. And I work at a place that embraces that, so it's been pretty amazing. But there's a lot to be said about what you can do when you approach things from a place of being centered, and what you can actually manifest in your life once you focus on core qualities that you need more of in your life. I've been able to achieve that over time, and be patient and allow it to happen, as opposed to stressing about it. So it's been great, it's been really good. Jeena Cho: [00:17:00] What are some of the common pain points that you hear from lawyers? Nefra MacDonald: [00:17:06] Oh man, there are so many. Jeena Cho: [00:17:08] Maybe we can narrow in on some (and I hate this term) work-life balance issues, and sort of overall wellness or well-being issues that they struggle with. Nefra MacDonald: [00:17:24] Yeah, one of the biggest things that I hear all the time is feeling like they can't disconnect. That even if they're on vacation or they need to take a day off, they have to be tuned in to what's happening in the office. Otherwise they can't feel right about taking time off, especially if they're the only managing partner at the firm where they've got associates under them that aren't well-trained, or staff that's not as reliable as they should be, it makes those things a whole lot more stressful. And I know from your story, you couldn't take vacations either Jeena, without feeling super anxious. So it's something that isn't completely uncommon, but one of the things that we try to help our attorneys with is understanding some of the mechanics behind running a business, and how those things can help you disconnect. So if you have processes and procedures in place for how things should go, and you've got a way that you can check in on those things very quickly and from a bird's eye perspective, that might be one way that you can take a break and maybe set aside 20 minutes a day to check in and just take a look at your practice management software. And you can see how many outstanding tasks there are, how much time your associates have billed, or whether certain phone calls got made or certain e-mails got sent. It's all from one central location, and if you're utilizing the tools properly (like utilizing our project management features) you can see when things are past due or the statute of limitations is coming up, and all of those things can really help to give you peace of mind. If you're not going to be missing a deadline, it's totally okay for you to take a break for a week and spend time with your family, spend time with yourself, and not really worry about what's going on at the firm. Because you've done the hard work of making sure that things can run without you being there every second. The other thing that I hear a lot about too is trying to manage staff. When we're in law school, we don't learn how to manage others. Jeena Cho: [00:20:03] There are so many things we don't learn in law school! Nefra MacDonald: [00:20:04] Oh gosh, yes. But aside from not knowing how to track your time and what you can actually bill clients for and all of that good stuff, how to manage others. And it comes in two perspectives: one is having unrealistic expectations of your staff, how much work can they really handle and creating the opportunity to have a constructive conversation about it. So if you're delegating a ton of stuff to your support staff and they're not getting it done in a timely fashion, you may want to blame it on laziness or lack of skills or what have you, but a lot of the times it's because they don't have the support they need; in terms of training, in terms of processes, in terms of support, and they may not feel like communication is open to be able to come and tell you these things. So we also direct our users to really utilize the software to take a look at productivity reports, to take a look at task reports and see, okay if you've delegated something to someone, how long is it taking them to get things done? And how much do they really have on their plate? Is that reasonable? [00:21:24] And being able to look at those things and then have a conversation with someone to ask what it is they can handle and what they can't, that stuff's really important. And then mindfulness also comes into play here, because if you've got your own stuff going on, like you've got a sick child at home and a ton of deadlines and you've got trial in two weeks, you may be feeling a certain level of stress. And if you haven't checked in with that and somebody comes to you with a problem or there's a screw up that happens with one of your staff members and you need to address it, you may address it in a way that is not from a place of kindness or love. And that can really blow up and it can really affect the relationship and the dynamic in your office. If you're taking the time to be aware of where you are and then addressing the problem, you can address it from a place of compassion and also understanding what's happening with that. And it's more constructive that way, you can be a part of the solution as opposed to expressing anger and frustration, and not really getting things anywhere because now that person's upset. Jeena Cho: [00:22:39] It's like working on processes and streamlining everything, and utilizing technology but also working on actually developing some of these tools and to be able to manage stress and anxiety. And I think those two things actually sort of feed on each other, even though we may not necessarily think about it. Like if your mind is constantly going 150 mph and you're constantly distracted, having all of the processes in place probably won't help you because your mind is just not available to actually pay attention to those things, so it's almost like you... Nefra MacDonald: [00:32:41] Yeah, you don't have the bandwidth. Jeena Cho: [00:32:42] Right, yeah. And I love that point you made about knowing what your limitations are, and I think having a system where you can see exactly what your capacity is is really helpful. Because if you're going on feel or a memory, it's probably not going to be all that accurate because it's just going be how you're feeling in that moment. Nefra MacDonald: [00:32:57] Yeah, that's not real business intelligence. We're able to give people actual numbers and things that they can act on from a place of knowing what's actually going on. And if everyone is trained and using the system in the right way, you have the ability to make intelligent business decisions. Like hiring more staff or bringing in somebody twice a week to help with billing, or hiring a temporary file clerk; you can see where the bottlenecks are in your office and how it's putting stress on the system itself, and come up with solutions that can work temporarily, until you can figure out a more permanent way to tighten up those processes. Business is an iterative process; you're constantly looking at it and finding ways to improve. And I think it's also analogous to the way we should be living our lives. Like I am so comfortable always being a work in progress, because I just know how much more full my life is going to continue to be because I think that way. It should make you really hopeful for your business too, in knowing that there's always going to be a way for you improve. And it doesn't have to happen all at one time right now, but it can happen over time and you'll get to experience and see that growth and enjoy it. Jeena Cho: [00:34:07] Right, I think it's that ability to hold both. So being okay where you are right now and accepting things just as they are, and also being open to the possibility of something more, something better, being a slightly better version of yourself or even having your business be where it is now, but also recognizing that that's a temporary state. That's not how it's always going to be, and that you can actually work on improving it over time. [00:34:32] So as we mentioned before, Rocket Matter is hosting its first legal wellness retreat. Some people might be like, oh they're a technology company why are they doing a wellness retreat? So tell us about the idea behind the wellness retreat, and what your goals are. Nefra MacDonald: [00:34:46] Yeah, so Rocket Matter as a company, our values have always been aligned with health and wellness. It's actually one of our cultural pillars internally, so we do a lot of wellness programming for our employees. We have a gym upstairs on our second floor, we do company picnics with tons of sports, we had a meditation expert come in and train the entire company on meditation, and it opened a lot of people up to the practice that weren't familiar with it before. But it's really a company where people can try to find that balance for themselves, and we always want to provide those tools to our employees. [00:35:20] It ties into our attorneys as well and our customers, because they're a part of our extended Rocket Matter family. And when our firms are doing well, so are we. And there is this really big problem that we're aware of, in terms of depression and anxiety, suicide rates, substance abuse problems, and just people not really enjoying the practice of law anymore. And the Florida Bar has been doing so much this year, in terms of studies and surveys. And there are a significant portion of the attorney population that, if they could do anything else with their lives, they would not be practicing law. Hi, living example. So how do we shift the culture, how do we make a change? And we want to be a part of that, we want to give people ways to really reframe the way they look at lawyering and running their businesses and practicing law. And what is it like to be in the same room with someone who is highly stressed versus someone who brings a little bit more peace and centeredness? It really does shift the energy and the dynamic, in terms of negotiations, in terms of how you deal with clients, in terms of how you deal with your staff, and how things are with your family. And we see that with our own employees, and because our customers are our extended family, we want to bring some of that knowledge and awareness to them as well. So that was how the idea for the legal wellness retreat was born. [00:36:42] We want to bring aspects of wellness in terms of your mind, your body, financial wellness for your firm, practice management and processes; all of those things will be topics that we discuss at the retreat. So attendees will be able to get those hours of CLE's in the morning. But it's also going to be mixed in with programming to help you tune in, like in the morning you can run one of the trails or you can do yoga in the afternoon. We'll have activities that you can take part in in the beautiful mountains of western Massachusetts, which are just so stunning, stuff like ropes courses or hiking one of the trails, canoeing on the Housatonic River; there's so many beautiful, beautiful parts of nature that you can experience and connect with. So it's a really great chance to do a mix of both. You get those CLE credits, you get some time in nature, a lot of our attendees will be bringing their families so they can spend some time with them and extend the trip through the weekend. But there's gorgeous food and culture and views, and it's going to be a really awesome experience. We're really glad that Jeena is going to be there to share her tips for mindfulness and take our attendees through some practices they can take home with them. And that's what we want too; we want people to have action items to take home with them. We want to continue to be your accountability partner once you leave the retreat. So any insights that you get, any next steps that you come up with, we want to be able to check in with our attendees and see how it's going, offer support and make sure that the experience is actually transformative in one way or another for them. Jeena Cho: [00:38:17] I love it, and I'm really looking forward to it. So the dates are July 18 through the 20th. And for the listeners out there that want to learn more about the retreat, where's the best place for them to do that? Nefra MacDonald: [00:38:29] So they can go to legalwellnessretreat.com, and from there you can see a list of our speakers, our agenda, and be able to register for the conference. Jeena Cho: [00:38:38] Great. So once again, that's legalwellnessretreat.com. All of this information will be in the show notes. And for my listeners, there is a $100 discount code that you can use, it's "J-E-E-N-A-L-W-R-1-8." And again, all of this information will be in the show notes. Nefra, thank you so much for joining me today. I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing your wisdom with the listeners. Nefra MacDonald: [00:38:50] It's been my pleasure and honor, thank you guys so much. Closing: [00:38:52] Thanks for joining us on The Resilient Lawyer podcast. If you've enjoyed the show, please tell a friend. It's really the best way to grow the show. To leave us a review on iTunes, search for The Resilient Lawyer and give us your honest feedback. It goes a long way to help with our visibility when you do that, so we really appreciate it. As always, we'd love to hear from you. E-mail us at smile@theanxiouslawyer.com. Thanks, and look forward to seeing you next week.

Empowering Practice Management to Improve Operations

Your Law Firm - Lee Rosen of Rosen Institute

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2017 8:49

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of Rocket Matter, a leading practice management and time and billing software tool for law firms. We discussed how changes in the way lawyers practice are driving the evolution of the company's technology, its new Atlas Gold edition and redesigned mobile application, the importance of calendaring rules and security to law firm operations, and where the legal industry is headed.

ceo operations empowering practice management rocket matter larry port

13 Easy Growth Tools We Use and Love

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2017 20:04

There are more cool tools on the market than most of us will ever have to investigate. If we do invest the time in exploring the latest and greatest thing, we usually follow the same pattern: sign up, get busy, and forget to learn how to use the tool to our fullest advantage. After our experiments, all we have left is a $40/month charge on our Chase Visa card. Sure, we get the Ultimate Rewards points, but we didn't get any benefit from our investment. Eventually, the annoyance of seeing the charge on our credit card statement sufficiently motivates us to cancel our account. With tool-signup regret in mind, I'm running through my list of top tools. These are tools my businesses have been using for a long time and still use today. I don't hesitate to pay their monthly fees because they help my businesses grow. Some of these tools will give you a discount if you use the links on this page. Some will give me some cold, hard cash as an affiliate commission. Here's the good stuff… 1. Search Engine News These folks send a monthly newsletter about capturing business online. They focus on search engine marketing, but they also give other advice. They are a big part of why our website gets more than 1 million visitors each year. It takes me 20 minutes a month to read their publication. (They even send an audio summary if you prefer.) You're probably paying people for search engine optimization services, and you likely don't have a clue whether they know what they're doing. Get educated. We've subscribed to Search Engine News for more than a decade, and their advice has helped us achieve astonishing website traffic from Google. There is nothing you can buy that will deliver more value. It's cheap, easy to read, understandable, and actionable. 2. Ruby Receptionist We once hired a receptionist without doing a criminal background check. It turned out that she had killed a star NFL running back at point-blank range with a shotgun after robbing a bank. Yep. Now we outsource all of our phone answering to Ruby Receptionist. When you call our firm and press zero on the auto attendant, you're talking to Ruby. Oddly, we get more compliments about Ruby than we ever did with our in-house team. Initially, we experimented by using Ruby as a backup service. We went all in when it worked so well. You'll get $100 off your first invoice if you use my link. Ruby doesn't charge a setup fee, so you'll be up and running in an instant. As far as I know, Ruby Receptionist hasn't killed anyone. 3. SweetProcess When your assistant stumbles onto the subway tracks and gets run over by the train, it's curtains for your business if you don't have your systems documented. Your systems are your business. Most of us lack an easy, accessible, comprehensive approach to documenting systems. We've tried it all from Google Docs to hosted wikis, but nothing worked. SweetProcess helps us get things done. We use this tool in our firm to document our systems and procedures. Our entire team has access, so they know how to do whatever needs doing. Turn your 14-day free trial into a 28-day free trial in just two steps: Register for the 14-day free trial. Then send an email to owen@sweetprocess.com and mention our special code “White Oak.” 4. WP Engine This service hosts our North Carolina Divorce site and Rosen Institute. We've tried a bunch of others, but these folks are the best. They cost more, but not too much more, and they're worth it. Saving $20 a month on web hosting is penny wise and pound foolish. The first time you call customer support, you'll realize that your $5/month host is costing more than you thought. WP Engine provides powerful, robust servers with excellent stability and customer service. It doesn't provide all the flexibility of some other providers in an effort to lock things down and prevent issues. We're making tradeoffs in favor of reliability, and we're very satisfied customers. 5. CoSchedule You wouldn't be reading this right now if we didn't have CoSchedule. This tool drives our site and our law firm forward. It brings our team together and imposes discipline. It keeps us on schedule, and it automates production, scheduling, and social media promotion. It works. CoSchedule is a calendar on steroids. We use it to schedule content for our law firm site, including articles, videos, FAQs, and more. It's tightly integrated with WordPress, and it allows for assigning and tracking tasks among multiple team members. It's the secret sauce that keeps us on schedule and productive, which results in fresh material on our sites. Freshness matters in the eyes of Google, so CoSchedule helps us rank well in the search engine results. 6. Stamps.com There are law firms still using postage meters---seriously. Do they still use legal pads, file folders, and dictation equipment too? If that's you, then step into the future. We now have refrigeration, antibiotics, and horseless carriages. It's nice here on earth. Join us. Stamps.com lets you print postage on your computer. There's no need to go to the post office. This system works much better than your old-fashioned postage meter or rolls of stamps. 7. Zoom You know that camera on your phone? You also have one on your computer. Why aren't you using it to make yourself more money by building strong, visual connections with your clients and referral sources? We used to use GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar for group calling and videoconferencing. We switched when we realized those products were crappy and that they cost more than Zoom. Zoom is not crappy. It's slick, smooth and easy. We use it for business meetings and for dirty talk with our side action. (Just kidding---I wanted to see whether anyone was still reading.) It's a great audio- and videoconferencing product that delivers high-quality voice and pictures. 8. Salesforce We use Salesforce as our practice-management system. It runs our business. We couldn't live without it. We've customized it extensively to meet our needs. Salesforce is incredibly powerful. We use it instead of products like Clio, MyCase, or RocketMatter. But it's expensive---very expensive---especially once you factor in the cost of development and add-on products. Should you use Salesforce instead of a simpler, less expensive practice-management system? Probably not. Sure, you'll make compromises when you go with a less complicated, less expensive product, but life is filled with compromise, and a good enough product is probably good enough. Salesforce is probably our most important tool, so I couldn't leave it off the list. But going all in on practice management isn't for everyone, and that's especially true if you're small. 9. LastPass "AWESOME#1" is probably not the best password to use on every site you access. In fact, you should be using passwords with about 15 characters, in random order, mixing upper- and lowercase characters, plus numbers and special characters. And you should use a unique password each time. You already knew that, right? I think someone mentioned the password thing back in 1995. But you're ignoring that advice, so just for fun, I'm going to pay some Russian dude $17 to hack your device, grab those photos (along with your client's secret asset info), and post that picture of your great big… boat… on 4chan. Okay? With LastPass, you can easily set unique passwords, have them auto fill on your laptop and phone, and share them with your team without revealing the password itself. It's ugly, a little clunky, and less convenient than using your middle name for everything. But it gets the job done and prevents embarrassment and bankruptcy when you mistakenly lose control of your client data because you failed to follow basic security best practices. 10. Freedom While I love writing for you, I'd rather browse Facebook and the New York Times. That's why I use Freedom to disable Facebook, Instagram, the New York Times, and other time-wasting sites so I can get work done. I use this product to lock down my web browser and phone to force myself to focus. It's ridiculous that I need this product, but it works like a charm. Get 20% off of any plan if you use the code FREEDOM20OFF. 11. VyperVPN I switch VPNs as often as I change socks (pretty freaking often). That's because switching VPNs is cheap and easy, and it seems necessary when older products slow down or fail to keep up with the latest software developments. Working from coffee shops, courthouses, and other remote locations creates a security risk when you're transmitting data over public Wi-Fi. A virtual private network (VPN) helps keep your private information private. This is the service I chose because it's inexpensive and simple to use. Lately, I've been playing with a packet sniffer and watching traffic in the coffee shops where I work. It's incredible what I can see on the public Wi-Fi. I'm learning things about nearby people that make me hesitate to sit on these shared cushions again. 12. ConvertKit Ready to turn email into money? We do it, and it's our most powerful marketing tool. You can try Infusionsoft or HubSpot, but most lawyers end up spending lots of money on the product plus a consultant, then end up with something unfinished after working on it for a year. ConvertKit is up and running nearly instantly. We use it along with AWeber and GMass (a very cool product tightly integrated into Gmail). It's the easiest product we use, and it's more powerful than either of the other legacy products we employ. Basically, you can send prewritten emails to prospective clients (or others) over time. It's fully automated, and it's easy to customize your emails based on user behavior. Users who visit certain pages on your site can get specific emails. Clients can get emails that are different from other groups' messages. People who open emails frequently can get more emails than others, etc. You can better understand the behavior and interests of your prospects based on link clicks and purchases and then cater campaigns specifically to them. 13. Google Analytics This is Google's free website tracking and analytical tool. It's a must-have for anyone with a website. When you couple Google Analytics with the free Google Tag Manager, you have a powerful combination, allowing you to carefully measure your marketing with detailed specificity. It's valuable to know what's working and what's not working so you can spend your marketing budget wisely. Thankfully, you won't spend any of it on these free Google services. They are the best marketing deal around. It's Time to Move Forward That's my list for now. We use these tools every single day. Each of them adds to our bottom line. I'd have a tough time living without any of them. They are our favorites because they work. If you sign up for any of these services, do yourself a favor and do the following four things: Take note of the date you signed up. Pick a date 90 days from your sign-up date. Make a note on your calendar to cancel the service on that date. When that date arrives, cancel if you're not actively using the product. There are so many amazing products and services with the potential to help you grow your practice. It's awesome, but it's also overwhelming. Move deliberately with a plan in mind. Tackle one thing at a time. Winning is about moving forward a little each day. Sign up, experiment, implement, and keep executing. And if you fail, cancel and move on without regret.

Fighting the Law Firm Collections Battle With Evergreen Retainers

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2014 6:31

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of RocketMatter, a total law firm management system in the cloud. We discussed the company's evolution, its newest Pon Farr release, the value of evergreen retainers in the battle for collections, the need to focus on software performance improvements over feature enhancements, and the future of cloud-based law firm management.

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Reinventing Marketing With a Rocket

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2013 8:31

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of Rocketmatter, a cloud-based legal practice management and time and billing software product, about Rocket X1, the company's new Internet marketing agency and hosting platform. We discussed the company's mission to combine public relations, website design, search engine optimization, and marketing. Port noted that by building accountability in marketing, leveraging analytics, and structuring a creative message, users will realize unprecedented results.

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The Rise of the Renaissance Lawyer and the Legal Twitterati

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2009 4:18

I spoke recently with Nicole L. Black, a renaissance lawyer, who is a member of the legal Twitterati (@nikiblack), a quintuple blogger and the creator of LawTechTalk.com, which she describes as the "Consumer Reports of Legal Technology." She connects lawyers to Web 2.0 and other aspects of legal technology using screencasts that compare different offerings. Her most recent program, Web-Based Law Practice Management Systems, focuses on Clio, LawRD, and Rocketmatter. Nicole also offers practice management tips in her Legal Currents column for The Daily Record. To enhance efficiency, she suggests that lawyers use, among others, Google Apps and virtual assistants.

What Lawyers Can Learn From Software Architects