SMALL BUT MIGHTY: The Niche Lawyer Podcast

In Episode 17, Molly sits down with Sheila Wilkinson, a lawyer, author, and coach to discuss the key to joyful living for lawyers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. From stories from Sheila's own journey discovering the life she wanted to live to her tales of helping others do the same, their discussion will strike a chord for anyone feeling burnt out or that their dream life is just beyond their reach.

Want to hear more from Sheila? Check out her website at sheilawilkinson.com or connect with her on Instagram @sheilamwilkinson.

In Episode 16, Molly chats with husband and wife team Rick and Jenna Fletcher, who run a successful criminal defense firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. With years of criminal defense experience under their belt - including stints at the Public Defender's office, where they met - this power couple gives insights into working with your partner and discusses why they find criminal defense law to be so meaningful.

In Episode 15, Molly chats with the famed Ernie the Attorney of New Orleans. Ernie is a lawyer by trade but has spent the last several years focusing on helping other small firm lawyers across the country use technology to improve their practices. Molly and Ernie discuss all kinds of fascinating tools that lawyers could (and should!) be using to make their lives easier, as well as the story of how Ernie met Conversations CEO Megan Hargroder over 10 years ago!

In Episode 14, Molly sits down with New Orleans succession lawyer Amanda Sullivan. Amanda runs a successful firm with her father, and in this episode, they discuss how family impacts their business - as well as how being a full-time working mother affects Amanda's home life. Chock full of advice on setting expectations for yourself, your family, and your clients, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who has, or is considering having, children while working full-time. 

In this episode, Molly sits down with New Orleans personal injury attorney Megan Kiefer. They touch on a variety of topics, from the day-to-day challenges of running a small business to the ways in which New Orleanians are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. They also discuss Megan's grandfather's legacy and the importance of self-care and mental health care - for lawyers, and for their clients.

In this episode, Megan talks with Bloomfield Hills, Michigan estate planning attorney Julie Paquette. Together, they discuss the importance of an estate plan - not just for your peace of mind, but to prevent family disputes after you're gone. Julie also discusses the messy and unpredictable process of probate, and how estate planning is often the best way to avoid it. At the end of the day, they determine that one thing is for sure: "'Work this out amongst yourselves' is not a plan. It's the ABSENCE of a plan."

In this episode, Megan sits down with Port St. Lucie attorney Olivia Cummings to discuss Olivia's path of starting her own firm. She discusses some of the types of cases her firm sees, as well as how her parents' immigration helps inform her of her clients' struggles and frustration. Olivia also provides some advice for lawyers seeking to go out on their own and found their own business. 

In this episode, Megan talks with New Orleans criminal defense attorney Aubrey Harris. Aubrey focuses her practice on low-level criminal cases, and spends about 50% of her time also participating in victim advocacy. Much of her work revolves around human trafficking and helping victims of this difficult system get the resources and the defense they need to change their lives. Aubrey also spends much of her time partnering with The Covenant House - particularly for their annual "sleep-out," which allows attendees to raise money to combat homelessness (https://www.covenanthousenola.org/10thanniversarysleepout/).

Aubrey's advice to young attorneys just starting out in the legal field: Don't take every case that comes your way. Figure out what you're passionate about and use what sets you apart to your advantage.

In this episode, Megan sits down with Vermont personal injury attorney Drew Palcsik of Champlain Valley Law. Drew is a dedicated attorney committed to helping his clients both through the legal journey, and by making the process as painless as possible. That's why he streamlines all different kinds of processes to help keep people up-to-date throughout every step of their case. He's tested and implemented all kinds of tools, ranging from self-scheduling resources to Zoom calls (before the pandemic!) and video updates about their case - and he's lucky to have found an assistant who shares those same goals. At the end of the day, Drew cares about the emotional, financial, and practical state of his clients and how he can meet them where they are.

In this episode, Megan sits down with Baton Rouge personal injury attorney Chris Shows. In addition to being a biker who helps other motorcyclists through personal injury cases, Chris also had to take some time off from his practice when he was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer in 2016. His discussion with Megan covers the power of kindness, the importance of finding a team you can trust, and the tentative relief that comes with coming back to work after such a life-changing experience. Chris also provides some advice to young lawyers looking for the best way to get into the business: experience over money. Listen today.

In this episode, Megan meets with Idaho business attorney Tom Walker to discuss the many ways to take care of your business - and yourself. Tom explains the importance of a business succession plan, as well as the importance of finding a niche for your business (or law firm). Tom explains that niching is one way to avoid burnout or stress during your career. Another way that Tom takes care of himself is through his daily affirmations. Want to learn more? Listen today!

In this episode, Megan sits down with Ohio criminal defense lawyer Max Hiltner. Max has an impressive resume and a thriving private practice at only 34 years old. The secret, as he tells Megan, is to love what you're doing, and to care about each client you have. Max tells Megan what the media gets wrong about giving people a second chance, and offers a few words of advice to any young attorney (or attorney of any age!) seeking to start their own business and go out on their own: do a great job for that first client. Listen today!

In this episode, Megan has a riveting discussion with New Orleans business attorney Andrew Legrand, founder of The Spera Law Group. Andrew explains how his firm developed a package method to provide in-house counsel-style legal services to local businesses of many types and sizes. His firm has also recently developed a new risk assessment tool on the Spera Law website that helps businesses and Spera clients understand what they're getting themselves into. Learn more about Andrew and his firm at speralaw.com and check out this episode today!

In this episode, Megan sits down with appellate lawyer Todd Smith to talk about his podcast, the Texas Appellate Law Podcast, and what this project has done for Todd's career. In a funny turn of events, Megan actually encouraged Todd not to pursue making a podcast back in the day -- and now here he is, as a guest on Megan's! The two discuss the production aspects of a podcast and funding, as well as how to know whether legal podcasting is right for you.

You can listen to Todd's podcast at texapplawpod.com and contact Todd and his co-host on Twitter at @dtoddsmith. 

Check out this episode today!

In this episode, Megan talks with personal injury attorney Daryl A. Gray about his firm, Wright Gray, and their initiatives in the New Orleans community. In addition to various scholarships and drives they host, Wright Gray has an entire wing of their firm -- Wright Gray Gives -- devoted to service. Daryl also discusses his radio show and how his values have led him to pursuing these endeavors through his firm. Give it a listen today!

In this episode, Megan interviews attorney-mediator Julie Gentili Armbrust about the little-known world of divorce mediation. Hear Julie talk about what surprises her clients most about divorce mediation and why she chose to list her fees on her website (typically a no-no in the legal world). She also discusses her own divorce and how she was able to use her divorce mediation skills to make that process as painless as she could. Listen today!

In this episode, Megan interviews attorney Clark Harmonson about his niche: personal injury and medical malpractice. Harmonson is strictly dedicated to helping good people recover from bad injuries. He talks about some examples of cases he's fought that involved patient neglect and overworking. Their discussion also touches on how COVID-19 changed the way cases pre-Covid have evolved and also the emotional impact that Harmonson feels dealing with these types of cases.