#48 SEO to CEO: Building BluShark Digital from a Law Firm's Marketing Department

In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, speaks with Seth Price, founder of Price Benowitz LLP and BluShark Digital. Seth shares his entrepreneurial journey from GW Law graduate to building a 50-lawyer firm and one of the legal industry's most successful digital marketing agencies.

Seth reveals how he and his law school friend created a "divide and conquer" partnership from day one – with his partner handling the legal work while Seth focused on marketing and operations. This unconventional arrangement allowed Seth to build the firm's digital presence when SEO was in its infancy, eventually growing his internal marketing team to seven people before spinning it off as BluShark Digital in 2016.

Throughout the conversation, Seth emphasizes the importance of following your energy – focusing on what gives you enthusiasm rather than what drains you. For Seth, this meant recognizing early that traditional legal practice wasn't his passion, while building relationships and solving problems energized him. He discusses how this philosophy has guided his business decisions, from hiring to client acquisition.

Seth also shares valuable insights about business development in the legal space, highlighting the power of conference networking over cold calling. He attends approximately 12 conferences annually, viewing them as opportunities to build relationships that may take years to develop into business. Seth explains how this approach has helped BluShark Digital grow to serve over 300 law firms nationwide.

The episode concludes with Seth's thoughts on leadership and service, including his decision to bring futurist Peter Shankman on board to help his team stay ahead of emerging trends in technology and marketing.