Spill The Ink

In this engaging discussion, Mark Wainwright, founder of Wainwright Insight and a seasoned consultant in business development, sheds light on the evolving role of sales in professional services. He emphasizes transforming the negative connotations of 'sales' into a more personal and supportive process. Mark introduces the concept of 'doer sellers,' blending expertise with sales skills. He shares insights on building trust with clients, evolving marketing strategies, and effective networking techniques that prioritize helping others.

With more than 20 years of experience consulting law firms, Marcie Borgal Shunk considers herself a sociologist of lawyers. She is the President and Founder of The Tilt Institute, a firm that provides leadership advisory and training along with business support. Concurrently, she serves as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and is a Faculty Member at Conscious Inclusion Company. Marcie worked with The BTI Consulting Group for over 10 years where she developed an expertise in market research. In addition to all of these positions, she is also a frequent speaker on topics such as competitive intelligence and the future of law. In this episode: Leadership comes naturally to some, but even the best leaders need guidance to improve. Especially within complex systems such as law firms, leadership is a tricky proposition that requires extra care. Otherwise, the precise ecosystem of most firms is ruined, not allowing them to operate as well as they could. Marcie Borgal Shunk works directly with law firms to remedy this very problem. Her firm, The Tilt Institute, offers leadership services and analytics to guide her clients towards greater success. Across 20 years of experience as a consultant and analyst, she’s learned the key principles of great leadership. Want to know what they are? In this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast, Michelle Calcote King hosts Marcie Borgal Shunk, the President and Founder of The Tilt Institute, to go over how to further develop leadership and culture in law firms. The two talk about the current challenges that firms are facing and how to overcome them. They also touch on the tenants of a great culture, how to use data and what it takes to be a good leader.

Lindsay Diven is the Marketing and Sales Manager for Black Box Connectors and founder of Marketers Take Flight, bringing over 15 years of AEC industry expertise. In their conversation, she dives into the challenges AEC firms face when marketing large projects. Lindsay emphasizes the importance of niche marketing and digital strategies, advocating for tailored content development and a digital-first approach. She shares insights on enhancing proposals for government clients and the necessity of adapting to modern marketing techniques for greater visibility and success.

Matthew Prinn is an executive with 20 years of experience in legal pricing, marketing and operations. He is the current Principal at RFP Advisory Group, which works with general counsel to manage legal spend and requests for proposals. He honed his expertise at K&L Gates, where he worked for over a decade in business development. Over his career, Matthew has operated on both the buying and selling side of legal services, giving him a unique perspective on RFP. In this episode: While law firms tend to be traditional, the legal landscape is changing. Alternative legal services and technology are just two examples of some recent significant shifts. One of the greatest changes, however, has been the rise of Requests for Proposals, or RFPs.  RFP has quickly become a popular option for managing outside counsel spend. They’re an attractive option for many clients, but they are still relatively new, making them difficult to navigate on both sides. This has opened the door for advisory groups to come in and smooth out the process. One of these prominent consultancies is RFP Advisory Group, which have developed their expertise around best practices for RFPs. So how do you get the most out of the model? Michelle Calcote King talks with Matthew Prinn, the Principal at RFP Advisory Group, about RFPs and how to use them the right way. They discuss the different trends happening right now, how to properly establish the value proposition and how alternative legal services affect RFPs. They also touch on the mistakes that law firms make early on and how to avoid them. Hear the rest by tuning into this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast.

Valerie A. Danner is the Senior Managing Editor of Legal Management magazine, which is the flagship publication of the Association of Legal Administrators. Legal Management is published 10 times a year and features scholarly articles targeting law firm managers and managing partners.  Valerie has served as an editor at several prestigious companies, including Krames StayWell, the Institute of Real Estate Management, and the American Massage Therapy Association. Across her positions, she has more than 20 years of experience in content creation, having worked in both digital and print media. In this episode: Legal media is oftentimes the separating factor between a respected and an unknown law firm. After all, even if you have the best lawyers, who will see them if they’re not being represented well? Legal media is far more than basic advertising and extends to the presentation of your firm’s brand. How you get your name out there, your approach to design and your online presence all make an impact on performance. So how do you do it right? Spill the Ink is starting a series of interviews all about legal media and how the experts handle it. They discuss the best ways to frame your firm without sacrificing what makes you unique. To start off the series, we listen to an editor who deals with legal media day in and day out. In this episode of the Spill the Ink podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Valerie A. Danner, the Senior Managing Editor of Legal Management, to discuss legal media and how to pitch your firm. They go through the topics and interests of the publication before digging deep into what makes a great pitch and how to improve your media. Valerie also talks about the other content she reads to stay informed.

Jennifer Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Calibrate Legal, a consultancy that specializes in recruiting services and legal marketing. They work with diverse applicants to find their way in the legal industry and help law firms achieve the results they’re working towards. She has two decades of experience in her field, having spent six years at an Am Law 100 firm.  Over the years, Jennifer has served in multiple leadership roles, including Secretary of the International Board of Directors for the Legal Marketing Association and President of Young Executives for Success. She was named as a Global Top 100 Leader by LawDragon for Legal Strategy and Consulting. In this episode: Getting the right team for your law firm isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity if your firm has any chance of standing out from the crowd. The experience and success of every member of your team, from intern to partner and everyone in between, is crucial. These important people are “revenue enablers,” the ones who make all of the revenue possible. So how do you find them? Networking is an integral component of working at a law firm, but that definition will need to expand to find the right people. Jennifer Johnson has spent much of her career in recruiting and legal marketing, learning firsthand the importance of investing in human capital. She’s built her company on this theory, and now, she shares those same ideas with you. Michelle Calcote King invites Jennifer Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Calibrate Legal, onto the Spill The Ink podcast to talk about revenue enablers and how to find them for your law firm. They discuss the current trends of the legal marketing world and how to stay on top of them. They then go into detail on what makes a revenue enabler, flexible work arrangements and why so many are leaving the legal industry.

Matt Handal is a specialist in contracts, helping firms of all kinds write winning contracts on projects ranging from $500,000 to $2 billion. In 2009, he started his own agency, Help Everybody Everyday, which offers both proposal services as well as instructional content. Concurrently, he continues to work as a Business Development Manager at Trauner Consulting Services, Inc., where he’s worked for more than 18 years. Matt is best known for his book Proposal Development Secrets, which shares his insight for proposal development. His background in marketing for industrial companies gives him a unique and thorough perspective that he uses in his contract work. In this episode: What makes a winning proposal? Many firms don’t have a solid answer for the question. While marketing and business are common fields with plenty of education, there’s little focus done on the writing of proposals. However, that small component is becoming more important by the day. For construction companies and law firms alike, creating a nuanced and favorable proposal can rake in incredible profits.  Matt Handal has dedicated his career to writing these proposals and teaching others how to do it. He’s submitted work in almost every state, and with 20 years of experience, he’s more than qualified to answer that initial question.  In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews Matt Handal, the Founder of Help Everybody Everyday, to talk about the secrets behind writing a winning proposal. They start by discussing what most people miss and the small changes they can make to improve. Then they break down the details such as non-technical people writing technical proposals, the newest trends and using data to your advantage.

Perryn Olson is a renowned leader in both marketing strategy and business technology, serving as the Vice President of Marketing for REX.one. The company provides comprehensive engineering and construction solutions under a single umbrella. He has also worked for other businesses in the construction industry including The Brand Constructors and Hinge Marketing.  Perryn is a Certified Marketer through the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and was the former President of the Louisiana division. His start came from a 14-year tenure at Design the Planet, starting as a design intern and climbing all the way into the role of Vice President. In this episode: What’s the best way to earn someone’s trust in the business world? From financial to creative limitations and everything in between, firms and agencies of all kinds are reliant on trust. Even acquiring a client in the first place is a difficult proposition of persuasion and commitment. While facts and figures are crucial, there’s no substitute for a personalized approach. This is the primary theory behind account-based marketing and how it targets high-value prospects with a more specialized process. If done right, the outcome can be far more profitable than a shotgun approach. So what does it look like in action? On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King talks with Perryn Olson, the VP of Marketing for REX.one, to hear about account-based marketing and how he uses it in his AEC firm. The two go through a plethora of topics, including niching your firm, the best content for ABM and which tools can help along the way. They also touch on the integration of business development and marketing and how to do it right. Stay tuned for more!

Marc Teer is the Founder and CEO of Black Spectacles and Spectacular. Black Spectacles is a business that offers online videos for architects including courses and tutorials. Their democratized approach to learning is designed for newcomers and established architects alike. He is a Member of The Economic Club of Chicago and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.  Marc has learned what architects need to thrive through firsthand experience, working in architecture for Gensler and Legat Architects. He received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his master’s in architecture from Clemson University. In 2020, he was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. In this episode: Both architecture and law firms have more in common than you would think. They are both detail-oriented institutions, composed of entrepreneurial individuals and a sense of prestige. They also share the same needs in leadership and support that often get overlooked. Since these careers are so competitive and skill-based, any kind of advantage is needed. Marc Teer was an architect who saw the need for greater education, so he started Black Spectacles in 2010. The company provides resources to inspire and train architects outside of the conventional classroom. He has also started to lead the next generation of architects into the future with better technology and better leadership. So what does this look like in practice? Michelle Calcote King takes the time to interview Marc Teer, the Founder and CEO of Black Spectacles, to hear his thoughts on leadership and education in architecture. The two go over pertinent topics including diversity, connecting architects with firms and how to work as a fully remote company. They also discuss the work that Black Spectacles is doing and how it’s made an impact. Check out this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast to hear the rest for yourself!

With a long and intensive career, Gerry Riskin has made his name in consultation for law firms. He is a Co-founding Partner at Edge International, serving clients around the globe for nearly 40 years. His specialties include leadership, governance and structure within law firms. He has served the Conference Board of Canada and is a Visiting Fellow for The College of Law in London among other universities. Gerry is also an author, writing books such as The Successful Lawyer, Herding Cats, beyond KNOWING and Creating the Marketing Mindset. In addition to his consulting, he also serves as a workshop leader and a prolific speaker. In this episode: Most law firms are deeply rooted in tradition and heritage. Unique from other industries, lawyers tend to be similarly minded in their approach to work. This has led to success for some while leaving the rest in the dust. As the world is changing quicker than ever, doing it the old-fashioned way may not work anymore. It might be time to rethink how your firm operates. This reevaluation requires a change of priorities, structure and mindset. The goal is to optimize your firm as much as possible, which means a lot of change. Few people know this more than Gerry Riskin, an internationally-known consultant with more than 30 years of experience in transforming law firms. He has firsthand knowledge to update your firm, and now he offers his insight to you. On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews Gerry Riskin, a Co-founding Partner of Edge International, to hear his advice on optimizing law firms. They go over the common stumbling blocks in the age of remote work and how to adapt. They then go into detail on how to keep up with technology, alternative legal services and the benchmarks of a healthy culture. Stay tuned!