LMME 014 : Michigan attorney Scott Grabel shares his story of success

Scott Grabel is a criminal defense lawyer in Michigan.  Scott started his own solo practice in 1999 and has built that solo practice into a 7 lawyer firm that handles criminal matters statewide.  In today’s episode, Scott shares what is working for him in his law practice, and some of the things that he could have done better over the years.

Enjoy!

Right click here to download the mp3

Items Mentioned in the Podcast

• Tim Paige who did the intro and outro for today’s podcast
• Grabel and Associates
• Search Engine Land

Inspirational Quote

“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye’s off the goal.” – Vince Lombardi

In this particular episode, you will learn:

1. What drove Scott to start his own law firm, even though he was married with two young children to support.
2. How Scott rationalized the decision to start a law firm, and the one question he asked his former boss that changed his life.
3. Some of Scott’s biggest marketing failures over the past 15 years, and what you can learn from his failures.
4. The worst $75,000 investment Scott ever made.
5. How the internet has revolutionized Scott’s law practice and his firm’s marketing efforts.
6. When and how Scott made the decision to hire his first employee, and eventually hired an associate that could handle his overflow cases.
7. Scott’s only form of legal marketing for his first 3 years, and why this marketing would never work in today’s world.
8. How Scott spends the majority of his time running a 7 lawyer firm.
9. Why it so important to work on your website on a daily basis.
10. What Scott loves about having his own law firm, and why he is so thankful that he started his own firm. (Hint, it’s not about the money).
11. Why Scott loves representing criminals.
12. What Scott learned from the George Zimmerman murder trial.
13. Why a type A personality keeps Scott focused on his law practice.
14. What lawyers need to know about online marketing to start a law firm.
15. How Scott is able to run a statewide law practice from a his main office in East Lansing.
16. Why Scott’s name gets Googled 700 times a month.

Recommended reading for new lawyers

• Ultimate Guide to Link Building, by Eric Ward

Action Items

1. Follow Legal Marketing Made Easy on Twitter
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