Counsel Cast

Communication skills for lawyers aren't soft skills. They're the job. Every client meeting, every hard update, every tough conversation depends on whether the other person actually hears you. If you've ever caught yourself in the middle of a call thinking "wait, what just happened?", you're not alone. And here's the good news: conversation is a skill, and nobody is born knowing how to do it. In this episode of Counsel Cast Chambers, the best of Counsel Cast reexamined, Karin Conroy, your marketing co-counsel and founder of Conroy Creative Counsel, revisits her conversation with Celeste Headlee, a 20-year public radio veteran who co-hosted The Takeaway, anchored shows for NPR, and wrote We Need to Talk. Her TEDx talk on having better conversations has been viewed more than 34 million times. You'll hear how to deliver hard news to a panicking client without setting off their fight or flight response, why guiding clients with questions works better than telling them what to do, what to do when your mind drifts mid-conversation, and why saying "I don't know" makes people trust you more. This conversation first aired in October 2022, and the phone has only gotten harder to ignore since then. But Celeste's rule still holds in 2026: if you really want to listen, get every screen out of your peripheral vision. Celeste gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 Why conversations between smart people go sideways 00:21 Meet Celeste Headlee, former NPR host 01:25 Why clients hate unsolicited advice 02:28 How to deliver hard news to a panicking client 03:04 Guiding clients with questions instead of advice 05:34 Why communication is a lawyer's most important skill 07:07 Why native English speakers are the worst communicators 07:39 "Why didn't you tell me that?" and the listening gap 08:39 Why you can't listen and plan your reply at the same time 09:16 How to become a better listener 11:22 What to do when your mind drifts mid-conversation 14:12 Why saying "I don't know" builds trust 15:09 The phone on the table study 17:19 Book recommendation: Mindwise by Nicholas Epley Connect with Celeste here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celesteheadlee/ https://celesteheadlee.com Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com

YouTube for AI search is how your law firm gets named when a potential client asks ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity who to hire. YouTube is, on average, the number one source AI tools cite, because every video is transcribed and AI treats it as third-party proof, not content you wrote about yourself. So when someone asks who to call for a partnership dispute and three other firms come back, the answer was built from videos and pages AI trusts more than yours. In this episode of Counsel Cast, Karin Conroy, legal marketing consultant, founder of Conroy Creative Counsel, and Marketing Co-Counsel® to law firms, sits down with MaryAnn Bautista, co-founder of TurboRank, where she pairs YouTube content strategy with off-page authority. MaryAnn explains why AI trusts content that isn’t yours, how to build a 90-day content calendar from the questions clients ask before they sign, and the three pillars that build trust: founder stories, education, and social proof. You’ll hear why a setup under $1,000 is enough, why a five or six minute video beats a 30 minute one, and why AI search traffic converted 46% better than other traffic in an Adobe study. You don’t need to become the next MrBeast. You need to start, stay consistent, and answer the questions your clients are already asking. 📌 You’ll learn: Why YouTube is, on average, the number one source AI tools cite, and what that means when a potential client asks ChatGPT which lawyer to hire Why AI trusts content that isn’t yours, and how YouTube counts as third-party validation even when your firm records and publishes every video How to build a 90-day YouTube content calendar from the questions potential clients ask before they sign, using search volume and keyword difficulty The three content pillars that build trust for law firms on YouTube: founder stories, education about your services, and social proof from real clients Why blog posts still feed AI search, why embedding your YouTube videos in them earns bonus points, and why most people choose watching over reading How a setup under $1,000, five to six minute videos, and a consistent schedule build your firm’s authority footprint without chasing viral views How to check where your firm stands in AI search by asking ChatGPT or Claude your clients’ questions, then asking why it recommended those firms 💡 Featuring: Karin and MaryAnn break down why YouTube has become a top source for AI search, how law firms can turn client questions into a consistent video content calendar, and why organic video builds an asset that keeps paying off long after paid ads stop. Learn actionable tips on: 00:00 Why did AI recommend three firms but not yours? 02:14 Why is YouTube the top source AI tools cite? 03:12 Why AI trusts content that isn’t yours 06:47 Start with the questions clients ask before they sign 08:53 Blog posts vs. YouTube videos for AI search 09:57 The under $1,000 setup and getting over camera fear 14:52 How to build a 90-day YouTube content calendar 17:20 Founder stories, education, and social proof as content pillars 21:54 Why education beats promotion on YouTube 29:37 MasterClass AI classes for the Thought Leaders Library 32:03 First step: ask AI who it recommends and why 34:26 Paid media vs. organic and the 46% AI traffic stat Resources: MasterClass AI classes: https://www.masterclass.com Found vs. Chosen: Why Lawyers Get Skipped with Andrew Colsky: https://conroycreativecounsel.com/podcast-cat/episode-books/found-vs-chosen-why-lawyers-get-skipped-with-andrew-colsky/ Want your firm’s expertise showing up on the platforms AI trusts? Build your authority with Conroy Creative Counsel, Marketing Co-Counsel® to law firms, at https://conroycreativecounsel.com Connect with MaryAnn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannbautista/ Website: https://turborank.co/ Free YouTube channel audit: [email protected] Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com

Omnipresence marketing for law firms means showing up consistently on every platform your future clients use, so they already know you and trust you before they ever call. If you’ve ever said “I don’t have the time, I don’t have a studio, and I do not want to be on camera,” that’s totally fair. But your future clients are not choosing you on credentials first. They’re choosing the lawyer they’ve already seen. And as AI search pulls answers from YouTube, LinkedIn, and video transcripts all at once, being everywhere is quickly becoming how you get found. In this episode of Counsel Cast Chambers, the best of Counsel Cast reexamined, Karin Conroy, your marketing co-counsel and founder of Conroy Creative Counsel, revisits her conversation with Jake Isham, CEO of Creative Minds and a filmmaker and photographer who has built brand presence for more than 150 entrepreneurs, including Grant Cardone and Callaway. You’ll hear how one half-day batch shoot can produce over 1,000 posts a month, how to turn a single transcript into blog posts, emails, and LinkedIn content with ChatGPT and Canva, and why 1,000 of the right views beat a million of the wrong ones. This conversation first aired in September 2025, and AI tools have moved fast since then. But Jake’s rule still holds in 2026: you stop being the copywriter and become the editor. You can always improve the quality later, but you can’t start later. Jake gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 The no time, no studio, no camera objection 00:23 Why omnipresence matters for AI search visibility 01:51 Meet Jake Isham, CEO of Creative Minds 02:05 What is omnipresence marketing for law firms? 02:43 Why people hire lawyers they know and trust 03:05 Why 1,000 right views beat a million wrong ones 03:44 How often should a law firm record video? 04:02 Batch shooting a month of content in half a day 04:30 Turning one transcript into blogs, emails, and posts 05:54 Why you become the editor, not the copywriter 06:58 The 10X Rule and Grant Cardone’s omnipresence playbook 08:29 Improve quality later, but start now Connect with Jake here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeisham/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jakecreativemarketing http://www.jakeisham.com Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com

Local AI search is how ChatGPT, Google, and other AI tools decide which lawyers to recommend when someone in your city asks who to call. The firms AI names aren’t always the best ones. They’re the ones AI can actually figure out. If your Google Business Profile is half finished and your website says the same thing as every other firm in town, AI has no reason to pick you. In this episode of Counsel Cast, Karin Conroy, legal marketing consultant, founder of Conroy Creative Counsel, and Marketing Co-Counsel® to law firms, sits down with Tyler Henn, founder of Hennhouse Digital Growth Studio in Marietta, Georgia. Tyler builds search-optimized websites and local SEO for service businesses. He walks through his Google Business Profile framework: 4 to 5 relevant categories, 30 total services, and a page on your website for every one. You’ll hear why hiding your address means you won’t rank, why answering “no” beats leaving a question blank, and how one client ranked number one for Latino-owned roofing in a market of 3,300 competitors. Then Karin and Tyler move to the human side: user experience, Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think, and why your homepage should lead with the client’s problem, not your founding partner’s story. Getting found is only half the job. Your website still has to make choosing you easy. 📌 You’ll learn: Why local AI search recommends the firms it can understand, not always the best ones, and what that means when someone asks ChatGPT which lawyer to call How one Google Business Profile setting about your address quietly decides whether your firm ranks, and why hiding it puts you at the bottom of the list Why answering every Google Business Profile question, even with a simple no, shows Google you put in the effort and helps your firm in local AI search How attributes like woman-owned, veteran-owned, and Spanish-speaking win specific searches, including how one client ranked first among 3,300 Metro Atlanta competitors Tyler Henn’s framework of 4 to 5 categories, 30 total services, and a dedicated page for every practice area, so Google and AI know exactly what your firm does Why generic claims like “exceptional legal services” and “free consultation” make your firm invisible, and how to find the real differentiator AI can recommend What user experience means for law firm websites, and how Don’t Make Me Think and PostHog session replays show where potential clients get stuck and leave 💡 Featuring: Karin and Tyler break down how local AI search decides which firms get recommended, the Google Business Profile mistakes that keep law firms off the list, and why a clear, user-first website is what turns being found into being hired. Learn actionable tips on: 00:00 Why does AI recommend some law firms and not others? 01:47 How is local AI search different from SEO, GEO, and AEO? 02:03 Why your Google Business Profile is step zero 03:47 The hidden address setting that stops you from ranking 07:35 Why you should answer every profile question, even with no 08:40 How business attributes help you win local AI search 11:19 Why AI search is getting far more specific 17:42 The 4 categories and 30 services framework 25:21 What is UX and why does it matter for law firms? 32:38 Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug for the Thought Leaders Library 35:24 How PostHog session replays catch broken contact forms 38:13 First steps to show up in local AI search Resources: Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug Purple Cow by Seth Godin PostHog: https://posthog.com Found vs. Chosen: Why Lawyers Get Skipped with Andrew Colsky: https://conroycreativecounsel.com/podcast-cat/episode-books/found-vs-chosen-why-lawyers-get-skipped-with-andrew-colsky/ Not sure the right local clients are finding your firm, or what happens once they do? Work with Conroy Creative Counsel, Marketing Co-Counsel® to law firms, at https://conroycreativecounsel.com Connect with Tyler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennhouseagency/ X: https://x.com/hennhouseagency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hennhouse/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586707835838 Website: https://www.henn.house/ Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com

How can you measure whether law firm PR is helping your firm grow? In this Counsel Cast Chambers episode, Karin Conroy revisits her conversation with Michelle Calcote King, Principal and President of Reputation Ink, about excess share of voice, the gap between your firm’s share of visibility and its share of the market. Michelle explains how earning more attention than your market position would suggest can support future growth. She explores how law firms can assess their visibility by defining a relevant market, identifying competitors, and comparing mentions within that group. They also discuss how published articles, expert commentary, and media relationships help attorneys build credibility and become recognized sources on legal topics. Michelle explains why PR can take around a year to show its impact and why consistent, useful content matters for online visibility. Plus, she recommends Everybody Writes by Ann Handley and shares why clear, accessible writing helps law firms connect with prospective clients. Michelle gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 Can You Measure Law Firm PR? 00:58 Share of Voice and Business Growth 03:37 Measuring Your Firm’s Visibility 05:04 Becoming a Quoted Legal Expert 06:11 PR Timelines and Online Credibility 07:13 Writing That Connects With Clients Connect with Michelle here: Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn www.rep-ink.com Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com