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Welcome to The Practice Playbook Podcast, the go-to show for legal and dispute resolution professionals who want more than just survival in their practices; they want strategy, sustainability, and success.
Hosted by best-selling author, attorney, mediator, and practice development expert Susan E. Guthrie, this podcast brings you straight-talking insights, actionable tips, and real-world advice on what it takes to thrive in today’s evolving professional landscape. Whether you're a lawyer, mediator, coach, or consultant, you'll learn how to build a business that reflects your values, supports your lifestyle, and positions you as a trusted expert.
Each episode pulls from the strategies in The Practice Playbook book series, featuring topics like:
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Ditching the billable hour and implementing flat fees with confidence
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Building a thought leadership brand that attracts ideal clients
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Using AI and technology to streamline your workflow and boost productivity
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Mastering client experience, referrals, and pricing strategy
-
Real-world case studies, expert interviews, and practice-building stories
From the creator of The Flat Fee Playbook, The Thought Leadership Playbook, and The Practice Accelerator membership community - this is your weekly shot of clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Your practice doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just needs a better playbook.
Welcome to The Practice Playbook Podcast, the go-to show for legal and dispute resolution professionals who want more than just survival in their practices; they want strategy, sustainability, and success.
Hosted by best-selling author, attorney, mediator, and practice development expert Susan E. Guthrie, this podcast brings you straight-talking insights, actionable tips, and real-world advice on what it takes to thrive in today’s evolving professional landscape. Whether you're a lawyer, mediator, coach, or consultant, you'll learn how to build a business that reflects your values, supports your lifestyle, and positions you as a trusted expert.
Each episode pulls from the strategies in The Practice Playbook book series, featuring topics like:
-
Ditching the billable hour and implementing flat fees with confidence
-
Building a thought leadership brand that attracts ideal clients
-
Using AI and technology to streamline your workflow and boost productivity
-
Mastering client experience, referrals, and pricing strategy
-
Real-world case studies, expert interviews, and practice-building stories
From the creator of The Flat Fee Playbook, The Thought Leadership Playbook, and The Practice Accelerator membership community - this is your weekly shot of clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Your practice doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just needs a better playbook.
Episodes

Thursday May 21, 2026
Thursday May 21, 2026
Every assumption you have made about how clients find, evaluate, and hire legal professionals is being rewritten in real time. How they search has changed. How they evaluate trust has changed. How quickly they expect a response has changed. And if the practice you have built is still operating on assumptions from five or ten years ago, this episode is your wake-up call.
Susan Guthrie sits down with Colleen Joyce, CEO of Lawyer.com, one of the leading platforms connecting consumers with legal professionals. Colleen brings something many in the legal and dispute resolution space simply do not have enough of: a true consumer lens. Coming from the media and startup world, she has developed sharp insights into branding, growth, intake, technology, and the rapidly evolving expectations that professionals need to understand to remain competitive.
This conversation covers visibility, brand authority, AI-driven client expectations, the intake process, and what the future of practice growth actually looks like from the perspective of someone who talks to thousands of consumers and sits squarely between the professional and the client.
What You'll Learn
- Why the client has changed and what that means for practices still built on assumptions from five or ten years ago
- How brand authority works in an AI-driven search landscape and why social media presence alone is not enough
- Why your intake process may be costing you more business than any marketing gap ever could
- How AI is shifting client expectations and why the real question is whether you are adapting with it
- Why thought leadership and community are the most powerful visibility tools available right now
Free Episode Companion Resource
Download the Free Client Journey Quick Audit here! Susan created a companion resource for this episode to help you move from insight into action. The Client Journey Quick Audit is a practical tool designed to help you evaluate your practice through your client's eyes, identify friction points, and spot missed opportunities before they cost you more business.
Download the resource here: https://susaneguthrie.com/podcasts#free-resource
Meet Our Guest
Website: http://Lawyer.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenjoyce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenjoyce1
Join The Practice Accelerator
The Practice Accelerator is now open for monthly membership pre-registration. Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.
Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.
Upcoming Live Webinars with Susan Guthrie
AI That Actually Works | May 28th A practical, real-world session on how lawyers, mediators, and dispute resolution professionals can ethically and effectively use AI tools in their practices right now. No hype, just strategies you can put to work immediately.
The New Legal Frontier: AI-Driven Disputes and How You Can Lead Them | June 9th A forward-focused look at how AI is reshaping disputes, client expectations, and professional opportunities, and how you can position yourself as a leader in a rapidly changing environment.
Attend individually or bundle both and save $95. Practice Playbook listeners save an additional 20% with code Susan20 at checkout. Register at https://susaneguthrie.com/webinars.
Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie
Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.
Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.
As Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.
Connect with Susan E. Guthrie
Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.
And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.
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