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Power Up Your Practice

Power Up Your Practice

By: Ruby Powers
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 Welcome to Power Up Your Practice, the go-to law practice management podcast for law firm owners and managing attorneys working on the business, not in it. Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level.Ruby Powers Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Ep. 110: What Corporate Clients Wish Their Lawyers Knew with Nandini Nair

    Ep. 110: What Corporate Clients Wish Their Lawyers Knew with Nandini Nair
    Apr 21 2026
    In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Nandini Nair—partner at A.Y. Strauss, former Global General Counsel for a multinational corporation, immigration compliance attorney, and fractional GC—for a conversation that most lawyers never get to hear: what corporate clients actually wish their outside counsel knew. Nandini has sat on both sides of the table. She knows what it feels like to receive a ten-page memo when you needed three bullet points. She knows what it's like to get billed for a two-minute conversation. And she knows exactly what separates the outside counsel that gets called once from the one that becomes a trusted partner for years. In this episode, she shares it all — directly, practically, and without sugarcoating. What we explore: ✅ Business Answers, Not Legal Answers: Why corporate clients don't need more legal analysis — they need someone who understands how their business actually runs and can translate risk into decisions. ✅ Stop Being Transactional: Why billing for every email and every conversation is quietly killing your client relationships — and what the subscription model alternative looks like in practice. ✅ The LinkedIn Strategy: How Nandini stays connected with every client by following them on LinkedIn — and why a simple congratulatory call about a new hire has led to some of her most valuable relationships. ✅ Proactive Risk Assessment: Why giving clients the same generic checklist everyone else gives them — including what ChatGPT spits out — is no longer enough to differentiate your firm. ✅ The Origin That Drives It All: How arriving in the US at age 8, speaking no English and barely knowing her own parents, shaped the way Nandini shows up for every client she serves. If you work with corporate clients — or want to — this episode is your inside guide to what they actually need from you. 📌 Connect with Nandini Nair: LinkedIn: Nandini Nair Website: aystrauss.com Email: nnair@aystrauss.com 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731
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    44 mins
  • Ep. 109: Show Me the Money: Getting Paid & Collecting Before It's Too Late with Matt Darner

    Ep. 109: Show Me the Money: Getting Paid & Collecting Before It's Too Late with Matt Darner
    Apr 14 2026
    In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Matt Darner, co-founder and CEO of CollBox — the ABA Tech Show Startup Alley winner helping law firms recover what they've already earned but haven't collected yet. Matt has seen the inside of hundreds of law firm billing situations. And what he finds is almost always the same: a growing number on the aging report, closed matters with unpaid invoices, and attorneys who know the problem exists but keep putting off fixing it. In this conversation, he breaks down why that happens — and exactly what to do about it. What we explore: ✅ The $800K Blind Spot: Why small and mid-size firms consistently have $300K–$800K sitting in invoices over 90 days past due — and why most attorneys don't act until it's almost too late. ✅ The Leverage Window: Why the moment a matter closes is the moment your ability to collect starts shrinking — and what to do before you lose all your leverage. ✅ The Ick Factor: Why 99% of attorneys hate chasing clients for money, why the wrong person is usually doing it, and how to fix the system so it doesn't have to be you. ✅ Upstream Fixes: The retainer policies, intake conversations, and billing habits that prevent collections problems before they start. ✅ When to Cut Your Losses: At 90 days, you've already lost 47% of collectability. At two years, you're down to a 15% success rate. Matt breaks down exactly when to act — and when to write it off. If you've got invoices sitting unpaid and you're not sure what to do about it — this episode is for you. 📌 Connect with Matt Darner: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewdarner Website: collbox.co 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-746189731
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    51 mins
  • Ep. 108: From Fired to Partner: Scarcity Mindset & How to Build a Partnership with Jason Epstein

    Ep. 108: From Fired to Partner: Scarcity Mindset & How to Build a Partnership with Jason Epstein
    Apr 7 2026
    In this episode, Ruby Powers sits down with Jason Epstein — partner at Premier Law Group in Bellevue, Washington, Washington Super Lawyer, ABA trial skills faculty, and adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law — for a conversation about what it actually takes to build a law firm on your own terms. Jason's path wasn't linear. He got fired after asking to see the firm's financials. He discovered he was unemployable. And then he built something worth having. In this episode, he breaks down the scarcity mindset that quietly traps most personal injury firms, shares the real story behind bringing on a third partner after 15 years — valuation, buy-in structure, promissory notes and all — and explains why most small firm owners never build a partnership track even when they should. What we explore: ✅ The Scarcity Trap: Why most PI firms operate from scarcity — and how protecting "inventory" leads to bad decisions, locked-out attorneys, and a culture that stunts growth. ✅ From Fired to Founded: What getting fired for asking to see the firm's financials taught Jason about firm ownership — and why being "unemployable" turned out to be his greatest asset. ✅ Building a Partnership Track: The real process behind identifying the right candidate, valuing a firm, structuring a buy-in, and what to look for in a partner beyond just hard work. ✅ Teaching What Law School Skips: Why Jason pitched a Law Firm Entrepreneurship class at Seattle University School of Law — and what he wishes someone had taught him six or seven years into practice. If you're a firm owner thinking about your next hire, your succession plan, or just wondering why your firm feels stuck — this episode is for you. 📌 Connect with Jason Epstein: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasongepstein Website: www.premierlawgroup.com 📣 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 🚀 Law Firm Retreat: Design Your Future – August 2026: Stop the daily grind and start architecting your next era. Join Ruby in Denver for an intimate, 15-firm-only strategic laboratory. 👉 Secure your spot: https://powersstrategygroup.com/law-firm-retreat-august-2026/ 📊 We Love Your Feedback! Help us design the next year of the podcast. Take this 2-minute audience survey: https://forms.gle/EgMgxd3tbXCsmqgp9 📌 Join the conversation in our Power Up Your Practice community! Hosted by Ruby Powers, your guide into the heart of law practice management. Each week, learn insights from leading legal minds, trailblazing attorneys, and expert guests who provide you with actionable advice, out-of-the-box solutions, and a fresh perspective on running your firm more effectively and efficiently. Prepare to open your mind, be inspired, and power up your practice to the next level. Watch more episodes of Power Up Your Practice on: 🌐 Website: powersstrategygroup.com 📺 YouTube: @powersstrategygroup 💬 Join our Skool Community - Power Hub: https://www.skool.com/powerupyourpractice Connect and learn more from your host, Ruby Powers: 🔹 LinkedIn: /rubypowers 🔹 Facebook: /poweruppractice 🔹 Website: rubypowers.com 🔹 Ruby's Book: Power Up Your Practice on Amazon Trusted Resources from Our Toolkit: Stafi https://calendly.com/d/csbk-3y4-35w/staffing-strategy-session-stafi-ruby-powers?month=2025-07 Filevine https://www.filevine.com/partner/powers-referral/ CandleAI https://www.trycandle.ai/powers Vonage https://share.vonage.com/zones/friend_landing_experience_microsite?extole_share_channel=%5C%22SHARE_LINK%5C%22&extole_shareable_code=wzq4f&referral_id=wzq4f&source=%5C%22direct%5C%22&utm_source=Power+Up+Your+Practice+by+Power+Strategy+Group&utm_campaign=a7c6feafe9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_13_07_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3b4d3388ea-a7c6feafe9-74618973
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    49 mins
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