The Practice Playbook Podcast with Susan Guthrie

If you want more clarity, higher revenue, and a smoother path into 2026, this episode is your essential year-end roadmap. November is the strategic moment for legal and dispute resolution professionals to review their pricing, refine their services, and set the stage for a more profitable year ahead. In this solo episode, Susan E. Guthrie, nationally recognized mediator, legal entrepreneur, and author of The Flat Fee Playbook, walk...

In this special solo episode, Susan shares behind-the-scenes lessons from her appearance on The Oprah Podcast. Discover how years of preparation and purpose can lead to extraordinary opportunities, how to steward visibility with integrity, and how to turn gratitude into growth.

This isn’t just an episode about a big media moment, it’s a heartfelt reflection on what it means to stay consistent, stay true to your mission, and trust t...

Most professionals in dispute resolution don’t start out dreaming of marketing strategies and social media plans, they become mediators, arbitrators, and facilitators because they want to help people resolve conflict, not “sell” themselves. Marketing done right isn’t about selling at all, it’s about educating, connecting, and building trust.

In this episode, Susan breaks down the Top 3 Must-Dos for Modern Marketing in Dispute Resol...

If you’ve been looking for ways to expand your services, stand out in a competitive market, and deliver greater value to your clients, this week’s conversation is for you. Early Dispute Resolution (EDR) is transforming the way practitioners help clients resolve cases, faster, more cost-effectively, and with higher satisfaction on all sides. It’s also a smart way to grow your practice and position yourself as a future-focused profes...

Susan Guthrie welcomes you back to The Practice Playbook Podcast with a focus on one of the most important shifts you can make in your business: moving from chasing clients to attracting your perfect clients.

When you’re chasing, you’re hustling, discounting, and saying yes to everyone. It keeps you stuck in scarcity and often leads to burnout. Attracting, on the other hand, is about clarity, alignment, and building a practice that...

Have you noticed something strange happening on LinkedIn lately? Old videos from months ago are suddenly resurfacing and getting traction? That’s not a glitch, it’s the algorithm talking to you. And if you’re not paying attention, you could be missing one of the biggest visibility opportunities available right now.

In this episode, Susan shares how a nine-month-old video suddenly went viral and what that means for your own content ...

Susan Guthrie is back with some big news: the podcast has a new name! Welcome to The Practice Playbook Podcast, your hub for building a smart, sustainable, and fulfilling practice. And what better way to kick things off than by tackling one of the most powerful (and most avoided) topics out there: finding your niche.

Niching can feel scary. Maybe you’ve worried about turning people away, missing opportunities, or “leaving money on ...

Melissa Brogdon, CEO and co-founder of Fourth Party, joins me today for a must-listen conversation on the backbone of every successful mediation practice: your backend systems. Whether you're launching your practice or trying to fix one that's stalled, chances are the issue isn’t with your logo or your website colors—it’s in your operations.

Melissa and I go deep into why building a strong business structure is make-or-break, what ...

Susan Guthrie brings a solo episode that challenges one of the most common mindset traps among mediators, coaches, and conflict resolution professionals: waiting for the “right time.” If you’ve been circling the runway, stuck in planning mode while telling yourself you just need one more training, a better schedule, or a sign from the universe, this conversation offers the clarity and push you’ve been needing.

Waiting feels respons...

Susan Guthrie brings a power-packed solo episode, sharing five quick but impactful upgrades you can implement this week to elevate your practice. From sharpening your client intake process to enhancing your digital presence, these high-leverage, low-lift shifts are designed to boost visibility, streamline your workflow, and yes, improve your bottom line.

Whether you’re just getting started or refining a well-established practice, y...

If you're out there posting on social media, giving workshops, and networking like crazy, but still struggling to convert leads into paying clients - or if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by client inquiries or assumed your intake system is “good enough,” this conversation will completely shift how you think about client communication and conversion.

Susan Guthrie welcomes Maddy Martin, the SVP of Growth at Smith.ai to this week’s epi...

Susan Guthrie welcomes Dr. Clare Fowler to discuss the many ways that dispute resolution professionals, and professionals of all kinds, can get their ideas out into the world through writing and publishing.

Susan and Clare recently co-presented a popular program for the ABA Dispute Resolution Section on this topic, and they’re continuing that conversation here. Together they break down the options for getting published: from tradit...

In this powerful episode, Susan Guthrie is joined by Michael Holmes, Chief Product Officer at FourthParty, for a conversation every mediator and ADR professional needs to hear. Michael, a legal mind with an entrepreneurial edge, has worked with hundreds of mediators to build thriving practices, and he’s here to share the client-first strategy that top-performing professionals never overlook.

While many mediators focus on honing the...

Susan Guthrie shares the one negotiation skill that works every time—no matter the context—and how you can use it to build both resolution and rapport. In this solo episode, she introduces the powerful concept of framing: the art of shaping how information is presented to influence how it is received.

Framing is not about manipulation—it’s about clarity. When used ethically, framing helps emphasize what matters most, creating a pat...

Susan Guthrie welcomes Usher Winslett for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a thriving arbitration practice. From his early days of “dabbling” in dispute resolution to leading with service and strategy, Usher shares the pivotal moments and mindset shifts that helped him turn curiosity into a successful career. 

Whether you’re just starting out in ADR or looking to take your practice to the ...

In part two of a special two-part series, Susan continues her conversation with Professor John Lande about RPS Coach, his groundbreaking AI tool designed to elevate mediation practice through better preparation, deeper reflection, and more conscious system design. This time, Susan and John explore how RPS Coach can be used before, during, and after mediation, not just as a tool for practitioners, but as a conversation partner. The...

Susan Guthrie welcomes Professor John Lande for an eye-opening conversation that blends innovation, insight, and the evolving role of AI in mediation.

In this special two-part series, Susan is joined by legendary dispute resolution scholar John Lande, yes, the same John Lande who generally is very cautious about electronic technology – but is all-in on AI but one conversation flipped the switch, and now he’s the mind behind the RPS...

You could be the most qualified person in the room, and still not get hired. That stings, right? But if you’ve ever heard someone say, “Oh wow, I didn’t know you do that now!” then you’ve met the curse of the Invisible Expert.

The truth is, being amazing at your work is just half the battle. The other half? Making sure the right people know you’re out there. In this episode, Susan Guthrie calls out the disconnect between being skil...

There’s a lot of fear and misunderstanding around AI in the legal and mediation world. Will it replace professionals? Will clients trust AI-generated content? Is it even ethical to use these tools in practice? These questions are valid, but they’re also keeping too many solo and small firm professionals from tapping into tools that can actually help their businesses grow.

In this episode, Susan Guthrie breaks down how the Big Four ...