Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to the authority Playbook. I'm Jeff Brandeis and today we're talking about the strategies to help you stand out, be seen and be heard. You're watching now Media Television. Welcome to the Authority Playbook. I'm Jeff Brandeis. This is the show where we explore how leaders earn trust, communicate with authority, and create conversations that move people to confident decisions. Whether you're speaking from a stage, leading a boardroom discussion, hosting a webinar, or sitting across from a client, every important business result begins with a conversation.
Today, we are taking that idea into one of the highest stakes communication environments there is.
Personal injury law. When someone has been hurt, they're not just looking for legal skill. They're looking for someone who can explain what is happening, reduce confusion, build trust, and help them make a decision at a time when their life may be completely disrupted. My guest is Colin Boba, chief executive officer and personal injury attorney at Colin B. Bova and Associates. Colin has represented more than 4,000 clients with more than $50 million in gross settlement recovery. After working in the large law firm, he saw how clients could sometimes become case numbers instead of high volume systems.
He built his own firm around a different idea. Put the client back in the driver's seat. Colin, welcome to the authority Playbook.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: Glad to be here. Thank you.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: Awesome. Glad you're here today too, Colin. When you think about authority in your field, what separates a trusted legal advisor from. From someone who simply knows the law?
[00:01:49] Speaker B: My job is to take the law and give the client options of what they can do. I'm not the one who's supposed to tell them what they're supposed to do. I'm just the one who's supposed to interpret the law and allow them to make a decision that's in their best interest.
It's not supposed to be pushy, it's more. More supposed to be conversational. So the client thinks that or believes that they can have confidence in the decision they're about to make.
I think that's what makes the difference between your standard lawyer and one who just wants to do the right thing by the client.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: I love that you're almost in my mind. You're the doctor I'm coming to for the diagnosis. So give me the pros, the cons, and what are the best. What's the best course of action? So, Colin, you've represented 4,000 clients. What have you learned about what people need and what they want to hear first? When they're scared, they're injured, or they're just totally overwhelmed?
[00:02:40] Speaker B: Most people Just want to know what the process is, what do I expect, what do I have to do, what is the time commitment, what is the end result going to be? And as long as you can walk somebody through the process and give them some examples on cases that you've handled or situations that are similar to theirs, it puts them at ease and said, you know, gives them confidence that it's something that we've done before and it's something that we've had good results. And as long as we can give them those examples, they're pretty much at ease.
[00:03:07] Speaker A: Do a lot of people ask about time frame, how long it takes, how long am I going to have to go testify?
What's some of the biggest concerns that people typically or questions they ask for us?
[00:03:18] Speaker B: They always want to know how long is it going to take for me to get better? And of course that depends on any.
That just depends for anybody.
Not everybody heals the same way. Not everybody has the same experience, not everybody has the same damages.
They also want to know how long is it going to take for me to get my car fixed. That depends on insurance.
All of it depends. But like I said, explain what the process is and what the time frames are. They're pretty confident and they're pretty willing to go along with the process.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Was there, we all go through life changes in our careers. Was there something that hit you in your high volume model that said this is not for me anymore and I want to kind of go a different route? Was there one case, was it one example or was it just a grind? I got you.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Yeah, to be honest with you, it's just a grind. I mean, I think individually at one point I had over 500 clients by myself.
And you can't ethically give the client kind of one on one attention that they deserve to be able to give them the result that they want.
And also in terms of financial aspects, you know, you can't handle that many cases and get everybody the same the amount of money that they want with the litigation costs. And that's what, that's what attorneys do when you have a contingency fee. And sometimes they weigh the odds of do I want to invest the money in this case, do I not want to invest the money in the case? When I can put it towards another case, then you start moving money, moving cases around like their bargaining chips.
And that's not my style. You're supposed to do right by the client every time, regardless of the financial burden. And when you're doing it in mass, you don't have those options, which is why I couldn't do it anymore.
[00:05:05] Speaker A: That's awesome. I love that cause and I love that explanation because I think at the end of the day what you're doing is you're putting your client first as opposed to just taking on cases for the sake of taking on cases.
That's awesome. So thank you for doing that and I'm sure your clients appreciate that as well.
Is there when you talk to your clients is, you know, some people come in stress, some people come in calm, some people come in, oh boy, I can't afford a lawyer right now.
How is your communication begin to change based upon what the client experiences are and how, what their expectations are?
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Like I said before, clients are at ease when they can relate. So you try and make some, some humor out of a stressful situation. You let them know that you've seen something like this before.
You let them know what a similar result was and how you got there so that they feel like they're engaged in the process. At the beginning, you would go through all the details and just try and put them at ease.
And the communication style of just being straightforward instead of legalistic is what really makes the difference for the client.
[00:06:15] Speaker A: I love that kind of just keep it in the keep it simple mode and don't get too legal on them.
[00:06:21] Speaker B: So that's mainly just speak English.
That's the key. Speak English.
It's just use simple words. The more relatable you are, the more appreciation they have for you.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: So I'm curious, Colin, was there a case where maybe a couple or an individual came in to you and you had real serious doubts that you were going to actually win that case, but you took it on anyway? Can you give us some background and some.
What kind of turned the tide in, in your favor that you actually were able to win it?
[00:06:56] Speaker B: You know, actually no, I haven't had a case like that because the cases that I'm willing to take are the ones that I'm pretty confident we're going to win. And so with the ones that are quite questionable and they have liability issues and the client doesn't really know this, the facts very well is not confident what happened because they don't remember. That's just not, that's. I'm not willing to take somebody's life in my hands like that unless we can get some firm facts and make sure that we're doing the right thing based on facts that we can prove. Because the, the, the difficult part about being in this role is that the client always has the burden to prove.
And so if we can't prove it, we can't win. And without the client having all the facts or the situation or the damages to prove, you don't have the opportunity to take all the cases that you wish you could. Because at the end of the day, the court system requires that you meet your burden. Approved to be awarded what the client is looking for.
[00:07:58] Speaker A: Colin, you talked about a little earlier about contingency fees. Basically I understand you don't get paid unless you win, is that correct?
Did my question not come through? Colin?
[00:08:19] Speaker B: I heard it. Yes, that's true.
[00:08:22] Speaker A: Oh, sorry, I didn't hear reply. I apologize.
[00:08:25] Speaker B: You're all right.
[00:08:27] Speaker A: So that's kind of a good thing for our viewers and listeners to understand and comprehend is, you know, as an injury attorney, your compensation is based upon you winning. So therefore it's not going to cost anyone to come visit with you, at least learn about your services and be able to at least get some advice and then if you take on the case, it's at your cost at that point, correct?
[00:08:50] Speaker B: Right. I mean, we pay the upfront costs of all the litigation fees or case expenses and then they're reimbursed at the end. But I'm also willing to do any kind of free consultation and sometimes I do consultations with the clients and say, hey, based on what I heard you can do this by yourself and here are the steps you need to take. And as long as you do these things, you should be successful. There's no reason why, excuse me, everybody needs an attorney. As long as somebody's willing to tell them what they should do, then they can be successful without one as well.
[00:09:22] Speaker A: I think that's also one of those things that differentiates yourself versus some other attorneys out there that are willing just to possibly take on the case and just leave the people along, which isn't really productive for anybody at the end of the day. So I commend you for being honest enough, front and provide that guy plan or that game plan for someone that could take it on themselves. So that's great.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: That's all they're looking for.
[00:09:50] Speaker A: Go ahead.
[00:09:50] Speaker B: I'm sorry, that's all they're looking for is guidance. And sometimes we don't take their case and then they come back a couple years later and we take that one,
[00:10:00] Speaker A: build a long term relationship really at the end of the day. So I think that's one of great business philosophies that everybody should have.
So one last question before we take a break. I realize when people come in to see you, you know, they're looking for some empathy, but they're also looking for some honest expectations. How do you actually balance those? Both of those, when you need to be sympathetic, but you also need to be honest that maybe they don't really have a great case.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Dad, a few minutes ago, you, you always try and be as empathetic as you can as long as you also understand that the law requires certain things. And like I mentioned earlier, the law requires that the plaintiff, the person involved in the accident, prove all their damages by a preponderance of the evidence or more likely than not.
And if you can't do that, you can be as empathetic as you want to be. But if you can't meet your burden of proof, you're not going to be successful. And that that's the easiest way, is just to be straightforward and honest about what their obligations are, what the burden of proof is, and see if they can meet the bar or not.
[00:11:07] Speaker A: That's awesome, Colin. This is a powerful reminder that authority is not just about being the expert. It's about helping people feel oriented, informed, and respected when the stakes are high. When we come back, we will talk about how clarity, communication systems and client experience can become a true differentiator in a competitive marketplace. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with more insights and frameworks to help you elevate your brand and your influence. Stay tuned.
And we're back. I'm Jeff Brandeis and this is the Authority Playbook on NOW Media Television. Let's dive deeper.
Welcome back to the Authority Playbook. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media tv favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or on iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and in Spanish. You're on the move. Catch the podcast version at NowMedia TV. From business and news to lifestyle culture and beyond, Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
I'm back with Colin Bova, chief executive officer and personal injury attorney Colin Boba and associates. In this segment, I want to talk about systems because great communication is not just personality, it has to be design.
Your firm uses tools like direct communication, real time collaboration and personal case tracker to help clients understand where they are in the process. That's not just technology, that's trust architecture. Let us unpack how leaders can design communication so people feel informed instead of forgotten.
Colin, tell us a little bit more about what communication breakdowns happen and why do clients often experience before they come to the firm like yours?
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Well, a lot of times, like we talked about in the previous segment, they are a number in a system of hundreds of clients and single attorneys can't handle them all. And so the number one complaint is that they don't even hear from their attorney at all. Or law firms are designed where paralegals and case managers handled the case at the beginning and you never hear from the attorney until the very end. So we designed the firm, my firm, to put up, put the attorneys up front so that the app that we use is a direct connection between the client and the lawyer. And then the support staff and paralegals and case managers are truly that to support the attorney in the communication process. But mainly it's because they don't get any contact from an attorney at all.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: So you're providing your clients, I'll call a portal, for lack of a better phrase, which I think most people are aware of, what that term means, where they can actually go in and track and they can see what's transpiring with their case.
[00:14:06] Speaker B: To put it simply, it's a lot like a pizza tracker. You know, it tells you where you are in the process. It gives you a lengthy description of what the attorney is doing, what the client should be doing, and then also allows the client to text the firm directly 247 so that we can respond to them within a reasonable time without necessarily having to pick up the phone. Sometimes it's just a simple answer, but we like to have the opportunity to give them as much access to the firm without having to call us because we have hundreds of calls as well. But it's a firm wide system, so everybody can see it and everybody at the firm can respond, whether they're technically assigned to your case or not.
[00:14:49] Speaker A: So I'm also guessing here that helps reduce a lot of the anxiety and confusion for your clients because they can go in and at any time, any hour, any day, and just, you know, send an email or have a concern. They can just get off the chest, so to speak, and wait for a reply back. So that, that should be helpful for your clients very much.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: Yes. It gives a description of the process and also allows them to respond to us whether we have questions or they have questions. They can, they can send a message at any time.
[00:15:23] Speaker A: That's awesome. I think every firm should have that, but we won't go there. So every. What's the difference in your mind between giving information to people and creating confidence and how you're actually providing It
[00:15:38] Speaker B: I think it goes, providing information is just being straightforward and honest. A lot of attorneys say, well it depends on this and it depends on that.
Well, the only thing is that the changes is the facts are always the same. It depends on. The only thing that depends is what the outcome, what outcome the client is looking for. If I know what you're looking for, then there are only usually two options. We're going to go, it's either you're going to choose A or you're going to choose B. And it only, like I said, the only dependency is what the outcome is for the client and that's always different.
So as long as I know what that is. Communicating how to get there is very easy because there's no wiggle room. You usually only have two choices.
[00:16:22] Speaker A: But you know, even at every stage I would imagine there's some complexity and there's things that have to happen. How do you actually communicate to people?
And keeping you talking about this earlier, you know, keeping it simple. But how do you also make sure you're not overwhelming them too much with too much information?
[00:16:40] Speaker B: Tell them where they are now and where we're going next.
We developed the app like I described to give them like a 10,000 foot view so they can look at it at all times and see this is where I'm going later. But we don't overwhelm them with information when we talk to them. We just let them know where they are and where they're going next so that they don't get overwhelmed with the whole process. They just get the information and what, what's gonna happen within the next we'll say 30 days. So keeping it in bite sized pieces with the 10,000 foot overview they can read and look at anytime they want keeps it pretty much in balance so that we don't have overwhelmed clients.
[00:17:23] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's great that you have that process in place.
As we're talking about technology and communications, sometimes technology kind of makes a relationship feel cold or feels automated. How do you bring back the human aspect to your clients? Do you have a regular check in? Is there a cadence of making this more than just a technology relationship?
[00:17:49] Speaker B: The technology allows us to identify what any problems are and then if there is a problem, it gives us the opportunity to pick up the phone and have that conversation one on one.
We have enough clients where we can't talk to everybody all the time that they, they want to talk to us the instant that they want to talk to us. But we can receive their messages and instead of Responding all the time. In a message back, we can pick up the phone and schedule a time to have a conversation for as much time as they need to feel comfortable about whichever part of the process they're in.
[00:18:26] Speaker A: That's. That's awesome.
Yeah. As we continue to talk about communication, because I think that's so key between a client and yourself and your firm. How do you get that your team to communicate on the same level of care and clarity that you do and that you expect them to treat others well?
[00:18:45] Speaker B: Everybody at the top of the firm trained everybody at the bottom, for lack of a better term. So we all use the same techniques, we all use the same verbiage, and we always make sure that each individual doesn't have so many cases that any, any particular client could fall through the cracks. There's a lot of oversight.
Even though the cases are evenly distributed between people, there's a lot of oversight to make sure that if one attorney can't get to it, that I can take it. I still take client phone calls. I enjoy talking to the clients. Sometimes they're a little overwhelmed and they and the other attorneys haven't been through as much of experience as I have. So I pick up the phone and I have the conversation.
Whatever it takes to make the client feel like they're an individual rather than a number and have a one on one conversation is what I'm going for. And I usually use that as a training mechanism to get my staff to do what it is that I would do or say what I would say in a particular situation.
[00:19:45] Speaker A: I think that's awesome, actually. I think that's fantastic. And I think that's a great training tool that every leader or every organization should be able to follow and implement. Because I think the leaders set the tone and. And if the leader follows and practices upon expression what they preach, then the staff and everyone else will see that this is how the leader runs and that I need to follow in that same footpath. So that's great.
One of the things that we've talked about before is, and we continue to talk about is communication. What role does being responsive play in building that trust with you and your clients?
[00:20:26] Speaker B: Like I said before, the number one complaint for clients in general at any kind of law firm, whether it's personal injury or not, is that the client feels like they're a number and they don't hear anything from an attorney at all, regardless of which stage of the process they're in. So giving them the opportunity to have an application that will allow them to Talk whenever they feel comfortable, whenever they have time and then give them an opportunity to schedule an appointment for a one on one call. Is a difference maker in the industry, not just in particular firms. It's just because most people are signing as many cases as they can and want to make as much money as they can and the client pays the cost for that. And so. And it's usually in regards to being able to balance that level of communication.
[00:21:15] Speaker A: Just curious, how did you get trained in your communication style or how did you learn this is what how I should clients should be treated. And if you don't mind filling in a little bit of the background of what got you to where you are today
[00:21:31] Speaker B: at a fundamental level I was able to handle the number of cases that I had, but I wasn't happy with the amount of time that I had to give that client the attention that they needed because of the demands on me for other people. And I also realized that I didn't have to have as many clients as I did to live the standard of living or run, run the business the way I wanted to. I could have, I could actually make more money with less clients than I could with as many clients under the sun.
And, and that it just turned into. I'd rather give them the one on one attention than try and run a bunch of cases that all these clients will be mad and upset and have a terrible experience. And I wasn't willing to put my name on a firm with that kind of experience being given.
[00:22:22] Speaker A: That's awesome. Thank you, Colin. This conversation shows that trust is built in the details, not the update, the explanation, the call being returned timely, the expectations are set the moment a client realizes they are not alone in the process.
When we come back, we will talk about persuasion, preparation and how legal professionals move people towards decisions with confidence and integrity. We'll be right back. We'll be right back with more insights and frameworks to help you elevate your brand and your influence. Stay tuned.
And we're back. I'm Jeff Brandeis and this is the Authority Playbook on NOW Media Television. Let's dive deeper.
Welcome back to the Authority Playbook. I'm Jeff Brandeis and we're continuing my conversation with Colin B. Barber, CEO and personal injury attorney for Colin Barber and Associates. We have talked about authority and communication systems. Now I want to go deeper into influence in law, sales, leadership and presentations. Influence should not mean pressure. It should mean helping people understand options, risks, timing and consequences so, so they can make stronger decisions. Colin, your work sits right at the intersection of persuasion, preparation, and trust.
Colin, how do you help clients make decisions when they are emotionally overwhelmed?
[00:23:49] Speaker B: You just have to narrow down the variables. I mean, like I said in a previous segment, as long as I know what the client's end goal is, we can narrow it down to usually two choices.
And not everybody's choice is the same, so you have to give them the same option. Like I said at the beginning, my job is to provide information to allow a client to make a decision that's in their best interest. And nine times out of 10, there are only two. We're either going with option A or going up with option B. And usually when the client is overwhelmed, you give them the opportunity to make the decision.
And then when they're a little hesitant, you say, okay, if you would ask me my opinion, I would do option A. Because as long as you can articulate the. Because then clients usually feel a lot more confident in their decision making in general. And once they feel like you've narrowed it down and made it less complicated and not legalistic, then they feel like they made a decision that they can relate to and they'll be happy with.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: How often do people actually make those decisions on the spot versus you laying something out to them and go, gosh, Colin, I don't know what to do. Let me go home and think about it. And they take a few days or a couple weeks to decide
[00:25:08] Speaker B: the way. Narrowing it down in such a way gives them an opportunity where I'd say about 90% of the time, the client makes the decision on the spot.
But, you know, of course, you have to give them the opportunity to take time to, you know, simmer on it and make sure that whatever decision they're making is in their best interest or their family's best interest. So you don't pressure them and say you have to make a decision today, but you also prep the client in advance when the case is going on. Hey, the case is going this way. So here's what we're looking at. Here's what the options might be.
And then when they get there, they're like, okay, you told me about this. Now I feel more comfortable because you told me in advance. So as long as you're guiding the client along the way, by the time they have to make the final decision, like I said, about 90% of the time, they're ready to make it when the time comes.
[00:25:59] Speaker A: That's great.
Your firm emphasizes looking at cases holistically and not just about money in someone's pocket. I know you've talked about.
Typically it comes down to two, two choices. But how do you communicate that bigger picture to them so they can really get it?
[00:26:17] Speaker B: The bigger picture, as I've said several times, is option A is generally we can settle today.
Option B is we can litigate tomorrow.
But there are no guarantees in litigation and there's more money involved and there's more time commitment, and it's a total toss up because you never know what a jury would do.
And I think once you get those variables and you put them forward, the client usually knows what they want to do.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: You've obviously been doing this for a number of years and you learned a lot from your clients and you've seen a lot about even storytelling from presenting injury cases and client expectations. What have you learned most about how to present or how to storytell to your clients about their best options?
[00:27:09] Speaker B: Can you, can you say that one more time?
[00:27:11] Speaker A: What have you learned about storytelling from presenting injury cases and client expectations?
[00:27:19] Speaker B: Oh, well, for storytelling, when it comes to negotiating in general, you just tell them. You just tell it like it is. You know, you've got, you've got a mom with four kids who was rear ended, pushed into another car, she had to take off time off work, her car is totaled, she can take care of her family. Those, those kind of things. You make it relatable and tell the client's story as it stands and who they are. And once the client feels like that their story has been told, then they feel like they're getting a good result.
[00:27:53] Speaker A: A lot of times we come into a senior lawyer, our expectations from a possible client or settlement is sky high, and you're trying to bring someone back down to reality.
How does that go from a conversational perspective? And how do you delicately handle that situation where someone might think, well, I have a five million dollar case and maybe it's only worth a hundred thousand dollars or something extreme like that.
[00:28:19] Speaker B: I'll be honest with you, Jeff. Sometimes it's not exactly delicate. I think the easiest way to set somebody's expectations is to ask them questions about how they came up with whatever their expectation is. If somebody comes to me and says I need $5 million, my first question is, how did you come up with your number and why? And it goes back to what I said earlier, is that if you're on my side of the bar or the courtroom, as the plaintiff, you have the burden of proof to prove your case, which includes the damages and how much money you're looking for. And if you're going to explain it to a jury.
And you want them, 12 people who know nothing about you and have never been on a jury before. What is it that you're going to say to them to convince them to give you that $5 million? Because I'd love to know. If you can articulate it and substantiate your position, then I'm all for it. Let's go get it.
But if you can't meet your burden, then you don't have the right to make such a demand without tampering your own expectations by yourself.
[00:29:22] Speaker A: I love the fact that you're asking the client for his explanation or her explanation, how they arrived at that number, because I think sometimes that's the real unrealistic expectations come from. Or they heard it from their neighbor or their best friend and said, hey, you should get $5 million. Go talk to that lawyer and get that 5 million.
[00:29:43] Speaker B: Thing about attorney advertising in general is that you'll see on TV now they've changed a little bit, but you'll see it on TV where they say, well, I got $5 million. And at a jury trial, well, that's the thing about insurance.
You got a verdict for 5 million, but did you actually get the money?
And nobody ever answered that question. Just because you got. Just because you got the verdict doesn't mean you actually got the money.
And that's why everybody gets confused about how this is actually supposed to work, which is why, you know, some people, you can get a judgment, but if the client, if the defendant doesn't have any assets, you're never going to see the money. And I think that's the unfortunate part about disclosures in the legal world is that attorney advertising has set some really lofty expectations with no factual basis.
[00:30:34] Speaker A: So let's dive into that a little bit more before we actually take our next break. So I got a verdict for $5 million. I mean, doesn't the insurance company just pay that?
[00:30:44] Speaker B: Well, if the insurance company has a policy limit of $5 million, yeah, you'll probably get it. But if the insurance company only has a policy of a million, you'll get the million. But as soon as they fill that and they've met their contractual burden to pay the policy, they're out. And then you have to get the rest of the money from the individual themselves. And if they don't have any assets, you got a piece of paper, but you're never going to see the rest of the 4 million.
[00:31:12] Speaker A: So that goes back to the what the person who you're suing has the policy For a million, even though you got the verdict for 5, the policyholder only had a million dollar coverage. So you collect that if I understand what you're telling me. And then you have a four.
[00:31:30] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. There are some technical aspects where you could go above the policy, but generally speaking, the insurance company only covers the amount under the policy and the rest has to come from the individual themselves.
[00:31:45] Speaker A: I've heard the term double indemnity. Does that apply in certain situations from an accident perspective? And does the insurer need to have that type of coverage?
[00:31:55] Speaker B: Are you talking about like an insurance policy and an umbrella?
Yeah.
[00:32:02] Speaker A: Where there could be two different policies in play. You have to. Will it double up at that point?
[00:32:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, you have to go. You have to receive the benefit of the underlying one, the million, and then if they have an umbrella after that, then you can seek that for additional damages if you're so entitled.
[00:32:21] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's great. This is where real authority comes through. Not in promising certainty when helping people ground in making their decisions even when the situation is uncertain. When we return, we will close with a broader playbook where leaders, attorneys, sales professionals and business owners can learn from Collins client centered approach to authority. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with more insights and frameworks to help you elevate your brand and your influence. Stay tuned.
And we're back. I'm Jeff Brandeis and this is the Authority Playbook on NOW Media Television. Let's dive deeper and welcome back to the Authority Playbook. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or on iOS and unlock nonstop bilingual programming in English and in Spanish. You're on the move. Catch the podcast version at NowMedia TV. From business and news to lifestyle, culture and beyond, Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
Welcome back to the Authority Playbook. And I'm here with Colin Baba, personal injury attorney and chief executive officer. In this final segment, I want to bring the conversation back to leadership.
Colin built his firm around a clear doing the right thing every time. That kind of statement sounds simple, but in real business environments, it has to show up in hiring, client communication systems, technology, culture, and daily decisions.
Colin, what does doing the right thing every time mean to you as a leader of your law firm?
[00:34:13] Speaker B: Well, to me, it means we don't really pay attention to the contingency fee. Yes, everybody has to pay their bills, but sometimes we make adjustments to make sure that the client is happy with the result that they got, given the circumstances that they were dealt. And we always give them the most candid advice that we can, and we give them a recommendation of what we would do as if it were our own family member. Because I've represented my friends and my family before, and I use that same principle with clients that I don't even know. Just because that's what that means is just to make sure that you would do for a stranger what you would do for your own family member every single time.
[00:34:55] Speaker A: I think that's great. I always like to believe in, you know, treat people the way you want to be treated on the other side of the desk. I think that's the philosophy of doing the right thing every time means for you as well. Correct.
Are there certain things that you've. As you grow, how do you keep that culture in mind to protect your clients and keep doing the right thing first, every time, especially as you get more clients and you grow, how does that become a challenge for the firm and for yourself to continue doing that?
[00:35:30] Speaker B: Well, we make sure that the staff at the firm don't handle so many cases that they can't offer that opportunity. So like I said before, communicate with them and give them the result that they're looking for. If I buy, overwhelm the staff with more cases that they can handle, then that's when people generally, and for, you know, just in human nature, may start taking shortcuts and trying to make things go faster when they don't have to. And we just make sure that we don't allot so many clients to one individual where they get overwhelmed and can't provide that certain service. And then again, nobody said that we have to be a big. A big firm. We can just stay, you know, a reasonable size to pay our bills and live our lives and provide the best service for the client that we can.
[00:36:20] Speaker A: That's awesome. You've talked a little bit about, obviously your culture and your growth, but what you learn from the big firm from a leadership perspective that you've kind of taken from the big firm, but you brought it into your firm to lead your team, to lead the staff and continue to build on your culture. Was there one thing that you brought in your journey?
[00:36:44] Speaker B: Well, I think it was more of a general principle, and it sounds really unfortunate given where I work, but it was actually more so learning about what not to do and the things that they did, the things that other firms did that I didn't like that I, you know, if as long As I did the opposite of whatever I was doing before, I actually had more success because it just came down to a general principle of there were so many people, so many clients that usually got the short end of the stick because they didn't have time to get to them, or they were trying to meet a quota for firm reasons where shortcuts were taken and didn't benefit the client. And I just couldn't.
Couldn't do that in good faith, especially, you know, as a lawyer with my own law license and ethical principles. It's not something that I wanted to carry over. So, unfortunately, when it came to the other firms, it wasn't about what they did. It was about or, you know, what I wanted to copy. It was more so what I didn't want to copy.
[00:37:47] Speaker A: You know, I love to bring in a little bit of a personal aspect through to our conversation. So if you don't mind me asking, I understand you're one of three. You were a triplet.
How has your identity outside lore being that you are a triplet and your personal story helped shape you and how you connect with your people, with the people?
[00:38:07] Speaker B: Well, let me tell you this. If you're a triplet and you've got two people your age that, you know, I'm sandwich in between two girls with a bunch of opinions about everything, you learn how to talk very straightforward, and, you know, you get to the point real fast because that's what they want to know.
[00:38:25] Speaker A: Did you grow up knowing you're gonna be a lawyer?
[00:38:29] Speaker B: No, I didn't. It was just something that transpired, you know, with everything growing up. Some. Some leadership opportunities in college and some internships in college that kind of led me to or classes in particular that I found particularly interesting.
You know, I had. I got a business degree first, and then I had the option to go get an MBA or. Or a law degree. And after I got my business degree, I was like, well, if I go get my mba, I feel like I'm gonna be repeating what I just spent the last four years doing.
So I decided to roll the dice and go to law school instead.
[00:39:06] Speaker A: So what brought you over into the injury aspect of law?
[00:39:12] Speaker B: If I was going to be completely candid, it was the one thing that landed in my life that I really enjoyed. I took a bunch of classes in oil and gas, and I took contract law like everybody does, and did some criminal law classes. And I didn't really have an interest. When I got out of law school, I didn't really have an area of law that I Wanted to practice, which was the scary part, because you're looking for a job.
But it just so happened that I got offered an opportunity to be a lawyer at a personal injury firm, and I loved it. So I've been doing it ever since.
[00:39:49] Speaker A: Tell us, if you don't mind, about your first case that you won. Tell us a little bit what transpired and what you did to win it.
[00:39:57] Speaker B: Well, it's actually a funny story, but it was actually a premise liability case at a hardware store. I'm not going to name names, but it was a hardware store where a lady went into a bathroom and her. The toilet seat wasn't screwed on, so when she sat down, it slid off and she hit her head against the wall.
Yeah. And, you know, the insurance company came in and said, what's your theory of liability? And I'm like, well, can you explain to me how this toilet seat ended up on the floor?
And they're like, well, no. And I'm like, well, then I guess you need to figure out where the screws went, because that's all I need to know.
And so once we got that theory of liability established, she received compensation and she was a happy lady.
[00:40:46] Speaker A: All right, that is a kind of unique story. So I always like to ask a question like, your first case. So thanks for sharing that. That's appreciative.
How has really shaping the law firm gotten you from a personal perspective of your family life and how you balance your family life to the actual law firm itself?
[00:41:13] Speaker B: It's a. It's a challenge sometimes, you know, sometimes you can't turn your brain off. Sometimes you are thinking about all the cases you have and all the clients that are sending you messages. Some of them are. Some of them are stressed out and you want to help them, but your hands are tied for one reason or another.
But as long as you do things outside of, you know, the law, in terms of going to do activities, spending time with your family, going out to the lake, doing anything but practicing law, as long as you take breaks.
That's usually how I balance it, is trying to do listening to music, going to the lake, hanging out with family members, going out of town to see my friends, whatever it takes to get away for a little bit is how I prevent my. Prevent my spouse from getting burnt out.
[00:42:00] Speaker A: That's great to hear. You know, you need that extra time for it to be by yourself. Curiosity question. As AI has come in into our world a lot more frequently, have you found that people are doing more research about their case and coming in with, you know, I researched this and this is what AI is telling me. And they're asking you other types of questions that they, you might not have heard four or five years ago.
[00:42:23] Speaker B: I don't know if it's AI per se, but I would say that a lot of clients do come in with some preconceived notions about what they believe the process is going to be like, just based on the fact that Google's been around forever.
And so as long as you can get on the Internet and do research on anything, the client can also figure out whatever they want to, which is also why I said earlier, I have no problem giving a client advice on how to handle it by themselves.
You know, a lot of clients are really resourceful and they filed their own lawsuits and represented themselves all the way to the end.
And I, I encourage that. If you feel comfortable to do it and you don't want to hire an attorney, then go, go do it and try your luck, because a lot of them have been successful.
But I think that the, the, since AI is available, it's kind of increased what's already been happening and people doing research on things that they, they'd like to be informed about, especially about.
[00:43:23] Speaker A: I'm sorry, especially about what?
[00:43:26] Speaker B: Especially about the process itself, how the process works and what we try to explain to them. A lot of them just go in and type it in and get an AI description from Google about what's going to happen.
[00:43:38] Speaker A: Great column for. My last question is if the audience remembers one lesson from today's conversation, what do you want it to be?
[00:43:50] Speaker B: For me, like I said before, the thing that I value the most is somebody who's willing to speak very plainly about what I need to know.
The easier I can, the easier somebody can articulate something to me or anybody else to aid in their understanding of a particular issue.
I think that's the most valuable thing you can offer somebody.
[00:44:13] Speaker A: I think that's great, and I think that's a great takeaway for our viewers and our listeners to take away from our segment today. Colin, for the viewers who want to learn more about you and your firm or be connected with your firm, where should they go? What's the best way?
[00:44:28] Speaker B: Go to boberlawfirm.com b as in boy o b as in boyerlawfirm.com
[00:44:36] Speaker A: appreciate that. So today on the Authority Playbook, we talked about communication under pressure, client trust, legal advocacy, decision making, and what it means to build authority by doing the right thing consistently. Colin, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your insights. On building authentic relationships, serving others first, and creating lasting authority and growing business through trust and meaningful connections. At the authority playbook, we believe the greatest competitive advantage is in what you know. It's how effectively how you communicate it.
Because better conversations lead to better decisions and better decisions drive better business results. I'm Jeff Brandeis. Thanks for watching.
