Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus

Steve Riley

If you're a solo or small law firm owner who feels overworked, time-starved, or stuck at your current level, this podcast is for you. On Great Practice. Great Life.® you will hear from successful firm owners who have increased income, reduced stress, and built profitable, sustainable practices. Hosted by Steve Riley, a former trial attorney and law firm coach for more than 20 years, the show dives into real conversations about law firm growth, leadership, and profitability. You will learn how to grow a firm that runs smoothly, from marketing and hiring to operations and culture, so you are not the bottleneck in your own business. Each episode delivers practical, lawyer-specific strategies you can use right away to improve your law practice management, boost firm performance, and create more time for the life you actually want. Follow the show and start building your own great practice and great life. Popular topics include: * Attorney success & personal growth * How to grow a law firm sustainably * Law firm business strategy & leadership * Law firm culture, hiring, and team development * Law firm management, operations, and workflow design * Law firm marketing & client experience * Law firm profitability & financial performance * Attorney work life balance

  1. 1d ago

    How to Delegate Without Sacrificing Client Experience with Dr. Ruth Mannschreck

    If you stepped away from your law firm tomorrow, what would stop working? For Dr. Ruth Mannschreck, that question became very real when her daughter's traumatic birth forced her to cut her dental practice from five days a week to two and a half. She could have accepted that working less meant earning less. Instead, Ruth and her team changed the way the practice operated. They returned to their previous revenue, continued to grow, and built a business that no longer depended on Ruth being involved in everything. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley talks with Ruth about what law firm owners can learn from her experience. They discuss building a team that takes ownership, creating a better client experience, hiring the right people, and letting go of work without losing accountability. If your firm still needs you to answer every question, solve every problem, and make every important decision, Ruth's story offers a different picture of what your practice could look like. ___________ In this episode, you will hear: How to build a client experience that goes beyond getting the work done Why your team needs ownership, not just another list of tasks What to look for when hiring beyond technical skills How to decide what should come off your plate How to build a firm that depends less on you without losing accountability ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Dr. Ruth Mannschreck https://shorelinestrategies.com/about-us/ Shoreline Strategies https://shorelinestrategies.com/ The Summit https://atticussummit.com Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    How to Delegate Without Sacrificing Client Experience with Dr. Ruth Mannschreck
  2. Sep 7

    How AI is Helping Attorneys Grow More Profitable Practices with Jennifer and Fred Felten | Ep 200

    AI can help you get legal work done faster. But if you bill by the hour, that creates an uncomfortable question:  What happens when the work that used to take three hours takes 30 minutes? And billing is only part of the conversation. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Jennifer Felten and Fred Felten join Steve Riley to talk about what they're actually doing with AI inside their law firm. They share how they're using technology to capture knowledge, train their team, improve processes, and rethink work that has traditionally depended on an attorney's time. They also get into some bigger questions about staffing, flat fees, subscriptions, AI agents, and what a law firm could look like when technology creates more capacity instead of simply helping everyone work faster. If you're trying to figure out where AI actually belongs in your firm, this insightful discussion offers a firsthand look at what happens when you start putting it to work. ___________ In this episode, you will hear: How Jennifer grew her practice from $600K a year to $400K a month How internal GPTs turn attorney knowledge into a resource for the entire team Where automation can take repetitive work off your team's plate Why Jennifer and Fred moved away from hourly billing How AI is changing training, staffing, and capacity inside the firm ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Jennifer Felten, Esq. https://relawapc.com/team/jennifer-felten Fred Felten https://relawapc.com/team/fred-felten RELAW, APC https://relawapc.com Previous Episode: Let Go of Guilt and Build a More Profitable Law Firm https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/let-go-of-guilt-and-build-a-more-profitable-law-firm-with-jennifer-felten Previous Episode: Breaking Into Growth: How We Grew Our Law Firm 400% Over 6 Years and Learned to Take 6 Weeks Off Annually https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/breaking-into-growth-how-we-grew-our-law-firm-400-over-6-years-and-learned-to-take-6-weeks-off-annually-with-jennifer-fred-felten The Summit https://atticussummit.com Book: Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy https://a.co/d/0bz6GFDS My Great Life Focus https://mygreatlifefocus.com ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    How AI is Helping Attorneys Grow More Profitable Practices with Jennifer and Fred Felten | Ep 200
  3. Aug 31

    The Gallbladder Test: Is Your Law Firm Too Dependent on One Person? with Sam Price

    What would happen if one of your most important employees was suddenly out for three weeks or three months? For Sam Price, a team member's gallbladder surgery exposed a problem many law firm owners don't recognize until it's too late: too much of the firm depended on what one person knew. Sam joins Steve Riley on Great Practice, Great Life to talk about reducing key-person dependency through better law firm systems, training, delegation, and cross-training. They explore how unclear instructions and hidden assumptions create bottlenecks, and how better processes can keep your firm moving when someone is unavailable. In this episode, you will hear: Why key-person dependency can put your law firm at risk How to document processes without overcomplicating them Why unclear delegation creates avoidable mistakes How to define what "done" really means in your firm How better systems improve training, cross-training, and client service ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Sam Price https://atticusadvantage.com/team/sam-price/ Price Law Firm https://pricelawfirm.com/ Previous Episode: How to Fast Track Your Growth with a "Think" Day with Sam Price https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/how-to-fast-track-your-growth-with-a-think-day-with-sam-price/ Sam's Podcast: Probate Notes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/probate-notes-your-guide-to-navigating-california-probate/id1808728561 Book: SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems by David Jenyns https://www.systemology.com/ Book: Systems Champion: Simplify Business Processes, Unlock Team Potential & Achieve True Freedom by David Jenyns https://www.systemology.com/scbook/ Previous Episode with David Jenyns: SYSTEMology for Law Firms: The 7 Steps to a Systems-Driven Firm and the Champion Who Makes It Stick https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/systemology-for-law-firms-david-jenyns/ Recording of the member event with David Jenyns is in your member portal. https://atticusadvantage.mykajabi.com/login Law Firm Coaching https://atticusadvantage.com/coaching/ Loom https://www.loom.com/ Scott Pioli episode: https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/why-work-ethic-isnt-enough-scott-pioli-part-1/ The Summit https://atticussummit.com/ Team Leader Certification Program (Code TLC500 for $500 off) https://atticusadvantage.com/law-firm-team-leader-certification/ ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    The Gallbladder Test: Is Your Law Firm Too Dependent on One Person? with Sam Price
  4. Aug 24

    Shiftward: How Small Changes Create Lasting Change in Your Law Firm with Rich Bracken

    You return from a conference or coaching session with a clear plan for your law firm. Then the emails pile up, a client emergency takes over, your team has questions, and the change that felt so important starts slipping away. Why is it so hard to make meaningful change stick? In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley welcomes Rich Bracken back to share the thinking behind his book, Shiftward: How Small Shifts Create Sustainable Change. Drawing from his own experience with lasting personal transformation, Rich explores why big goals and good intentions are rarely enough to create lasting progress. Steve and Rich dig into what happens when you approach change differently, both for yourself and for the people you lead. If you've ever known exactly what you wanted to change but struggled to make it last, this conversation offers a more sustainable way forward. ____________ In this episode, you will hear: Why lasting change starts with an honest self-assessment How micro goals turn ambition into sustainable progress How to create team buy-in when introducing change Why meaningful accountability requires action How a personal board of directors can keep you moving forward ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Rich Bracken https://www.richbracken.com Shiftward: How Small Shifts Create Sustainable Change by Rich Bracken https://www.richbracken.com/book Episode 183 Why Emotional Intelligence Helps Lawyers Make More Money with Rich Bracken https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/emotional-intelligence-for-lawyers-rich-bracken Men's Health "How This Guy Dropped Over 100 Pounds—And Has Kept It off for 26 Years" https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a64151045/rich-bracken-weight-loss-transformation My Great Life Focus https://mygreatlifefocus.com Law Firm Coaching https://atticusadvantage.com/coaching Workshop: The Path to a Great Practice & Great Life https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life/ The Summit https://atticussummit.com/ ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    Shiftward: How Small Changes Create Lasting Change in Your Law Firm with Rich Bracken
  5. Aug 17

    Build a Million-Follower Legal Brand Without Letting Growth Overwhelm

    You know your clients and referral sources are on social media. You know you should probably be there, too. But what are you supposed to post? How often? And is any of it actually going to bring business into your firm? In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley sits down with attorney Angel Leal, who went from a zero-dollar marketing budget to building an audience of more than one million followers. Angel shares what changed when he stopped trying to sound impressive and started approaching social media differently. Steve and Angel also explore how visibility can become a real law firm marketing strategy without creating another full-time job for an already busy attorney. If social media has always felt awkward, inconsistent, or like one more thing you "should" be doing, Angel's story may change the way you think about showing up online. ___________ In this episode, you will hear: How Angel built more than one million followers. Why consistency matters more than perfect posts. How media interviews build authority and content. When to add a publicist and support team. Why growth requires stronger systems and capacity. ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Angel F. Leal, Jr. P.A. https://www.angelleal.com/en/ Ep 184: From Burnout to Thriving Law Firm: What Angel Leal Did Differently   https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/burnout-to-thriving-law-firm-angel-leal Ep 193: When Success Becomes a Trap for Law Firm Owners with Jennie Bretschneider https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/when-success-becomes-a-trap-for-law-firm-owners-with-jennie-bretschneider/ The Summit https://atticussummit.com The Path to a Great Practice & a Great Life Workshop (discount code: PODCAST500) https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life/ Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup/ Chris Murphy https://atticusadvantage.com/team/chris-murphy Ep. 146: The Client Upgrade System That Changes Everything with Chris Murphy https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/client-upgrade-system  ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    Build a Million-Follower Legal Brand Without Letting Growth Overwhelm
  6. Aug 10

    The $1 Million Delegation Lesson with Craig Goldenfarb

    What would you do if you discovered two trusted executives had allegedly stolen nearly $1 million from your law firm? In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley sits down with attorney Craig Goldenfarb to discuss one of the most challenging moments of his career and the leadership lessons that followed. Rather than retreating into micromanagement, Craig rebuilt his firm with stronger systems, better accountability, and a renewed approach to delegation. This is more than a story about fraud. It's a conversation about trust, leadership, and how to protect your firm without becoming the bottleneck. If you're building a growing law firm and wondering how to delegate with confidence while protecting the business you've worked so hard to create, this episode is one you won't want to miss. In this episode, you will hear: The leadership lessons that emerged from a major breach of trust How to delegate without losing visibility or accountability Financial safeguards every growing law firm should consider The role of systems, vendors, and team oversight Rebuilding trust while continuing to grow ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Craig M. Goldenfarb https://goldlaw.com/about/attorneys/craig-m-goldenfarb GOLDLAW https://goldlaw.com The Secrets to Becoming an 8-Figure Attorney with Craig Goldenfarb https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/the-secrets-to-becoming-an-8-figure-attorney-with-craig-goldenfarb Referral Marketing Secrets to Scale Your Law Firm with Craig Goldenfarb https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/referral-marketing-secrets The Summit https://atticussummit.com Group Coaching https://buildmygreatteam.com Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    The $1 Million Delegation Lesson with Craig Goldenfarb
  7. Aug 3

    How Guilt Is Holding Back Your Law Firm | Jennifer Felten

    Do you ever feel guilty no matter what you choose? You're at work thinking you should be home. You're home thinking about work. You grow your firm, but somehow the success doesn't feel the way you expected it would. Attorney Jennifer Felten knows that feeling well. When Jennifer first joined Atticus, her law firm was struggling. Years later, she has a team of nearly 30 people and has grown her revenue by more than 500%. But one of the biggest breakthroughs she experienced wasn't about marketing, hiring, or systems. It was realizing how much guilt was driving the decisions she made every day. In this conversation, Jennifer and Steve Riley talk about the expectations we put on ourselves, why guilt can quietly limit both your life and your business, and how learning to pause instead of automatically saying "yes" changed the way Jennifer leads her firm. If you've ever ended the day wondering why you still feel behind, even though you've accomplished a lot, this episode will probably feel familiar. ___________ In this episode, you will hear: Why guilt follows so many attorneys, at work and at home How guilt can quietly hold back your firm's growth A different way to think about your calendar and your priorities Why "no" is sometimes the best answer for you and your clients One simple question to ask before saying "yes" ___________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Jennifer Felten, Esq. https://relawapc.com/team/jennifer-felten/ RELAW, APC https://relawapc.com/ Previous Episode: Breaking Into Growth: How We Grew Our Law Firm 400% Over 6 Years and Learned to Take 6 Weeks Off Annually with Jennifer & Fred Felten https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/breaking-into-growth-how-we-grew-our-law-firm-400-over-6-years-and-learned-to-take-6-weeks-off-annually-with-jennifer-fred-felten/ My Great Life Focus https://mygreatlifefocus.com Group Coaching https://buildmygreatteam.com Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup The Great Practice Breakthrough https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-great-practice-breakthrough/ (Code PODCAST100 for $100 off) Atticus Coaching https://atticusadvantage.com/ ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    How Guilt Is Holding Back Your Law Firm | Jennifer Felten
  8. Jul 27

    How Fractional Leadership Helped One Attorney Build a Stronger Law Firm

    Attorney Kent Berk thought he'd reached the other side. His firm was thriving. He'd built a great team. He was finally enjoying the freedom he'd worked years to create. Then, within days, three key employees were gone. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Kent returns to share what happened next. Together, he and Steve Riley unpack the hard lessons that followed, why the setback forced Kent to rethink his role in the firm, and how it ultimately changed the way he leads. This isn't just a conversation about losing employees. It's about what happens when the business you've built suddenly forces you to look at it differently. If you've ever wondered whether you're spending your time on the right things, or what it really takes to build a law firm that lasts, this episode is worth a listen. ___________ In this episode, you will hear: Why losing key employees became the catalyst for building a stronger law firm How fractional leadership can help law firms scale without adding unnecessary overhead The importance of defining your role as the firm owner How KPIs, accountability, and operational leadership work together Why great leaders stop trying to do everything themselves ____________ Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐ If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. ___________ Supporting Resources: Kent Berk https://berklawgroup.com/team/kent-berk/ Berk Law Group https://berklawgroup.com/ Daniel Struna, Esq., Practice Advisor & Attorney https://atticusadvantage.com/team/daniel-struna/ Episode: From Burnout to 200 Days Off: How Kent Berk Rebuilt His Firm to Run Without Him https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/from-burnout-to-200-days-off-kent-berk/ Episode: AI Is Not Your Lawyer: Protecting Client Privilege with Kent Berk https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/ai-is-not-a-lawyer/ Build My Great Team https://buildmygreatteam.com/ DISC Assessment https://atticusadvantage.com/disc-assessment/ Practice Growth Diagnostic https://atticusadvantage.com/practice-growth-diagnostic/ Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup/ The Great Practice Breakthrough https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-great-practice-breakthrough/ (Use code PODCAST100$ for 100$ off) ___________ Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

    How Fractional Leadership Helped One Attorney Build a Stronger Law Firm
5
out of 5
120 Ratings

About

If you're a solo or small law firm owner who feels overworked, time-starved, or stuck at your current level, this podcast is for you. On Great Practice. Great Life.® you will hear from successful firm owners who have increased income, reduced stress, and built profitable, sustainable practices. Hosted by Steve Riley, a former trial attorney and law firm coach for more than 20 years, the show dives into real conversations about law firm growth, leadership, and profitability. You will learn how to grow a firm that runs smoothly, from marketing and hiring to operations and culture, so you are not the bottleneck in your own business. Each episode delivers practical, lawyer-specific strategies you can use right away to improve your law practice management, boost firm performance, and create more time for the life you actually want. Follow the show and start building your own great practice and great life. Popular topics include: * Attorney success & personal growth * How to grow a law firm sustainably * Law firm business strategy & leadership * Law firm culture, hiring, and team development * Law firm management, operations, and workflow design * Law firm marketing & client experience * Law firm profitability & financial performance * Attorney work life balance

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