The BD Catalyst

Kristo Sween, BD Coach, Trainer and CGO at Lawyer BookBuilder

5.0 (2)
MARKETING

A podcast for law firm business development and marketing changemakers.

5D AGO

Emmad Awaad, MBA, Business Development Associate at Bodmin PLC

BD Catalyst host Kristo Sween sits down with Emmad Awaad, MBA, Business Development Associate at Bodman PLC, for a conversation about what it really takes to build a culture of business development inside a law firm. Emmad shares how leaning into an attorney's passions can unlock unexpected BD wins. From the simple but powerful act of picking up the phone to rekindle dormant client relationships, to the mindset shift he instills in associates that BD starts on day one, Emmad shares his practical, human-centered business development approach that law firm BDM pros can put to work immediately.

28 min
MAY 7

Adam Brown, Director of Marketing at FMJ

In this episode of The BD Catalyst, Kristo sits down with Adam Brown, Director of Marketing at Fafinski Mark & Johnson, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to help lawyers grow their practices. Adam draws on his background as a practicing attorney, a professional development leader and a legal marketing director, including his work teaching law students, to share what works and what doesn't when it comes to building a business development culture inside a law firm. Kristo and Adam dig into why individualized BD plans lead to better results, how marketing and business development professionals can show up as confident, valued partners, and how the non-billable nature of the marketing and BD role is actually a strategic advantage when it comes to collaborating with lawyers in meaningful ways. LMA Members, here's a link to the Associate Business Development Training webinar referenced in the episode. https://www.legalmarketing.org/Purchase/associate-business-development-programs-a-practical-approach-for-small-teams-with-limited-resources-mch Kristo and Adam were on a panel with law firm BDM leader Susan Slifer.

25 min
APR 30

Ralph Cooper, Jr., BD Manager at Benesch

Today I sit down with Ralph Cooper, Jr., Business Development Manager at Benesch in Chicago. Ralph shares success stories and insights he brings to coaching lawyers from his experience as an athlete and coach of youth sports.

14 min

3 Episodes

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

A podcast for law firm business development and marketing changemakers.

Creator

Kristo Sween, BD Coach, Trainer and CGO at Lawyer BookBuilder
Years Active

2K
Episodes

3
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 David Freeman Consulting Group