The BD Catalyst

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

5.0 (3)
Marketing

A podcast for law firm business development and marketing changemakers.

4d ago

Laura Gutierrez, Director of Referral Partnerships at JD Supra

In Episode 9 of The BD Catalyst, Kristo sits down with Laura Gutierrez, Director of Referral Partnerships at JD Supra, for a conversation about what it's like to grow up inside law firms, literally. Laura's mother worked at a Minneapolis firm for thirty years, and Laura was in the office by age eight, long before she ever considered a career in legal marketing. Laura shares the moment that changed everything, when she saw the data behind a piece of content for the first time and realized the potential when marketing and intelligence work together. She also makes a sharp case for where AI fits in a writer's process and where it doesn't, arguing that when everyone uses the same tools the same way, you just get an average, not the unique voice that actually builds a book of business.

22 min
Jun 18

Amanda Bekric, MBA, Marketing Manager at Dady & Gardner, P.A.

In this episode of the BD Catalyst, Kristo sits down with Amanda Bekric, MBA, Marketing Manager at Dady & Gardner, P.A., for a conversation about the "old-fashioned" secret sauce behind her firm's success: genuine, deeply human relationships built on trust and authenticity, in a national franchise law practice. Amanda shares how she channels David Kelly's "fail faster, succeed sooner" ethos in her own approach with attorneys by encouraging them to show up authentically, embrace the occasional fumble, recover quickly and let real human connection be what actually wins clients. The result is a firm culture where what clients hear on the phone, see online, and experience in the room are all exactly the same. And that consistency is a metric that truly predicts decades of client retention.

23 min
Jun 11

Lisa Jones, Senior Practice Development Manager at Miller & Martin

This week on the BD Catalyst, Kristo sits down with Lisa Jones, Senior Practice Development Manager at Miller & Martin, for a practical, grounded conversation about what it actually looks like to move the needle on business development inside a law firm, sometimes one attorney at a time. Lisa shares how pairing consistent coaching with real accountability has helped one of her attorneys go from casting a wide net to building genuine, results-producing relationships over the course of three years. Lisa also talks about why BD professionals who stay close to the process, not just the outcome, make all the difference. Her closing thought is the one that sticks: many of the successes in her career aren't hers alone. They belong to the attorneys she's coached, trained and mentored.

31 min
Jun 4

Kaley Green, Director of Business Development at Fogler, Rubinoff LLC

In Episode 6 of The BD Catalyst podcast, Kristo sits down with Kaley Green, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Fogler, Rubinoff LLP, for a conversation that ranges from what it takes to build and inspire BD culture at a regional mid-market firm, to what happens when two law firm BDM professionals (who also happen to be Irish dance parents) walk into a podcast. Kaley shares a robust collection of parallels between competitive Irish dancing and lawyer business development. From the power of a first impression to making the case that the same discipline, resilience, and repetition that brings wins in the competition hall is exactly what delivers success in client loyalty and business development.

33 min
May 28

Eldin Johnston, Marketing Director at Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC

In this episode Kristo sits down with Eldin Johnston, Marketing Director at Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC for a candid and moving conversation about authenticity in all relationships. We discuss music, motorcycles and those famous gold shoes from LMA 2026. Eldin shares his coaching philosophy of "freeing people up" by replacing the guilt of missed assignments with open-ended brainstorming that consistently unlocks new ideas. In a world where AI is pulling people further from authentic human connection, Eldin makes a compelling case that the lawyers who will win are the ones who do what most people won't: ask a simple question, listen to the answer, and let the conversation go wherever it goes.

29 min
May 21

Thomas Keller, Business Development Director at Kerr Russell

In this episode of The BD Catalyst, host Kristo Sween sits down with Thomas Keller, Business Development Director at Kerr Russell, for a wide-ranging conversation about the overlap between improv comedy and the art of attorney business development coaching and opportunity spotting. Tom reveals how he spent years quietly using improv as a "secret ninja skill" in his legal marketing career. From using a reporter's mindset and the power of intentionality to unearth hidden opportunities with attorneys, to the firm conviction that in-person connection is irreplaceable for building the kind of trust that actually moves the needle on business development, Tom provides practical wisdom and a few laughs along the way.

40 min
May 14

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

9 Episodes

5

out of 5

3 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

9
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 David Freeman Consulting Group