Five hundred episodes ago, I started this podcast for one reason: I wanted the conversations I couldn’t get anywhere else.
The conversations where people who have built something, won something, or come back from something tell you how they actually did it. Not the sanitized version. The real one.
Five hundred episodes later, we’ve had those conversations with Navy SEALs, Shark Tank investors, trial lawyers with billion-dollar verdicts, the performance coach behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, the founder of the largest personal injury law firm in America, a former Google executive, and the CEO of AG1.
Episode 500 brings together 20 of the most extraordinary guests we’ve featured. It is packed with billion-dollar verdicts, battle-tested business strategies, and the game changing moments that separate the extraordinary from the average.
If you’ve never listened to The Game Changing Attorney Podcast before, start here. This is the highlight reel: the moments, lessons, and stories that hit hardest. If even one changes how you think about your life, your firm, or the game you’re playing, that’s a win.
Here’s what you’ll learn from each guest and where to go next if you want more.
How to Know When to Walk Away With John Morgan (Episode 320)
“When I looked straight ahead at that firm, I didn’t see opportunity. I saw a dead end. And so what I would tell everybody here today, and you know if it’s a dead end. We all know. Sometimes we don’t want to admit it. But if it’s a dead end, you need to go left, or you go right. But if you go straight, you’re going nowhere fast.” —John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan
Refuse to settle.
To kick off this milestone episode, we sit down with John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, the largest personal injury law firm in the U.S. John was actually our first-ever guest on this show, and he came back for a live keynote at the 2024 Game Changers Summit that hit different. His story is a masterclass in knowing your worth and refusing to settle.
He built the machine that lets great lawyers win at scale. And it all started at a fork in the road.
Inside the Historic $4.9 Billion GM Verdict With Brian Panish (Episode 69)
“Twenty-two years ago last Friday… the jury comes back with this $4.9 billion verdict. I wasn’t that shocked, I must say. But then the media just took off… CNN had a headline news show. Every 15 minutes, all you would see was me with this young poor African-American girl that her arm burned off and her face just repeating, and me saying things, you know, like we caught red-handed, and profits over people.” —Brian Panish, accomplished trial lawyer
The verdict was one day. The work was the whole career.
This trial lawyer was behind the historic $4.9 billion verdict against General Motors. He’s spent decades proving that preparation and conviction can take down even the biggest opponents. He discusses what actually separates the great trial lawyers from everyone else.
Brian walks us through what that day was actually like, and why the number one thing in any firm is culture, just like a locker room. Great trial lawyers aren’t always great business people, and he explains exactly why that matters.
The Power of Brutal Honesty With Nick Rowley (Episode 114)
“I have this rule that if something goes bad, if you find a way to accept full responsibility for it, even if your role is only 1%, which is tough to do sometimes, that is what’s going to move you forward. That’s going to make you better.” —Nick Rowley, accomplished trial attorney
If something goes bad, accept responsibility.
Where Brian wins with surgical precision, our next guest wins with raw emotional conviction. Nick Rowley is a legendary trial attorney known for his deeply personal approach and for being completely transparent about both his wins and his losses.
Nick shares why brutal honesty in the courtroom builds instant trust with a jury: when you give people permission to be honest, you’re telling them you trust them, and that alone forms a connection. He also explains why owning your failures (even a fraction of them) is how you get better.
Winning the Court of Law and the Court of Public Opinion With Camille Vasquez (Episode 137)
“The cross-examination of Amber Heard was something that I will never forget. But I do watch sometimes clips of it, and I’m like, is that me? I think that as trial lawyers, we go into a zone. And it’s a dance. It’s about active listening.” —Camille Vasquez, attorney for the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard case
Trial is a dance, and the best listeners lead.
Camille became a household name as a member of Johnny Depp’s legal team in his defamation trial against Amber Heard. My wife Jessica sat down with Camille for a fireside chat at our 2022 Game Changers Summit and asked her about her rapid rise.
Camille reveals why being authentic is the single quality that judges and juries can spot immediately, and why cross-examination is a dance built on active listening. Her advice to young lawyers who want the high-profile cases: network in the areas that interest you, and work hard enough that the right people notice you.
People, Process, Product: The 3 Pillars of Every Great Business With Marcus Lemonis (Episode 55)
“I think the recognition of my mistakes was probably the most important thing to push the business forward. And I think a lot of leaders are often hesitant to take the full brunt of a mistake squarely on your forehead or squarely on your chest.” —Marcus Lemonis, host of The Profit
Own your mistakes out loud, or repeat them quietly.
The host of The Profit and former CEO of Camping World explains why the principles that run a $7 billion business are the same ones that run a coffee shop.
He discusses why smaller firms too often use size as an excuse, and gets brutally honest about why leaders have to own their mistakes squarely, even when they know the acknowledgment will get thrown back in their face.
The Hotshot Rule With Kat Cole (Episode 388)
“Every Sunday, I lose track of how many years. 17, 18, something like that, that I’ve been practicing the hotshot rule… I envision someone I admire, could be anyone. And then I ask myself, I envision you taking over my job. I’m just gone. What’s one thing you’d do immediately?” —Kat Cole, CEO of AG1
Imagine someone better is taking your job.
The CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) went from Hooters hostess at 17 to VP at 26 to president of Cinnabon to one of the most talked-about brands in health and wellness.
Kat shares the hotshot rule she’s practiced every Sunday for 17 or 18 years: envision someone you admire taking over your job, and ask yourself what one thing they’d do immediately. She also explains her framework for knowing when to leave a role: ask whether your work is done there, and whether someone else could do a better job at what’s needed next.
How to Buy Back Your Time and Build a Business You Don’t Grow to Hate With Dan Martell (Episode 187)
“Most people, when they hire individuals to help them in their business, they do it to add capacity to their business… The challenge with that is you could hire people to add your capacity, but it actually doesn’t make your life better. And if anything, it adds complexity.” —Dan Martell, author of “Buy Back Your Time”
Hire for your calendar, not your capacity.
The entrepreneur behind Buy Back Your Time discusses how most people are hiring wrong by adding capacity when they should be buying back their time. Adding capacity often means more people and more to manage.
Dan walks through the replacement ladder, the calendar over capacity concept, and why 80% done by someone else is 100% awesome.
What Kevin O’Leary Looks for Before He Invests (Episode 113)
“You know that old adage, you want something done, give it to a busy mother. And that is basically what I think women are very good at. They mitigate risk. They manage, they can juggle a lot of things at once. So I’m very biased now. I do a lot of deals. I find a lot of women entrepreneurs because the outcomes are extraordinary.” —Kevin O’Leary, investor on Shark Tank
Great ideas are everywhere. Great execution is rare.
Mr. Wonderful has invested in hundreds of companies, seen thousands of pitches, and has a reputation for being one of the most brutally honest voices in business.
Kevin explains why he looks for entrepreneurs who can adapt when their original plans fall apart. An idea alone is not enough. The founder must have the execution skills to turn it into a successful business.
He also shares what years of investment data taught him about women-led companies. While male founders in his portfolio set average growth targets of 30% and hit them 65% of the time, women founders targeted 15% growth and delivered 95% of the time. That consistency helped them retain their teams, reduce disruption, and ultimately produce stronger outcomes.
How to Stand Up to Bullying and Bias at Work With Kim Scott (Episode 162)
“There is a moment, I think, in almost every team’s history where the assholes begin to win. And that is the moment when the culture begins to lose.” —Kim Scott, former Google executive
There’s a moment in almost every team’s history where bullying begins to win.
The former Google executive and author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect gives you the exact frameworks for disambiguating bias, prejudice, and bullying, and the specific “I” statements, “it” statements, and “you” statements you need for each.
Kim also shares the three layers of consequences leaders need to shut down bullying: conversational consequences (shut it down in the moment), compensation consequences (bad ratings and no bonuses), and career consequences (no promotions). She also discusses how one colleague simply saying “let’s switch seats” completely changed the dynamic in a biased room.
Why Leadership Is a Verb, Not a Title With John Maxwell (Episode 62)
“I define leadership as influence. Nothing more, nothing less. Too many people think leadership is a noun, and it’s not. It’s a verb.” —John Maxwell, leadership expert
Leadership is a verb, not a noun.
The world’s most influential leadership expert defines leadership in one word: influence.
John shares the three things that separate the top 2% from the top 20%: talent, humility, and intentional personal growth. He also chats about why he doesn’t consider what he does discipline. He calls it anticipation.
If you’re a leader who thinks you’ve been there and done that, this episode is a wake-up call.
How to Turn Obstacles Into Fuel With Ryan Holiday (Episode 53)
“The critical question for the Stoics is, is this up to me? So on a book project, I don’t spend much time thinking about the bestseller list. I don’t even think that much about the sales. I’m going to write the best book it’s possible for me to write… but then I understand that the result is not up to me.” —Ryan Holiday, author and expert on Stoicism
Perception is the first discipline.
Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, has become the most prominent modern voice on Stoic philosophy, helping millions apply ancient wisdom to modern life and business.
He breaks down the Stoics’ dichotomy of control as a resource allocation issue: every energy point you spend wishing things were otherwise is not being spent on what’s in front of you. He also makes the case that the core of stoicism isn’t toxic positivity, but unflinching acceptance of the situation combined with the resolve to be profoundly better for having survived it.
How to Master Persuasion With Robert Greene (Episode 128)
“The key to persuasion is not about yourself. It’s not about your brilliant ideas. It’s not about your ego. It’s in thinking very deeply about other people. That is the key to persuasion. And if you learned that one key, if you develop it and you use it, then the world will open up to you.” —Robert Greene, author of “The 48 Laws of Power”
Persuasion starts when you stop making it about yourself.
The author of The 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War challenges the way most people approach persuasion. Instead of focusing on your ideas, your message, or what you want, Greene argues that you have to understand the person in front of you: what motivates them, what they need, and what they may be resisting.
He also explains why meaningful self-improvement begins with honest introspection. You have to put your ego aside, confront the parts of yourself you would rather avoid, and accept that you may not understand yourself as well as you think. Without that honesty, even the best self-improvement framework will only take you so far.
Why Wealth Never Feels Like Enough With Morgan Housel (Episode 285)
“There is no such thing as an objective measure of wealth. There’s no such thing as once you have X dollars, then you’re wealthy. That has never and will never be the case.” —Morgan Housel, author of “The Psychology of Money”
Wealth is not a number. It is a comparison.
The author of The Psychology of Money explains why financial success rarely feels like enough. Wealth is always measured relative to someone else, so every milestone creates a new comparison and pushes the goalposts even further away.
Morgan also challenges the way we view highly successful people. People like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffett may appear to have everything, but extreme achievement is often fueled by relentless anxiety and dissatisfaction. What looks enviable from the outside is rarely the full picture, and the people who attract the most attention are not necessarily the ones living the happiest lives.
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market With Jesse Cole (Episode 108)
“We shouldn’t exist. I mean, you can’t name any of our players. We have no advertisements at our ballpark. We’re playing in a 1920 stadium… but we’ve created our fandom by putting fans at the center of everything we do.” —Jesse Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas
Whatever is normal, do the exact opposite.
The founder and owner of the Savannah Bananas, the most viral baseball team in history, explains how to build fanatical loyalty. Jesse’s mantra: before every decision, ask what the fans would want, and take radical action on the answer, even if it means absorbing hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to eliminate hidden fees. Plus, he reveals why the real key to buy-in isn’t telling people how you do things: it’s stories.
How to Turn Your Past Failures Into Your Biggest Advantage With Andy Glaze (Episode 455)
“Everybody DNFs. So everybody, you know, and people really beat themselves up when they don’t finish. But I probably have 15 like races where I didn’t finish and I probably failed a ton too.” —Andy Glaze, ultrarunner, firefighter, and author
Everybody DNFs.
Andy Glaze, one of the most well-known ultrarunners in the world and author of Smile, or You’re Doing it Wrong, went from battling addiction to running some of the toughest races on the planet.
Andy makes the case that it’s okay to fail publicly, and that showing your failures alongside your wins normalizes the experience for everyone watching. He also shares why smiling through pain literally changes your brain chemistry from negative to positive, and can shift the room around you when you spread it.
The Health Metrics That Actually Predict Performance With Dr. Kristen Holmes (Episode 461)
“The path is seen to be very clear. The same rocks that move around elite performance for LeBron James are the same rocks that move around your performance and my performance.” —Dr. Kristen Holmes, WHOOP’s Global Head of Human Performance
Performance is constrained by capacity.
WHOOP‘s Global Head of Human Performance explains why sleep-wake consistency is a better predictor of all-cause mortality than sleep duration and breaks down what the 65,000-person UK Biobank study revealed.
She also discusses a 5-year study that found availability to train and compete, not talent, explained 86% of successful individual and team seasons. If you want to build greater capacity for yourself and your team, start by protecting your ability to perform consistently.
The Mindset Behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant with Tim Grover (Episode 71)
“You don’t find balance. You create it.” —Tim Grover, performance coach
Winning demands more than most people are willing to give.
Tim Grover is the legendary performance coach behind Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. He did not just train champions. He helped forge the mentality that allowed them to win repeatedly.
Tim explains that people who have truly competed at the highest level describe winning differently. It is not simply joyous or euphoric. It is hard, nasty, uncivilized, and unapologetic because of what it demands from you.
He also challenges the conventional advice about finding balance. Balance has to be created by eliminating the habits, distractions, and relationships that no longer serve you. And many people who preach balance today first endured years of imbalance to earn it.
What It Actually Takes to Build From Zero With Alex Hormozi (Episode 158)
“The only way to do really big things is to think on a much longer time horizon.” —Alex Hormozi, founder of Acquisition.com
Show me your calendar, and I’ll show you your ceiling.
Alex Hormozi, founder of Acquisition.com, explains why “follow your passion” is bad advice for new entrepreneurs (everything sucks when you’re starting out) and why pain, anger, and shame are just as legitimate as fuel.
He also breaks down two revealing signs of an entrepreneur’s potential: the time horizon they think in and how they allocate their most limited resource. Your calendar is the balance sheet of your time. If you are working all day but still struggling to grow, the problem may not be how hard you work. It may be what you are working on.
How to Scale a Business to Nine Figures with Verne Harnish (Episode 370)
“Aggressive, ambitious goals actually drive energy.” —Verne Harnish, author of “Scaling Up”
Ambitious goals don’t drain energy. They create it.
Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up and founder of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, breaks down what separates companies that plateau from companies that grow to nine figures.
He also shares his concept of “founder mode,” why the soul of a business is the one thing you can never delegate, and why your weaknesses become the company’s weaknesses in the beginning. As the company grows, however, your greatest strength can eventually become the very thing holding it back.
How to Turn Hate Into Fuel With David Goggins (Episode 141)
“You’ll never meet a hater doing better than you, my friend. And that is the truth.” —David Goggins, former Navy SEAL, ultrarunner, and author of “Can’t Hurt Me” and “Never Finished”
The hate is free fuel. Use it.
To close out this 500th episode, we’re joined by David Goggins, whose transformation from an abused, overweight young man into one of the most mentally tough people alive has inspired millions.
Goggins defines what it means to “take souls”: thriving in a situation where most people would be defeated and using your performance to elevate everyone around you.
He also explains why successful people do not waste their energy tearing others down. Instead of allowing critics to distract him, Goggins turns their words into fuel and uses them as motivation to work even harder.
Start Here. Then Keep Going.
That’s just a taste of what 500 episodes have produced.
If you found this episode valuable, here are three free ways I can help you grow your law firm:
- Download the first chapter of my book at gamechangingattorney.com
- Shoot me a text at 404-531-7691 and I’ll answer any question you’ve got for me
- Leave this podcast a 5-star review so we can gain access to more influential thought leaders and bring their lessons learned to you
Real people. Real stories. Real lessons. No fluff. No filler. Just what actually works.
Here’s to the next 500.
Michael Mogill
