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"That's the way we've always done it" might be the most expensive phrase in your practice, even when you never say it out loud. Susan Guthrie explores the practice rules professionals follow without ever consciously choosing them, from availability and referrals to pricing, customization, and the very definition of success.
The last two episodes of The Practice Playbook Podcast explored whether your practice is working for everyone but you and what your calendar reveals about your business model. This week, Susan goes one layer deeper into the patterns shaping practices that were never consciously chosen, but simply inherited.
Using a relatable (and timely) suitcase story as the through line, Susan walks through five areas where inherited rules quietly take over: availability, referrals, pricing, customization, and success. The message isn't that inherited rules are wrong. It's that they deserve to be examined, kept, revised, or released, so the practice you're building is the one you actually intended.
What You'll Learn
- How invisible rules decide what you say yes to, what you charge, and how available you feel you have to be
- Why constant availability isn't the same thing as excellent client service
- How a referral-based practice can quietly shift from intentional to passive
- Why most pricing decisions are inherited rules dressed up as choices
- The difference between client-centered service and over-customization that exhausts you
- Why your definition of success may belong to someone else's practice, not yours
- A simple one-sentence exercise to start identifying your own inherited rules
Free Episode Companion Resource:
This week's companion resource will help you work through all five areas from this episode: availability, referral sources, pricing, customization, and success and identify the inherited rules behind each one.
Download the worksheet at susaneguthrie.com/podcasts
Join The Practice AcceleratorSusan's Practice Accelerator is now open as a monthly membership subscription! Designed for professionals who want more than just ideas, the Accelerator delivers structure, strategy, accountability, and a community of forward-thinking professionals who are serious about building sustainable, successful practices.
If you have ever wondered if you would benefit from professional coaching, this is your opportunity to test the waters with Susan at an accessible price point.
Members receive:
One monthly live Implementation Hour webinar with Susan in her signature practical and easily implemented insights and strategies for building your practice.
Two live monthly group Practice Lab sessions with Susan. A place to bring your questions to receive expert advice and insights from colleagues on the same journey.
Bi-Weekly Premium Resource that accompanies the latest Practice Playbook Podcast episode that supports you in implementing the golden nuggets in the episode.
And much more for only $99/month. Use code "PPP" for $10 off your monthly subscription!
Visit https://susaneguthrie.com/accelerator to join now.
Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan GuthrieSusan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices.
Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following.
As Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world.
Connect with Susan E. Guthrie
Website: https://susaneguthrie.com
Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books
Practice Playbook Series: https://intentionalpracticedesign.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie
Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices.
And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.
