4. Alexander Shunnarah — The Thin Line Between Success and Failure

The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

Michael Mogill

Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Business

5.0 • 540 Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2020

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"I can't imagine someone else being the most recognizable person or the number one law firm in Alabama. Not on my watch." -Alexander Shunnarah How did a personal injury lawyer become the best-known face in all of Alabama? What can football coach Nick Saban teach us about law firm leadership? And why does Alexander Shunnarah play the legal marketing long game? The Attorney That Launched 1,000 Memes Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Alexander Shunnarah has become one of the most recognizable faces in the state and beyond thanks to his billboards — two thousand of them and counting — and his slogan: “Call me, Alabama.” Shunnarah’s billboards have become so popular they've spawned thousands of memes and even Facebook fan pages. In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Alex discusses what he does to keep his fingers on the pulse of his business and why he's always ready to adapt and improve his marketing strategy. Calculated Risk And Reinvestment Many law firm owners must play a balancing act between profit and reinvestment — a difficult task that can be exacerbated by fluctuations of the stock market and the local business competition they come up against. Alexander Shunnarah brings us his wisdom on how to take calculated risks and when it's time go all-in on legal advertising. Plus, we discuss how a little bit of fear can be the ideal driving force to elevate an attorney in a crowded market like personal injury law. Fishing For Marlins The one thing that has set Alexander Shunnarah apart is his insatiable and uncompromising business attitude. He believes in constant self-reflection, which drives him to be a better CEO and leader. While the competition is sleeping, Alexander Shunnarah is driving change in his firm through the early hours of the morning. And while some lawyers take vacations, Alexander Shunnarah goes fishing for marlins... Key takeaways: Despite being a billboard marketing guru, Alexander Shunnarah is also a fierce advocate for digital marketing in the legal space. But just how does the modern law firm balance their monetary efforts? Alex demonstrates that by understanding that brand is king, firms can optimize their strategies to present one coherent vision. Alex is the kind of law firm leader that still shows up to the office early every morning. He talks to us about making space within a business for teaching and learning moments. Plus, we uncover his methods to drive employee engagement by setting a consistently high standard of duty and responsibility throughout his firm. It's notoriously difficult to follow where a lead has come from, particularly for services with limited or one-time buying cycles. Alex gives us his thoughts on why personal injury firms need to take inspiration from Coca Cola and Ferrari — and how investment into brand equity can pay off in the long run. Links & Resources The Game Changing Attorney Podcast Michael Mogill Twitter Michael Mogill Facebook Michael Mogill LinkedIn Crisp Video Website Crisp Video Group Twitter Crisp Video LinkedIn Alex Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys Alex Shunnarah LinkedIn

Transcript

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0:00.0	You know, when I got to law school, you know, I wanted my grades to be as good as anybody else's grades.
0:07.0	And then when I got in the personal injury space, and maybe this is funny, but I can't imagine someone else being the most recognizable person or the number one law firm in Alabama.
0:17.6	You know, those are not on my watch.
0:19.8	That's Alexander Shinarara, founder and president
0:22.0	of Alexander Shinarra personal injury attorneys. And I joke around that if I ever drive in Alabama
0:27.3	and somebody has a larger law firm or is more popular than I am or more branded or I'm just going to jump
0:33.6	off a bridge because, you know, that's funny, but there's no meaning for me anymore.
0:38.5	Because it's just who I am and it's just what I do. And the climb is fun. But staying on top is
0:43.1	actually harder than actually the climb itself. And I'm not looking for credit. Maybe I shouldn't
0:48.1	even say this. I think I was the person who actually started the whole phenomena of lawyers
0:53.1	getting massive amounts of billboards.
0:55.5	And so I feel like they've all emulated me.
0:58.5	I can name 10 lawyers in 10 cities who went and did the same thing that I did.
1:03.4	Alex was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama,
1:05.8	and has become one of the most recognizable faces in the state of Alabama and beyond,
1:10.3	thanks to his billboards,
1:11.5	over 2,000 of them and counting and his now iconic slogan, Call Me Alabama. As far as law firm
1:17.9	goes, Alex's firm is a powerful example. You know, now he's got over 70 attorneys and 17
1:23.7	offices in the southeast, and they try cases in every single state in America.
1:28.8	For this episode, I sat down with Alex to talk about the thin line between success and failure,
1:33.9	and what grit and determination look like when you're on top of your game.
1:37.5	There have been times where I have driven the people's homes at 2 a.m., 3 a.m.
	...

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