#111: Laura Wester, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Scaled to $82K Months with Paid Ads

Summary

Win With Paid Ads Episode #111: Laura Wester, Criminal Defense Lawyer, Scaled to $82K Months with Paid Ads
Host: Ashley Brock
Guest: Laura Wester
Date: March 19, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ashley Brock welcomes criminal defense attorney Laura Wester to discuss her journey with paid advertising. Laura shares how learning and implementing paid ads transformed her law practice, growing it to an $82,000 revenue month and allowing her to become more selective with her clients. The conversation is a candid look at the challenges, breakthroughs, and mindsets required to win with paid ads—especially for professionals starting from zero advertising knowledge.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Laura’s Background and Journey Into Paid Ads

• Laura’s Practice (00:52–01:31):
  Laura introduces herself as a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta, focusing on DUIs, serious traffic offenses, protective orders, and driver’s license issues.

• Years of Practice (01:40):
  Practicing law for 14 years, since 2011.

• Pride in Sticking With Ads (01:52–02:48):
  Laura’s proudest recent achievement is persevering through the challenge of learning paid ads despite frustration and a steep learning curve.

  • Notable Quote:
    “There were definitely nights and days that I was super frustrated...but just keeping at it and continuing to...rewatching the videos over and over and over again...” – Laura (01:52)

How Laura Found Ashley & Made the Leap

• Initial Connection and Retargeting (03:15–04:44):
  Laura first saw Ashley at the Sales Girl Summit (2024), but it was Ashley’s persistent retargeting ads on Instagram that got her attention.

  • Notable Insight (04:44):
    “You can do such a great job of being the person someone finds, but if you’re not the one that is also most top of mind, then they may not choose you.” – Ashley

• Entry into Paid Ads (05:19–05:42):
  Laura bought into Ashley’s challenge for $97 after seeing a retargeted ad, admitting “that just totally reshaped my brain.” (05:22)

The "Accidental" Test Ad That Took Off

• The Test Campaign Story (06:10–07:36):
  Laura set up a “test” Google ad following Ashley’s instructions but forgot to pause it. Leads started pouring in, surprising her as she didn't even realize the ad was live.

  • Memorable Moment/Quote:
    “I got some wonderful, wonderful clients from that ad that I didn’t even know I was running.” – Laura (07:30)

• Impact: Surge in Clients and Revenue (07:50–10:01):
  That month, Laura’s firm brought in $82K, forcing her to hire an answering service due to call volume—all from a campaign that wasn’t perfectly set up.

  • “That month was an $82,000 month.” – Laura (09:59)

• Key Takeaway (08:22, 09:02):
  Even a "C-grade" ad campaign, done 75% right, can yield results if you’re findable by the right local audience.

Learning Curve, Mindset, and Delegation

• Facing the Learning Challenge (10:43–12:22):
  Laura had no initial technical hesitation, but reality was hard. She stressed that learning a “totally new language” was the toughest part.

  • “The ad part wasn’t challenging. It was just the...tech stuff that I didn’t have a background in.” – Laura (11:47)

• What to Learn and What to Delegate (12:29–13:19):
  Laura learned to differentiate between tasks she wanted to master (ads and strategy) and those she preferred to outsource (design, tech setup).

  • “It’s never not learning ads. Like, I never think, oh, I’m going to outsource ads to somebody else.” – Laura (13:06)

• New Tools for Implementation (13:45–14:40): Ashley briefly previews upcoming creative and tracking bonuses/resources in their learning program, designed to help people like Laura overcome their pain points.

• Investing in Yourself (15:03–15:24):
  Laura compares mastering ads to earning a new degree and celebrates the independence it gives her going forward.

• Delegation and Smart Growth (15:35–18:18):
  The hosts discuss the value of handing off creative/technical tasks while mastering core skills like strategy and ad setup.

  • “This other little thing takes up too much time...that is not my strong point.” – Laura (18:08)

Business Transformation and Empowerment

• Freedom to Be Selective (18:28–20:22):
  With a strong pipeline from ads, Laura now chooses cases and clients that suit her, no longer relying on less-than-ideal referral work.

  • Notable Quote (19:11):
    “This is so nice, because I don’t have to take what comes in the door. Like, I can be more selective about the cases that I want to do.” – Laura

• Improved Client Fit and Boundaries (21:29–25:47):
  Both hosts share stories of learning to say no, set high standards for clients (or mastermind participants), and protect their energy and reputations.

• Authenticity & Reputation (24:54–25:55): “I don’t ever want to promise a client something that I cannot deliver to them because that doesn’t, that doesn’t help me and it doesn’t help them.” – Laura

Community, Growth, and Final Encouragement

• Community Connections (26:41–27:45):
  Laura has found genuine business friendships and peer support as an unexpected benefit from learning ads within a community. Example: brainstorming VIP days with a fellow mastermind member caused a major website shift.

• Advice to Listeners on Advertising (28:09–28:48):
  Notable Quote:
  “Should I advertise my business? Like, the answer is obviously yes. You know, if you don’t advertise your business, like, what are you doing?” – Laura (28:09)

• Signature Takeaway—Best Advertiser Wins (28:40):
  Ashley reaffirms, “It’s not the best entrepreneur...the best advertiser wins,” highlighting the simple but profound power of visibility and messaging.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There were definitely nights and days that I was super frustrated…But just keeping at it and continuing to...rewatching the videos over and over again…”
  — Laura (01:52)

• “You can do such a great job of being the person someone finds, but if you’re not the one that is also most top of mind, then they may not choose you.”
  — Ashley (04:44)

• “I got some wonderful, wonderful clients from that ad that I didn’t even know I was running.”
  — Laura (07:30)

• “That month was an $82,000 month.”
  — Laura (09:59)

• “Should I advertise my business? …If you don’t advertise your business, like, what are you doing?”
  — Laura (28:09)

• “It’s not the best entrepreneur, business owner doesn’t win. The best advertiser wins.”
  — Ashley (28:40)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:52–01:31: Laura introduces her practice, niche, and services
• 03:15–04:44: How Laura first encountered Ashley’s ads and the power of retargeting
• 06:10–07:36: The accidental test ad, its results, and client stories
• 09:57–10:01: Revenue breakthrough – $82K month
• 12:04–13:19: What Laura chose to learn deeply vs. what she plans to delegate
• 18:41–20:22: How ads created client selectivity and business peace of mind
• 21:29–25:55: Lessons in setting boundaries with client fit and business standards
• 28:09–28:48: Final advice: Every business should advertise
• 28:40: “The best advertiser wins” takeaway

---

Summary & Key Takeaways

This episode delivers an inspirational (and practical) playbook for any local service provider or entrepreneur considering paid ads but daunted by digital marketing. Laura Wester’s "start from zero" honesty, her accidental breakthrough moment, and her commitment to lifelong learning exemplify the resilience needed to succeed with advertising. The hosts repeatedly reinforce that even imperfect actions can have outsized returns—and that the true power in advertising is access: being easy to find, at the right time, by the right people.

Ashley and Laura’s candid dialogue is a powerful blueprint for business owners contemplating taking control of their own marketing, confronting challenges, and moving forward even when the tech or creative elements feel overwhelming. Ultimately, the message is simple but clear: visibility through paid ads is a business superpower—one worth learning for anyone ready to grow and serve on their own terms.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Win with Paid Ads podcast for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and really anyone who has anything you want more people to find. Whether you're starting from ground zero or scaling an eight figure business, you are exactly who this podcast was created for. Because you being the best kept secret helps no one. Right? That's why in every episode, I'll show you how you can use paid ads to hit your goals 10 times sooner. It's time you finally learn how to win with paid ads. You or someone on your team can do this. I'll show you how to score and be known by more.

[B]

Let's get started.

[A]

Today you're gonna get to meet someone who I have just grown to love because we found each other from an ad. We've gotten to work together, and I'm so impressed by her. She's a criminal defense attorney here in the Atlanta area. Her name is Laura Wester, owner of Laura Wester Law. And I'm so excited that you're here today. Tell everybody about your history and your business and who you are.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for the invitation to come on this wonderful. I'm so pumped. My name is Laura Wester. I am a criminal defense attorney. I do criminal def. I do serious traffic, which most people don't know what that means. What that means is any. Any type of dui, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, anything that's a serious traffic issue. That's what I do. I also do a ton of protective orders and driver's license issues, so I'll do driver's license investigations. And a lot of people have their license suspended for various reasons and they don't know why, so. So I do that. So.

[A]

So if you're having that problem, you know who to contact. We will link to Laura below this video.

[B]

Exactly. And I can help.

[A]

Yeah. That's awesome. Okay. So how long have you been practicing law?

[B]

14 years.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

14 years.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

2011.

[A]

All right, Laura, so of everything in the last year that you've accomplished, what's one thing that you're like? Man, I'm really proud that I've done that.

[B]

Honestly, it's just sticking through this, learning paid ads and learning advertising, it really. That sounds silly, but it really is because there were definitely nights and days that I was super frustrated. And I would always think this should not be this hard. Like, is it me? Is it what is going on? But just keeping at it and continuing to. To learn and just rewatching the videos over and over and over again, and I'm like, okay, like, this is going to take absolutely forever, but I'm going to get through it.

[A]

I'm so proud of you. I mean, it just. It's all that says is you're willing to learn. You know, that you're great at what you do, so you want more people to find it. You're resilient because you definitely experienced some challenges and kept going, and that is why you've been so successful. So I'm so excited to jump in today.

[B]

Well, and the. The problem is not, you know, the problem is me. Like, I have no knowledge of this, so it's taken me a little bit longer to get used to everything, but it's so worth it.

[A]

Okay, so. So, Laura. So that's. Actually, I kind of love this because I think every single one of us, no matter our career, no matter our job, no matter what we do, every single time we put ourselves in a scenario that's challenging, like, we get better and better and better and better. And so I feel like whether it's your job that you did yesterday or ads, like, there's always something you can do to be better. And I think that's great.

[B]

Of course.

[A]

Yes. So, okay. Laura and I met from an ad. Right.

[B]

That is Right.

[A]

Do you happen to remember what ad or not? Really?

[B]

I don't. I went to the sales girl summit, and so I saw you speak there. Wow. What year was that?

[A]

Gosh, what year was that? Was it 2024? It was 2024.

[B]

That's right. That's right. And then I guess maybe shortly thereafter. Yeah, it was in the summer. Yeah. Because. Yeah, in. In August, I was just scrolling through Instagram and saw your ad and I thought, this could. I mean, surely, like, lawyers can use paid ads, right? Yeah. So, yeah, so that's how I found it. I don't remember this specific ad, though, but I just remember thinking, oh, like, what could go wrong?

[A]

Yeah, I'll just Laura's optimism, she's like, this is going to be totally fine. So, okay. I love it because, man, 2024, Ashley on that stage, like, it's like, we always are a worst critic. I'm like, I just. I had such passion and excitement for what I did, but that stage moment, I felt so much pressure because I wanted to make Macy happy. Right. I was like, I just want to show you that sales skills can change your life.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so I got up on that stage, gave it my all, but I think what's cool is you had some priming. But then what happened was my retargeting ads must have got you.

[B]

That's exactly what it was. Because I don't even. No offense, I don't even remember what the presentation was. I mean, I remember being there, and it was lovely, and that whole program was amazing. Yeah, but it was. It had to have been a retargeting ad because I kept seeing your ads.

[A]

Yeah, that's what it was. Okay, so that's. That's one thing that shouldn't go, like, not talked about for everybody. That's advertising is you can do such a great job of being the person someone finds, but if you're not the one that is also most top of mind, then they may not choose you. So I love that. I think sometimes people like, yeah, well, look, those ads didn't do anything. Laura saw you from the event. It's like, yeah, Laura would have saw me from the event and then never thought of me again.

[B]

Right, right. I mean, that sounds harsh, but.

[A]

But sometimes the harsh thing is the truth.

[B]

It's true. And, yeah, and I saw that, and the ad kept popping up, and I was. I think at the time it was maybe $97.

[A]

Like, the.1 of the, like, class challenge.

[B]

Yeah, the challenge. And I was like, oh, okay, well, this. This is perfect. That's right. And then that. Then I was totally bought in after doing the challenge because that just totally reshaped my brain.

[A]

Wow. Okay, so I guess Laura just made the plug. But if you haven't joined the challenge, click link below the video and do it.

[B]

I didn't mean to.

[A]

Cause she was like, it just changed my brain.

[B]

It really did.

[A]

Y', all, we might go back and turn that into an ad. Like, that's what's so cool. So. Okay, that's amazing. You walked into the challenge, and then we started doing ads together, and you actually started. We keep calling it the test ad, which I feel like we just need to keep it that forever. So Laura was like. So Laura enrolled in the program, and she started, like, going through some of the content, and you started setting some stuff up, and was it the campaign you didn't realize was on? Okay, so tell everybody about that one.

[B]

You know, Ashley has this very thorough program, and she's. She's like, okay, you're gonna. You're gonna just plug through. You're gonna. But you're gonna pause it, so don't worry. Just put anything in there. You're just. You're gonna pause it. You're gonna pause it. You're gonna pause it. And she says it, like, 10 times, and I Of course got distracted and didn't pause it, but I didn't realize that I didn't pause it. And so, like, I just, you know, shut off my computer and went on with my life for the day. And a couple days later, I got an email from Google saying, like, your ad is something. And I was like, I'm not running an ad. This is like a.

[A]

This does not apply.

[B]

This is like a, I don't know, a test email or something.

[A]

I'm not writing an ad.

[B]

And I did think it was odd because, like, you know, I get a lot of referrals and like our phone rings and so but it, it was really like it was becoming a problem.

[A]

The volume of the leads was becoming a problem.

[B]

I was like, what is going on here? And then I got another email from Google referencing this ad that I was like, this does not apply to me. I'm not running an ad. And then I guess I logged in a couple weeks later or maybe like two and a half weeks later, and I was like, oh, oh, okay. There this ad was running. So this. I don't even know what was on that ad.

[A]

Laura all she knows.

[B]

It was amazing and it was incredible. And I got some wonderful, wonderful clients from that ad that I didn't even know I was running.

[A]

Yeah. So that's that. That story is why advertising, no matter what it is, like, you just getting. Being. Becoming more findable for people that were locally searching because they were like people that lived nearby.

[B]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I can think of. I mean, that month was a. Was a super busy month. But I mean, I think of clients just offhand and that I would have. No, that weren't referrals. And they, they had to come from that ad.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they were in exactly the counties that I work in.

[A]

Totally. So there's so many different types of ads people can run. And so this is a really good point for Laura's business specifically because you, you had people, you had an ad. In my opinion, that was not even. It was not 100% set up correctly.

[B]

Oh, I don't even know. I don't even know what was.

[A]

Who even knows? But what I do know is she followed most of the directions, so it was local. It was people searching for attorney. So that's why Even something done 75% right can still be so good. And then there's still so much opportunity to expand beyond that. One of the challenges that I had with another attorney that I was working with is her team was getting mad that she was getting so many Calls. But she only practices. She does personal injury. Right. Versus she was getting people talking about, like, workers comp. Or some other things that she doesn't do. And so she was like, how do we not stop getting this type? And I was able to look at the campaign, and I was able to say, hey, it's because you're spending on someone searching for the word attorney.

[B]

Right. Oh, my gosh.

[A]

And I'm like, that could mean a lot of things. Yeah. And so she's like, mad at the ad. I'm like, no, no, it's. You're mad because you're sewing up for attorney. And so a lot of people don't know. How can you not show up for just attorney? How can we show up for something much more specific, like personal injury attorney, Atlanta specifically? It's just so much different. So I feel like for you, you got an opportunity where you're actually getting some of the people that were looking for what you do, which is great. So you gave it. I really bet it was like a C on a class.

[B]

Yeah, definitely. C or D, definitely.

[A]

But it still got some volume.

[B]

Oh, it was like, yes. In fact, I had to. I had to turn them off because I was like, I. This. I can't. We can't manage this.

[A]

I remember you were like, it's just me and mom. And like, there's so many calls coming through. I guess I'm just turning this off for now. So. That was great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because didn't you have. It was like. I don't know if it was quite in those first three or four months, but did you have a hundred thousand dollars a month or very close to it? Like, was it.

[B]

So that month was. That month was an $82,000 month.

[A]

82. Okay. I remember.

[B]

And so that month, actually, because my. My mom is my office manager, she has run a business in her younger days, and so she's my office manager. And so all the call. Well, most of the calls go through her, but we had to hire an answering service to deal with the volume of calls that month. But it's. It was a lot.

[A]

Yeah. So, okay, you got some ads running, and everybody that has ran ads has ups, and then they have downs. Okay, so what. So the good thing was you were willing to learn. And I guess before we talk about some of the challenges that come with ads, what was. Did you have any hesitation going into learning ads yourself?

[B]

No, I probably should have.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because I don't know. It worked out pretty good. But I mean, it. Yes. I thought, like, what could Go wrong, you know, I mean, of course I can learn this. I can. I can learn anything. So it. I didn't have any hesitation going into it, and then I started having hesitation when I realized how hard it was. But now I'm on an upswing, so I'm. I'm feeling better.

[A]

Yeah. And I remember we were talking about it a little bit. Like, one of the things you were concerned about, partially, was just that you were starting from ground zero because you were, like, such a brilliant, successful, confident attorney, but, like, advertiser was, like, not on your.

[B]

Oh. I was starting from complete ground zero. And my website was WordPress. And if anybody knows anything about WordPress, it was really hard to even get the tracking set up. So it was. It was. It was rough. And you say that it's going to be rough.

[A]

I do. I try to set the expectations that it's going to be so challenging so that when people come in and it's, like, not as challenging as they thought, like, we might be. Okay.

[B]

Oh, no, no. It was really challenging. But the ad. The ad part wasn't challenging. It was just the. Some of the tech stuff that I didn't have a background in. Yeah, but it wasn't even. It wasn't even that, really. It was just like learning a total new language.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

And that was. That was the hard part. But I always had such a passion for, like, wanting to learn it, so it was never something that I thought, oh, I'm just gonna quit this. I'm gonna outsource this. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. Yeah. I've never. I never thought that I was like, I've just got to keep on going, even though it's really hard.

[A]

Okay. So I want to know, like, have you always been like that? The person that's like, this will work. I'm gonna figure it out.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. When did this, like, shift? Like, tell me.

[B]

I mean, I feel like all the time. Like, there's various things in my life that, you know, and even some parts of ads, because, you know, I'll. I'll sit there and kind of train wreck on making, like, a freebie lead magnet or something. Or I'll, you know, and I'll sit there and I'll spend hours, like, doing something in Canva, and I'm thinking, laura, like, your. Your time could be better used doing something else. So, like, I have gotten to the point where now I understand, like, what technical things that I don't want to. To dedicate my time to does that make sense?

[A]

It does.

[B]

And. But it's never, it's never not learning ads. Like, I never think, oh, I'm going to outsource ads to somebody else. I'm going to outsource like some of the tech stuff or the design stuff, but not the ad part.

[A]

And at least you have the foundation of knowledge to even know to ask someone exactly what you need.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It's like, I know this is a challenge and by the way, to your delight, you don't know this yet because you have it. You haven't started. But one of the things that we added, and this is why I am so big on like feedback, because you can't, you can't get better if no one gives you feedback. And so I've asked for a lot of feedback. And so there's two things to your delight I think you will enjoy as you log back in is we have a brand new bonus for tracking.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So one of our clients is. She was in the mastermind. Did you meet Katie Schwartz?

[B]

Yes, yes. She lives in my neighborhood. Yes.

[A]

Okay. So she just did a brand new like tech, all the troubleshooting, tagging stuff as a bonus in there.

[B]

That's what I need.

[A]

It's amazing.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because that was something that we got feedback on is sometimes if there's a challenge, like what do you do then? Well, now we have her bonus in there.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So you're gonna love that. Second thing is one of the things is my, I say my, I'm like our at Paid Ads Academy, our head of brand and creative, she for the Mastermind, does those weekly creative calls. Meredith.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And, and so she has this thing that she's created where for the past year she's gone through and said, well, what about this ad looks good and why do we like this one or not? And so we made this whole creative hub that has a guide of all these examples, like hundreds of examples of ads that you could be like, oh, that's what I want to create. And then you can go make it. So, like there's this new creative hub and this new tracking thing to help you with the two things you hate the most.

[B]

Perfect. Yes. It's amazing. And it's mainly the creative aspect because I don't have any design background. Me neither. Like, I am more than happy and pumped and excited to learn ads, but the creative stuff is just not. Yeah, it's just not me.

[A]

And so having a template or something like can make it easier would be great. So, I mean, at the end of the Day. It's so empowering to understand a certain foundational level. And you've done that, and I'm so proud of you for that.

[B]

I know. Because you're, like, willing to learn. Well, it's. It's like, I guess I've just treated it like. Like a college education or a law school education. I mean, I'm learning a completely new field. But what's the best part about it is, is that next year and the year after and the year after, like, I'm. I'm not going to have to outsource them.

[A]

No.

[B]

And if I ever feel like I want to, I'll know.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If what they're doing is correct or not.

[A]

That's right. I could totally see you hiring someone that's just for social media and ads.

[B]

That's what I need.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because that is my not. That is my week.

[A]

I think you could do that now. I think we could run an ad somewhere near Atlanta and says, do you love social media? Would you like to work with an entrepreneur and you're interested in learning if that's. You apply and then they could do your social media in your ads.

[B]

Yeah. Because the creative aspect is just not me.

[A]

Not Laura. Okay, so wait, I want to go back. You said you weren't always the person that maybe was like, I know this can work. Like, tell me a little bit about.

[B]

No, I guess what I should say is that not necessarily that I would always give up on things, but the ads thing was different because I felt like, okay, I've paid for this, I'm learning this, I'm going to learn this. But I've always had the passion for learning it since the beginning, like, just in this program. I mean, I had no knowledge of marketing or ads or anything prior to this. So it was just starting with this. Yeah. But I think now one thing that this has taught me too is, you know, if it's okay to outsource things that you don't really want to do, like that. The small. The creative. Yeah, I just. I would rather spend my time learning the ads, the strategy. The strategy, the structure, as opposed to, like, sitting there for five hours trying moving text boxes around. That's just. Yeah, that's not my strong point.

[A]

So, hey, I totally understand. Honestly, there's. There's little things that we found. Even our. We have a client now inside our Mastermind program, and she was screen sharing this lead magnet that she made. And I was like, amanda, did you make this? And she was like, well, yeah, I own a branding company. I Was like, ah, this is very good. And so she ended up. We ended up working with her to make some of our stuff. And it's like, that was one of those things where for everybody listening, no matter where you start at the beginning of any business, you're gonna wear, like, almost all the hats.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And then eventually, as you grow your knowledge, you can own some of the hats. And eventually it's less of the hats, but the more that you know as a business owner about sales or advertising or business and relationships and communication, all those things stack together to be able to help your business grow. And so that's one of the things, even for me, I'm like, Meredith is doing all this branding and creative vision. Like, she doesn't need to be the one creating that now. Now we have someone else. So I do love and see value in delegating.

[B]

And.

[A]

And the cool thing is we know, like, what to, like, guide, what to delegate.

[B]

Right. And, like, since I've. I've gotten all this ad knowledge, like, now I can say, okay, what I'm interested in and what I'm good at is this thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This other little thing takes up too much time. I take. I can't get this done in a time. Amount of time that I think is. Is efficient.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

So you're like.

[A]

Laura's like, well, my hourly rate is this.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

But truly. Okay, so let's talk about something cheesy for a second.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

How did you feel? And like, how has some of the, like, ups and wins you've had from ads, like, did it give you any peace of mind? Did you feel excited? Did you celebrate? Like, did you have any moments where you're like, man, it feels good that people are finding me?

[B]

It's. Yeah, I mean, I think it's. Well, I do remember, like, at the end of that month, because that was. I joined in late July, I think so. And at the end of August. August was that, you know, big month.

[A]

Crazy.

[B]

And I was. What was so nice was there was a peace of mind, that one. I don't have to rely on referrals anymore, which I've always gotten a lot of referrals. Like, that's great. And I'm thrilled to get those. And I'm continue to. Yeah, of course, of course. Yeah. But, you know, as. As my practice evolves, like, I just want to be able to. To have it stand on its own in terms of advertising. So I never really had, like, a specific time or something specific that I celebrated, but I distinctly remember Thinking, this is so nice, because I don't. I don't have to take what comes in the door. Like, I can be more selective about the cases that I want to do. Because when someone calls you and it's a referral, you do kind of feel like, okay, this person specifically sent them to me. If I can make this work, I'm going to make this work. But now I really can focus on the exact type of cases, type of areas of law that I want to do. And I didn't have that before. It's just nice to think, okay, this, this, these five calls may not be my ideal client, but it doesn't matter because I know call number six will be. So it definitely gives you a peace of mind, and it definitely gives you the freedom to. To not. Not take on clients that aren't right for you and aren't right for your business.

[A]

Yeah. You know, honestly, all joking aside, for our business, that has been one of the biggest blessings. Like, at the beginning, I think if you're like me at the beginning, you're like, I will take anyone.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I will pay you to pay me, to give me a shot. Like, did you feel that way?

[B]

Yes. And, like, you know, I started. So I worked for five years for a firm, and I loved that firm. It was wonderful. And then I went out on my own. And, yeah, the first couple years, you don't, you know, someone sends you cases and you're like, okay. And so you're taking in your. I mean, I wouldn't take cases that were outside of my practice, of my practice area, but with referrals, you feel like you've got to, you know, you have to take the case and you have to do a really good job on it. So I always took special care of everything that was referred to me. But they're definitely looking back. I probably should have referred those people out. So. And it's just really nice to have to be able to say no to the people that are not a good

[A]

fit, because it makes you a happier person when you are. You show up to work and you're like, I can't wait to work with this.

[B]

Like, that's.

[A]

Honestly joking aside, but that's how I felt about getting to work with you. And so many of the women in the Mastermind, I'm like, when they're a good person and they're willing to do the hard work, they're willing to keep trying and going, they're not negative. Nancy. Like, it just working with good people makes me so happy. And it Allows me to, like, want to do better and make better product. And just. So I just feel like it's such a gift when you have that. So if anything, I think that's so valuable, and that makes me so happy that you got to be a little selective with who you could dedicate your energy to.

[B]

It's so much easier. And, you know, sometimes clients will call, and they. I can just get the feeling during the intake, and I'm like, this is. This is not. You know, you're laughing.

[A]

This is giving. This might not go so well. This is giving.

[B]

I'm gonna send this on. No, but I. There are so many attorneys I feel like. And I see them, I hear, overhear them in court, and, like, I just. I don't ever want to. To be promising something that I can't deliver to someone. And so sometimes. Sometimes clients will call, and they want guarantees. They want this, they want that. And I'm like, I can't. I can't do that. And my brain is thinking, I. I don't want you as a client, honestly, because I can't. I can't even begin to guarantee what you're. What you're expecting. It's nice to say.

[A]

I sent an email in the last week. I'm not kidding you. I sent an email to someone and I. I was like, hey, the. This might not work out. Like, Like, I was like, we're taking a pivot here. I was like, you know what? I just want you to know I respect your time because we had gone back. I'm not kidding. I think it was, like, 37 emails.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

I'm like. I'm like, if you have 37 questions before, like, how many are you going to have after? And it's like, this is the. This is. I'm biased, but it is the best advertising training program, and you haven't even seen the new course, Laura. But anyway, I was just like, this is one of those ones. And I'm like, you know what? Bless and release. I love you so much, and my team, our clients. And honestly, if you think about us, for the Mastermind, one thing I've really done more so in the past year than I ever have before is like, I'm really protective of who is in the Mastermind and who's not. And I've actually done so much more disqualifying. Like someone said, I don't know if you know this, but we changed in the last. I don't know, last six or eight months that the Mastermind, you had to have at Least a six figure business.

[B]

Right. I did notice that we changed that.

[A]

And someone came to me.

[B]

No, but that's good.

[A]

It is. And someone came up to me and said, I have a 90. I did almost 100. It was 97,000. And I literally was like, just out of integrity for everybody else who's in here, you're so close. And whenever you hit that, where you can say, hey, in this 12 month period we've done this, I cannot wait to welcome you. For now, this is the right fit. And saying that, I feel like that person actually respected it. I was like, you're gonna be perfect when it's time to come in there. But I just actually had another one. One of the things I did for the top tier was we changed it to 3 million. So you have to have a 3 million. And someone was at 2.4, had a roofing company just met with them in the last week. And I said, just, I'm gonna commit to my word. Because when you give someone your word, it's really hard to regain that trust if you go back on it. And I was like, what if someone gets in there? It's like, wait, I thought it was 3 million and they're talking about struggling at 2. It's like, I lose trust.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so I just think that you being authentic to who you are and accepting the clients that you want and being able to say, this is a good fit and it's not, it's such an empowering thing because I know there's people listening that aren't there yet, and I just wish that I had done that sooner. But it's harder when you need the money.

[B]

You're like, it's hard. It's hard to do it. I'll endure the pain. Yeah. I mean, I've been really lucky that my practice has always been profitable. But it's really, really nice to feel like all of my clients are such a good fit. Because like, you always say, I want to make sure that I'm communicating who this is for and who this is not for always. And like, different attorneys have different, different. You know, some attorneys are just, you know, they, they are more optimistic and they're like, oh, we're going to be able to do this and we're going to be able to do that and that. And that's great. And we want to walk a fine line between optimism and realism. But I don't ever want to promise a client something that I cannot deliver to them because that doesn't, that doesn't help me and it doesn't help them. So if someone is wanting something that I know that I can't deliver, I'm not the best fit for you.

[A]

Yep. I think that's very self aware. And I think the people that you are a good fit for will respect you more because you like, like, here's where we are.

[B]

Like, this is how bad it is.

[A]

Yeah, totally. All right, Laura, looking back at your last year, what's one thing that you are most proud of? For you, it can be not related to ads. It can be anything. In the last year, what are you the most proud of that you've accomplished?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Well, we, you know, we've had our highest revenue year. We had our highest revenue year in 2025. But honestly, I know this is an ads podcast and that's what we're talking about, but like just plugging through and learning that, learning ads in this process, even when it was really hard and even when it was super frustrating, just the technical stuff was frustrating. But I'm really proud of myself that, that I have gained all of this new knowledge.

[A]

Oh, and you've invested in your business at least here at the paid Ads Academy? Twice.

[B]

Twice like that.

[A]

I just feel like it says a lot about you that you're willing to invest in yourself and like, put yourself in a community too. Cause I feel like you've made a couple friends.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. I've made. Yeah, I made several good friends.

[A]

Yeah, that's good. Those are the little intangibles. Like, some of my closest friends are someone I met from being in a group. I'm like, even if I learned zero, I got this one person that, like, I can go to, which is nice.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

Oh, that makes me so happy. Your best revenue year?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, it was really good. And Stephanie Cashin is, you know, our therapist friend and our. Was that our mastermind? Yes. She and I will get together and do VIP days, like, just her and I, and we'll sit there and work on stuff and we'll talk through things. And it is. I mean, in fact, that was our VIP day in November was one of the things that made me decide to switch my website from WordPress to another provider. So. Yeah, good. And I had been like, you know, square peg, round hole, the WordPress website forever. And Stephanie was just like, why? Why are you doing this? And I was like, good point. Why am I doing this?

[A]

Well, that's so. It's like, you're so valuable. That makes me so happy. You're Coachable. You're open to feedback. You do the work, and you believe it's going to work. And that is what I like to call a rainmaker.

[B]

Well, I know it's going to work. I mean, it has worked.

[A]

I'm so proud of you. Last thing, and we'll wrap it up. What's one thing you would say to someone who's on the fence of like, should I advertise my business when I'm busy? Can this work for my business? What's the one nugget that you would encourage that person with?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Well, should I advertise my business? Like, the answer is obviously yes. You know, if you. If you don't advertise your business, like, what. What are you doing?

[A]

I'm going to let Laura do my ads. It's just going to be like, if you aren't advertising, like, what are you doing? And then we're just going to end it right there, and we'll be like, click the link.

[B]

No, but really, though. And you know, and you always say you want to be findable, and it's not the best. What's the tagline for this podcast? Because I'm listening to it.

[A]

Well, I say it's not the best. The best entrepreneur, business owner doesn't win. The best advertiser wins.

[B]

Exactly. And that is so simple, but it is so true. And every time I listen to this podcast, which is like, almost every, you know, whenever you put on, you gotta

[A]

listen to yours back.

[B]

I don't know if I want to do that.

[A]

You do.

[B]

But when I listen to the podcast and I just starts out, and that line is so simple, but it is so true. And I'm like, yes, of course it is the best advertiser. Like, that makes total sense.

[A]

And cherry on top, when you're great. Like, Laura is at her job. Like, if you're sitting here listening and you're like, wait, I'm actually good at my job, and I get a bunch of referrals because I'm so good. Should I? Like, the whole question is, can you get more? And the answer is, yes, of course. So with that, I think Laura's just gonna do all my ads. So do what Laura did and join the challenge because it could legitimately change your life and change your business. And that is why we love getting to do this so much. So much. So click the link below. Join the challenge. And Laura, she. She mentioned everything that she can help you out with. If you're ever in a scenario where any of that stuff makes sense or you need some support.

[B]

Hopefully you don't need me.

[A]

Hopefully you don't need her. But if you did, she's amazing. And so we will link to her practice and her website and her Instagram below this episode. Laura, thank you for joining us today.

[B]

You're amazing. Thank you for inviting me.

[A]

You're the best. Bye.

[B]

Bye.