Podcast Summary: Maximum Lawyer – Consistency Beat Talent in This Lawyer’s Personal Brand Experiment
Podcast: Maximum Lawyer
Host: Tyson Mutrux
Guest: Adam Williams
Date: February 17, 2026
Theme: How a friendly personal branding competition led to powerful business growth, content insights, and lessons on consistency for entrepreneurial lawyers.
Overview
This episode of Maximum Lawyer dives into a unique, real-world experiment: Adam Williams and Christy Zlatkis challenge each other to grow their personal brands on social media over 12 weeks. Host Tyson Mutrux and Adam explore why consistency outpaces raw talent, hard-won lessons about content creation, the ROI of personal brand-building, overcoming mindset obstacles, and actionable advice for lawyers seeking to grow their own online presence.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origin Of The Personal Branding Contest
[01:29–03:00]
- Spark: Inspired by discussions on personal branding at the Maximum Lawyer conference and a nudge from friend Christy Zlatkis.
- Impetus: Friendly competition as a motivator: “A little friendly competition could do us some good.” (Adam, 03:00)
2. Structure & Rules of the Contest
[04:03–05:27]
- Five Core Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok.
- Metrics: Percentage increase in followers across platforms.
- No Ad Spend: First round, everything was organic — no boosting posts.
- Self-imposed Limits: No TikTok dances for follower grabs.
- Outcome: Inspired more frequent and higher-quality posts; even pushed Christy to start a long-overdue podcast.
3. Platform Results & ROI
[05:27–06:45]
- YouTube: Highest % growth, doubled subscribers.
- Facebook: Largest absolute gain (hundreds), aided by recent algorithm tweaks.
- LinkedIn and Instagram: Mixed results—engagement doesn’t always mean quality follower growth.
- ROI: Genuine, focused posts generated leads and clients. “Yeah, I mean, it led to more leads and more clients because I’m top of mind with people.” (Adam, 06:11)
4. Platform Preferences & Pitfalls – The “F–M–K” Game
[06:45–09:58]
- Marry: YouTube – Best for long-tail, searchable content.
“A video you put up five years ago could still be getting views.” (Adam, 07:01) - Kill: Instagram – Viral hits didn’t translate to lasting audience or leads.
- F (Short-Term): TikTok – High volatility; “stroke of pen” political risk.
- Reddit (added later): Not viable for their audience—too many DIYers, not ideal clients.
5. Content Creation Do’s & Don’ts
[09:58–11:28]
- Find Your Pillars: Used ChatGPT to define five core content themes (“pillars”).
- Stay Authentic: “Don’t fake it, don’t do things you don’t genuinely believe in just to increase the follower count.” (Adam, 10:58)
- Quality Over Quantity: Pursuing “quality followers that are going to engage.”
- Comment Trolls: Expect negativity online; don’t let it change your purpose.
6. Dealing With Trolls & Going Viral
[11:28–13:12]
- Viral Example: EV tax rant video led to 755+ comments, mostly argumentative.
- Philosophy: Don’t fight with strangers online; let the comments run their course.
- Author Advice: Even top performers get “one star” reviews; accept negative feedback as inevitable.
7. Video vs. Text vs. Image: What Works?
[16:28–17:28]
- Video Dominance: Far better engagement than text or static images.
- Imperfect is Good: Selfie-style, unscripted videos perform best—“no need to be perfect, people want authenticity.”
8. Getting Over the Mindset Hurdles with Video
[17:49–20:54]
- Perfectionism: Don’t let desire for flawless production block content creation.
- DIY Approach: “Open up Instagram, start a story, put the camera in selfie mode and just talk to it. People love that stuff.” (Adam, 18:57)
- On Public Filming: “If you’ve got something you want to share with the world, then pull out your camera and record it. Who cares who’s standing around watching you?” (Adam, 20:28)
9. Personal Branding Lessons
[26:24–29:36]
- Brand Associations: Entrepreneurship, tax strategy, family, and authentic motivation are key threads.
- Work-Life Integration: Posts about family signal that business success can coexist with a rich personal life.
- Expertise Without Arrogance: Aim to be “the smartest guy in the room who doesn’t have to tell everybody he’s the smartest guy in the room.” (Adam, 30:32)
- Content Style: Relatable, real-world topics win—but avoid oversharing or venturing into “know-it-all” territory.
10. The Downside of Chasing Vanity
[29:36–32:13]
- Never Rage-Bait: Don’t build an audience on outrage or by attacking competitors.
11. Vulnerability and Authenticity
[34:05–37:20]
- Emotional Transparency: Lean into relatable struggles; don't shy from showing imperfections.
- Private vs. Public Persona: Consistency and a little vulnerability are key, but avoid oversharing for ego’s sake.
12. Why Lawyers Don’t Build Brands
[37:23–39:21]
- Fear of Not Seeming Like The Expert: Many lawyers avoid content where they don’t look perfect.
- Reality: People actually value authenticity over unattainable perfection.
13. Focusing & Scaling
[39:42–40:19]
- Specialization: Start by offering very limited services, and avoid being distracted by every possible client need.
14. Building a Brand from Zero
[43:39–44:57]
- R&D: R&D = “Rip off and deploy.” Study top creators, adapt ideas, and focus on strategies that already work.
- Hire Experts Sooner: Outsource when possible, especially to agencies with proven track records.
- Play the Long Game: “Pick any one thing in your life and do it every day for 12 weeks and you will come out better at that thing.” (Adam, 42:38)
15. Prioritizing Patience and Consistency
[44:57–45:48]
- Delayed Results: “You have to be ready to not see immediate results.”
- Leverage Others’ Audiences: Guesting on big platforms = big growth spurts.
- Utilize new tech: Take advantage of collaboration and syndication features (e.g., YouTube dual publishing).
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Value of Competition
“Pick any one thing in your life and do it every day for 12 weeks, and you will come out better at that thing.”
— Adam Williams [42:38] -
On Authenticity
“The moment you become disingenuous, I think people pick up on that.”
— Adam Williams [10:39] -
On Overcoming the Perfection Block
“Our most successful videos are not the ones in our recording studio where it looks very professional... it’s when I pull out my phone and I’m walking down the street in selfie mode and I stumble over my words and it’s imperfect.”
— Adam Williams [17:53] -
On Not Chasing Vanity Metrics
“I’m more interested in quality followers that are going to engage in the content and want to hear more... than just people that are going to follow me because I did something funny one time.”
— Adam Williams [10:58] -
On the ROI of a Personal Brand
“Yeah, I mean, it led to more leads and more clients because I’m top of mind with people.”
— Adam Williams [06:11] -
On Losing the Contest
“I have to buy Christie a trophy, I have to donate … to the charity of her choice, which I’m nervous about … and there’s an event where I have to get up on stage and say what a great job she did. … This is a million times worse than [a cash prize].”
— Adam Williams [41:59] -
On What To Avoid
“Never go into something looking for controversy just for controversy’s sake. Don’t rage-bait.”
— Alluding throughout -
On the Power of Incremental Growth
“Most successful people realize that. Unsuccessful people think it happens overnight.”
— Adam Williams [44:40]
Timed Highlights
- 03:00 – Impetus for the contest: real conference inspiration and a friendly dare
- 05:27 – YouTube and Facebook as the most productive platforms
- 06:11 – ROI: How posts turned into clients
- 07:01 – YouTube’s “long tail” advantage
- 10:10 – Using ChatGPT to define messaging “pillars”
- 11:50 – Navigating negative comments and managing viral engagement
- 16:28 – Video beats out text and images
- 17:49 – “You don’t need a studio: just record”
- 23:45 – How to generate content: AI tools, transcripts, riffing on topics
- 26:24 – Brand associations: Entrepreneurship, family, lifestyle
- 30:32 – “Smartest guy in the room” who isn’t showy about it
- 37:23 – The perfection trap for lawyers
- 39:42 – From “door lawyer” to focused specialization
- 43:39 – R&D, or “Rip off and Deploy” the best of others’ content
- 44:57 – Be ready for slow, incremental results
- 46:47 – YouTube collaboration features
Tools & Tactical Takeaways
- AI Tools: ChatGPT for content ideation and voice, Opus/Descript for easy video editing
- Content Strategy: Authenticity, clear pillar topics, personal but not self-indulgent
- Batch Production: Record a week of content in one sitting for efficiency
- Cross-Posting: Use platform features to multiply reach
- Competitions: Friendly wagers or challenges are great motivators
How to Reach Adam
- All Platforms: @therealadamwilliams (The Real Adam Williams)
Final Thoughts
Consistency beats talent—the real lesson wasn’t in winning a follower count, but in building habits. Adam’s experiment demonstrates that intentional, personal, authentic content is what moves the needle—especially for lawyers who worry they “don’t have the time” or “aren’t experts” in building a brand online.
Ready to grow? Start messy. Stay consistent. Focus on value—not vanity.