Maximum Lawyer Podcast

Episode: Smart People, Dumb Excuses with Ryan Webber

Host: Tyson Mutrux
Guest: Ryan Webber (CMO, Weber Marketing; Marketing Lead, Thomas & Weber, Law at the Lake)
Release Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features Ryan Webber's insightful and humor-filled session from MaxLawCon 2025. Ryan takes aim at the many excuses lawyers use to avoid video marketing, despite the proven benefits for their practice. With personal anecdotes, candid debunking of common objections, and real data from his work with Thomas & Weber, Ryan makes the case that consistent, simple video content is a game-changer for law firms—even in “boring” areas like real estate law.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution of Legal Marketing

• Marketing Must Change With the Times:

  • Ryan sets the stage by contrasting law firm marketing in 2015 versus 2025.
  • “If you guys are running a law firm in 2025 and running a 2015 marketing playbook, you're probably getting passed.” (03:10)
  • Clients now research lawyers online before ever contacting them, so digital presence is essential.

• The Human Touch Will Always Beat Robots:

  • “What makes you different is you. You are different than the robots because you have a personality. They do not.” (04:19)

2. Debunking Excuses for Not Doing Video

• Common Excuses (and Blunt Rebuttals):

  • “I'll sound dumb.” – “You won't sound dumb because you're smart people. The general public thinks you guys are super smart, so you won't sound dumb.” (05:10)
  • “I don't like how I look.” – “You look the same on camera as you do in person. If you don't like how you look, that's a you problem.” (05:38)
  • “I don't know how to edit.” – “You could pay somebody that knows how to edit and do all this for you.” (07:10)
  • “I don't have time.” – “You tell me you don't have time to make more money because we know video makes us more money.” (08:00)
  • Memorable Quip: “I don't want to dance on camera. Do I look like I dance on camera? No. Have I made money from videos? Yes. Don't need to dance on camera.” (06:30)

• Even Your Demographic Is On Social Media:

  • Example: An 80-year-old client found the firm through a Facebook video. “He was like, people are finding us on the Internet. And he was 80. Yeah, man, everyone's on the Internet. Debunked.” (06:05)

3. Proof That Video Works

• Real Impact:

  • Since launching their YouTube channel, Thomas & Weber grew from handling 14% to 37% of all real estate closings in their local market.
  • “When I got there in 2018… we had done 14% of the closings in Mooresville… Last year, we did 37% of all the real estate closings… What did we do different? We made videos.” (10:40)

• Audience Reach:

  • Video amplifies your presence: Even a “bad” video can reach 100+ people—far more than most lawyers address live in a year.
  • “A thousand views on a video is very common when you start doing good. That’s a thousand people you’re in front of that you didn't have the opportunity to.” (13:45)
  • Viral effect: One video hit over a million views and still gets 2,000 views daily years later.

• Monetary Benefits:

  • YouTube ad revenue: “We've made $23,000 in ads for YouTube paying us to market our own business... that's where my marketing budget comes from.” (09:10)
  • Consistent intake: “We have gotten approximately 15 phone calls every single week from people across the country that call our office and say, I saw a video. I want Tiffany to be my lawyer.” (09:45)

4. Content Strategy: What Works and How to Stand Out

• Consistency Beats Complexity:

  • “At the most simple marketing plan. We make consistent videos over and over again.” (11:22)

• Why Video? Trust, Credibility, Familiarity:

  • Video builds trust and approachability—keys in a skeptical market.

• Content that Converts:

  • Educational videos: Bring in clients and revenue.
  • Entertainment videos: Get attention but don’t always drive revenue.
  • “When we can combine both… that's when the magic happens.” (16:30)

• Be the One in Your Niche on One Platform:

  • “We want to be the one person on one platform solving one big problem consistently… We are the real estate lawyer on YouTube. There's none others.” (17:10)

• Stand Out by Being the Opposite of the Stereotype:

  • “Clients are picturing a lawyer… old white guy… mahogany desk… and you're not… We try to be opposite in all our videos.” (18:05)
  • Their videos feature young, female lawyers, a casual aesthetic—breaking industry expectations.

• Building a “Moat”:

  • Make it hard for others or AI to replicate your content or brand.
  • “A moat… makes it very challenging for somebody to copy and imitate you because it’s going to allow you to stand out the most, the longest.” (18:55)

• Repeatable Formats:

  • Use clear, searchable titles: “How to back out of a real estate contract legally.”

5. Final Takeaway: The Real Risk is Missing Out

• “Many of you are not recording video right now... If they work, we have 88,000 subscribers, 15 phone calls…” (19:43)
• “So it’s not really the question of what have you got to lose? It’s what do you stand to gain?” (20:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you’re running a law firm in 2025 and running a 2015 marketing playbook, you’re probably getting passed.”
  — Ryan Webber (03:10)
• “You look the same on camera as you do in person. If you don’t like how you look, that’s a you problem.”
  — Ryan Webber (05:38)
• “You tell me you don’t have time to make more money because we know video makes us more money.”
  — Ryan Webber (08:00)
• “We have 88,000 people that have said, I want to learn about real estate law… I bet it is the most boring practice to try and make content about. But… that video got 80,000 views because it was timely and no one else made a video about it. Win for us.”
  — Ryan Webber (09:20)
• “This is what a room looks like. This room has about 150 humans… If you got a video that got viewed 100 times, do we think that did bad? ...A thousand views on a video is very common when you start doing good.”
  — Ryan Webber (12:36–13:45)
• “Educational videos equal money. Educational videos are also very boring and people don't want to watch them. ...When we can combine both of those—entertainment and education—that’s when the magic happens.”
  — Ryan Webber (16:19–16:36)
• “Be the opposite of your competition.”
  — Ryan Webber (17:57)
• “Many of you are not recording video right now… what do you stand to gain?”
  — Ryan Webber (20:10)

Segment Timestamps

• Law Firm Marketing in 2015 vs. Now: 03:00–05:00
• Excuses and Debunking Each: 05:05–09:00
• Real Data and Results from YouTube: 09:05–11:20
• Impact of Video: Audience and Revenue: 12:36–14:00
• Content Strategy—Educational/Entertainment Mix: 16:00–17:00
• Finding Your Niche, Platform, and Unique Moat: 17:05–19:00
• Final Challenge—“What Do You Stand to Gain?”: 19:40–end

Conclusion

Ryan Webber delivers a direct, practical, and often laugh-out-loud challenge to lawyers: Stop making excuses for not doing video marketing. The math, the psychology, and the anecdotes all add up—simple, consistent videos on the right platform will set you apart, build your practice, and become your firm’s competitive advantage. The only thing left is to start.