The Most Common Questions
Below are the most common questions lawyers usually have about the Co-Pilot program:
1. What’s included in the program?
2. Who else is in the group?
3. Why do lawyers join the Co-Pilot Mastermind?
4. What does it cost to join?
5. How can I be sure the program is a good fit for me?
These are all important questions, so let’s address them one at a time…
1. What’s included in the program?
First of all you get a valuable bonus, which is…
The LawFirm Autopilot course (a $695 value) that includes over 50 lessons, checklists, templates, short guides, and workbooks.
And, besides all that, you also get 40+ additional lessons that are exclusive to the Co-Pilot program. Which brings the total to about 90 separate lessons in all.
The lessons are grouped into several modules, such as:
- Foundational topics: mindset, vision for your firm, and defining your ideal practice
- Systems and streamlining, including task management, email efficiency, online scheduling tools and tactics, data security, backup, password management, and how to choose practice management software.
- Paperless law practice, including PDF skills training, cloud-document storage, best scanner options, and digital file management tools and practices.
- Automation, especially text automation such as creating form documents more quickly and reliably.
- Delegation & Outsourcing, including how to outsource legal work to part-time virtual assistants that you can hire on-demand on a per-project basis.
- Marketing fundamentals that you must know before hiring anyone or spending any money on advertisements of any kind.
- Referral Marketing and Online Marketing, essential strategies, and tactics—including the keys for creating a tasteful website that helps you attract your ideal clients in a steady stream in a low-cost way by using the power of automation.
- A Resource Library with over 30 checklists, templates, short guides, and workbooks
And you get access to ALL of that content immediately after you sign up.
The real power of the Co-Pilot program, however, comes from the ongoing guidance you’ll get from Ernie and the other members of the program. And so, your next question is probably…
2. Who else is in the group?
First, you obviously get access to Ernie. In fact, you get immediate access to him right after you join because you and he will spend an hour together via video chat.
He’ll gather details about your practice and come up with a tailored plan, focusing on a FEW KEY THINGS that will lead to massive improvements over time.
But, besides Ernie, you also get access to…
Fellow Solo & Small Firm Lawyers
Specifically, you’ll get ongoing access to a group of friendly and like-minded lawyers. And you’ll be able to easily and conveniently interact with those folks and find out what strategies, tactics, and tools they’re are finding most helpful for their practices. And you’ll learn what the common challenges are.
Think of this opportunity as part information-sharing, part accountability-coaching, and part relationship-building. Sometimes there are questions about referral opportunities as well.
So, how exactly will you interact with these fellow attorneys? Well, in several ways, such as the…
Online Discussion Forum (Slack Group)
Most of the group discussions happen via our private online chat area (Slack) that most folks check at least once a week, if not daily. Below are examples of discussions that happen in our Slack area.
Your questions will not only be answered by fellow lawyers but also from other consultants that Ernie allows to have access to the Slack discussion group. For example…
Direct Messages in Slack
Also, inside the Slack area, you can send direct messages if you want to ask anyone something privately.
Slack Searchability
One of the most powerful features of the Slack group is the ability to search across all the discussions and quickly and easily find information about topics or tools that you’re interested in.
Slack Channels
You don’t have to search for discussions for the most part because there are 60+ topic channels already set up inside of our Slack group which are devoted to popular topics such as:
- Creating Systems
- Hiring/Staffing
- General Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Mobile Practice
- Paperless Workflow
- PDF Skills
- Persuasion
- Productivity
- Data Security
- Referrals
- Starting a New Firm
- Text Automation
- Virtual Assistance
- Writing tips
- Document Management
- General Discussions
- Finances & Accounting
- Mac/Apple Computers
- Mindset
- Health/Fitness
- Visual Presentations
- Negotiation & Persuasion
- E-discovery
- Practice Management Software, and practice-specific channels such as…
- Family law, Business Law, Criminal law, Civil Litigation, Bankruptcy, Estate Planning, Immigration law, Personal injury law, and Real estate law
In addition to all of those incredible resources, you also get…
Zoom calls
Twice a month we do zoom calls, which is another great way to interact with Ernie and your fellow members.
One of the monthly calls is related to operational topics, and the other one is related to marketing. There’s a Q&A session after each presentation where you can ask questions about anything you want, even if it’s not related to the topic Ernie covers in the zoom sessions.
The sessions are recorded for later viewing so if you can’t make it to the live session you can watch the whole event, including the Q&A session. Oh, and we transcribe all of the Zoom sessions so you get transcripts also, which is a great way to quickly find parts that you want to review again.
Emails
Finally, You’ll also get emails from Ernie once a week, with short, actionable tips and news related to your practice.
Many members find this to be the best way to keep up when they find themselves stretched for time (i.e. when working on a big project so they aren’t able to attend the Zoom calls or watch the recordings).
Here are links to some examples of those Friday emails if you want to see what they look like:
Convenient, Actionable Guidance
The program has been running for over two years, and it’s become the best way for Ernie to provide actionable advice to lawyers who are serious about making big improvements to their practices.
There are many serious-minded lawyers in the Co-Pilot Mastermind, as you might guess. But maybe now you’re wondering…
3. Why do those lawyers join the Co-Pilot Mastermind?
Well, mainly it’s a result of the world we now live in. Which is to say…
We live in a world with abundant information. And that is a blessing but, unfortunately, it’s also a curse. Especially for busy lawyers who need to figure out which tech options are right for them.
The curse of too much information means not being able to easily sift through all the available options.
- Should you buy practice management software, and if so…
- Which of the hundred options are right for you?
- Which one is BEST?
- How do you even begin to figure this out?
If you ask other lawyers they’ll just tell you which one they’re using and whether they like it or not. But surely there are people who have knowledge of all the options and can help lawyers narrow the range of options to the best ones for them.
There are such people, but how do you find them? And can you trust them if you find them? When you’re in the Co-Pilot program you’ll find them because they’re in there with you.
First of all, Ernie’s in there. And you’ll have immediate and ongoing access to him via the Slack discussion forum (discussed above). Having access to someone who knows all the best options is pretty important, right?
When you have to make decisions about business operations, marketing, or technology, you’ll be more confident because you have access to trusted guidance at the moment you are faced with an important decision about your practice.
Ernie is someone you can trust to help guide you at every step of the way as you grow your practice.
He’ll help by giving you powerful advice to think about and plan around. Most of all his advice is actionable, not theoretical. Specific, not general. And he breaks things down into smaller steps that are easier to take.
Once you’re inside the Co-Pilot inner sanctum Ernie will keep you on track to make sure you get results and reach your goals (and avoid shiny objects and derailing distractions)
Ernie holds you accountable and will help you get back on track if you stray or get stuck as so often happens. You don’t need to feel guilty if you get distracted or overwhelmed.
Ernie will give you encouragement and bring you back on the right path, with clear instructions and simple advice. Always giving you specific, concrete, next action steps to keep you steadily moving forward.
Sometimes you might need a recommendation for a specific kind of expert, like a website designer or a technology trainer to help you or your staff get better working with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel or maybe it’s with PDF software like Adobe Acrobat or Nuance’s PDF software.
Ernie knows all the best experts in business coaching, finance, and accounting, web marketing, email marketing, document automation, hiring of staff, hiring of virtual assistants. He’s learned from the best and can recommend those folks if you need deeper advice than he can provide.
Most of the folks he recommends are inside the Co-Pilot inner sanctum as well and you can just message them in Slack. Or you can search and find discussions where those experts have already provided advice to specific questions from other Co-Pilot members.
And finally, you can also get advice from fellow lawyers who are as serious-minded about their practices as you are. Who are focused on making steady improvements and want to help you do the same.
If you want actionable advice as you need it, and when you need it most then the Co-Pilot program will give you that in a way that’s easy, convenient, and affordable.
So, speaking of affordability, let’s turn to the next common question…
4. What does it cost to join?
First of all, you should look at Co-Pilot as an investment because it is going to help you improve your practice in dramatic ways.
And, other options for getting guidance, such as How to Manage a Small Firm (which costs upwards of $2,500/month) and Lee Rosen’s program (which costs $189/month), are investments as well.
You could also choose to work with Ernie one-on-one (as some lawyers currently do) and get great results from. But the option of working with Ernie one-on-one is now $1,000/month.
Obviously, for most solo and small firm lawyers, that’s not affordable enough. And yet most lawyers need ongoing guidance related to business strategies, marketing, and technology.
And that’s what the Co-Pilot Mastermind program provides you with but in a very cost-effective way. And, so all that being said…
The investment required to join Co-Pilot is $149/month.
And, of course, you’re free to cancel at any time (by clicking a link in the members’ area or by emailing us and requesting that we cancel your subscription). We want you to stay in the program only as long as you are using it and getting a lot of value out of it.
So, now we come to the last common question that folks have…
5. How can I be sure the Co-Pilot Mastermind program is a good fit for me?
We’re confident that you’ll find it helpful, but the best way for you to know is to find out for yourself. After you join you can try it risk-free for 30 days because…
If (for any reason) during your first 30 days in the Co-Pilot program, you decide it’s not 100% right for you then let us know and we’ll refund the money you paid, and cancel your subscription.
You should also know…
The subscription price of the program has risen over time as we’ve added more content and created overall improvements. But your subscription will be locked in forever.
So, in other words, even though the subscription rate might continue to rise in the future you’ll never pay more than the monthly rate you signed up at.
Why am are we willing to make this guarantee? Simple, because the lawyers who join Co-Pilot all have overwhelmingly positive experiences. For example…
Here’s what members say:
“Ernie helps lawyers overcome the “shiny object” black hole of technology in the practice of law by getting back to the basics of lawyers running a business and utilizing technology and systems in appropriate ways.” David Hoyt, Jefferson, IA
“I really feel that Ernie understands the challenges lawyers face when running their business.” —Bin Xia Zhang, Quebec, Canada
“I have been practicing law for nearly 43 years. So, I’ve been around long enough to recognize the real deal. Ernie is the real deal.” – Tom Walker, Boise, ID
“Will steer you clear of the distracting shiny objects and keeps you calmly focused on the essentials for success in the business of your law firm.” —Page Kistler, Virginia Beach, VA
“I’m a true believer. I think you are showing lawyers how to transform small-firm practices in a way I don’t see anyone else being able to do.” —Todd Smith, Austin, T
Before working with Ernie I had trouble focusing on the tasks that were most likely to ‘move the needle’ in growing my practice. I’ve really appreciated everything he’s done to help my law practice be a a sucess.
Ernie is smart, engaging and has tremoundous knowledge about the ‘business’ of practicing law. I absolutely recommend him to other lawyers who want to improve the way they practice law. —Edwin Cook, Atlanta, GA
“It is clear that you love helping people.”—Catherine Fairchild
A Now a Word From Ernie…
Yes, it’s true…I really do enjoy helping people, especially lawyers who yearn to tap the power of technology to dramatically improve their practices.
And so, if you want my help too, just…
