Great Mediator. Struggling Practice? Here’s What You’re Missing with Natalie Armstrong-Motin on the Practice Playbook Podcast #476

You can be an excellent professional, mediator, or lawyer and still struggle to build a successful practice. It may be one of the most frustrating truths about these professions, because knowing how to carry out your craft and knowing how to build a business around it are two entirely different skill sets. That is why we are tackling the questions heard most often from practitioners about what might actually be missing and why they are struggling so much. Joining Susan Guthrie on this week's episode of *The Practice Playbook Practice* is Natalie Armstrong Motin. She has helped mediators, arbitrators, and other dispute resolution professionals build and market their practices for over three decades, and draws on her new book, *Build Your Mediation Practice: The Complete Marketing and Business Development Guide for Mediators and Arbitrators*, to walk through them. Where do the cases come from? Do I really need a niche? How do I market myself without feeling like I'm selling myself? Why am I doing all the things and still not getting traction? And when the phone rings or the email lands, now what? If these questions have been coming to mind, then this episode has the answers. This conversation is much more than marketing. It explores why building a practice requires a fundamental shift in mindset, why trying to be everything to everyone may be costing you business, and why becoming known isn't about constantly talking about yourself. Whether you're building your first mediation practice, transitioning from another professional career, or wondering why an established practice isn't growing the way you want it to, there's something here for everyone. What You'll Learn - Why being a businessperson who also mediates, rather than a mediator trying to grow a business, changes how you think about virtually everything else - How niching down can make it much easier for the right business to find you - Why the best marketing is listening to people and serving them before they ever need to hire you - How long transitioning a litigation practice into a mediation practice really takes, and why consistency matters more than going viral - What prospective clients should experience before they ever enter your practice room - Why a successful practice is built through hundreds of small decisions about who you serve, how you show up, and what people experience when they finally find you About Our Guest Mrs. Armstrong-Motin, Founder and Managing Director of Marketing Resolution, is the author of “The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice”. She is frequently invited to speak around the globe on the successful marketing strategies of the resolution and legal industry. As a personal consultant to many of the premier providers in the ADR industry, her company, Marketing Resolution, has designed and developed hundreds of campaigns for private practices, firms, educational institutions, authors, organizations and associations around the world. Mrs. Armstrong-Motin has received certificates in both Mediation and Arbitration from the Institute of Conflict Management and International Mediation from both Tulane University School of Law and Humboldt University School of Law in Berlin Germany. She has received more than 150 hours in training in numerous national and international mediation, arbitration and communication courses. Mrs. Armstrong-Motin’s professional education background is in conflict resolution, sociology and criminal psychology. She is currently working with the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section, ADR Institute of British Columbia, and the Association for Conflict Resolution in the USA. She was Vice President of the Southern California Mediation Association and Chair of the Membership Committee, a member of the Board of the London Club. Mrs. Armstrong-Motin has served on the Board of the California Dispute Resolution Council. For the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section she served as Vice-Chair of Practice Development Committee and as the Co-Chair of the Standing Committee for Practice, Business and Skills Development. Website: https://www.howtomarketmymediationpractice.com/ Book: Build Your Mediation Practice LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marketingresolution The Business Plan Playbook, Second Edition *The Business Plan Playbook, Second Edition* is now available! This new edition introduces the Living Practice Plan™ and helps lawyers, mediators, dispute resolution professionals, consultants, coaches, and other service-based professionals examine the practice they have inherited, reacted into, or intentionally designed. Pricing is one part of that larger design. Your fees connect to your services, client experience, delivery model, visibility, systems, technology, revenue goals, and capacity. The Second Edition helps you look at those pieces together so you can build a practice by design, not by default. Learn more at intentionalpracticedesign.com. Join the Practice Accelerator The Practice Accelerator is the place to work through the ideas from *The Practice Playbook Podcast* and *The Practice Playbook Series* in a supportive online community. For $99/month, members receive: →Three live working sessions every month   →Coaching from me in the community board and in every group session   →The Business Plan Playbook, Second Edition, as a printable PDF   →An Accelerator-only implementation guide with every new Practice Playbook Podcast episode   It is designed for lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, dispute resolution professionals, consultants, and other service-based professionals who want practical tools, accountability, and support as they build by design, not by default. Learn more at susaneguthrie.com/accelerator. Take the Practice Design Assessment Not sure where to begin? Take the Practice Design Assessment to see where your practice may be inherited, reactive, or intentionally designed, and where one intentional redesign could create the greatest relief, clarity, or momentum. Start the assessment at intentionalpracticedesign.com/assessment. Meet Our Creator and Host: Susan Guthrie Susan E. Guthrie is one of the most respected voices in law, mediation and conflict resolution today. A nationally recognized family law attorney and mediator for 35 years, she is now a top professional coach and consultant helping dispute resolution and legal professionals build thriving, modern practices. Susan recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast, expanding her reach to an even broader audience and highlighting her role as a trusted expert in divorce, communication, and modern conflict resolution. She is also the creator and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast, ranked in the top 1% worldwide, with millions of listeners and a global following. As Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Susan continues to shape the future of the profession while training and mentoring practitioners around the world. Connect with Susan E. Guthrie Website: https://susaneguthrie.com Books: https://susaneguthrie.com/books Practice Playbook Series: https://intentionalpracticedesign.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie Instagram: @susaneguthrie and @practiceplaybookpodcast  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe to The Practice Playbook Podcast on your favorite platform, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a colleague or professional friend who would benefit from this conversation. Your support helps us continue bringing practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and meaningful conversations to lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and entrepreneurial professionals looking to build stronger, smarter, and more sustainable practices. *And as always, please remember that this podcast is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice, business advice, or professional advice of any kind, and listening to this podcast does not create any attorney-client or professional relationship.*