Feb. 4, 2026 – What if the biggest barrier to a better-run practice is not your caseload, but the stories you tell yourself about how your firm “has to” operate?

In this episode of the Practice Pulse podcast, Practice Management Advisor Brent Hoeft challenges lawyers to rethink how they manage their practice and to get honest about why change can feel so hard. He unpacks the mindsets that quietly keep firms stuck, including the comfort of the status quo and the sunk cost fallacy – the instinct to keep doing something simply because you’ve already invested time, money, or energy in it.

Hoeft then lays out a practical path forward built on lean, continuous improvement: identify a problem, break the solution into manageable steps, implement with intention, and evaluate what works. The conversation also emphasizes the value of client feedback, the importance of reviewing changes regularly so they actually stick, and the reality that failure is not a dead end – it is part of the learning process.

The episode also tackles legal tech with the right balance: technology can boost efficiency and service, but only when it is implemented thoughtfully. The takeaway is simple and motivating: Build a culture where improvement is normal, measurable, and shared across the firm.

Listen to more episodes of the Practice Pulse at wisbar.org/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rethinking Law Practice

03:11 Understanding Resistance to Change

04:42 Mindsets That Hinder Improvement

10:25 Continuous Improvement in Law Firms

15:46 Evaluating Change and Continuous Feedback

21:02 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

25:48 Outro