The 2025 Game Changers Summit has become known as a large-scale celebration of the accomplishments of the nation’s top law firm owners.
For the third consecutive year, Michael and Jessica Mogill took the stage throughout the two-day Summit to recognize the most committed Crisp Coach members for their incredible transformations and contributions this year.
This highly anticipated set of distinctions has become known as the Crisp Game Changer Awards.
Winners of these carefully vetted, highly prestigious awards were determined based on specific results each firm generated, each leader’s commitment to their goals, and more.
While Firm of the Year Awards at each level (ELITE, PREMIER, SELECT, and CrispX) were reserved for Day 2, four firm owners were celebrated on Day 1 for Excellence in the following categories:
- Excellence in Visionary Leadership
- Excellence in Client Experience
- Excellence in Community Impact
- Excellence in Firm Culture
While there were many worthy firms that applied, one firm stood out and truly earned the title of Excellence in Community Impact: Stevin Groth of Groth & Associates!
Meet Stevin Groth
Some attorneys stumble into law firm ownership. However, Stevin Groth walked into it with eyes wide open.
About a quarter of a century ago, Stevin left his position as an Assistant Prosecutor in Lucas County in Toledo, Ohio, to launch Groth & Associates. His firm’s beginnings were humble. He first worked out of a cramped, $200-per-month office in the back of a glass-and-mirror building. He maxed out his credit cards to buy a full-page Yellow Pages ad and answered every phone call himself. He also took cases that would have made other lawyers walk away.
“I sometimes wonder what I was thinking,” Stevin admits, looking back. “Who would ever hire a lawyer in this dumpy little office? But through sheer grit and some credit card debt, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.”
The decision to go solo wasn’t about ego. It was about the freedom to build something meaningful. He wanted to serve clients the way he believed they deserved to be served and create a firm that reflected his values, particularly his deep commitment to his community.
Today, Groth & Associates is a 13-attorney multi-practice firm serving Northwest Ohio with a focus on criminal defense, personal injury, and family law. The firm boasts more than 500 five-star Google reviews and a reputation for both legal excellence and genuine care for the people it serves. What started in that cramped one-room office has grown into one of Toledo’s most respected law firms.
But the journey from that tiny office to a thriving firm wasn’t a straight line, and for years, Stevin’s passion for serving his community was hampered by the very business he’d built to enable it.
A Commitment to Community Impact From Day One
By any external measure, Groth & Associates was successful. The cases flowed in, its reputation was solid, and the team was talented.
But internally, Stevin knew something was deeply wrong. He was running his firm, as he puts it, “like a fraternity house.”
There were no real systems, no structure, and no standard operating procedures.
“We couldn’t even spell SOP if you spotted me the S and the O,” he jokes now, though it wasn’t funny at the time.
Every day was survival mode. Every problem demanded Stevin’s personal attention because no one else had the context or a framework to help them handle it. He was the busiest attorney in his own practice, which meant he had no bandwidth for the strategic thinking that would actually grow the firm or expand its impact.
The lack of structure created far more than just operational chaos. It also created vulnerabilities. Stevin faced devastating setbacks from attorneys who worked for him and took advantage of the loose environment. Some team members siphoned funds, and attorneys simply stopped opening their mail, leaving stacks of correspondence to pile up while client matters languished.
“I tend to trust people,” Stevin explains. “We’re all busy professionals. You’d like to think the best. But there were times you just wonder, ‘Is it all worth it? Would I be better off just doing this by myself?’”
Yet, through it all, Stevin kept showing up. He kept building. He still believed that with the right tools and structure, his team could do extraordinary things. He knew the foundation was solid, but he needed a blueprint to scale operations properly.
More than that, Stevin knew he wanted Groth & Associates to be more than just another law firm collecting fees and winning cases. He wanted his practice to be a force for good in Toledo and to give back to the community that had given him so much. But without the business infrastructure to support that vision, his impact remained limited to individual acts of kindness rather than systematic, scalable community engagement.
“I knew we could be so much better,” Stevin reflects. “I knew I could be better. But I didn’t have the courage or the structure to make it happen.”
How Crisp Coach Enabled Systematic Community Impact
Building the Foundation: Systems That Create Freedom
The first step in transforming Groth & Associates wasn’t about marketing or growth tactics. It was about creating the operational backbone the firm desperately needed.
Through Crisp Coach, Stevin gained access to frameworks and tools for building standard operating procedures, documenting processes, and creating accountability structures that would eventually free him to focus on what mattered most.
“The coaching program was what I needed big time,” Stevin explains. “Crisp continues to double down and triple down on all the things that we need as lawyers. It would have been easy for me to keep doing what I was doing. I was 62 years old. I was doing pretty good as a lawyer. I could have kept paying off my bills, enjoying a few vacations. But I wanted to see how good I could be.”
These operational workflows weren’t just theoretical; they were practical, implementable systems that addressed the specific challenges law firms face. Stevin learned how to document his best practices so they could be replicated. The Crisp team helped him create accountability without micromanagement and ultimately build a firm that could function even when he wasn’t personally involved in every decision.
While the transformation didn’t happen overnight, it was systematic and undeniable. What used to create anxiety now creates confidence. The day-to-day issues that previously required Stevin’s attention now run through clear processes. Most importantly, he’s now able to focus on strategic tasks and scaling the firm’s impact in the community.
Developing the Courage to Lead with Purpose
Systems alone don’t transform a firm. Firms require leaders dedicated to implementing these systems, enforcing them, and modeling them. For Stevin, Crisp Coach provided more than just operational frameworks. The program provided the motivation and accountability to become the leader his firm needed.
“If I had to pick one word, it’s motivation,” Stevin says. “It motivated me to do the things I didn’t have the guts or courage or structure to do.”
Working with Crisp’s coaches challenged Stevin to reach for more. They didn’t offer cheerleading or empty encouragement but instead gave him the kind of honest, direct coaching that helps successful people become exceptional. It gave Stevin permission to stop accepting “good enough” and start building something stronger.
Learning from a Community of Builders
One of the most valuable aspects of Stevin’s Crisp journey has been connecting with other law firm owners who understand his challenges firsthand. Stevin has attended every single Game Changers Summit since its inception, as well as the EVOLVE Virtual Summit in 2021.
“Now, when I come to the Summits, I feel like it’s my community. These are my people, my friends,” Stevin shares. “I’m always astonished. I love the speeches, the camaraderie, the experience. You just know you’re in for an awesome session.”
The lessons Stevin has learned at the Summits became fuel for his own resilience. When multiple family law attorneys left his firm simultaneously, creating immense pressure, Stevin didn’t panic.
He reflects, “I heard these stories over and over again. People either lost everything or had nothing, and they just made that decision that this was not going to be the end. We weren’t going to shut it all down.”
His team saw him handle the crisis with grace — no panicking, just steady leadership working through the problem. That resilience didn’t come from Stevin’s natural personality alone. It came from years of hearing how other successful firm owners had faced similar challenges and emerged stronger.
Creating Space for Strategic Community Engagement
With systems in place, capable coaches providing accountability, and a community reinforcing his vision, Stevin finally had something he’d never had before: the mental and emotional bandwidth to think strategically about his firm and its role in the community.
Stevin is still one of the busiest attorneys in his practice, but the nature of his work has changed. Instead of constantly putting out fires, he can focus on preventing them. Instead of reacting to chaos, he can create systems that generate predictable, positive outcomes.
This shift created space for Stevin to think seriously about the community impact he’s always wanted to make. With his business fundamentals finally solid, he could explore questions that had been buried under operational crisis: How could Groth & Associates give back in meaningful, systematic ways? How could the firm’s success translate into community benefit?
The answer came in the form of a simple but powerful commitment: monthly team engagement events where the staff comes together to support their community.
Community Impact at Groth & Associates
For Stevin and his team, community involvement isn’t a marketing tactic or an occasional gesture. It’s woven into the fabric of who they are as a firm. With the operational foundation provided by Crisp Coach, Groth & Associates transformed their commitment to community from aspiration into systematic action.
“Whether we’re helping organize a food drive, walking in a charity 5k, or supporting a local school initiative, our goal is the same: make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” Stevin explains.
The firm’s approach to community engagement is both structured and heartfelt. Every month, the entire Groth & Associates team participates in a team engagement event focused on supporting a local non-profit, charity, or community member. These hands-on initiatives reflect the firm’s values and directly address the needs of its Toledo neighbors.
Supporting Toledo’s Most Vulnerable
Groth’s community impact manifests in a myriad of ways. For example, in June 2025, the firm recognized World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by spending the entire month collecting donations for Heatherdowns Rehabilitation Center. But the team didn’t just write a check. Instead, they identified the facility’s specific needs, rallied together, and cleared the facility’s entire wish list, providing everything from craft supplies to bingo prizes to boom boxes and speakers so residents could enjoy their favorite audiobooks and music.
“We believe our elders deserve dignity, respect, and a sense of community. We’re grateful to be able to give back in ways, big and small, that remind them they are valued and loved,” the team wrote on their Facebook page.
That same spirit of meeting people where they are extends to families experiencing homelessness. In July 2025, coinciding with National Give Something Away Day, the Groth & Associates team spent the month going through their homes to collect donations for Family House, a local non-profit providing emergency shelter and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness in Toledo.
Honoring What Matters Most
Some of the firm’s most meaningful community initiatives have come from deeply personal places. In September 2024, the team honored three beloved family dogs who had passed away — Aunt Bethany, Ruby Sue, and Griswold — by collecting donations for the Toledo Humane Society throughout the month. Their goal was simple but powerful: give more dogs a chance at the love and comfort they deserve.
Thanks to the team’s generosity, they sponsored the adoptions of three dogs who had been waiting the longest for their forever homes: Boston, Gemma, and Olive.
“While we hoped to sponsor senior pups in honor of Aunt Bethany and her fellow golden-hearted friends, there weren’t any elderly dogs waiting for homes,” the team explained on the firm’s Facebook page. “Instead, we chose the ones who had been at the shelter the longest, the ones still waiting for their forever family. No dog should spend their days waiting in a kennel when they could be curled up on a couch, chasing squeaky toys, or simply being someone’s best friend.”
Recognizing Everyday Heroes
For Groth & Associates, community impact means recognizing the everyday people who make their community work. In May 2025, for National Waitstaff Appreciation Day, the firm held its annual dinner with a secret mission in mind. The team had quietly collected money to surprise their server with a generous tip as a way to show gratitude for hardworking individuals in the service industry.
Their waitress that evening was kind, patient, and incredibly attentive despite the large group showing up without warning. At the end of the meal, the team surprised her with a 203% tip.
Investing in the Next Generation
Beyond monthly team engagement events, Groth & Associates has also established the Survivors Speak: Moving Forward Through Hardship Scholarship, a $1,000 annual scholarship for students who have experienced significant hardships. The scholarship recognizes that adversity often builds the resilience and character that make exceptional leaders, professionals, and community members.
“There’s always room to do more,” Stevin reflects. “But what matters most is that giving back isn’t something we do occasionally when it’s convenient. It’s part of who we are, every single month, as a team.”
Groth & Associates Today: Living Their Values Daily
Visit downtown Toledo today and you’ll find Groth & Associates operating with a confidence and competence that would have seemed impossible to Stevin 20-some years ago when he was maxing out credit cards in that cramped back office.
“I’m very proud of our team,” Stevin says simply. “When I see our social media presence, when I see our reviews, and I see what we’ve built, it was all worth it.”
Being part of the Crisp Coach community has been instrumental in this transformation and in scaling the firm’s charitable initiatives. The systems, the coaching, the community of fellow law firm owners, all of it created the foundation that allows Groth & Associates to operate with excellence while giving back consistently.
At 62, when many attorneys are thinking about slowing down, Stevin is planning to practice for another 25 years.
“We’ll see what happens when I hit 90. Maybe I’ll consider retiring then,” he jokes.
The next 25 years look awfully promising for a firm built with nothing but grit, credit card debt, and a dream of making a real difference.
