How Greg Colburn Built His Firm on Empathy, Then He Built the Systems to Match

How We Helped

Defining Values That Could Actually Be Enforced.
Before working with Crisp, Colburn Law had no defined core values, and there was no shared language for the team’s standards. But strategic guidance in Crisp’s business coaching program helped Greg establish three core values: Empathy, No Assholes, and Accountability.

Implementing these newly defined values helped him reshape the hiring funnel, hold three weekly morning huddles, update case reviews, and create client communication standards. When a paralegal became combative with a client, Greg terminated them within 24 hours. Before coaching, he admitted he would have been slower to act.

The team also completed on-site training in Kolbe and PRINT, personality and communication assessments to help team members understand how they and their colleagues work. Those insights improved both internal relationships and how the team interacted with clients.

“Our entire law firm has experienced a tidal cultural shift since joining Crisp,” Greg said.

From Solo Practitioner to Managing Attorney.
One of the most consequential decisions Greg made was hiring a Legal Operations Specialist, which was a role he never expected to create. This hire freed Greg from administrative decisions that had consumed so much of his time. Finally, Greg was no longer the only lawyer in the firm. He could direct cases, develop team members, and focus on building the business instead of personally litigating every file.

“Had I not chosen to invest in the above leadership efforts, not only would the law firm not be on its current positive path, but we would have started to slide backwards,” Greg said. “The pace at which I was personally operating was not capable of being maintained and would have undoubtedly resulted in errors, reputational harm, and burnout.”

He implemented time blocking into his daily schedule, protecting chunks of his day from interruption except for defined emergencies. Internal promotions became a regular part of the firm’s development, and Greg found genuine satisfaction in watching his team succeed. He described himself as “a coach versus a player,” and meant it.

Building a Culture People Want to Protect.
With the core values established, Greg built the rituals and recognition systems to reinforce them in the firm’s culture. The firm developed an employee handbook and created a Party Planning Committee that meets twice a month to organize quarterly team events and monitor the firm’s culture. The firm awards a Team Member of the Quarter with a personalized Funko Pop and uses Celebration Surveys to recognize high performers or support team members going through difficult stretches. Monthly lunch-and-learns also provide dedicated time to study specific topics together, from client communication tone to the limitations of email as a medium.

These shared experiences and the recognition systems reinforce the core values, and the people who thrive in that environment stay.

Turning Client Communication into a Consistent Standard.
Client communication had been the firm’s most persistent struggle. Greg identified it as the number one issue holding back the client experience. They improved trigger-based contact management through their case management software, then audited, optimized, and retrained the entire team on the system. The firm also set up a client portal that tracks Net Promoter Scores and gives clients a real-time window into their case status.

The core values provided a framework for handling harder conversations. Empathy kept the team from taking client frustrations personally. Accountability pushed them to resolve issues rather than deflect. And the results showed up in a measurable increase in five-star Google reviews.

Creating a Marketing Engine Built on an Authentic Story.
Before Crisp, Colburn Law’s online presence depended almost entirely on organic search. There was no paid media strategy, almost no social presence, and very little brand-driven traffic. The firm could only capture people who were already searching for a personal injury lawyer. It had no way to put itself in front of potential clients before they ever needed a lawyer.

Social Stack and Streaming Stack helped Colburn Law increase its visibility and reach across digital channels. The firm also made concerted efforts to strengthen its online presence and lead generation, including increasing Google reviews and investing more heavily in brand awareness campaigns. Colburn Law has since relaunched its website and continues to update it with fresh content.

As a result, new audiences who had never heard of Colburn Law were now discovering the firm online, spending meaningful time on the website, and calling for consultations.

At the same time, the firm’s name started showing up everywhere. Direct traffic to the website increased 162%, meaning more people typed “Colburn Law” directly into their browser because they already knew about the firm. Branded searches for the firm’s name spiked over 800%. The paid and social campaigns expanded the firm’s reach far beyond traditional search traffic, putting Colburn Law in front of new audiences so potential clients immediately called when they needed help.

Colburn Law also overhauled its marketing systems to keep the engine running smoothly. The team focused on building the internal infrastructure needed to make better decisions, including implementing KPI tracking, automated pipeline reporting, and a structured marketing budget. They also implemented DOMO and Periscope to provide real-time performance tracking and revenue forecasting, giving leadership greater visibility into marketing and business outcomes. The firm also invested in marketing talent, including a marketing hire made through Crisp Recruit.

A brand video produced through Crisp Video became a defining piece of the firm’s marketing. In it, Greg shared his personal story: the fall, the wheelchair, the 80 rejections, and the promise that drove him to found his firm. The video won three 2025 Telly Awards and helped the firm sign a client with a case valued between $600,000 and $1.2 million after they watched it. Since its release, strangers have even approached Greg in public to tell him they saw the video and connected with his story.

Becoming Visible in the Community.
Before Crisp, Colburn Law had virtually no community presence. Greg was candid about why.

“I let my fear of being evaluated by other lawyers impact my willingness to become involved in the community.”

Coaching gave him the push to change that. Fast forward to 2026 and Colburn Law has multiple strategic partnerships and sponsorships, including with the University of Washington athletics. The firm also sponsored the Cascade Cup, a regional youth soccer tournament with 10,000 visitors, and became an “Offishal Spawnsor” of Salmon Days, a two-day Sea Fair event drawing 150,000 visitors.

The firm is also actively involved in community events and networking. Greg spoke to his children’s classes about the role of lawyers and the legislative branch. Colburn Law began its own holiday card initiative and is now creating branded merchandise.

Greg stepped in front of the camera again when he accepted an alumni profile in the Seattle University School of Law magazine and a feature in Lawyer Magazine in Spring 2025.