How Bichler & Longo Launched a Podcast That Helps Them Get More Cases (Without it Taking Up Their Time)

Paolo Longo is a practicing trial lawyer of 25 years who felt his law firm, Bichler & Longo, would benefit from having educational content to help their audience understand the law, as well as who to hire if and when the time came. He decided that he, along with his partner Geoff Bichler, would launch a podcast and YouTube channel called Shielded.

They have a super focused niche: work-related disability claims for Florida’s first responders. Paolo knew there’s a ton of value in just teaching first responders what their rights are, and how to make sure they have all of their bases covered before something bad happens.

The problem is he had no idea how to launch a podcast.

Zero Idea How to Start

After months of trying to start, including trying to work with an expensive production company, he was at a loss. Here’s what he said:

On top of practicing law and running a firm, he’s a family man; he also doesn’t have all the time in the world to produce a show with his equally busy law partner, let alone waste a bunch of time with trial and error.

Knowing how important the show was to him, the firm managers looked for someone who could help; thanks to my friend Maddy, we got connected.

I love their mission and who they help; they have some incredible stories and their advocacy work is admirable. After a short conversation, I knew we’d be a great fit, and we got to work.

A Podcast That Wouldn’t Take Up Too Much Time (or Distract From Their Mission)

One of the biggest challenges was launching a show that Paolo and Geoff could do in a way their schedules allowed. That meant removing all friction from getting Paolo and Geoff together to record.

We started with a call so I could understand how they worked, and what constraints we had. That way we could build a system they’d actually use.

The System for Producing Shielded

After working on the positioning, schedule, and format for the show, we put together a system that worked for both Paolo and Geoff.

A Format that Works for Them

The format was actually key: instead of making this an interview show, we decided on host/co-host, with optional guests from time to time. That way, Paolo and Geoff could have a monthly standing meeting on their calendars to record some episodes. They could add in guests when it made sense, but it was never a bottleneck.

And we decided on every 2 weeks, allowing them to stay consistent and slowly build a library of episodes.

As for prep, they’re both so knowledgeable in their area of expertise that they don’t need much beyond a loose outline or some prompts (a huge benefit of having a niched show). Just a few notes and talking points — not a ton of research OR winging it.

The Show’s Technical Aspects

Because the actual recording, editing, and publishing was going to fall to Paolo (at least starting out), we wanted to make this as easy as possible for him. We decided to go with Riverside, which allows him to do everything in one place.

I worked with him on how to edit, and we created templates to make the editing easier. I also created a series of videos and SOPs for reference…or in case he does want to hand it off later.

As always, the system came down to three areas: time, tasks, and tools. We made sure to build a show Paolo and Geoff would have time for, not one that everyone else says they should have.

We boiled the show down to just the main tasks — recording good, educational conversations. We didn’t talk about clips, repurposing, or blog posts. Paolo knew that the show would spread via word of mouth in their niche. We also knew that adding too much all at once would guarantee failure.

And the tools…or should I say tool. While there may be better tools for each job Riverside does, Riverside would enable Paolo to do the show now without learning too many things, or complicated processes for publishing the show.

Things can always evolve as the show evolves.

The Results

So…how did it go launching a podcast for two high-level, experienced but not technical partners in a law practice? I’ll let Paolo tell you himself:

Joe didn’t just give me the answers, he walked me through the entire podcasting process step by step. From the very first call, he took what felt overwhelming and made it clear, manageable, and even exciting! Every technical hurdle, every question I had, he met with patience, expertise, and practical solutions that actually worked for my show.

What sets Joe apart is that he doesn’t just teach you how to launch a podcast but rather teaches you how to build a system that saves you time, helps you stay consistent, and gives you the confidence to grow your audience.

I was SO excited to read this. But not as excited as I was when I followed up 6 months later, when he said:

Paolo went from having no time and no idea of what to do, to having a system that helps him create a show that gets him clients without hiring a team. Here’s Paolo one more time:

I started with almost no knowledge of the tools, platforms, or workflows but thanks to Joe’s coaching, I’m now confidently producing and scaling my own show.

[If you] feel stuck, confused, or overwhelmed, Joe is the person to help you break through that barrier. I couldn’t be more grateful for the clarity, momentum, and support he provided and I highly recommend him to anyone who wants real results and a real path forward…

That’s the kind of transformation I love to see.