Growing with Referrals and Improving Efficiency with Automations
How Chris Keller Built an 80-Person Firm
In this honest and practical 41-minute interview, Chris shares how he:
- Built referral systems that still power the firm’s growth
- Invested in intake to maximize ROI from LSAs, PPC, and SEO
- Uses a data engineer and dashboards to track profitability
- Embraced AI and automation – from voice agents to referral reporting
- Built a personal brand that supports his firm’s growth
- Transformed his life and leadership with daily discipline and intention
If you’re looking to grow through referrals, improve intake, or make your systems work smarter, or live a more intentional life, this interview delivers.
Kara Prior is president of James Publishing and co-founder of James Amplifier. She spends most of her time talking to attorneys about how to improve their marketing results.
Kara has a vast marketing and writing background, working for several newspapers and managing Entrepreneur magazine’s 100,000-member social network before joining James Publishing 13 years ago. Kara is co-author of three books: More Referrals from Lawyers, The Most Effective Law Firm Marketing Agencies, and How Small Law Firms Can Obtain More Referrals.
She is the mother of two young boys, and was captain of her Division 1 college swim team.
Chris Keller is an accomplished plaintiff’s personal injury attorney and co-founder of Keller Swan Injury Attorneys. With over 200 jury trials and more than 300 personal injury cases successfully resolved, Chris brings a rare combination of deep litigation experience and strategic business insight to his practice. Prior to launching his firm, he built his trial chops as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties and later sharpened his civil litigation skills at a respected West Palm Beach firm.
A firm believer in intentional growth, Chris has applied that same discipline to building a thriving law practice. He understands the power of relationships and systems in scaling legal services and is passionate about helping fellow attorneys grow through referrals and meaningful collaboration. Chris also hosts the First Light Podcast, where he explores the habits and mindset that fuel personal and professional transformation—principles that directly influence his approach to leadership, law firm development, and life.
