“Most law firm owners think they have a people problem. What they really have is a systems problem.” Anthony Karls
Growth rarely fails from a lack of effort, but it breaks down when there are no systems to absorb that effort.
Anthony Karls develops his expertise from direct experience building and operating a law firm and systems that last long.
At Sterling Lawyers, he co-founded the firm and helped scale it to over 30 attorneys and $15 million in annual revenue.
His responsibilities include intake systems, team development, pricing models, client communication, and marketing operations.
He builds every system in-house. Every process is measured and tied to performance. Over time, his team invests $78.6 million in testing intake scripts, pricing strategies, media budgets, team training, and workflow optimization.
Nothing is outsourced. The systems that drive firm growth are created internally and refined through execution.
Scaling a Law Firm Through Infrastructure
At Sterling Lawyers, growth happens through infrastructure, not guesswork. Karls serves as both CMO and President. He leads internal alignment across marketing, sales, client service, and legal operations.
Every department is connected to the same mission: to empower the client.
He develops systems to manage lead flow, intake conversion, retention, and attorney development. Client experience is treated as an operational discipline. Intake scripts are tested.
Pricing is aligned with value. Campaigns are tracked by ROI, not impressions. Internal data informs all decisions.
The firm expands to multiple offices across Wisconsin and Illinois.
Each new location follows the same system. The result is a consistent and scalable operation grounded in tested processes, not outside theory.
Building Systems That Scale Beyond One Firm
Karls leads growth at Sterling Lawyers with a clear focus on operational discipline. That foundation becomes the basis for a second venture: Rocket Clicks.
Originally built to serve Sterling’s internal marketing needs, Rocket Clicks evolves into a performance marketing agency. Karls becomes President and guides the agency with the same system-based thinking. Rocket Clicks focuses on helping law firms apply proven frameworks—not just run ad campaigns.
The agency works with family law firms that need clarity around marketing, intake, and performance tracking. The approach is rooted in execution. Every campaign is tied to revenue. Every process is mapped. No abstract strategy. Just systems that work.
Karls also supports firm leaders through Karls Consulting, where he provides fractional CMO guidance. The work is tactical. He helps firms fix intake, structure offers, hire better, and scale without losing quality. The consulting model is based on the systems already proven at Sterling and Rocket Clicks.
Publishing What Works on Revenue Roadmap
Karls co-hosts the Revenue Roadmap podcast alongside Rocket Clicks CEO Tyler Dolph. The show focuses on law firm growth from a systems perspective.
Each episode features real-world conversations with firm owners and operators.
Topics include:
- Mapping the full marketing waterfall from lead to signed client.
- Aligning sales strategy with leadership values.
- Developing intake workflows that convert.
- Building local visibility with operational consistency.
- Structuring client-centered pricing.
Karls also shares his Align–Develop–Transition model for team growth. Episodes break down frameworks that can be implemented immediately. No fluff. Just tested processes and decision-making tools from law firm operators.
Operational Trust Built on Shared Execution
I currently work with Rocket Clicks through a long-standing relationship with Jeff Hughes. We’ve supported his sons—Liam Hughes and Jack Hughes—with lead generation and digital strategy. Liam leads initiatives in Rocket Clicks’ family law growth division. Jack supports performance and delivery.
Through that collaboration, I met Anthony Karls. Together, we build a Content Factory Strategy that reflects Rocket Clicks’ internal playbook. The goal isn’t visibility for visibility’s sake. It’s a structured authority rooted in systems that have already been proven.
Anthony brings operational clarity. We’re documenting real systems that help law firms scale.
What Law Firms Actually Need to Scale
Karls focuses on building systems around these five principles:
- Client-first alignment: Every part of the firm—from intake to billing—must serve the client’s outcome.
- Performance-based tracking: Measure what matters. Revenue, not activity.
- Local visibility infrastructure: Clean citations, consistent reviews, and GBP accuracy tied to lead flow.
- Team development: Clear roles and coaching through the Align–Develop–Transition framework.
- Full-funnel accountability: Track the entire client journey and fix weak points.
These are real systems created and tested in a functioning firm. That’s what makes them transferable.
Law Firm Growth Is an Operations Problem
Karls doesn’t position law firm growth as a marketing challenge. He sees it as an operational one. Most breakdowns in revenue are linked to poor intake, unclear pricing, weak follow-up, or leadership gaps—not lead volume.
His work focuses on solving those problems first. Campaigns only scale when systems are stable. That principle is behind everything he builds at Sterling, Rocket Clicks, and through consulting.
The lessons aren’t proprietary. They’re documented and shared through content, podcast episodes, and ongoing work with firms in the field.
Summary
Anthony Karls builds law firm growth systems from inside the business. He scales Sterling Lawyers through tested processes. He applies the same approach at Rocket Clicks. He shares those systems publicly through the Revenue Roadmap podcast.
His frameworks cover intake, pricing, team development, client experience, and performance tracking. They’re not opinions. They’re operational models tied to measurable outcomes.
Firms that want to grow need more than ideas. They need systems that work. That’s what Karls delivers—and why he becomes a trusted voice in law firm growth.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations.
He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications.
Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries.
Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.