Clio Con Clips 2025 - Jesse Harink & Nefra MacDonald - E01

0:00Nefra MacDonald:Welcome to ClioCon Clips 2025, recorded live from Boston and proudly sponsored by Clio, the world's leading legal technology company transforming the legal experience for all. I'm your host, Rob Hanna, and over this special Legally Speaking podcast series, we'll be bringing you exclusive conversations with the brilliant minds behind Clio, the innovators, strategists, visionaries driving one of the most transformative companies in legal tech. Across these interviews, we'll explore how Clio is uniting brilliance across teams, technology and communities worldwide. From AI and data to leadership, culture and the future of client experience, you'll hear from people shaping what's next for law and redefining what's possible for legal professionals everywhere.

0:45Nefra MacDonald:So whether you're a lawyer, technologist or leader passionate about innovation, you're in the right place. This ClioCon Clips 2025 is where brilliance meets purpose and the future of law takes shape. Let's get into it.

1:03Nefra MacDonald:Welcome to the Legally Speaking podcast, recording live here in Boston for our ClioCon Clips series 2025, sponsored by Clio. And I am joined by...

1:12Jesse Harink:Nefer McDonald, Director of Strategic Engagement at Clio.

1:16Nefra MacDonald:And I'm Jessie Herring, Manager of Employee Engagement at Clio. You sure are. We're going to have a little tour around ClioCon 2025 because these two beautiful people host the show. So let's go and have a little wander around. First things first, Nefra, I'd love for you to tell us a bit about your role at Clio and how the last 12 months have been for you.

1:33Jesse Harink:Oh, my. That's a loaded question. So my role at Clio is leading the team that produces the Clio Cloud Conference, our trade shows, our virtual events, our field events, bar association partnerships, which we have over 100 of all around the world, which is wonderful. So my team does a lot.

1:53Nefra MacDonald:It does a heck of a lot. My team does a lot.

1:55Jesse Harink:And the last 12 months have been pretty eventful. We've had an acquisition or two, lots of events in the field, introducing these new companies and the new version of Clio to the market, connecting with a lot of customers and prospects, and all the while getting ready for this big show.

2:15Nefra MacDonald:Absolutely. And Jesse, building on from that, we'd love for you to tell us a bit about your role in the last 12 months at Clear. And we're just wandering around. Tell people about sort of what we're seeing and experiencing right now. Yeah, of course. So first, we are just beside our exhibit hall here. And then just behind us is our main stage where we got our opening keynote from Jack. We got Esther Perel. We have Richard Susskind today. So it's where all the magic happens. Absolutely. I won't jump on a bed for that moment. That's it. And then I work in our employee engagement team. So on Nefra's point, we've had a really busy last 12 months with acquisitions and really the people side.

2:51Nefra MacDonald:Because with a company, you're getting new products, but you're also getting these new team members that are adjusting to a new culture, how we do things. And so I work a lot on that side of helping to bring them into the fold in a meaningful way. You both do such a great job and you both bounce off each other so well. So Nefra, coming back to you, as we go around, we're going to probably go up to the product lab now. Yes. Tell us about some of the thoughts you go through when putting something like this on. What are some of the minor details that you really kind of fixate on? Because it's very clear that you go to town on all the little things to bring this together.

3:21Jesse Harink:Yes. We want to think about the attendee experience through and through. From the moment they walk into this space, this convention center, what are they seeing? What are the visuals that they're getting? Do they know where to go? Are there friendly people there smiling at them? and helping to direct them if they're lost. Does our technology make sense? Does it help them to navigate the space? Are we serving fish? We are not. It does not smell like fish in this exhibit hall. That is a no-no for conferences. So all of the details, you know, you want to think about the sights, the sounds, the smells.

3:58Jesse Harink:This branding is pretty beautiful. And with these archways, for example, you can't miss that this is where you should be entering the Clio product lab. We've got concierges at the front to make sure that people know exactly where to check in. They can talk about why they're here. And we walk them right over to somebody who can actually talk to them about how we build the product. Like this is such unique access that our customers and prospects get to the team that's actually building the software. And they're here to listen and build the software tailored to the needs of our customers.

4:31Nefra MacDonald:Yeah, and that's so, so paramount. And Clio has continued to be client-centered. and I'm a big fan of Jack's book. I guess, Jessie, coming to you, year and year, I've been coming this is my third year to ClioCon with the show. I see exhibitors, but they come back time and time again, and new ones come back time and time again. Why do you think that is? I think for our exhibitors, and I heard from one of our attendees, they were like, going into the exhibit hall is like being able to shop all these new products and actually have these really personal connections with the people who create them.

4:58Nefra MacDonald:So I think for our exhibitors, it's this chance to meet people not just on a Zoom call, but have that in-person connection and really help develop that same connection that a lot of our attendees have with Clio, where you get to talk to their sales team. You get to experience that. And from both sides, I think our customers leave more knowledgeable about the different kind of integrations that we have. But our exhibitors also leave understanding a better breadth of kind of what the market is right now, where we're trending and where we're going. So it's very symbiotic for both. Absolutely. And Nefra, coming to you, we're on floor two.

5:32Nefra MacDonald:right now. I'd love to know why you chose the convention center specifically and just break it down in terms of how you think about levels and structuring a conference like this. Let's go check out the swag.

5:43Jesse Harink:Boston is such an amazing city. It's a city that I've come to for many years through childhood and to get to bring ClioCon and our customers and our attendees to such an amazing city is great. And it's a really big part of how we decide to put on the conference. The city is so important. We want to make it a place where people can actually experience something new and visit a really cool place. And we've got the Boston skyline over here on the shirts, which is pretty cool. So they get to take a little piece of Boston home with them if they choose. Also notice that it's printed right here on site so we're not getting any waste so you get to choose the shirt that you want the bag that you want if you don't want a shirt you get a bag and you get the experience of like watching somebody actually make it right in front of you like everything like we do is is supposed to be experiential and tactile so for example one of the quintessential things about Boston and in any city is the food.

6:46Jesse Harink:So tonight, for example, we're going to Time Out Market in Boston where they'll get to have a taste of Boston in one single place. They don't have to go to all the restaurants in Boston, but I highly recommend a lot of them. But they get to have a taste of the best in Boston in a single location along with, of course, Fire DJ, amazing cocktails, great conversations. It's going to be incredible.

7:11Nefra MacDonald:I can't wait. I loved MGM last night. That was a really good vibe. Great people. Jesse, one thing that really stood out to me, and I know Clio is very deeply passionate about, is an inclusive event and making sure you look after people's well-being. Because there is a lot of information overload. Coming to events like this, it could be quite hard to really process it all. And you put on a lot to really cater for those needs and people from different backgrounds. So I'd love for you to tell us a bit about some of those things you have put on this year, specifically to enhance the overall well-being of your attendees as well as them going away really informed and educated?

7:43Nefra MacDonald:At the core, internally at Clio, we believe in inclusivity and the benefits that that offers and I think that shows up in our conferences in creating spaces for all different types of people and different types of way that people engage with information. Some people need a quiet moment, some people need a really big party to kind of decompress at the end. And so between our different quiet rooms, work rooms, how we have different accessibility services available for people who are attending. And then also just our staff. I think our staff really, we want to create the best experience for people.

8:19Nefra MacDonald:So if we see somebody by themselves, we want to pull them into the conversation. We want to create this environment. So it's kind of this mix of all of that that creates this environment that is inclusive. And then I also just think Clio customers are inclusive. They care. They want to be a part of a community. They don't want to leave people out. So, yeah, it's both sides that come together to create this beautiful environment for people to thrive. And we have puppies. We do. We did miss the puppies, yes. Okay, we can grab them on the way back. Can we maybe go backstage? Yeah, let's go backstage.

8:52Nefra MacDonald:One of the things that's been repeatedly talked about this year from all the people I have spoken to, I'm in your capable hands now, Nefra, is Jack's keynote. It was incredible. I've, again, had the pleasure of seeing Jack and interviewed Jack many times, but that really came across as a standout keynote. So is this where we're going now is where he'll be pairing before he goes on stage? Talk us through what happens.

9:13Jesse Harink:Yeah, so we've got our speaker green room over there to the left. That's where we have some quiet meditative moments before we hit the stage. Make sure the glam is right. Get zhuzhed in the appropriate ways. Get a little snack, you know, when you're about to... Do you have a favorite snack? I like all the snacks. I am food forward. But, you know, it's pretty relaxing. Oh, wow.

9:42Nefra MacDonald:It's a nice view outside. We get some air in here. It's gorgeous. Yeah. It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And again, from yourselves, talk people through in terms of your roles on the actual two days here because I think you do a great job bouncing off each other, but I don't want to spoil it. Tell us about what you actually do over the two days to entertain us and educate us and keep us all very satisfied.

10:01Jesse Harink:So we open up and close the conference, but we also are sort of guiding people through the experience and through the day, like helping them to orient themselves, welcoming them to the conference, making sure they know what the essential things are, have access to the tools that they need to navigate the conference and hype everyone up. and navigate some tricky situations at times. What would you say, Jesse? What do you think our role is?

10:27Nefra MacDonald:Well, I mean, it's definitely not your yesteryear conference. We want to set the tone with energy and really get people excited. I think that as an emcee, it's such a privilege to be able to hold a microphone and command an audience. And so we want to take that privilege and really do the best that we can to get people engaged. We get to navigate different moments with it. Sometimes little interruptions happen when you're up on stage. Why don't we go see that stage? Yeah, let's go and see the stage. And then just throughout, it's just, I think for myself, it's such an honor to be able to kind of shepherd people through the conference and have those kind of moments.

11:03Nefra MacDonald:And then we get off stage and we get to interact with people one-on-one and chat about their experiences. So it's just the most fun job in the world. I cannot say more. Also, I just love being in a spotlight. It's really great. Yeah. And I guess, Nefra, when does it start? We're at sort of, you know, we're on day two of CleoCon. Are you already doing the minutia detail for next year? How much planning goes into this? Talk us through that kind of lead time.

11:28Jesse Harink:We are already on ClioCon 2029 and 2030.

11:31Nefra MacDonald:Wow.

11:32Jesse Harink:We are into the future. The planning starts now for many, many years to come. But Boston 2026 is locked and loaded. We know what we're doing. We know where we're heading. And a lot of the details, the finer details will come together over the next 12 months.

11:49Nefra MacDonald:So here's a question, because obviously Boston will be here again. How do you keep the magic from people who have come the first year to come to the second year? Because maybe they've seen it here once. How do you still instill that magic? Or do you keep the same formula again and they experience it again? Or what do you do to ensure they get that wow factor second time around coming to the same destination?

12:10Jesse Harink:There's a certain familiarity that people have with the format of ClioCon, especially if they come repeatedly. They know they're going to get great exhibitors. It's a great city. But the content, I think, is what will keep things fresh, our amazing keynotes. But also some of the after dark experiences that we plan to. Those we differentiate year over year because we want people to see a different side of Boston, especially if they're coming back. Nobody throws a party quite like Cleo.

12:37Nefra MacDonald:Absolutely not.

12:38Jesse Harink:So I think that that's definitely a draw. But it's also the speakers.

12:43Nefra MacDonald:Yeah.

12:44Jesse Harink:We have one of the most diverse stages in legal. We elevate voices that don't normally get heard. Of course, you're going to have the heavy hitters like Richard Susskind, but you're going to hear from real practitioners who are doing things differently. And people love learning from each other. And it's such a community here at ClioCon, and just having the access to real people who are working on the same things or challenging norms or innovating, I think, is what keeps people coming back. Like, sure, it might be the same city, but it's going to be different people or people that you really loved connecting with, and people come back year after year for the community.

13:25Nefra MacDonald:Yeah, and that's something I feel, the community and that reconnection. And I don't know, Jessie, do you have a little ritual? I don't know if we get a little sneak peek here. Just around here is where you see the stage. So it's just where you both come on to welcome and open. Yes, so just come around. We hide here and stare out at the big screen and wait for our big call to happen. It's the most exciting moment. It's where your heart is pounding and you're like, what is about to go on? And it's really exciting. Pretty huge stage, as you can see there. Do you kind of ever get nervous or are you excited?

13:57Nefra MacDonald:Because you've been doing this for a while together now. So your team, you kind of know what you're doing, but do you still have those nerves inside before going on stage? Or are you kind of relaxed? Yeah, I think a performer once told me that if you're not nervous before you go on stage, you don't care. So 100 % there is the nerves. But the nerves are just more excitement to get out there and start kicking things off. It's so much energy. Everyone's seated that first day, really interested to see what's going to happen. And so you're nervous, but you're excited. It's just the best feeling. Absolutely.

14:28Nefra MacDonald:And before we kind of work our way back, maybe we might be able to catch the puppies as well. Do you both have a moment you most look forward to before ClioCon where you put in the work that actually then comes to fruition? Then I'll ask you your follow-up highlight. So before, when you're putting in the planning, is there something you most look forward to every year?

14:45Jesse Harink:Yeah, the last day. The after party when it's all behind us.

14:53Nefra MacDonald:Yes.