Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC

President + Founder

“It invigorates me to see quantifiable results from our work with clients. It is so rewarding to help clients meet – and in many cases exceed – their revenue goals. At PSM we have a philosophy we stick to: strategy before tactics. It works every time!”

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In 1997, Terrie Wheeler considered her future and made the life-changing decision to leave her job as a law firm marketing director and start her own company.

“I decided rather than finding another job, because I had already worked in three law large, prestigious law firms, I wanted to spread my entrepreneurial wings and start my own marketing company,” Terrie says.

Today, 25 years later, PSM Marketing (PSM) has a strong reputation for delivering effective outsourced marketing department services to law firms and many other industries, and personal coaching to professionals responsible for revenue generation.

Relationships that Work

President and Founder of PSM, Terrie attributes the company’s success to a dedicated, fabulous and diverse client service team, and dozens of equally awesome clients. PSM’s emphasis on relationships—both internally and with clients—has created an environment of long-term retention of resources, highly-satisfied clients, and remarkable growth.

Terrie believes that positive interaction with clients and her team translates to better results for everyone. In fact, good working relationships are so important to PSM that the company has criteria for deciding who to work with.

“I wanted clients who were going to be the best fit for PSM not just generate a lot of revenue. So, I came up with my A-Level Client Criteria and have focused every day since on attracting clients I like, trust, and respect, and where the feeling is mutual,” says Terrie.

Building on a Foundation of Experience

Prior to founding PSM, Terrie served in the senior marketing role for three of Minnesota’s largest law firms. This practical experience, combined with a master’s degree in business from the University of St. Thomas, and years teaching marketing at law schools across Minnesota, has given Terrie a holistic perspective on legal marketing, and marketing professional services firms.

Ethical Marketing Strategies

Her dynamic personality and breadth of experience have also made Terrie highly effective at educating lawyers on the ethics of marketing a law practice. For over 10 years, she served as an investigator and as a Minnesota Supreme Court-Appointed Member of the Lawyers Board of Professional Responsibility, and in 2017, received the Volunteer of the Year award.

Thought Leadership Through Writing

Terrie is also a prolific writer and has written a nationally syndicated column for Attorney at Law Magazine, and a bi-monthly column for the American bar Association’s GP / Solo eReport. She also produces a steady stream of blog posts for the PSM website. Terrie also published an eBook on Law Firm Marketing Strategy: A Complete Guide to Grow your Practice.

It’s a Family Business Focused on Balance

With a business built on positive relationships and shared values, work-life balance comes naturally. In fact, Terrie’s talented daughter Michelle is her business partner! And with such a skilled and dedicated support team, Terrie doesn’t have to choose work over life, or vice versa; she has ample time for everything she considers important and meaningful.

Finding a Place in the Sun

You can often find Terrie snowshoeing or communing with nature on her 40 acres of wooded paradise just an hour north of the Twin Cities. An avid downhill skier, she learned the art of ballet skiing (ice dancing on skis) to counter the short ski runs in Minnesota. When a break is needed from the northland’s cold, Terrie and her husband of 34 years—Jim—try to hit a Caribbean beach now and again for the warm sun and the opportunity to bond with fish through her goggles and snorkel.

Whether spending time with Jim, playing with her five grandchildren, delivering results-driven marketing services to clients, or advocating for causes important to her (namely LGBTQ+ rights and the support of Minority and Women Owned Businesses), Terrie doesn’t need to sacrifice one aspect of her life in favor of another.

“What’s that phrase? ‘If you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life,’ right?”

  • Master of Arts Degreesumma cum laude, Business Communications, Graduate School of Business, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Master of Arts Certificate in Public Relations, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Bachelor of Arts Degreemagna cum laude, Organizational Management and Communications, Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota

Terrie’s Work as an Educator

Being able to help prepare new lawyers for life in private practice motivates and inspires Terrie. She is currently teaching marketing and client service at three law schools:

  • The University of St. Thomas Law School, Adjunct Faculty Member, presenting marketing and client service programming for third year law students, 2012 – present
  • Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Adjunct Faculty Member, The Business of Lawyering course, 2012 – present
  • The University of St. Thomas Law School, CLE Presenter, created a four-part marketing program on marketing best practices for lawyers, 2014 – 2015
  • Marquette University Law School, Guest speaker, Ethical Marketing Strategies for New Lawyers, 2014 – present

Terrie’s teaching methods for marketing were also featured in Donald M. Lewis’s article entitled, “Teaching for Success: The Business of Lawyering,” Law Practice Magazine, American Bar Association, January/February 2014.

Now Available for FREE: Law Firm Marketing Strategy: A Complete Guide to Grow Your Practice

Didn’t learn how to market your practice in law school? Looking for a hands-on primer to market yourself and your law firm? PSM founder and president, Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC, created a FREE guide for attorneys titled, Law Firm Marketing Strategy: A Complete Guide to Grow Your Practice. Learn from a seasoned law firm marketing expert what you need to know to grow your practice!

Columnist for the ABA’s GP | Solo eReport

Terrie writes a bi-monthly column for the 110,000 readers of the American Bar Association’s General Practice and Solo Practitioner section. Terrie focuses her writing on providing pragmatic, action-oriented ideas for lawyers who want to succeed in marketing.

Terrie is a nationally syndicated columnist for Attorney at Law Magazine

Her articles are published in 22 markets across the country, with the most popular being: Minnesota | Phoenix, AZ | Chicago, IL | Los Angeles, CA | Atlanta, GA | Kentucky | St. Louis, MI North Carolina | Salt Lake City, UT

View all Terrie’s Attorney at Law Article Archive or read her additional Legal Industry Articles.

Terrie is actively involved in helping educate lawyers on the ethics of marketing a law practice. Her involvement includes:

  • 2017 Volunteer of the Year by Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board
  • Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Lawyers Board of Professional Responsibility, May 2016 – January 2018
  • Chair, District Ethics Committee (DEC), Lawyers Board of Professional Responsibility, January 2016 – January 2018
  • Minnesota Supreme Court-Appointed Member, Search Committee for the Director, Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, 2015 – 2016
  • Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Lawyers Board of Professional Responsibility, 2011 – January 2018
  • Investigator and Screening Committee Member, Hennepin County Bar Association Fourth District Ethics Committee, served for four years
  • Past Chair, Minnesota State Bar Association’s Marketing and Client Service Section, served for two years

What Our Clients Say About Terrie

Recent Blogs by Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC

Marketing for Lawyers: The Best Strategies for 2023

Marketing for Lawyers: The Best Strategies for 2023

Marketing is an essential part of any successful legal practice. Today, competition among law firms is fierce, and attracting new clients is a constant challenge. However, there are several marketing strategies that lawyers can use to attract new clients and stand out...

How Lawyers Can Get Back into Marketing Post-Pandemic

How Lawyers Can Get Back into Marketing Post-Pandemic

If you're a lawyer looking to get back into marketing post-pandemic, you're not alone. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional marketing strategies and forced many lawyers to adapt to new ways of working and communicating with clients. As the world begins to...

BREAKING: PSM Marketing Certified By the WBENC

BREAKING: PSM Marketing Certified By the WBENC

[Saint Paul, MN]— August 17, 2022 —PSM Marketing, LLC, a small business specializing in outsourced marketing for professional services firms, small businesses, and non-profits, is proud to announce its recent national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by...

How Legal Advertising Rules are Changing in Minnesota

How Legal Advertising Rules are Changing in Minnesota

How the Rules Related To Advertising Will Change: What Minnesota Lawyers Need to Know As of September 1, 2022, the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct have been streamlined and simplified in support of lawyers who want to do advertising. But take note: Even the...

Easing Back into Marketing Post-Covid

Easing Back into Marketing Post-Covid

Experts agree that the COVID virus will be with us into the foreseeable future. With mask mandates lifted, people are cautiously stepping out to assess the damage wrought by the storm. While many professionals are eagerly moving back to business as usual, not all...

How to Track the ROI on your Marketing Efforts

How to Track the ROI on your Marketing Efforts

Throughout my career in law firm marketing, the following has become a popular mantra: “How do we measure the ROI of our marketing efforts?” There are a couple of short answers then we’ll dive in. First, I believe if you don’t have a goal in mind for a marketing...

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