Episode 187 - Lean & Mean: Driving BD in a Mid-Sized Firm with Kelley Goes of Jackson Kelly

Driving business development in a mid-sized regional firm is rarely about large budgets. It’s about sharp strategy, creativity and the ability to make every action count. In this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Kelley Goes, Member and Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Jackson Kelly, joins Alex Haidar to share how her unconventional career path has shaped her bold, practical approach to legal marketing and BD.

Kelley’s journey began as a litigator at Akin Gump, moving into public service as West Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce, and later serving as State Operations Director for Joe Manchin. Having been a private practitioner, a public servant, the client and the lawyer to the client, she brings a uniquely rounded perspective to her role at Jackson Kelly.

Today, she leads marketing and BD for the firm with a focus on clarity, confidence and doing more with less. She talks openly about defining the right target audiences, supporting lean teams and introducing new tools without losing lawyers along the way. Her leadership philosophy, shaped by years working with high-stakes decision-makers, is grounded in authenticity, accountability and lifting up the people around her.

Kelley and Alex discuss:

• How an unexpected career path from litigation to public office prepared Kelley for legal marketing
  
• The leadership lessons she learned working alongside figures like Joe Manchin
  
• Why confidence, tight messaging and clear audience targeting matter more than budget
  
• Her creative internal BD initiatives and associate-focused engagement
  
• How she builds non-traditional teams and bridges creative and legal cultures
  
• Practical advice for lean BD and marketing teams wanting to better support their lawyers