The Rainmaking Podcast
The Rainmaking Podcast
Scott Love
TRP 332: When to Say No to Business with Gina Rubel
27 minutes Posted Aug 6, 2026 at 7:00 am.
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Show notes
"No is a complete sentence." It took Gina Rubel years of executive coaching — and nearly 25 years of running a top legal PR firm — to fully believe that. In this episode, she makes the case for why.
Gina Rubel is the CEO and General Counsel of Furia Rubel Communications, a nationally recognized legal marketing, litigation PR, and crisis communications agency. She joins Scott Love for the Rainmaking Podcast's first-ever episode dedicated entirely to saying no — when to do it, how to do it, and why the most successful professionals in any field have mastered it.
This conversation is packed with practical frameworks: red flag checklists, core values exercises, real-world stories from crisis comms and RFP negotiations, and the "yes, and" mindset that turns a firm no into a future opportunity.
You'll learn:
The 6 most common reasons a professional services provider should turn down business — and how to recognize each one early
How to build your personal red flag checklist before you take another intake call
Why your core values — not your revenue goals — should be the filter for every new client relationship
The RFP negotiation story: how saying "we can't do this in time" turned into a stronger client relationship
Why "no" doesn't always have to mean no — and how the "yes, and" approach keeps doors open
How to actually say no to a prospect without over-explaining or burning the bridge
Why culture fit doesn't mean identical culture — and what the real alignment requirement is
The red flag you're probably overlooking: clients who don't value your advice
When an existing client relationship warrants a no (and how to handle it with integrity)
3 action steps to start saying no to the right things starting today
Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/DHktJ3_6xMw
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If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here:
https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott
Or email Scott to connect with him at: [email protected]
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About Gina Rubel:
Gina Rubel is the CEO and General Counsel of Furia Rubel Communications, Inc., a nationally recognized legal marketing, litigation PR, and crisis communications agency serving law firms, their clients, and legal industry organizations.
Links:
https://www.furiarubel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel/
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