Over the last decade, the role of digital media in shaping professional identity has become increasingly apparent across a wide range of industries. From law firms maximizing their websites through search engine optimization to acquire clients, to athletes growing their followings on Instagram and YouTube, the way that people and institutions present themselves online can have a direct impact on reputation and audience. A 2023 American Bar Association study reported that 94 percent of law firms in the U.S. maintain at least one social media presence, with Facebook and LinkedIn being the most widely used platforms. At the same time, professional sporting athletes and specialty sports competitors also used the same channels to reach broader audiences beyond their own immediate communities.
The convergence of these areas, although uncommon, provides a useful context within which to consider the maintenance of credibility and visibility on the part of professionals. Digital marketing is, indeed, advertising, but it is often linked with transparency, responsiveness, and controlling the pace of public discourse. In the legal field, where reviews and ratings from Google or industry directories significantly impact client perception, remaining competitive requires satisfying these new standards. At the same time, sports competitors in paintball, esports, and mixed martial arts employ similar strategies to achieve steady visibility and secure sponsorship arrangements.
Michael Schehr, an attorney and professional paintball competitor in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been emphasizing these methods at the forefront of his own business life. Through both his firm, Schehr Law PLLC, and his personal athletic endeavors, he has effectively integrated social media into various aspects of his business life. His use of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube under the Schehr Law name demonstrates how digital technology can be leveraged across various distinct industries. Rather than maintaining a separation between his legal business and his paintball persona, Schehr’s strategy exemplifies how personal branding and professional messaging converge in the digital age.
Schehr Law has focused on short-term posts, community engagement, and visibility among younger demographics on Instagram. Statista indicates that Instagram had more than 143 million active users in the United States alone as of 2023, making the platform a crucial means for professionals to establish direct contact. Schehr has utilized the platform to share company-related updates and information about competitive paintball, thereby creating a dual presence that appeals to diverse interests. The co-presence is notable for attention beyond the usual networks of lawyers.
LinkedIn and Facebook, however, have been utilized for professional purposes and credibility. In 2022, LinkedIn reported having more than 900 million members worldwide, with approximately 200 million residing in the United States. Law firms, in particular, have utilized LinkedIn as one of the most effective platforms to build client relationships, garner peer recognition, and recruit talent. Schehr has utilized the platform to showcase the firm’s successes, including notable case wins and speaking engagements, while also engaging in broader legal conversation topics, such as advertising ethics and client disclosure. This aligns with his published work on the challenges of modern legal branding.
YouTube, which had over 2.5 billion worldwide users as of 2023, plays a distinct role in Schehr’s methodology. With video content linked to Schehr Law, the firm has created educational content for potential clients, including explanations of legal processes and commentary on personal injury and criminal defense cases. The videos are part of a broader trend in law firm marketing because surveys indicate that 68 percent of clients prefer to view videos when browsing services online.
By crafting content in this manner, Schehr Law has adopted an approachable strategy while remaining professional and rooted. Review culture has also shaped the way Schehr considers his firm’s identity. In his 2025 work, Personal Injury in the Age of AI, TikTok, and 5-Star Reviews, Schehr discussed how Google Reviews and Yelp influence client decision-making. A BrightLocal survey in 2023 found that 87 percent of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business, and law firms are among the most significantly impacted by review ratings.
To Schehr, this feedback culture relentlessly delivered is not considered a tangential concern but rather a core element of competitive strategy. By encouraging openness and accountability, his business has positioned itself in an environment where customer opinion is as valuable as trial outcomes.
The convergence of these activities with his career in paintball illustrates how branding can transcend the boundaries of various industries. Paintball, a specialized sport, has established a considerable online presence through networks like Major League PB and Paintball Nerd. Social media coverage of players and tournaments consistently bleeds into visibility competitive with more established sports among its own audience. Schehr, with multiple Dorito Player of the Year awards, has been a repeated focus of this media, and his online presence as an individual reflects the same approach he exhibits in law: direct engagement with an audience, sensitivity to visibility, and interaction on several planes.
Managing these two personas hinges on vigilant attention to credibility. In the law, professional practice requires restraint and exactness in public address, but in sporting personality and visibility, there can be more latitude. Schehr’s reference to branding illustrates how professionals adapt depending on context, utilizing diverse tones in media while creating a consistent identity. To audiences, the result is a composite presence that combines professional authority with sporting celebrity.
Entrepreneurship, particularly in boutique law firms, has increasingly relied on this kind of adaptive branding. According to a 2021 Thomson Reuters survey, small law firms named marketing and client development as one of their top three business concerns, second only to cost management and the adoption of technology. Schehr’s model captures these pressures, illustrating that technology is not an option but a necessity for growth. His decision to bring personal and professional branding under one umbrella also speaks to a broader shift in how professionals build their public image.
The effectiveness of these strategies can be measured not only in terms of visibility but also in the duration of recognition across different contexts. For Michael Schehr, being present in legal and sporting networks indicates how flexible branding can produce a type of prominence that crosses one profession. It is an ethos shaped by online marketing fads, consumer demand, and the fluidity of the public’s involvement.