I interviewed Robert (Bob) Darwell, a big name in entertainment law who has top studio executives around the world on speed dial, and was impressed by his focus on service. Service is at the core of how he built his practice, how he manages his...
“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” – Sheryl Sandberg This should be easy but it is something far too many practitioners fail to do. Ask for business from...
“The mark of a good conversationalist is not that you can talk a lot. The mark is that you can get others to talk a lot. Thus, good schmoozers are good listeners, not good talkers.”Guy KawasakiI really hated networking. You know what I’m talking about....
“You are you, and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.”Henry KissingerNever Apologize for Your Billing Rate. Establishing your billing rate is not rocket science. It’s a mathematical formula that takes into account a variety of factors. It’s the number...
“It’s not the people you fire who make your life miserable. It’s the people you don’t.”Dick GroteSome relatively random observations might give readers a few nuggets they can use. Fire Clients Before They Fire You. All lawyers have clients who can be very demanding. Maybe...
“The secret to success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.”Dennis Green To no one’s surprise, the core of my business development approach is adopting a written business plan that includes a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and a set of goals...
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Bobby Unser Today’s blog concerns something fundamental yet often forgotten – the difference between opportunity and success. For years, I have preached about planning as a tool for achieving goals and, in turn, success. There is nothing unique about that. It’s...
“We can be blind to the obvious, and we are also blind to our blindness.” Daniel Kahneman This blog takes a moment to discuss an important aspect of negotiations that we often forget. It’s what Harvey Mackay called the “blinding glimpse of the obvious” -- something we...
“Get closer than ever to your customer. So close, in fact, that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves” Steve Jobs I once moderated a panel of four in-house general counsels on “What GCs Want in a Changing World.” The comments were enlightening...
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry At the end of each quarter, you should consider these five observations to ensure your next and successive quarters succeed in building your business and professional platform. Did I meet the goals I set...
