Marketing and selling.  Two words that strike fear into the hearts of lawyers everywhere. To us, selling is a necessary evil if we want to attract clients, but we don’t like it.  In fact, we fear it.  Did you know the #1 fear lawyers have is that they will come across like a cheap, used […]

This week Little Miss started summer camp. I have never seen her happier or dirtier.  Yesterday she looked like she was going out to play left tackle for the New England Patriots with mud covering each cheek.  (Honestly, I can’t imagine how dirty she would be if she didn’t swim twice a day.)  She jumps […]

Imagine you are at a dinner party.  The hostess introduces you to Dr. Jones, an up-and-coming medical doctor in your community. You just moved into the neighborhood and need a new doctor.  So you ask her, “What’s your specialty?” With a big smile, the doctor answers, “Oh, I’m a heart surgeon, I deliver babies, and […]

I just finished a big task.  It took a lot of energy and mental toughness to complete. In order to participate in a small group Coaching Day that will be spent “brainstorming the next evolution” of my business, I had to fill out a questionnaire. 18 questions aimed at the heart of my business.  On […]

When I read Professor Muller’s blog post that Susan referred to in Why Law School Professor’s Rankings Are Worse Than USNWR, from April 16, 2013, I decided to add my two-cents worth to the conversation. In 2003, I was working as in-house IP counsel for a large multinational manufacturing company.  We were selling some companies, […]

“That was great.  I didn’t know all that was happening.” Said the coordinator of a recent panel discussion I participated in. “Really?”  I thought to myself.  “How could you not have known US patent law is changing?” So I asked, “Isn’t that why you wanted me to speak to your organization today?” Well, it turns […]

I have a confession to make.  Up until last year, I was a bad networker. When I started my solo practice, I didn’t have a network.  Two years out of the work force, many of my relationships were stale.  It was also pretty apparent that most of those connections were geared to an in-house practice […]

I had a long to do list. I had work to finish up before the end of the year. I had shopping, wrapping, cooking, and cleaning to do before Christmas Eve. I wanted to plan and strategize for next year. Last Friday morning, I had let my to-do list get the best of me, and I […]

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin Be Prepared. Lately, I feel like I am a living embodiment of the Boy Scout motto. This mantra crept into my life in the middle of September and I have been in a perpetual state of preparing (and executing) ever since. It’s not […]