Law And More

Dangerous Meme: Working Might = Missing Out on Life

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is near 90. And there is no sign that he is experiencing overseeing his Fox empire and making global deals as "missing out on life."

The same applies to investment guru Warren Buffett, who is in his late 80s.

Superlawyer Ted Olson, a partner at Gibson, Dunn, is nearly 80 and hasn't alluded to any retirement plans.

At age 72, I launched a startup. That's in addition to my established communications boutique which I revamped at age 68. Both the startup and the overhauled business are scaling. 

For many professionals and tradespeople work is a key part of our lives. Not that it is our whole lives.

But we have invested ourselves in our work and assess it's nutty to let all that go, just because some supposed experts crow about the alleged joys of not working. 

So, to me, it's offensive that in The Washington Post, Thomas Heath would position and package retirement as a kind of blessed release. Explicitly Heath says, "Stay at the desk too long, and you might miss out on life."

I began doing work that has been important to me when, at age 11, I sold Wallace Brown greeting cards and religious icons. It was a major success.

At age 13, I hawked the most subscriptions to the Newark Star Ledger as a fundraiser for my Roman Catholic grade school.

When I was 16, New Jersey Bell hired me as a part-time long-distance operator. I continued with that until age 22, graduating college with no debt.

At age 42, after some terrific corporate jobs, I hung out my own shingle.

Along the way I helped hundreds of homeless dogs and cats find forever homes. I myself adopted four dogs and eight cats. A major accomplishment has been helping my current four-legged son LOV heal from abandonment through the power of love.

All that has been even more fulfilling than work. In recently discussing our coming deaths in 10, 20, or 30 years with a former classmate, I noted that I would regret only leaving two things: writing and my relationship with animal companions. To me that has been a full life.  

Of course, not everyone has derived joy from work. If they manage their finances the way the financial folks tell them to they may be able to retire or, at least, semi-retire.

But, for many of us, retirement is crazy talk. There seems to be a psychotic delusion that work is an entity to flee.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Here is what to expect in the free introductory session Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching 

Theranos - Elizabeth Holmes, Sunny Balwani Indicted for Fraud

Today, founder of blood-testing startup Theranos - Elizabeth Holmes - and a former executive - Sunny Balwani - have been indicted for fraud.

Essentially, they were accused of leveraging advertising and other means to motivate the medical community and consumers to use their blood-testing services. That was even though they allegedly knew their equipment could not produce accurate results. They were also accused of misrepresenting the startup's financial condition to investors.  

Both stated they were not guilty. Previously, Holmes had been represented by superlawyer David Boies. But they parted company. Boies had also been on the board of Theranos.

This criminal action follows an earlier civil settlement by Holmes with the SEC. Here are more details from Nate Raymond at Reuters.

It was at The Wall Street Journal that reporter John Carreyrou first raised questions about the authenticity of the technology at Theranos. It was touted as being able to conduct tests through blood obtained by a simple pinprick. Parents were wildly enthusiastic. His article put in play a media frenzy which also voiced suspicions that breakthrough technology had not yet been developed. 

Carreyrou's book "Bad Blood" provides all the details of the charade as well as outing how the tech world frequently relies on smoke and mirrors. It's #63 on Amazon.

In Dan Lyons' "Disrupted," there is a similar outing of the hype embedded in tech. Too often, the companies use it to grow revenues, even with no product yet developed or a mediocre one on the market. Scaling is what attracts the investor money. 

However, this indictment and any more exposes of techville are unlikely to halt funding by investors. They are looking to get very rich fast as well as being associated with The Next Big Thing. So, yes, a new sucker is being lured in every minute. The media and government action won't deter them.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Trust So Broken - Sometimes All We Have to Hang Onto Is Raw Cookie Dough

I have low expectations of new purchases.

Sometimes the universe will smile on me as when I purchased a new GM car after mine had been stolen. That has taken me across country twice, with no trouble and great gas mileage.

So, it was inevitable that my new HP laptop would be nightmareville from the get-go. The universe had smiled once. That would be all for awhile.

That get-go was about four weeks ago. That's when I ponied up the bucks to buy it at Office Max in Boardman, Ohio.

I must have done something awful in a past life to merit such misery.

I downed a whole package of raw chocolate chip cookie dough.

I then researched what could be causing the latest set of problems: slow processing and instability of what was on the screen.

Armed with that information I went where I have for the past four years: to Boxaid.com, the online computer and repair service given high marks by The Wall Street Journal.

Zack the technician answered (extension 809). I explained what I thought was the problem and asked for an estimate for a diagnosis.

Things began looking up immediately. The diagnosis would be free. I had a hunch the laptop needed more memory.

Before he did anything, Zack explained what he suspected could be, as the cliché goes, the wrench in the works. He asked permission to follow that hypothesis and do the fix, then quoted the range for the cost of all that. I gave permission.

Because he could not accomplish as much as he had hoped, he did two things. One, he gave me a lower price than quoted. And, two, he explained how I should shop for a vendor to install more memory. He wasn't equipped to do that online.

Thanks to Zack, nightmareville has calmed down to just extreme disappointment in HP.

Yes, processing has speeded up some. There's more stability.

But, for a new purchase, it's simply another example why the annual trust barometer which Edelman Public Relations puts together keeps heading south. The relationship between sellers and buyers seems so broken. The exception has been the service I purchase from Boxaid.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Media & Internal Grapevine at Your Law Firm Are Saying: MERGER!

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) have become an increasingly popular business strategy. Especially for law firms now that demand is flat. 

This year could break all records for the number of overall M&As  and their value. The joining of giants AT&T and Time Warner probably won't be the largest. 

Essentially M&A is a multi-purpose tool.

With a single move, your law firm can acquire access to what it didn't control previously in talent, special niches such as cryptocurrency, and branding.

In categories it's already in market share expands.

And, it's a legal opportunity to reduce manpower. During the fitting together of the two entities, many jobs will be labeled "redundant." Targeted will the highest paid employees who are no longer useful. Many of them will be over-50.

Actually, AARP documented that bias against older workers can begin for employees in their 40s. If you have read Dan Lyons' book "Disrupted," you recognize that your head could be on the chopping block once you celebrate your 30th birthday.

Here is the article I published on the extent of ageism. 

Of course, as soon as the rumor of a possible M&A enters the grapevine, as an older employee who is enjoying an awesome professional experience, you are going to pull out all stops protecting your future in that particular organization.

The initiatives include being involved with projects that are of value to the company or which are attractive to describe on a resume. The new game is totally focused on acquiring skills that are marketable out there. The more marketable the less nervous you will be as the rumor mill keeps churning with updates.

Another must-do is consult with an employment lawyer who is not associated with your firm. You have to be ready to negotiate the best severance package, which should be custom-made for you.

For instance, if your spouse carries wonderful medical insurance from another employer, extending your own coverage for a year need not be a priority. Even with COBRA, a laid-off 58-year-old with a non-working wife and two teenage children found out the monthly nut for covering the family would be $2,500.

But, the wisest move might be, if you sense you will wind up "redundant," is to begin your job search right now. After the actual reduction-in-force, the marketplace will be glutted with professionals like yourself.

Okay, though, you didn't survive. You are laid off.

Likely you will be assigned to outplacement, brick-and-mortar or virtual. That service can be useful to you, if you listen carefully. Everything keeps changing, ranging from how to do resumes (yes, multiple ones) to putting together an elevator speech. Here is the article I published on personal branding during professional transitions. 

In addition to outplacement, you may or may not find useful custom-made coaching for the seasoned professional. If you are in hot field, you might already have had a "soft landing," that is, been offered a comparable or better job. 

What specialized coaching for the over-50 helps with is to outsmart ageism. For example, you will prevent going up against blatant forms of it. Instead, you will be in front of the bias with the elevator speech: Here's what I can do for you. That is the approach which has proved effective. You don't defend yourself against ageism. You sell the results you will achieve for that new employer or client.

Also, in the midst of the M&A ordeal you might have become overwhelmed with what I call "The Four Monsters" which eat away at everything from confidence to the ability to problem-solve. Specialized coaching helps you lift yourself out of the jaws of those demons. Meanwhile, here is my book on a lot of that, free to download, print, and read.

What kind of coaching do I provide? Here is an introduction  Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching.

The initial session is no-cost. You can check out the chemistry and determine if the service can be a game-changer for you. Yes, you can emerge from a crisis better off than when you entered. As the cliché goes, a crisis is terrible thing to waste.

The next step? Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com to set up an appointment. 

Full Disclosure: I lost my middle-management position during an M&A. The memo went out about "redundancies." My solution was to hang out a shingle. 

Legal Marketers - Is Your Digital Content Converting?

The blog, tweet, Facebook post, and/or LinkedIn Update might receive plenty of traffic, including likes, shares, and comments.

But those don't necessarily convert into Calls To Action (CTA).

In terms of clickbait, the campaign might be a homerun.

In terms of pulling or pushing movement along the sales continuum, its a dud.

In the book "Disrupted," Dan Lyons recounts how, at startup HubSpot, a blog post he created received more than a 100,000 page views. However, there was little activity on the CTA. Few were providing their data (which the sales people would run with) in exchange for access to the ebook Lyons also had written. 

That's exactly why legal marketers have to continually test out content. That's referred to as "A/B testing." Those overseeing digital marketing at HubSpot should have instructed Lyons to divide his time into creating several different kinds of post. Then analyze the metrics. Next, based on the numbers, do more of what is converting.

Selling can be a very different game from the public relations one of influencing. The objectives of marketing and public relations in a law firm could be different. 

Everyone in the tech loop might know Lyons' name. He is famous in techville. But not enough had been motivated to hand over their data to the company he worked for. It is well-known that when we download a freebie we can expect a contact from a salesperson.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

In Case Your Law Firm Doesn't Understand The New Silicon Valley (or ageism) - Here's "Disrupted"

The Old Silicon Valley, hammers Dan Lyons in "Disrupted," had been about technology.

Startups such as Microsoft and Apple actually focused on creating breakthrough products. Those ranged from an operating system to a user-friendly personal computer.

Now, the game has shifted to creating forms of distorted realities which can make the founders and investors very wealthy. A breakthrough product may come about. But that's irrelevant. And, as Lyons documents, the losers usually are the employees.

His experience working in marketing in a Boston-based startup - HubSpot - was accidental. (Silicon Valley has evolved into a mindset. It's no longer a place.)

A journalist, at age 52 he was laid off from Newsweek. Essentially, the message was that the company could replace him, at his salary, with five young hires. Yes, the issue of age discrimination permeates "Disrupted." Lyons is hyper aware of his gray hair.

Lyons had a disabled wife, two young children, and a mortgage. Since HubSpot was located in Boston, where his family was settled in, that seemed the best job offer to grab. He needed the medical insurance.

Initially, when he arrived, he was shocked. Then, taking the advice of a friend, he took on the role of anthropologist, studying this strange tribe who was typical of The New Silicon Valley. The book resulted. 

At HubSpot the founders and top layers focused more on The Show than product development. Their software for inbound marketing was mediocre. The objective was not a profit. It was scaling revenues.

Rapid revenue growth was what attracted investor funding. In some tech startups, which as Amazon, that formula did pan out. At HubSpot it wasn't as successful. However, as a result of the IPO, a founder became very wealthy. And Lyons himself walked off with $45,000 net.

Hiring involved recruiting new college graduates. They were paid peanuts. And burnt out before they vested. But while there they were socialized to hold sacred that they were working at a cool company which was making a difference. Among the employee perks was a wall of candy. There were no heretics. 

There were only a few others in addition to Lyons who were over-35. Like those I coach, he was deeply affected by ageism. His age was brought out by the members of the tribe.

An interesting point Lyons makes - and he might not realize he is complimenting startups - is that HubSpot played it by ear. It really didn't know what it was doing. That seems to be a best practice for both all companies and all individuals in the current wild-west economy.

Those I coach who believe they know what they are doing only find jobs, are promoted, and navigate career transition after they get it: It's all experimentation. There is no master plan. You have to try things out. 

Ironically, another issue Lyons brings up is that working has become a continual job hunt. You get an offer, you sign all the forms, you settle in, and soon enough you're back looking for a job or assignment. He brings up that founder of LinkedIn - Reid Hoffman - framed that as going on "a tour of duty." That ends. You move on. 

Here's the irony. After a few years, Lyons was able to quit HubSpot to write for Gawker. Gawker, as we all know, no longer exists. But since he's well connected and has a gig writing for HBO's "Silicon Valley," he's probably doing just fine. In a sense, he's the new role model for all of us, aging and young, on earning a living when everything is changing.

The funny thing, though, is that one laid-off 50-something I coach was asked on several job interviews why he had had so many jobs. Of course, he was prepared to answer that, to their satisfaction. He did receive a good offer. He took it. He had to. He needed the health insurance. Even via COBRA, the monthly nut for the family would have been $2,500.

Then five months later a better offer came. He took it. That man truly entered into the ethos of Perpetual Job Change. He did to the system what it had done to him.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Here is what to expect in coaching Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching 

 

These Earnest Times - Poker-Faced Lawyers Trump

This weekend I got together with some sophisticated, up-with-the-news, funny people. The elephant in the room were the antics in TrumpWorld.  But not one attempt was made at wit.

As Laura Bradley hammers in Vanity Fair, so much of TrumpWorld is breaking news and there are so many platforms for satire that it's difficult for even professional comic writers to come up with fresh one-liners.

For us recreational wits, it's impossible. We simply aren't that good, at least not any more.

When prospects for my ghostwriting services contact me and describe a "funny" book they want to publish, I warn them how glutted that genre has become. I recommend that together we produce an earnest book on what's right with the world.

Steven Pinker is an excellent model for that. Here can be ordered his "Enlightenment Now" from Amazon. It's selling like hotcakes.

As for belly laughs, I haven't enjoyed one of those since 2014 when I relocated from the New York Metro area. There, nothing is taken at face value. Elsewhere, the mindset is literal. The ethos is that of the poker-faced lawyer. One former BigLaw partner I coached informed me that the signature persona of success. 

Incidentally, what will never be a subject of wit is ageism. Here is an introduction to my coaching services for the over-50  Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching. Actually, there are simple ways to outsmart age discrimination.

I have been doing that every day since 2003 when I realized the professional world writes off 50-somethings as finished. 

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

 

Partners Fearing Being Forced Out - Pushing Back on Happy-Clappy Longevity Ethos

MarketWatch gleefully reports on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's oughts on what to do to add 10 years more to our lives. The musts are the usual platitudes, ranging from eating healthy to exercising 30 minutes a day.

But, the reality growing out there is that, no, we don't want those extra 10 years of life. At least not enough to trade off some Doritos right now. And, to buy in that achieving longevity is in itself a marvelous accomplishment. 

For example, if I keep doing my 30 minutes of exercise a day I could go beyond age 89. Then, the financial types are predicting my Social Security monthly check will be cut more than 20%. Also, there will be reductions in Medicare benefits. Plenty to look forward to?

Yesterday afternoon at my meditation group at the Unitarian Church here is Youngstown, Ohio, one of the members - a retired teacher - told us that her monthly pension check had already been downsized. She's still making ends meet and hasn't lost her condo. My advice to her as a coach for the over-50: You can always get a job at a local outbound call center. Those and grocer Marc's hire in this area.

For those of us who are making it our business never to retire - work has been our identity - the struggle is constant to continue landing stimulating, well-paying assignments. Ageism is rampant. And it begins in our early 50s.

In the amazing book "Disrupted," Dan Lyons chronicles how he was laid off as a tech journalist Newsweek at age 52. He had a disabled wife, two young children, and a mortgage. He grabbed what he could. He positions and packages that ordeal as satire. But the humor is black. 

What some of us Baby Boomers are coming to agree on is this: Life per se is overvalued.

The school of positive thought, which dominates Americana, puts an upbeat spin on even the ordeals of a life. They create merchandise hammering how setbacks are the platforms for great comebacks. The latest on all that is how lucky we aging are: Now that we no longer have 80 hours of work to do weekly we can mentor younger generations. The funny thing is that Millennials smirk when we come bearing advice. Interaction among generations has hardened into silos.

But the positive-attitude folks have the upper hand. As a result of all the happy-clappy spin, the wellness industry is thriving. Good for its entrepreneurial founders. But what they haven't asked themselves is: What do the aging want to be well for if they are still brilliant in their field and are underestimated, just because of their age? 

The good news is that it's possible to outsmart ageism. Those I coach are doing that every day. Incidentally, my most recent client is 42 years old. AARP documents that those in the their 40s can expect to experience discrimination based on age. 

In April 2014, I myself made a cunning move: I took the exit ramp from the New York Metro area to reconfigure my communications and coaching business 2,000 miles away. Yes, I was starting over.

I restructured it as a telecommuting boutique. In addition, to learn new technology on the company, I applied for and was hired for three side hustles. Days of heaven.

I made enough startup and financial progress to afford to be able to return to the east - at least as far as the border of OH and Pennsylvania. Likely, as close I will come to my former life is upstate New York. If that is to happen, it better play out before my entitlements are cut. I won't live that poor. 

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Here is what to expect in that complimentary session Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching 

Clinical Depression - Return of Trust in Psychotherapy Could Prevent Suicide

Research documents that, yes, psychotherapy can be effective for some conditions.

Among them is clinical depression. And, some of us suspect that could have been the tipping point in the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. In addition, many fear the "social contagion" effect of celebrity suicides on those struggling right now with that mood disorder.

This is just anecdotal evidence, course: Lawyers I coach usually agree that about eight sessions with a psychotherapist, along with medication, have played a part in their recovery. They would recommend that treatment to others. And, unlike Bourdain and Spade they are alive. Lawyers have an above average rate of suicide. In Kentucky, there had been a cluster of about a dozen suicides among trial lawyers in a short period of time.

Once the lawyers I coached began exiting that depressed state of being, then we can go on to create solutions for underlying career distress. Here is my book, free to click open, print out, and read, on outsmarting a professional comfort zone  Download Over50OutsmartingYourComfortZone

Being overwhelmed by the pressures in the workplace, as the new book "Dying For a Paycheck" by Jeffrey Pfeffer documents, is not unique to the legal sector.

"I love what I do," goes the dominant meme. "But, how I have to do is killing me." Or, triggering medical problems and substance abuse. 

One of its major current challenges which is determining the future of psychotherapy, though,  (along with its high price) is its branding.

Perception is, well, everything. Game-changers, ranging from Steve Jobs to Donald Trump, proved that out.

The controversy surrounding the psychotherapy brand isn't new, of course.

Way back on September 29, 2013, the influential The New York Times published an article about psychotherapy's image challenges.

Around the same time, Laura K. Kerr, Ph.D. hammered the lack of transparency in psychotherapy as eroding the brand. Here is her article. 

In that thought leadership piece, Kerr observes:

" ... in the mental health field, experts aren't always perceived as transparent, and consumers have become more self-reliant, including conducting their own research through the Internet on what ails them."

This concern about transparency goes beyond the individual in treatment.

Institutions paying some or all of the bill, ranging from employers to insurance companies, also need to know more about approaches and outcomes. This push for data and evidence about outcomes is happening in a growing number of  industries. Even in the creative field of public relations, clients demand more accountability about results. Among the tools in public relations has been the AirPR software.

Back to the level of the individual consumer ...

In the early 1970s, an era of blind faith in psychotherapy (at least in some circles), I began three years of treatment at the University of Michigan Psychology Clinic and then the psychiatric outpatient facility at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

The therapist was then graduate student David W. Harder.

Harder had gone on to become a full professor in the Department of Psychology at the Tufts University. Here is his website at Tufts.

Years later, when I was an entrepreneur struggling with the values of careerism I again turned to Harder for psychotherapy. Along the way I requested access to his clinical notes about my treatment. I was sensing the fit between therapist and consumer was not authentically productive.

Harder refused to provide the notes.

I had matriculated at Harvard Law School so, of course, I thought: lawyer. Since 2005, I have been a syndicated legal blogger.

I ponied up the fee to have a lawyer in Greenwich, Connecticut request the notes.

Actually, I was not surprised.

Reading them confirmed that, no, the fit was not for me. The tone and the content of the clinical reporting on my treatment did not align with my criteria for the therapeutic relationship. Even back in the 1970s I had a hunch Harder and I were not communicating. But psychotherapy had become the religion of so many educated at that time. Who was I to question the high priest?

What I recommend to those I coach who ask about the possibility of psychotherapy:

• First, request a complimentary introductory session with a therapist. Assess if you are being heard - or being communicated to from a hardened school of psychology.
• After a few sessions, request a copy of the clinical notes. If they are not turned over, that might represent a red flag. See a lawyer.
• Go over those notes with someone you trust and who cares about you.
• If you continue with this therapist, request the notes on an ongoing basis. Relationships, like everything else, can change.
• Experiment with self-help tactics such as meditation, exercise, and simply taking breaks from work.
• Consult with others on your "recovery" team, such as your medical doctor, coach, 12-step sponsor, and close friend when it might be time to terminate psychotherapy.

Earning a living currently requires outsmarting the forces which seem tilted against workers. To do that demands being sound in mind and body. Psychotherapy could be a tool which gives a coping edge.

But everything about the process must be transparent. Voodoo is what we have fun with when we reach out to a psychic in Salem, Massachusetts. That experience is shaped by hocus-pocus. 

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Here is what to expect in that complimentary introductory session Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching 

"The President Is Missing" - James Patterson Saves Us from Bill Clinton's Lawyerly Mind

"The President Is Missing," by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, is #3 on Amazon. And singlehandedly it may extend the shelf life of the book industry. Or, at least the mystery-thriller genre in hardback. Here it can ordered from Amazon.

Whatever criticisms had been made of Clinton, one thing you had to give the guy: He had a genius for connecting. That, we realize when we read this book, is because he truly did understand what the human being is all about. 

What Patterson brings to the partnership is exactly the right touch in story-telling. He knows how to inject enough action so that the narrative doesn't get bogged down in analysis. Clinton, trained as a lawyer, tends to live in his head.

Essentially, the focus is on President Duncan who is in a crisis. The nation and much more are threatened during a five day period in May by a villain intent on attacking the internet. That president shares much of Clinton's background. For example, he had once been a governor in a southern state. 

However, he's a widower. And he keeps himself chaste to honor the memory of his dead wife. Of course, that raises speculation if at some level of the unconscious Clinton wishes himself free of his politically tone-deaf spouse. Both her campaigns for U.S. president never caught fire. And her book rehashing the second one has finished her off.

What we don't know is if Clinton had been as distrusting of everyone around him as Duncan is. Since Duncan has adopted that mindset he is very lonely. But that goes back to William Shakespeare. Those dramas portray a world of power in which everyone is suspect. A memorable line from Shakespeare is: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" (Henry IV, part 2).

To tell more would spoil the experience for millions of reading the book.

It has been observed that partnership (the marketing term is creating an "ecosystem") is currently the platform for commercial success. The tough nut to crack, though, is identifying the right partner and then closing the deal. Clinton and Patterson have accomplished that. 

NBC didn't when it poached Megyn Kelly from Fox News.

On the other hand, ABC hit the jackpot when it joined with David Muir to anchor the evening news.

Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.  

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Here's what to expect in your complimentary session Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoaching