Law And More

JD Class of 2020 - Exactly the Right Tone for Job Search (and career)

Tone is everything.

Trial lawyers and transactional negotiators have that down cold.

Especially effective are all the communications, in all formats and in all mediums, by law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp. On LinkedIn, for example, those lawyers are always there but never off-key. 

Those in the JD Class of 2020 need that same intuitive grasp of the exactly the right tone in a job search - and then making the transition to practicing law. 

Obviously, the Pelton holiday commercial "The Gift That Gives Back" failed to have the right tone. So far, there have been 15,000 dislikes on YouTube. BusinessInsider reports that its stock lost $1.5 billion in a handful of days.

How can you prevent the wrong tone? Being tone-deaf can put the kibosh on everything from a cover letter for a job to how the lunch interview goes.

Here are 3 tips:

•  Grab hold of the mindset of Eminem's iconic song "Lose Yourself." It's all about being in the moment, totally tuned into the people, the context, and the mood. As Eminem hammers, you just have one shot. Depending on who the expert is, it's documented that judgments get made about what you're all out in anywhere from 60 seconds to the upper limit of four minutes. Usually there is no coming back from a bad impression. In a job search, it's all about the needs of the employer. No, it's not about you. 
• Mirror. The most successful salespeople observe everything about the prospect, ranging from where their building is located in Manhattan to the organizational culture. Then they custom-make their everything, ranging from what they wear to how they pace their pitch, to those key points of identity. The best don't overdo it. That is, they continue to maintain their unique sense of self.
•  Be open. Everything changes. The wildly optimistic tone of the WeWork and Uber used to attract investors. Now, given their failure to make a profit, the tone of that rhetoric scares investors. A major part of high social intelligence is never entering a context with a set "script." Instead there is a rapid scanning of what is before putting anything out there. BTW, intimate relationships often go kaput when the parties stop scanning.

What about general role models for tone?

Among the most useful currently is psychiatrist on "Chicago Med" Dr. Daniel Charles, played by Oliver Platt. His effectiveness during crisis is his mission of custom-making a solution for every whatever. There are no formulaic approaches. In short, he is "there" for the human beings who have lost their ways.

Earlier it had been the late Steve Jobs. His theatrical MO essentially was, yes, "Lose Yourself." That covered all aspects of marketing, be it designing products for real people or winning over wary security analysts. 

The takeaway: In a job search and later becoming an employee, make the mantra "This is not about me."

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Janis Joplin, Gordon Caplan, Kate Spade, and Others - The Arrogance of Interpreting Their Behavior

Published about a month ago, "Janis" is yet one more biography about this huge talent in music: Janis Joplin.

Obviously, she remains of great interest. Written by Holly George-Warren, it ranks high on Amazon: 1,506. 

But, some of us who have followed Joplin's life and times probably have to admit that we come away from this latest interpretation of who she was unsatisfied. George-Warren hands over a lot of the pieces. They range from resentments from high school she couldn't shake to an addictive personality.

But, I find I was unable to connect the dots. We can't wrap our heads around Janis.

Maybe the takeaway from "Janis" is the unknowability of all human beings.

It is mere speculation to posit they did this because of such-and-such. That kind of self-righteous pontification usually occurs when an extreme success like lawyer Gordon Caplan winds up in jail and disbarred  (CollegeAdmissionsGate) or a unique designer like Kate Spade takes her own life. 

The television series "Dateline" chronicles how clueless most spouses, who wind up murdered by their husbands or wives, were about their significant other. So were most members of their professional and social circles. 

After reading "Janis" we know more details about Joplin's life. But we probably have to admit we know even less about who she was and the undertow that carried her out. 

Meanwhile, let's back off doing a Sigmund Freud on what those who fall from grace, check out, or simply disappoint us are all about. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Don McGahn - Can Trump Administration Continue to Block His Testimony During Impeachment Hearings

When then Jones Day partner Don McGahn represented Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign he probably never anticipated what kinds of loops he would be part of.

The most recent looping is that he has been part of the former Trump Administration officials - McGahn went on to head legal in the White House - being barred from testifying at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on impeachment.

Law and Crime reports that a lawyer representing the House Democrats on the Committee Douglas Letter filed a motion with a federal judge. It requests a speeded-up ruling whether McGahn can be compelled to testify.

Currently, McGahn is back as a partner at Jones Day. Since he is so high profile, if he does testify, viewership will soar for that particular hearing. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

"Medellin" Flop Raises Question for All Aging Professionals: When Is It Time to Leave?

" … [Madonna'] 'Medellin' failed to catch on. It rose to number 9 on iTunes briefly, and now sits at number 32 … Beyoncé's 'Homecoming' album, released the same day, has sold or streamed a total of 43,000 copies in 48 hours." - ShowBiz411, April 19, 2019. Here is the article. 

Here is the audio - chachacha - from "Medellin," which is the lead-in to Madonna's new album "Madame X." Out in mid June, "Madame X" is supposed to be the 60-year-old's comeback platform. 

Nothing about "Medellin" is fresh.

That's why Madonna is being positioned and packaged as "washed up."

It isn't her age per se.

Betty White, a relic from the Mary Tyler Moore era, is in her 90s. She did fresh. That was through creating the persona as the designated role model for aging. That process, she hammered in her book, wasn't for sissies. The world loved it. Still love it. She remains marketable.

The issue Madonna raises is the scary question for all aging who are still working: Is it time to leave?

But what they are leaving might well be a very narrow career path. No, it isn't necessary to hang it all up, disappear into a retirement community in Oro Valley, Arizona, and compulsively do yoga. 

ShowBiz411 points out that the last several albums Madonna has put out have been "flops." 

Instead of continuing to do what isn't panning out, she could be testing out other ways to distinguish herself through work.

Maybe she can launch a training institution for the performing arts in Lordstown, Ohio. GM recently shuttered the plant there, putting about 1,600 out of a good job and hope. She can open the door to the light for all the Youngstown, OH metro area. The region still is caught in the shadow of Steel Yesterday.

Shoot-'em-up actor Clint Eastwood transitioned to serious drama at age 62. That was his film "The Unforgiven." Most recently, near 90, he gave us the amazing complex character of Earl Stone in "The Mule." Here is a video clip.

In the legal sector, Chris Darden of O.J. Simpson criminal trial fame shifted from prosecutor to defense attorney. At age 63, he is representing Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer Eric Holder. 

If Don McGahn of Trump Administration fame is to regain his power and influence, he has to figure out how to develop a new sphere of influence. At age 51, his long-term branding is being blown to bits. Here is just a peek into that mess.

And there is that much younger version of transition: Elie Mystal. The Harvard Law School trained lawyer has gone rogue as journalist activist. He set that in play during his "audition" for a reporting job on Abovethelaw.com.

How do the aging and those no longer perceived as "young" come up with the courage to change?

I don't know about others.

What I do know is that for me the pain of becoming invisible was greater than the anxiety involved in trying out new lines of work. That experimentation in my professional life began when I was 58. Then, that same courage took over the decisions I made in my personal life. Here is one of those stories of brutal moments of clarity and then transition.

A useful read for those caught between career paths is "Necessary Endings" by executive coach Henry Cloud. Here you can order it from Amazon.

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Legal Marketers - Unlike Most Blogs, Most Podcasts Are "Sticky" (80% of listeners stay for entire episode)

Voice is back.

Is it because listeners missed its sound that about 80% stick with a podcast for the whole episode? Maybe.

Or it could be that those doing podcasting recognize that they better have an engaging idea for the series. 

That stickiness is only one reason why podcasting quickly became a necessary part of the public relations and marketing mix. 

Here, in this exclusive article for Odwyerpr.com, I explain how to use podcasting (yes, you can include music) and maximize its impact.

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That includes podcast scripts. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence without paying high rates,  janegenova374@gmail.com. 

Mark Kelly, Former Rocket Man & Gabby Giffords' Husband, Runs for John McCain US Senate Seat

Musician Elton John knew to select the right topics to sing about. One had been mindset of men who actually boarded those spaceships and nosed around beyond the boundaries of earth. The song was "Rocket Man." That was way back in the early 1980s.

Now, though, rocket men still fascinate. 

That's one thing former space traveler Mark Kelly has going for him.

The other is being Gabby Giffords' husband. In 2011, she was seriously wounded in Tucson, Arizona when meeting with her constituencies. In 2103, Kelly and Giffords launched an advocacy organization about gun control. 

With that branding already established, it's no surprise that Kelly is running for a political office. On twitter, through a video, reports Axios, he announced, he was going after, as a Democrat, John McCain's US Senate seat. McCain has been a Republican.

Overall, AZ is a conservative state. Kelly likely won't have an easy time of it, even with the aura of the man who loves Gabby Giffords. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That includes podcast scripts. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence without paying high rates,  janegenova374@gmail.com. 

RBG Star-Snap at National Museum for Women in the Arts Concert

She's out and about. 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's son James says that mom has been taking walks.

But the first official star-snap had been at a concert honoring her career in law at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in D.C.

Performing in that concert was James' wife musician Patrice Michaels. RBG was confirmed to be sitting in the back of the auditorium. Here are more details from Daily Mail.

This development is bad news for conservatives who have been voting in polls if RBG should resign from SCOTUS and/or if she is too ill from cancer surgery to perform her duties with competence. 

As yet, though, she hasn't returned to work in-person at SCOTUS since her December 21st operation. At home, she has been reviewing oral arguments and writing opinions.

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

 

Loneliness in the Legal Sector: Too Damn Tired to Make Friends

This weekend there will be those loading up their shopping carts with Doritos, dip, chicken wings, and beer.

They're the lucky ones.

They will not be watching the Super Bowl alone.

Then there are those trapped in the loneliness epidemic.

A symbol of this time when it's so difficult to build a social network that meets up in-person, they will be taking in the Super Bowl alone. They are probably self-conscious of being isolated - loneliness carries with it stigma - so they won't go to a sports bar to do the game.

Loneliness, of course, isn't new. The Beatles wrote a great song about it - Eleanor Rigby. There was also that best-selling book Bowling Alone. And, from the get-go way back in the 1930s, the two founders of the 12-step movement - Dr. Bob and Bill Wilson - warned about the link between isolation and problem drinking. 

What is new is that loneliness has become standard. That's no surprise.

Since it requires so much time to make a good living we have less energy to devote to nurturing friendships. In fact, we are so bone tired at the end of the work day that we are even reluctant to communicate. Increasingly, we send a subtle or even blatant signal: Leave me alone.

Those in the legal sector are at the top of the list who are forced to snatch in the welcome mat. Most lawyers simply have no choice. It's either extreme hours or no hours.

Being online so much on social networks also creates the illusion of having relationships in our lives. Only if we are delusional, though, does anyone step out from the iPhone or laptop and join us for real conversation over a coffee or beer.

Lunch? Hell, who has time. And we've been all told to save our pennies for retirement. Eating out is expensive. Also, more economic watchers are predicting an economic downturn. Recall in 2009 in the legal sector 6000 souls were put out on the street. You bet, watch the money.

In addition, in this era of rage we are losing our ability to tolerate  imperfections. This one or that one gets under our skin. No, we won't let them into our lives. And, the reverse is also the case. In their eyes, we aren't up to snuff, either. The mutual intolerance is palpable. 

Reflection: Make this the last Super Bowl you will take in alone. Resolve to develop at least one friendship in 2019. An executive coach is helping me with that. 

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

CBS Les Moonves Show Not Over - Former CEO Opts for Arbitration to Shake Loose All/Some of $120 Million Possible Severance

The dark drama of the Les Moonves alleged sexual miscount gets a sequel. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that instead of going away, Moonves is challenging the CBS board of directors' decision to deny him the possible $120 severance package. He is taking the option, specified in his severance package, to have the dispute submitted to arbitration. 

This was expected. Moonves' lawyer - Andrew Levander of Dechert - denied that his client was guilty of any inappropriate sexual behavior.

The revival of the Moonves show is an ugly development for CBS. As it searches for a new CEO it wants a fresh start. 

But this move by Moonves could also impair his own comeback. He could be perceived as an obstructionist. Who wants that type in their business? 

The usual first step in a comeback after a scandal is to lay low. 

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

"20/20" Presented Robert Blake Saga as Legal Drama - Neglected Psychological Undertow

Big trials are big drama. 

So, no surprise, last week ABC's "20/20" featured a two-hour presentation of the criminal and civil trials connected with the murder of grifter Bonny Bakley.

She was also Robert Blake's wife and mother of his daughter.

Blake became a household name playing Perry Smith in film "In Cold Blood" and a hard-boiled detective in television series "Baretta." 

ABC parachuted in lawyer Dan Abrams to discuss the legal complexities associated with Blake's acquittal in the criminal trial and conviction in the civil one. Because of the multi-million dollar verdict in the latter, Blake went bankrupt. Currently he lives in a simple two-bedroom apartment.

What could have been a downright public service is if ABC also had included a psychological expert. Abrams noted in passing that Blake is an angry man. Most human beings who have endured deep hurt as children do carry rage. 

As "20/20" mentioned, Blake's mother and the man married to her wanted him to be aborted. But at the time it was difficult to get that medical procedure done. Blake was conceived during an affair his mother had with her husband's brother. The brother vanished. Therefore, Blake faced a life in which both his caretakers despised him. The husband beat him and later derailed his career, at least temporarily, by messing with a major studio head.

The kind of life Blake lived seemed to be a stereotypical version of those who had never learned to love themselves because of severe early trauma.

Those of us also in that pickle sure recognize the syndrome. Beneath rage is usually hurt. Top on the list of the victims of that rage are ourselves. 

For years, after a big success, such as "In Cold Blood," he would then drop out. Although he had the resources to vet Bakley before taking up with her, he didn't. 

In the current film "Bohemian Rhapsody," we see that same playout of the lack of self-love. After making it to the top of the music world, Freddie Murphy gets lost. In the process he acquires AIDS. But he is one of the rare souls who finds he can love himself and can live out the rest of his life without self-destruction. 

Blake is 85 years old. It's never too late to acknowledge the hurt from childhood and take the first steps on the journey to learn to love himself as he is. 

Currently, though, Blake remains locked in his pain. 

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.