Tim Corcoran Hits It Out of the Park

Tim Corcoran

Corcoran Consulting Group, LLC

Interview with Timothy B. Corcoran of Corcoran Consulting Group, LLC

Tell me a little about your background and the services you offer:

I’m a management consultant based in New York with a global client base. As a former CEO and corporate executive, I now advise law firm and law department leaders on the profitable disruption of outdated business models.

What compelled you to offer your services?

In my corporate life, my clients were law departments and law firms, and I found that to properly convey the value of the products and services my companies offered, it was necessary to educate law firm leaders on basic business principles and how modern business operated, so they could then properly assess the suitability of our solutions to their business challenges. Far too often I ran into lawyers who were blind to the challenges, or more troubling – the opportunities – presented by the changing legal marketplace. I was recruited from the corporate sector by a boutique legal consulting firm to translate what I learned as a businessperson, and eventually I struck out on my own. The sophistication level of many of my law firm and law department clients is far greater that it was just a few short years ago, but we have still have a long way to go. What energizes me is when my clients, skeptical by nature on the lawyer side, and frustrated on the business professional side, embrace the ideas I share and then translate them into action to improve their financial performance, their clients’ satisfaction, and the quality of the work they do. My philosophy is to “teach people to fish” rather than do the work for them, so it’s even more pleasing when my clients build on the work we’ve done together and take it in new and different places that surpass what I could do.

How can lawyers benefit from your services most?

The greatest insight I provide, I believe, is the revelation that nothing happening in the legal marketplace today is a surprise. The disruptions taking place are predictable precisely because they have happened already in other market segments. So lawyer-leaders who are skeptical by nature, who are driven to find precedent before they take action, who want to see that some crazy new idea has been implemented successfully before, can benefit by seeing that the business lessons I share are tried and true methods for dealing with change. To adapt to the new legal marketplace requires a deeper understanding of the underlying financial and economic foundation upon which law firms are built, as well as an understanding of human nature and change management.

A leader who’s ready to adapt but doesn’t know where to start, or who has a plan but doesn’t know how to bring others along, will benefit a great deal from working with me. A leader who believes the status quo is a better option than change, or who wants to drive change in a top-down, directing style, or who wants to drive change behind the scenes without “bothering” the lawyers will probably find working with me to be an uncomfortable experience because they’re not accustomed to someone challenging them. As a practical matter, I generally don’t really find myself at odds with my clients, because I don’t waste my limited time with those who aren’t willing or capable of listening.

What is the sticky subject when addressing law firm management challenges?

Compensation — but it isn’t the “third rail” of management, or something to be avoided lest it burn you. In fact, it’s a excellent tool to drive and reward behaviors that are beneficial to the firm and to the individual, and it works equally well for those motivated by money and those who aren’t.

What one thing can law firms or law departments do differently that would better position them to adapt to the changing marketplace?

Get better leaders!

If lawyers do not use your services, what might they expect?

My role is to serve as a catalyst, a muse, a voice of experience. Law firms or law departments who choose not to work with me will eventually adapt, because the market will demand it. Of course, many of today’s leaders won’t be around to see this transformation. 

What actionable advice or tips can you give lawyers?

Select and nurture leaders who embrace the lessons of business, find the right balance between the short-term (“I gotta get what’s mine”) with the long-term (“this is best for the firm”), and listen to your clients. They’re providing a crystal clear roadmap for adapting and thriving.  

Enjoy the podcast.

Timothy B. Corcoran

Timothy B. Corcoran delivers keynote presentations, conducts workshops, and advises legal business leaders through the profitable disruption of outdated business models. Tim is a former CEO, past President of the Legal Marketing Association, a Trustee and elected Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, and a Committee Chair with the Association of Legal Administrators. To bring in Tim, contact him at +1.609.557.7311 or at tim@bringintim.com.

How can you connect with Tim?

Website: BringinTim.com

Twitter: @tcorcoran

Email: tim@bringintim.com

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She's Brilliant, She's Kind, She's Beautiful -- and She's Damn Funny Too!

Dr. Rebecca Brightman

Today I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Rebecca Brightman — “Becky” to her loved ones. She is such a delightful, smart, funny, beautiful human who lives in service to others, generation after generation.

Dr. Brightman is a Board Certified OBGYN in private practice in New York City since 1990. Her particular areas of interest include: the management of perimenopause, menopause, contraception, and prepregnancy counseling. She is a member of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and is also a NAMS certified menopause practitioner (NCMP). Dr. Brightman graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982 and received her Medical Degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 1986. She completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Brightman is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is a Voluntary Attending at the Mount Sinai Hospital. She is also on the faculty of the Menopause Center at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Brightman has served on the advisory board of Women’s Day magazine and is frequently interviewed for popular print and web based material. She has discussed women’s health issues on NBC’s The Today Show, CBS’s The Morning Show, CBS Evening News, Fox’s The Morning Show, ABC’s World News Tonight, Yahoo’s The Shine, Katie’s Take with Katie Couric, The Katie Show, and The Dr. Oz Show. She has spoken at the 92nd Street Y, has been published in peer reviewed in journals as well as in Letters to the Editor of the New York Times. She has served on Advisory panels for TEVA Women’s Health and JDS Therapeutics and as a Women’s Health Expert for L’Oreal/Vichy Laboratoires, Proctor and Gamble-Clear Blue, Merck, and AbbVie. Dr. Brightman is also listed by Castle-Connolly as one of the top physicians in the New York Metro Area. She is married to an Ophthalmologist and has two college age sons. Her passions include: spending time with her family, friends, and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, as well as fitness, reading, and fashion.

Though her biography clearly shows her accomplishments and brilliance, what her bio doesn’t tell you is that she has just as much heart. Though her photo clearly shows how truly beautiful she is, what the photo doesn’t show you is that she is just as beautiful on the inside.

Dr. Brightman shared with the listeners the fact that she takes true joy in treating generation after generation of women from many of the same families. She says it is truly beautiful and meaningful that grandmothers send their daughters and granddaughters to her for their OBGYN care needs, a tender listening ear, and an overall warm, trusted relationship for life. She says it is so touching when she delivers a grandchild of a patient she has enjoyed for years.

To hear her story is educational and quite entertaining, as well. Too look at her, you’d think she started practicing medicine at the age of ten.

When asked who her most inspirational mentor was, she answered in her authentic form, that her mother — a strong, independent, hard-charging woman who went from teaching to being a very involved parent in leadership advocating for students in the school system. She said as much as she may not have appreciated the stringent guidance her mother afforded, she now knows how valuable that guidance was. As a result, she too managed to be independent and string all while raising two boys and caring for her husband, Bruce, also a medical doctor.

In my view, Dr. Brightman is the trifecta — wonderful wife, loving mother, and successful working women. She still takes the time — not has the time . but takes the time — to remember that self care is critical to caring for others. I know many professional women who need to learn this lesson, yours truly among them.

I asked Dr. Brightman what advice she might give other women to lift one another and she said, start with encouragement, encourage further, and end with encouragement. She feels as if in the 60s girls and women did not have the support as a global community that we do now. I agree.

Women like Dr. Brightman are incredible but they are not difficult to find in this day and age. Girls and women who need support can find it readily now whereas when she first started out, this was not the case.

I asked what she does for fun and she admitted that shoe shopping is her guilty pleasure. I laughed because I think many women might say the same. However, in her case, I get it. I truly do. The woman has worn a white lab coat to work for nearly 30 years — she can and should have a new pair of shoes for every day of the week if she wants! It’s her unique expression of self. I say go for it. Lastly, I was delighted to find she is an avid reader, book club member and all. When I asked what book she most recently read she replied, a memoir called, “Educated.”

Amazon states:

Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills” bag. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged metal in her father’s junkyard.
…
Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty, and of the grief that comes from severing one’s closest ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes, and the will to change it.

I have a keen interest in books so I am sure to buy and read, “Educated” soon. It was wonderful to learn that Dr. Brightman takes time out to read. In fact, she is part of a book club, doing what women do — communing, building and nurturing relationships. Reading takes us places when we do not have the time or means to travel. It’s on my list and I cannot wait.

I hope you will enjoy her terrific stories and her delightful laugh, as I did in the podcast.

Enjoy the podcast.

Wonder Woman in Business, Dr. Rebecca Brightman

If you’d like to connect with Dr. Rebecca Brightman:

WEBSITE: eswobgyn.com

LINKEDIN: in/dr-rebecca-brightman-6176b967

TWITTER: @rebeccabrightMD 

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A Completely, Wholly Fascinating Wonder Woman in Business, Betsy Munnell

Elizabeth “Betsy” Munnell

She is a Harvard College and Harvard Law School graduate, a wife, a mother of three, a sister, an aunt, a godmother and now, my friend. I had the great and distinct pleasure of chatting with Betsy Munnell on our “Wonder Women in Business” podcast today — but why? Why Betsy?

You see, I had connected on LinkedIn with Betsy because she reached out to say she liked what I was doing to move the needle for women in business, specifically in legal. I was touched by her support and we agreed to have a phone conversation. It was one of the most amazing phone conversations I have ever had.

Betsy lives in New England, where my son was born, and where my friends and some family still reside. It was my home was for nearly twelve of the most powerful, life-changing years of my fifty-two. We have a lot in common. We enjoy much of the same humor and we share many of the same pains. Betsy and I spoke of her years as a supremely successful practicing lawyer and my years in financial services.

This woman, Betsy Munnell, is quite fascinating. Beyond quite, frankly. As I journey through this new venture of lifting women up, I am connecting with some of the most authentic, colorful, creative, brilliant female minds I have ever come to know. Betsy is one of these women. She is a rare gem, who, while raising three children with her husband (also a lawyer), caring for aging parents, and recovering from a mid-career diagnosis of bipolar disorder, still built and grew a robust and successful transactional law practice. Some of her fondest memories are of those years in practice, before she had any idea she would have the good fortune to found and grow a firm of her own in business development coaching.

I believe that in a setting such as the practice of law at one of the country’s finest firms and then her own, Betsy was a survivor. She has endured some of life’s greatest challenges and come out on the other side, a stronger woman, living by example for others.

In her recent LinkedIn article, Betsy writes:

I am a lawyer, and now also an advisor to other lawyers. I have led a rich life. A lucky life. A good life.

Over the past eight years I have deployed all the hard won skills, savvy and wisdom accumulated in these many roles to become the best of the best in a new role, and in my third-- most meaningful-- career.

I am a patient advocate. I have neither business cards nor website. I have only one client. I provide my services pro bono but am richly compensated. I am very good at what I do.

The story that follows is a heart-wrenching tale of her courageous journey as a patient advocate for her husband, best friend, soul mate. The tale, as told by Betsy, will move you, I am sure. It is a tale of resilience and restraint, of living in gratitude as a coping mechanism, and of, as Betsy puts it, “Taking pleasure — every day, all day — in doing the job better, and being braver and tougher, than you ever thought possible.”

I had the pleasure of interviewing Betsy for this podcast. She is all abuzz and “on” the entire time. Her energy is high and her enthusiasm, infectious. I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I did. Betsy is clearly worthy of the title, “Wonder Woman,” of this I am sure.

Enjoy the podcast.

Wonder Women in Business, Betsy Munnell

Elizabeth “Betsy” Munnell is a business development coach and consultant for lawyers and law firms. She is also the co-creator of a case study driven business skills training program for law firm associates.  Before forming EHMunnell in '09 she practiced law for 30 years, 24 as a partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (now Locke Lord LLP), where she was one of the founders of EAPD's Boston office and its nationally recognized media and communications debt finance, private equity and M&A industry practice group. Betsy serves on the Board of the ABA’s Career Center. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard law School.

Betsy can be reached at:

EHMunnell
Cambridge, Massachusetts
617.596.9031 | emunnell@ehmunnell.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Blog

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Hashtag: Be A Roy Sexton

Roy

Sexton

#BeaRoySexton

Podcast Here

Enjoy our conversation!

Tell me a little about your background and the services you offer:

I’ve worked in health care and legal – strategic planning, communications, and marketing. While I have a theatre background (and an MA in theatre from Ohio State), I also hold my MBA from University of Michigan, and I think my career has been defined by helping companies define their brand through narrative and audience. If you think about marketing, it is really storytelling and, more importantly, connecting the right audiences with the narratives that mean the most to them.

My current firm and the one I’m joining are both corporate firms. Kerr Russell has the unique attribute that 20% of the attorneys are also CPAs so they have an interesting consultative approach to the work, and Clark Hill has been in such a growth mode with a strong leadership commitment to redefining the way legal services are delivered. It’s exciting stuff! 

What compelled you to get into legal marketing in the first place?

I truly enjoy helping attorneys find their brand voice and positioning. I think marketing strategy can be a lot of fun in a professional services environment.

What are a few things lawyers should know?

1. I hope that I can help them find their individual and firmwide point of view - one that differentiates them from their competition

2. Don't be discouraged after a few attempts that don't seem to succeed - we are creating a presence and awareness that will yield dividends

3. There is no silver bullet - it takes time to market yourself

If lawyers do not use your services, what might they expect?

No one will know who they are or how special they are. I love telling their stories and helping people discover what makes them tick.

What actionable advice or tips can you give lawyers?

Be patient. Listen to those with experience in areas that are new or foreign to you. Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. People WILL respond.         

It’s been said that you are quite the digital influencer and I would agree. Heather Morse wrote about you in her blog, “The Legal Watercooler” seen here: The Roy Sexton Effect or How to win friends and influence content?

How can people get in touch with you?

Connect with me on social media and check out my website: 

Look for Roy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and his website: www.reelroyreviews.com

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 About Roy Sexton

Roy Sexton is responsible for leading Kerr Russell's marketing, business development, communications, and strategic planning efforts. He has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning, having worked at Deloitte Consulting, Oakwood Healthcare (now Beaumont), Trott Law (formerly Trott & Trott), and St. Joseph Mercy Health System. He has been heavily involved regionally and nationally in the Legal Marketing Association as a board member, content expert, and presenter. He is treasurer-elect currently for the Legal Marketing Association’s Midwest Regional Board of Directors. He was named a Michigan Lawyers Weekly "Unsung Legal Hero" in 2018.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Wabash College, and holds two masters degrees: an MA in theatre from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He is a graduate of Leadership Detroit and Leadership A2Y, was a governor-appointed member of the Michigan Council of Labor and Economic Growth, and was appointed to the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association Board of Governors in 2012. He served as an at-large member of LMA's Midwest Regional Board, served on the advisory committee for Strategies Magazine, and was a member of the Social Media SIG steering group. He has been involved on the following nonprofit boards and committees: First Step, Michigan Quality Council, National MS Society, ASPCA, Wabash College Southeast Michigan Alumni Association, Penny Seats Theatre Company and the Spotlight Players. He currently sits on the boards of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor, Royal Starr Film Festival, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and encoremichigan.com. He is a published author with two books Reel Roy Reviews, Volume 1 and Reel Roy Reviews Volume 2.

#BeaRoySexton

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"Wonder Women in Business" Podcast with Gina Passarella

Wonder Woman

Gina Passarella

Our "Wonder Women in Business" podcast serves to raise awareness about the great things incredible women in business are doing to survive, thrive and serve others. Everyone has a story and we give a voice to the women whose stories are meaningful, moving, and compelling. We share their story with the world so that in their shining, they give permission to others to shine, as well. Gina Passarella, Editor-in-Chief of ALM's Global Legal Brands certainly shines brightly and we were lucky to have her as a guest on our show today. 

About Gina Passarella

Gina shares about her background, education and current role which she has held for four months. Along with serving as Editor-in-Chief of The American Lawyer, Gina works with the EICs of ALM's global legal brands, including Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, Legal Week and China Law & Practice, to connect the deep insights of ALM's niche audience segments, building communities across the entire legal industry.

Gina speaks to us about her proudest professional accomplishment, who her inspiration has been. She candidly shares with us advice to other women to support women in business. She even shares her greatest challenges and how she overcomes. In true generous Gina style, she graciously gives thanks to Hank Grezlak, editor-in-chief of ALM's regional legal brands and theme desks, who gave her the big break, Chief Content Officer Molly Miller, her current boss, and beautifully, to her mother Sandi and daughter Aria.

Enjoy the podcast here:

Get in touch with Gina

Gina Passarella

Editor-in-Chief, Global Legal Brands (The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, Legal Week, China Law & Practice)

Editor-in-Chief
The American Lawyer

150 East 42nd Street, Mezzanine Level, New York, NY 10017
NYC: 212-457-9624  *   PHL: 215-557-2494  *  Mobile: 202-302-0565

gpassarella@alm.com

Follow Gina on Twitter @GPassarellaTAL

www.americanlawyer.com

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For more from Freeman Means Business tune into our Freeman Means Business Podcasts

Susan Freeman hosts three podcast shows: Freeman Means Business "Peer Podcast," "Wonder Women in Business," and "Things of Interest."

"Peer Podcast" is a segment where twice monthly, Susan welcomes brilliant and talented colleagues in the professional services industry to share how they can help the listeners, grow and protect the practice, firm, or company.

Susan also hosts the "Wonder Women in Business" podcast to raise awareness about the great things incredible women in business are doing to survive, thrive, and serve others. 

"Things of Interest" is a podcast that serves the greater good in the business community, such as issues surrounding the #MeToo Movement. Susan writes about the podcasts on the blog on her website and then shares then with social media. They are carried by more than ten different channels.

Listeners can tune into “Freeman Means Business” on more than ten channels including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Breaker, and RadioPublic.

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The Importance of CSR with Pamela Cone

Corporate Social Responsibility

Pamela Cone

Why is social responsibility important to a business?

According to Chris Murphy at Investopedia, Corporate Social Responsibility has become increasingly important to companies over the last several years. Whether it's by empowering women, helping the environment, or trying to end poverty, more and more companies are incorporating social responsibility into their overall business strategy. The social issues may be local, national, or global, but a concern for the health and wellness of others that do not involve sales can be seen as commendable. There are many reasons why a company might engage in social responsibility...

Improving the Company's Brand

Being a socially responsible company can bolster a company's image and build its brand. The public perception of a company is critical to customer and shareholder confidence in the company. By projecting a positive image, a company can make a name for itself for not only being financially profitable but socially conscious as well. Also, by being active in the community, a company's employees are engaging with potential customers and in doing so, indirectly marketing the company in the process. 

Engaging Customers

Building relationships with customers is the cornerstone of a successful company and having a social responsibility policy can impact the buying decisions of customers. Some customers are willing to pay more for a product if they know a portion of the profit is going to worthy cause. Also, if a company is active in the local community – for example, a bank that offers loans to low-income families – the company will be viewed positively by the community and perhaps boost the company's sales as a result. In short, building a positive relationship with customers and their communities can lead to increased sales and rising profits. 

Retaining Top Talent

Many employees want to feel like they're part of something bigger. Social responsibility empowers employees to leverage the corporate resources at their disposal to do good. Some public corporations' employees number in the tens of thousands, and when they get behind an initiative, the results can be amazing.  

Furthermore, being part of a strategy that helps the greater good can boost employee morale and lead to greater productivity in the workforce. Knowing a product and service is also helping with social causes can create a sense of pride and that pride shows in relationships with customers and fellow employees.

Helping Companies Stand out from the Competition

When companies are involved in the community, they stand out from the competition. Building relationships with customers and their neighborhoods help improve the brand's image. For example, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. (TSLA) has bridged the gap between the corporate world and his socially responsible vision by offering electric-powered cars and environmentally friendly automotive products. 

The Bottom Line

When social responsibility is recognized as part of a company's business model, it can attract positive publicity, help attract and retain top talent, and improve relationships with customers and their communities. The benefits can be far and wide, including client retention, improved sales, and financial success. 

As Pamela Cone states in this segment of our "Peer Podcast"...

1. Social Responsibility Now Becoming Table Stakes -- Clients and Employees Expect More From Their Service Providers

Operational Risk - Lost business from clients requiring greater commitment, compliance, and transparency. Difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees.

CSR mitigates risk by identifying the hidden operational risk, which has become increasingly important with clients and employees.  It also makes CSR integral to the company’s value proposition.

2. Stakeholders Want Greater Transparency

Operational Risk - Loss of brand trust, boycotts, divestment

CSR mitigates risk because it knows what and how to communicate to internal and external stakeholders to maintain engagement and brand trust amidst complex and evolving social issues

3. Formerly Voluntary, Social Responsibility Is Now Becoming More Regulated.

Litigation Risks - Because efforts are siloed, transactional, and not part of enterprise risk management; standards are not consistently met or measured effectively.

CSR Mitigates the risk through faster development and deployment of compliance programs and by getting ahead of the curve to ensure consistent compliance on emerging regulations.

If you'd like to contact Pam to learn about how she can help your firm develop a robust CSR program or even best practices on promoting your current CSR program, please email PamelaCone@AmityAdvisory.com. Pam is also on LinkedIn and Twitter. Connect with her!

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