Build sidewalks, not fences: Host and Creative Director Kelli Kelley interviews yours truly for “The brndBrief Podcast”

🎧 NEW EPISODE: Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, just dropped some serious wisdom about marketing in the legal world – and honestly, his insights apply way beyond law firms.

Roy works in the one of the only industries that still questions whether marketing is even necessary (wild, right?). But here’s how he’s mastering it:

📌 Start with relationships, not strategies — Roy’s approach to his new role as CMO involves walking around, meeting people, understanding their pain points, and looking for patterns before implementing any major initiatives.

📌 Lean into specialization — Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, focus on your distinctive expertise areas and create compelling, specific content that positions you as the authority in your niche.

📌 Use AI as your co-editor — Treat AI tools as collaborative partners that polish and enhance your work, allowing your team to “level up” and think strategically rather than just execute tasks.

📌 Build sidewalks, not fences — Drawing from Walt Disney’s philosophy, successful marketing means removing barriers and making it easier for prospects to engage with your content and expertise.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-build-legal-marketing-strategies-leveraging/id1724388941?i=1000727314353

📹 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woi2lEsUnCo&lc=Ugxy60n-xiYgJjEFgAh4AaABAg
———-

🔔 If you enjoyed this episode be sure to subscribe to be notified when new episodes drop
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brndbrief-podcast/id1724388941

“The Power of Connection: Turning Relationship Data into Growth Strategy” at LMA Midwest ’25 – October 9-10 in Chicago – with Introhive’s Adam Stewart, Mayer Brown’s Dave Southern, and yours truly

🔗 Want to turn relationship data into strategic growth?

Join us at the 2025 LMA Midwest Regional Conference for “The Power of Connection: Turning Relationship Data into Growth Strategy”—a forward-thinking session moderated by Adam Stewart of Introhive, and panelists Dave Southern of Mayer Brown, and Roy Sexton of Vedder Price. 

You’ll learn how to:

🔍 Use connected data to uncover whitespace and guide priorities

🤝 Strengthen collaboration and client engagement through relationship insights

🧑‍💼Drive smarter, human-centered growth across your firm

Walk away with a roadmap to elevate your data strategy and deliver impact where it matters most.

🔗 Conference details: https://legalmarketing.org/Event-Details/2025-midwest-regional-conference

#MidwestActivate #LMA #LegalMarketingAssociation #LegalMarketing #ClientEngagement #RelationshipData #GrowthStrategy

“Civility is on all of us …” – Roop Raj

Roop Raj 💕 – thank you for the gracious shout out at the 4:29 mark, but more importantly thank you for your candor – that’s the leadership we all need. Compassionate, pragmatic, empathetic, calming. Grateful for your message.

LINK: https://fb.watch/C1V_3vfr2Y/

InsidePractice’s “The State of Client Intelligence” webinar on October 7 with Pamela Cone, Aubrey Bishai, and yours truly

From InsidePractice: Ahead of November’s Law Firm Client Intelligence conference (Chicago Nov 5) – Join us for a dynamic virtual discussion on The State of Client Intelligence in today’s legal profession.

Register here: https://www.insidepractice.com/the-state-of-client-intelligence-in-todays-legal-profession

Join Pamela Cone, and guest speakers Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, and Aubrey Bishai, Chief Innovation Officer at Vinson & Elkins to unpack the meaning of “Client Intelligence” and explore:

The competitive advantages it can unlock

The cultural and historical barriers holding firms back

The current state of maturity within the profession

DATE: Tuesday, October 7th, 2025
TIME: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM CENTRAL US TIME
LOCATION: Inside Practice Community

“Beyond the Billable Hour: Mastering Relationship Development to Build a Thriving Legal Practice” from myLawCLE with Mo Bunnell, Heather Morse, Ryan C. Grelecki, J.D., and yours truly – October 1

Thrilled to be part of this myLawCLE program October 1 with the legendary Mo Bunnell, Heather Morse-Geller, and Ryan Grelecki, J.D. Fun fact: Mo and I grew up, literally one block from each other in a smallish town in Indiana – but we didn’t realize it until working on this project together! And Heather is one of my earliest friends and mentors in this industry, and, per usual, her great instinct to bring us all together prompted this heartwarming discovery.

Register here.

As so many of us in marketing and business development roles frequently tell the attorneys we support, relationships do in fact matter, but it is the time you spend exploring – really talking about life and what matters – that makes those relationships significant and transformational.

Session description“Beyond the Billable Hour: Mastering Relationship Development to Build a Thriving Legal Practice” is a dynamic, virtual training designed to equip legal professionals with actionable strategies to deepen client relationships, create demand, and grow their practices. This program focuses on shifting from transactional interactions to trust-based partnerships, prioritizing key relationships, and implementing a repeatable system for consistent engagement. Through practical tools and self-guided activities, participants will learn how to add value, stay top of mind, and build a thriving legal practice by focusing on what matters most: Relationships.

Key topics to be discussed:

The relationship mindset: How to shift from transactional thinking to trust-based, long-term relationship building

Relationship prioritization: Identifying and focusing on the relationships that matter most to your success

Actionable systems for growth: Implementing consistent, repeatable strategies to stay top of mind and deepen connections

Date / Time: October 1, 2025

1:00 pm – 3:10 pm Eastern
12:00 pm – 2:10 pm Central
11:00 am – 1:10 pm Mountain
10:00 am – 12:10 pm Pacific