I had a ball chatting with Christopher Johnson today. Thank you, Brenda Meller of Meller Marketing 🥧, for connecting us. Terry Bean, if your ears were burning, watch. 🤣 We chatted about the power of family, great parenting, the arts, human connection, narrative power of marketing, trends in digital, Britney Spears headsets, and so much more. Enjoy!
Mentions include Don Sexton, Susie Sexton, John Mola, Clark Hill Law, Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and more!
I’m officially official and deeply honored to be “ratified” as LMA’s 2022 prez-elect and 2023 president!
Have the opportunity to ask alumni about their college experience, the transition into their careers, and more at the UM-Flint School of Management alumni panel! This event is Tuesday, September 21, 2021, and is hosted virtual using Zoom.
Thank you to Dan Packel from ALM Media, LLC for including my thoughts in this well-crafted, illuminating, at times provocative piece on the divide between associates and staff where return-to-office is concerned. Highly recommend reading, and NOT necessarily because I’m in here!
“Even in more client-facing roles, different personality types can thrive in a hybrid world. Clark Hill director of marketing Roy Sexton describes himself as an introvert, and he’s thrilled that his firm is giving him the ability to continue spending several days a week outside of the office. That’s where he’s at his best in developing new ideas. ‘Understanding that it is a business, there is a benefit to being together physically. I miss my colleagues and I miss seeing them in person,’ he adds. ‘I do think there’s something to be said for getting up, getting ready and putting on something more than basketball shorts and a goofy T-shirt. I miss having some distance between work and home.’”
“It’s a major award!”My archivist dad has unearthed these wonderful vintage photos
Incredibly honored to be named among Crain’s Detroit Business’ “NOTABLE LGBTQ IN BUSINESS.” Thank you to Matt Friedman, Susan Ahern, Kelly MacKinnon, DeLashea Strawder, and Kim Kelly for their friendship and support during the nomination and selection process. And to my husband John and my parents Don and Susie – you are everything to me. ❤️
About the recognition: “The leaders on this list are change-agents, door-openers and role models, their peers and colleagues told us. They create safety and community where they live and work. They hire and mentor other #LBGTQ people and help them succeed. Many of them said that coming out and being themselves at work has been a journey, reminding us that the gains made for LGBTQ equity have been expansive in a relatively short period of time — within the span of many of these professionals’ careers.
“Roy Sexton joined Clark Hill three years ago as marketing manager, but the firm quickly promoted him to director. Now he oversees a team of professionals across the country and supports affinity programs at Clark Hill, including BOLD for women, PRIDE for LGBTQI employees and THRIVE for people of color.
“In 2018, Michigan Lawyers Weekly named him an Unsung Legal Hero for consistently going beyond the call of duty.
“As treasurer of the international board of the Legal Marketing Association, Sexton helped launch an outside DEI consultancy. He is also a guest on podcasts where he illustrates how inclusion brings growth and success to any organization.
“In the nonprofit realm, Sexton co-founded The Penny Seats, an outdoor theater company in Ann Arbor. He also chaired the governance committee for Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit.”
METHODOLOGY: “The leaders featured in this report were selected from nominations by a team of Crain’s Detroit Business editors based on their career accomplishments, track record of success in the field and effectiveness of their efforts, as outlined in a detailed application form. The honorees did not pay to be included on the list. Notable LGBTQ in Business was managed and written by Leslie Green. For questions about this report, contact Special Projects Editor Amy Bragg.”
We had a pretty fantastic – and free-wheeling – conversation with our friend John Byrne today. This may be one of my favorite shows we’ve done yet. To be honest, I’m not even quite sure how to recap it, other than this was an authentic conversation between people who respect and love each other. There might be some references to the bathroom habits of naughty cats, a general love of anything Disney, and appreciation for the unique attributes of the only child – AND an understanding that truth when delivered from the heart is always a good thing.
Shout outs in the show to … Susie Sexton, Don Sexton, Thor Hodges, Lisa Towey Simon, Anne Gallagher, Megan McKeon, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Nancy Slome, Brenda Pontiff, Andrew Laver, Michelle Friends, Kelly MacKinnon, Brenda Plowman, Amy Payton Verhulst, Laura Toledo, Lindsay Griffiths, Kevin Iredell, Dianne Rychlewski, William Fitzgerald, Linda Sedloff Orton, Stephen D Barrett, Jose’ Cunningham, Trish Desilets Lilley, #oklahoma, #themusicman, and more!
It’s the show about legal marketing and the people that make it happen.
This week, Roy Sexton’s guest is fellow LMA International Board Member AND Midwesterner John Byrne, Chief Marketing Officer for Gould & Ratner LLP. John and Roy will not only reflect on nearly a decade of friendship and volunteer leadership together, but what trends they see in marketing, communications, and thought leadership in these neverending pandemic days. John, who also has worked as a practicing attorney and as a newspaper editor, will offer his observations on the intersectionality of legal and media and the opportunities represented for marketers therein. John and Roy are both only children who also have strong ties to the medical profession AND they both tend to enjoy the occasional shenanigan (or eight), so this conversation is sure to be heartfelt, free-ranging, and raucous!
Join our team of hosts: Jessica Aries, Tahisha Fugate, Andrew Laver and Roy Sexton , each week, as we talk to the leaders in the legal marketing community.
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
Excited to chat with wonderful John Byrne this week on Kates Media: Video Production’s Legal Marketing Coffee Talk with Rob Kates. Sponsored by Jessica Aries’ By Aries. Thank you to Katelynn Audrey Wynn McGuire for the promotional support.
It’s the show about legal marketing and the people that make it happen.
This week, Roy Sexton’s guest is fellow LMA International Board Member AND Midwesterner John Byrne, Chief Marketing Officer for Gould & Ratner LLP. John and Roy will not only reflect on nearly a decade of friendship and volunteer leadership together, but what trends they see in marketing, communications, and thought leadership in these neverending pandemic days. John, who also has worked as a practicing attorney and as a newspaper editor, will offer his observations on the intersectionality of legal and media and the opportunities represented for marketers therein. John and Roy are both only children who also have strong ties to the medical profession AND they both tend to enjoy the occasional shenanigan (or eight), so this conversation is sure to be heartfelt, free-ranging, and raucous!
Tune in this Friday, September 3rd, at 3:00 PM ET right here on Facebook.
Join our team of hosts: Jessica Aries, Tahisha Fugate, Andrew Laver and Roy Sexton , each week, as we talk to the leaders in the legal marketing community.
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
Thank you to my fabulous Clark Hill colleague Megan McKeon for joining Rob Kates and me on Kates Media: Video Production’s “Legal Marketing Coffee Talk,” sponsored by Jessica Aries’ By Aries. Thanks again to Katelynn Audrey Wynn McGuire for the wonderful promotional support.
We cover a LOT! 🤣 The relative merit of phone calls, being trapped in Facebook jail, the perils of pool repair, the joys of home associations, and the highs and lows of geriatric pet ownership.
MORE importantly we discuss trends in legal marketing and business development, the crucial differences between those two disciplines AND their complementary nature, how data drives smart decision-making and efficient resource deployment, how the Legal Marketing Association and a commitment to mentoring benefits firm culture, and more.
Shout outs in today’s show to Susan Ahern, Guinevere Lehman Anderson, Marceline Johnson, John Byrne, Timothy Corcoran, Anne Gallagher, Brenda Plowman, Jill Mason Huse, Kelly MacKinnon, Nancy Myrland, Brenda Pontiff, Amy Payton Verhulst, Gina Furia Rubel, Heather Morse-Geller, Gail Porter Lamarche, Gail Paul, Susie Sexton, Connie Harris, James Fisher, Eric Lewandowski, Nancy McKeon, Patrick Fuller, Jay Harrington, Glen Hanson, HunTees, Marlon Brando, and more.
Postscript …
That’s me! Always on the cutting edge! LOL. Thanks for the shout out (below), Nancy Myrland of Myrland Marketing and Social Media. She writes, “‘Should You Give Stories A Chance?’ A LinkedIn notification related to Roy Sexton yesterday (discussed in this 2-minute, 22-second episode) is what caused me to record this episode.”
I admit I keep using the damn things as another piece of real estate, wondering if anybody’s paying attention. So she nailed exactly my psychology as a user in her assessment!
LMCT is back this week coming to you live on Wednesday with host Roy Sexton (ME!) and Megan McKeon, Director of Business Development at Clark Hill Law. Megan is Roy’s colleague (LMCT’s 1st co-coworker interview), and she is the immediate past president of the Legal Marketing Association’s Midwest Region.
Megan is a licensed attorney, has nearly two decades of experience in law firm marketing and administration, and she leads the strategic development and implementation of new business and client initiatives among the firm’s experienced business developers.
Megan and Roy’s long-time friendship and experience presenting together at LMA conferences make for a great working relationship and will deliver a candid, free-wheeling, and fun LMCT discussion of trends in the industry, the opportunities and challenges the pandemic presented, and hopes for the future of legal marketing.
Tune in this Wednesday, August 4th, at 3:00 PM ET on …
8/3 – 2 pm ET – “The Do’s and Don’ts of Legal Industry Content Marketing.” Looking forward to joining ALM Media, LLC’s VP & Legal Markets Leader Keith Edwards, NAM (National Arbitration and Mediation)’s Director of Continuing Legal Education Sharon Vento Pedersen, and Planet Depos’ Director of Marketing Daniel Malgran for this important conversation.
Discover the secrets for creating the most effective content marketing for the legal industry. Top performing law firm and legal solution provider marketers will share their challenges, successes and best practices in creating content that drives thought leadership, awareness and consideration with law firms and corporate counsel offices.
Join this webcast to learn:
The differences between marketing to law firms and to corporate counsel offices
How to create webcasts that drive increased registration, engagement and results with law firms
Best practices in using research to create data-supported value statements to drive legal industry awareness and consideration
Legal industry content marketing do’s and don’ts when creating white papers, blogs, podcasts and other content formats for the legal industry
SPEAKERS:
Roy E. Sexton | Director of Marketing | Clark Hill
Roy Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts, collaborating with the firm’s team of marketing and business development professionals. In doing so he facilitates the law firm’s business growth, crafting communications strategy, and celebrates its culture.
Sharon A. Pedersen | Director of Continuing Legal Education | NAM
Sharon A. Pedersen oversees the Continuing Legal Education Program working closely with former judges and attorneys who make up NAM’s esteemed panel of hearing officers to provide high-quality Continuing Legal Education programs to various law firms, bar associations and corporate legal departments.
Daniel Malgran | Director of Marketing | Planet Depos
Daniel Malgran maintains in-depth knowledge of SEO, SEM, social media, and email marketing best practices, with expertise in identifying emerging market trends and engaging with social audiences.
Keith Edwards | VP & Legal Markets Leader | ALM
Keith Edwards leads marketing services across the ALM family of 20 industry-leading legal media brands, including Law.com, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel and The New York Law Journal. As part of his role, Keith advises law firms and legal technology and services companies about how to best drive thought leadership, brand awareness, and lead generation.
New Clark Hill firm photo – thank you to Metro Detroit photographer Scott Lawrence and the entire Gittings Global team, including Barry Benton and Greg Lorfing. Pandemic “groovy college prof” Roy is now preserved in digital imagery. I guess I’ll never get my hair cut now. 😉 #itsokaynottobeokay #itsokaytonotbeokay
So … THIS is happening. 10/28 – 11/7. I should be ready to leave my basement by then. 😉 🎶 Thank you, Diane Hill, Ryan MacKenzie Lewis, and Theatre Nova, for your kindness, including me in this fabulous upcoming event!
SING HAPPY! music by John Kander and Fred Ebb with musical arrangements by R. MacKenzie Lewis – Theatre NOVA Fundraiser. More on the full season here: https://www.theatrenova.org/2021-22-season
A fundraiser for Theatre NOVA and presented in concert, Sing Happy! is a celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb. An ensemble of singers will take the stage with showstoppers from “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and many others while weaving a tale of strength and determination.
Directed by Diane Hill. Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis. Featuring Jason Briggs, John DeMerell, Kalyse Edmondson, Diane Hill, Elizabeth Jaffe Smoot, Sarah Stevens, Connor Thomas Rhoades, Carrie Jay Sayer, and Roy Sexton (that’s me! 🤩).
Spoiler alert: my solos are “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago and “A Quiet Thing” from Flora the Red Menace.
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT October 28 – November 7, 2021 Single tickets: $30
Diane saw this post on social media a few weeks back, and subsequently lobbied Ryan to include “Mr. Cellophane.” I hadn’t told her this but – and imagine me at around four of five years old – Mr. Cellophane was (inexplicably) one of the first songs I ever sang spontaneously as a kid. My mom and dad captured it on a portable tape recorder. They must have been listening to the cast album a lot back then. And I took a shine to that song. Lord knows where that cassette ended up at this point!
