“The latest in The BD Ladder’s quickfire views of the Business Development and Marketing Leaders series features Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law, and International Past President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International.
“Find out what led Roy into a career in legal BD and marketing, how he stays on top of upcoming trends, and what he thinks is key to a successful career in marketing and BD within legal and professional services.
“Learn from Roy how to find that ‘Memorable moment.’
“This is one episode you won’t want to miss!”
P.S. Thank you, Ryan Koral and Tell Studios, for this lovely case study on our work together for Clark Hill …
Journey to Triumph: Clark Hill’s Award-Winning Re-Branding Campaign
This is how we crafted compelling videos that vividly showcased and amplified the rebrand of one of the nation’s leading law firms, driving vast engagement and clinching industry accolades.
Overview
Enter the world of Clark Hill: a dynamic international team of legal advisors with a singular mission – to drive transformative growth for businesses. With a sprawling presence across 27 global offices and a formidable team of over 700 attorneys, Clark Hill stood at a pivotal juncture. Their challenge? To craft a brand message that resonated with their rich culture and showcased their revamped, sleek brand identity. The answer? Video, and a partnership with Tell Studios.
The Challenge
Rapid growth and expansion brought Clark Hill to a unique challenge: How to unify the diverse narratives of its expansive team into a cohesive brand story? The complexities of the COVID-19 era further underscored the need for a solution that transcended geographical boundaries, echoing the unified voice and values of Clark Hill’s global family.
The Solution
Teaming up with Tell Studios proved transformative. Together, they birthed a series of videos, each narrating a distinct facet of Clark Hill’s rebranding journey. From brand announcements to heartfelt testimonials and industry-specific spotlights, every video was a mosaic piece of Clark Hill’s renewed identity. The process was marked by collaboration, warmth, and a commitment to ensuring every attorney felt seen, heard, and valued.
The Results
The numbers were nothing short of spectacular:
A staggering 500,000 views in year one, soaring to 750,000 by year two. 📈
Social media reach catapulted from 7 million to a jaw-dropping 12 million, with engagement rates skyrocketing by 69%. 🤯
But the crowning glory? Clark Hill clinched the 2023 Managing Partners’ Forum Marketing Excellence Award.🏆
“Clark Hill was a standout in this category. Their ‘Simply Smarter’ rebrand and engagement campaign was a masterclass in strategic brand deployment, reflecting the very DNA of the firm’s people.”
Beyond accolades, the campaign enriched Clark Hill internally:
1️⃣ Attorneys radiated with renewed confidence, poised to engage with clients. 2️⃣ The videos served as conduits, expanding the client base. 3️⃣ A palpable sense of pride and morale upliftment resonated within the Clark Hill community.
Conclusion
Clark Hill’s collaboration with Tell Studios wasn’t just about creating videos; it was about weaving a narrative of transformation, connection, and legacy.
View here (free login/registration may be required).
Thank you, Anna Spektor and Expert Webcast for the opportunity. We offer words of condolence to Nancy Slome’s family in the opening. And shout outs to previous guests Jay Harrington and Laura Gassner Otting throughout the interview.
In this episode, Roy Sexton and Kacy Fleming unpack the formula for workplace engagement. Spoiler alert: it centers around authenticity and empathy. There are five core concepts involved: investing in leaders, recognition through a feedback loop, empowerment and autonomy, purpose and mattering, and career growth and development.
Kacy Fleming is an award-winning well-being strategist and life-coach, with a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and a passion for building cultures where individuals feel safe and have space to grow and thrive. Having moved from traditional marketing leadership roles to Head of Global Well-being for a Fortune 500 organization—she has gained invaluable first-hand experience driving change throughout complex corporate hierarchies.
In her article “How to Keep Employees Engaged: The 8.8 Trillion Dollar Question” for ThriveGlobal, Kacy writes, “There are a litany of factors that have been shown to improve employee engagement and performance, including autonomy. Over-indexing on where people work appears to have a negative effect on both organizational commitment and productivity. While there is much more research to come on employee engagement in distributed work, organizations must remember that what we reward gets repeated. Recognition and promotion belong to the people who help achieve company outcomes in a way that enhances culture, not those who log the most hours in-office or at the bar after work.”
Kacy has won multiple awards for her work in corporate well-being. She has built strategy for large global employers with populations working in a wide variety of work settings. From traditional knowledge work to the frontline, she has launched, co-designed, and deployed well-being strategies and solutions from the ground up. Her approach is guided not only by 20 years of practical experience working in some of the largest biopharmaceutical companies, but also from her academic research and writing.
Kacy is a sought after speaker and writer. Her TEDx talk on “The Limitlessness of Flexible Work,” was based on her master’s thesis. She has spoken for the Business Group on Health, MH Work Life, Randstad USA, and Wellbeing at Work and has appeared on numerous global podcasts. Kacy is the author of articles on hot topics in the workplace ranging from menopause and mid-life transitions to flexible work, humane leadership, and the key to employee engagement. Kacy loves to share top tips earned from her two decades of experience working in a variety of leadership roles. Learn more about Kacy at https://kacyfleming.com/
Are the kids all right? Are we too concerned with trend-chasing as opposed to delivering real value? Find out my thoughts on marketing, BD and AI in my article in The BD Ladder’slatest eBook.
Download your copy today and read the thoughts and opinions of industry leaders including Ben Chiriboga, Lynn Tellefsen Stehle, Ben Trott, David MacDonald, Megan Senese, Jennifer Ramsey, Richard W Smith, Michelle Howard, and Paul Roberts.
Thank you to Ben Paul and Lucy King who invited me to take part.
The kids are NOT all right … one marketer’s (cheeky) thoughts on trend-chasing and real value
By Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill and Immediate Past International President of the Legal Marketing Association
I suppose I’ve become more of a contrarian as I’ve progressed through my career. I love new ideas, change, and growth, but sometimes my Spidey-sense goes off when I feel like too many people are all rushing off after the same shiny object and I don’t perceive a great depth of thinking in their discourse. Now I’m not saying that’s the case with AI right now.
I’m implying that’s the case with AI right now.
Why do I say this? Well, for one, we’ve all been living with AI in one form another already for 20+ years. It’s baked into just about every cell phone and home media device, ubiquitously scattered across the land. It’s part of all major software applications. It’s part of every shopping recommendation we receive – and heaven knows AI-shopping suggestions sustained my spirit during the pandemic!
But in 2023 it suddenly captured the zeitgeist and, at least in my chosen profession of marketing, it seemed as if everyone feared they didn’t sound “smart” if they didn’t jump into the fray. For a while, it seemed all slapped the sentence “AI won’t take your job, but people who know AI will” into every piece of thought leadership, whether pertinent or not.
It’s AI o’clock … do you know where your children are?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m as enamored of AI-prompts and AI-streamlined tasks as anybody. As a glimmer into my psychology: I remember I fought voice-to-text for years, until my poor thumb screamed “give me a break with all the texting!” And now I haven’t typed anything on my phone for the better part of a decade (I think). I also am not sure I’ve proofread any of my texts in the better part of a decade either come to think of it.
And I guess that’s a bit of my concern. There’s a meme I share on social media every time I see it, and much like Yogi Berra I’m sure I will mangle its verbiage. It’s something to the effect of … “Hey, rather than have AI replace all the artists and screenwriters, let’s have it clean up the oceans.” That speaks to me. I will sound like a tin-foil hat wearing conspiracist but did the accountants get together with IT and say, “You know what … we both hate writing. Can we work on something to replace THAT?” I know AI does SO much more, but this is what hits close to home for me. Truth be told, writers are generally paid a pittance anyway, and I’m not totally convinced that what comes from AI prompts is as compelling as what comes from the human mind and heart. Plus, if the robots are doing all the writing and the responding, who’s doing the reading? Asking for a friend. Isn’t the point of marketing copy to connect with fellow humans and influence their purchasing decisions? At least that’s what I always thought.
What does appeal to me is the idea of AI clearing the decks of tasks that are not value-add and replacing with ones that generate market insight, while expanding the reach of the human minds in the room. I do believe in my bones we are at an incredible tipping point where data is concerned; AI rapidly scouring all the interwebs to inform our creative decisions, to target the right clients and customers just-in-time, and to close the deal will create greater efficiency and outcomes. This will also empower the creatives to do their work, to not have to fight their internal clients endlessly (that’s honestly where all the marketing waste is), and to focus on what they do best: innovate and connect.
I caution us as professionals to not lose ourselves in a sea of buzzwords and trends. For the past decade, every conference season, I slog through a million panel discussions where everyone hyperventilates over the next big “disruption.” Shall I rattle off a few? Big data. Internet of things. Blockchain. NFTs. Um … Clubhouse. I could go on.
What I am interested in is how we can already leverage what we have been using unknowingly for ages, not to downsize teams or confuse an already broad generational contingent even further, but rather to quickly craft holistic solutions that empower creators and consumers alike to connect over what they really need.
We’ve already seen the speed with which digital solutions can disrupt (negatively) real life, particularly the impact that social media has had on community fragmentation, political turmoil, and the dissemination of fraudulent information. When education and human comprehension don’t keep pace with technological advancement, human beings veer into “Dark Ages” dystopian times. Disruption seems clean and sleek and sexy in the rearview, but it is messy in real time. People are messy. We can’t help it. I’m not saying that’s bad and I’m not saying that’s good. I loved Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat as much as anyone. But it remains a concern and as breathless as we are about these new tools and solutions and what they can do for the “bottom line,” let’s also consider what they will do to an already fragile human condition.
I will leave you with this anecdote, names changed to protect the innocent. I have an attorney friend – a Baby Boomer. I’m not being ageist – it’s important context. This attorney reminds me of my beloved late mother. Both reflect a fascination with social and digital platforms and a desire to connect as broadly as possible, seeing the potential in these channels for commiseration on scale and enthusiastically embracing it all. Both also are petrified they are going to “break something” every time they touch social media. Doesn’t hold them back but fear always lurks in the background.
(Sidebar: I grew up in the era when parents told you not to sit too close to the television for fear of ruining your eyesight nor to turn it on and off and on and off for fear of breaking it. In fact, we – gasp! – took our TVs periodically to the “repair shop.” I wonder if this is why an entire generation lives in abject terror over tech. Just a theory.)
One day this attorney asked me why they don’t see the words “[their name] likes this” under posts on social. I said, “Well, when you click ‘like,’ OTHER people see that.” They then got insistent: “No, I want it to say [my name] LIKES this.” I explained again. Then a light bulb went off. I looked at their activity and realized in the time we were chatting they had started typing this as a comment “[their name] likes this” over and over and over under different posts. Paging Amelia Bedelia!
Now flash forward a few months, I get another call. On a Sunday. This attorney is apoplectic. “Why does it show I’ve left all these comments on my very important clients’ posts? I didn’t say these things. I wouldn’t say these things. Can I sue LinkedIn? I’m so embarrassed.” Again, I calmly asked, “Now describe to me what you are seeing?” (I learned this in years of similar panicked chats from my mom. I think I could have a side hustle here.) With some time, I figured out they thought the AI prompts under a given post were a string of comments they had actually left. They were so distressed about it that they had then sent emails to all said connections apologizing. THEN they reached out to me. Not a great look for someone trying to show their facility and agility in this digital age.
So, what’s the problem here? Why am I sharing this? I actually GET why the attorney was alarmed. Now, I knew what I was looking at when I saw those prompts, but they didn’t. Because the tech industry sometimes moves at the speed of “we’ll get to it when we feel like it” and other times at the speed of “we’re changing stuff and not explaining it and you can just figure it out or not,” there is likely a deep rift we will create across generations if we don’t pause a bit and implement things sensibly. Did this attorney NEED a prompt to say, “Congrats on your work anniversary?” Do any of us? Was that actually a problem that needed to be solved? And how many troubles have been created inadvertently in the process?
What’s that line sardonically offered by Jeff Goldblum’s Jurassic Park character Dr. Ian Malcolm (who specialized in chaos theory BTW)? “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Now, I know those reading this ramble will shake their heads in judgment and think, “I’m shocked. SHOCKED! I had no idea Roy was such a wet blanket luddite.” Listen, I’m not. I love what we are able to do with digital and social tech and how AI can supercharge our ability to connect meaningfully and hopefully change the world for the better. But I’m not honestly seeing much of that yet in the discourse to which I’ve been privy. So just imagine I’m Ian Malcolm here. And remember he’s one of the few characters who survived.
P.S. Confessional … I first asked Chat GPT to write this article for funsies. I hated the result. Tossed it all out. And then I wrote this. You might hate it. But I don’t. And I still think that matters.
P.S. Above depicted one of my most treasured invitations I’ve ever received in 12 years of being a member of the Legal Marketing Association. Thank you, Tahisha Fugate, MBA [she/her]! Love you and love this dynamic, brilliant, fantastic, fun group of incredible human beings.
LinkedIn post from Tahisha: “For the third year in a row, a group of Black Women in Legal Marketing and friends gathered at #LMA24. Women from firms of all sizes, across the U.S. and Canada, connected and engaged. We were thrilled to be joined by some legal marketing business partners, including Chambers USA, Passle, RubyLaw, and Jaffe to name a few.
“A special thank you to my firm Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP for their continued support of this event! I look forward to seeing everyone in DC next year. #legalmkt #marketing #businessdevelopment #DEI”
EXCERPT: “A total of 1,418 CMOs, content marketers and podcast producers registered for the first-ever conference or summit dedicated specifically to branded podcasts. For the first time, branded podcasters from around the world connected online to learn from the experts – and fill the chat box with their own tips and experiences.
“Presented free of charge by the folks at Lower Street, attendees took in sessions from podcast pros, brand marketers as well as content marketing headliners Anne Handley and Rand Fishkin.
“Across all the sessions, the podcast audience came first. This should seem an obvious focus for podcast production. However, the impulse to create a branded podcast often comes from an organization’s instinct to put the brand’s objectives ahead of content that will attract their target audience.
“Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law, tackled this head on, advising attendees, ‘Podcasts should not just exist to placate someone’s ego… If it’s not bringing in a lead or awareness or audience growth, you need to pull the plug or re-tool.’”
What will brand podcasts look like in 2024? Find out with the industry’s finest. Roy Sexton – director of marketing at Clark Hill, Lynn Teo – CMO at Northwestern Mutual, Nick Howard – podcast architect and senior manager at Boston Consulting Group, and Shannon Martin – podcast strategist at Lower Street come together to discuss their podcasting experience and big plans for 2024. Join in to get inspired and learn from the best.
Join us again in April! It’s time to nail a winning podcast strategy. Join us for actionable insights, interactive workshops, exclusive strategy audits, consultations with podcasting experts, and exclusive networking opportunities. Register today for the super early bird discount – limited spots available: https://www.brandpodcastsummit.com/
Brought to you by Lower Street. Lower Street is a full-service podcast production agency that creates amazing shows for brands that want great not good. We serve companies of all sizes across industries developing podcasts unique to each company’s target audience. Find out more: https://lowerstreet.co/Transcript
Thank you, Harry Morton, Jeni Rose Larsen, and Steven Bonnard!
Roy Sexton is excited to share some inspiring stories with the world.
Joining with Expert Webcast in launching a new series, Sexton is hosting a new show called “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth.”
Sexton, a Saline resident who is the Clark Hill Director of Marketing and Immediate Past International President of the Legal Marketing Association, said this new show is an exciting opportunity to share his friends’ stories.
“I’m thrilled to be able to share my friends and their inspiring stories with the world. These professionals all have incredible and varied careers, rich with life lessons that can help others succeed and thrive in their respective work,” Sexton said in the Expert Webcast announcement. “I come from a long line of storytellers, and I think the best way to learn and to be inspired is by sharing our journeys with each other.”
Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts in collaboration with the firm’s exceptional team of marketing and business development professionals. He has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning.
Sexton’s show is expected to feature discussions “with notable business leaders on why culture matters, how one’s personal and professional brand are inextricably linked, and how to leverage your innate authenticity to create growth and spur sustainable organizational change.”
Expert Webcast is a woman-owned company and is a leading source of transactional wisdom and market intelligence for the professional and the business communities locally, nationally and cross-border.
Producing the industry’s leading panel discussions and interviews covering corporate, M&A, restructuring and finance topics, Expert Webcast said it “addresses timely and relevant issues faced by general counsel, C-level executives, boards of directors, business owners and their advisors, as well as institutional investors.”
Anna Spektor, Expert Webcast’s Founder and CEO, said they are looking forward to what Sexton’s show will bring.
“We partner with leading media outlets and organizations to expand the reach and impact of the platform, and to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry peers and stakeholders,” Spektor said in the announcement. “Roy is a welcome addition to our voices. We’ve already recorded our first episode [with Blaine Fowler], and I’m just thrilled with the direction. I think our viewers – attorney leaders, executives, professional services practitioners – will gain great insight from these accessible, fun, authentic conversations.”
Spektor added, “As an acknowledged business leader and a top legal marketing, communications and strategic planning executive, Roy will add a new dimension to the Expert Webcast legal, finance and transactional programming by interviewing entrepreneurs, media personalities and other business leaders, focusing on business culture, growth and collaboration.”
Sexton is described as being passionate about problem solving, facilitating business growth, crafting communications strategy, and enhancing law firm culture. He works closely with the marketing team to advance the firm’s digital and social media presence and external engagement, using multi-channel distribution and data collection. This enables the team to quantify results and use those results to produce thoughtfully and strategically organized content for clients and prospects.
Sexton also advises attorneys on marketing and business development strategy by curating relationships among external publications and media outlets and creating the appropriate platforms and opportunities for attorneys to promote their knowledge and practice.
He has been heavily involved regionally and nationally in the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) as a board member, content expert, and presenter. He currently serves as Past President of LMA. He also serves on the governance board committee of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and was marketing chair for Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor’s board.
Sexton was named one of INvolve People’s 2023 Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives internationally. He was listed in Crain’s Detroit “Notable LGBTQ in Business” in 2021 and “Notable Leaders in Marketing” in 2023, and he was a Michigan Lawyers Weekly“Unsung Legal Hero” (2018).
In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign, which Sexton played a key role in developing, received the Best Marketing Campaign award from the Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity, and inclusion. The Clark Hill marketing and business development team was also awarded “Best Marketing Initiative” by Managing Partners’ Forum in 2020.
Sexton is also a published author of two books: Reel Roy Reviews, Volumes 1 and 2and he was named “Best Actor in a Musical” by BroadwayWorld Detroit in 2017 for his performance as Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Ann Arbor Civic.
Sexton’s first season’s guests will include:
96.3 WDVD’s morning show co-host of Blaine and Lauren Blaine D. Fowler
The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Wonderhell and Limitless as well as keynote speaker and coach Laura Gassner Otting
Author/coach/recovering attorney/president of Harrington Communications Jay Harrington
Thank you, R.J. King and DBusiness Magazine. You are always very kind to me. You do so much good for our Metro Detroit community. And you are appreciated.
Roy Sexton, director of marketing for Clark Hill Law, will host a new show called “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth” for Expert Webcast, a woman-owned company and source of market intelligence for the professional and the business communities locally, nationally, and cross-border.
It produces panel discussions and interviews covering corporate, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and finance topics, expert webcast addresses timely and relevant issues faced by general counsel, C-level executives, boards of directors, business owners, and their advisors, as well as institutional investors.
Sexton’s webcast will feature discussions with notable business leaders on why culture matters, how one’s personal and professional brand are inextricably linked, and how to use innate authenticity to create growth and spur sustainable organizational change.
The first season’s guests will include Blaine D. Fowler, 96.3 WDVD’s morning show co-host of “Blaine and Lauren;” Laura Gassner Otting, The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of “Wonderhell” and “Limitless” as well as keynote speaker and coach; Jay Harrington, author/coach/recovering attorney/president of Harrington Communications; Aarash Darroodi, vice president and corporate secretary and general counsel for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation; Roop Raj, prime time anchor for FOX 2 Detroit; and Lauren M. London, general counsel for Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti and executive director of The Penny Seats.
“I’m thrilled to be able to share my friends and their inspiring stories with the world,” says Sexton. “These professionals all have incredible and varied careers, rich with life lessons that can help others succeed and thrive in their respective work. I come from a long line of storytellers, and I think the best way to learn and to be inspired is by sharing our journeys with each other.”
Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts in collaboration with the firm’s team of marketing and business development professionals. He has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning.
Sexton is a published author of two books: “Reel Roy Reviews,” Volumes 1 and 2 and he was named Best Actor in a Musical by BroadwayWorld Detroit in 2017 for his performance as Jasper in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” at Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
Expert Webcast has launched a new series hosted by Clark Hill director of marketing and immediate past international president of the Legal Marketing Association Roy Sexton.
Titled “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth,” the show will feature discussions with notable business leaders on why culture matters, how one’s personal and professional brand are inextricably linked, and how to leverage your innate authenticity to create growth and spur sustainable organizational change.
Counselor and spiritual coach Julie Booksh, MA, LPC
FOX 2 Detroit prime time anchor Roop Raj (TBD)
Eastern Michigan University General Counsel and Executive Director of The Penny Seats theatre company Lauren M. London
Keynote speaker/corporate comedian/client care strategist Brenda Pontiff of Partner Track Academy
Professor of Psychology, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Area, University of Michigan and author Stephanie Preston
President and CEO of Detroit Regional Partnership Maureen Donohue Krauss, FM
Storyteller + Strategist: on stage and behind the scenes, award-winning voiceover artist Ratana
Communications Manager at Walt Disney Imagineering Dana C. Harvey, MBA
“I’m thrilled to be able to share my friends and their inspiring stories with the world. These professionals all have incredible and varied careers, rich with life lessons that can help others succeed and thrive in their respective work,” Sexton observed. “I come from a long line of storytellers, and I think the best way to learn and to be inspired is by sharing our journeys with each other.”
Expert Webcast is a woman-owned company and is a leading source of transactional wisdom and market intelligence for the professional and the business communities locally, nationally and cross-border. Producing the industry’s leading panel discussions and interviews covering corporate, M&A, restructuring and finance topics, Expert Webcast addresses timely and relevant issues faced by general counsel, C-level executives, boards of directors, business owners and their advisors, as well as institutional investors.
“We partner with leading media outlets and organizations to expand the reach and impact of the platform, and to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry peers and stakeholders,” Anna Spektor, Expert Webcast’s Founder and CEO, noted. “Roy is a welcome addition to our voices. We’ve already recorded our first episode [with Blaine Fowler], and I’m just thrilled with the direction. I think our viewers – attorney leaders, executives, professional services practitioners – will gain great insight from these accessible, fun, authentic conversations.”
Roy Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts in collaboration with the firm’s team of marketing and business development professionals. He has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning.
“As an acknowledged business leader and a top legal marketing, communications and strategic planning executive, Roy will add a new dimension to the Expert Webcast legal, finance and transactional programming by interviewing entrepreneurs, media personalities and other business leaders, focusing on business culture, growth and collaboration,” Spektor added.
Sexton is passionate about problem solving, facilitating business growth, crafting communications strategy, and enhancing law firm culture. He works closely with the marketing team to advance the firm’s digital and social media presence and external engagement, using multi-channel distribution and data collection. This enables the team to quantify results and use those results to produce thoughtfully and strategically organized content for clients and prospects.
Sexton also advises attorneys on marketing and business development strategy by curating relationships among external publications and media outlets and creating the appropriate platforms and opportunities for attorneys to promote their knowledge and practice.
He has been heavily involved regionally and nationally in the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International (LMA) as a board member, content expert, and presenter. He currently serves as Past President of LMA. He also serves on the governance board committee of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and was marketing chair for Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor’s board.
Sexton was named one of INvolve People’s 2023 Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives internationally. He was listed in Crain’s Detroit Business’ “Notable LGBTQ in Business” in 2021 and “Notable Leaders in Marketing” in 2023, and he was a Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Unsung Legal Hero” (2018).
In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign, which Sexton played a key role in developing, received the Best Marketing Campaign award from the Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity, and inclusion. The Clark Hill marketing and business development team was also awarded “Best Marketing Initiative” by Managing Partners’ Forum in 2020.
Sexton is a published author of two books: ReelRoyReviews, Volumes 1 and 2 and he was named “Best Actor in a Musical” by BroadwayWorld in 2017 for his performance as Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
Blaine Fowler is a radio legend, celebrating 20 years as host of one of Metro Detroit’s top morning drive-time shows. He is an engaged community leader, championing countless local non-profits, and is an in-demand speaker for business gatherings and retreats. He and Roy are also close pals, after Roy crashed a promotional event, handing Blaine a salad spinner. More on that later.
Roy Sexton and Blaine Fowler discuss the importance of personal and professional brand in career growth, tips on networking, and how community leadership can transform a career. Oh, and they might geek out over KISS (the rock group), the finer points of Star Trek vs. Star Wars, and random other acts of geekery.
I never had voice lessons. I didn’t sing in high school choir. But when I was attending Wabash College, I suddenly found myself craving all the music my parents listened to when I was growing up: Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis, Lena Horne, Doris Day. And I would go to the Walmart or Target in Crawfordsville, Indiana (we only had two stores … lol) and grab any CDs I could find. Columbia House helped too! I may still owe them for some of those discs, come to think of it. And I’d pop the shiny objects into my Discman that plugged into a tape deck in my swanky 1986 Buick Century and sing WAY out loud as I drove. Those artists “taught” me how to sing.
A few years later, I was cast as one of the leads in The Fantasticks. My mother, who DID have formal vocal training, told me years later that she was terrified over what was about to unfold. She said that once I opened my mouth and let out a warble, she knew I was going to be ok.
And I think I love singing for the very reason that it’s always been mine. No one forcing rules or expectations on me. Just doing it the way that feels natural to me. It refills my well and brings me joy. Not sure if it does the same for the audience, but that doesn’t stop me. Everyone needs something like that in their lives.
So, I leave you, in my way, with a song. “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell became one of my mom’s favorite tunes before she died. And I think I know why. In this beautiful yet poignant moment of transition in my life, its lyrics speak to me in a way they never did before. I hope they will hold some meaning for you as well.
Thank you for this opportunity to help bring something back to a community that has given me so much. 2023 will be a highlight of my career and life. And thank you for letting me be my weird and open-hearted self. That may be the best gift of all.
Love you…
P.S. For those wondering how the whole “playlist” thing got started, one more, to bring us full circle: “AmpliMix … the OG” on Spotify and Apple Music. This was created about a year ago this time for our LMA leaders kick-off (regional presidents, international board, committee co-chairs and SIG co-chairs). It only feels right to share this far and wide. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the positive vibes here – and maybe use this mix to ring in the New Year!
P.P.S. And for completists out there (like me!) here’s the full list of this year’s playlists. Thanks for letting me share the soundtrack in my head with you all year long!
President, 2023 LMA International Board of Directors
Director of Marketing, Clark Hill
Check out the LMA Fireside Chat with LMA 2023 President Roy Sexton, and President-Elect Kevin Iredell, moderated by Interim CEO Ashley Stenger, reviewing LMA’s successful 2023 and looking ahead to 2024!
FLASH PROMO: Register by December 31 to be entered in a drawing for a free room night and room upgrade — plus get the Early Bird discount!!
If you ever wondered why I am the crazy nut I am … thanks to my cousin Krisan Gregson for finding and sending. I was truly fortunate to have the parents, upbringing, and home I did … full of creativity, hustle, and love. #youngauthors #ptareflections #indiana #onlychild
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Reel Roy Reviews 