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

18 September 2025

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🎧 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
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🔔 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

12 September 2025

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🔗 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

10 September 2025

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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

10 September 2025

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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

3 September 2025

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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

Beyond the Billable Hour: Mastering Relationship Development to Build a Thriving Legal Practice

Evolvement.

24 August 2025

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No one quite prepares you for this phase of life. How could they? You want to help your parent(s) transition to their next phase, without encroaching on their autonomy nor seeming like you are selfishly agnostic to their needs.

You may be at a peak moment in your career/life, and you don’t want to squander the lead … but you also don’t want to become a careerist egomaniac and ignore the needs of loved ones.

You’d like to take a minute and pursue personal interests (read a book, watch a movie, take a nap) yet you feel riddled with guilt that you aren’t giving 110% of your energy to everything previously described. I don’t have children, but I can’t even fathom what complexity that adds to the mix.

Yet, here we are.

And then you have a meta moment like this: a poem your grandmother wrote in 1961 (about JFK), cross stitched by your cousin in 1985, the framed version of which resided in your parents’ home for nearly 40 (!) years … now hanging on a wall in your own home after a visit with your father where you strived to help him transition, struggling with your own emotional reaction to seeing your childhood home disappear piece by piece, wanting nothing but happiness for him, and fretting that you aren’t doing enough.

And then you read your grandmother’s words, and you marvel at how perfect they are. For us all. And you sigh contentedly in a moment of fleetingly relaxed gratitude.

Baby’s first keynote … “Beyond the Algorithm: The Human Side of Client Intelligence” with Inside Practice

12 August 2025

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Baby’s first keynote (sort of … at least one focused on such a substantive topic and not requiring costume changes, sequins, or showtunes). Thank you, Pamela Cone, ISSP-SA, Daniel Smallwood, Tim Hart, and Inside Practice. I hope you don’t live in regret of this decision. I truly am honored and looking forward to this dynamic program. November 5 in Chicago – see you there: https://www.insidelegalai.com/law-firm-client-intelligence

Me: “Beyond the Algorithm: The Human Side of Client Intelligence … Exploring how law firms can balance technology with the human factors that drive success; from fostering cultural change and building strong teams to setting shared values and cultivating critical thinking. Learn how accurate data, strong relationships, and people-centered strategies can amplify the value of AI-powered client intelligence.”

LMA Midwest – Chicago: The Hidden Growth Killer: From Content Mayhem to Marketing Momentum with Astute Review’s James Hirchak, Consultant and Fractional Chief Marketing Officer Sarah McHugh and yours truly on Wednesday, August 27, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT

7 August 2025

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Join us for The Hidden Growth Killer: From Content Mayhem to Marketing Momentum, where we’ll explore how legal marketing teams are overcoming fragmented workflows and content chaos. Attendees can expect a dynamic panel discussion featuring real-world strategies, smart automation tools, and centralized content solutions that help firms reduce risk, improve efficiency, and focus more on strategy. 


REGISTER NOW

Key Highlights:

  • The true cost of disorganized content on employee efficiency and sales cycles
  • How brand compliance tools reduce risk and reclaim your team’s time 
  • Real stories from firms modernizing their marketing materials and proposal processes 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how to streamline your content workflows and boost your marketing momentum. Special thanks to our sponsor, Astute Review, for their generous support of this event. And thank you to Baker McKenzie for hosting. Register now!

LMA Body of Knowledge: Technology Management, Business Development 

Our Speakers: 

Roy Sexton
Chief Marketing Officer, Vedder Price

Roy has a passion for solving problems, improving culture, facilitating business growth, and collaborating on long-term strategy. He has been a marketing, communications, and strategic planning professional for over 25 years in consulting, healthcare, legal, and college advancement. He is a longtime member of LMA and served as LMA International President in 2023.


Sarah McHugh 
Consultant and Fractional Chief Marketing Officer

Sarah is a strategic marketing and communications executive with a track record of driving growth through disruptive go-to-market programs. She has helped a wide range of industries develop strategies and create compelling content to connect with customers.

Our Moderator:
James Hirchak 
President and Co-founder, Astute



Time: 
11:30 a.m. – Noon: Registration and Networking 
Noon – 1 p.m.: Program


Location:
Baker McKenzie
300 East Randolph Street, Suite 5000
Chicago, IL 60601


Cost:
LMA Members: $20
Prospective LMA Members: $40

Thank You Our Sponsor! 

For questions or concerns about your event registration, please contact lmamidwest@legalmarketing.org


REGISTER NOW

 

“To be understood as to understand.” Simone Mola, 1928-2025

2 August 2025

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Simone Mola, age 96, of Saline, Michigan, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2025. Simone was born in Mola di Bari, Italy.

Simone shared 68 years of marriage with his wife Luci (née Anichini). He was the proud father of Lori (Terry) Compagner and John (Roy Sexton) Mola, and a cherished grandfather (“Nonno”) to Gabby (Avery) Confer and Andrew (Fan Meng – fiancée) Rundall. He was also a dear brother of six.

Simone immigrated to the United States from Italy in the late 1940s, first settling in Chicago. He worked his way through college at the Illinois Institute of Technology, supporting himself through jobs in construction and the applied trades. After earning his undergraduate degree, he met and married Luci Anichini, and together they began a new chapter in Michigan.

Simone went on to build a distinguished career in the auto industry, with early roles at Studebaker Packard and Buick. The couple eventually settled in the Flint/Grand Blanc area, where Simone pursued graduate and doctoral studies in engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

After his tenure at Buick, Simone transitioned into academia, accepting a faculty position at General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) where he served as a full professor for nearly 30 years. His work in automotive suspension design was published in multiple textbooks and remains foundational in the field to this day. Simone guided generations of engineering students many of whom went on to lead and innovate in the automotive industry.

Simone and Luci raised two accomplished children, Lori and John, who followed in their father’s footsteps. Like Simone, both graduated from the University of Michigan and became automotive engineers. Go Blue!

Simone was an avid gardener, wine maker, cat lover, and Andrea Bocelli fan. He was intelligent, introspective, and analytical in nature. This was offset by Luci’s passion for the arts, for creating beautiful spaces as a successful interior designer, and for connecting through conversation with everyone she meets.

Visitation and Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at Holy Name Cedar Lake Catholic Church, 11000 W. 133rd, Cedar Lake, IN. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. CST, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. CST. Interment will take place at Holy Name Cemetery, directly behind the church. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in Simone’s name to Adopt A Pet of Fenton, Michigan: https://www.adoptapetfenton.com/. Arrangements entrusted to Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel and Crematory- Cedar Lake, IN. 219-374-9300

“Did we mention there was singing??” Yours truly guests on stage’s “So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast for People”

31 July 2025

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In this episode, Megan K. Senese & Jennifer Ramsey of stage are joined by the incomparable Roy Sexton (me?!), Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, former International President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, and one of INvolve People’s Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives: https://share.transistor.fm/s/de26f09f

In this warm, funny, and deeply insightful conversation, Roy opens up about how he’s learned to lead without losing himself, including why he no longer ties his self-worth to professional validation, what helped him climb out of burnout, and how he approaches every CMO role with humility and curiosity. He shares the unexpected path that led him into legal marketing (spoiler: it involves penny loafers, a theater degree, and a rocking chair), his take on building true connection through content, and the power of karaoke.

Thank you, Melanie Scroggins of Scroggins Creative, for your expert production and kindness.

Megan wrote in her post: “We sang (a lot), we laughed (a lot) but we didn’t cry! Roy Sexton was the first stage spotlight. He has been a big online supporter of our content, our message and our brand. We are big fans of him. It’s hard to express how special it was to have him as a guest on our podcast. We had so much fun listening to his stories and talking to the person behind the profile. Did we mention there was singing?? Thank you, thank you, thank you Roy Sexton. You did great. Listen to our latest episode with Roy. Change your location: Change your perspective.”

Links & Resources:

Learn more about our guest:


Connect with Roy Sexton –> https://www.linkedin.com/in/royesexton/


Check out Vedder Price –> https://www.vedderprice.com/

Looking for more support for your business?

Learn more about stage –> https://stage.guide/


Connect with Megan Senese –> https://www.linkedin.com/in/megansenese/


Connect with Jennifer Ramsey –> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferramseysd/

P.S. Check out this fun playlist inspired by this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1L0hwdsVw7Rm0UKRXzNco5?si=7a7LJMlVSz-0tfhxtt6O4A&pi=fmx6FaLKTHO_d