Scaling employee advocacy with authenticity: my pre-holidays chat with DSMN8’s Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley

15 January 2025

2 Comments

Thank you, Lewis Gray ⚡️ and Elliot Elsley and DSMN8 – The Employee Advocacy Platform!

View full episode here: https://dsmn8.com/blog/scaling-employee-advocacy-podcast/

Greatly appreciate the opportunity to share what I’ve learned about digital and social media marketing and about building dynamic communities. You are both such wonderful souls – your kindness means the world to me. Thank you for all you are doing to shine a light on these essential connection techniques ✨

Lewis writes:

I had so much fun making this one.

Our latest podcast episode features the incredible Roy Sexton. During his tenure at Clark Hill, he spearheaded the company’s highly successful employee advocacy program.

In this episode, Roy shares:

↪ How to navigate employee advocacy in legal marketing.
↪ The importance of engagement metrics and audience growth.
↪ Strategies for scaling programs and fostering a sense of community among employees.

Sneak Peek: Roy’s candid reflections on managing cultural shifts and his advice for marketers dealing with leadership constraints are unmissable gems! 💎

Listen in to learn from someone who has not only transformed a brand’s visibility but also inspired authentic engagement at every level (in one of the toughest industries to do so!)

Now, as the CMO at the Vedder Price law firm, Roy’s influence will no doubt continue to shape how law firms approach advocacy in regulated industries.

Wishing you all the success in your new role, Roy! They’re lucky to have you.

Elliot writes:

I had a lot of fun recording this one with Lewis Gray ⚡️.

Before Christmas, Lewis and I sat down with Roy Sexton to chat about all things employee advocacy in the Legal sector.

I’ve worked with many organizations in regulated industries that have launched employee advocacy programs, but Roy’s leadership in legal marketing is reshaping how firms should approach this strategy.

During his time at Clark Hill, Roy built a successful advocacy program that empowered employees to grow their own personal brands while amplifying the firm’s message.

In the episode, we discussed:

  • Strategies for managing advocacy in regulated industries.
  • Key metrics to measure success beyond basic engagement.
  • The role of leadership in fostering a culture of participation and trust.

Roy also shares his experience navigating the challenges of scaling advocacy efforts while maintaining authenticity and empowering employees to take ownership of their contributions.

Their colleague Bradley Keenan writes:

What does employee advocacy success look like?
 
Is it earned media value?
 
Audience growth?

Demand generation?
 
Maybe.

After all, it will vary depending on the organization’s goals.
 
Roy Sexton, now CMO of Vedder Price, has a fresh perspective on employee advocacy success, which he was kind enough to share on our latest podcast episode.

Roy, then Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law, spearheaded employee advocacy in a traditionally regulated industry, fostering a culture where lawyers confidently shared their expertise online.

Roy’s take on success really resonated with me:

“When you see the organization just doing it – when it’s in their bones, their DNA – and lawyers are comfortable expressing themselves authentically, that’s real advocacy success.”

As Roy prepares to embark on his new role as Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, we’re really grateful he took the time to share his invaluable expertise.

Hear how he transformed social media engagement into a cultural movement, making advocacy second nature at Clark Hill. Available to watch/listen in all the usual places! https://lnkd.in/eAbkyM3e

Let’s wish Roy all the best as he steps into his next chapter at Vedder Price 👏

Their colleague George Saffer writes:

One of the most enjoyable conversations I’ve had about advocacy since joining this space was with Roy!

Roy’s perspective challenges how many of us define success in advocacy:

🗣️ “You know you’ve succeeded when advocacy becomes second nature. Employees feel comfortable sharing their voices, and it’s just in their DNA now. To me, that’s success.”

Our team was lucky enough to have Roy on the podcast recently. If you’re interested in learning how Roy’s made advocacy second nature, give it a listen.

Their colleague Emily Neal writes:

What does employee advocacy success really look like? 👀

It’s different for every company, but for Roy Sexton, it’s not ALL about the numbers.

It’s about creating a culture 🤝

Joining Lewis Gray ⚡️ and Elliot Elsley for a podcast episode, Vedder Price’s new CMO shared a story about how his team’s advocacy efforts at Clark Hill Law sparked something bigger.

“You know you’ve succeeded when advocacy becomes second nature. Employees feel comfortable sharing their voices, and it’s just in their DNA now. To me, that’s success.” 👏

This episode is packed with actionable advice for those working in marketing for the legal sector (or any regulated industry).

If you’re aiming to build an advocacy program that empowers employees to show up authentically, this is a great opportunity to learn from someone who’s done exactly that!

Episode description:

[Episode Fifty-Three of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧

In this episode, Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley sit down with Roy Sexton, former Director of Marketing at Clark Hill, to uncover how the firm successfully set up, launched, scaled, and managed an employee advocacy program in a highly regulated industry.

Roy shares his journey, from overcoming early challenges to implementing strategies that turned employees into brand ambassadors. Whether you’re just starting or looking to scale your employee advocacy program, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Roy highlights the importance of internal training, awareness-building, and creative ways to keep employees engaged and consistently share content. The conversation also dives into the personal benefits employees have gained, how Roy measures ROI, and how this impacts Clark Hill.

Key Takeaways:

Scaling Employee Advocacy with Authenticity

One key insight from this episode is the importance of authenticity in scaling employee advocacy. Roy emphasizes that organizations thrive when employees share their genuine experiences, thoughts, and insights rather than scripted or overly corporate messages. This authenticity creates trust, not just with the external audience but also internally within the team.

Roy shares how empowering employees to voice their own stories can humanize the brand, making it relatable and credible. He discusses how this approach can inspire other employees to participate and amplify the message, ultimately driving organic growth for employee advocacy.

Navigating Social Media in Regulated Industries

For organizations in regulated industries, social media can feel like a minefield. Roy sheds light on navigating these challenges by balancing compliance with creativity. Lewis and Elliot also highlight that education is key for equipping employees with clear guidelines and frameworks that help them feel confident about what they can share without overstepping boundaries.

This episode highlights the importance of collaboration between marketing, legal, and compliance teams to develop content that resonates while staying within the rules. This collaboration ensures employees can contribute to advocacy programs without fear, even in highly regulated environments.

Measuring the Impact of Advocacy Efforts

A key takeaway all hosts discuss is the importance of measurement in scaling employee advocacy. Roy discusses how organizations can set clear KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives, such as engagement rates, content shares, and even lead generation.

By regularly analyzing these metrics, teams can identify what works and refine their strategies. Roy also highlights the value of engaging employees to share their experiences and suggestions, ensuring that the program evolves to benefit everyone involved.

“Who cares if YOU love it? What matters is if OTHER people love you doing it.” Better Man

14 January 2025

2 Comments

“I came out of the womb with jazz hands.” – Robbie Williams

It’s a surreal feeling to have a movie theater all to oneself. And yet strangely befitting a beautiful fever dream of a celebrity biopic like Better Man. Of course, it probably doesn’t help that I saw this at lunchtime on a bitterly cold Tuesday in January. Nonetheless, I feel like I’m the only person in America who is a super fan of the film’s subject, British pop singer Robbie Williams. He emerged from the ether in the summer of 1999 when Ricky Martin was conquering the charts. I liked them both, but preferred Robbie’s acerbic, sassy take on pop music with his first single, the James Bond theme homage “Millennium.” And I have followed him with great interest ever since.

Akin to Australian singer songwriter Peter Allen, Robbie seems to have had more fame everywhere else in the world but America, which seems consistent with his life’s calling to keep banging his head until bloodied against the brutal wall of superstardom. Like Allen, both artists marry soul-searching, left-of-center, searing lyrics with intoxicating melodies, all apparently lost on American radio listeners, and that’s a shame.

This film, covering Williams’ ascent to solo stardom seems to be following a similar path at the box office, with nary an American moviegoer giving it a chance. I’m quite surprised it even was released over here, though grateful that I had a chance to see it on the big screen.

Director Michael Gracey, who also helmed The Greatest Showman, taking the life of another problematic figure in P.T. Barnum and crafting an exhilarating fairy tale, works similar magic on Williams’ life. Perhaps our American politicians should hire him for their next campaign videos. He seems to do well with personalities with checkered pasts.

Gracey makes the odd but inspired choice of replacing Williams with a CGI-rendered chimpanzee, deftly portrayed in motion capture by Jonno Davies. This narrative concept achieves two pragmatic aims: one, we don’t have the inevitable distraction of watching someone who almost looks like the real life person they are portraying, and, two, it allows us as an audience to imprint more fully on the central character and their tragicomic journey. No explanation is offered in the context of the film, other than Robbie Williams, who himself narrates, explaining that he sees himself as a cheeky monkey in life, genus distinctions notwithstanding. As a storytelling gimmick, this swap works shockingly well.

The supporting cast, chiefly Williams’ family (Kate Mulvany, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman), achieve miracles selling the conceit, offering us a warm and often bruising depiction of the hardscrabble life Williams navigated on his way up the pop charts.

Pemberton, as Williams’ adulation-seeking father, deserves extra credit for not devolving into out-of-touch absent father villain shtick. He haunts the film as Williams’ source of misplaced motivation, suggesting that the only love that matters comes from faceless fandom and the worst tragedy to befall anyone is to be a “nobody.” The seeds are thereby planted for Williams to achieve everything he ever wanted and should have never received, self-immolating in the process. Williams explains to the one childhood friend who sticks with him: “Who cares if YOU love it? What matters is if OTHER people love you doing it.” Heartbreaking.

Much like the Elton John film biography Rocketman, which shares a kind of heightened and surreal DNA with Better Man, the latter film is most effective in remixing its subject matter’s hit ditties as unabashed song and dance commentary on expected (clichéd) story beats: the vicious cycle of rampant substance abuse and alienation, the deflection of inner turmoil through ass-shaking antics and ill-timed irreverence, the crushing burdens of fame, THAT scene where the rock star trashes his own home at the height of his acclaim, and so on. Standout numbers include “Rock DJ” – the jubilantly manic London street scene depicting Williams’ initial “Take That” boy band ascent – and “Angels” – the passing of his beloved “Nan” when Williams begins to realize he’s been spending his life’s energies in all the wrong places.

As with Williams’ music, Better Man is candy-coated on the outside but carries a corrosive, sticky nougat center, a cautionary tale for all who think the next brass ring will deliver the healing they desperately crave. It’s an excellent film that will no doubt become a cult favorite just when Williams no longer desires the validation. The story of his life.

And early morning when I wake up

I look like Kiss but without the make-up
And that’s a good line to take it to the bridge

And you know, and you know
‘Cause my life’s a mess
And I’m trying to grow
So before I’m old I’ll confess

You think that I’m strong
You’re wrong
You’re wrong
I sing my song
My song
My song …

If I did it all again I’d be a nun
The rain was never cold when I was young
I’m still young, we’re still young
Life’s too short to be afraid
Step inside the sun

– “Strong” (Robbie Williams & Guy Chambers)

2024 LinkedIn Rewind: “Sometimes the biggest steps forward start with boxing up action figures and saying goodbye to what you love.”

24 December 2024

2 Comments

Here’s my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor.studio (AI is fun! Thank you, Jessica Aries, for sharing this resource!)

Sometimes the biggest steps forward start with boxing up action figures and saying goodbye to what you love.

2024 taught me that authentic leadership isn’t just about being yourself – it’s about having the courage to change while staying true to your core values. From wrapping up my term as Legal Marketing Association – LMA International Past President to joining Vedder Price as CMO (and relocating to Chicago after 25 years in Michigan!), this year has been about embracing transformation while strengthening connections.

Some highlights that made my marketing heart happy (and occasionally jumpy 😅):

  • Launched “All the World’s YOUR Stage” webcast series with Expert Webcast celebrating authentic voices
  • Helped Clark Hill get to record-breaking PR success (1,251 mentions reaching 3.4 billion!)
  • Named to INvolve People’s Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives list (2nd year!)
  • Received Corp! Magazine’s Most Valuable Professionals recognition
  • Discovered Goodwill has a limit on comic book donations (who knew? 🦸‍♂️)

Three posts that captured what matters most:

“I have news…” On embracing change, downsizing decades of memories, and finding new adventures
https://lnkd.in/ga8N7TH8

“All the World’s YOUR Stage” Launching a platform with Expert Webcast for authentic voices in professional services
https://lnkd.in/gRKkHubQ

“These awards aren’t about the momentary personal ‘sugar rush’ of recognition” On visibility, representation, and integration of personal/professional life
https://lnkd.in/gFdsaq_C

To my Clark Hill family: thank you for six incredible years of growth, impact, and authentic connection. To my LMA community: your support through every transition continues to humble and inspire me.

Looking ahead: excited to bring my authentic leadership style to Vedder Price and the Chicago legal community, while continuing to champion inclusion and connection through storytelling. Also looking forward to rebuilding my comic collection (just kidding, John… mostly 😉)

And yes, Henry and Hudson will adapt beautifully to life in a new town. Turns out dogs, like people, are more resilient than we think. 🐾

—

Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind! Go to coauthor.studio

I have news …

20 December 2024

5 Comments

I have news … I’m thrilled to share that I will be joining the Vedder Price law firm later in January as their Chief Marketing Officer. Grateful for this new adventure and next step in my career. They have a fantastic team there, and I’m excited to learn from and grow with them. A great firm with an excellent reputation, and they have been so welcoming. Can’t wait!

But wait … there’s more! We will be relocating to the Chicago area after 25 years (for me) in Southeast Michigan, downsizing a house in which two “collectors” and a few four-legged friends have resided for nearly 20 years. The “great purge” honestly has been therapeutic (an interesting moment of healing), after my mom’s passing a few years back, letting go of once treasured objects that can now be treasured by someone else. I’m waiting for Goodwill to put a sign on the door with my face and the words “no longer welcome here!”

To add to the transitional vibe, I’m wrapping up five years on the Legal Marketing Association International Board, an era of momentous change and challenge for this storied and fabulous organization. I remain unbelievably appreciative of this community of colleagues, peers, and friends who adopted me way back in 2012 … and kept me around. My personal “board of directors” (you know who you are!) have my undying appreciation for the guidance and counsel.

Thank you to my Clark Hill family for six+ glorious years serving the organization. The firm realized exceptional growth during that time with each year more successful than the last, now standing at nearly 800 attorneys and nearly 30 offices across the United States as well as Mexico City and Dublin. Such a smart, warm, supportive firm. I will miss you all very much.

P.S. And if you are learning of this news first through social media, my apologies, but I have a bajillion comic book and movie collectibles to box up! Light a candle for me!

“Violence is the universal language.” Gladiator II

27 November 2024

7 Comments

Are you not entertained? No, I wasn’t.

File under sequels no one asked for. Cross file under no CGI baboons were injured in the writing of this review.

Admittedly, it’s been 25 years since I saw Gladiator. So it might not be as good or impactful a movie as I remember it to be. And right now, having suffered through its utterly unnecessary sequel – oh so cleverly titled with the Roman numeral “II” – I don’t know that I ever have any desire to watch the original again.

What’s next? Titanic 2, Under the Sea?

I found this movie interminably boring – as if Director Ridley Scott had consulted with the George Lucas who thought the prequels to Star Wars should focus on a galactic civics lesson. I think there was a clever idea here, yearning to breathe free, in a script that was somehow simultaneously underbaked and overwritten, but all of the soap opera palace intrigue, coupled with relentlessly grim, poorly staged fight scenes, made it nearly impossible to find any nuggets of gold.

The one actor who didn’t make me want to gouge my own eyes out was Pedro Pascal, primarily because he had a look on his face the entire time like he was searching for the emergency exit.

Our eponymous protagonist Paul Mescal has a fabulous presence – and he has a profile that most assuredly belongs on a Roman coin – but that’s about the sum of it. I don’t blame him entirely. The script doesn’t give him much to work with, but he also seemed entirely too bored to bring any kind of emotional resonance to the series of unfortunate events befalling him throughout the film. Loss of a spouse? Shrug. Revelation that his lineage isn’t what he thought it was? Shrug. Rammed by a poorly digitally rendered attack rhino? Shrug.

And Denzel Washington? A performance that gobsmackingly is generating Oscar talk? Imagine Iago played by one of the lesser-known contestants from RuPaul‘s Drag Race. The one good line he has – “Violence is the universal language” – pretty much sums up the movie’s raison d’être. Like 2.5 hours of WWE Smackdown with more blood and less joy.

I honestly don’t have the energy or heart to write anything sensibly about this film. It is a turgid mess, akin to just about any poorly conceived 1950s sword and sandal epic you might’ve watched on a random weekday afternoon when you had the stomach flu as a kid. I kept waiting for Charlton Heston and Jean Simmons to make a surprise return-from-the-dead appearance, riding on the back of a cartoonish sea monster.

I do believe there was an intention here to use the fall of the Roman empire as some kind of on-the-nose analogy for present day American political turmoil. But for my money, and I can’t believe I’m typing this sentence, that allegory is far more effectively achieved in Wicked. So go see that instead.

At least that flick has the presence of mind to bring you a snappy show tune every 18 minutes. Even if you lose out on the sight of seeing an army of CrossFit gym bros in leather tunics.

Postscript text from my dad: “And my title ‘When will this be over?’”

From DBusiness: Clark Hill Director of Marketing Roy Sexton Named to Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List for 2024

26 November 2024

1 Comment

Thank you, R.J. King, Tim Keenan, and DBusiness Magazine, for your consistent and kind support and for all you do for Southeast Michigan and Detroit.

Original article here.

Roy Sexton, director of marketing at Clark Hill and 2024 International Immediate Past President of the Legal Marketing Association, has been named to the INvolve Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List for 2024.

This is his second year in a row being recognized by the organization.

The Outstanding LGBTQ+ Role Model Lists supported by YouTube showcase LGBTQ+ business leaders and allies who are breaking down barriers and creating more inclusive workplaces across the world. They aim to represent the wide range of impactful and innovative work being done for inclusion across different countries, organizations and sectors, and celebrate the diverse range of inspiring individuals who have made it their personal mission to make a difference.null

“Roy Sexton leads Clark Hill PLC’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts. INvolve wrote. “In 2024, Roy was named one of Corp! Magazine’s ‘Most Valuable Professionals in Michigan.’ He was listed in Crain’s Detroit ‘Notable LGBTQ in Business’ in 2021 and ‘Notable Leaders in Marketing’ in 2023. In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign received Best Marketing Campaign from Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity, inclusion.

“Roy hosts the monthly Expert Webcast series “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth,” discussing the importance of inclusion, allyship, authenticity, personal/professional branding with nationally recognized executives and thought leaders. Each episode has a monthly reach of at least 20,000 impressions. In 2023, Roy was the international president of the 4,000-member Legal Marketing Association. Throughout his tenure, Roy prioritized DEI issues, putting them front and center on all education and messaging efforts.”

INvolve is a consultancy and global network driving diversity and inclusion in business. Through the delivery of advisory solutions, awareness workshops, talent development programs, INvolve drives cultural change and create inclusive workplaces where all individuals can succeed. They publish annual role model lists recognizing and celebrating business leaders and future leaders who are breaking down barriers at work and inspiring the next generation of diverse talent.

“I’m thrilled to have been named amongst these incredible LGBTQIA+ leaders for the second year in a row,” Sexton says. “People often fail to realize the importance of visibility and representation. These awards aren’t about the momentary personal ‘sugar rush’ of recognition. Rather they demonstrate to the business community the essential value of celebrating those willing – and brave enough – to integrate the personal and professional sides of their lives. And more importantly, to talk about it. As a young gay man in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, such a list would have given me far greater confidence that there would be a place for me in this world. I’m grateful – and hopeful – that I in turn can serve some small role in helping send that message to the LGBTQIA+ community today.”

“Why can’t you teach us history instead of harping on the past?” Wicked … the movie (part one)

21 November 2024

4 Comments

Wicked. An adjective. A thirty year old book by Gregory Maguire. A twenty year old musical by Stephen Schwartz. A present day marketing/merchandising juggernaut by Universal Pictures. And, oddly enough, the post-2024 presidential election escapist allegorical cautionary tale none of us quite realized we would need.

(And here my money would have been on Joker: Folie à Deux to fill that niche.)

As an inversion of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz (itself a sly critique of populist politics and presidential scandal of its time), Maguire’s source text has always served as a post-feminist, pro-queer indictment of classism, patriarchy, misogyny, and speciesism. A good bit of that got lost in Broadway’s necessary streamlining for a 2.5 hour tune-filled run time. But the DNA of questioning “the man behind the curtain” has always been a constant in every version of this oft told tale. As Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard intones, “Nothing brings people together like a common enemy.” And in this instance, it’s the hat trick of turning an entire population against one woman whose primary “crimes” are difference, compassion, ferocity, and intelligence. Sound familiar?

(I still hope one day the BBC turns the original novel and its subsequent literary sequels into a mini series.)

Director Jon M. Chu made the controversial (to some minds) choice of splitting his film adaptation of the stage musical into two parts. I’m sure doubling the potential box office returns helped sweeten the idea. But it also turns out to be an inspired artistic choice. It feels like the story can breathe a bit more now. The Broadway show is a spectacular spectacle but it’s also a bit of a bombastic freight train with nary a pause from one BIG! number to the next.

Yes, as a Thanksgiving family film offering, there is still plenty of “bigness” – set design that looks like M.C. Escher on an acid trip, costumes that could be an Edith Head x Dr. Seuss collab, CGI that resembles a Chat GPT “Mad Libs.” All to be expected. But the best “special effect” of all? How Chu turns his cinematic gaze to the politics of the personal, giving his A-list cast clear moments of haunting, poignant, or humorous introspection and connection. Expanding her book from the stage show deftly, Winnie Holzman pulls from Maguire’s source text to build out back story, deepen relationships, and bring increased credibility to character developments that the compressed theatrical stagetime glossed over.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero – the show’s/film’s three principal characters – make effective use of the additional airtime. Yes, they all are gifted singers/dancers who sell all the big iconic moments – “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Dancing Through Life” are respective highlights for this talented trio, honoring their theatrical forebears while adding mucho cinematic surprises and emotional delights.

Yet where the film establishes its heart, gravitas, and, quite frankly, staying power is in the expanded scene work among the trio. They all effectively leverage the relative intimacy of film versus stage to bring grace notes of heartache, insecurity, loneliness, and fear that counterbalance the more day glo elements of the enterprise. I don’t know that audiences will realize the excellent technique and timing these three actors have brought to this production. It will all seem effortless (as it should) but hopefully not taken for granted.

Also, unlike the stage show, the film effectively explores the anti-animal propaganda that propels the Wizard’s rise to power in Oz. (Shades of James Gunn’s last Guardians of the Galaxy.) This is the element from Maguire’s novel that gripped my heart thirty years ago, so I was glad to see it restake bigger, clearer narrative claim. In my opinion, it’s crucial to framing Elphaba’s character arc re: how easy it can be for others to vilify strident empathy. As Galinda flippantly questions her goat history teacher Dr. Dillamond (warmly voiced by Peter Dinklage) before tragedy dramatically opens her heart (and mind): “Why can’t you teach us history instead of harping on the past?”

But just as the expanded run time brings many welcome enhancements, challenges are introduced as well. Notably, signature anthem “Defying Gravity” loses a good bit of its emotional build and thereby payoff, interspersed as it is with a typical Hollywood climax clock tower chase. It still works, in great part due to Erivo’s and Grande’s nuanced delivery, but CGI aerial maneuvers can’t quite compete with the old school theatrical magic of a fab diva belting from a hydraulic lift masked by a football field’s worth of black crepe.

Nonetheless, Wicked, the film … part one, is a marvel, and arguably a movie musical masterpiece, every bit deserving of the success inevitably coming its way. Erivo’s Elphaba wryly observes, “I don’t cause commotions. I am one.” Here’s to that!

From The Sun Times News: “These awards aren’t about the momentary personal ‘sugar rush’ of recognition.” INvolve Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List 2024

16 November 2024

2 Comments

Thank you, Sun Times News!

Original article here.

Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill and 2024 International Immediate Past President of the Legal Marketing Association, has been named to the INvolve Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List for 2024. This is his second year in a row being recognized by the organization.

Other honorees include David Hynam, Chief Executive, LV=; Dame Julia Hoggett DBE, CEO, London Stock Exchange PLC; Jen Carter, Global Head of Technology at Google; David Furnish, CEO/Chair of Rocket Entertainment Group/Elton John AIDS Foundation; Emily Hamilton, Vice-President Change, RS Group; Suresh Raj, Chief Growth Officer, McCann New York; Eugenio Pirri, Chief Executive Officer, Dorchester Collection; Travis Torrence, U.S. Head of Legal, Shell; Josh Graff, Managing Director for EMEA/LATAM and VP Enterprise Solutions Group, LinkedIn; and Robyn Grew, CEO, Man Group.

The Outstanding LGBTQ+ Role Model Lists supported by YouTube showcase LGBTQ+ business leaders and allies who are breaking down barriers and creating more inclusive workplaces across the world. They aim to represent the wide range of impactful and innovative work being done for inclusion across different countries, organizations and sectors, and celebrate the diverse range of inspiring individuals who have made it their personal mission to make a difference.

In their recognition, INvolve wrote, “Roy Sexton leads Clark Hill PLC’s marketing, branding and communications efforts. In 2024, Roy was named one of Corp! Magazine’s ‘Most Valuable Professionals in Michigan.’ He was listed in Crain’s Detroit ‘Notable LGBTQ in Business’ in 2021 and ‘Notable Leaders in Marketing’ in 2023. In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign received Best Marketing Campaign from Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity, inclusion. Roy hosts the monthly Expert Webcast series All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth, discussing the importance of inclusion, allyship, authenticity, personal/professional branding with nationally recognized executives and thought leaders. Each episode has a monthly reach of at least 20,000 impressions. In 2023, Roy was the international president of the 4,000-member Legal Marketing Association. Throughout his tenure, Roy prioritized DEI issues, putting them front and center on all education and messaging efforts.”

INvolve is a consultancy and global network driving diversity and inclusion in business. Through the delivery of advisory solutions, awareness workshops, talent development programs, INvolve drives cultural change and create inclusive workplaces where all individuals can succeed. They publish annual role model lists recognizing and celebrating business leaders and future leaders who are breaking down barriers at work and inspiring the next generation of diverse talent.

About the recognition, Sexton observed, “I’m thrilled to have been named amongst these incredible LGBTQIA+ leaders for the second year in a row. People often fail to realize the importance of visibility and representation. These awards aren’t about the momentary personal ‘sugar rush’ of recognition. Rather they demonstrate to the business community the essential value of celebrating those willing – and brave enough – to integrate the personal and professional sides of their lives. And more importantly, to talk about it. As a young gay man in the late 90s and early 00s, such a list would have given me far greater confidence that there would be a place for me in this world. I’m grateful – and hopeful – that I in turn can serve some small role in helping send that message to the LGBTQIA+ community today.”

From Detroit Legal News: “People often fail to realize the importance of visibility and representation.” INvolve Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List 2024

14 November 2024

3 Comments

Thank you, Detroit Legal News’ Sheila Pursglove, Brian Cox, Brad Thompson, Tom Kirvan, and team for all this support you show our professional community. It means a lot.

Original article here.

Roy Sexton, director of Marketing at Clark Hill and 2024 International Immediate Past President of the Legal Marketing Association, has been named to the INvolve Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List for 2024. This is his second year in a row that Sexton has been recognized by the organization. 

The Outstanding LGBTQ+ Role Model Lists supported by YouTube showcase LGBTQ+ business leaders and allies who are breaking down barriers and creating more inclusive workplaces across the world. They aim to represent the wide range of impactful and innovative work being done for inclusion across different countries, organizations and sectors, and celebrate the diverse range of inspiring individuals who have made it their personal mission to make a difference.

In their recognition, INvolve wrote, “Roy Sexton leads Clark Hill PLC’s marketing, branding and communications efforts. In 2024, Roy was named one of Corp! Magazine’s ‘Most Valuable Professionals in Michigan.’ He was listed in Crain’s Detroit’s ‘Notable LGBTQ in Business’ in 2021 and ‘Notable Leaders in Marketing’ in 2023. In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign received Best Marketing Campaign from Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity, inclusion. Roy hosts the monthly Expert Webcast series All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth, discussing the importance of inclusion, allyship, authenticity, personal/professional branding with nationally recognized executives and thought leaders. Each episode has a monthly reach of at least 20,000 impressions. In 2023, Roy was the international president of the 4,000-member Legal Marketing Association. Throughout his tenure, Roy prioritized DEI issues, putting them front and center on all education and messaging efforts.”

INvolve is a consultancy and global network driving diversity and inclusion in business. Through the delivery of advisory solutions, awareness workshops, talent development programs, INvolve drives cultural change and create inclusive workplaces where all individuals can succeed. 

About the recognition, Sexton said, “I’m thrilled to have been named amongst these incredible LGBTQIA+ leaders for the second year in a row. People often fail to realize the importance of visibility and representation. These awards aren’t about the momentary personal ‘sugar rush’ of recognition. Rather they demonstrate to the business community the essential value of celebrating those willing – and brave enough – to integrate the personal and professional sides of their lives. And more importantly, to talk about it. As a young gay man in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, such a list would have given me far greater confidence that there would be a place for me in this world. I’m grateful – and hopeful – that I in turn can serve some small role in helping send that message to the LGBTQIA+ community today.”

Other honorees include David Hynam, Chief Executive, LV=; Dame Julia Hoggett, DBE, CEO, London Stock Exchange PLC; Jen Carter, Global Head of Technology at Google; David Furnish, CEO/Chair of Rocket Entertainment Group/Elton John AIDS Foundation; Emily Hamilton, Vice-President Change, RS Group; Suresh Raj, Chief Growth Officer, McCann New York; Eugenio Pirri, Chief Executive Officer, Dorchester Collection; Travis Torrence, U.S. Head of Legal, Shell; Josh Graff, Managing Director for EMEA/LATAM and VP Enterprise Solutions Group, LinkedIn; and Robyn Grew, CEO, Man Group.

All the World’s YOUR Stage: “I’m through accepting limits, ’cause someone says they’re so …” Finding one’s voice … and true calling with guest Ratana

1 November 2024

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What do I REALLY want to be when I grow up? Many of us ask ourselves that question, not just when we are children but throughout our adult lives. Few people have the courage to embrace their truest, deepest dreams … let alone thrive in them. Successful voiceover artist, actor, coach, consultant, singer Ratana is one such human being. And her story is inspiring.

View episode here.

“Hi, I’m Ratana. In the Asian culture, the word Ratana has many meanings: it is a precious gem or term of respect in Hindi and a diamond or crystal in Thai. And, as the name implies, I am multi-faceted in my talents and interests. Here’s why: I grew up singing, loving musicals, theater, cartoons, and dance. And even though I loved to perform, I was also your stereotypically ‘good little Asian girl’ of a student – and ultimately I ended up studying marketing and advertising at Michigan State University, where I learned that creating amazing brands is very much like telling an amazing story,” she writes.

“After college, I jumped into the corporate world, where I applied my talents as a consultant to a variety of Fortune 500 clients, and later, as a marketing professional, where I worked on a variety of brands you might recognize from your regular Target or grocery run. But I still loved to perform. During the day, I perfected my analytical skills and by night, I took classes – dancing, acting, improv and voiceover… and I discovered that it’s fun to use both sides of your brain! Not only that, all these seemingly diverse and unrelated activities were perfectly complementary to each other. Serendipity.”

As a brand strategist with over 10 years of experience growing brands both in the US and internationally, Ratana helps clients develop and refine business strategy, find the brand story in their products or services, and develop a plan to bring that story to life. She has worked with and consulted for businesses in a variety of industries including entertainment, toys, food, restaurants, technology, and fitness, just to name a few.

“As a trained voice actor, I’ve lent my voice to a wide range of projects. Whether it’s providing instructions to children (or kids of all ages), playing a zombie’s best friend, or singing as a Southern belle, I’m able to provide a versatile range of characters, accents and attitudes that help you tell your story. As an improviser, my team and I entertain groups of all sizes by making up stories with only your one-word suggestion. And as a host, I’ve conducted live, on-camera conversations with artists and entrepreneurs,” she explains.

Learn more about her work here.