Thank you, Diana Lauritson, MBA, M.S. and Breaking Rank Podcast, for the opportunity and for the lovely chat and for bringing such authentic leadership to our profession and industry
In this episode, Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer, former Legal Marketing Association International President, and trusted leader, gets real about authenticity, leadership, and why he no longer stays in spaces where he’s perceived as “too much.”
Roy shares what it means to:
Give fully to your people and your firm
Lead with clarity and conviction
Walk away from environments that require self-erasure
This is a powerful conversation about boundaries, belonging, and choosing spaces that value your full presence.
In this episode of Breaking Rank, Roy Sexton reflects on what it looks like to lead differently and why conformity was never the goal.
Roy shares how he has pushed back against systems that expect leaders to shrink, soften, or fit a narrow mold. He talks openly about taking risks despite criticism, the pressure to change appearance or behavior to keep others comfortable, and the resolve it takes to choose yourself anyway.
Grounded in empathy and self-awareness, Roy’s leadership is shaped by intention rather than approval. He explores how everyday choices about how we show up, speak up, and stand firm can become powerful acts of leadership over time.
This episode is for leaders who are questioning inherited norms, navigating visibility, and choosing authenticity even when it comes with risk.
Thank you for having me, Rachel Clar, Esq.! I enjoyed that conversation on the power of authenticity very much, and I found the engagement from our wonderful attendees so affirming. Thank you for being you.
The more you try to fit in, the easier it is to be undervalued.
You sit in silence as he mispronounces your name again, because correcting him feels riskier than letting it slide.
This is the invisible tax so many women in BigLaw still pay.
Not because they lack skill.
Because they were taught to shrink to stay safe.
Rachel coaches BigLaw women across the AmLaw 200.
Roy leads marketing inside a global firm and has lived this firsthand.
On Wednesday, December 10 at 1 pm ET/noon CT, join Rachel Clar, Esq. and Roy Sexton for:
Coming Out as Yourself in BigLaw: Strategy Over Sanitizing
We will unpack how your identity can support your strategy in the rooms that decide your future.
This Live is for attorneys who want to:
→ Speak directly without being labeled difficult → Ask for resources in ways that raise your status → Decline misaligned work without whispers about your lack of dedication
This session sets the stage for a deeper dive in winter 2026, where you can learn to use your voice in ways that shift outcomes inside your firm.
All registrants get The BigLaw Power Moves Cheat Sheet, which includes ten strategic cues to get yourself heard in high-stakes moments.
P.S. Which moment feels most familiar: Being talked over. Being labeled “too direct.” Being the default note taker. Being the token woman in the room. Or saying yes because no feels dangerous?
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P.S. I received this lovely note froman attendee …
I completely loved your and Rachel’s session — and found SO MUCH of it to resonate deeply within me. Here are just a few of the MIC-DROP statements you made that I wrote down! 🎤💥
–the importance of *earning* the right to express more and more of one’s unique authenticity through work quality and reliability
–how you used compassion, humbleness and humor in response to someone butchering your name to convert that challenging moment into a critical bonding/trust moment with him
–don’t look to the company who is paying you to define who you are (boom!!)
–the hidden cost of sanitizing oneself and the profound effects of doing so on mental health, anxiety and overall thriving
–WTF happens in law school such that it spits out people who are in a frantic race to be the first to be second?!? LOL!! #truth
–one can have an abundant mindset in a world/environment of scarcity through authenticity (can I add another BOOM!!??)
–distinguishing between non-negotiables in one’s identity and “gravy” — and how this directly dictates one’s energy and passion
–how you were using your gayness as a lens to signal to everyone else who is feeling othered to be themselves
–the right people will COME TO YOU when you are in your authentic self
🥹🥹🥹
P.P.S. Rachel’s summary …
You don’t have to be all things to all people. Because then you’re nothing to no one.
Thank you, Roy Sexton, for sharing so many pearls on yesterday’s Live, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗟𝗮𝘄: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Thank you, Emily Neal 👩🏻💻 and DSMN8 – The Employee Advocacy Platform, for including my thoughts here.
“For Roy Sexton, this authenticity comes down to empathy and intention: ‘Authenticity is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot these days, often by people who don’t exemplify it. But what this report shows us is that people who engage on these platforms from a genuine place of empathy and intellectual curiosity make a huge difference in brand building. Organizations would be wise to embrace these techniques and tools to leverage genuine voices across their communities.’”
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.
“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.
“It’s a problem when people are forced to seem or be positive in situations where it’s not natural or when there’s a problem that legitimately needs to be addressed that can’t be addressed if you don’t deal with the fact that there is distress or need,” University of Michigan Ann Arbor psychologist Dr. Stephanie Preston explains in a recent interview with Inc. “Toxic Positivity Will Make You Miserable: What Is It, and Are You Guilty of Spreading It?”
On this episode, Roy and Dr. Preston unpack the business lessons professionals might gain from her extensive work in cognition and cognitive neuroscience – how leaders can create healthy, high performing cultures that enhance retention through fulfillment and authentic engagement.
Dr. Preston is a professor of Psychology in the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Area at the University of Michigan and is currently a co-ombuds for the faculty at Michigan. She has a master’s degree and a PhD in behavioral neuroscience from the University of California at Berkeley, where she studied how animals make decisions about storing their food. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, where she studied human empathy and altruism, financial decision making, and hoarding behavior. Dr. Preston’s research is highly interdisciplinary and uses a variety of methods to investigate how the brain and body evolved in social and caregiving species to make complex decisions through simpler mechanisms that humans share with other species. She specializes in studying how emotions impact decisions in the face of distress and need, in decisions about material goods, and in related applied issues in consumerism, critical thinking, altruistic donation, and sustainability.
“…We should avoid setting up a false choice that pits business development against community development; we need both. The private sector creates jobs that grow the tax base to fund improved services, just as amenities like transit and parks lead to more vibrant communities that attract and retain talent. …We need it all — but the best way to raise the revenue needed to pay for it all is through private sector growth — and that requires a long-term economic development strategy that incentivizes business to locate here and doesn’t change each legislative session.” Detroit Regional Partnership President & CEO Maureen Donohue Krauss observes in a recent opinion piece penned for Crain’s Detroit Business “Economic development shouldn’t be an ‘either-or’ proposition.”
On this episode, Roy and Maureen talk about her successful career in economic development, the lessons she’s learned along the way, the crucial work of developing one’s network and personal brand, and how to still have some fun along the way!
Maureen serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Regional Partnership, a leading regional economic development nonprofit serving the Detroit 11-county region. Krauss is an accomplished economic development officer with a demonstrated history of leadership in economic development, nonprofit, and government and extensive experience guiding international companies to successful location decisions and growth in the United States.
Thank you, Laura Gassner Otting, for joining us for this crucial conversation. As you aptly noted, time = love and vice versa. And the time you spent with us is pure love (and insight). Thank you again to Expert Webcast and Anna Spektor for this glorious opportunity to share my authentic pals with the world.
Laura Gassner Otting’s secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. On this episode of Expert Webcast’s “All the World’s YOUR Stage,” Laura and host Roy Sexton (me!) – two self-professed introverts – discuss the secret (and not so secret) advantages to introversion, what it really means (hint: it is NOT shorthand for “asocial”), why the unexamined life is not worth living, but also how to avoid dreaded analysis paralysis and just, well, try something! All of this adds up to an insightful assessment of how being true to one’s self without getting mired in overthinking can provide effective personal and professional brand differentiation.
A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura is the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of three books, Wonderhell, Limitless, and Mission-Driven. Laura’s 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives.
Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can’t seem to shake. She’s an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she’s never met a revolution she didn’t like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.
Thank you, Joseph Panetta and Anna Spektor at Expert Webcast for this opportunity to talk about authenticity, branding, marketing (legal or otherwise), and community. This conversation Friday afternoon sent me into the weekend on Cloud 9. Such a joy to be able to share stories with a friend I love and admire. Joseph, you are THE consummate host – prepared, warm, accessible, kind. Such a welcoming environment. Thank you.
“Roy Sexton, Legal Marketing Association President and Clark Hill Law Head of Marketing, gets up close and personal on our CMO Toe-to-Toe with Joseph Panetta, sharing his non-traditional start in legal marketing; his very personal approach and process for working with partners and teams; and the background on his epic LMA Annual keynote address.”
Shout outs during the show include: Alycia Sutor, Brenda Meller 🥧, Inforum, Alexandra France, Kate Harry Shipham, David Ackert, Athena Dion, Laura Gassner Otting, Rob Kates, Jennifer Weigand, Lisa M. Kamen, Danielle Gorash Holland, Megan McKeon, Susie Sexton, Don Sexton, Jonathan Fitzgarrald, Mary Ann Hastings, Holly Amatangelo, Jennifer Dezso, Lee Watts, Kaitlin Heininger, Edna Duncan, Clark Hill Law, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor, Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, Managing Partners’ Forum, Wabash College, The Ohio State University, Deloitte, University of Michigan-Flint, UM-Flint School of Management, glittering #unicorns, Lady Gaga, The Flash, the movie Michael, Oprah Winfrey, George Orwell, Andy Warhol, Kurt Vonnegut, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Stephen Sondheim, Barbie, Florida, DEI, LGBTQIA, The Birdcage, Jack LaLane, BornThisWay, Hudson, dogs, branding, authenticity, marketing, legal marketing.
EXCERPT: “Human interest is key to understanding the buyer, yet as Roy Sexton of Clark Hill Law believes, the journey is a two-way process. Buyers are increasingly interested in the firm’s culture and each person’s passion for individual causes. Putting himself in the client’s shoes, Sexton expands on this sentiment, ‘I see what your pitch materials look like, but what kind of people are you and do you care about the environment and your community, diversity and equity? They want to know that you’re decent human beings, on top of the fact that you’re a good lawyer. You should provide an authentic performance and tell people that you’re doing things that show your passions.’”
Charlotte writes, “Leading U.S. law firms are looking at pitching in an increasingly wider context and use automation and analytics to free up time to understand the buyer journey and bring more personality to pitches. Months of work is paying off today as we release Pinnacle’s review of ‘How Winners Win’ in North American law firms. It’s different. It’s inspiring. It’s insightful. It’s a glimpse into what firms, who are ahead of the curve do. Reading it, will be 20 minutes well (very well) spent.
“As always, getting ahead is only possible with a community wanting to do bigger and better – with people who will lead from the front, empower others through the benefit of knowledge and see the value of sharing. … Read, share, pass on to a colleague with as much love as I do and if you can spare 15 minutes to let me know what you thought about it, please drop me an email on charlotte.takacs@pinnacle-oa.com!”
Thank you, Paula Tsurutani and Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), for including my humble thoughts in this important piece on the essential need for solid internal #communications. Honored to be here alongside luminaries and friends like Jaffe’s Terry Isner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Sean Gibson, Builden Partners’ Jocelyn Brumbaugh, Blank Rome LLP’s Frank Spadafino.
EXCERPT: “It was always important for us to facilitate and step back so our leaders’ and colleagues’ voices could be heard — both to inform and to unify,” says Roy E. Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law. “Our chief executive officer John Hensien started a monthly newsletter; our chief human resources officer Kathleen Sullivan worked with her team and the marketing team to increase storytelling about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) concerns; and our chief operating officer Phil Ross started a weekly update to provide guidance on the evolving standards and mandates to keep everyone engaged and informed.”
Hearing from top management helped drive more cohesion, revealed a greater sense of humanity and led to increased institutional awareness and pride about the firm’s people and work.
As more employees work remotely or reduce their face time in offices, using a strategic mix of internal communications tools can help raise morale, connect people and projects, and launch efforts that can elevate social impact initiatives or new business opportunities. …
Sexton agrees. “Collaborating with marketing, leveraging great internal stories, whether on a firm intranet or on social media, can create mutual lift.” …
Increasingly, the line between internal and external communication has blurred, especially with the rise of social media and podcasting. Clark Hill saw an explosive growth in podcasts, which mutually advanced employee engagement and business development.
“Everything we are pushing out externally also benefits the internal,” says Sexton. “We released 80 podcast episodes across an array of subjects, and our hosts used these opportunities to engage with Clark Hill colleagues, clients and prospects. When clients see a rich culture, they want to work with us. And talent wants to come work here.”
