“What Every Managing Partner Needs to Know About Marketing and Business Development” … VIEW HERE:https://youtu.be/sobbMm_Te4c
Thank you to Managing Partner Forum’s John Remsen, Jr. and Uri Gutfreund for hosting Susan Slifer, Lee Ashby Watts, and me for this robust, engaging conversation the other week. And we only got *spicy* once (catch it at the end!) when someone suggested legal marketing isn’t “rocket science.”
(I *may* have been triggered 😅)
From Answering Legal: Incredibly excited to get all these legal marketing experts in the same (virtual) room! You won’t want to miss this discussion July 18. Sign up for our Law Firm Summer Reboot Camp today, and gain access to a live panel presentation, featuring Jacob Eidinger, Lee Watts, Nancy Myrland, Toni Wells, and me.
One could argue, looking at the themes and box office performance of this year’s would-be summer blockbusters that actually we are in the “summer of our discontent.” Of course, I’m intentionally missing the point of this famous speech which observes that, in peace, those who’ve found power in the chaos of war long to return to those ugly moments that made them successful. Or maybe I’m not missing the point after all.
Much like The Flash (and as I understand a number of other big box office swings this summer), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is not simply a nostalgic cash grab, but a film focused on the corrosive nature of time and of nostalgia itself. Blessedly, there are no “multiverses” to be navigated here, but we do see time travel used as a metaphor, a rather effective one, for the regrettable state of our present world. Central to the conceit of the film: how some seek the golden glow of remembered peace and adventure as a balm; how others seek a return to darker, even more chaotic moments as their salve for the inexorable passage of time; and how some (Indy) try to deny any of it ever happened at all.
As directed by James Mangold (who swam in similar “past is prologue” waters withLogan), Dial of Destiny is a loving, if overlong, capstone on the storied careers of both Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford. It’s quite impossible at this point to separate the two. Yes, Ford has crafted similarly iconic hero figures in other silver screen franchises, but Indy (at least to this lay-viewer) has always dovetailed spectacularly with Ford’s apparent “curmudgeon with a heart of gold” real life persona.
The film would have benefited from about 2.5 fewer car/horse/boat/motorcycle/train chases. It’s a lot. And for a film ostensibly about the emotional collateral damage of a long life (mostly) well lived, it’s a bit hard to accept so much wanton destruction of personal property and commuters’ sojourns for sheer entertainment value.
Much like The Flash, the film truly shines in its quieter character-driven moments. Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge (making quite a name for herself in the action genre) is a welcome addition. Her winsome brand of cynical, pleading snark as Indy’s ne’er-do-well goddaughter is a nice juxtaposition to Ford’s rock-ribbed “not this again” comic exasperation. They play very well off one another, although a few too many lines get lost in, yes, all the car/horse/boat/motorcycle/train chases.
Mads Mikkelsen adds another notch on his (shiny black leather) belt of playing icy Teutonic baddies. This time a full-on Nazi. (I do hope America remembers we don’t like Nazis.) Mikkelsen plays all the grace notes of sly sociopolitical critique in the early moments of the film when he “seems” to be a reformed Nazi helping America win its much-vaunted space race. (The film is set in 1969.) Given that such things actually did (and do) happen in America, it’s a pointedly clever reminder that the great U.S. of A. is not above reproach in its opportunism and global empire building.
We quickly find out he ain’t reformed. They never are. (Remember that, America, at the voting booth, mmkay?) His hope is to find two parts of an ancient dial, crafted by ancient mathemagician Archimedes, that will allow him to, yes, time travel and help MAGAfy World War II. More or less. “Yesterday belongs to us, Mr. Jones,” Mikkelsen hisses at one point. Kander and Ebb wept.
And thus kicks off a 2.5 hour rollercoaster ride (remember the cars, horses, boats, motorcycles, trains?) for multiple parties to find the dial and avert/create disaster (but mostly it’s just Indy vs. the Nazis).
Along the way, we meet friends old and new from prior entries in the series. Much like Mangold did so effectively with Logan, we watch a man (Indy) come to grips (arguably peace) with the tumultuous threads of his life, the disappointment of looking back on it all and realizing all he has to show is a (literal) retirement clock, ultimately warily acknowledging he wouldn’t change one bit of it, even if he could.
Admittedly, watching one’s childhood screen idol wrestling with the emotional and physical storm of aging is haunting, mixed as it is with my own awareness of how quickly time travels. I sat there, gazing at the screen at fifty years old, with the same awe I had when I was nine soaking up Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, thinking, “Wait, is Han Solo allowed to be in another movie!?” Indeed, he was and is little Roy … and we have been all the better for it.
Early on in DC’s latest cinematic effort The Flash, the titular hero (a manically charming Ezra Miller) averts a literal “baby shower” (i.e. babies and a cute rescue dog falling from the sky) when a Gotham City maternity ward starts crumbling after some criminal attack. (Honestly, I’m not sure what caused the near catastrophe … the opening sequence which also features Ben Affleck’s pitch perfect Batman is that chaotic, though nonetheless entertaining.)
After said rescue (yes, all CGI babies and pup end up … unscathed?), The Flash AKA Barry Allen tells an (also rescued) nurse, “You should seek the help of a mental health professional. The Justice League isn’t very good on that part yet. Trust me.” Honestly, it’s a line that is a bit unnerving given Miller’s real-life troubles. (Google him.) Yet also forms a kind of meta thesis for the whole enterprise, an epic existential meditation on regret and healing, wrapped in the wobbly cinematic logic of time travel and parallel universes. Everything Everywhere All at Once. In Spandex.
You see, Barry’s father (shaggy Ron Livingston … at his shaggiest) has been imprisoned (wrongfully Barry believes) for the murder of Barry’s mother. Barry realizes his ability to travel at light speed (he’s the fastest man alive, you might recall) and beyond light speed will allow him to step back in time and avert this family tragedy from ever befalling. And a carefully placed can of crushed tomatoes is the key. (You’ll have to watch the movie to understand.)
Even though Bruce Wayne (Affleck) cautions Barry not to go back in time because of some space/time continuum risk mumbo jumbo (not dissimilar to Willy Wonka intoning exhaustedly “no, don’t do that” to any number of the ill-fated Chocolate Factory brats), Barry does it anyway. And mumbo jumbo ensues.
It all works better than it should but is probably more enjoyable to nerds like me who have subsisted on a steady diet of DC Comics and tv shows and movies since birth. Fan service at its self-indulgently finest.
Michael Keaton returns to form as another Batman (that would be the mumbo jumbo), and is a welcome reminder to how a grounded yet winking performance sells these summer blockbuster shenanigans. Sasha Calle is a lovely, wounded Supergirl with not nearly enough to do amongst the overstuffed spectacle. Michael Shannon, always a presence, pops up again as General Zod, who seems as beleaguered by superhero cinema as the rest of us at this point.
Oh, and Ezra Miller does double (triple?) duty as another version of himself from earlier in the timeline. It’s a shame his offscreen antics have overshadowed his talent. He really does excellent, nuanced work differentiating the performances, effectively capturing the angst and poignancy of interacting with one’s younger, more impulsive, less world-weary self.
Director Andy Muschietti, working from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, strives overtime to offer haunting and witty character moments throughout. The film is most effective when it’s quiet. That’s not often. But the stellar cast gives it their all, as if they are performing a reflective tragicomic piece by Thornton Wilder or Arthur Miller … but with a lot more kabooms, capes, and poorly rendered CGI. (Truly, the time travel nexus or whatever it is which appears repeatedly is astoundingly bad. Like all the SFX crew had to work with was an old Sega game console.)
But here’s the thing. I actually liked the film. A lot. Maybe in spite of itself. As a musing on what any one of us might do to turn back the clock and prevent life-altering experiences that weigh on our hearts, it’s quite astounding. And refreshing. It may be the most human-centric superhero flight of fancy to ever grace the silver screen. And a timely one as so many of us read the daily headlines and wonder how our world has become so cruel and unkind and callous.
Or maybe the world has always been that way. And no amount of running back through time could change where we are now. And that’s ok?
That’s the ultimate lesson of The Flash. And it’s a sobering one. No wonder it’s not making any money.
Accelerating Your Business Development and Marketing Skills
Speakers:
– Angelica Crisi (Moderator) (Coston Consulting LLC) – Marla Butler (Thompson Hine LLP) – Kate Eisenberg (Mintz) – Michael Francis (Severance Burko Spalter Masone & Laurette) – Khue Hoang (Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP) – Roy Sexton (Clark Hill)
The ongoing disruption in the legal industry has created new opportunities and challenges for lawyers from underrepresented groups. With a potential economic downturn looming, it’s even more critical and timely for diverse lawyers to focus on sharpening their client development and marketing skills.
This interactive panel will provide tips and best practices to help you take your career to the next level as it explores everything from engaging your network to crafting value propositions that differentiate your services and cultivate a powerful brand.
Program participants will hear from legal marketing experts and experienced law firm partners as they share their insights and explore best practices to help you hone your business development and marketing skills. Panel moderators will take a deep dive into the following questions: How do you stand out in a crowded and competitive market? How do build strong connections in your company/firm? How do you unlock and grow your network? What are the keys to growing your business and expanding client relationships? How do you position yourself for success?
Thank you, Gina, for this lovely shout out. I’VE now got chills. 😅🌈✨ Thank you for your friendship and consummate allyship. And tremendous kudos to your guest here – Angela Giampolo – for the leadership, courage, heart, and moxie to do what she’s doing with Caravan of Hope. Utterly inspiring – and so essential.
Gina Rubel: I’m so happy to hear that. Now I got chills. I mean literally just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s all I can wish for you. I was thinking when you mentioned Florida, I’m a member of an organization called the Legal Marketing Association. And our president, Roy Sexton, is an out member of the LGBTQ community. It was really hard having our conference there and being an inclusive organization with everything that’s been going on. Roy opened the conference. He’s also a thespian, so he’s a phenomenal singer and actor.
This is how we opened our Legal Marketing Association International Conference. To see that level of inclusion and spirit and love, and not just equality, but a sense of belonging. ‘Cause we always talk about creating that sense of belonging. It was just amazing. I was in tears, I just was in tears.
Angela Giampolo: I got chills when you were describing it. We’re just going back and forth on chill-worthy moments. To your point, everybody talks about inclusion and the history of DEI, right? Diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s like a moment where it’s more than about being included. You include someone, wonderful, thank you. It used to be back in the day, it was like, we should play music for all when you’re having an inviting party. But it’s like music that the person can dance to, wants to dance to.
And that’s a moment like that where everybody’s standing up. It was not just for the performance itself, but for his courage. There’s so much happening in that moment that everybody is feeling. It’s honoring and acknowledging his courage, honoring and acknowledging who he is and loving him for it. The stance, honoring and acknowledging the statement that he’s making for the entire LGBTQ community, the political statement that he’s making doing it in Florida, knowingly. There’s so many layers there in him having done that. I feel like everyone’s standing up in tears and all of the things, it’s like all of those nuances were hitting you.
In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Ashley Robinson, Conrad Saam, and yours truly discuss:
Social media as a tool for engagement.
Deciding the best social media platform for you.
Law firm marketing versus individual marketing.
Connecting with those who already have deep roots in the community.
Key Takeaways:
How you use social media matters. Doing nothing but promoting yourself is not going to build relationships. Connect with people, comment on their posts, and build relationships with your targets.
You do not need to master all the platforms, but if you know your clients are on that platform, follow them, and comment on their posts.
You don’t need to duplicate everything your marketing team is doing but don’t be silent on your own social media. People hire lawyers, not a law firm.
Focus on thought leadership in a way that makes sense for you.
“Get to know our 2023 Legal Marketing Association – LMA International President, Roy Sexton in a special edition of the LMA Midwest Region Pride spotlight where he talks about reactions from the LMA 2023 conference, what allyship means to him personally, and how LMA members can stay energized in their careers post conference.”
Thank you for this opportunity – incredibly grateful for this community and for the candid conversations we get to have. Thank you, Ashley Defay, for your exceptional talents, for your heart, and for your thoughtful moderation of this chat. Thank you, Rob Kates, for your generosity and your wonderful video support and counsel. Thank you, Kate Harry Shipham, Lauren McNee Doherty, Sara Pierson, for your friendship and leadership and grace.
Thank you, Steve, for including me in this robust and thoughtful conversation! In this episode, Steve Fretzin, Ashley Robinson, Conrad Saam, and yours truly discuss:
The difference between marketing and business development.
Creating a detailed client avatar.
Marketing in a way that is comfortable for you and is where your audience is.
Utilizing AI in marketing appropriately.
Key Takeaways:
Marketing shows you the door and business development helps you to talk through it.
Understand what you are wanting to do with your marketing and why you want to do it. Without knowing what you want to accomplish with your marketing, it will be harder to maintain effectively.
Customize your social media marketing with a marketing team so you know what is and is not working and what does work for you and your firm.
More content is not going to be the sole answer to your SEO problems.
“Focus on what you do well, and do that well, and then build on that, and build on that. We know that from dieting, exercise, and life, you’re not going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger just by saying you want that. You have to do the work slowly, surely steadily. And marketing is exactly that. And business development is exactly that.” — Roy Sexton
So in the surreal ebb and flow that is my life, I find myself on the Target website modeling my #takepride gear. I’m #instagram famous. 😅 Thanks, Laura Toledo, for spotting this and sending the last screen grab. Made my day!
For episode 48 of the “Everything Except The Law” podcast, host Nick Werker welcomes Roy Sexton, International President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International. This episode offers an inside look at the latest developments in the legal marketing community and advice on how lawyers can prepare for the future of law from a marketing standpoint.
In their conversation, Nick and Roy discuss:
What inspired Roy to open the LMA Annual Conference with a musical routine.
Why law firms should be cautious about incorporating AI into their marketing.
What being client-centric actually means for law firms.
Roy’s future goals for the LMA and what he hopes to accomplish as president.
The biggest benefits lawyers will see from joining the LMA.
