Oh, thank you, Yasmin Zand and Charlotte Knight and Passle, for this lovely opportunity to discuss #LMA23, my professional and personal journey as a member of the lgbtq community, and what authentic allyship can (and should) be.
Very grateful for you, for this series, and for what you provide our community and legal industry so generously.
Shout outs and thanks to friends, colleagues, and allies, all mentioned (or alluded to!) in the show: Laura Gassner Otting, Athena Dion, Lisa McDonald Kamen, Diana Lauritson, Megan McKeon, Lee Ashby Watts, Jennifer Petrone Dezso, Holly Amatangelo, Kaitlin Heininger, Danielle Holland, Jennifer Weigand, Ellie Hurley, Ashley Stenger, James Fisher, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Gina Furia Rubel, Laura Toledo, Gail Porter Lamarche, Heather Morse-Geller, Lindsay Griffiths, Amber Bollman, Mike Mellor, Ruth Morayniss, Arthur Uratani, Tahisha Fugate, Susan Ahern, Mary Ann Hastings Stephens, Jon Brewer, Joseph Edmonds, Cheryl Bame, Don Sexton, Susie Sexton, John Mola, and more.
Episode description: On this episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS, Yasmin Zand is lucky enough to sit down with Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law and 2023 Legal Marketing Association – LMA International President, to discuss his journey both inside and outside of the legal marketing industry.
Roy shares how his formative experiences as a gay man have impacted his approach to leadership and why finding safe and inclusive communities that allow him to be his authentic self has become so central in his career.
The conversation delves into Roy’s childhood, passions, and why his headline performance at the 2023 LMA Annual Conference in Florida was so poignant in support of the LGBTQ+ community in that moment.
One of the great joys this year as Legal Marketing Association – LMA International prez-elect is being able to work with existing and incoming leaders to chart our path next year and beyond. One of our annual “rites of passage” is a two day (virtual for now) Leaders’ Conference where we convene leaders across our regions, committees, special interest groups, international board and more to connect and collaborate. Truth be told, I feel in my bones EVERYONE in LMA is a leader, and I don’t want anyone to feel left out. Got that trait from my mama!
The attendees get a small token of our gratitude for their volunteer hours and a note accompanies. Given that I think (and hope) these words may resonate more broadly, I’m sharing them here as well …
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” — Mother Teresa
Legacy isn’t what we accomplish in this brief moment (when we are honored to carry important titles), but rather it is what we inspire in those who follow us. Our collective calling, as change agents and as growth purveyors, is in elevating our profession overall, rising above the ephemeral and stretching beyond together. We have a unique privilege to ensure success for our next generation. THAT is the moment of amplification before us. Thank you for your service, for your hearts, for your hard work, and for your generosity of time and of spirit. You make a difference in this incredible LMA community.
Oh, and here’s a box of cool stuff to say thank you for being you, to help you amplify YOUR voice AND the voices of others, and to have a laugh (and think) or two.
Love you and grateful for you. Roy
P.S. We’ve also included a book from one of your fellow LMA members – and one of our Leaders Conference speakers – Jay Harrington. This book serves a “meta” purpose. There is great guidance in there around amplifying one’s brand and voice. These tips should prove helpful to you on your leadership journey AND as counsel you can take back to any attorneys you support on their respective growth paths. As our friend and colleague Terry Isner reminds us, “Put your oxygen mask on first so you can better help others with theirs.”
P.P.S. Thank you in advance to our two keynote presenters Jay Harrington and Alycia Sutor; our workshop facilitators from Second City Works including Kat Barker; our Annual Conference chairs Megan McKeon, Lee Watts, Jennifer Petrone Dezso; our many breakout and reflection leaders over the next two days; and our marvelous HQ team Danielle Gorash Holland, Holly Amatangelo, Morgan Frohling, Jennifer Weigand, Lisa M. Kamen. And to Emily Hillman and Kelly MacKinnon for these pics!
The 2023 Annual Conference Advisory Committee (ACAC) is excited to share that the #LMA23 education program is now available! Capitalize your 2022 budgets and use this educational programming experience to justify your attendance. Explore the full 2023 education program today: https://bit.ly/3itjRJJ
It’s ALIVE! Check out our just launched #LMA23 AMPLIFY agenda! This represents hundreds of hours of work from our amazing Legal Marketing Association – LMA International volunteers and HQ team and all of our presenters. So excited! I love what Annual Conference Advisory Committee (ACAC) member Mike Mellor said about this process, “I’ve been so honored to have been a part of the ACAC of this year’s LMA! We are bringing new voices and building frameworks for a more inclusive and richer experience in Florida, and we will all benefit from the vast array of perspectives from all around the world. We hope that everyone will raise their hands and participate this year – challenging the status quo is the best way to drive the industry forward!”
Special thank you to our co-chairs Lee Watts, Jennifer Petrone Dezso, and Megan McKeon and to our HQ team Holly Amatangelo, Kaitlin Heininger, Lisa M. Kamen, CAE, Danielle Gorash Holland, Ellie Hurley, Sarah Logan. And to our fab ACAC crew Amber Bollman, Jon Brewer, Joseph Edmonds, Tahisha Fugate, Mike Mellor, Ruth E. Morayniss, Gail Porter Lamarche, and Arthur Uratani. AND our wonderful pre-con session chairs Ashraf Lakhani, Brianna Leung, Justin Portaz, Jason Klika, Alé Simmons, Susan Slifer, Julie Hollander Eichelbaum, Christine Mitchell Harris, Bobbie Conklin, EJ Stern Bearman, Cheryl Bame, and Michael Blachly. I am in AWE of these amazing humans!
We are all grateful for YOU and for all you are doing for our profession and industry. EXCERPT:
“I’m Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing for Clark Hill Law and I am also the 2023 international President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International. I am thankful for a group of humans I met early on when I joined the Legal Marketing Association. Gina Furia Rubel, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Heather Morse-Geller, Gail Porter Lamarche, Lindsay Griffiths, and Laura Toledo
“We’ve all kind of now moved on and gone our separate ways in some respects, but that was the core group. I tell this story quite a bit. I was at the Orlando LMA annual conference and shy and nervous, which nobody believes, and feeling very insecure and I was lurking around the pool. Nothing good usually comes from that. And they were all there as a social media special interest group, having a meetup.
“And Gina saw me and she said, ‘Come over here. Who are you?’ And sometimes I cry when I say this because she just wrapped me in love and got to know me during the course of that afternoon. And they became my mentors and my friends, and they have been with me ever since, supporting me, giving me hard truth, and helping show me the way through this profession.
“And I had always had a fairly serendipitous career until I met them. And it really locked in that I like what I do, I like who I support, and I will always credit them for the mentoring they provided me early on, the way they adopted me and the way they’ve looked out for me ever since.”
“Hey podcast listeners. I’m Taryn Elliott, Director of Client Success + Marketing at LISI and I will be your host for this episode of LISI’s All the Things podcast. I’m joined on this month’s episode of One More Thing by Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill Law, and an old friend from my early days with the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International. Roy and I got together to talk about what he hopes to accomplish next year and his term as the 2023 Legal Marketing Association International President. Knowing Roy for as long as I have, I knew this conversation was going to be fun and I was not disappointed, but we touch on some important topics as well, including volunteering, self-care, acknowledging our differences, and how to amplify yourself along with the work you do. Here is One More Thing, this week’s episode of LISI’s ‘All the Things’ podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it.”
Indeed, we did, Taryn! So grateful for our longstanding friendship and for your positive influence in my life. As is my wont, I shout out to a LOT of people and how grateful I am for them: Maureen Fechter Farr, Gina Furia Rubel, Heather Morse-Geller, Gail Porter Lamarche, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Lindsay Griffiths, Laura Toledo, Terry Isner, Jennifer Manton, Deborah Scaringi, Michelle Upchurch Murray, LMA Northeast Region Boot Camp, Robyn Addis, Audra Triplett, Michael Coston, Melissa Ertek, Brenda Plowman, EJ Stern Bearman, Bobbie Conklin, #LMA23, Wabash College, Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), Corporate Legal Operations Consortium – CLOC, Michigan Society for Healthcare Planning and Marketing, Susie Sexton, #TheLordOfTheRings, and #pasta. Happy listening!
Rob (“Guy Fawkes”) and I had such a great and informative chat today on cybersecurity with Fortress SRM’s Peter Cavrell and Chuck Mackey. A timely topic for sure.
Thank you also to Richard Levick who joined us for the show opening to salute legendary Michael O’Horo, who will be so deeply missed. We discussed Mike’s candor, heart, authenticity, leadership, and … Porsche-buying negotiation skills, among other things. ❤️
Shout outs during the show to Denise Zdena Pouza, Timothy Corcoran, Mark T Greene, Kimberly Bell Schultheis, Patrick Fuller, Deborah Farone, Amy Payton Verhulst, Gail Porter Lamarche, Dianne Rychlewski, Don Sexton, Susie Sexton, V For Vendetta, and Phyllis Diller.
The conversation with Peter and Chuck dives into the risks and opportunities for lawyers (and consultants) to help their clients map processes, policies, and rules to anticipate, avoid, and mitigate risk. Cybersecurity isn’t a tech problem, but a people one.
We discuss how bad actors avail themselves of human weakness, and talk about the importance of table top exercises to increase agility in one’s organization. We cover how legal marketers and business development professionals can frame their firms’ messages on this topic and help keep their firms safe in a digital landscape. And the essential role of crisis communications, public relations, and media relations.
EmpoweredWomen2022
Join us on June 2nd from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CT at The Chicago Athletic Association.
Registration and networking breakfast, welcome by event producer Susan Freeman [she/her] 🗣, opening remarks by Joel Stern, Esq., a word about Dress for Success Worldwide by Natalie Altonia Borneo, morning keynote by Michelle Wimes (she, her, hers), Esq., luncheon keynote by Wendy Doyle, closing remarks by #EWE Committee Chair Joni Wickham & Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James, Jr., and TED-style talks throughout the day by the many remarkable women seen below and the event emcee, Roy Sexton.
The event will be followed by an on-site networking cocktail reception!
“Show up every day and keep moving forward, my friends!” – Heather Reid. And indeed she and Carolyn Manning and Dominic Ayres did today on Legal Marketing Coffee Talk with Rob Kates and yours truly! There may have also been appearances by Cher, Elvis, Britney Spears, Homer Simpson, a blue cow, Baby Yoda, and Mr. Ed. 🙌
Mostly we had a warm, substantive, candid, joy-filled, inclusive chat about culture and communications and (to swipe the title of Dominic’s fab new book) “How to Advance Your Career in Professional Services Marketing: Be More Purposeful and Strategic with Your Career Direction.” (Which you can order … right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PLR7322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_7AW38R2HCE6Y2CKBZQWH.)
Along the way, we talked about the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International’s fab #LMA22 conference this March in Las Vegas, tiny dogs who don’t like snowmaggedon, failed guitar lessons, creative heirloom family quilt displays (thank you again, Shoppopdisplays!), the rogue habits of grooms and their wedding registries, and more!
Thanks to these viewers for the love, support, and engagement today: James Barclay, Amy Payton Verhulst, Tahisha Fugate, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Marcia Delgadillo, Don Sexton, Rich Bracken, Gail Porter Lamarche, Jay Linder, and Susan Hunt – with shout outs in the show to Susie Sexton, Heather Morse-Geller, Deborah Farone, Jessica Aries, Laura Toledo, and more.
We had a ball this afternoon with our year-end holiday broadcast. Yes, there were zany costumes, beloved pups, heartfelt sentiments, plentiful laughs, and maybe a show tune or two. (Yes, I sang – about midway – WITH prerecorded accompaniment because I’m fancy like that.) So grateful to be part of this fab Legal Marketing Coffee Talk crew: our fearless leader Rob Kates and fellow hosts Tahisha Fugate, Jessica Aries, and Andrew Laver. The kind words offered during the show about my late mom Susie Sexton, our honorary sixth cast member, were so appreciated and healing.
Thanks to today’s incredibly brilliant special guest stars, including Gina Furia Rubel, Amy Payton Verhulst, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Brenda Pontiff. You are such beautifully authentic souls.
Shout outs aplenty during today’s show: Heather Morse-Geller, Gail Porter Lamarche, Terry Isner, Nikki Girard Sherrill, Toni Wells, James Barclay, Ed Lovatt, Marcia Delgadillo, Nikki Bagdady Horn, Scott Lawrence, Nathalie M. Daum, Jay Harrington, Heather Harrington, Jennifer Forester, Cyndy McCollough, Timothy Corcoran, Jenna Green, Rachel Shields Williams, Shade Vaughn, Jennifer Simpson Carr, Trish Desilets Lilley, and likely many more I won’t remember until I watch again tonight! 🤣
Thank you to Kates Media: Video Production and By Aries for supporting this show and to amazing Katelynn Audrey Wynn McGuire and Clarita Bonilla for the exceptional promotional work on our collective behalf.
See you in 2022! #LMAMKT
Postscript … I am truly lucky to have a wonderful friend with whom I also happen to work. I’ve known Megan McKeon maybe about 10 years now? But we first actually collaborated in 2015 on a Legal Marketing Association – LMA International annual conference quick start panel. Fellow panelists Heather Morse-Geller and Gina Furia Rubel said, “We gotta get Megan to join us!” They were absolutely right. Few people are as devoted, as hard-working, as caring as Megan.
Flash forward a few years later, and Megan introduced me to Clark Hill. Heather told me that I MUST take the job – as she saw it as the right next step for me. Don’t tell Heather I said this, but she’s darn right 99% of the time! 😉
This community blesses us with guardian angels at every turn, and three years ago when I received the distinct privilege to work with Megan my life improved for the better. I’ve never worked harder in my life, been challenged to be a better professional, or had someone so consistently in my corner as I have had with Megan, and our wonderful boss Susan Ahern, and our incredible colleagues.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it’s late. And I’m in a reflective mood. And this magical surprise (pictured) appeared on our front doorstep today. Admittedly, one can argue it’s a year early as I will be president elect of the international association next year and president the following. Nonetheless, when my husband opened this, thinking he was going to find new floor mats for his Jeep 😅, we both squealed with delight. Of course, being me, I couldn’t get this on our movie poster wall fast enough.
This gift puts such a big smile on my face after one hell of a year, and I won’t lie that it tickles me to be side-by-side with fellow Hoosier James Dean here. Everyone knows I love movies obsessively, but Megan has a distinct giftgiving prowess and somehow she found somebody who could turn me into my own movie poster. The tagline is hysterical: “Only the marketing is legal.” 🤣
Fun fact, Megan took this picture of me – and it is one of my favorites. We were in Chicago, on a sidewalk patio, shortly after I had started with the firm (halfway between a couple of my quarterly nervous breakdowns 😂), waiting for Ray Koenig and Susan to join us for drinks. Little did that naive Roy know what incredible adventures were ahead. But I’m looking at this poster, reflecting on the past year, the past three years, the past 10 years, incredibly grateful for what our legal marketing community has given all of us and for this friendship with dear Megan. Love you, Megan.
Thank you to my fabulous Clark Hill colleague Megan McKeon for joining Rob Kates and me on Kates Media: Video Production’s “Legal Marketing Coffee Talk,” sponsored by Jessica Aries’ By Aries. Thanks again to Katelynn Audrey Wynn McGuire for the wonderful promotional support.
We cover a LOT! 🤣 The relative merit of phone calls, being trapped in Facebook jail, the perils of pool repair, the joys of home associations, and the highs and lows of geriatric pet ownership.
MORE importantly we discuss trends in legal marketing and business development, the crucial differences between those two disciplines AND their complementary nature, how data drives smart decision-making and efficient resource deployment, how the Legal Marketing Association and a commitment to mentoring benefits firm culture, and more.
Shout outs in today’s show to Susan Ahern, Guinevere Lehman Anderson, Marceline Johnson, John Byrne, Timothy Corcoran, Anne Gallagher, Brenda Plowman, Jill Mason Huse, Kelly MacKinnon, Nancy Myrland, Brenda Pontiff, Amy Payton Verhulst, Gina Furia Rubel, Heather Morse-Geller, Gail Porter Lamarche, Gail Paul, Susie Sexton, Connie Harris, James Fisher, Eric Lewandowski, Nancy McKeon, Patrick Fuller, Jay Harrington, Glen Hanson, HunTees, Marlon Brando, and more.
Postscript …
That’s me! Always on the cutting edge! LOL. Thanks for the shout out (below), Nancy Myrland of Myrland Marketing and Social Media. She writes, “‘Should You Give Stories A Chance?’ A LinkedIn notification related to Roy Sexton yesterday (discussed in this 2-minute, 22-second episode) is what caused me to record this episode.”
I admit I keep using the damn things as another piece of real estate, wondering if anybody’s paying attention. So she nailed exactly my psychology as a user in her assessment!
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Roy Sexton discuss: Defining business development and marketing, the relationship is between the two, and how best to integrate them. Listening to the coaches you bring in until it is built and hardwired into your DNA. Getting the full value out of your content and of social media. Being engaged in the social media community.
Key Takeaways: Marketing shows you where the door is, business development helps you walk through it. The business development technique you hold near and dear is not a silver bullet. It’s what you do with it. It’s how you develop relationships and how you build a book of business. With commitment, there is growth. Business development is a learned thing – you just have to stick to the regiment. The days of being able to avoid social media are over.
“We call it a rule of three. If you’re speaking somewhere or you’ve written something, you’ve three bites at the apple on social media to promote that, at minimum. There’s the time leading up to the webinar you’re about to promote and promote that more than once.” — Roy Sexton
We had so much fun getting to know Roy Sexton! Legal marketer, thought leader, community leader, writer, actor and singer Roy Sexton talks to us about personal branding, standing out on social media, and thriving through authenticity.
Roy also shares why he prioritizes having creative outlets outside of work. We completely agree!
He credits his success to so many legal marketers we admire such as Nancy Leyes Myrland, Heather Morse-Geller, Renee Branson, Gail Porter Lamarche, Gina Furia Rubel, Lindsay Griffiths, Laura Toledo, and Brenda Plowman. Plus, shout outs to Susie Sexton and Beth Kennedy.
Also, Roy and Jennifer Petrone Dezso need to be friends since they both love Sweeney Todd!
Best dressed?! Only in quarantine! Thank you, ALM Media, LLCs Amy Newman, who emailed and made my day:
I’m delighted to tell you we decided you are our winner of our Best Selfie/Best Dressed competition from Friday’s event [Legal Week #LegalInnovationAwards virtual ceremony]! Not only did you send in a great photo, your activity and involvement throughout the announcement was greatly appreciated!
My pleasure! First (and likely last) time I’ll ever make such a list! 🥰 🤵
Shortly after Disneyland opened its magical gates to the public for the first time, panicked groundskeepers reportedly approached Walt Disney all in a dither. Their concern? Patrons without fail tromped through one particular flower bed on their giddy sojourn from Main Street to Tomorrowland. The gardeners’ solution? Erect a decorative-but-impenetrable fence to protect the landscaping and redirect the crowds.
Uncle Walt’s response? “We don’t need a fence there. We need a sidewalk.”
I suspect we’ve all worked alongside colleagues like these well-meaning but misguided caretakers. Heck, you may find yourself being one of these obstructionist types, thinking the silo you inhabit needs defending at all costs. And that is the genius in Walt Disney’s response. In one deftly pragmatic, folksy, customer-centric quip, he reminded his staff that the turf isn’t theirs to defend; it belongs squarely to the market forces they are there to serve.
“Use social media actively leading up to (and following) to get to know the attendees and any issues that are pressing/trending. Engage with them virtually – comment and reciprocate. When you arrive, make a point to connect with those whose experiences and views you have found interesting. Spend time between sessions in conversation with those folks, genuinely learning about their interests and their careers. And be sincere and humane. The worst feeling is when you’re talking to someone, and you get the vibe they are waiting for someone seemingly ‘more important’ to enter the frame. Your best (lifelong) business contacts will start from kinship, not opportunism.”
Thanks, Nancy! Appreciate you helping me represent … virtually. Have a marvelous time at #LMA17. I’m there in spirit! Love you and the whole #LMAMkt family .
Nancy writes: “#LMA17 Networking Tip #12 is from @roysexton – More: http://bit.ly/2nXm0A6 Thanks Roy! We miss you & wish you were here.” pic.twitter.com/TfXFrrAOBe
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Reel Roy Reviews is now TWO books! You can purchase your copies by clicking here (print and digital).
Reel Roy Reviews 