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.
“Hotter than July.” That’s not just a kickass Stevie Wonder album, but is a phrase that could also be used to describe all of YOU! LMA is en fuego this summer. I’m inspired by all of the amazing content you are generating these days: thought leadership, webinars, social media, in-person presentations, social outings, conference planning, on and on. I try like the Dickens to keep up with it all, and am happy to report that is humanly IMPOSSIBLE. So kudos to y’all!
I was fortunate enough to make a trip to Toronto in June to join one of the Canada Region’s summer socials. And it was off the chain. Eighty attendees, vibrant dialogue, so much connection and just great fun. Kudos to Jessica Horowitz and team for all the hard work and planning! Thank you to Canada President Hans Chang for extending the invite AND for treating me to an incredible lunch the next day. You may or may not know this, but Hans was tapped as president-elect this year, but stepped up to the prez role in quick fashion when this year’s original president left our wonderful industry for another great opportunity. (A testament to how in demand you all are BTW!) Hans pivoted like the champ he is and quickly immersed himself. Didn’t skip a beat. He has led with heart and authenticity, and he shared with me that he sees himself as a steward, adding to what has come before and simply hoping to leave things a bit better than he found them. I’d say he’s doing very well at that mission! That’s all we can ask of ourselves as leaders.
While I was there, Canada Board Member Sara Short (communications) said these magical words: “I love your playlists! I’m going to miss those!” So you can blame her for this…another playlist to round out your summer fun. Hopefully as good for a glass of wine on the patio as a raging house party. You’re welcome! Here on iTunesand Spotify 🎵. And, yes, my beloved theater peeps Idina Menzel and Billy Porter are well-represented…but these ain’t no show tunes. You’ll see!
Shout out to the Midwest Region who is killing it with a series of meet-ups across the region. I was able to join the Michigan Architecture tour here in Detroit – thanks to John Reed and Andrea Oleszczak and team for planning such a thoughtful, inspiring, engaging afternoon. And I see you Kate Shipham, Amie Allison, Jason Klika, Rich Marsolais, Jennifer Shankleton, Tanya Riggan and other Midwest Board members getting your miles (and steps) in touring our Midwest LSCs.
The photos of these meet-ups are such great fun to see!
Kudos to our Northeast Region and Mid-Atlantic Region for following a similar model on socials AND launching some incredible educational content this summer. I know a recent client-service education event in the Northeast had over 115 attendees! Way to go, Northeast President Jay Linder, Mid-Atlantic President Kathryn Burke and respective teams!
(Sidenote: I worry when I start going down this path of shout-outs that I’m leaving someone out. Please know that this is all offered just in the spirit of celebration and that we are grateful for ALL of the efforts at play this summer!)
Speaking of the Midwest – thank you to Ashley Defay, Kate Harry Shipham, Lauren McNee, Sara Pierson and Rob Kates for this opportunity to reflect on being a gay man in this industry, my mid-year reflections on this wonderful role I get to carry, leadership lessons generally, and…The Little Mermaid. If you missed the interview, you can catch it here. It’s a pretty candid chat and all comes from the heart.
Kudos to Jennifer Forester, Jacob Eidinger, Erika Galarneau and the Social and Digital Media SIG team for their exceptional work on June’s “21-Day Social Media Challenge,” (login to view) in its second year.
I didn’t think they could top themselves from last year…but they did. The conversations were robust and provocative and actionable. If you missed it this year, do NOT miss it in the future. It exemplifies what is so incredible about LMA: community: sharing knowledge and insight and connecting through learning.
And as robust as our LMA community is, I must admit that we had a “shoot for the moon” goal of 4,500 members in 2023 as an International Board. Truth be told, the eddies of a shifting economy among other issues have conspired and we’re more likely to hit 4,100. Still growth from last year, but not as big as we’d hoped. And that’s ok. (For those ready to hit the “I told you so” button, I’m pre-empting you!) That said, the International Board is hard at work in a series of sub-teams looking at membership, regional growth, education and revenue diversification toward the end of yielding nuanced, achievable goals for next year. More to come on that. But that’s the job we signed up and we’re happy to support the continued evolution of this marvelous association. (Know someone who should be a member? Invite them to join LMA with our special Mid-Year Membership Offer!)
We’re halfway through this year and already we’ve had so many great events and impactful educational offerings. To date across HQ and regions, we have offered 100+ educational opportunities with thousands of attendees — in addition to the 1,100+ attendees at the 2023 Annual Conference (recordings available here)! And there are many more events happening now and planned for this year.
As you have likely seen on social media and beyond, we have a number of great regional conference offerings in the queue for this fall. Check out the schedule for your region and make sure to join one (or more!) to continue your growth and development as professionals. One last shout-out to our Southeast Region and President Laura Hudson. Not only are they planning a fab conference for THIS fall, but they are also already ahead of the curve, securing NEXT YEAR’S dates with a very thoughtful approach. Love seeing that collaboration, hard work and embracing of best practices. Go, team!
And while you may have a little downtime, consider sharing your expertise and submitting an educational session idea for the LMA 2024 Annual ConferenceCall for Content which is open only through July 17. You can alternately submit your name for consideration as a possible speaker or panelist.
Keep taking time for you where you can – and keep connecting meaningfully with each other! That’s why we joined this LMA club and what makes it all worthwhile!
Love you,
Roy
President, 2023 LMA International Board of Directors
“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.
Kate writes, “May is ‘Mental Health Awareness Month’. I’m not sure I can remember a more important time to acknowledge this and have a real conversation about mental health.
“Luckily, I see a positive change in our firms; there is more of a willingness to have the conversation, continue the conversation, and show vulnerability when it comes to the topic of mental health.
“I have asked some of our marketing friends – Logan Tracey, Cheryl Foster, Roy Sexton, Tahisha Fugate, Jennifer Gessner Shankleton – to share how they are trying to avoid burnout and how they are looking after themselves. Burnout is an issue I’ve been watching closely (and providing data on). It is a very real topic for marketers right now. Put another way, self-care is critically important and these marketers capture this sentiment beautifully.
“These sentiments highlight good self care and positive mental health practices for us all to take in and replicate.”
Kate writes: “Roy is a shining beacon for all of us. His ability to share and show vulnerability with his work family is inspirational.” Thank you, Kate! My contribution to her article follows:
“I do feel like I’ve been burning the candle at every end possible. I’m not sure there’s any wick left! That said, I’ve also found this to be a strangely rewarding time because it has, at times, leveled the playing field, allowed us marketers to drive our firms toward digital tactics that actually work, and has afforded us a kind of singular focus one rarely gets in this career. But that comes at a price – low energy, neglected relationships, no exercise, spending far too much money at Amazon.
“I’m trying to ease back into balance and reclaim my time. Shutting down the computer at 5:30 or 6 instead of 7 or 8. Avoiding work email on the weekends. Taking walks with my husband. I’m also more forthcoming than I’ve ever been with colleagues and leaders about what I need for balance, and the response has been positive. By the way, THEY are feeling it too. But none of us are necessarily brave enough to be the first to say it out loud. Sometimes that is the best way to resilience – telling people how you feel. And if they can’t accept that or don’t want to, life is far too short to put your energy into a person or organization so selfish.”
