Our Legal Marketing Association – LMA International board met this week. My last in-person meeting as president. I told them all this, and I will repeat it here. This will truly be the honor of my professional life. It has been such a gift to serve alongside such a dedicated, creative, fun, thoughtful group of human beings.
It was truly affirming to see how aligned we are in working toward the continued growth and evolution of this organization and community that we all love very much. The October meeting is always a transitional one, as we welcome our incoming board members to listen in on the conversations in which they will soon take active part. It’s a really wonderful group. And I will be also sad to see some exceptional voices roll off the board as is the natural way of these things.
Our incoming 2024 president Kevin Iredell did a fabulous job laying out his vision and approach for next year – and we alongside 2022 prez Brenda Plowman gave our 2025 president John Byrne his commemorative prez cap. #40! I don’t think he’s much of a baseball cap kind of guy, but it was nonetheless a great honor to be able to hand this ceremonial object to such a good, longtime friend, who cares so much about our profession.
In addition, these pandemic years kind of derailed much opportunity for us to bond beyond meeting times and the occasional dinner or conference. Being fiscally responsible, we did squeak in a group Chicago architectural boat tour. It turned out to be such a glorious sunny fall day in Chicago and we had a delightful time learning about the rich history of this city.
And, yes, my 1997 gogo boy, club kid pleather Ricky Martin pants emerged from the back of my closet for our board dinner. My colleagues might wish those pants would go back in that closet never to be seen again. But I felt quite chic.
And finally the board gave me the most heartwarming present. Back in April at the #LMA23 annual conference, they collected sand from the beach and objects from the event that reminded them of me and of our work together. The items are all held in a beautifully engraved apothecary jar, which will be proudly displayed in my home, alongside “Bed Bugs Bunny.” (Thank you for the perfect name, Laura Gassner Otting!) Some of you might recall that I rescued a wet, muddy, stuffed rabbit that I found on the sidewalk in Florida before the event.
These amazing folks know me well. And I love them.
P.S. I rewarded myself with a martini, blue cheese olives, and french fries. I’m such a nerd.
P.P.S. And then ANOTHER martini and mac and cheese with my boo at Seva Restaurant, Ann Arbor. 😅🍸
Tempus fugit! My late mom would often invoke this Latin phrase (oh, how she loved her high school Latin classes!) in her columns, her prolific social media posts (apple doesn’t fall far from that tree), and late-night emails to yours truly. For reference (and to show I use Wikipedia):
Tempus fugit is a Latin phrase, usually translated into English as “time flies.” The expression comes from line 284 of book three of Virgil’s Georgics, where it appears as fugit inreparabile tempus: “it escapes, irretrievable time.” The phrase is used in both its Latin and English forms as a proverb that “time’s a-wasting.”
Well, I’d say this wonderful community hasn’t wasted one precious minute this year, nor let grass grow under our collective feet, which is why we’re already knocking on fourth quarter’s front door. (How many metaphors can I work into one sentence?) We may be breathless, exhilarated and a little spent, but so much incredible work is in our rearview mirror, with more ahead from regional conferences this fall to our international and regional boards setting goals and budgets for 2024.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This has truly been one of the great honors of my life to serve among all of you this year and I’m excited to see where 2024 President Kevin Iredell takes us. He’s such an insightful, authentic, driven leader, and I know the energy and heart he will bring to his LMA presidency will be remarkable.
(Photo: I was proud to have presented at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Lavender Law Conference in July in Chicago.)
As we look toward 2024, I’m going to “pass the mic” for the rest of this message to our fab CEO Danielle Holland. She has been diligently helping steer our macro conversations on long-term strategic planning the past few months and will share where we are headed next year and beyond.
But before I do…I offer you another gift of music🎵. What am I going to do next year with all of these playlists? Anywho, I hope you enjoy this #LMA23: Back to (Old) School AmpliMix here on iTunes and Spotify. I dug deep into my high school, college and grad school years for jams firmly placed in the 80s/90s, with a couple of 70s and 00s cuts for good measure.
DJ Roy out — here’s Danielle!
Thank you, Roy, and thank you for your incredible and engaging leadership this year! I know so many of us look forward to your playlists — who else could mash up 80s dance hits with show tunes and somehow have it all work together?
That word, together, has been such an important theme for us this year and extends to next year and beyond.
Together, you have supported LMA and our community like never before. At the local and regional level, with exceptional educational and networking events…and across your organization as ambassadors fueling membership growth and engagement with vibrant member resource groups, collaboration in our Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) and committees, and post-Covid record attendance at the memorable LMA 2023 Annual Conference.
Together, because of each of you, our LMA community is thriving. As we look to next year, it’s this amazing energy and inspiring spirit of together that will no doubt continue to propel us forward.
Membership engagement, growing member resources and strategic membership growth globally will be at the forefront, as will continuing to expand our support for our volunteer leaders in each of our eight regions – all while delivering an exceptional, integrated member experience across LMA. With that, we’re exploring new, innovative educational opportunities, as well as opportunities for our service providers to engage with LMA and our members.
Also at the top of the list is strategic financial growth to reinvest in LMA and our community, in both the near and long term. Plus, you won’t want to miss our capstone event of the year, the LMA 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego next April! (Super Early Bird registration is open; my one shameless plug!)
The power and strength of LMA come from our members. Together there is nothing we cannot achieve. I thank you all for your ongoing advocacy and support.
You’ll hear more about what’s ahead for 2024 from Kevin in the coming months. It’s going to be another banner year, but there’s still much more of 2023 left. I ask for your continued support of LMA, and I hope to see many of you at our regional conferences this fall.
Now open up iTunes or Spotify and enjoy what DJ Roy has in store for us this month!
Love you,
Roy
President, 2023 LMA International Board of Directors
Roy E. Sexton Director of Marketing Clark Hill
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR LMA24 April 3-5 San Diego
“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
Fab guests Laura Gassner Otting and Athena Dion joined Rob Kates and me to relive a bit of #LMA23. But quickly (sequins notwithstanding) the conversation turned toward authenticity and advocacy and framily. …
Learning that wonderhell isn’t a destination but a journey; that once you’ve achieved your goal living in a place of “how can I top that?” is doing yourself a disservice; that achievement is about what you learn about yourself and others in the process; that taking the pause after is ok and good because your next adventure will come naturally and organically through; and more.
Yes, we talked about Florida and how #dragisnotdangerous but also how this moment has revealed the good (and sometimes the disappointing) in those around us. We learned that “you don’t have to give your trophies back” after achievement. They’re yours. You earned them. Don’t feel an apologetic need to put them back in the universe. And that sometimes after achievement, a fulfilling path can be helping others then find theirs. And, oh, sometimes “rage and greed” (and borrowed couture) are the only spark one needs to go to that next level!
Shout outs during the show to Megan McKeon, Jennifer Petrone Dezso, Lee Ashby Watts, Danna Tauber, Rich Bracken, Jessica Aries, Holly Amatangelo, Lisa McDonald Kamen, Kevin Iredell, Jessica Haarsgaard, Susie Sexton, and more!
I love my brilliant, kind, creative friend Gail Porter Lamarche. She shared her wisdom and wit with me and a strangely absent Rob Kates on Legal Marketing Coffee Talk today. We discussed the importance of authenticity, the magic of #music and fabulous parenting, the benefit to firms of marketers who engage the community, how much we love Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, the fabulous learning and connection at LMA21, the power of digital thought leadership, how to coach attorneys to network with intentionality, Norman Love Confections, Theatre Nova, taco Tuesdays, beloved furbabies, and more. And how proud we are of ass-kicking Laura Toledo!
Shout outs to beloved family, friends, and colleagues include Nancy Leyes Myrland, Gina Furia Rubel, Heather Morse-Geller, Lindsay Griffiths, Megan McKeon, Kelly MacKinnon, John Byrne, Ross Fishman, Don Sexton, Nancy Slome, David Ackert, Passle, James Barclay, Tommy Franz, Kevin Iredell, Maggie Stuart Watkins, Adrian T Dayton, and more!
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
Clockwise from top left: Justin Scott Bays, Roy Sexton, Elizabeth Jaffe, Diane Hill, K Edmonds, John DeMerell, Kristin Clark
Just FOUR more chances to see SING HAPPY! http://www.theatrenova.org … Come hear the music play – through Sunday!
This celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb, features a star-studded ensemble of singers, who take the stage with showstoppers from CABARET, CHICAGO, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and many others. Directed by Diane Hill, with music direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, SING HAPPY! is not just a musical revue. It’s a show that ultimately weaves a tale of strength and determination, one we can all relate to in these times.
AUDIENCES AND CRITICS ALIKE LOVE SING HAPPY!
From Pulp Magazine: While the show leads off with the encouraging “Sing Happy” from Flora the Red Menace, the show’s best moments are the wistful, introspective, and sad songs. The singers come and go throughout the 70-minute revue with no intermission. The tentative story they tell is one of guarded hope, which seems appropriate to our current situation.
Photo by Sean Carter
Director Diane Hill keeps it simple and the singers respond with performances that grasp the conflicting emotions that are at the heart of Kander and Ebb songs.
Photo by Sean Carter
John DeMerell brings a meditative quality to his rendition of “I Don’t Remember You,” a song about a once-close relationship that now seems lost forever. Justin Scott Bays brings more heat to a plaintive yearning for a lost love in “Sometimes a Day Goes By.” The two voices sing in counterpointed empathy.
Photo by Sean Carter
Perhaps the best-known song in this mood is the comic sad “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago. Roy Sexton sings the mournful tale of a man who wonders how invisible he seems to be. Kander’s music is a shuffle and Sexton glides across the stage making like a sad, dancing clown.
Kristin Clark brings that wistful quality to “Colored Lights,” another song about what might have been.
Photo by Sean Carter
K Edmonds brings her big voice and expressive face to a rollicking showstopper from Chicago, “When You’re Good to Mama,” a warning to inmates about how things work on the inside.
Photo by Sean Carter
Elizabeth Jaffe has fun with a sassy celebration of a daytime lover in “Arthur in the Afternoon.”
Photo by Sean Carter
Theatre Nova is alive and it wants to stay alive and offer a chance for everyone to come and see fresh, new, exciting plays at a reasonable price. In the music and words of Kander and Ebb, “what good is sitting alone in your room, come hear the music play, life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret.”
“What a fabulous evening of song! The energy level was high and the numbers flowed seamlessly one to another. I especially enjoyed seeing Kristin and her mom sing together. So great to be back to live theatre, and I appreciate the precautions you’re taking to make everyone feel safe.”
Photo by Sean Carter
“The show was yet another reminder of all the fabulous talent we have in our area. Great Performances, wonderful show.”
“Delightful show! Heartfelt and accomplished singers. Enjoyed every song.”
We had a pretty fantastic – and free-wheeling – conversation with our friend John Byrne today. This may be one of my favorite shows we’ve done yet. To be honest, I’m not even quite sure how to recap it, other than this was an authentic conversation between people who respect and love each other. There might be some references to the bathroom habits of naughty cats, a general love of anything Disney, and appreciation for the unique attributes of the only child – AND an understanding that truth when delivered from the heart is always a good thing.
Shout outs in the show to … Susie Sexton, Don Sexton, Thor Hodges, Lisa Towey Simon, Anne Gallagher, Megan McKeon, Nancy Leyes Myrland, Nancy Slome, Brenda Pontiff, Andrew Laver, Michelle Friends, Kelly MacKinnon, Brenda Plowman, Amy Payton Verhulst, Laura Toledo, Lindsay Griffiths, Kevin Iredell, Dianne Rychlewski, William Fitzgerald, Linda Sedloff Orton, Stephen D Barrett, Jose’ Cunningham, Trish Desilets Lilley, #oklahoma, #themusicman, and more!
It’s the show about legal marketing and the people that make it happen.
This week, Roy Sexton’s guest is fellow LMA International Board Member AND Midwesterner John Byrne, Chief Marketing Officer for Gould & Ratner LLP. John and Roy will not only reflect on nearly a decade of friendship and volunteer leadership together, but what trends they see in marketing, communications, and thought leadership in these neverending pandemic days. John, who also has worked as a practicing attorney and as a newspaper editor, will offer his observations on the intersectionality of legal and media and the opportunities represented for marketers therein. John and Roy are both only children who also have strong ties to the medical profession AND they both tend to enjoy the occasional shenanigan (or eight), so this conversation is sure to be heartfelt, free-ranging, and raucous!
Join our team of hosts: Jessica Aries, Tahisha Fugate, Andrew Laver and Roy Sexton , each week, as we talk to the leaders in the legal marketing community.
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
