Spill The Ink

Ken Sky is an expert on virtual event production and is the primary producer and coach at Ken Sky Unlimited. He particularly specializes in Zoom meetings, transforming the mundane into engaging. He also works in seminars, conferences, ceremonies and all kinds of meetings. He is the Co-founder of a DIY executive coaching program. Until recently, Ken also worked at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg as a Childcare Supervisor. In addition, he also worked as a technical trainer and RESP account administrator, where he picked up his computer and presentation skills. In this episode: Zoom calls have become an everyday routine for many of us. The technology has proved to be incredibly useful, but can frankly be rather dull. The loss of in-person connection along with increased distractions can make them difficult to sit through. As remote work continues to grow, there has been shockingly little innovation to the informal format. That’s why Ken Sky created a better way. Ken Sky started his own virtual event agency called Ken Sky Unlimited. He discovered that online meetings can be engaging, informative and surprisingly fresh. Using a combination of personal tricks and technology, he has created a far better experience for workplaces across the nation. Now he shares those same tricks with you. Michelle Calcote King talks with Ken Sky of Ken Sky Unlimited to hear how he makes the most of Zoom calls and other virtual events. He goes into detail on his process, how he utilizes his background in magic and keeps participants engaged. He then dives deeper into tips for online presentation and where remote events are heading in the future. Hear it all on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast!

David Freeman is an expert in law firm leadership, currently serving as a consultant for both individual lawyers and law firms through the David Freeman Consulting Group. He specifically works with law firms on their leadership, business development and client service. He has also started focusing on remote work consultation in the wake of COVID-19.  David is also the Founder of Law Firm CultureShift which was started to work with leadership teams and improve culture at law firms. He is an established two-time best-selling author who has written on each of his specializations. David has been inducted into the National Law Journal Hall of Fame for being voted the #1 business development consultant and coach for three consecutive years. In this episode: There’s a lot that goes into a successful law firm, and now we add another component to that list: business development. While marketing is crucial and the quality of your work is essential, business development can often get overlooked. Law firms still function as a business and require strategic growth and optimization to be profitable. Especially in light of COVID-19, many law firms have lost the finer details on how to treat clients and improve their services. This relates to every step of the process, but particularly the culture your law firm has cultivated. It can be hard for some lawyers to see this without outside help. Luckily, that’s where David Freeman comes in. In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews consultant David Freeman to hear his thoughts on business development for lawyers and law firms. The two touch on topics of cross-selling, improving your leadership and excelling in the virtual age. They also talk about the culture of your law firm and how to transform it from the ground up. Stay tuned to hear it all for yourself!

Elise Holtzman is a trusted attorney and a certified coach. She is best known as the President and Founder of The Lawyer’s Edge — a boutique firm that provides guidance and resources to both attorneys and organizations. She has been coaching and consulting lawyers for over 13 years, drawing from her own experience in law. Elise is also the host of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, where she interviews successful attorneys, legal marketing specialists, business leaders and authors. Elise has worked for multiple law firms, including Morgan, Lewis & Bockius as well as Fried Frank. She has worked extensively in commercial real estate as a lawyer. Her degree is from Columbia Law School where she also worked as an editor of the Columbia Law Review. In this episode: Lawyers are a highly specialized workforce. Thousands of hours are put into knowing the law and how to survive in a difficult industry. Experience and hard work remain the consistent keys to success. Many lawyers have these but their law firm continues to struggle. So what’s holding them back? While there could be a myriad of factors, one of the most common is business development. At the end of the day, law firms are businesses, subject to the same needs and obstacles that come with the territory. It’s easy to ignore the development of your firm until it’s too late, having to play catch-up with the other firms around you. There needs to be a greater emphasis on business development, and that’s exactly what Elise Holtzman specializes in. In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King speaks with Elise Holtzman of The Lawyer’s Edge to hear her thoughts on business development for law firms. The two go over some of the common pitfalls and the three pillars to focus on to avoid them. They also dive into topics like marketing, setting new goals and women in the legal industry. Stay tuned to hear it all for yourself!

Bill Coletti is a global crisis strategist, a C-suite advisor and a reputation management specialist. He is the CEO of Kith Crisis Management, which works with businesses to improve crisis communication and manage public perception. He has more than 25 years of experience working with global corporations such as Target, AT&T and American Airlines.  Prior to Kith, Bill served as the Executive Vice President of Hill+Knowlton Strategies and as a Senior Strategist at Public Strategies. He worked as an executive director and political campaigner before finding his niche in crisis management and strategy. In this episode: How would your law firm deal with a crisis? It’s all too easy to assume your firm would excel, but you never know until you are put into that situation. Many companies fail to truly recover as their hidden weaknesses and blind spots are revealed. Especially in the age of social media, it is more important than ever to have a strong strategy against crisis. That’s where Kith Crisis Management comes in. Kith is led by Bill Coletti, a reputation strategist and crisis manager who has worked with some of the largest companies in the world. With a background in political campaigning, he learned firsthand the importance of having a strong game plan. He and his staff work with law firms and businesses to prepare them for crisis before it’s too late. So how prepared is your firm? Michelle Calcote King talks with Bill Coletti, the CEO of Kith Crisis Management, to learn how law firms can survive crisis situations. The two discuss how to prepare for a crisis, the important steps of dealing with one and how to recover afterward. They then break down Kith’s process, including simulations and handling social media. Find out the rest by listening to this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Chris Kirby is an established professional coach and the Founder of BridgeField Group. He has worked as a business development coach since 2000, working initially for the WJF Institute before founding PCT Solutions in 2005. He then founded BridgeField Group which offers development and diversity programs for firms of all sizes. He has firsthand experience in law, having started his career as an attorney. Now he uses the experience to give firms and individual clients the tools they need to excel. Dominica McGinnis is an experienced coach herself and the CEO and Co-founder of BridgeField Group. She started out as an executive coach and has worked with influential clients from organizations such as USAA, the City of Austin and Pfizer. She has likewise worked with PCT Solutions in conjunction, working alongside Chris Kirby to train the next generation of firms. Before BridgeField, Dominica worked as a Business Development and Client Services Consultant for MediaTracking.com. She served in the US army for four years, rising to the rank of Captain and Senior Military Consultant. In this episode: Diversity has been the elephant in the room with law firms for decades. Despite the efforts of diversity training, most law firms still struggle to retain a varied staff with their own unique strengths. It’s not only a matter of principle, but also of profits. A lack of diversity and inclusion has been shown time and time again to hurt the performance of law firms. Even the firms that want to improve have struggled to implement it. So how can you do diversity the right way? One solution is to take the training out of diversity training. BridgeField Group has found tremendous success by utilizing coaching and more personal interactions to fuel that change. It’s no longer a token effort or a checklist, but a broadening of perspective and identity that can transform law firms. They have seen it work with their clients, and now, they show you how they do it. Michelle Calcote King hosts Chris Kirby and Dominica McGinnis of BridgeField Group to find out about their approach to diversity and inclusion. They go over the unique challenges of diversity and BridgeField’s process for building relationships. The three also touch on pressing topics such as mental health, the hiring process and making lasting changes. Find out the rest by listening to this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Allison Williams is a renowned lawyer, business coach and the proud owner of both Law Firm Mentor and the Williams Law Group, LLC. She most recently founded Law Firm Mentor to help small law firms achieve growth and increase revenue. She is also the current CEO for Williams Law Group which operates as a full-service family firm.  Allison is an acclaimed lawyer, operating as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey for Matrimonial Law. She has worked for multiple law firms and even spent time as the editor of the New Jersey Family Lawyer scholarly publication. In this episode: Smaller law firms can often feel hopelessly outmatched. Larger, better-established firms feel like they have every advantage going their way. Even the “small firm” charm can be difficult to achieve in larger cities with more direct competition. You know that your firm is worth it, but how do you convince clients to take a chance on you? There are a host of variables for the success of a law firm: marketing, experience, social media, specialties and more. These smaller law firms need to excel on all of these fronts to gain the traction they’re hoping for. Multiple legal marketing companies have sprouted up to fill this need, but few have the experience of Allison Williams. She has worked as a lawyer and the owner of a firm. Now, she coaches growing firms to help them thrive in the places they once struggled. She has guided countless firms before, and now she’s here to help you. On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Allison Williams, the Founder of the Law Firm Mentor, to learn more about how to improve your marketing as a smaller law firm. They start by talking through Allison’s own rocky start as a lawyer and finding other good lawyers to work with. They transition into marketing advice, going through how to improve your social media, smoothing out your marketing cycle and answering the question “is buying leads worth it?”

Stefanie Marrone is a consultant for law firms of all sizes as well as B2C and B2B companies. She brings almost 20 years of legal marketing experience to the table, working for notable firms such as Sullivan & Cromwell and Morrison & Foerster over the years. Before she switched over to full-time consulting, her last position was the Director of Business Development and Marketing at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP. Stefanie has also spent much of her career as a prolific writer, getting her start as an Assistant Articles Editor at Redbook Magazine. She continues to write for her popular blog, The Social Media Butterfly, where she talks about issues facing lawyers and legal marketers today. In this episode: How important is your presence on LinkedIn? For many law firms, social media is not a priority. Other forms of marketing receive all of the attention while their LinkedIn profiles fall to the wayside. Some law firms can do well without it, but many are struggling to find ground. A strong social media presence can not only make your firm more approachable, but it can open new demographics that were once inaccessible. It’s a Swiss Army knife of a marketing tool that is too often ignored. If done right, your LinkedIn output can transform your law firm. This is the approach of Stefanie Marrone, a legal marketing consultant who knows how to get results. Want to find out more? Michelle Calcote King hosts Stefanie Marrone to find out her approach to improving your law firm’s LinkedIn profile. Together they go over the full process, from how often you should post to creating multimedia content to LinkedIn groups and more. Stefanie goes into detail on her story and how she found success on her own LinkedIn page. They even find time to discuss the specific content that performs well on the website. Learn all of this and more on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast!

Christopher Melcher is a leading name in the field of family law and a Partner of Walzer Melcher LLP. He primarily works with celebrities, business owners and trust beneficiaries in divorce cases. His specialization lies in discretional practice and navigating the financial aspects. Christopher brings over 27 years of total experience to the table for his clients, with almost 20 of those at his current firm. His first experience as a lawyer came from his father’s law firm where he handled criminal defense and personal injury cases. Aside from his practice, he also teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine Law. In this episode: There are few better ways to get your name out there like appearing on TV. Even on smaller networks, there is a tangible sense of importance and credibility that TV gives to people. Most law firms or lawyers only appear in advertising. However, some have found the secret to being featured as a source by media outlets. This not only gives exposure to the lawyer but also reinforces their expertise for all to see. It’s an effective strategy, but one that few people enjoy. Christopher Melcher has made a name for himself by appearing on multiple channels as a reliable source. Most recently, he has been giving his insight on the Britney Spears conservatorship case. His law firm has built its reputation on privacy and outstanding service, working for some of the most well-known families in California. He was able to find his niche as a media source, and now, so can you. On this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Christopher Melcher, a Partner of Walzer Melcher LLP, to learn the secret behind becoming a legal source for media outlets. Christopher talks about finding his start as a source and how he leveraged it into the career he has today. They go over the pitch process, preparing to speak on television and the importance of relationships. Stay tuned for more!

Kerry Benn is the Director of Series, Surveys and Data of Law360, working with her team to manage their data and surveys. The subscription-based news source has a staff of over 170, staying up to date on legal developments and intellectual property. She has worked for the news outlet for more than eight years, starting as an Assistant Managing Editor.  Kerry has had a rich career in editing, also working for the Dow Jones and Mail Tribune before her current position. Outside of her work, she was a champion on Jeopardy back in 2017. In this episode: There is plenty of competition for legal news and awards. Many publications put out their lists for the best lawyers and law firms, each attempting to be the definitive ranking. Additionally, the reporting from some websites can lack depth or variety. Both categories are flooded with options, but how many live up to the standards they set forth? Which publications can be trusted to provide accurate information? Law360 is a news source that commits themselves to a greater level of quality and integrity. Their website has grown considerably over the years, expanding their reporting to every corner of the legal industry. They recently launched Law360 Pulse to dive even deeper into the business of law, including in-depth surveys and research. Along with their trusted rankings, they have set the bar high for legal journalism. Now they’re willing to talk through their process for the law firms that want to get ahead. Michelle Calcote King takes time to speak with Kerry Benn — Director of Series, Surveys and Data at Law360 — to learn more about Law360’s approach to legal journalism and law firm awards. Kerry walks through the introduction of their new Pulse section and how it explores underrepresented sections of legal business. They then discuss Law360’s rankings and what you can do to help your chances of selection. Learn all of this and more on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Michele Linn is a content marketing guru, having worked in the field since its early days. She is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Mantis Research, which publishes and spotlights research in marketing. She has written and published hundreds of articles on the subject, being recognized as one of Folio’s Top Women in Media in 2015. Michele cut her teeth as the Head of Editorial at the Content Marketing Institute. She was the first employee hired there and helped the organization grow to an audience of 200,000 subscribers. She’s no stranger to podcasts either, having co-hosted the Marketing Breakout Podcast for six months. In this episode: Data is the single greatest tool that any company has at its disposal. It can inform strategists, help you understand your audience and improve your product. However, there are even more uses that fewer companies consider. Research can be utilized as a powerful tool for content marketing and brand authority. From driving traffic to media mentions, there are few things that specialized market research can’t do for your department.  This was the origin behind Mantis Research — helping marketers publish their research. Michele Linn founded it with experience as a content marketer herself. She saw the need for research, using it as a way to both build authority in your field and to grow awareness. She now works hands-on with marketing teams to get accurate and helpful research. Want to find out more? In this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast, Michelle Calcote King interviews Michele Linn, the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Mantis Research, to find out more about how research can transform marketing and more. The two go through research and the common mistakes to avoid early on. They then dive deeper into the process, talking through strategy, finding the right people to survey and promoting your research.