15 Minutes Share Your Voice

In today's podcast, we talk to Dr. Laura Sicola, founder of Vocal Impact Productions and host of the podcast, "Speaking to Influence: Communication Secrets of the C-Suite." She explains why clear communication is vital, no matter who you are talking to or the situation.

"To me, the definition of public speaking is anytime you're talking to somebody other than yourself," she says. "So, it could be just a conversation with a coworker, it could be an interview like this, it could be a board meeting, it could be a conference talk. It doesn't have to be formal, it can be small and informal. But if you're trying to convey the genius in your brain and the passion in your heart, and get it across to somebody in a way that they get it, that's public speaking."

The main topics of today's episode will be what gets in people's way while trying to communicate and why being the best version of yourself, rather than trying to act like someone else, is always the best way to get through to your audience. We will also talk about how to keep people's attention by changing the volume and tone of your voice. And if you are a fellow podcaster listening, Laura will go into the importance of upgrading your computer's microphone, as it makes a world of difference. Connect with Dr. Laura Sicola: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurasicola/ Check out Vocal Impact Productions: https://vocalimpactproductions.com/

Recorded on 8/25/23

Jenni Brown is the Founding Partner of Brown Dutton & Crider Family Law Firm, a leading practice focused on family-related legal matters. Jenni has 11 years of litigation experience and specializes in divorce, modifications, and custody cases. She was nominated as a Georgia Super Lawyer for three consecutive years — an honor given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in the state — and Georgia's Trend Legal Elite nominated her in 2018-2020 due to her expertise and dedication to the field. Jenni is an active member of the Cobb Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia.

Law firms traditionally centered on legal expertise often overlook the advantages of embracing business principles. Could a business-driven approach be the key to a firm's success?

According to Jenni Brown, a seasoned family lawyer and founding partner, infusing business strategies into the legal domain has been a game-changer for her firm. Her firsthand experience illustrates how blending these two worlds enhances client relationships and boosts overall performance.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, Chad Franzen is joined by Jenni Brown, Founding Partner at Brown Dutton & Crider Family Law Firm, to talk about the value of running a law firm with a business-driven approach. Jenni discusses the significance of adopting a business mindset from the outset, the pivotal role coaching played in their early success, and how a client-centric strategy can enrich client experiences, differentiating a firm in today's crowded legal field.

In today's podcast, we talk to Dr. Jeff Cornwall, co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneurial Mind, LLC, and Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship at Belmont University, where he founded its entrepreneurship program in 2003. Shortly after retiring, Jeff was diagnosed with cancer last year, which changed his outlook on life. "I wasn't sure I was going to retire, but between COVID and Generation Z, I decided it was time to retire from my professorship, and I planned to be pretty active. The university hired me back to do a half-time consulting job on a new curriculum program. And I'm working on a new book and was working pretty much full-time once I retired," he says. "Then I came down with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which fortunately they caught early enough. But I guess that was the wake-up call. It was time to adjust my priorities a little bit." The main topics of today's episode will be what's working—and not working—in entrepreneurship education today. We will also talk about the state of mentorship for entrepreneurs, where the holes are, and Jeff's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs (hint: you don't know everything).

Connect with Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-cornwall-a45603/

Check out Entrepreneurial Mind: https://entrepreneurialmindllc.com/

Recorded on 08/21/23

Brett Trembly is the Founding Partner of Trembly Law Firm, a law firm based in South Florida specializing in business, franchise, employment, and trademark law, as well as litigation and general counsel. Brett's decade-plus experience at the firm has contributed to its award-winning reputation. In addition to his legal practice, Brett is also the Co-founder and CEO of Get Staffed Up, a virtual staffing company helping lawyers delegate their way to freedom. The company has become the largest virtual staffing solution for lawyers in the US.

On the community front, Brett is a former President of the Miami Kendall Bar Association and former Vice-Chair of the Florida Bar 11th Circuit Grievance Committee 11 "I." He has earned multiple Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers Rising Star distinctions and is the author of 24 Months to Freedom, a book outlining the roadmap for law firm growth through strategic staffing.

Are you stuck in the hamster wheel of your law practice, constantly fighting fires instead of scaling up? The solution you've been waiting for is closer than you think.

Brett Trembly, the creator of a unique staffing solution providing virtual assistants for law firms, is helping lawyers and business owners buy back time. As a practicing attorney, Brett understands the unique challenges and opportunities within the legal industry. He has mastered the art of delegation to achieve success and freedom — and shares how his fellow lawyers can have the same experience.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen sits down with Brett Trembly, Founding Partner of Trembly Law and Co-founder of Get Staffed Up, to explore the world of innovative staffing solutions for law firms. Brett shares strategies for hiring full-time virtual assistants, why business owners hesitate to hire employees, and the benefits of delegating tasks and conducting delegation evaluations. Tune in to discover how to achieve financial freedom, one smart hire at a time.

In today's podcast, we talk to Winnie Hart, founder and Chief Strategic Engine of TwinEngine, a brand growth agency fueled by purpose, and best-selling author of the new release, "Stand Out as a Thought Leader." She tells us why she wrote this book and how it differs from other business books.

"We have such a massive opportunity to, especially as entrepreneurs and as business leaders in this world, to really be clear about what we stand for, and the difference we make in the world, and to find a way to share it with other people. And that's what the book is all about," she says. "I wanted to write a book that you actually do, and this book is structured to help people to actually do the work because thought leadership is practice."

The main topics of today's episode will be how living and working in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina taught Winnie how to be self-sufficient and prepared for future crises like COVID. We will also discuss how being your true self at all times will make you a better leader and how Winnie's journey in Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) since 2004 helped save her business and transform her thinking.

Connect with Winnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winniehart/

Check out TwinEngine: https://twinengine.com/

Lisa Callif is a Partner at Donaldson Callif Perez, a law firm representing independent producers, production companies, and content creators in matters including equity financing, production, and distribution. Lisa's expertise extends to fair use, copyright, and personal rights issues. Known for cutting through bureaucratic red tape, she has developed a reputation for preserving artists' voices and enabling the production of stories that might otherwise go untold.

In addition to her work with content creators, Lisa serves as legal counsel to several non-profit organizations, such as Film Independent and Women in Film. She is co-author of The American Bar Association's Legal Guide to Independent Filmmaking and the 4th edition of Clearance & Copyright, and regularly contributes articles on emerging topics in entertainment and copyright law. Lisa has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named a Hollywood Reporter Power Lawyer and a Daily Journal Top Entertainment Lawyer.

Cracking the code of the entertainment industry's legal landscape can seem like an uphill battle. Filmmakers' creativity is often stifled by the lawyers they partner with, halting projects in their tracks. But what if you could flip the script and make the law work for you?

Enter Lisa Callif, an attorney who has become a go-to expert for filmmakers looking to navigate complex legal terrain. Lisa is dedicated to empowering independent and nonfiction filmmakers — advocating for their creative freedom. Her unique blend of legal know-how and a deep understanding of the creative process has made her a highly sought-after resource in the entertainment industry.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen sits down with Lisa Callif, a Partner at Donaldson Callif Perez, to explore the legal intricacies filmmakers encounter and how to turn them into opportunities. Lisa discusses the evolution of her career, strategies for overcoming clearance and copyright obstacles, and her firm's contribution to the resurgence of documentaries.

In today's podcast, we talk to Gabe Abshire, founder and CEO of Utility Concierge, a one-stop-shop for setting up utilities and home services—such as electricity, cable, internet, phone, and smart security—when moving into a new home. Gabe explains how he came up with the idea for the company and why it is of value to customers, real estate professionals, and service providers.

"We're going to save you time. We're going to talk to you, find out what you need and what you're looking for in the house, and we're just gonna say, 'here's your options, check, yes or no.' We go to work making all those connections and setting appointments so you don't have to do that," he explains. "We figure it's about a couple of half days on the phone, trying to set everything up. And we can do that in a 30-minute phone call, get everything taken care of for you."

The main topics of today's episode will be how the company goes up and down with housing demand and how the pandemic changed the business model from in-office to remote. We will also talk about how to retain strong company culture with employees working virtually.

Connect with Gabe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabeabshire/

Checkout Utility Concierge: https://utilityconcierge.com/

Patrick Diehl is a Partner at Matterhorn Legal, a boutique law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity financings, and outsourced general counsel services. He focuses his practice on legal needs for early-stage companies and investment funds, including formation, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic corporate transactions, as well as offering general corporate advisory.

Before joining Matterhorn, Patrick worked as a corporate attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in San Francisco and Jones Day in New York, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. He has advised on transactions equating to over $1 billion. Patrick is a Harlan Fiske Scholar from Columbia Law School and graduated with honors in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Navigating the legal landscape of startups can feel like an uphill battle, riddled with complexities and unexpected challenges. What if your legal strategy wasn't just about avoiding pitfalls but creating win-win situations for all?

Enter Patrick Diehl, a seasoned corporate attorney. With experience in large law firms and his own boutique practice, Patrick provides a unique perspective on startup strategies. His emphasis on creating positive, win-win transactions rather than zero-sum games sets him apart from his competitors. As a small business owner, Patrick understands the nuanced pressures and challenges of launching startups.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Bela Musits sits down with Patrick Diehl, a Partner at Matterhorn Legal, to delve into the world of win-win legal strategies for startups. Patrick shares practical advice for smaller investment funds and businesses, his philosophy on shorter-duration transactions, and how being a small business owner makes him a more empathetic legal counsel. He also discusses the pros and cons of various legal practices and how he found his niche in corporate law.

In today's podcast, we talk to Mac Lackey, a former professional soccer player and an entrepreneur who has built and sold six companies. Currently, Mac is mentoring entrepreneurs via ExitDNA, his exclusive program for founders and entrepreneurs who want confidence and clarity on the exact steps they need to take now to create the option for a successful exit in the future. He explains how his experience as an athlete prepared him for the business world.

"Whether it's entrepreneurship or traditional business, or whatever people pursue in life, what is required to achieve success in a sport at a high level is discipline, drive, and hard work. And if it's a team sport, it requires all kinds of interpersonal dynamics, dealing with others, and communication," he explains.

Mac talks about how he turned a frustrating experience with his daughter's soccer tournament into a company he eventually sold to NBC Sports. He stresses why it is crucial to surround yourself with team members who are aligned with not just your business goals but also your morals and ethics. We also talk about why entrepreneurs should bootstrap in the beginning and seek funding after creating something solid and what Mac considers before becoming an angel investor Connect with Mac Lackey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maclackey/ Checkout ExitDNA: https://exitdna.com/ Recorded on 07/06/2023

Dimitry Herman is the Founder and Managing Partner at Herman Law, a corporate transactional law boutique providing comprehensive legal services to budding technology companies. With over two decades of experience, Dimitry focuses on internet advertising, social media, loyalty, and gaming sectors. He also serves as deal counsel for venture capital investments, corporate mergers and acquisitions, licensing, and strategic alliances, among other corporate deals.

In addition to his successful law career, Dimitry is esteemed for his academic involvement as an adjunct professor at the New England School of Law, where he teaches Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions. He also leverages his extensive expertise to foster the entrepreneurial community in Boston, acting as a judge, advisor, and mentor in numerous esteemed institutions.

The legal field is more than just practicing law. It's a multifaceted field that extends to managing a law firm and educating the next generation of legal experts. Balancing all these aspects is no easy feat, yet it's a challenge that some professionals have embraced head-on.

Among them is Dimitry Herman — a practicing lawyer, law firm founder, and a law educator. Dimitry has successfully navigated these complex roles, carving out a unique position in the legal field.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen sits down with Dimitry Herman, Founder and Managing Partner at Herman Law, to explore the fascinating intersections of law practice, firm management, and legal education. They delve into Dimitry's journey in the legal industry, his experience as an adjunct professor, and the current market trends. Tune in to enhance your understanding of the diverse opportunities within the legal profession.