15 Minutes Share Your Voice

Gary Altman is the Founder and Principal Attorney at Altman & Associates, a law firm specializing in estate, legacy, and business planning. Having been in the field since 1980, Gary brings over three decades of experience to the practice. His firm serves the Washington metropolitan area, guiding individuals, couples, high-net-worth families, corporate fiduciaries, businesses, and charitable organizations. His expertise extends to complex estate matters, including contested estates and trusts, probate matters, and the generational transfer of wealth.

Nationally recognized as an authority in his field, Gary has been acknowledged by the Washingtonian magazine and Bethesda magazine as one of the DC, Maryland region's "Best Estate Planners." A trusted legal analyst, Gary's insights and writings have appeared in The Washington Post, The NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, and FOX News, among other outlets.

Estate planning is a crucial yet often misunderstood topic. Although not the most sought-after nuance in the legal industry, estate planning is arguably the most critical facet from the client's perspective. Have you considered what will become of your assets when you pass away? Is it too early or too late to start planning?

Consider how your loved ones will be affected by your passing away. Not only will your family be grieving your loss, but they'll also be burdened with putting your affairs in order. Gary Altman, a lawyer with over 30 decades of experience, asserts it's never too early to start estate planning. As your family and assets evolve, you must update your will as often as necessary. Planning ahead leaves less for your loved ones to decide on your behalf.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Bela Musits engages in a profound conversation with Gary Altman, Founder and Principal Attorney of Altman & Associates, about the intricate world of estate planning. Gary explains why estate planning extends beyond a written will, the significance of tax implications, and the crucial role of specialists in this domain. He also shares his inspiring journey of establishing his firm and his golden nuggets of advice for budding lawyers in the field.

In today's podcast, we talk to Wendy Lieber, Co-Founder and CEO of ContentBacon, a subscription-based company that works with companies to help tell their story through all different types of tasty custom content. She explains how her company's niche is content storytelling.

"The best customers for us are companies that know who they are, know who they're trying to target, and utilize us to help tell that story in a compelling way," she explains. "I'm a big believer that most companies, if not all, usually have a very compelling story to tell. They're just usually doing it poorly or not at all. And we help solve that problem."

The main topics of today's episode will be how the subscription content model results in outsourced marketing for clients and how clients measure the effectiveness of her company's services, and whether or not everything has to be measured in order to be effective. We will also chat about how to use AI tools to be more effective and efficient, rather than replacing creativity and the story behind the name ContentBacon.

Connect with Wendy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendylieber/

Check out ContentBacon: https://www.contentbacon.com/

Recorded on 06/29/2023

John Risvold is a Partner at The Collins Law Firm, a premier source of legal representation in environmental, personal injury, and business litigation. With a significant focus on personal injury law, John advocates for victims of car accidents, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, and other catastrophic injuries.

Prior to his current role, John defended large multinational corporations in multi-million dollar litigation. To date, he has recovered over $5.5 million for his clients. His commitment has earned him numerous awards, including being chosen by his peers as an "Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star" and named one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction" in Illinois. An alumnus of the University of Missouri School of Law, John brings a combination of dedication, experience, and insider knowledge to every case he handles.

The legal industry is stereotyped as cold, analytical, and complex — void of emotion and empathy. Although not common in the industry, it is possible to incorporate humanity into legal business practices. What can you do to prioritize empathizing with your clients? How will your shift in perspective impact your business?

John Risvold, a successful lawyer, offers a different perspective on the legal profession. He emphasizes the human side of his work, seeing empathy as a beneficial tool in his legal practice. His insights challenge the traditional view of law and how it intersects with the human experience.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen talks with John Risvold about the role of empathy in law practice. John shares his unusual path into law, the lessons he learned along the way, and his experiences with influential mentors. He discusses the importance of treating clients as human beings, the value of taking calculated risks, and how he benefits from explaining his cases to his children.

In today's podcast, we talk to Mbasa and Sabu Siyaka, brothers who each run successful businesses in the township of Langa, about nine miles from the Cape Town City Centre in South Africa. Mbasa runs Mzansi Restaurant, which was started in 2008 by their parents, Nomonde and the late Vuklie Siyaka. Sabu runs Ubizo Events & Tours, which also started in 2008.

Ami visited Mzansi Restaurant while he was in South Africa earlier this summer for EO's global conference. While the restaurant and experience were great, the family and entrepreneurial spirit were what made it so special.

The Siyaka brothers tell us more about their community and what they learned from their parents.

"It's the oldest and smallest township with thousands of cultures," Sabu says about Langa. "Whenever we have celebrations, everyone sits together; no VIPs. We all respect one another because we believe that we breathe the same air, we got the same blood."

In today's episode, will talk about how word-of-mouth through social media and sites like Trip Advisor built their business after several years of operating at a loss. We will also talk about how learning every aspect of the business teaches an entrepreneur how to lead and how opportunities don't come to you, but rather you need to work hard and go out and find them.

Checkout their business below:

• Mzansi Restaurant: https://mzansi45.co.za/
• Ubizo Events & Tours: https://ubizo-sa.co.za/

Recorded on 06/23/2023 *Due to Mbasa and Sabu Siyaka experiencing unstable internet connection, there are moments where it has caused audio lag when streaming audio.

Alexandra Michailov is the Founder and Principal Attorney at Capitol Immigration Law Group, a boutique law firm specializing in cross-border immigration matters, including employment-based immigration benefits, corporate compliance, and family-based immigration. With a decade of experience, Alexandra leads the immigration practice at the firm, advising corporate and individual clients in the US and internationally. Her expertise extends to the mobility of key foreign executives, specialized knowledge workers, international entrepreneurs, and foreign nationals. She is knowledgeable in international law and has conducted legal research for the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.

Immigrating to a new country is a journey filled with hopes, dreams, and the unshakable human spirit, yet it comes with its own challenges. Each individual story contains a complex web of legal intricacies that only a select few truly understand.

Meet Alexandra Michailov, a seasoned attorney and managing partner at Capitol Immigration Law Group. Alexandra has extensive experience in immigration law, offering her legal expertise to individuals, families, and businesses. Having navigated through this system herself, she blends empathy and understanding with her legal acumen to provide the best possible support for her clients.

In this episode of the 15 Minutes, host Bela Musits sits down with Alexandra Michailov to discuss her journey to becoming a successful immigration attorney. Alexandra shares how her firm services specialized knowledge individuals, aspects of her business that differentiate from its competitors, and why she decided to prioritize business development and marketing strategies when launching the firm. Tune in to learn about immigration law from an attorney who has personal experience with the process.

In today's podcast, we talk to Ian Meierdiercks, Founder and Chief Planner of IM Wealth Partners, a company he launched in 2003 to provide clients with financial planning and concierge services. He tells us how he takes a holistic approach to wealth management, considering all aspects of a client's financial life.

"There's all the things that I saw at my old firm that I thought could be done in a different way…I just put together a best hits and created something that now we call the financial concierge," he explains. "Everybody needs to deal with tax issues and estate planning issues and business issues and cash flow issues and investing and insurance, but no one usually has a team to do that. So, we quarterback that team and either bring in our own partners to do that outside of our core competency or we deal with theirs."

In this episode we will focus on why during rough times, you should stick with your plan and core business philosophies. We will also be evaluating how much risk you are taking as we get back near the highs and why you should understand your tax return and where the needle is moving. *Securities offered through SA Stone Wealth Management Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services offered through SA Stone Investment Advisors Inc. Recorded on 06/22/2023

Manali Arora is a Partner at Swartz Swidler, a plaintiff-oriented employment and civil rights law firm providing legal assistance throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As an employment litigation attorney, Manali represents plaintiffs who have faced workplace discrimination and wrongful termination. She represents clients throughout the litigation process, from administrative claims at the EEOC level to federal court cases.

Manali concentrates her practice on employment and education law, fighting for the civil rights of individuals who have encountered unlawful discrimination in the workplace and educational institutions. She is a published author on the subject matter of racial discrimination in public schools.

Are you feeling undervalued, overworked, or discriminated against in the workplace? Seeking justice may seem daunting, especially when you're pitted against large corporations. In these challenging moments, you're not alone — professionals like Manali Arora are on your side. What should you do if you have fallen victim to workplace prejudice?

Manali Arora, a passionate and accomplished employment attorney, believes in the power of standing up to corporate giants. In her position, she takes pride in empowering individuals to navigate the complexities of employee litigation and level the playing field in a challenging system. While workplace discrimination is illegal, it still occurs more often than we realize. The most efficient way to right these wrongs is to establish a thorough paper trail and hire an attorney who fights on your behalf.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen is joined by Manali Arora, a Partner at Swartz Swidler, to discuss her role as a champion for civil rights law. Manali shares why she chose to specialize in employment litigation, the intricacy of handling discrimination cases, and advises on what to do if treated unjustly by your employer. Her insight on employment litigation emphasizes a lawyer's ability to achieve justice.

In today's podcast, we talk to Brian Brault, Transformational Leadership Trainer and Corporate Retreat Facilitator of Legacy Of Significance, a company he launched in 2018, based on living out his purpose of creating a positive impact in the lives of others. He tells us what he loves most about his new venture.

"I love doing retreats just because it's the ability to be personal, intimate with people and help them kind of move forward on their own journey of self discovery…But also I love the executive education programming that we do," he said. "When we love what we do, and we feel like we're adding value to the world, whether it's our family or our neighborhood or the globe, I think we show up differently in the relationships in our life."

The main topics of today's episode will be how getting fired from the company Brian started pushed him out of something he didn't really want to be in anyways, allowing him to do what he wanted for the rest of his life. We will also talk about how he prioritizes his family with "Papa days" and how he stresses the importance of listening to understand versus listening to fix or listening to reply.

Recorder on 06/05/2023

Barry Lewin is a Partner Attorney at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, a full-service intellectual property boutique law firm known for providing expert legal advice on patent, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law. Barry specializes in patent prosecution for mechanical and electronic inventions, covering technology from software and hardware in the medical device field to telecommunications, material science, and robotics.

Before his successful law career, Barry held directorial roles at Lucent Technologies, Telcordia Technologies, and SAIC, leading initiatives in product assurance, intellectual property, and new product development. An active participant in the academic sector, he periodically lectures at institutions such as Tufts University and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and has previously taught university-level mathematics.

Imagine spending decades building a successful career in telecommunications, only to take a sharp turn and dive headfirst into a completely different field — patent law. Such an abrupt shift isn't for the faint-hearted, but Barry Lewin proved it's never too late to pursue a new professional path.

Barry is a seasoned patent attorney, who once stood on the frontline of telecommunications, but later decided to transition into the intricate world of patent law. Equipped with engineering skills, he embarked on a fascinating journey that took him from telecommunication networks to a law school classroom, and eventually, the international legal scene.

In this episode of 15 Minutes, Chad Franzen sits down with Barry Lewin, Partner Attorney at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, to talk about his career transition and how it shaped his outlook and approach in patent law. They discuss Barry's decision to return to school later in life, his unique ability to bridge the gap between engineering and law, and his unforgettable global experiences. Tune in to learn about navigating career shifts, the challenges and rewards of patent law, and the pivotal role of interdisciplinary knowledge in this field.

In today's podcast, we talk to Jeremy Jenson, Founder and CEO of Encore Search Partners, a 38-person executive search firm in Houston. He tells us about his journey since starting the business in 2013, and how he plans to stay the course with his talented staff despite uncertainties in the economy."

We think that going into the face of a downturn, being fully staffed, and almost even overstaffed, is really an opportunity for us to capture market share while our competitors are laying off," he said. "That way, when things recover, hopefully in 18 months, 24 months, or whatever the economists say, our market share percentage will actually take a much bigger piece of the pie."

The main topics of today's episode will be learning how to delegate and work on your business instead of in it and how the recruiting business is cyclical but not completely insulated from economic downturns. We will also talk about being intentional about improving things in your life, one at a time, with an accountability partner such as a life coach.

Recorded on 06/02/2023