Solo Practice University® Guest Lectures

Toby provides guest lectures about social media and networking for businesses at Solo Practice University®. Her first lecture was recorded March 9, 2010.

Combining over 15-years of traditional strategic marketing and with the lessons learned from her adventures in over 8 years with social media, Toby’s company, Bloomberg Marketing/Diva Marketing, helps (the people in) organizations join the new conversation, from blogs, to social networking to widgets to blogger relations and beyond … without getting blown-up.

One of her passions is helping marketers “get” the benefits of social media so it’s not a surprise that you can find Toby speaking and consulting on the topic at conferences and for organizations such as 3M, M/A/R/C, GourmetStation, American Marketing Association, PRSA, New Communications Forum, Blog World, Theraplex, BlogWorld, Cox Communications, Purina and BlogHer.

Toby’s blog, Diva Marketing, is one of the highest ranked marketing blogs in the world according to the Ad Age Power 150. Launched in 2004, Diva Marketing was one of the first “blog brands” and Toby is frequently referred to as the “social media marketing diva.”

Toby is also an adjunct professor at Goizueta School of Business at Emory University where she teaches an innovative course on management consulting.

Her media credits include articles about marketing and social media published in Marketing News, Portland Business Journal, Impact (India publication), L’actualite Alimentaire (Canada publication)

WEMagazine, RevenueToday and Atlanta Business-to-Business. She has been quoted about blogs in various publications including INC magazine, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Entrepneur.com, MSNBC and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

She is profiled in the best selling book about how blogs are changing business communications, Naked Conversations, and in the book Now Is Gone; her Blogger Stories blog is included in the book Clear Blogging.

Toby serves on the boards of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association, International Blogger and New Media Association, as well as, the social media communities Savvy Auntie and Divine Caroline. She holds a degree from Emerson College and has performed post-baccalaureate studies in marketing and management at Emory University.

She is a Yankee from Boston living in the South with her YouTube “rock star” Westie pup Max, who occasionally finds his way into Diva Marketing.

The audio is approximately 75 minutes.

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/toby-bloomberg-march9.mp3Download (.MP3)

[UPDATE] Toby posted a second guest lecture. Click here to listen.

[UPDATE:] Toby posted a third guest lecture. Click here to listen.

Currently a suspended lawyer, Keith Anderson told the uncensored story of his slide into depression and the impact on his professional life in a special guest lecture at Solo Practice University®.

A well respected lawyer in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Keith Anderson fell into an 11-year pattern of tears, insomnia, and self withdrawal after the death of his father in 1992. Keith suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed with depression in 2003. Confined to his bed for three months, Keith rarely left the house for another two years. Through the support of the Nova Scotia Law Society and his family, he began his journey of recovery during 3 ½ years of therapy. Today, Keith is a champion for mental health, sharing his story in various print and online publications for the legal profession and as a guest speaker at mental health conferences. This is a story of hope.

Talking Points:

A Healthy Mind, A Healthy Practice

Life in a Small Firm

Depression comes to Town

What is Depression

Lawyers and Depression

Lawyers’ Assistance Programs

Staying Healthy

If you wish to speak with Keith, he will gladly talk to you and has generously provided his e-mail to be contacted.  You can reach him at: kna1960 (at) eastlink (dot) ca

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/keith-anderson.mp3Download (.MP3)

Jack Newton is Co-founder and President of Clio, a leading provider of web-based practice management software. He gave a teleseminar on February 9th discussing “Cloud Computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)” at Solo Practice University®.

Jack Newton is Co-founder and President of Clio, a leading provider of web-based practice management software. Jack holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Alberta, and has over 10 years of experience building start-ups and web applications. Jack holds three software-related patents in the United States and EU. He has also spoken at CLE seminars on how practice management systems can be used to help a lawyer practice ethically and competently. Jack has also written and spoken on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in general, and specifically on the ethics, privacy, and security issues relating to the use of SaaS in the legal market.

Teleseminar Topics

What is cloud computing / Software-as-a-Service?

What does cloud computing mean for lawyers?

What are some of the benefits (and some of the disadvantages) of “the cloud”?

What are the ethical implications of using Software-as-a-Service? Is it OK with my Bar?

What questions about security and privacy should you be asking a prospective SaaS provider?

How should you evaluate the costs of SaaS versus traditional desktop software?

How can you protect yourself against worst-case scenarios?

This guest lecture is about 67 minutes. Listen directly below.

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/jack-newton.mp3Download (.MP3)

Jordan Furlong is a partner with Edge International, providing consulting services to law firms on strategic planning and tactical matters. He gave a teleseminar on January 12th discussing the future of the legal profession.

He’s also a Senior Consultant with Stem Legal and principal of its Media Strategy consulting service. Finally, he’s also an award-winning blogger who chronicles the extraordinary changes underway in the practice of law at Law21: Dispatches from a Legal Profession on the Brink.

After graduating from Queen’s University Faculty of Law in 1993, Jordan articled with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in 1994 before beginning a career in legal journalism. He spent more than a dozen years leading three top Canadian legal periodicals: he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Bar Association’s flagship magazine National for a full decade (1999-2009), during which time it earned eight awards for journalistic excellence. He also founded and served as Executive Editor of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association’s CCCA Magazine (2007-2009), and he held the position of Managing Editor with The Lawyers Weekly newspaper (1997-1998).

Jordan is an Honorary Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, he served as editor of its 2006 Innovaction e-zine on innovation in law practice, and he currently chairs the College’s InnovAction Awards, which recognize and reward creativity and innovation in legal services delivery. He’s also a regular columnist with Slaw, writing on the future of law practice. He has spoken about the challenges facing the legal profession at numerous conferences, and his written work has been published in a wide variety of periodicals aimed at both lawyers and clients. You can find him on LinkedIn and Twitter, and he lives in Ottawa, Canada, with his wife and two children.

Teleseminar Topics

Why the billable hour’s not dead — just irrelevant.

Why process and systematization will change how legal work is done.

Why ‘access to justice’ no longer has to mean ‘access to a lawyer’. Will we see the demise of “Unauthorized Practice of Law” restrictions?

How and why client collaboration will impact your practice.

Are we finally ready for preventive lawyering, becoming full time holistic legal health professionals?

How will the introduction of Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia and China (BRIIC) into the global legal marketplace effect you and your practice?

Why solos and small firms are the long-term future of the practice of law.

Why law schools won’t change, but legal education will.

The interview is approximately 76 minutes long. Listen directly below.

Deborah L. Cohen has worked as a business journalist since receiving a Masters from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 1996. She provided a guest lecture about how to work with a reporter from the reporter’s perspective.

In this  teleseminar Deborah discussed how to work with a reporter from the reporter’s perspective. This is an excellent complement to Paramjit Mahli’s Clash of the Titans class taught at Solo Practice University.

Before choosing to become an independent writer in 2007, she most recently worked as an editor on the national business desk at Reuters in Chicago, where she focused on stories about the automotive, health-care and manufacturing industries. As a fast rewrite editor with a sharp eye for detail, Deborah helped to shape breaking news and features that were read by media and financial clients around the world. When former Canadian publishing mogul Conrad Black was on trial for fraud, seniors editors depended on her to coordinate the coverage from the federal court.

In her prior posts as a correspondent for Reuters, Crain’s Chicago Business and Bloomberg News, she covered a wide range of financial news, delivering everything from breaking stories on corporate earnings and product recalls to trend stories, features and profiles of corporations and their top management.

Her stories about McDonald’s, Cisco Systems and other large public companies appeared regularly in major U.S. and international newspapers.

Her coverage of restaurant and food companies frequently overlapped into the areas of general interest and science, with extensive coverage about consumer health trends, the U.S. obesity crisis and mad cow disease.

A 2008 story Deborah wrote for Indianapolis Monthly about Indy’s penchant for chain dining recently won an SPJ award for best lifestyle feature in a magazine. The story was also a 2009 finalist for the National City & Regional Magazine Association awards. In 2003, she was also a finalist for the Chicago Headline Club’s Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism.

From 2005 through 2009, she served as an officer and board member of the Chicago Headline Club, the nation’s largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Deborah is well known in the legal community for her insightful articles on the legal profession and is a frequent contributor to the ABA Journal. You can read more about Deborah here.

Topics discussed:

Ways to Build Credibility and Get Exposure to Reporters

Importance of Building Trusting Relationships With Reporters -

Becoming  a Reliable Source

Speaking the Reporter’s Language – Terms You Must Be Familiar With

Prepping Before the Interview

The Actual Interview

This guest lecture is about 59 minutes. Listen directly below.

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/deb-cohen-interview.mp3Download (.MP3)

Bob Burg is an author and speaker. He provided a teleseminar called “How to Become a Go-Giver” as a guest lecturer at Solo Practice University®.

Bob Burg shares information on topics vital to the success of today’s business person. He speaks for corporations and associations internationally, including Fortune 500 companies, franchises, financial services and direct sales organizations.

From Zig Ziglar to Robert Kiyosaki; from Brian Tracy to Dr. Stephen Covey, from CNN’s Larry King to the late former U.S. President Gerald Ford, Bob has shared the platform with some of speaking’s biggest legends, celebrities and business leaders.

He is perhaps best-known for his book “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales”.

His newest book (coauthored with John David Mann), is entitled, The Go-Giver. A business parable that both touches hearts and builds profitable businesses. It shot to #6 on the Wall Street Journal Business Bestsellers list just three weeks after its release and most recently hit #9 on BusinessWeek.

Bob is a staunch advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. A lover and advocate of animals, he just finished serving two years on the Board of Directors of Safe Harbor – the Humane Society of Jupiter, Florida.

Visit his website for more information.

Guest Lecture Summary. You’ll learn:

The Law of Value

The Law of Compensation

The Law of Influence

The Law of Authenticity

The Law of Receptivity

Many of those who participated in Bob’s previous guest lecture here at SPU discussing ‘Endless Referrals’ implemented his teaching immediately and saw results.  These skills transcend professions.  It’s simply a way of living and doing business.

This guest lecture is about 64 minutes. Listen directly below.

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/bob-burg-oct10-go-giver.mp3Download (.MP3)

Arnie Herz is a nationally recognized speaker, lawyer and blogger dedicated to helping people achieve optimal professional and personal success. He provided a guest lecture called “Legal Sanity Career Strategies: Work Smart and Live Fully” at Solo Practice University®.

Arnie brings 17 years of experience, insights and practical wisdom gained as a lawyer, mediator and business advisor to his work at Legal Sanity® Learning Programs, the training + development venture he launched in 2004.

In his unique and comprehensive programs, Arnie offers hands-on, interactive exercises and learning modules that empower participants to achieve unparalleled career and personal success.

Anchoring Arnie’s diverse offerings is the XE Factor® — his model of human energy exchange that considers how an issue, interaction or activity impacts individuals and groups on an energetic level — an energetic impact that directly influences and controls business results.

Through Legal Sanity® Learning Programs, Arnie teaches people to consistently harness the XE Factor to their advantage while avoiding unfavorable outcomes.

A highly skilled communicator and engaging presenter, Arnie’s passion for reaching and teaching others translates well across a range of media.

Legal Sanity® – Arnie’s popular blog featured in the Law.com network’s Legal Blog Watch — has a wide international audience and high visibility due to its rich content on optimizing the business of law.

Arnie’s leading-edge approach and ideas have been covered in prominent print publications in the United States, Canada and Australia. He has also made television appearances as an expert commentator and hosted his own radio show, the Legal Sanity Moment.

This guest lecture is about 49 minutes. Listen directly below.

http://spucdn.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/arnie-lesson1.mp3Download (.MP3)