The Future Is Bright Podcast

"Anyone that knows me throughout my career would see that it's really been about trying to push the boundaries. And in our part of the market, I think we really are driving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible and what clients want," explains Matt Saur, strategic and institutional advisor, co-founder and partner of Woolery & Co. Today, Matt shares his career journey, the challenges he faced while opening Woolery & Co., and his desires to push boundaries and change the dynamics of client service.

The importance of connecting with other people has always been emphasized in Matt's life. This belief has followed him into his professional life and even inspired his company's values. When he teamed up with Jim, a constructive activist, they both agreed heavily on the value of the human side of business, choosing to keep the firm smaller in order to better serve their clients. Their company's main purpose is on building deep relationships with every client and their business matters, even partnering up with the client's pre-existing stakeholders, advisors, and larger firms as needed. They help see clients through challenging situations such as dealing with shareholder activists, mergers and acquisitions, and crisis management without the conflicts typically seen at larger firms.

Serving family backed companies and family offices requires a different approach from dealing with larger companies and corporations. These smaller companies face unique challenges that are best met by an advisor who is really able to take the time to do a deep dive into their business matters, their needs, and their goals. Instead of shying away from this challenge, Matt chose to push boundaries and change the way things are done in the industry in the interest of bettering opportunities for everyone involved from the clients themselves to their stakeholders.

Quotes

• "The one thing that I've always tried to do is really go out on a limb and do things that are a little uncomfortable." (10:39-10:51 | Matt)

• "Anyone that knows me throughout my career would see that it's really been about trying to push the boundaries. And, I look at what we're doing in the legal world, and obviously, we have a small impact. We're not a mega firm or anything like that. But in our part of the market, I think we really are driving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible and what clients want." (11:02-11:31 | Matt)

• "We value the human side of it, and you have to, I think, when you have a model like ours." (13:19-13:24 | Matt)

• "A lot of what the industry has gone towards is being reactive, and what we're really talking about is shifting that to be proactive." (39:32-39:42 | Matt)

• "You have to connect with people in life if you want to do anything and if you want to enjoy life." (41:24-41:29 | Matt)

• "You have to develop that skill where the client trusts you when you're a second year associate out of law school. And they'll trust for part of the reason that they know the brand, and they know the firm, but at some point, it's gotta be you." (42:18-42:35 | Matt)

Links

Connect with Matt Saur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-saur-01303919b/

Woolery & Co: https://wooleryco.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"Hedge funds, if you do it right and you set up a really good compliance and operational structure, it's a scalable business," explains Susanne Meline, co-founder of Francis Capital Management. Prior to going into hedge fund management and serving on several boards, she worked as an investment banker and as a lawyer. Today, Susanne shares how she first became involved with hedge funds, how a serendipitous meeting at a coffee shop landed her a seat on her first board, and board advice for those seeking their first seat.

Susanne took a huge risk going from a salaried employee to taking an ownership interest in a hedge fund. To her, it was a relatively easy decision to make after observing many other funds from the outside for years and knowing that they can be profitable right from the start. She focused on making sure the hedge fund was set up properly with good compliance and a strong operational structure so that it would be a scalable business. Her inside knowledge of finances, operations, and law from her prior work experience made her a perfect fit for this type of business venture. About 6 years ago, Susanne landed a position on her first board, a venture capital fund by women funding women-founded or led businesses. It was an incredibly challenging board going through a time of transition, but Susanne welcomed the opportunity.

Being willing to take risks really paid off for Susanne. You may think it is better to wait until the perfect board opportunity comes up, but you might be waiting forever. By being willing to challenge yourself, you can get more experience and learn from these more difficult positions, which will make you a more valuable board member going forward.

Quotes

• "Hedge funds, if you do it right and you set up a really good compliance and operational structure, it's a scalable business." (18:41-18:48 | Susanne)

• "We have the same investment philosophy that we've had all the time, which is value with a catalyst." (20:07-20:11 | Susanne)

• "Capital providers are a really important part of a company's success. But at the end of the day, the companies are the ones making the decisions." (22:49-22:55 | Susanne)

• "Those traditional board searches, they really look for people that have operations experience." (26:32-26:37 | Susanne)

• "In terms of figuring out how you're going to get in that board seat, it's like, 'Do you know the capital providers, the VC people, or do you know the founder?'." (28:44-28:51 | Susanne)

• "Being willing to go on a board where it's challenging is a really great way to get the opportunity." (29:54-29:59 | Susanne)

• "Just because you're small doesn't mean you can't be excellent." (35:49-35:51 | Susanne)

• "Look at the opportunity, not at the compensation. To me the compensation is the last piece." (37:32-37:36 | Susanne)

Links

Connect with Susanne Meline:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-meline-712392134/

Francis Capital http://franciscapital.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"I always try to make sure I'm contextualizing what I do on a day-to-day basis. And my personal priority is my family all the time," shares Bill Ryan, SVP. Bill is the Assistant GC of AT&T Services, Inc., but has held many roles from working as a bilingual educator to becoming an attorney and working in-house at DirectTV. Today, he shares his professional journey and how he has built a sustainable career through contextualizing work and family.

The divide between work and personal life can cause your job to become unsustainable. If your priority is your family, but your job keeps you away from them all the time, then eventually you will resent it. In order to be an authentic leader, it is important to show up to work in a way that honors your values. Bill comes from a multicultural family, with his wife being from Mexico and his children being adopted from Korea. So for him, diversity is inextricably linked to his family and is one of his largest priorities. By incorporating his values, being mindful of his obligations as a leader, and recognizing the privileges he has been afforded in life, Bill has made strides in his own professional development and in that of his team members.

It's easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day that you forget to prioritize your values. If you don't prioritize showing up and leading from a place of authenticity, you will be a less effective leader. By contextualizing your work in regard to your values, you will create a more sustainable work environment for everyone.

Quotes

• "Success all of a sudden pivoted and is now defined as the success of everyone else around you." (9:23-9:29 | Bill)

• "It's really great to be able to connect people and at least make an effort to connect in the native of language and build relationships on a different level and help understand the culture and things of that nature." (17:14-17:23 | Bill)

• "I always try to make sure I'm contextualizing what I do on a day-to-day basis. And my personal priority is my family all the time." (25:43-25:51 | Bill)

• "My commitment to diversity is nothing more than my commitment to my family." (37:22-37:26 | Bill)

• "What I try to bring is being mindful of the obligations that I have as a leader and as an ally and someone who's benefited from a lot of privileges, and not everyone has." (39:57-40:05 | Bill)

Links

Connect with Bill Ryan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-ryan-685b521/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"Not enjoying the day-to-day was what prompted me to think about what I was doing. I then really started to try to focus on what I did enjoy," explains Amy Harris, EVP. Amy is the Chief Legal Officer at UMB Financial, the largest bank in Kansas City. Today, she shares her journey from starting college as a musical theater major to going into political science and becoming a lawyer, and ultimately to going in-house.

When Amy realized she wasn't enjoying the day-to-day of her chosen musical theater major in college, she knew it was time to re-evaluate and reconnect with the things that brought her joy back in high school. She gave herself the permission to be creative with her emotional intelligence and follow her strengths. This led her into studying political science and onto the path of becoming a lawyer. After working for a few years at a private law firm, Amy was absolutely in love with the work, but was struggling to maintain healthy boundaries. She knew there had to be a better, healthier way to continue doing the litigation she loved. By choosing to go in-house, Amy was able to really get in touch with her strengths and capitalize on her skill-set in a way that energized her without risking burnout.

If you're spending everyday doing something you don't love, it will deplete your energy. It is okay to step back from whatever label has been imposed onto you, re-evaluate your strengths and interests, and even to switch careers. You are not just your job title, and by looking at yourself as your skills rather than that arbitrary title, you will have more freedom to pursue a role you are passionate about.

Quotes

• "Not enjoying the day-to-day was what prompted me to think about what I was doing. I really started to just try to focus on what I did enjoy." (7:11-7:18 | Amy)

• "One of the things that an in-house litigator really, really brings to the table is an ability to translate legal ideas, issues, to a layman audience, which is going to be corporate executives." (13:11-13:25 | Amy)

• "Stop putting yourself in that box. I'm a lawyer. I'm a litigator. I'm a transactional attorney. I'm a contract attorney. Yes, you are that. But what are the skills that you use everyday that make you good at that?" (23:19-23:33 | Amy)

• "Really start to think about yourself as a set of skills. Because until I did that, I think I had a really hard time seeing myself as anything other than the label I had given myself." (23:45-23:55 | Amy)

• "When you start to line up what's giving you energy, you can also then inherently start to identify where your strengths are." (26:34-26:43 | Amy)

Links

Connect with Amy Harris:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-moore-harris-b9b3b725/

Emotional Intelligence 2.0: https://a.co/d/eWrZbFR

Mentoring is a Must UMB Article: https://blog.umb.com/umb-financial-meet-the-leadership-umb-amy-harris-legal/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"The law firms usually take their cues from their clients. If there's layoffs at the big banks and financial institutions, there's going to be a slowdown in the corporate work as well," explains Sharon Mahn,CEO and Founder of Mahn Partners. Today, Sharon and Gary Miles, president and CEO at Miles Partner Placement, combine their experience to discuss the current legal market, predictions for the future, and the impact on legal recruiting and law partner compensation.

The market is cyclical and currently in a downturn. But that does not necessarily mean that law firms will no longer be recruiting. Top talent that brings in high revenue will always be desirable regardless of the state of the market. Firms will likely be more discerning about hiring during a downturn and may not offer as high of a compensation rate. It is important for law firms to be very transparent with recruiters and clients alike about how the market conditions may impact their practice.

During a recession it is important to be very smart about hiring. Larger law firms can handle more of a loss than smaller firms, but they will still likely offer a lower law partner compensation while the market is down. Whenever there are many layoffs at banks and financial institutions, that causes a slowdown in corporate work and the law firms tend to restructure around that.

Quotes

• "Law firms usually take their cues from their clients. If there's layoffs at the big banks and financial institutions, there's gonna be a slowdown in the corporate work as well." (4:49-4:57 | Sharon)

• "You don't want to lay off too many people in your firm and then have to rehire them when the market is on the upswing again." (7:49-7:54 | Sharon)

• "Be transparent in the process and understand how market conditions might impact your practice." (10:25-10:36 | Gary)

• "You just have to learn to see around corners as best you can." (16:52-16:55 | Gary)

• "The law firms are now more specifically focused on partners and their business regardless of credentials, regardless of anything else." (23:17-23:24 | Sharon)

Links

Connect with Sharon Mahn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmahn/

Connect with Gary Miles:

Miles Partner Placement https://milespartnerplacement.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"If you're going to take a leap, you better at least like the people you're working with," explains Fred Stein, Chief Legal Officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today, Fred explores his extensive career journey, from law school to his private practice experience to his passion for writing. By reflecting on his experiences, Fred reveals how his time at Redbox was a rocket ship of growth, leading to being acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul and an evolving career.

When Fred learned about Redbox, he boldly wrote a letter to the CEO, wanting to be their general counsel. During the lengthy hiring process, Fred put together a presentation with characters and movie themes, which proved successful. Excited to step into a new industry, Fred put himself out there and gained more perspective. When Chicken Soup for the Soul acquired Redbox, Fred felt excited by this opportunity and learned a new side of home entertainment. Outside of work, Fred is writing multiple books, including a book on general counseling, proving that he is always willing to expand his abilities and grow as an individual.

Throughout your life, incredible opportunities can pop up on your path. By taking on positions outside your comfort zone, you can expand your skill set and grow both personally and professionally. You may not always know how to achieve your target, but if you're willing to stretch your goals, you'll be surprised by the exciting places you'll end up.

Quotes

• "Our value isn't in our lawyering per se, but weaving in the business ideas, softer skill set, and other things to help." (14:22-14:33 | Fred)
• "If you're going to take a leap, you better at least like the people you're working with." (26:51-26:55 | Fred)
• "Let no good crisis go untapped by you in terms of being able to show your value." (32:19-32:26 | Fred)
• "There's help to be had, but you're not going to get it unless you take the trouble to form these relationships and invest in them." (36:52-37:00 | Fred)
• "It's not a goal unless you tell people, so they can hold you accountable." (51:53-51:58 | Fred)

Links

Connect with Fred Stein:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-stein/

Website: https://www.chickensoup.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color.

Chris Batz spends this week's episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about his life being raised within a black-owned janitorial business and how the events he saw and the people he surrounded himself with motivated him to turn to the legal profession. His legal career started as Deputy District Attorney in San Francisco and in-house counsel for IBM and Hewlett-Packard. He was then founder and Executive Director for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Women In-House Counsel Leadership Association. He conducted numerous in-house counsel leadership development workshops and events. He also was the publisher of the Inside Counsel Magazine and created the Diversity and Bar Magazine. From there, Johnson founded Chief Legal Executive, where he continues his legacy of programs and career development initiatives for women and attorneys of color. Lloyd created the first DE&I best practices research for corporate legal departments back in 1999/2000. This September he is releasing an updated and new report bringing visibility and insights to the execution of DE&I within corporate legal departments.

Quote: "The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart."

Click on the following links to subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and to watch or listen to the entire episode:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back.

Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redler reminisces that her love for learning and being challenged has helped open doors in her legal career. Her start began in Biglaw at Alston & Bird in Atlanta but quickly transitioned in-house to Coca-Cola for 17 years, where she held many leadership positions in its legal division. From there, Redler landed the chief legal role for Tilray, Inc., a leading global cannabis business. As she is now in H&R Block, Redler is excited to share her stories, successes, and contributions to these iconic corporate brands and the communities around her.

Quote:

"The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart."

To Subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and watch or listen to the entire episode, click on the following links:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

"Put yourself out there before an opportunity arises," explains Sahang-Hee Hahn, Head of Strategy & Planning at Haven Life Insurance Agency. Before her current position, Sahang-Hee started her career in singing and acting, big law, and got her MBA at Wharton. Reflecting on her varied experiences, she discusses taking risks and being playful with her career.

When you push away your fear of risk, you will be surprised by the exciting opportunities that can arise. Without encouragement from a colleague, Sahang-Hee would not have gone to business school, where she learned so much. Without the support of her network, she would never have been able to take professional risks and grow. By being open-minded while accepting help from the incredible leaders she met along the way, Sahang-Hee found fulfillment in her career and kept it interesting.

Don't be afraid to get creative with your career. Learn more about Sahang-Hee's professional journey, the benefits of business school, and how rejection makes you stronger.

Quotes

• "Put yourself out there before an opportunity arises." (12:33-12:37 | Sahang-Hee)
• "It's one thing to get a credential and then get an opportunity because you have a degree on your resume. It's quite another to go into that role and say, Oh, I'm not speaking a foreign language because I understand what's being said in the room." (15:13-15:24 | Sahang-Hee)
• "I'm willing to take on some risk every few years or so and do something completely out of the left field, but it's definitely made my career more exciting." (24:36-24:46 | Sahang-Hee)
• "I have learned to take rejection well. And hearing "no" early on in your career actually strengthens you to keep pressing." (28:02-28:10 | Sahang-Hee)
• "I wouldn't be here without the network that surrounded me and supported my growth." (28:34-28:38 | Sahang-Hee)

Links

Connect with Sahang-Hee Hahn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahanghee

Website: https://havenlife.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"When you help others, they have the desire to come back and help you," explains Ori Solomon, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Resilience. During Covid, Ori joined Resilience, a transformative pharma manufacturing company. With this transition in mind, Ori shares what it means to add value to your company and the world.

Ori advises listeners to add value to every area of their lives, including work and professional relationships. We may be tempted to ask for bonuses or raises for personal reasons, but we must ensure we earn what we receive. The goal should always be to improve the lives of others in any capacity possible, and only then should we ask for what we deserve.

Whether at work or home, it's a good idea to see how you can help. Learn more about Ori's career journey, Resilience's meaningful mission statement, and how to navigate the mentor/mentee relationship.

Quotes

• "There was such a need for a company like ours, and there still is." (18:59-19:02 | Ori)
• "Think about the value you add to every situation and relationship you have. And only after you have added value, demonstrated your worth, and produced something, go back and unabashedly ask for what you've earned." (25:24-21:51 | Ori)
• "There's just so many ways a career can evolve over time." (27:22-27:28 | Ori)
• "When you help others, they have the desire to come back and help you." (28:13-28:22 | Ori)
• "Leadership is what you do and the way you conduct yourself in the rough times." (31:40-31:46 | Ori)

Links

Connect with Ori Solomon:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-solomon-4778bb

Website: https://resilience.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm