MANAGING EDITOR, PLAIN LANGUAGE MEDIA
Barbara Manning Grimm
Barbara Manning Grimm is the managing editor of Plain Language Media, which publishes Medical Office Manager and Law Office Manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in business to business publishing. She has designed and developed training programs for today’s workplace, including safety, HR, management, customer service, and employee communication programs. She has developed training programs and targeted content for a wide variety of industries, including health care. She has managed editorial content and operations for both print and online information sources. Prior to entering the business to business field, she was a newspaper editor.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Glenn S. Demby
Glenn S. Demby is an award-winning journalist with a track record of telling business professionals who aren’t lawyers how to comply with the parts of the law that affect their day-to-day operations. He has expertise in numerous aspects of law including employment, labor, health care, tax, payroll, benefits, and education. He won the Specialized Information Publishing Association’s editorial excellence award four years in a row. A graduate of Columbia University School of Law, he practiced as a corporate lawyer on Wall Street prior to his career as a business to business journalist.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Steve M. Cohen
Steve M. Cohen is President/Partner of Labor Management Advisory Group, Inc. and HR Solutions: On-Call, both based in Kansas City, MO.
Often described as a “mess management” expert for his ability to skillfully resolve people problems for vulnerable organizations, Dr. Cohen is a well-known national authority who protects companies from HR bombshells that include issues of sexual harassment, regulatory compliance, motivational management, workforce diversity, employee training, and bottom-line productivity.
Dr. Cohen has a MA in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, an Ed.D. in Educational Psychology from Northern Illinois University, and received certification in Alternative Dispute Resolution from DePaul University, School of Law.
He is the author of “Mess Management: Lessons from a Corporate Hit Man” and hosts a weekly radio program in Kansas City called The Exchange, which features topics and guests from the world of business.
Cheryl Toth, MBA is the Founder & Chief Creator of Medical Office Learning Lab, a marketplace of online courses and training experiences for physicians, managers, and practice teams. Her passion is helping practice leaders and teams achieve goals, improve productivity, and enjoy their work. Cheryl brings 25 years of practice management consulting, training, healthcare technology leadership, and content development to her role.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Michelle Spencer
Michelle is the founder of the Legal Learning Development Network, a company focused on helping to improve processes, training, professional development, and life in law firms and legal departments. For three decades, Michelle worked in law firms of every size, most recently as the training manager of an AmLaw 100 international firm. Early in her career she worked as both a legal secretary and paralegal in numerous practice areas. Therefore, she believes strongly that in order to provide focused and effective solutions, it is necessary to clearly understand the demands on the people she is supporting and the work they do.
After serving as an officer of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) for the past five years, Michelle is well-known in the legal community and is a frequent speaker and award-winning writer on law firm training, professional development, and technology related topics. While being an advocate for law firm electronic filers, Michelle was appointed to the Texas Judicial Committee on Information Technology as they were implementing mandated e‑filing in courts across the 254 counties in the State of Texas. You may reach Michelle at michelle@LegalLearningNetwork.com. She is also active on LinkedIn and Twitter @txmischief and @LLDevNet.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Ron Friedmann
Ron Friedmann has spent over two decades improving law practice and legal business operations with technology, knowledge management, and alternative resourcing.
Ron was one of the first non-practicing lawyers hired by a large law firm, Wilmer, Culter & Pickering (now WilmerHale) to manage practice support. He pioneered legal process improvement, knowledge management, electronic discovery, virtual law libraries, law firm portals, and online legal services. Most recently, he was a senior executive at Integreon, a leading legal outsourcing company, where he advised large US, Canadian, UK, and Australian law firms and corporate law departments on how to improve practice support and business operations while reducing cost.
Prior to joining Integreon, Mr. Friedmann founded and operated Prism Legal Consulting, Inc., a firm that assisted law firms and law departments with practice technology and legal market vendors with marketing. Other positions Ron has held include CIO at Mintz Levin, an executive at two legal software companies, a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, and an econometrician at Data Resources, Inc.
He has a JD from NYU School of Law (’86) and BA in Economics from Oberlin College (’79). He is a Fellow and former trustee of the College of Law Practice Management; member, Board of Governors, Organization of Legal Professionals; member, Legal Market Advisory Board, Box.com; organizer of the DC Large Law Firm KM Group. Ron is well-known in the legal market: he speaks frequently at professional conferences, regularly publishes articles, blogs, and Tweets @ronfriedmann.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
John W. Simek
John Simek is the Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc., an information technology, digital forensics and information security firm located in Fairfax, VA. Mr. Simek has a national reputation as a digital forensics technologist and has testified as an expert witness throughout the United States. He holds a degree in engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA in finance from Saint Joseph’s University.
Mr. Simek holds the prestigious Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) certifications. He currently provides information technology support to over 220 area law firms, legal entities and corporations. He is a co-host of the Legal Talk Network podcast Digital Detectives. He is a frequent author (ten books published by the ABA and hundreds of articles) and speaker on legal technology, information security and electronic evidence topics.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
David H. Freeman, JD
David H. Freeman, JD, founder of Law Firm CultureShift®, is a best-selling author and an award-winning consultant. For the third consecutive year, he was voted the “Top Law Firm Business Development Coach and Consultant” in National Law Journal surveys.
For over two decades, he has shown thousands of managing partners, group and department leaders, partners, counsel and associates how to generate more revenue, profitability and growth. He has worked with hundreds of law firms world-wide, including over 1/3 of the AmLaw 200, and he is a highly regarded keynote speaker at law firms, industry conferences, bar associations and law schools.
David specializes in providing consulting, training and coaching services in the areas of leadership, business development, cross-selling, client service, retreats and strategic planning; he is also the author of three books:
- The Law Firm Leader’s Reference Guide for Creating a Business Development Culture
- Secrets of the Masters: The Business Development Guide for Lawyers
- Weekly Reminders for Revenue-Focused Leaders
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Dr. Marty Martin
Dr. Marty Martin is a speaker and author of the forthcoming book Connected Health: Leveraging Digital and Mobile Technologies. Known for his state-of-the art content presented in an engaging, dynamic fashion, he has been speaking and training nationally and internationally for more than 30 years. Along with his role as a corporate speaker, Dr. Martin is the Director of the Health Sector Management MBA Concentration and Associate Professor in the College of Commerce at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and practices at Aequus Wealth Management. For more information or to contact Dr. Martin, please visit his website at www.drmartymartin.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Doug Striker
I help law firms leverage technology to become more efficient and subsequently more profitable.
At Savvy Training & Consulting, we are experts at helping firms acquire the software platforms they need, training their entire staff for maximum efficiency, and assuring ongoing continuity and efficiency of workflow. From weekly opt-in webinars, to on-site training’s to a robust, subscriber-based learning management system, our work translates directly into higher earning power for law firms and corporate legal departments throughout the United States and Canada.
As a former law firm COO, I have the financial, HR, facilities, operations and marketing background to understand the complex factors that affect not only a firm’s day-to-day visibility and operations, but also the long-term fiscal components that can make or break a firm. Strategy and entrepreneurship are my hobbies, and I feel fortunate that I get to use these every single day to help others in my industry.
A healthy appetite for outdoor activities keeps me grounded. My office has no chairs. I stand and deliver every day.
Betsi Roach, Executive Director of the Legal Marketing Association and a member of the Law Office Manager advisory board, has more than 25 years in the international association, legal and financial services industry.
Since 2007 she’s been the Executive Director of the Legal Marketing Association. Prior to that, she was the Director, Section of Intellectual Property Law for the American Bar Association. Ms. Roach is also a graduate of SmithBucklin’s Leadership Learning Forum, an intensive 12-month leadership program.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
R. Scott Oswald
As a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Scott Oswald (managing principal of Employment Law Group) has litigated nearly 50 trials to verdict and recovered more than $90 million in judgments and settlements in employment and whistleblower actions. A graduate of the Trial Lawyers College, he is an accomplished trial lawyer in whistleblower protection, qui tam, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, FMLA, USERRA, non-compete, and wage and overtime actions in federal and state courts.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
David C. Fortosis
David C. Fortosis retired from Aon Hewitt in 2021. Over a 35 year career, Dave focused his time advising employers on their employee benefits strategic planning, plan design, and the financing of all active and retiree benefits.
Dave’s work experiences include data analytics for a Health Plan, serving in a leadership role for a wellness company start up, and was Director of Benefits for a Chicago company.
Over his career, Dave has worked with clients in the telecommunications, automotive, retail, insurance, hospital, manufacturing, and hospitality industries.
Dave did his undergraduate work at Wheaton College, earned an M.S. from Northeastern University, and has completed course work for his doctorate at The University of Tennessee. Besides serving on the Law Office Manager Editorial Board, Dave is an Adjunct Professor in the Economics Department at Wheaton College and serves on the Advisory Board of Wellview Health.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Brenda A. Barnes, CPA, MBA
Brenda A. Barnes is president of Unanchored Journey, LLC. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in Accounting and has her MBA from Texas State University. She is a legal and accounting professional with over 35 years of experience working with solo to mid-sized law firms across the United States. Brenda has an innate understanding of best practices in law firm accounting and financial management.
In the fall of 2008, Brenda foundedB2 Legal Management, LLC, known as B2. Currently she serves as the firm’s Business Development Director. Prior to launching B2, Brenda served in the capacity of Firm Administrator in the Austin, Texas area. During this time she was active in the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) and served in many leadership roles. She is is Past President of the Austin Chapter.
As a guest speaker and panelist, Brenda has frequently spoken on the following significant topics relevant to the effectiveness and efficiency of law firm practices:
- Budgeting and Cash Flow Forecasting
- Law Firm Compensation
- Legal Pricing for Profitability
- The Business of Law
- Financial Internal Controls
- Succession Planning
Recognized by her peers and law firm managing partners, as well as the business community, Brenda was nominated by the Austin Business Journal for the “Profiles in Power” series in 2013,2014, and 2017; and by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year in 2018. During her time as the Managing Principal of B2, the company was awarded the following:
- 2016 “Best Places to Work” by the Austin Business Journal
- 2020, 2019, 2018 “Best Outsourced Support Company” by Texas Lawyer
- 2020 “Best of Hall of Fame” by Texas Lawyer
She can be reached at 512.563.3183, www.brenda-barnes.com, bbarnes@unanchoredjourney.com
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Daphne Gray-Grant, Author and Principal of The Publication Coach
Daphne grew up in the newspaper business and started her career at the young age of 16. Managing her family’s newspaper business taught her hard lessons about meeting deadlines, procuring information, managing difficult people and avoiding literary pitfalls. After years of honing her writing and editing skills, she jumped into corporate communications, and eventually branched out on her own to author 8 ½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better and launch her business, The Publication Coach.
Lynne Curry, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP and author of “Navigating Conflict” (Business Experts Press, 2022); “Managing for Accountability (BEP, 2021); “Beating the Workplace Bully,” AMACOM 2016, and “Solutions” is President of Communication Works, Inc. and founder of www.workplacecoachblog.com, which offers more than 700 articles on topics such as leadership, COVID, management, HR, and personal and professional development. Curry has qualified in Court as an expert witness in Management Best Practices, HR and Workplace issues. You can reach her at https://workplacecoachblog.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Elizabeth (Liz) Miller, MBA
Liz Miller has been working as a Law Practice Management Consultant since 2015 and has over 30 years’ experience working with lawyers. She began her career in New York City as a legal secretary in January, 1979. Two years later she obtained her paralegal certification from the Paralegal Institute of New York. In 1985, she moved to Tampa, Florida where she continued with her career until 1988 when she opened Paralegal Professionals. She worked as an independent paralegal for lawyers specializing in plaintiff’s personal injury work and medical malpractice.
In 1997, Liz segued her career into law office administrator. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and then pursued her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialty in finance. Through a series of career transitions, Liz opened From Lawyer to Law Firm in 2015, helping lawyers with the administration of their law firms including billing.
Liz Miller is a member of the editorial advisory board of Law Office Manager magazine. She writes/blogs for the magazine and has also done several webinars including one on Billing/Collections and one on Trust Accounting. Her professional affiliations include the Hillsborough Bar Association, The Solo and Small Firm Practitioner Section of the HCBA, the American Bar Association and the Society of Human Resource Managers.
In February, 2022, Liz wrote “Hacking Billable Hours”. This book teaches lawyers – no matter what the firm size – how to contemporaneously enter billable time so that clients can receive bills once a month. The book was #3 on the bestseller list within a week. In May, 2017, Liz wrote the best seller, “From Lawyer to Law Firm – How to Manage a Successful Law Business”. This book was also #3 on the bestseller list. In it, Liz details starting a new firm and how to hire staff, write policies and procedures, do trust account reconciliations and so much more. Currently the book is being used as a textbook at Cooley Law School.
Liz helps lawyers focus their time and energy on practicing law and taking care of their clients and the lawyer/client relationship, while she takes care of managing the business of practicing law. Liz Miller can be reached at 813-340-9569 or via email at liz.managementconsultant@gmail.com.
Check out her website at: www.fromlawyertolawfirm.com, her Facebook page, From Lawyer to Law Firm, and her LinkedIn profile.
In the early 1970s, Trey Ryder created and named the specialized discipline of Education-Based Marketing. His marketing method was the subject of an article in Advertising Age. The American Bar Association offered information about Trey’s method in the ABA Journal. And the American Marketing Association featured The Ryder Method™ of Education-Based Marketing on the front page of its national publication, Marketing News.
Trey has designed Education-Based Marketing programs for professionals and businesses of all types. In 1980, he started working with lawyers who wanted dignified, up-scale marketing efforts. His continuing education programs have been sponsored by local and state bar associations around the country. In addition, he served as an expert witness in a case involving lawyer advertising. Also, Trey’s marketing method was cited in an article published by two psychology professors at Arizona State University.
Today, Trey shares his marketing method with lawyers through a wide range of publications, as well as through his own free e-zine, The Ryder Method™ of Education-Based Marketing. And he maintains the Lawyer Marketing Advisor at www.treyryder.com.
Trey designs and carries out Education-Based Marketing programs for entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who want to attract clients from their local area—or from anywhere in the world. He works from his offices in Payson, Arizona and Juneau, Alaska.
I’m a Law Firm Marketing Consultant to local and regional firms at Alyn-Weiss & Associates.
For 25+ years, I’ve been marketing professional services providers, spending about 90 percent of representing lawyers and law firms seeking to create a brand, better compete, remain independently owned, execute succession plans, get interesting files and increase profitability.
I write marketing plans, conduct best practices reviews, coach lawyers, and give CLE presentations at conventions, partner meetings and firm retreats on law firm branding, which tactics work best, and the other trends in legal marketing, including covering the ethical issues.
Many lawyers tell me our work has reignited their passion for the law, made them better at business, and helped them finally achieve what they want both personally and professionally.
I often get asked for references by potential new clients. What I am told my clients say about me is “Bob and his team truly care about us.” That makes the hard work we do worthwhile.
For many years I wrote a monthly marketing column for LAW PRACTICE TODAY, the American Bar Association’s monthly e-zine. I have complied and updated those columns and my other articles into a book, MARKETING IN BRIEF, now in its fourth edition, available on Amazon Kindle and in hard copy.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sandra Hoyle-Smith
Sandra Hoyle-Smith is a human resources consultant with B2 Management & Consulting, LLC.
Sandra has over 20 years of human resources management experience. Her extensive experience allows her to provide tactical as well as strategic HR experience for start-ups and established companies of 250+ employees. She gained her knowledge and experience as a Senior Human Resources Generalist, HR Manager and HR Director across many industries such as accounting, insurance, third-party administration and event planning. In addition, Sandra was the owner of her own event planning company.
Sandra is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Austin Human Resource Management Association (AHRMA) and the Central Texas Compensation & Benefits Association (CTCBA). She was a Psychology major at the University of Texas at Austin and has her PHR certification. She has attended, as well as facilitated and developed content for numerous HR and management related courses over the past 20 years.
Sandra’s focus is in all areas of human resources management and event planning. She enjoys gardening, reading, outdoor and water-related activities and she volunteers providing victim assistance in Williamson County.
Contact: shoyle-smith@b2-mgmt.com
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sharron Bauer
Sharron Bauer, MLIS, is the Legal Professional Services Manager at Wasson Bay Area Insurance, Pinellas Park, FL. “One-Stop Insurance Shopping” for Law Firms and Legal Professionals. As a licensed insurance agent, Sharron specializes in the business and personal insurance including Professional Liability, Court Bonds and Cyber or Privacy Liability policies specifically for law firms and legal professionals across the US. For additional information, she may be reached at 877-492-7766 or Sharron@WassonBayArea.com. Check out our website at www.WassonBayArea.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Mike O’Brien
Mike O’Brien is an experienced and accomplished employment attorney, media lawyer and courtroom litigator. He consistently has received the highest possible peer reviews from rating services such as Martindale – Hubbell (AV rating) and Chambers USA (“one of the best employer lawyers in Utah”). Utah Business Magazine annually has named him one of Utah’s Legal Elite. He is the immediate past chairman of the firm’s Litigation Department and the leader of its Employment Law and Media Law practice groups. The Utah State Bar named him as its Employment Lawyer of the Year. Mike works with the local and national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and serves as the legal and legislative director for Utah SHRM and Salt Lake SHRM. For such services, National SHRM honored him with its prestigious Capital Award, given annually to one of SHRM’s 170,000 members worldwide. Utah SHRM has given him its Award for Professional Excellence. He is listed in “Best Lawyers in America” for First Amendment (news media) law and employment law and in “Who’s Who Legal USA” as one of the country’s leading attorneys in management employment law. He was also cited in the 2007 editions of “Super Lawyers” for media law and “Chambers USA” for labor and employment law.
Mike partners with employers in many industries to prevent and solve employment problems. Mike is also a recognized media and First Amendment lawyer.
For over 30 years Bob Denney has provided incisive management, marketing, strategic planning and leadership counsel to corporations, professional firms and on-profit organizations throughout the United States and parts of Canada. He serves as an outside board member of privately held companies and has also served as the interim CEO in crisis or turnaround situations. In the first phase of his career he was CEO of a national cosmetics company and was also Vice- Chairman of that industry’s principal trade association.
He has written seven books and more than 100 articles, has spoken at business and professional conferences throughout the United States and Canada and has been quoted in, or interviewed by many publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Inc.Magazine.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Brady Wilson
Brady Wilson is co-founder of Juice Inc., a corporate training company that services organizations from Toronto to Los Angeles. Also a speaker, trainer and author, Brady recently released his latest book, Beyond Engagement: A Brain-Based Approach That Blends the Engagement Managers Want with the Energy Employees Need. Follow Brady on Twitter (@BradyJuiceInc), visit his website, www.bradywilson.com or receive a FREE downloadable copy of his book by visiting, www.juiceinc.com/promo.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
William A. Schiemann, Ph.D
William A. Schiemann, Ph.D. is CEO of Metrus Group. He is a thought leader in human resources, employee engagement, and fulfillment and author of Fulfilled! Critical Choices – Work, Home, Life. For more information visit, www.wschiemann.com, follow Dr. Schiemann on Twitter, @wschiemann and connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/wmschiemann.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Bianca Moreiras
Bianca Moreiras is CEO and founder of Moreiras & Associates. She has been a leader, mentor, motivator, and presenter primarily in the legal profession for over 34 years and speaks on many topics to help professionals achieve greater career and personal success, including self-improvement, time management, professional etiquette, communication, collaboration, leadership, networking, customer service, and resume writing, In addition to professional speaking, she conducts webinars and is a published author. For more information, email her at moreirasbianca@gmail.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Jordan Furlong
Jordan Furlong is a leading analyst of the global legal market and forecaster of its future development. Law firms and legal organizations consult him to better understand why the legal services environment is undergoing radical change, and they retain him to advise their lawyers how to build sustainable and competitive legal enterprises that can dominate the new market for legal services.
Over the past several years, Jordan has addressed dozens of law firms, lawyer organizations, legal regulators, and others throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. His presentations help lawyers think differently about the services they provide and counsel law firm leaders about re-engineering their firms’ purpose, strategy, and operations. He’s also authored several books and white papers that analyze the rapidly evolving legal market and illuminate the forces and trends driving change in this environment.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sue-Ella Prodonovich
Sue-Ella brings more than 20 years of senior level experience in winning and growing business. During this time her roles have included Director of Marketing with Arthur Anderson, Director of Marketing and Business Development with Baker & McKenzie, senior consultant with Rogen SI, business owner of PTB Consulting and Partner of Crowe Horwath. While at Crowe Horwath Sue-Ella developed the annual benchmarking study of business performance of Australian law firms (in conjunction with the Australian Legal Practice management Association – ALPMA) and UK law firms (in conjunction with Crowe Whitehill London).
Sue-Ella specialises in competitive strategy and helps law firms in three areas:
1. Building capable people through training and Business Development coaching programs
2. Developing happy client relationships through client engagement programs and collaborative projects.
3. Creating more profitable firms through sound business strategy and focus.
For more information on Sue-Ella’s experience, visit
Facebook.com/ProdonovichAdvisory
au.linkedin.com/in/SueEllaProdonovich
www.prodonovich.com/blog/
twitter.com/sueella
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Robert Glazer
Robert Glazer is the founder and Managing Director of Acceleration Partners, author of the best-selling book, “Performance Partnerships: The Checkered Past, Shifting Present, and Exciting Future of Affiliate Marketing” and sought-after keynote speaker.
Rex Conner is the author of What If Common Sense Was Common Practice in Business? And lead partner and owner of Mager Consortium where, since 2012, they’ve applied the uniquely effective processes of Dr. Robert Mager to the entire spectrum of human performance in the workplace. Conner has witnessed the common violations of common sense while working as a trusted partner inside of more than 50 companies in dozens of industries over the last three decades. He is also a Certified Instructional Technologist, holds a Masters Degree in Education, and a Doctrate in Flying Instruction. For more information, visit www.magerconsortium.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Audrey Epstein
Audrey Epstein is a partner at The Trispective Group and the co-author with Linda Adams, Abby Curnow-Chavez and Rebecca Teasdale of The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations. For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit www.trispectivegroup.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Rebecca Teasdale
Rebecca Teasdale is a Leadership Development expert and co-founder of the Trispective Group. She is the co-author of The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations. For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit, www.trispectivegroup.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Stacey Hanke
Stacey Hanke is the founder and communication expert of Stacey Hanke Inc. She is the author of Influence Redefined: Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday, and Yes You Can! Everything You Need From A to Z to Influence Others to Take Action. Stacey and her team have delivered thousands of presentations and workshops for leaders of Fortune 500 companies, including Coca-Cola, Nationwide, FedEx, Kohl’s and AbbVie. Learn more about her team and company at www.staceyhankeinc.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Nicole Groshek
Nicole Groshek is a brand strategist at National Business Furniture (NBF), a company that supplies over 300,000 businesses and 477 of the Fortune 500 with office furniture and planning consultation. Nicole has a degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and has worked with NBF for over five years to help clients find effective solutions for their workspace needs. When not researching and sharing the latest trends in office design, Nicole enjoys training and competing with her three dogs in canine agility.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Abby Curnow-Chavez
Abby Curnow-Chavez is a mother, leadership development expert and co-founder of the Trispective Group. She is the co-author of “The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations.” For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit, www.trispectivegroup.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Piyush Patel
Piyush Patel, author of Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work, is an innovator in corporate culture and an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience. He grew his company, Digital-Tutors, into a leader throughout the world of online training, educating over 1.5 million students in digital animation, with clients including Pixar, Apple and NASA. A former Northern Oklahoma College professor, Patel grew frustrated with outdated training material, and launched the company from his living room with only $54 and built it without any debt or investors, eventually creating multi-million-dollar revenue. In 2014, Pluralsight acquired Digital-Tutors for $45 million.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Jay Stromberg
Jay Stromberg is the Chief of Business Development at Savvy Training & Consulting. Jay has a long history in the information technology and legal industries, specializing in security awareness training, enterprise software, and automation tools. He can be reached at Jay@SavvyTraining.com or 303-800-4568.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Holly Caplan
Holly Caplan is a workplace issues expert, career coach and author of Surviving the Dick Clique: A Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Male Dominated Corporate World. For more information, please visit, www.hollycaplan.com or connect with her on Twitter @hollymcaplan.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Diane L. Camacho, CLM
Diane Camacho is the president and CEO of DLC Consulting Services, LLC. She has over 20 years’ experience managing small law firms and branch offices in large law firms. Her experience includes responsibility for all human resources, facilities, IT, accounting and marketing for two different small law firms and offices in large law firms. She has more than 30 years of experience in law firm administration. Diane received her degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of San Francisco in December 2009. She is also a Certified Legal Manager. In addition, Diane has served as the President of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators twice and served on the board for over 14 years. Her experience and network in the legal field brings the added benefit of a broad base of resources and information to solo and small firms. Most recently, Diane became a NetDocuments certified partner giving her access and experience in moving law firm electronic document management into the cloud.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
J. Elise Keith
J. Elise Keith is the co-founder of Lucid Meetings and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. For more information, please visit, www.lucidmeetings.com and on connect with her on Twitter, @EliseID8.
More than just a bestselling author, Sue Hawkes is a keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, award-winning and globally recognized seminar leader, and an entrepreneur. She is CEO and Founder of YESS! – Your Extraordinary Success Strategies, and brings over 25 years of experience to her clients and has designed and delivered dynamic, transformational programs for thousands of people. Hawkes has received numerous awards including the Dream Keeper award recognized by the Governor’s Council for her leadership program, the Regional U.S. Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion of the Year award, the Exemplary Woman of the Community award, Women Venture’s Unsung Hero award, Women Who Lead from Minnesota Business Magazine, and NAWBO Minnesota’s Achieve! Vision Award, in addition to being named a 2018 Enterprising Woman of the Year.
Hawkes is also a wife, mom of three, and bulldog owner. She likes to stay active in her free time and get out of her comfort zone through adventure travel. Connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Dina Eisenberg
Dina Eisenberg is a lawyer/Ombuds-turned award-winning entrepreneur. She loves helping small and boutique law firms save time & money while creating a happier, healthier firm by mastering the skill of delegating and onboarding properly. Learn more about her group program, private coaching, and subscription box. Contact her directly at Dina@OutsourceEasier.com.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Andrew Tarvin
Andrew Tarvin is the world’s first humor engineer, teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He is the author of Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work and CEO of Humor That Works, a consultancy for human effectiveness. For more information, please visit, www.humorthatworks.com and connect with him on Twitter, @drewtarvin.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Julie Ellison
Julie Ellison, a Human Resources Consultant at B2 Management & Consulting, has more than 25 years in human resources and firm management. A Firm Administrator for a large Austin law firm, an HR Director for a start-up company and the Manager of Human Resources for Sysco Food Services (200+ employees), she has a diverse understanding of work environments large or small and the fundamental groundwork that must be in place for any business entity to have a healthy framework for their employees. Accordingly, she understands the direct correlation between a thriving staff and a thriving company. From day to day operations and regulatory compliance to benefits enrollment and staff training, Julie has solutions to offer. She is a member of the Austin Human Resource Management Association (AHRMA). She was an Education major at the University of Texas at Austin and has attended numerous HR and administrative related courses over the past 25 years and even developed content for those courses. A passionate volunteer for Heart of Texas Lab Rescue and Mobile Loaves & Fishes in her free time, Julie also enjoys traveling and just hanging out with her two Labs and French Bulldog. She can be reached at jellison@b2-mgmt.com and (512)381-1500.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards is the CEO and co-founder of CEDR HR Solutions for Medical, www.cedrsolutions.com. CEDR was established in 2006 and has since become the premier provider of customized employee handbooks and unlimited HR support for medical practices of all sizes and specialties across the United States.
Paul has over 25 years’ experience as a manager and business owner, and is an expert on solving the HR problems that impact medical practice owners and managers. He specializes in helping doctors and office managers successfully handle employee issues and safely navigate the complex and ever-changing employment and labor law landscape. He can be reached at 866-414-6056 or pauledwards@cedrsolutions.com.
Ron Slyker is the CEO of Radiant Technology Solutions which specializes in keeping clients safe from cyber threats. After over 15 years in the IT industry, has built relationships with other industries such as healthcare, legal, financial and non-profits. You can reach Radiant Technology Solutions at 727-493-4723.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Brittainy Boessel
Brittainy Boessel is general counsel for Khudairi Group, a lean multinational based in Houston, and has written and edited as a freelancer for years. She enjoys classic Russian lit, bluegrass, and splashing in the mountain creeks with her two mischievous boys.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Indira Totaram
Indira Totaram is Senior Marketing Associate, Communications & Events at Namely. She is passionate about writing, marketing, and HR thought leadership. Connect with Indira and the Namely team on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Vienna Stivala
Vienna Stivala is a Marketing Associate at Namely, the HR, payroll, and benefits platform built for today’s employees. Connect with Vienna and the Namely team on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Maddy Martin
Maddy Martin(@MadelaineMartin @smithdotai) is the VP of Marketing at Smith.ai, a leading virtual receptionist and intake service. Over the last 15 years, Maddy has led marketing teams at three venture-backed startups, where she has built her expertise and reputation in small-business communications, lead conversion, digital marketing, partnerships and SEO.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Hortense le Gentil
Hortense le Gentil is an Executive Leadership Coach and Marshall Goldsmith #MG100 Certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching. She partners with leaders to analyze problems and determine best possible solutions. Le Gentil’s coaching expertise includes cultural and self-awareness, entrepreneurship, leadership presence, leadership style and organizational dynamics.
Prior to coaching full-time, le Gentil spent over 30 years in business in various industries, including media consulting, advertising, technological innovation and entrepreneurship (in metals recycling). As Director of Advertising at media conglomerate Lagardere and later at L’Express-Roulata she managed advertising and strategy for clients that included Air France’s inflight magazine, Madame. Before that, she spent 10 years as a media manager with Havas Worldwide, where she oversaw media consulting and strategy for clients including Chanel International, Peugeot, Rhone Poulenc and Canal+.
In 2007, le Gentil founded and became CEO of HLG Management, a metals recycling company for niche professions that developed a process to transform metal residue into reusable materials. She is now a Thinkers50 nominee and Founder and CEO of JAY Consulting, a firm committed to coaching senior, including C-Suite, executives and entrepreneurs toward positive leadership behaviors.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Camille Stell
Camille is the founder, President, and CEO of Lawyers Mutual Consulting & Services. She is a nationally recognized speaker, writer, and thought leader on building modern law firms, succession planning, and Life After Law. She is also the co-author of Designing a Succession Plan for Your Law Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide for Preparing Your Firm for Maximum Value, published in 2021. She counsels law firms on next-level solutions, and she coaches individual lawyers on real-time problems.
After graduating from Meredith College and its paralegal program, Camille worked at top law firms in North Carolina and managed client services for the State’s largest legal malpractice insurance provider.
She has chaired the Law Practice Management Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Legal Marketing Association Raleigh City Group. She has served on the North Carolina State Bar
Committee to Study Regulatory Reform, the Duke Law Tech Lab Advisory Group, and the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center Advisory Board.
Camille is a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. She was honored by the Triangle Business Journal with its 2016 “Women in Business” award and by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly in its 2011 inaugural class of “Leaders in the Law.”