True Tales from the Virtual Trenches

In this special episode of True Tales from the Virtual Trenches, I have a conversation with Boston Renegades quarterback Allison Cahill [https://www.bostonrenegadesfootball.org/player/cahill-allison/], a six-time national champion and the first woman ever to have her professional jersey displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.  Allison and the Renegades recently won their sixth national championship, and the team was featured in October 2021 on NBC's Today Show [https://www.today.com/video/women-s-football-team-is-making-big-strides-in-boston-sports-scene-122679365710]as well as in a 2020 ESPN documentary called Born to Play. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YREjzWmZ1nc] Allison and I cover a lot of ground in our discussion, including what it takes to stay focused and motivated to win multiple titles, how the pandemic affected her team's approach to practicing and preparing for games, and why it is so meaningful to be seen and to be taken seriously for your chosen craft.  There are many great lessons that you will take away from our conversation - both personally and professionally.

This episode of True Tales from the Virtual Trenches features Michael Coston [https://www.costonconsulting.com/michaelcoston], CEO and Founding Partner of Coston Consulting.   Recognized as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential African American Leaders in Business" by The National Diversity Council, Michael advises companies, boards of directors, and executives on strategy, business development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) matters. During this lively and passionate discussion, we cover a variety of subjects related to DEI, how to manage meaningful relationships with clients, ways to balance work and personal demands, and a whole lot more. Some of the topics covered in this episode include: * 2:45 - Background about Michael and his consulting practice. * 4:40 - Michael describes what he loves about his job and how he and his partners have been able to align the things they are passionate about with their professional interests. * 6:18 - What prompted Michael to take the leap and launch his own consulting practice. * 8:00 - Michael shares what gets him most excited about his work with clients. * 11:20 - We discuss how to effectively grow and maintain authentic client relationships on a virtual basis. * 14:45 - Michael provides his perspective on DEI and examples of clients that are raising the bar with respect to these issues. * 17:00 - We talk about how companies and law firms can go beyond treating DEI as an opportunity for media attention, such as the importance of internal listening campaigns. * 21:00 - We discuss the impact of George Floyd's murder in May 2020 and how Michael responded to this event. * 25:00 - Michael talks about taking a trauma-informed approach to addressing systemic racism and how companies can address these issues in meaningful ways. * 27:30 - Michael and I bring it all home and discuss key takeaways from this episode. For more information and free content, please visit the Insights page [https://www.berardiconsulting.com/insights] on my website.

This episode of True Tales from the Virtual Trenches features Tim Bowers [https://www.vlplawgroup.com/attorneys/timothy-bowers/], Managing Partner at VLP Law Group.  Since VLP operates in a fully-distributed practice model without any physical office space, Tim is in a unique position to discuss strategy, tactics, and best practices when it comes to creating and managing relationships in a virtual world. Some of the topics covered in this episode include: * 3:19 - Introduction to VLP's innovative practice model and identity as a true partnership  - key factors that differentiate VLP from other firms both traditional and virtual. * 4:52 - Tim discusses his journey from Big Law to VLP and what it means to practice law on your own terms. * 8:42 - The day-to-day benefits, improved efficiency and unexpected surprises of working on a fully-remote basis. * 13:45 - How VLP was ahead of the curve in adopting a fully-distributed practice model all the way back in 2008 - years before the global COVID-19 pandemic forced law firms to scramble to serve clients on a fully remote basis at the drop of a hat. * 20:09 - New initiatives underway at VLP and how they serve to bolster the firm's partnership and investment in attracting/retaining top-tier talent. * 23:08 - Tim's leadership perspective on respecting people, creating culture and encouraging collegiality - and how attention to those components drives the ongoing growth of the firm. * 25:51 - Some of the tactics VLP has implemented to create culture and deepen connections between colleagues on a virtual basis including 'Water Cooler' emails and 'Friday Time-Wasters.' * 31:24 - The value of delegating and being able to trust your team - as well as the importance of giving people time separately from when the work at-hand is the focus of the interaction. For more information and free content, please visit the Insights page [https://www.berardiconsulting.com/insights] on my website.

In this episode of True Tales from the Virtual Trenches, host Jeff Berardi speaks with Gillian Ward [https://www.bclplaw.com/en-US/people/gillian-w-ward.html], Global Chief Marketing Officer at the international law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP).  Gillian leads the firm's business development, branding and marketing efforts on a worldwide basis and brings a wealth of insight and expertise to the program.  Together, Gillian and Jeff discuss a wide range of topics related to building strong relationships and marketing professional services including: * 1:50 – Gillian's background and journey to becoming an industry leader in her field, as well as the unique nature of legal marketing and what makes it such a compelling career choice. * 12:24 – Implementation of strategic planning initiatives & ongoing process of integration prior to, during, and following mergers.. * 13:29 – What it was like for Gillian and BCLP at the onset of the pandemic & how she pivoted in response to various challenges. * 20:46 – How allowing yourself to be open and vulnerable can establish greater bonds and trust with colleagues. * 24:29 – Managing up, down, and sideways as a keystone of effective leadership [https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/why-effective-leaders-must-manage-up-down-and-sideways] & how to do so in a virtual world, and the two-way street of working with colleagues in a constructive, focused and supportive manner. * 31:29 – Gillian’s commitment to providing good training, role models, and mentors in legal marketing, and her support of expanding the membership of the Legal Marketing Association [https://www.legalmarketing.org] outside the U.S. For more information and free content, please visit the Insights page [https://www.berardiconsulting.com/insights] on my website.

In this episode of True Tales from the Virtual Trenches, Jeff interviews Tom Lutz, National Managing Director of Sales at Deloitte.  Tom is responsible for overseeing the development and deployment of 250 sales professionals in the U.S., and in the 2019 fiscal year, he personally led his team to more than $4B in sales.  A few key takeaways from the conversation include: * Good listening and questioning skills require practice and effort - these don't just happen automatically.  Learn how Tom took active steps to practice resolving objections. * In order to differentiate among a sea of other professional experts, you need to find ways to appeal to both the head and the heart. * Trust is the most important quality in building durable relationships.  Successful business developers are constantly looking for ways to connect, demonstrate value, and build trust. For more information and free content, please visit the Insights page on my website [https://berardiconsulting.com/insights/].