Personal Growth

May 27, 2017

The Death of a Storyteller

During the summer of 1986, I attended a seminar in Chicago that was hosted by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. At the time, I was 29 years old.

May 20, 2017

The Countdown Clock Never Stops Ticking

On a Sunday afternoon in May 1987, I drove my family to my parents’ house so that we could visit with them. At the time, Georgette and I had four children — Harry, Anna, Maria, and Laura. When we arrived, my mom wished me a happy birthday. I had turned 30 the previous week. After wishing me a happy birthday, my mom’s first question was, “How does it feel to be 30 years old?”

May 6, 2017

A Game of Chicken

Francisco and Jacinta Marto

April 29, 2017

How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety

I’ve written before about Matt Furey, a former collegiate wrestling champion and the gold-medal winner of the 1997 world title in kung fu. I met Matt in 2002, when I joined a marketing mastermind group of 20 business owners. The group met three times a year in Phoenix for two days each time.

April 22, 2017

An Anxiety-Ridden Society

April 8, 2017

The Empathy Switch

Whenever I give a closing argument to a jury, I include comments about the importance of empathy. I tell the jurors that while the law does not permit them to have sympathy for my client, it does permit them to have empathy.

April 1, 2017

April Fools and The Blind Spot

With another April Fools’ Day having come and gone, I thought I’d share some thoughts about how we fool ourselves. April Fools’ Day is all about dreaming up ways to fool other people, but on every other day of the year, we fool ourselves into thinking that we’re something we’re not.

February 11, 2017

A Winning Super Bowl Secret

winning-secretIn 2002, I joined a mastermind group that was organized and led by a well-known business and marketing expert. The group consisted of 20 business owners — three attorneys, a cosmetic dentist, two internet marketers, a painting contractor, and several other individuals. We met three times a year in Phoenix for two days each time.

February 4, 2017

Communication for Beginners

Talk To MeOne of the first things I do when I hire an associate attorney is teach the attorney how to build rapport with prospective clients. The definition of “rapport” is “a close and harmonious relationship in which people communicate well and understand each other’s feelings or ideas.”