Paradigm Shift With Christina Martini

In this episode, Christina Martini and Libby Benet discuss:  Areas of cybersecurity that need to be evaluated by organizations.  What business leaders and employees can do to get more information on cyber security threats.  Where to go to get a cybersecurity evaluation.  Navigating through finding materials online.  Key Takeaways:  There are different types of evaluations of cybersecurity with different questions and tools depending on the purpose.  Powering down your computer can help prevent your computer from causing a breach or being affected by a breach.  Have a cyber response protocol in place.  Prevention is key. The costs associated with no having prevention in place are high. "The topic, the whole area of cybersecurity, is really an ecosystem. Different companies have different levels of maturity." — Libby Benet About Libby Benet: Libby is currently the President of Cyber Secure Work Inc., a cybersecurity, privacy and insurance consulting practice loc

In this episode, Christina Martini and Libby Benet discuss:  The scope of the cyber security problem that businesses face today.  The main threats that drive cyber breach losses.  The greatest sources of cyber threat over the last 12-18 months.  How cybersecurity depends on employees and members of all levels of a business.    Key Takeaways:  Thousands of businesses are impacted by cyber breaches every year – and may don’t even know it.  Cybersecurity is a team effort at all levels.   It is surprisingly easy to perpetrate cybercrimes.    "All employees of a company are responsible. Employees are both a good first line of defense, and also a source of attacks." — Libby Benet    About Libby Benet: Libby is currently the President of Cyber Secure Work Inc., a cybersecurity, privacy and insurance consulting practice located in Maryland. She has been in the insurance and reinsurance industry for over 30 years. Libby spent time at Beazley In

In this episode, Christina Martini and Steve Fretzin discuss: Effective time management techniques for attorneys. Using personality assessments to enhance business development skills. How to be successful in business development. The importance of regularly checking in with yourself to figure out what’s next for you.   Key Takeaways: Effective management is critically important, so find those techniques that work for you. Emotional intelligence, and empathy in particular, are keys to business development success. Executive coaching holds you accountable to real goals and enhances real growth. Be focused in your business development strategy – know your lane and focus on those things that you do best.   “Time management, like business development, is a learned skill.” —  Steve Fretzin   About Steve Fretzin: Steve Fretzin is the President of FRETZIN, Inc. a legal business development and marketing company founded in 2004. He was driven into the legal industry during the reces

In this episode, Christina Martini and Steve Fretzin discuss:  The evolution of business development in the law.  Business development for job security.  The 3 Ps of business development – planning, process, and performance improvement.  The power in cross marketing.     Key Takeaways:  What lawyers need to do now to keep a pipeline of work is very different than what had to be done in the past.  Attorneys need to be strategic and work on their business development pipeline now to ensure success when times get tough.  Cross marketing is low hanging fruit – current clients are gold, particularly with regard to all of the different practice areas across which you can service them.  Evaluate your current situation to identify where the true opportunities are, and then plan accordingly.     “You have to keep your radar up because the next best thing could be right in front of you – you just have to be ready for it.” —  Steve Fretzin     About Steve Fretzin: Steve Fretzin is the Presi

In this episode, Christina Martini and Jeanette Bronée discuss:  Self-care, self-commitment, self-awareness, self-responsibility, and self-expression.  How we can flex our resilience muscles and prepare ourselves for more challenging times  The journey of self-discovery and self-awareness.  How resilience plays a role in our lives, good and bad, and examples from Jeanette’s own life.     Key Takeaways:  There is a resilience that comes from love.  Meditation is a good way to learn to observe our thoughts.  Mindfulness is about being with what’s going on right now, not being with the narrative in our minds.  If we can keep asking ourselves questions, we will continue to grow as individuals.   “A lot of times stress doesn’t come from what we have to do, it comes from what we believe we won’t be able to do.” —  Jeanette Bronée   About Jeanette Bronée: Jeanette Bronée is a performance strategist, international TEDx and keynote speaker, author and founder of the company Path for Life In

In this episode, Christina Martini and Jeanette Bronée discuss:  What resilience means and how it affects our lives.  The relationship between resilience, EQ, and mindfulness.  The different facets of resilience and how they are projected.  Various factors of resilience and how people can develop these traits in themselves.     Key Takeaways:  Mindfulness is one of the most important parts of change.  We need love power – passion and purpose – to keep moving forward in a sustainable way.  Resilience is to keep supporting ourselves all day long so that we keep having energy all day long.     “Don’t ask if I’m going to get through, as how I’m going to get through. If we keep asking how, we’re going to come up with the answers, because that’s how our unconscious mind works.” —  Jeanette Bronée     About Jeanette Bronée: Jeanette Bronée is a performance strategist, international TEDx and keynote speaker, author and founder of the company Path for Life Inc.     Jeanette helps leaders

In this episode, Christina Martini and Karen Briscoe discuss:  Client service and how it ties into the 5 Minute Success methodology.  The power of checklists.  Establishing yourself as the trusted advisor to your clients.  The power of the 66-day challenge to building and establishing habits.   Key Takeaways:  Stay current on the market trends for your industry. You will be able to feel the change sooner and be proactive with what is coming, while staying one step ahead.  Separate the personal from the business.  You have to have the hard conversations. Be willing to be the truthteller.   Don’t let your journey stop at the not-so-good ending. Push through to the success and the happy ending.   “If you’re living at your highest and best self – your zone of genius, you’re living in flow, doing meaningful work – if you’re doing what you’re created to do, your relationships will be better, you’re going to feel better about yourself, you’re going to have higher self-esteem, and will

In this episode, Christina Martini and Karen Briscoe discuss:  How Karen got into residential real estate and has made a fantastic career out of it.  Navigating the emotional quotient.  Characteristics and skills that have brought her success and bring others success in business.  The development of 5 Minute Success and the implementation of the methodology.     Key Takeaways:  Recognize the emotional quotient and don’t take it personally. Any change, positive or negative, can be a challenge.  To say you don’t have time, is saying you don’t want to.  You feed your body, but you also need to feed your mind and soul.  Commit to do it now, not when you think you have time in the future.     “The benefit to doing small, mini-habits is that, by doing a small amount, you can, actually, have more of an impact.” —  Karen Briscoe     About Karen Briscoe: Karen has been on a Heroine’s Journey from being too busy and overwhelmed to loving the life she has while she creates and co-crea

In this episode, Christina Martini and Libby Benet discuss: Basic things companies do that open them up for attack and how to avoid those. The importance of cyber-insurance. How to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Incident response planning as it applies to cyber.   Key Takeaways: ‘It’s not going to happen to me’ is a false sense of security. Anticipating your contingent business disruption can help prepare you in case your business does get hit. From a cyber perspective, you are in a high crime district. Keep that attitude and get the expertise to support the analysis of what you need. You can understand the risks of cyber, ignorance is no excuse, everyone needs to understand the risk not just expect IT to understand the risk.   “Somebody’s not picking you out and targeting your business. They’re targeting anybody that has vulnerability in their software. If it’s your company that has that vulnerability, then you’re the one that gets hit.” —  Libby Benet   About Libby Benet: Libby

In this episode, Christina Martini and Libby discuss:  Libby’s journey as a lawyer in the insurance industry.  How Libby got into the insurance business and got involved in the cyberspace.  Recent threats in the cyberworld and how they have changed since 1999.  The evolution of data analytics and its use in the insurance industry.     Key Takeaways:  Different industries have different threat profiles depending on what the threat actor is interested in obtaining.  Underwriters can make the difference between looking at the data and the human intuition behind what the data is showing.  The current underwriting process is inadequate for understanding the cyber risk.  Business leaders are not technicians. They rely on their IT department to keep security up to date.     “Prior to data analytics, all applications looked the same. With predictive analytics, we actually get to see the nuances between your firm and another firm, which we couldn’t see before.” —  Libby Benet     About Li

In this episode, Christina Martini and Jennifer Fondrevay discuss:  The importance of human capital challenges and considerations in today’s business world.  The characters you may see during a post-deal landscape.  Talking about the people from the due diligence phase, not late in the deal.  Seeing the opportunity in change.     Key Takeaways:  Be open minded, have contingency plans, and be nimble in your interactions during inflection points.  M&A transactions are an emotional process for everyone.  Bring on a human capital advisor – someone who can advise as to the people challenges you are going to face during an M&A transaction.  Know what you’re good at, how it contributes to the new vision, and make sure people know that.     “When you are operating from a position of fear, people act differently.” —  Jennifer Fondrevay     About Jennifer Fondrevay: Jennifer is the Founder of Day1 Ready, an M&A deal consultancy that advises forward-thinking business leaders, ow

In this episode, Christina Martini and Jennifer Fondrevay discuss: How she transitioned from advertising to marketing and her experience with being part of leadership teams through a series of mergers and acquisitions. The human capital issues that arise during significant inflection points in an organization. Jennifer’s upcoming book: Now What? A Survivors Guide for Navigating and Thriving Through Acquisition.     “M&A will continue because companies are struggling to survive on their own. That’s what drives so much of what I do – to help M&A be more successful, to recognize that these are the challenges that are faced, to lower that 70-90% failure rate.” —  Jennifer Fondrevay   About Jennifer Fondrevay: Jennifer is the Founder of Day1 Ready, an M&A deal consultancy that advises forward-thinking business leaders, owners and C-Suite executives on how to prepare for the human capital challenges of Mergers & Acquisitions.   The “survivor” of three multi-billion-dollar acq

In this episode, Christina Martini and Krystin Hernandez discuss:  Qualities that define Krystin’s professionalism vision and who she is as a leader.  How to bridge the differences in professionalism and leadership in regard to multigenerational workplaces.  Challenges in maintaining professionalism in your personal brand.  Maintaining professionalism, even when you’re comfortable and have a strong relationship.     Key Takeaways:  Everyone is just a human – the human element of our business is just as important as everything else.  Take time to appreciate the differences in each generation and understanding why each is the way it is.  Every interaction you have with everyone you are connected to is shaped by your interactions, good and bad.  Behavior change is hard, it is a struggle, but keeping it top of mind, being self-aware, and not being overly critical of yourself is the best approach to facing those challenges.     “You can be empathetic, you can be genuine, you can be helpful, a

In this episode, Christina Martini and Krystin Hernandez discuss:  Why Krystin decided to become a lawyer and her professional journey to becoming an in-house attorney.  Creating a strong personal brand of professionalism and presence as a lawyer.  Keeping the conversations and dress professional when in a professional situation.  Millennials and the multi-cultural workplace.  Key Takeaways:  Work hard and seek out education that will help you reach your dream position.  Understanding the business side can help you to become a better commercial lawyer.  Emotional intelligence to understand the culture of your organization is vitally important.  Dress for your day – not just what meetings you have, but also who you want to be and what you may be doing.     “In order to build my brand as a potential, future leader, which is something I aspire to, I really need to change how these people view me: from a young, individual who’s a new law school graduate, to a serious attorney that’s been prac

In this episode, Christina Martini and David Susler discuss:  The relationships David has with the owners and c-suite of the company as general counsel.  Building relationships with in-house co-workers and outside partnerships.  Tips for successful relationships with outside counsel.  David’s advice for all listeners. Key Takeaways:  Keep your conscious clear and the sleepless nights are more likely to stay away.  Top qualities of outside counsel: responsiveness, quality of work, taking time to understand company and business, willingness to work with GC.  Always strive to continue to grow your skill set and progress in your field.  Get involved – in bar associations, in not for profits, in any way you can.     “Get to the advice you want to give by asking questions that demonstrate you understand my business and give me alternatives.” —  David Susler     About David Susler: David is Associate General Counsel of National Material LP. An attorney with 30 years’ experience in both p

In this episode, Christina Martini and David Susler discuss:  David’s professional journey and how long he has been practicing law.  The value in observing legal issues and solving problems from different vantage points, whether as defense lawyer to plaintiff’s lawyer, or switching from private practice to in-house.  Embracing new things and finding a comfort zone outside of your comfort zone.  Challenges and rewards as an in-house attorney and general counsel.     Key Takeaways:  Your professional aspirations evolve over time, so keep the door open for new opportunities and leverage your relationships.  Skills you learn as a practicing attorney are often practice-area agnostic.  Find what you love so you can love what you do.      “My job is risk management. Ultimately, my job, as an in-house lawyer, is risk management. When I know I’ve given my business leaders the confidence to pursue their business plans, that’s extremely rewarding.” —  David Susler     About David Susler: Dav

In this episode, Christina Martini and Eddie Turner Jr discuss: Qualities that make a great leader. Eddie’s current book, 140 Simple Messages to Guide Emerging Leaders, and new book, Facilitated Collaboration, coming out late this year. Personal habits and routines that are key to being effective and successful. Advice for aspiring and veteran leaders.   Key Takeaways: Leadership is about being adaptive. It’s about how we wear and take ownership of what we have. We can improve, but we should show Through the power of facilitation, you can change everything. Never stop learning, have empathy for others, and be slow to judge.   “When a person is authentic, they are not manufactured, they’re not a replica of someone else. They are unapologetically themselves and it’s a beautiful thing.” —  Eddie Turner Jr   About Eddie Turner Jr.: Eddie is an executive & leadership coach, best-selling author, facilitator, keynote speaker, and podcast host.  Organizations who want to a

In this episode, Christina Martini and Eddie Turner Jr. discuss: His personal and professional journey as an executive coach. Eddie’s favorite areas of his profession and how they interplay together. The 5 areas of the EQ and how they are expressed. Finding the right coach for you.   Key Takeaways: Always have more than one thing that you do, but excel at all of them. The EQ is important and can evolve over time, continuing to grow into your 40s and 50s.   Fundamentally, a great coach will be providing the process, not the content. The coaching space between you and your coach is a sacred space where you will be able to explore things you haven’t been able to otherwise.     “The [executive] coach is the expert in the process, not the content.” —  Eddie Turner Jr.   About Eddie Turner Jr.: Eddie is an executive & leadership coach, best-selling author, facilitator, keynote speaker, and podcast host.  Organizations who want to accelerate the development of their leaders

In this episode, Christina Martini and Michael Dermer discuss: The foundation days of The Lonely Entrepreneur. The power of perspective on your success. Important skills to develop as an entrepreneur. What Michael would tell his younger self.   Key Takeaways: The journey and the story is everything. Being an entrepreneur is not a job, it’s an identity. Emotional intelligence is incredibly important to develop. Everybody needs a release.   “Think about the premise of being an entrepreneur. The premise of being an entrepreneur is that you’re going to do something new and unique, and you’re not going to have capital, and you’re not going to have resources. So what that means is you have to go about it a different way, and that becomes a skill.” —  Michael Dermer   About Michael Dermer: Michael Dermer is an entrepreneur, speaker, lawyer and founder/author of The Lonely Entrepreneur. Michael is considered the founder of not only a company, but an industry – rewarding individuals

From Lawyer to the Lonely Entrepreneur- An Interview with Michael Dermer – Part 1 of a 2 Part Series   In this episode, Christina Martini and Michael Dermer discuss: Michael’s personal background, his decision to go to law school, and his professional and personal journey. What he learned as an M&A attorney in New York. The beginning stages of IncentOne and his entrepreneurial journey. The efforts and fortitude of the IncentOne team to keep the company alive during and after the financial crisis.   Key Takeaways: The 2008 financial crisis was transformative for all companies and redefined the business paradigm. Innovation, determination, and focus are key ingredients to a successful business, especially at key inflection points. The importance of aligning your skillset and talent with making a positive impact in the world.   “It was never about being recognized as anything. If you feel like you have a vision and you feel like you execute on that vision, hopefully wit