Name: Emy Cook
Position: LMA Southwest Region Secretary; Head of Operations & Marketing, Powers Taylor
Family: Husband, Cole; Dogs, Lucy, Rhubarb & Chip
Hometown: Grapevine, TX
Education: Oklahoma State University
At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in the legal industry and why are you passionate about your profession?
I knew I wanted to join the legal industry when I was desperately looking for a full-time marketing job and happened to land at a law firm—not realizing legal marketing and “traditional” marketing are very different. Knowing nothing about legal marketing, I went all-in on learning as much as I could and now there’s no looking back! As a plaintiff firm marketer, I’m passionate about helping those who need it most and connecting people with adequate legal representation.
I have also met SO many amazing people through legal marketing and LMA. This industry is full of brilliant, kind, supportive people who do exciting and important work. I love learning from fellow legal marketers and seeing where we can take our industry in the coming years!
What made you decide to join LMA and how long have you been involved?
I originally joined in 2018 after I had been at my firm for a year, hopeful I’d gain access to knowledge and resources to help me succeed as a legal marketer. I didn’t attend many events or utilize all the resources and let my membership lapse. I saw the LMANext program a couple of years later and decided to re-join LMA in 2021. I participated in LMANext that year and got a spot on the Dallas LSC as the Membership Chair for 2022. I was encouraged to apply for the LMASW Regional Board last year and was lucky enough to get selected as Secretary. So, I went from the average new LMA member to a regional board position in less than 2 years.
I never would have imagined I’d be in this place. If it wasn’t for the amazing, welcoming, nurturing leaders within the LMASW Region, I never would have gotten here. LMA can seem intimidating when you go to events and don’t really know anyone, but every volunteer leader I’ve encountered has made me feel like I’m right at home and helped me succeed.
If you are at all interested in getting involved in LMA—never hesitate to reach out to me!
Tell us a little bit about why you wanted to join the LMASW Board.
Being involved in the Dallas LSC helped me realize that the more you put into LMA, the more you get out of it. As a solo plaintiff firm marketer, I thought joining the board was a great chance to have a seat at the table, grow my skillset, and make more connections throughout the legal marketing industry. It has without a doubt been the best decision—two years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about how LMA “worked” and here I am actively working with a fantastic group of LMA leaders to provide the best LMA experience for our LMASW members.
What time do you typically get up on a workday, and what’s your ideal morning routine to get it off to a great start?
I’ll be honest, I am NOT a morning person—never have been, never will be. I typically wake up around 7:45am (or should say my husband typically wakes me up around 7:45am with a fresh cup of coffee) and I’ll watch the news and cuddle with the pups until I start getting ready.
I always check my email and calendar before heading into the office to handle anything urgent and set up my day. Working at a small firm, I wear many hats and every single day is different. Taking 30 uninterrupted minutes each morning to come up with a task list is crucial for me to continually move projects along.
What’s something about your job that might surprise people?
In any given day, I am a marketer, paralegal, intake specialist, receptionist, HR, accountant, data analyst, and just about any job title other than “attorney” at my firm. I have always been the kind of person who will figure it out or find someone who can, and no task is too small for me. I relish in being able to help people, so I’m always looking for ways I can help our firm run more smoothly and better serve our clients.
What are your best productivity hacks?
One “hack” I use is muting all of my email notifications. I noticed that I would get anxious and immediately look at my inbox any time I heard the “ding” of a new email. Once I turned off the notifications, I realized the world didn’t fall apart if I didn’t immediately read and respond to an email. Along those same lines, I will put my work and cell phone on Do Not Disturb if I’m working on something that needs my full attention.
I also try to live by the rule of “if it takes less than 5 minutes, do it today.” I keep a running list of “little tasks” that I need to get done and won’t take very long. Then, if I have a short break between meetings or some extra time at the end of the day, I’ll check off as many as I can. I’ve found that the “that won’t take long, I’ll just handle that tomorrow” mindset makes work a lot harder than staying an extra 15 minutes and getting it off your plate.
What’s a leadership skill you’ve learned the hard way?
The biggest leadership skills I’ve learned the hard way are giving the benefit of the doubt when it comes to performance issues and addressing those issues immediately. When I first started managing people, I would get frustrated when an employee wasn’t performing up to the standard we expected. I’d gently try and nudge them to do better, but not much progress was made. One of my firm’s partners taught me to always give someone the benefit of the doubt when they have done something incorrect or substandard, and that has transformed my leadership style.
Now, I ask my team members, “What can I do to help you so this doesn’t happen again?” By letting them share their perspective, I’ve been able to have much more constructive conversations and proactively work to address problems. Everybody works in different ways, and by listening to your team members and helping them come up with systems that help them perform their best, everybody wins.
Nobody likes to have those tough conversations, but if you approach them from a place of empathy, let your team members share their perspective, and actively work with them to fix issues, the tough conversations can be a little easier and help everyone grow.
What are some of your hobbies or favorite things to do in your free time?
I enjoy expressing my creativity—hand embroidery, decorating my home, painting, etc. We have 3 dogs, so they keep us very busy. My husband and I also enjoy gardening and are slowly working on transforming our home’s courtyard into a New Orleans-inspired paradise.
Tell us about some of your volunteer efforts in the community and why you support those causes/organizations.
I also serve as Secretary on the Board of Directors for a local food bank here in DFW. My husband was on mission with them with the National Guard in 2020 to help people at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the years, we’ve continued to see a need for food assistance, and we work hard to get people healthy groceries and the resources they need to get back on their feet.
Can you name someone who has had a great impact on you as a leader, or someone who has been a mentor to you in your life or career? How have they changed your outlook?
I somehow struck gold in 2021 and was paired with Morgan Horvitz as my mentor in the LMANext program. I was going through a pivotal time in my career and through her mentorship, Morgan helped me work through which path to take. She also encouraged me to get involved in volunteer leadership within LMA and connected me with the appropriate people to get me involved in the Dallas LSC, which launched my volunteer leadership journey within LMA.