Rosa Colón has quickly established herself as a leader in the legal marketing profession. This year, she chairs the New York Local Steering Committee for LMA, in addition to continuing to play a key role at Lowenstein Sandler as its marketing technology manager.
Rosa shares with us what she sees ahead for LMA New York, her views on legal marketing and her own career path, as well as work-life balance as a mother of a three-year-old.
LMA: What are some of your goals as the leader for LMA in New York?
RC: Creating value for New York Local members in every way possible is our main objective this year--through our educational programs, social and networking events, Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), Community Conversations, online forums and resources. We understand the past year has been unimaginable for our members for various reasons. Our hope is that LMA will help to fill the void as a place where members can continue to share industry knowledge and resources and create lasting connections.
LMA: What does it mean to you to chair the Local Steering Committee in New York?
For me, chairing the New York Local Steering Committee is a supportive role. I see it as an opportunity to advocate and actively promote the voice and agenda items of the dedicated members of our LSC who act on behalf of the members and the N.Y. local membership as a whole.
LMA: You have been very active in LMA through the years. How has LMA helped you in your career?
RC: I feel like I can talk about this for quite a while! The Legal Marketing Association has helped me in my career in a multitude of ways. In the spirit of brevity, I'll name just a couple of key examples. The sheer breadth and accessibility of educational programs and resources provided by the LMA, for instance, has helped significantly throughout the years. The Body of Knowledge, for example, is something I've turned to for many years and recommend to others, especially in considering areas for continuing education or advocating during annual performance reviews.
Co-chairing New York’s Future Leaders (now LMANext) Shared Interest Group (SIG) and volunteering on the Local Steering Committee level have also been beneficial in helping me to build core leadership skills in a low-risk environment. I had the opportunity to co-chair and collaborate with some of the best and brightest in our industry. Those are opportunities and skills that will benefit me during my entire career and have also enabled me to overcome personal fears like public speaking and writing.
The relationships, leadership skills and industry knowledge I have garnered through the Legal Marketing Association have been, and continue to be, invaluable. I say this often because I truly believe it: being an LMA member is one of the best investments legal marketers can make in their careers, the earlier the better. I’m grateful for the opportunities, especially the professional development and genuine camaraderie LMA has fostered in my life.
LMA: How did you get started in legal marketing?
RC: I was introduced to the world of legal marketing by chance and started attending and networking at LMA events. I actually used the LMA Job Board to secure a Marketing Technology Coordinator role at an accounting firm.
LMA: Tell me about your job. What does it entail and what do you enjoy most about it?
RC: I work closely with the firm’s leadership in implementing and managing the firm’s marketing technologies, including website development and maintenance, analytics, email marketing, experience management, CRM/ERM and more. I enjoy everything about it—the people and groups I get to collaborate with, the technology I get to implement and teach others, and how no day is quite like the next. I go into each day fully aware that my agenda for the day is likely going to change. There’s always a fire to put out or someone to assist with the latest emergency or urgent issue. I thoroughly enjoy the fast pace and mental agility of it all.
LMA: What are a few tips for successfully engaging with lawyers and law firm leaders, earning credibility and gaining leader buy-in?
RC: Ask questions, learn how to listen, think critically, stick to the facts of the situation, and grow a thick skin. Oh, and follow through.
LMA: What advice would you give others interested in a MarTech career?
RC: Do it! Marketing Technology as a career is exploding! The core skills are extremely transferable, and I truly believe MarTech skills will be critical in the future of law firm leadership.
LMA: Which skills should junior marketers be honing to become MarTech leaders?
RC: I actually just wrote an article about this for International Legal Technology Association’s blog. In the post (linked here), I outline what I believe to be the five fundamental skills every junior marketer and technophile should develop. The wonderful thing about MarTech is that it’s always changing. I believe having the soft and hard skills shared in the article are critical to be agile, adaptable, and successful in the role.
LMA: COVID-19 has really challenged the workforce, making tech that much more important. How has the pandemic changed your role?
RC: It’s definitely made the role itself, the strategies we drive, and the solutions our teams provide more visible. The past year has made everyone a technologist in one shape or form. When my mother-in-law asks how to use Zoom, you know it has gone full mainstream.
LMA: What have been the greatest challenges in transforming to remote operations?
RC: For me, I’m lucky to say, nothing has been a challenge beyond missing real-life human interactions with colleagues.
LMA: How are you managing the work/life balance? It must be especially challenging with a little one at home.
RC: Ok, I take back my last response! I am extremely committed to my work and having no definite boundaries between work and home during this time has been a challenge. My little one has had no problem reminding me it’s time to play Hot Wheels and that I “promised.” I’m so thankful for my husband and son during this awful period. The impromptu dance parties, the deep hugs, and reminders to breathe have been a light through this ordeal.
LMA: How do you maintain work/life balance?
RC: It’s all very much a work in progress for me but staying focused on tasks and not procrastinating have helped me. If I’m playing with my son, I’m playing with him. My husband and I are also definitely teammates in this. We each try to give each other a break from time to time, which is sometimes easier said than done.
LMA: When you aren’t working, what do you enjoy doing?
RC: I recently got a Peloton and I’m loving it. I also like listening to podcasts while I try to clean and organize my very messy house. Recently joining the Crafty Legal Marketers monthly calls has been great too! I have been attempting to finish a hand-knitted blanket. My son has also recently gotten into science experiments, which I love doing with him as well.