As always, we have been fortunate to bring some outstanding programs to St. Louis this year and have a jam-packed schedule for the remainder of 2012. Most recently, we enjoyed a very informative and practical presentation by Michelle Calcotte King called "Content Marketing for Law Firms" and a program focused on our own individual career growth and goals called "Unpacking and Mapping Your Career Business Plan." Jennifer Johnson and Kelly Hoey kicked off the presentation by commenting on the fact that most of our City Group's programming provides takeaways that help us help our firms and attorneys (which is obviously helpful to our careers, too), but this program was focused specifically on legal marketers and our own professional growth.
In the spirit of that program, I visited with a couple of our St. Louis legal marketers to get their thoughts on career accomplishments and challenges. Bree Harms, marketing/recruiting coordinator for Carmody MacDonald P.C., and Amber N. Condomitti, graphic design and creative services coordinator for Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., shared the following thoughts:
What is the one thing you have learned in the course of your career that has been most beneficial?
Bree – I have learned to not take things too personally. I’ve learned to take ownership, address the situation and move forward. Life is too short to worry about what someone said to you, how they said it to you, or whose fault it was, is, or could be. It’s best to not take it personally, to move on from it and learn from it.
Amber - ONE THING!? I can think of a thousand things, but my immediate answer is to always strive to further your skill set, your experiences and your knowledge. Get involved with groups like LMA or ALA. Both organizations will help you grow your knowledge about the industry. From a design aspect, stay original, hide your sources, and do not stop listening, learning and seeking inspiration.
Who has influenced your career? Or have you had a mentor?
Bree - One significant mentor is an award-winning creative director with a television background who is highly skilled in print and online advertising. He taught me the importance of having an opinion and not being afraid to share it. He taught me about business development, account management, and marketing strategy on top of creative development, design, etc. He basically guided me to make decisions, be proactive and to form opinions using my creativity, intelligence and strategy combined.
Amber - My father. He taught me to believe in myself, follow my instincts and passions and on a bad day never give up!
How or why did you end up in legal marketing?
Bree - Landing in legal marketing just sort of happened. During my last semester of college, I really found my class in media law intriguing. I considered going to law school but knew I needed to be in a more creative environment. I started my career at an advertising and PR firm that happened to have a long list of clients who were all lawyers and law firms. I quickly learned the legal marketing industry, the publications and how diverse the different areas of law were. I grew to enjoy the challenge of marketing law firms and educating lawyers on what they can do to make their message unique and have a dynamic presence in the marketplace.
Amber - After graduating college with a fine arts degree, I was looking for different types of career challenges other than just going in-house for an advertising agency. When Greensfelder called, I was excited to join the marketing department and jumped at the opportunity.
What do you find most rewarding about your career?
Bree - I think what I find most rewarding about my career is that every day is different. My current role working at a law firm allows me to work with a number of different attorneys and to find ways to market the various different practice groups. I like sharing my love for marketing with those who might need a little education or guidance into understanding how they should position themselves or their practice group. I constantly say to the attorneys at my firm, “You go do your legal thing, and leave the marketing thing to me.” I find this career entirely rewarding.
Amber - The variety, the challenges and hearing something we’ve put together resulted in a lead or some form of business. It helps the firm realize the value in marketing. Also, doing what I love (design) and getting paid for it.
What is your dream job/career (besides legal marketing of course)?
Bree - If Hallmark had a corporate office in St. Louis, I’d be sending in samples from my portfolio weekly. I love captioning photos and illustrations. When my aunt was dying of ovarian cancer, I could never find her a card that said exactly how I felt. I started creating my own, and got so much satisfaction seeing her smile. It’s my passion to draw freehand, design, and craft homemade cards to brighten a person’s day.
Amber - An artist/interior designer. I love printmaking and painting which I’ve been doing since I was about 12 and I’d love to combine that with my interest in interior decorating. I love textures and fabrics and always thought interior design was a great way to put your ideas to use in a contained area.