THE A-TEAM: Amazing Women Professionals & Friends

Every once in a while life delivers good news. Good news can come in the form of a clean bill of health, a new addition to the family, a new business lead, a happy customer or a new friend. In my case, life delivered me friend/amazing attorney, Brooke Borg, nearly two years ago.

Brooke practices real estate, corporate, estate planning and probate law here in Nevada. She’s intelligent, innovative, driven, real and just plain likable. (Plus, it’s always a good idea to have a “lawyer friend” in my book.)

Brooke started her legal practice nearly one year ago. In fact, March celebrates her first anniversary of being in business for herself. During an economic slump, especially here in Nevada, there are some business trailblazers who create their own success and happiness. Brooke is one of those people.

She’s a mid-western gal who believes in helping others, is a dedicated wife and a mother of two. She is also my work suit accessory role model. (Inside joke.)

BROOKE M. BORG, Esq.
Founder/Attorney of Borg Law Group
Borg Law Group Website

Q: How did you “arrive” where you are in life today?
A: With a lot of support from my family and friends. I wanted to be an attorney and a mom for as long as I can remember. I kept telling myself I could and would be both someday and, with a lot of hard work and support when I wanted to give up (a few times), I did it. My number one priority in life is my kids, Avery (4) and Landon (4 months). They are my greatest accomplishment...well, our greatest accomplishment. I guess I have to give my husband, Matt, some credit.

Q: Tell me about your business. Where do you derive your passion for practicing law?
A: My passion for helping people comes from my mother. She is the most giving, loving, compassionate person I know. I knew I wanted to work in a field that helped people. I don’t have the patience to be a teacher or the stomach to be a doctor so the practice of law seemed to be a great alternative and fit for me.

Q: As a business owner, what are you most challenged with day-to-day?
A: I struggle with maintaining a balance between generating work and actually “doing” the work. If it were up to me, I would be out “rainmaking” everyday. I love meeting new people and educating them about how I can help them and what I do as an attorney. However, the work needs to be done as well.

Q: What is more important, talent or drive?
A: I think drive is definitely more important. I look at talent as something you can develop with practice. Drive is something you are born with.

Q: What one trait has helped you most in business?
A: My ability to look at the bright side of any situation has helped me the most. You are always going to have days when you are down and out and have something happen to you that isn’t ideal, but your reaction to what has happened can either make or break you.

Q: What is the hardest lesson you've learned and how did you learn it?
A: No matter how hard you try, not everyone is going to like you. There have been times when I really wanted to land a big client or impress someone older and wiser than me. When it comes down to it, people are either going to like you or not. I’ve learned over the years that not everyone is going to be your “ideal” client. I love doing business with people who “get” me and I “get” them. If we don’t mesh well from the beginning it’s going to be a constant struggle on both of our parts to maintain that relationship and that’s too much energy spent that could be spent on something else.

Q: What is the one piece of advice you would offer other women in business?
A: Be who you are and pave your own path. Clients and colleagues will respect that.

More as to why Brooke is on my A-team:
March 24 Workshop: Estate Planning – What happens to your business if something happens to you?
Walking On Broken Glass: 10 women impacting business in Southern Nevada
Even in economy slumping, companies will do well to keep legal services
“Work/Life Balance”
Nevada’s Legal Environment Has Seen Many Changes As a Result of the Economy

Growing number of Nevada start-ups increases need for personal and professional legal needs

Evaluating your marketing firm

As a marketing professional, I’m always under close scrutiny. Operating in a subjective and, many times, seemingly intangible industry, how can I not be? As someone who is on the “frontline” of working together with our firm’s clientele, I’m also the one who needs to showcase our team’s talent, ability and, more importantly, results. For marketing firms that are not as confident and results-driven as ours is, this can be difficult to do.

Most professionals know and value the power of marketing. However, valuing it alone is not enough. As a business person, you make an investment in your marketing firm partners in order to produce results. So what should you be asking yourself when it comes to your marketing firm?

Consider the following when evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing firm:

Did you and your marketing firm establish expectations and/or a baseline of desired results at the start of your working relationship?
• Have those goals been met?
• If not, what can be attributed to not reaching those goals?
• Was it the lack of support from your marketing firm?
• Did you change the focus of your business and, thereby, your marketing efforts to another area?

Has your marketing firm taken the time to really understand your business, your market, your products/services as well as your short-term and long-term business goals?
• Do they ask you the tough questions and provide you with feedback on areas your business may need to develop?
• Do you have access to more than one person at your firm to ensure you receive the highest quality of workmanship and responsiveness to your needs?
• Trust your gut. Does your marketing firm feel like a business partner to you or an outside vendor?

You have short-term and long-term business goals in sight. Has your marketing firm provided you with a short-term and long-term marketing plan to correspond with your vision?

Marketing can help transform your company. But, beware of consultants and firms who misrepresent themselves as the experts. In an industry that has no barrier to entry, our world is littered with marketing pros who promise services but cannot deliver the goods.

Take caution in your selection and review process and take the time to align yourself, and your business, with the right marketing partner.

*This blog originally posted at Imagine Marketing: Creative Solutions for the New Economy

2011: The year to "bring the pain"

There are different types of music lovers in the world. There are those who give it a passing glance, those who are devoted to a particular genre and those who live to embrace it and fit it into their "soundtrack of life." I'm a soundtrack kind of person. I live my life, years, weeks and moods by soundtracks I create. For those interested, ask to see my iPod and you too will discover the wonder of my 13,239-song, uniquely labeled playlists.

That being said, I've recently decided to dedicate a specific song to 2011 -- a soundtrack for the year if you will -- Method Man's "Bring the Pain."

This is the year we should all "bring the pain" to whatever it is we do in business. To break through ceilings, step on the gas (while the highways are still relatively clear of the competing businesses), eradicate the norm and push through to the new and unknown. This is the song I have playing as my daily motivation while downing my first cup of coffee of the morning. Or, as Method Man may likely refer to it: gettin' my mind right for the day.

Despite the foul language and somewhat derogatory words (for those, I do apologize. I didn't write the song), the song still conveys a message we can all relate to: that is takes the skilled, the resilient and the fighter in you to get where you need to go.

It's time to take everything you are and have achieved and "bring the pain" to 2011.

*This blog originally published with a February issue of the Imagine Marketing e-newsletter.