TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

  The quest in business is to create a moat.  Essentially that's a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate. It positions the business as the go-to. And that's the distinct edge Big Law firm Kirkland & Ellis has maintained. Have a high-stakes legal matter? You want K&E. The branding is that K&E always wins. In coaching former employees I heard over and over again that, even though they were relieved to be out of the New York office (Chicago wasn't as stressful), they respected how the firm manages to outfox the opposition. But moats need to be reinforced. Recently K&E did just that with investing $500 million for a proprietary AI platform. That will capture and store the total results-oriented genius of K&E case management. No longer will their lawyers have to start from scratch.  One seminal benefit will be to reduce the fee-for-service. FT reports that banks, which are major consumers of Big Law services, are demanding a piece of the cost...

  It's downright binary. Some of us invested. The bull market continues. Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 53,199.26 USD ▲ +432.38 (+0.82%) today September 2, 10:41 AM EDT · Market Open

Only the oldest of us Boomers will remember. Historians could also put it together. That was how earning a living used to be. That was back in the early 1950s. It was the time before the post-war economic boom really kicked in and college introduced the working man's children to being all you could be. Usually you didn't have the opportunity to graduate from high school. You know someone. That someone got you in. The in could be the next 40 years on the railroad, unloading freight on the docks, moving paper at city hall or policing the mean streets. You obeyed the boss. Actually you knew to suck up. Eventually there was medical insurance. And that was that. Of course, there were exceptions. Members of the lucky sperm club got to be professionals. Medical doctors, lawyers, accountants.  Today the labor market replicates much of that. You bet, you better know someone. Those lamenting the grim realities of a current job search on Reddit have no idea that what they're encounter...

  Some in public relations are still making a buck. Actually, a good one.  The Business Research Company reports: "The global PR market is healthy, growing from $105.12 billion in 2025 to $110.35 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%" But those thriving likely are not the usual players in the sector such as large Manhattan agencies. One-time powerhouse Edelman had three straight years of revenue decline. Boutiques that got the hang of the structural changes in the market have been taking over.  And as for in-house personnel, inertia will probably prevail. They'll hold onto their jobs - without effectiveness or influence, though.  During the Epstein Files fallout the spokespeople at Goldman Sachs and Paul, Weiss spun all that reputation management messaging. Got 'em nowhere. The news cycle kept running with the decline narratives. It still is. Social media pounded. Keeps pounding. See, the traditional functions of PR matter less and less. ...

 It's reality: There are a Beauty Premium and an Ugliness Penalty  generated by physical appearance.  Smirk. In the late 1960s, Dove became a loved brand by celebrating the natural beauty of all females. However, in the workplace certain types of beauty gave women an edge. Still do. As for males, especially in corporate and professional-services settings, specific body types, height, hair volume and facial features ensure ongoing promotability. So much so that it was a bitter joke among those not meeting those specs to muse about being doomed to middle management.  But there are myriad variations on this theme. For example. contrary to popular belief lookism can benefit males more than females.  My hunch is that's because too many organizations are still operated via male power. The game is really about them. In addition, there are ways around this reality. At least for those accepting how things are.  It is documented that those not the "type"  in ap...

 Legacy media players, ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times, are holding on. That's despite the perfect storm, including AI, roaring through the sector. One powerhouse strategy, at least for now, is what's known as the "decline narrative."   "The decline narrative ... (often coupled with a 'fall from grace' or 'downfall' framing) is a structural storytelling blueprint used to keep a long-running news story 'sticky' ..."  How the human species derives great joy and comfort from such reversals of fortune! Or what is made to appear like that.  So, it's irrelevant that the coverage primarily recycles old news, positioned and packaged with a topical perspective. Predictably the rehash generates the results which are critical for commercial survival. Those range from page views to repostings to buzz. Today, The Wall Street Journal revisited the saga of how Apollo co-founder and billionaire Leon Black got into a re...