TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

There is a theory that only one entity can occupy space at one time. Around the same time in history both Princess Diana and Mother Teresa died. Only one sucked up all the media oxygen. So, it’s probable that the latest expose on Wall Street “Bully Market” will push off the radar those players depicted negatively in that March 2021 expose “The Caesars Palace Coup.” There are signs that is already happening. The publicity machine for “Bully,” authored by former managing director at Goldman Sachs Jamie Fiore Higgins, started up months before its publishing date yesterday. Presales were brisk. Today, on Amazon “Bully” ranks at 1,498. Also, today Higgins was a guest on “Today.” Here is the video , including Goldman Sachs’ statement denying any bias against women and more. Simultaneously as attention for “Bully” escalated, “Caesars,” which had long ranked on Amazon in the three and four figures, then in the teens, began losing its traction. Recently it was in the 80,000s. Right now it...

 Let's cut to the chase. After my career change from legal communications to being a Tarot reader (played out as intuitive career coaching) I am being treated with extreme respect by clients. Such deference is in contrast to, as Insider articles ( like this one ) keep pounding, how badly all but senior partners typically are treated in the law-firm sector. (The exception had been Paul Weiss chairperson Brad Karp who had even provided mentoring.)   But that - respect - is the tip of the transitional iceberg. The work involved in Tarot reading is fun. In a certain way.  See, Tarot readers are the new  therapists.  We have a front-row seat in observing what is going on in the human heart and how the mind (mostly a faulty machine with lots of loose wiring) sputters.  So much spills out. In this era when no one listens, there is a compulsive need to confide.  What secrets I hear. Given how much of that there is, I wonder: Can the content be protec...

 " PVH  (ticker: PVH) [owner of the Calvin Klein brand] said it would be reducing 'people costs' in its global offices by about 10% by the end of 2023." - Barron's , August 31, 2022. So, you represent "peoples cost." If the economy really tanks - as the Financial Times predicts - the expenses associated with you can be targeted.  Obviously, there is a shift from the extreme chase after talent to talent being perceived through the lens of cost. At least in a growing number of industries. In my intuitive career coaching, clients are playing with scenarios if they are laid off. Most have sideline hustles, though, so they aren't in panic. Some of those hustles such as an ecommerce enterprise for used clothes could evolve into the main source of income. Your just-right professional fit. You can bypass the usual pain points. That includes Tarot readings, both spreads and one-card pulls. Complimentary consultation for coaching, job-search materials, and ...

 " LinkedIn users have mixed feelings about their professional contacts bringing their whole selves onto the platform" - The Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2022 On the one hand, sharing personal ups and downs, joys and sorrows can move the dial on connecting. On the other hand, it can become and has become excessive. That can deter the possibility of deepening the professional relationship.  However, the wrench in the works on this personal sharing is that: Those who do it tend to attract lots of likes and comments. Because of that I experienced the Ah-Ha Moment that I too should venture out of my businesslike persona and open up about my little life. Sure enough, when I posted about adopting a senior dog, adjusting emotionally and socially adjusting to the southwest, and feeling grateful in general attention skyrocketed.  Here's the rub. That level of personal disclosure on a professional network never did and still doesn't sit right with me. I would prefer doing t...

" Big Law has a mental health problem. Why lawyers are now opening up about depression and suicide." That's the headline in Insider , for the article by Casey Sullivan and Sinahu Sundar, August 30, 2022. This outstanding profile in Insider of the emotional challenges overtaking the lawyers in large law firms could be followed up with another kind of analysis. That is how a vendor like myself interprets what she experienced being on retainer to a Big Law firm. My story could be straight Rashomon. That's the 1950 Japanese film which depicted how those who lived through the same event could have very different perceptions of what allegedly happened. Those in the loop at Paul Weiss might not agree with how I sized up my two months on retainer for communications services. But, what I do know is this: The pain I had during that timeframe was for me over-the-top.  The backstory. For over two years I "lobbied" the leader I admired and still admire - Paul Weiss chai...

"As long as Jones Day brands itself as MAGA’s chief counsel, those non-partisan books of business are going to suffer." - Joe Patrice, Abovethelaw, August 29, 2022. As the world knows, in The New York Times Magazine , David Enrich published an article on the political influence law firm Jones Day has had on the judicial system. The statistic Enrich provides is this: There have been more than 100 conservative appointments Jones Day helped arrange for federal judgeships. That influence is bound to grow, Enrich predicts.  Patrice's point is now that Jones Day's role in conservative politics has gone quite high-profile, will that freak current clients? They may not want to be associated with a law firm branded as aligned with the far right. In addition, prospects might steer clear. The meltdown which occurred for the Boies Schiller brand/business because of David Boies' representation of Harvey Weinstein and Theranos could overtake Jones Day.  But Enrich's missio...

Side hustles are now financial necessities. Insuranks found that 93% of those responding to their survey did something on the side in addition to their regular jobs or the business they ran. For some of those the tipping point has been inflation. Without sidelines they simply can't make ends meet. In my intuitive career coaching most clients discuss those side hustles. They range from an ecommerce enterprise to rental property. In a number of situations those bring in more money than their day jobs.  The side hustle could become the new career path. In addition to my communications boutique I had been doing career coaching on the side. Eventually I added Tarot reading to that. The New York Times has blessed the Tarot as a legitimate tool for self-awareness.  Eventually I have been able to take the exit ramp out of communications and do intuitive coaching full-time. On an hourly basis the Tarot readings pay more than did my former communications practice.  Your just-right...

 Horror movies are so popular because it's fun to get scared. And maybe that's the driver of all the speculation about layoffs in Big Law. According to the consensus on Reddit Big Law, essentially there's no reality to that kind of talk. At least not yet. Here is the  thread. A number of firms are quite busy. So much so that one associate feels so burned out that he entertains a compelling fantasy about getting the ax, hanging around the beach for two months, and then picking up odd jobs until the money runs out.  Other law firms have slowed down a bit but not enough to stir real angst about a Reduction-in-Force. (Stealth layoffs, of course, could be happening. As one comment pointed out they are always happening.)  However, what one associate picks up is that there is a push underway "to cut the fat." That opens the door to anything, doesn't it. Interesting, even in M&A practices which supposedly had been hit hard by the falloff in dealmaking there is eno...

Among freethinkers there is the saying: There are no wrong questions.  However, when it comes to sales in professional services such as lawyering there is one question that is  plenty naive about prospecting for new business as well as closing.  On Reddit Big Law a new lawyer who has not started the first job in Big Law seems to assume he/she is quite the clever strategic thinker. This lawyer posits that law firms should have a designated sales force for developing new business versus unleashing all that highly compensated senior legal talent to be out there pitching. Here is that thread . This response is right on the money, literally.  "Firms do have salespeople. But in a law firm setting the product is the lawyer—how can you sell without showing off the product?" That applies to all professional services, including my former boutique in corporate ghostwriting and scriptwriting.  Propsects for high-end professional services don't have the time to go through t...

  The latest hum of the publicity machine for expose on the Goldman Sachs' culture got revved up at the influential The New Yorker . Nice placement. The article on “Bully Market” is titled “Fear and Clothing at Goldman Sachs.” The clothes part alludes to the book’s author Jamie Fiore Higgins’ fierce commitment to shop discount, not spend on upscale brandname labels. She must have been extraordinary at what she did in order to get away with that. When I was even in middle management and as a vendor pitching to the Fortune 50 I had to make it my business to invest in a pricey wardrobe and Coach attache cases for the laptop. As a sign of these times vilifying Wall Street the book reviews champion Higgins’ ability to discern alleged moral corruption. But the tag line on that could be the quip: She took the money and stayed – for 17 years, with one annual bonus totaling a million bucks. Less sophisticated than The New Yorker article coverage of the book focuses on the supposedly p...

 From The Wall Street Journal to Reuters Legal to Politico there are pragmatic analyses of the investment - time, formal degree education, apprenticeships, money, hope - in a career path and the average compensation over the long-term.  These "exposes" are eroding the conventional wisdom: Do what you love and the money will follow. In play also is the job sercurity in a growing number of career paths during these post-normal economic times. Especially chilling is the profile of careers in journalism presented by Politico. The master's degree program at Columbia University School of Journalism sucks off nine-and-half months of a life.  The cost is about $121,290. Despite generous financial aid graduates tend to be heavily burdened with student-loan debt.  The average compensation after graduation ranges from $36,000 to $58,000. Moreover, most of the supposed "good" jobs are in pricey metro areas. The article does not delve deeply into job security. With so much d...

 In post-normal times in management-labor relations no one can predict how the current aggressive push by employers for RTO will play out. Not for employers. Not for workers.  Input on that kicks in after Labor Day September 6th.  Some organizations such as elite law firm Paul Weiss had August be totally WFH. Now there will be a resumption of RTO, on a hybird basis.  The undertow of the entire RTO matter consists of unanswered questions about where work is done. They include: Does WFH reduce productivity?  Can young professionals receive the mentoring and training which are usually assessed as standard if they aren't in the office regularly - preferably on a full-time basis.  Does remote work compromise job security and the ability to climb the ladder? Should workers recognize the career tradeoff they could be taking on? Is bonding among co-workers - those expected office friendships - unavailable? Meanwhile, a sign of this era of confusion, a major media s...

 That 1950 Japanese film  “Rashomon”  captured how different interpretations of the same event can be. On Reddit Big Law, a first-year associate posts that a job has been lost and asks input on how to land another one. Along the way through the so far 99 responses to this post, this lawyer discloses minority status. There is also a disclosure about the possible reasons for the termination but the lawyer isn’t sure. Other lawyers provide their interpretations. They are all over the place. Among the ones which touch a nerve are: ·           The assertion that the blame game could be going on   ·           Bias of the white boys from prep schools who play squash     ·           Accusation (w/o knowing this professional) of inability to take stress   ·           A serious mistake...

 The New York Times Magazine profiles large elite law firm Jones Day as the master power force in the judiciary and statehouses. In that article by David Enrich it describes how during the Trump Administration, Jones Day helped orchestrate putting more than 100 conservative judges in federal court positions.  That reach, projects the article, is bound to grow. Just think about the probable results of the midterms and Election 2024. What the article doesn't pay enough attention to had been the input of Jones Day in the 2016 election. But we did. The Washington Post had broken the story of how Jones Day partner Don McGahn parachuted in to assist Make America Great Again with campaign legalities. At the time, many in law firms - which tend to be liberal - were stunned. However, that kind of intervention paved the way for Jones Day's influence in conservative politics. The article also points out that on the progressive side, law firms such as Paul Weiss also leverage their legal...

That 1950 Japanese film “Rashomon” captured how different interpretations of the same event can be. On Reddit Big Law, a first-year associate posts that a job has been lost and asks input on how to land another one. Along the way through the so far 99 responses to this post, this lawyer discloses minority status. There is also a disclosure about the possible reasons for the termination but the lawyer isn’t sure. Other lawyers provide their interpretations. They are all over the place. Among the ones which touch a nerve are: ·          The assertion that the blame game could be going on   ·          Bias of the white boys from prep schools who play squash     ·          Accusation (w/o knowing this professional) of inability to take stress   ·          A serious mistake was made and it this...

Already buzzy is  The New York Times Magazine detailed profile of law firm Jones Day . Its title and subtitle read this way: "How a Corporate Law Firm Led a Political Revolution: The Untold Story of Jones Day's push to move the American government and courts to the right." The author is David Enrich.  It is fact-based. For example, one statistic is that Jones Day partner (before and after serving in the Trump Administration White House as head lawyer) Don McGahn helped place more than 100 conservative judges in federal courts. The joke then was that if there were a court vacancy McGahn was on orchestrating how to fill it.  It also anticipates push-back. It points out that progressive law firm Paul Weiss, one of the most wealthy, is also active politically. That includes donations to the Democratice Party, pro-bono legal work for liberal issues, and high-profile advocacy for liberal causes.  Yet, that article, which is quite objective, has become controversial. The co...

 The meme "quiet quitting" has gone viral - at least in talk. Even the influential The Wall Street Journal is devoting lots of space to the idea of coasting on the job versus giving it one's all. But, in my experience, including as an intuitive career coach, it's just talk.  My clients are solidly committed to the American Dream of extreme wealth-building through smart career strategies and putting in the long hours. They are all-there on that.  In addition, on my professional networks of those across myriad sectors, the players are traditionally ambitious. No one has mused: I am going to ease off. However, they do say: I am taking a few months off to re-energize. That isn't shifting down. Recall that current head of financial firm Apollo Mark Rowan took a time-out. He returned to expand that private equity firm into a credit powerhouse. Interestingly, in the high-profile development of employees at Goldman Sachs walking off the job , the issue wasn't about w...

  "Wave of Goldman Sachs workers quit en masse at ‘toxic’ Wall Street giant: sources" - New York Post , August 26, 2022 This is the third time recently that the financial giant has been hit with allegations about a culture that is highly flawed. On August 30th, the expose about its alleged greed and biased/hostile attitude toward women - "Bully Market" - will be published. The author Jamie Fiore Higgins had been a managing diretor. Therefore, her saga has credibility. Since the world loves dirt, this book will suck up a lot of oxygen. Presales on Amazon rank at 19,525. Also, the long-running gender discrimination lawsuit involving about 1,800 plaintiffs - "Chen-Oster, et al. v Goldman Sachs" - has been allowed to go to trial. That will happen in June 2023. Of course, it will attract non-stop media attention and analysis. So, Goldman Sachs is a target for myriad constituencies to pounce. They range from media to women's advocacy organizations.  Your ju...

 " More than $150 billion of mergers and acquisitions have been scrapped or stalled since the beginning of June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg." - Bloomberg, August 26, 2022. This is a horrific development for Big Banking and Big Law.  If the slowdown continues there could be a 10% RIF on Wall Street , as well as shabby bonuses for survivors.  In Big Law there were no summer bonuses (a midsize firm did award them, though). And today the word out from Law.com is that manpower will be reduced through stealth layoffs and not filling jobs of associates who leave.  Barclays projects an uptick in Q4 2022.  On Reddit Big Law , here is a typical observation about the M&A space: " Not many active deals, but I've been told by a couple partners that clients have pinged them on a good number of potential deals...they just are all on hold or moving at a snail's pace until market stabilizes." With the global and US economy so filled with uncertainty, though...

" I am being asked to leave my firm after just a year at a V30ish due to work slowdown in California. I am a lower tier T14 grad from 2021. I asked where else is hiring and they suggested staff attorney is a viable option for now because other firms may not want to hire right now." - Posting on Reddit Big Law, August 26, 2022. Here is the thread .  " Big Law Will Likely 'Right-Size' Attorney Ranks Through Attrition, Performance Reviews " - Law.com , August 26, 2022. It's palpable: A slowing down in the law firm sector. Associates should prepare for stealth layoffs and non-equity partners could be nudged out.  Meanwhile, who gets the work has become the  story. That's why Law.com covered that, despite the recent dog days in dealmaking, Paul Weiss did pick up business for its M&A practice. Yeah, it got the work. On Reddit Big Law there is speculation that law firm niches such as M&A will pick up in September. But that could be magical thinkin...

What a pickle a number of professionals are in because they had pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a friend.  But for famous defense lawyer Alan Dershowitz that situation continues to be at the high end of bad. The latest development is the massage he did receive at Epstein's house. Yeah, we know all about those massages, especially the ones that Epstein himself received.  On The Hill's TV show "Rising" today host Ryan Grims grilled Dershowitz about such a massage. Despite his training in trial work to be poised, in-control, and persuasive, he lost it. Over and over again, he repeated the phrase "Let Me Finish." What he wanted to finish were his contentions: It is not atypical to go to a friend's home for a massage. (Although a boomer with many wealthy friends, over the years I have never been invited over for a massage.) That particular massage was administered by a middle-aged woman Olga. The frustrated Dershowitz came across as a sputtering script machine....

 We not only love the flawed male character like Tony Soprano. That extends to females in television.  So we will be sad to lose the addictive-personality of Amanda Rollins on "SVU." This, as Variety confirms, is her last season. We gave been with her through her gambling lapses and struggles to recover.  Actress Kelli Giddish is accepting this with grace and class. The decision wasn't hers. Not burning bridges in the glam but tough world of entertainment should make it easier for her to land another plum role.   Your just-right professional fit. You can bypass the usual pain points. That includes Tarot readings, both spreads and one-card pulls. Complimentary consultation for coaching, job-search materials, and interviewing. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com or text 203-468-8579.