TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

 In the sentencing of wunderkind fraudster Charlie Javice federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein didn't have sympathy for the victims of her cleverness. Among them were JP Morgan which had bought her startup Frank for $175 million and over at Apollo Marc Rowan who had personally invested in that startup. Those smartest kids in the room turned out to be, well, fools. Part of their "stupidity" was not using adequate due diligence.  Overall being duped seems to be rooted in the age-old Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Those in the money game likely didn't want to be outfoxed by high-powered competitors and they wound up being just that by a scheming 20-something. It was a different situation at the First Unitarian Church in Toledo, Ohio last Sunday. Rev. Tim Barger delivered a sermon of compassion for the members duped by emails requesting funds. He framed that essentially as people being generous who assumed they were doing the right thing. In addition, he educated the congrega...

Back in medieval times, parents launched their offspring into how to make a living through securing an apprenticeship. For that, they paid the master a fee. Today that model is mostly dead. Instead, parents fork over funds to universities to grant the bachelor degree. Or even the law degree.  The problem with funding those degrees including law, as FT hammers in this video, is that it's increasingly difficult for the new graduates to then land an entry-level job. Chair of law firm Paul, Weiss Brad Karp warns that there'll be fewer of those first jobs.  That's because of AI.  In zeroing in on the field of law, FT introduces the model that was standard in 19th century America: Learning to become a lawyer through "reading law" with an experienced lawyer. At that time there were few law schools. That's how Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer. Incidentally states such as California, Vermont, Virginia and Washington still allow that option.  What would be in this for ...

The Puritans were pragmatic. That pragmatism produced a model that launched the most powerful economy in the world. In line with that practical approach they started Harvard in 1636 as a trade school. It was to train clergy.  For centuries Harvard has remained essentially a trade school. Its undergraduate arm prepared the Professional Class with the knowledge, contacts, branding and confidence they needed to succeed. The advanced-degree programs shaped the leaders in business, law, medicine, academia and more. But that was then.  As knowledge work becomes less marketable, AI eats up whole industries and longevity increases (along with the longing to remain working) there has been a decoupling of a Harvard education from sustained career success. Or, even having the door open to that first good job. The numbers are starting to show up on this. For example, getting the MBA from Harvard is no longer necessarily the ticket. For the 2024 class 24% remained unemployed months after ...

 " Across the industry, the pace of change will be gradual, said [Doug] McMillon. For example, customer service tasks in call centers and through online chat functions will become more AI dependent soon and other tasks not ..."  That's what The Wall Street Journal quotes in how the Walmart CEO sizes up the corporation's approach to AI. For example, there'll be no radical falloff in hiring. Instead that will be flat, even as the business grows.  Amid all the scary rhetoric about how AI will trigger massive job elimination, this Walmart mindset is what should alarm workers the most. Essentially it plays out the dynamics of The Boiling Frog saga. The frog is placed in gradually warming water. Because of the slow pace the frog doesn't connect any dots and conclude:  Danger. I better get out of here.  Many have heard this anecdote so they know the rest. The frog is cooked. And so will workers be in many categories of jobs. Both at Walmart and elsewhere.  Among ...

Kirkland & Ellis is the largest, most profitable law firm in the world. Even historically white shoe firms such as Paul, Weiss have explored grafting on parts of the K&E's business model. For example, PW is piloting the Non-Equity Partner tier which has been embedded in the financial success formula. K&E has almost a 1,000 NEPs. But could that adage in business be kicking in: Nothing fails like success? In short, is the magic over? Currently, K&E could have a one-off problem. That is in Asia. Its locations are not making money. There is partner flight.  Law International reports: "Eleven partners have left Kirkland & Ellis in Hong Kong since February of this year. Their departures follow those of  10 additional partners who left the firm  in 2024." Many other law firms have pulled out of Asia. But as of this time K&E is hanging on to its three locations. That brings us to another perspective on this development: Has rot been taking place inside th...

Exiting Big Law, if accompanied with the right amount of fanfare, can open the door to stardom. The latest example is Ines Pinheiro who departed DLA Piper in the UK.  In addition, it can increase the wattage of those already stars such as Karen Dunn who left Paul, Weiss. Incidentally some of that wattage could have been dimmed pre-exit. That's because Dunn had coached Dem loser Kamala Harris and was closely associated with that party driven into political nowhereville. Well, on LinkedIn , with almost 6,000 followers (relative peanuts if you are chasing being an influencer), Pinheiro posts:  “I have taken the important decision to resign from my position as a trainee solicitor at DLA Piper” That was after two weeks with the law firm. She goes on to tell us that she needs to continue to recover from the burnout of overachievement. So, at age 29, she will start over again. If that starting over is in the career path of influencer she had already laid the foundation for that. Eve...

Causing a lot of commenting today on The Wall Street Journal (1520 so far) is an op-ed by Suzy Welch (yes, the widow of Jack Welch) tilted/subtitled: "Is Gen Z Unemployable? "Hiring managers prize achievement, learning and work. Today’s youth value pleasure and individuality." That is derived from research by Becoming You Labs , founded by Suzy who is the CEO. It included interviewing hiring managers and members of Generation Z. Here is a copy of the white paper  presenting that study. Suzy is also teaching at NYU's Business School. Essentially what was looked at were soft skills. What was compared was what hiring managers wanted and what Gen Z found to be important for them. That might be summed up as attitude and underlying values. As WSJ reports: "[for hiring managers] Achievement came in first ... [It's] 11th for Generation Z; 61% wish they had less of it in their lives. "Next for the hiring managers was ... desire for learning, action and stim...

With six consequent quarters of declining same store sales, Starbucks, documents The Wall Street Journal,  will be closing stores (laying off too). Will one of those shuttered be on S. State Street in University town Ann Arbor, Michigan?  That location is smack in the middle of the central campus of the University of Michigan. On it are cool coffee shops with themes and to-die-for freshly made desserts. Amid that is Starbucks. In no way did I find it a stand-out.   When I went inside, yes Starbucks had customers. No, it wasn't jam-packed like other buzzy beverage places on S. State. Also, there didn't seem to be any energy vibes. The taste of the coffee was not distinct. To me being in there was transactional. I purchased a coffee. Not an "experience." Major university towns like Ann Arbor can be the platforms for sticky and emerging trends. If Starbucks remains out of that loop (as is Dunkin' on the street) it might not be able to sustain itself. See, another rea...

  Kirkland & Ellis , largest and most profitable law firm in the world, contributes more to the Democrats than GOP. In 2024 Paul, Weiss employees contributed more to the party than any other law firm and its chair Brad Karp pitches in significant amounts out of his own pocket.  But nevertheless - it's right out of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" - the Democrats in Congress turn on them. Although they didn't comment to The New York Times about the letter sent to them by top Congressional Dems they might have uttered that classic line: Et Tu, Brute.  It seems there's something on the books which got the Dems' attention. That's Section 1342 of Title 31  (Antideficiency Act) which forbids work done on a volunteer basis for the government except in an emergency.  Well, both K&E and PW have been doing just that for Commerce. The letter says that certainly there's an awareness that doing that kind of free work probably is against the law. So, they ...

Fame is a glutted category. Your wattage could dim as others elbow their way into your space. You beome less fascinating. Or simply older. Eventually you could even be off the grid.  Recently there's been a new entry point for stardom. In addition that serves to refresh the twinkle of those already in the firmament. The way: Leave your lawyer job in Big Law. Or be pushed out for what's not associated with work . That's how Rachel Cohen, who had been dabbling in being an influcer, became a major one. After a lot of fanfare about politics, which might have been strategic as part of juicing up the exit, she ditched the highly paid associate position at Skadden. Now she has quite the following on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and more.  Legacy media can't get enough of Karen Dunn. Today, for example, her saga about exiting Paul, Weiss to launch Dunn Isaacson Rhee is covered yet again in The Wall Street Journal.  The prevailing narrative is that she departed because Paul, Weis...

  How many times founder and CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz had returned after retiring. Could that have boxed in the coffee chain's ability to keep transforming? Despite myriad turnaround strategies Starbucks remains stuck. Smirk. Its latest: Have baristers interact more with customers. What we want is not the relationship but faster service, more affordability and being part of cool.  At Vogue after stepping down from the top job Anna Wintour will be down the hall from new head Chloe Malle. Can the brand which has seen better days pull out of its decline? In prominent law firms there's a tendency for leaders who step down from the top job to hang around. Surely in their high-profile careers they have developed the contacts for very different career paths.  At Jones Day former partner-in-charge at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office Laura Ellsworth is still there as the head of global community initiatives. The late Paul, Weiss Alfred Youngwood was only 73 when he stepp...

  In pop culture, the way to symbolize glam in a creative field had been to feature ad agencies. In addition to "Mad Men" there have been "The Hucksters," "What Women Want," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and much more. But the front lines of pop culture might have to come up with another kind of symbol. Soon enough the ad agency as we've known it probably won't exist. The cost-efficiency movement + AI are what can wipe out that icon in US creativity.  Platforms on which businesses place ads - Amazon, Meta, Comcast - have been developing DIY AI tools to actually create those ads and entire ad campaigns. Yes, that's automated ad creation through AI. The Wall Street Journal reports: " Amazon  has released a chatbot-style creative assistant [updated Creative Studio] designed to help advertisers produce and distribute multimedia ad campaigns almost entirely with artificial intelligence." Essentially you don...

There's plenty of upheaval in the UK legal market. As Reuters documents it's: " ... undergoing a fundamental shift driven by macroeconomic uncertainty and rapid advances in technology" This is at a time when almost 30% of UK legal departments intend to reduce spend and already almost 50% of UK law firms have veered away from the billable hour. The pressure is for boosted efficiency which will cut costs. Meanwhile, US firms ranging from Kirkland & Ellis to Paul, Weiss have invested mega bucks in building their presence. Recall their pricey talent raids of one another. Both those US-headquartered law firms with a growing footprint in the UK and all law firms in the US which are competing fiercely for new business of all kinds have to observe closely what's going on across the ocean. To use the cliche: The UK legal sector could be the canary in the coal mine. In everything from the billing to the structure.  The major recent development is that a UK AI company ba...

  We expected more. Maybe this is just a slow start.  Dow Jones Industrial Average DJI: ^DJI 46,032.65 +14.33  (+0.03%) As of Thu. Sep 18, 2025 9:32 AM EDT · Delayed Quote (USD) · Market open

 Look at this display in a drug store. Isn't the message: Make your wait less frustrating with a sweet. Food, especially the sugar kind, shouldn't be positioned and packaged as a way of coping. It's fuel for the body.  The drug store should prop up the Wait sign in another way.  Thrown off your game, maybe the first time since you started working? You made all the right moves and then the world moved in another direction. Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com ). Yes, test out the chemistry. There’s no risk.  

 Euphoria could be ahead if the Fed cuts interest rates even a little today. Our stocks could surge. But the day opened just fine.  Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 45,941.12 USD ▲  +183.22 (+0.40%) today September 17, 9:33 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  ChatGPT calls it "trading space for savings." The studio apartment is becoming the solution to keeping a roof over your head - at any age - in this time of extreme rent inflation. Demand is up.  Once how youth managed to live on their own or take on the Big City, studio apartments symbolized starting out. The average square footage was and is 450 to 550. In Manhattan that could be only 170 square feet. Then, of course, you were expected to "move on up." First a one-bedroom. Then a house. Then a much bigger house.  Now, the studio apartment represents financial survival, not just starter shelter.  More of my clients over-40 are renting studios. For years their usual was the one-or-more bedroom apartment or house. That was then.  If you follow leasing information it's the one- and two-bedrooms which provide special deals. They are less in demand. Usually there's a significant difference between the monthly payment for those versus a studio. But there's...

  "We have never been busier." That's what Paul, Weiss chair Brad Karp gushed to The American Lawyer. During the first eight months of 2025 the law firm metrics have surged double digits. That was despite the pounding the law firm received since late March. That was when it was the first among law firms receiving Executive Orders to cut a deal with the Trump administration. Of course, the high in Social Intelligence Karp, in discussing business results, thanks clients for sticking with the firm. But the real subject here is not Paul, Weiss' having a very good year. The issue is questioning the long embedded assumption that negatives in the court of public opinion could trigger a reversal of fortune.  This is at a time when the field which supposedly is expert in public perception and neutralizing negative impacts - as Statistica puts it: " ... could use a stronger PR strategy" Gould + Partners found in a survey, reports O'Dwyer's Public Relations :...

  Our very own star - Robert Redford - has passed over. The Dow is taking a dip: Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 45,719.16 USD ▼  -164.29 (-0.36%) today September 16, 10:30 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  No slouch in bouncing back from the departures of star litigators, particularly in antitrust matters, Paul, Weiss has been on a poaching spree. Most recently, documents Bloomberg News , it hired three partners from A&O Shearman. That has been opportunistic. Since its transatlantic merger last May, A&O has been experiencing partner flight. The partners are: " David Higbee, Ben Gris and Djordje. The trio provide antitrust counseling on mergers, government and internal investigations and litigation matters ..." Earlier Paul, Weiss had hired litigation partner Masha Hansford who had been in the Solicitor General's office and Leon Kitchen, formerly with Quinn Emanuel, for the London office. The latter has become a major profit center for Paul, Weiss.' As long as the money keeps flowing in Big Law firms can afford to keep collecting brandname talent. In my coaching I'm noticing clients are following the money, not passion. Thrown off your game, maybe the firs...

  The next big in a surge in our equities will be if interest rates are cut. But, as we wait for that to happen (it looks like it will happen) things on the Dow are okay, at least so far today. Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 45,919.36 USD ▲  +85.14 (+0.19%) today September 15, 9:56 AM EDT  ·  Market Open

  The rant is that youth can't land that first job. But maybe that's not really true.  Of course, that first job is important because it socializes what work is about and how to function in it so you hold on to that paid employment. Pay your bills. Keep the economy going.  At Rave Cinema, Toledo, Ohio there are plenty of young people working the refreshment stand. That could be their first job. They look like they might be in high school which is wonderful. For them. And for the future economy. They are learning how to work.  Okay, some of you are rolling your eyes. Being behind the refreshment stand is a non-job, you push back. A real first job is in finance on Wall Street, in marketing, handling customer questions at a benefits insurance company, receiving $212,000 starting salary at a New York law firm and more. Not filling cups with Diet Soda. Any way, you probably are thinking, youth shouldn't be wasting time in any kind of non-job. They should be acquiring adva...