“Flunk me? Flunk him!”- Thornton Mellon, Back to School I return to my alma mater, Bucknell University every semester to take part in a business course’s mock “Shark Tank,” hosted by my former professors. You may remember my thoughts on the winter semester’s event from a March post. … [Read more...]
Let’s Hang
“We must hang together...else we shall assuredly hang separately.” – Benjamin Franklin That was how good old Ben replied to John Hancock at the first Continental Congress when it was about to sign the Declaration of Independence. Hancock's comment was intended to convey the need for the different American colonies that joined in the signing of … [Read more...]
Training Clerks To Make It Work
"It's all to do with the training: You can do a lot if you're properly trained." - Elizabeth II, Queen Of Great Britain It is always an exciting time when law clerks return to my firm in early September. Their tanned faces and lighter clothing signify that we're approaching the busy part of the year when we service our clients, solve many … [Read more...]
Preparation and Motivation
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are winding down and it's time to get back in gear. While you're planning your Labor Day BBQ, you should also be planning your business strategy for the fall. This is the ideal time to knock off some crucial, but tedious tasks. Prevent … [Read more...]
Preparing for the Mad Rush of Fall
“Determine never to be idle.” —Thomas Jefferson Summertime is wonderful for people. Accrued time off is put to use and mostly everyone is happy to be outdoors. Most businesses are not on vacation, though the sum of their parts may be. It's easy to let the effects of the outside world's affability creep through your doors, turn to the alluring … [Read more...]
How Managers Can Manage in Off-Hours
As great as your company-commanding responsibilities and pressures are, you need to accommodate yourself outside of the office, where you are (presumably) just another law abiding citizen with some other commitments or interests. Having advised several business owners and executives, I have seen where personal sacrifices were necessary and where … [Read more...]
When You Need That Bigger Boat: Finding Key Employees
“The employer generally gets the employees he deserves.” J. Paul Getty The watershed moment in any business is when you as an entrepreneur, turn to your partner and say, “We need to hire someone.” Hiring is one of the toughest skills to obtain. I use a very technical, specific method to hire law clerks. Everyone — from the receptionist … [Read more...]
Getting Trained, Priceless
“The world doesn’t need more lawyers, the world needs more good attorneys.” - Joshua Brinen For those of you who don’t know (and let’s be honest, that would be about 99.9 percent of you), I’ve recently undertaken the lengthy process for getting admitted to law school — well, attempting, rather. While I manned the front desk a few days ago, I … [Read more...]
From the Peanut Gallery
“My dad works to make money, to buy ice cream.” - Eleanor Brinen In the spirit of The Family Circus, I have turned over this week's blog post to my daughters, Eleanor, Fran, and Abigail (with some thoughtful editing by my wife). The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of the management. Today is father’s Day, so we want to talk … [Read more...]
On Newsstands Today
“It takes twenty years to make an overnight success.” - Eddie Cantor I’m pleased to announce that Brinen & Associates is featured in the issue of Forbes magazine that is now on the newsstands in the New York market. The firm is profiled highlighting our corporate and securities practice and our accomplishments in serving the needs of small … [Read more...]
