Credibility…

I started a new book a few days ago and I am really digging it.  It is called “Dracula The Undead” and is an official sequel to the original horror classic, “Dracula.”  And why is it an “official” sequel?  Because it was written by Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, the author of “Dracula.” 

 

Now I am not into horror things.  I think the scariest movie I ever saw was “Crossroads” with Britney Spears and I certainly won’t read horror novels.  I tend to fret about the bumps in the night.  But I picked up this book for one reason– it was written by a member of the Stoker family.  I happened to read the original “Dracula” only a few months ago, an annotated version which was absolutely spectacular, and I figured this one would be interesting.  So I started reading and I am now deeply enthralled by it; the characters are familiar, the writing is dark and gothic, and the book is something I can really sink my teeth into. 

 

But what if it hadn’t been written by a Stoker?  Well I can honestly tell you that I wouldn’t have even thought twice about picking it up.  I’m not into vampire stuff; no Twilight for me; no True Blood or Anne Rice novels either.  But because it had been written by a Stoker, it had to be good right?  It had to be “real,” not some knock-off.

 

And that got me thinking.  Is my experience reading this book colored by the name of the author?  Does the book garner instant credibility with me because of that one fact such that I can see it as doing no wrong?  Critics out there will lambast the novel, purists will cringe… but the book will be good because of that name, right?

 

Seriously, what better way to build credibility than to have a name that stands out, that people will hear and instantly associate with something positive, something dependable, something reputable?  Many of us don’t have that luxury of being born with the right name.  So we have to build credibility in other ways.

 

Many of you are like me.  We are still growing in our careers, we are still establishing ourselves, and every day we are faced with another challenge to prove ourselves, to find a way to establish that credibility.  So how do we do it?

 

Well, some people find ways to self-promote.  They take out advertisements, put out press releases, or even send out mass emails touting their successes and expertise.  Others ask people for testimonials, with which they slather their webpage or brochures.  And others just hope that by keeping their head down and doing good work, they can build that credibility.

 

I don’t know which one is right.  I can tell you that the people who write blogs or mass emails are typically pompous and narcissistic and have nothing important to say, writing mostly to see their words in print.  I am glad I’m not one of those people!

 

Look, I don’t have the answers.  Everyday I am trying to find ways to establish that credibility, to have potential clients and referral sources look past my runway model-looks and boyish features and see me as a consummate professional with experience, expertise and excitement. (Ok, the last one didn’t fit, but the alliteration was too good, right?)

 

And I think that is something we all are wrestling with, right?  This week, I don’t have any answers, I don’t have any advice.  But as I was driving home it occurred to me, I need to find a way to have instant credibility, that people will trust me and believe in me just by hearing my name.  A brand that will trigger that type of positive reaction, of confidence. 

 

So my friends, I am a work in progress.  I will employ all of the devices I mentioned and even some I come up with along the way.  Who knows, maybe narcissim is the way to go?  You all are reading this, right?

 

Until I figure it out, however, I am, and always will be:

 

Yours truly,

 

Robert Lee Bailey Cochrane Bugliosi Dershowitz Lincoln

History Lesson

Time for some history–

  

“Our earnest effort is to help these people upward along the stony and difficult path that leads to self-government.” 

 

How about this one?

 

“Of course, the best that can happen to any people that has not already a high civilization of its own is to assimilate and profit by American or European ideas, the ideas of civilization and Christianity… the prerequisite condition to the moral and material advance of the peoples who dwell in the darker corners of the earth.” 

 

And this one?

 

“The Americans give out and write in their papers that the[y] are completely pacified, and that the[y] love Americans and their rule.  This, doubtless with good motives, is complete and utter humbug, for the country is honeycombed with insurrection and plots; the fighting has never ceased; and the natives loathe the Americans and their theories, saying so openly in their native press, and showing their dislike in every possible fashion.  Their one idea is to be rid of the U.S.A. to have their government in their own hands.”

 

 

So, any guesses?  I will give you a hint… they were all said in the early part… of the 20th century.  The first one was spoken to Congress in 1901 and the last two were taken from periodicals published in 1905.

 

I just finished a book called “The Imperial Cruise” by the gentleman who wrote “Flags Of Our Fathers” about the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima.  Now, I have read difficult books before, books about brutal murders, horror themes, and certainly genocide and the Holocaust.  This one was equally as hard because it described atrocities committed by Americans.  And why were these atrocities taking place?  Because the American government, in these instances led by President Roosevelt (the one on Mt. Rushmore, no less), felt that the people in nations such as the Philippines were just too uncivilized to take care of their own needs that indoctrination into the American way of life was not only necessary, but was ordained by a higher power. 

 

It is too lengthy of a subject for discussion here, but the hypothesis of the book is that the seeds of World War II were planted at the turn of the 20th century by the first President Roosevelt and his determination that the Aryan-Teutonic blood that was the source of American greatness should be spread to the third-world countries who knew no better yet desperately needed America’s training and guidance to become civilized.

 

I do not know enough about politics to speak competently, but my hope is that the mindset that led to the creation of concentration camps in Cuba, waterboarding and massacres of Filipinos, the violent overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, and the blatant discrimination and violence against Chinese in California (to name a few), has been replaced by one of peace and tolerance.  I hope against hope that if the United States is still, to this day, undertaking missions to third-world nations to indoctrinate them into the American way of life, that such efforts are being undertaken for the benefit of humanity and the world itself, and not because some politicians feel that God has given them the responsibility to do so.

 

I anticipate that many of you will have strong feelings about these subjects and I welcome you to share them.  My goal with this article is not to espouse a position or political theory of my own.  I received my degree in college in History and am adamant that History is more than just dates and events and regurgitation of facts.  Look back over the last 1000 years.  History Does Repeat Itself, unless you learn from it and take steps not to allow it to happen again.

 

Thank you wholeheartedly for reading and putting up with my thoughts.

 

Memories…

 Looking back on the past few weeks, I notice that I have been way too serious.  All of this stuff about politics and dysfunctional families and dishonest professionals… I am tired of it and need a break and hopefully you do too.  So in that vein, I present the following:

 It seems like everywhere you look there is a mission to bring back the glory days.  Remaking movies and television shows, re-recording songs, and don’t get me started on all of the retro fashions and car designs.  Did anyone really think that a remake of “Knight Rider” would be better than the original with The Hoff himself?

 So I have compiled a list of things that I miss, that will always have a special place for me or that can never be remade or duplicated.  Enjoy…

 1) MTV (Music Television):  There was a time when you could turn on MTV and see music videos, cool dance moves, and hear some funky grooves.  Now you turn on MTV and see the celebutantes and talent-less, The Hills and Jersey Shore.  Sometimes I just want a cool music video.  They say Video Killed the Radio Star, but Video Stars are now a thing of the past too.

 2) Socially Aware and Educational Rap and Hip-Hop Songs:  Everything I know I learned from rap and hip-hop during my formative years.  For example, who didn’t learn from The Fresh Prince that parents just don’t understand, or from Mellow Man Ace that “mentirosa” means “liar” in spanish, or that a white guy named Snow can make millions by rapping about an informer (a licky boom boom now)?  Or, to go a step further, have you ever heard better advice than that promoted by Bell Biv Devoe, that you can’t trust a big butt and a smile?  This type of music is a thing of the past, overtaken by gangster rap and words such as “crunk” and “chronic.”

 3) Non-Political Music:  Keeping in the same genre, I miss music that had no point.  Nowadays it seems like songs are written to espouse a political conviction. Did “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” have a social message attached to it?  When Lionel Ritchie sang about Dancing on the Ceiling, was he talking about global warming?  Yet so many songs these days seem to be bent politically.  Leave the political stuff to REM, please.

 4) Communism:  Ok, don’t get me wrong with this one.  The tearing down of the Wall was an incredible event in my lifetime.  But without the Russians as enemies there was no one else for Tom Clancy to write about.  Sure, he dabbled in the arena of the IRA and Middle East, but his best books dealt with Communism and Glasnost and the KGB.  And I blame the fall of Communism for why Tom Clancy has not written a book in the last 10 years or so.

 5) Battle of the Network Stars:  I used to love these, filmed at Pepperdine, the television stars competing in obstacle courses, swimming events, and track and field events.  It all seemed so fun and was a blast to watch.  And maybe I am biased.  I had an opportunity to go to the taping of the Battle of the Network Stars and it was such a great time; of course, it didn’t hurt that Tony Danza said hello to me, which was a thrill.

 Which leads me to number 6:

 6) Tony Danza:  We all knew he was the boss right?  He doesn’t need a talk show or a one-man song and dance routine– he needs another sitcom and fast.  Life hasn’t been the same without him.  Bring back Mona too, if you want.

 7) Boxing:  Look, we all know that boxing is not the same as it used to be.  I couldn’t name you 5 current professional boxers, but we all knew about Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, Larry Holmes, and Sugar Ray Leonard.  Hey, we even knew about Gerry Cooney, not just because he did those Norelco commercials (didn’t he?).  But boxing like that is a thing of the past, taken over in prominence by MMA and Ultimate Fighting.  Bring back the sweet science; I am faint of heart and cannot take the MMA stuff and I miss the “Main Events.”

 8) Tom Hanks:  I know he is still around making movies.  But I miss the Tom Hanks who cross-dressed on “Bosom Buddies” and who was in such classics as “Bachelor Party” and “Big.”  I heard a rumor that a remake of “Bachelor Party” is in the works, but can you really improve upon perfection?  Tom Hanks was a comedian and a great physical comic.  “Forrest Gump” and “Philadelphia” and “Saving Private Ryan” were great films, but I miss the silliness of “The Man With One Red Shoe.”

9) The Wicked Witch of the West:  This one really has me baffled.  With the success of the novel and Broadway musical “Wicked” people are looking at the WW of the W as a sympathetic character, misunderstood if you will.  I miss the days when the WW of the W was the worst villain in cinema history, providing millions upon millions of kids each year with nightmares.  I will not be swayed!  I had the worst nightmares of my life after watching The Wizard of Oz and not you or anyone else can convince me that she is anything other than pure evil… “I’ll get you my pretty…” still makes me shiver with fright.

 

And finally… the thing I miss most:

 

10) My grandfather:  Ok, so this one is a little sentimental but when I look back on my childhood and all the good things in it, I think of him.  I was so incredibly lucky to have him as long as I did.  When I was little a promise was made that when Phil and I turned 21 we would be taken to Las Vegas.  January 22, 1997 we were in Las Vegas and a little more than a month later my grandfather had passed away.  We all believe he hung around long enough to follow through on the promise made to two very tiny, young boys.  He was one of the most special people I have ever met.  I can still remember his greetings of “Hey Joe, what do you know?” and his smell of Aramis cologne.  I miss him every day.  I think he would have liked who I turned into, would have adored Amy the way I do, and would have gotten a huge kick out of his great-grandaughter.  He was a special person and that is why Brooklyn gets his Hebrew named from him.  All of the other stuff is just fluff, but as time goes by, beautiful and important people have to pass by as well.  Enjoy the time you have with them.

 

 Ok, I have others but I think I have gotten the big ones off of my chest.  Just because technology improves and people evolve, it doesn’t mean that what was before wasn’t awesome. 

Abracadabra

Friends:

 As many of you know, I love magic.  No, I personally cannot do any magic.  My running joke is that my wife, Amy, does the magic in the family.  She makes my money disappear!  (crickets)  But, I do enjoy the art of the mysterious, prestidigitation, and all of the voodoo associated with Houdini and Blackstone and Doug Henning.

 But my friends, the art of misdirection and transportation should be kept to the masters of the dark arts.  Lately I have seen more and more examples of other professionals engaging in the art of illusion.  Lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, financial advisors, they have all practiced sleight of hand on occasion.  With the economy the way it is, it is difficult to get a potential client to walk in the door.  And once they walk in, who wants to let them walk out without signing your retainer or engaging your services?  So these professionals tell them whatever they think the client wants to hear.  They make promises, they give guarantees, and then they salivate as the client writes the check.  But then what happens when it comes time to perform?

 A potential client called me to inquire if I could help her pursue her former attorney.  Seems that the attorney promised that he could arrange a loan modification for her mortgage, and in return the client paid him $1,000.00.  As the process wore on, the attorney kept the client informed that the loan modification was progressing nicely, nothing to worry about; until the client received a lawsuit for unlawful detainer from someone who purchased the property at the foreclosure sale.  Turns out the attorney took the money, made promises, lied along the way, and then couldn’t deliver, and more importantly he wouldn’t break the news to the client. 

 We as audience members suspend our disbelief, allowing ourselves to be deceived by the prospect of the supernatural.  But our clients are not audience members and we are not conjurers to the willingly misled.  Our clients don’t want to be duped into believing that everything will be alright; they want someone who will be honest with them and play it straight with them.

 An Admission:  As a young attorney trying to make a name and bring in business, someone would call and I would promise them the world.  I had the best intentions because I was that confident in my skills (immature as they were).  But I found that I was doing my clients a disservice.  Sure they want the best representation around, but they also want someone they can trust and I believe that a long-term relationship is more likely if I am up-front with them from the outset.  It is easier to prepare a client for bad news then it is to try to explain away a poor result that you knew was coming.

 So I have changed my tactic.  I am honest, sometimes brutally so, with a client’s chances for success.  If I think that a judge is going to rule against us, I tell the client.  I don’t downplay the risks involved and then act shocked when things don’t go our way.  I think that my client appreciates it and is more likely to trust me and return to me for further assistance. 

 So a challenge for this week (and maybe further into the future).  Be honest, brutally so if necessary.  Your client will appreciate it if you let them know that there is no way they are getting a refund on their return or their portfolio won’t grow 90% by next Thursday.  And if they don’t appreciate it, do you even want them as a client?