Mentorship in Motion: Reflections from a Summer with Our Summer Associates

This summer, I’ve had the privilege of working more closely with the Lathrop GPM class of summer associates as one of the work coordinators. Having experienced a summer program disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic firsthand, I’ve especially appreciated the chance to help this talented group navigate what is, in some ways, a two-month job interview—all while also exploring career paths, learning about different legal practices, locating the printers and bathrooms, and hopefully enjoying a bit of the beautiful Twin Cities summer in between.

Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgic projection for an experience I didn’t fully get to enjoy, but I genuinely hope our summer associates walk away feeling supported during this unique and formative stage of their legal journey. To me, that’s the essence of mentorship.

My Dog Ate My Balance Sheet

Recently, I was sad to say goodbye to my border-collie/heeler rescue mix of eight years, Trapper. Maybe a hazard of the trade being a lawyer, but I’ve wondered—even struggled—to put the appropriate value on his life the past few months as I’ve attempted to process his death and its impact on me.

Most pet owners would acknowledge that pets—like boats—are sunk costs, not useful investments. Special diet food, an endless stream of veterinary bills—Trapper, was, if anything, expensive. I like to think he just had lavish tastes.

That isn’t to say that dog ownership doesn’t have its measurable benefits. Numerous studies demonstrate that dog owners have a lower risk of dying, likely by reducing stress and anxiety. Employers with dogs present at the office found less absenteeism. As reported at Entrepreneur.com and Fast Company a recent survey of almost 900 CEOs revealed some interesting links between success in business and pet ownership. Not surprisingly, 93% grew up with a pet; more surprisingly, 78% partially attribute their career success in part to owning a pet. Also, nearly a quarter believed that pet ownership taught them more than their first internship!

But, of course—dollars and cents can’t fully capture the value of a dog.

Musicians and Entrepreneurship

Frequent readers of my entreVIEW posts (all three of you) know that I’m also a musical theatre enthusiast. The truth is, I’m just a fan of music in general. I have been known to curate playlists (long before they were known as playlists) for different activities and like to have music playing at every opportunity (even sometimes on the Pickleball court!).

Sometimes, my love for music and musical theatre can even intersect. The jukebox musical has become increasingly prevalent on (and off) Broadway. This genre includes this season’s:

Twin Cities Summer Music Opportunities: Get Out and Enjoy!

Since moving to the Twin Cities, my wife and I have always loved and appreciated the community’s strong commitment to the arts. From catching a musical at the Orpheum, to attending concerts at the Minnesota Orchestra, to impromptu open mic nights at our local brewery, we are constantly surrounded by a talented and passionate group of musicians that makes us feel at home.

This year, the Minnesota Orchestra said goodbye to its music director, Osmo Vänskä, who led the orchestra for nearly two decades and has been a pillar in our arts community. During his farewell tour, many fans have shared stories of Vänskä performing throughout the cities and prioritizing our community, reminding me of how lucky we are to have this flourishing community.

Bill Flanagan, Fifty in Reverse (Tiller Press, 2020)

OK, I’ll admit that I have a particular penchant for tales of time travel. That said, I have resisted visiting this genre for almost nine years, with my review here being my last that touches on a story of this type. I’ve revisited another favorite topic, the 1970s, much more recently here. A whole host of Wonder Years have flowed under the bridge since I’ve read something that has combined both favorite topics.

But here’s the thing: Fifty in Reverse is more than the sum of these two parts.  Here’s the story of a sixty-something empty nester who goes to sleep in 2020 and wakes up as his 15-year-old self in 1970, fully aware of his circumstances and the future that lies ahead of him. This is a story for all of us for whom the past year has seemed somehow unhinged in time. Show of hands: who else has experienced a perpetual Groundhog Day feeling as they’ve gone about their daily business over the past year?

The fantasy, of course, is that, with fifty-some years of foreknowledge going for you, you’d be set to profit handsomely from both the ups and the downs of the economy. It would be an entrepreneur’s dream. Imagine knowing what the next big thing is going to be before anyone else is even three steps behind you. Maybe that’s what it was like to be Steve Jobs (or maybe he was just seemingly always able to create the next big thing…)

That’s not how this story works out, though. No spoilers here, but this is a fresh take on the time-travel theme, particularly suited for pandemic homebound readers.

Some People Try to Find Love by Casting a Wide Net; Dating Apps Use the Same Strategy to Get Your Business

Many people recently celebrated Valentine’s Day with that special someone. Others celebrated Singles Awareness Day on February 15. And, although only a few days have passed since Valentine’s Day, it’s very likely there are some recently single folks out there who were not single on February 14. For those single people, after you’ve had a good dose of some classic country heartbreak hits (try Hank Williams – “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” or Miranda Lambert – “Kerosene”) to see you through these bleak times, take heart and read on. This article is here to help you understand the lay of the land for dating apps, so you’ll be ready for February 14, 2022.

Numerous iconic brands that surround us on a daily basis are owned by a relatively small number of large conglomerates. The auto industry is a great example. Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Maserati are just some of the brands owned by Stellantis N.V. Volkswagen AG owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen, to name a few. There are large players with huge brand portfolios that dominate the alcohol industry. ABInBev’s massive list of brands includes Goose Island, Michelob and Modelo. The consumer goods industry is no different. Brands that Proctor & Gamble has an ownership interest in include Charmin, Febreze and Tide. Unilever plc counts Dove, Lipton and Ben & Jerry’s as some of the recognizable names under its roof.

Just as these automobile, alcohol and consumer goods conglomerates have a wide spectrum of offerings, so do dating apps. Dating apps have been designed to be inclusive and cover a wide swath of users’ backgrounds. As parent companies acquire dating apps for their brand ownership portfolios, they increase their reach and are able to capture more users. As seen in the examples below, many of the commonly known dating apps are just one of many in a portfolio owned by a parent company. However, there are some key players that are notable exceptions to having a portfolio of many brands. One such exception is Bumble, which was listed on the Nasdaq exchange on February 11, 2021 and was valued at $13 billion.

Syringe Saves Santa

In a year where we have heard a lot of “no,” one recent development had people (children, mostly) across
the world excitedly yelling “yes!”

Santa, who is arguably one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, had a tough task ahead of him this year. Like all good entrepreneurs, Santa adapted throughout the holiday season, including by hosting gift-giving brainstorming sessions remotely in lieu of his annual mall visits. Even with his adaptations, however, maintaining social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travel would have made Santa’s already challenging task of delivering gifts to children across the world impossible.

As a frontline worker, Santa recently had an unexpected visit to the North Pole from Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Dr. Fauci saved the day, explaining, “I took a trip up there to the North Pole. I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney, he can leave the presents, he can leave, and you have nothing to worry about.” 

With the go-ahead to travel (by reindeer, of course), Christmas was saved by Dr. Fauci and a team of scientists. Santa Claus did, in fact, come to town — masked and vaccinated!

Hang in there, entrepreneurs. If your adaptations don’t solve all of your problems, the cure may be just around the corner.

You Deserve a Break Today

Stepping away from work and going on vacation can be a struggle. With the weight of business on your shoulders, it is so easy to convince yourself that there just isn’t time for a break. After all, there are always more numbers to hit, business to obtain, and goals to achieve.

These reasons may even seem more important this year due to the impact of the global pandemic on your business. And — truthfully — there probably is not a perfect time to go on vacation. However, stepping away from work is not only beneficial for your mental and physical health, it is also important for the health of your business.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together: A Brief History

If you’re like me, at this time of the year, you have one thing on your mind: the Great Minnesota Get-Together (also known as the Minnesota State Fair).

The fair, located on a massive 322 acres, is a highly popular event, attracting more than 2 million people annually. It employs over 80 full-time year-round individuals, adding 450 seasonal staff members in the summer. It also hires over 2,300 fair-time staff members. In 2018, the fair brought in $57.3 million in revenues. The fair is further estimated to have generated a whopping $268 million in economic impact for the Twin Cities as a whole.

Have you ever wondered how this great event came to be? Its roots trace all the way back to 1854, where it first began as a territorial fair. The fair as it’s known today was first held in 1859, a year after Minnesota was granted statehood. At that time, the fair’s location changed annually, moving between Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Red Wing, Winona, and Owatonna. It wasn’t until 1885, when the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners donated 210 acres to the State Agricultural Society, that the fair found a permanent home at its present location in St. Paul. Because the fair’s original purpose was to encourage farming in the state of Minnesota, the fair in its early days was comprised of mostly agricultural-related exhibits and competitions.

Over the years, the fair has expanded its activities. 1899 saw the introduction of grandstand shows and fireworks. Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the fair in 1901 and delivered his famous line, "speak softly and carry a big stick." In 1947, the Pronto Pups (and other tasty foods on a stick) were first introduced. The Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition started in 1954. The beloved Sweet Martha’s cookies hit the fair in 1979.

Despite the fair’s expansion in activities and in size, agriculture has consistently remained the primary focus and heart of the fair. There are still several exhibits and competitions dedicated to just that — agriculture. This year, consider stopping by these exhibits or take a moment to watch a competition to pay homage to the fair’s roots and to appreciate how far the fair has come since then.

Tara Westover, Educated: A Memoir (Random House, 2018)

One characteristic shared by all entrepreneurs is a drive to overcome obstacles in following a dream. Like most entrepreneurs, our clients at Gray Plant Mooty dream on a daily basis of pushing boundaries, building businesses, and creating value … and perhaps getting away from the polar vortex and unrelenting winter weather we’ve been having!

Others demonstrate the drive to improve, to expand, and to create in other spheres of endeavor. Such is the case of Tara Westover. Raised in rural Idaho, she was supposedly home-schooled (but actually left to her own devices) by survivalist parents who mistrusted the government, the medical profession, and formal education in equal measures. Family dynamics routinely encompassed physical and mental abuse.

A spark of curiosity develops into a quest for knowledge that leads her, via Brigham Young University, to a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, a fellowship at Harvard, and a doctorate from the University of Cambridge, but not without some bumps in the road. The strain of straddling two worlds leads to a mental breakdown along the way, but in the end the dream is within her grasp.

Included in former President Barack Obama’s 2018 summer reading list, this book is a remarkable memoir of a young woman caught between two worlds as she works to follow her dreams in the face of great obstacles.

The World Will Keep Turning Without You—How to Address Pre-Vacation Stress

Now that the Minnesota State Fair has come and gone, students are back in school, and temperatures are cooling off in Minnesota, I have started to prepare for fall. This includes preparing for my fall vacation.

Like many people, I know all too well how the period before a vacation can be filled with stress.  Luckily, I recently ran across an article in the Harvard Business Review, “How to Take the Stress Out of Taking Time Off,” written by time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders. Saunders offers a few suggestions on reducing what she typically sees as the two types of pre-vacation work stress: (1) completing work before a vacation, and (2) being away from the office.

Saunders’s tips include:

1. Planning ahead to prioritize and complete “must-do” projects;
2. Partnering with peers to cover for you; and
3. Deciding, and communicating to your team, what projects you will not do until you return.

Saunders’ fourth tip, and in my opinion, the most important is that “…if you can truly unplug, do.”

Exercise: Coming Soon to Your Workplace?

Like most people who work in an office, I spend most of my workday sitting. Although I periodically use a standing workstation or walk to the printer (right outside my office), my workday is generally a sedentary affair. Exercise is part of my evening and weekend schedule.  

Perhaps that is why a recent article in the Harvard Business Review by Carl Cederstrom and Torkild Thanem titled “The Swedish CEO Who Runs His Company Like a CrossFit Gym” caught my eye. The article profiles Bjorn Borg, a Swedish sports fashion company (yes, named for the tennis star), and in particular, its CEO, Henrik Bunge. Bunge, not like some other CEOs, has implemented mandatory company workouts.  Think your yoga class or boot-camp session at the office. That sounds simultaneously inspiring and terrifying.
  
Bunge is part of a generation of CEOs who are throwing concepts like “transformational” and “authentic” leadership to the wayside in favor of “fitness leadership.” The theory is that work and fitness go hand-in-hand: Much like at the gym, the harder you work, the better your results. Bunge was brought in as CEO in 2014, when the company was struggling. His view was that the 60 employees had to “train harder, measure our goals better, and become a better team” and that success could be achieved through a marriage of exercise and work. All employees are now required to take fitness tests twice a year and there are mandatory Friday fitness classes, team wall squat and push-up competitions, and the occasional game of ping pong. 

An Entrepreneurial Approach to Everyday Life

During a recent meeting with my book club—a dynamic group of women attorneys—the discussion turned to the “entrepreneurial spirit.” Often, conversations about entrepreneurs focus on folks that start companies. However, an entrepreneurial spirit is much more than starting a company—it is a way of approaching life and interacting with the world.

For example, my club discussed how an entrepreneurial spirit can lead individuals to seek out and create employment opportunities that work with the flow and balance of their lives. In this context, an entrepreneurial spirit manifests itself as creative work solutions that challenge conventional workplace norms such as being in the office for a set amount of hours, and acknowledging that many people are more productive while working from home or between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Recommended Reading re: Resiliency in the Workplace

I recently had the opportunity to visit my law school as a guest faculty member, along with five other young lawyers, to speak about managing the early years of practice. Over three days of workshops, panels, and breakout sessions, we provided second and third-year law students with the “inside scoop” of what it is really like to practice as a young lawyer. Despite the various types of legal practice we represented (private practice at large and small firms, in-house corporate, government, and higher education), the overarching skill requirement was the same – resilience. 

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Though often considered in a personal context, resiliency is a critical skill for individuals who work in a fast-paced, high-stress environment.

In Rich Fernandez’s Harvard Business Review article, “5 Ways to Boost Your Resilience at Work,” he explains that “[m]any of us now work in constantly connected, always-on, highly demanding work cultures where stress and the risk of burnout are widespread. Since the pace and intensity of contemporary work culture are not likely to change, it’s more important than ever to build resilience skills to effectively navigate your worklife.”

Fernandez's article is a quick read that offers five tips based on neuroscience, behavioral, and organizational research to help individuals develop and strengthen the resiliency skills necessary to stay motivated in the face of stress, failure, and missteps. Like any skill, resilience can be learned (and lost), making Fernandez’s article a great read for younger and more experienced workers alike.

30-Day Offline Shopping Challenge

I’d like to start this entry on a personal note, with a tribute to my dear uncle, Robert Mattern, who passed away on March 25 at the age of 80.

Uncle Bob was my first entrepreneurial inspiration. During my entire lifetime, he owned and ran Mattern’s Bait Shop in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and was still running his beloved shop at the time of his death.  As a child, I spent hours in the shop during every trip to Aberdeen, gently fingering the colorful lures and fancy rods on display, playing with the minnows in the tanks, and - most of all - observing Bob as he interacted with, and truly helped, his many loyal customers.  Bob’s obituary captured these relations well: “Customers sought out Mattern's expertise in fishing and hunting, his knowledge of the best fishing spots and his skill in repairing fishing reels, rods and ice augers.  Bob and [wife] Linda appreciate their customers and consider them friends.”

To me, this is the essence of the small business experience.  I love the personal touch, the joy of a bright and tidy display, the pleasant sounds of people working together, and the knowledge to be gained from an experienced shopkeeper.

The Magnolia Story

On HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines “take the worst house in the best neighborhood” and “turn it into their clients’ dream home.”  A husband-and-wife team, Chip manages the demolition and construction, and Joanna designs and styles the interior.  At the end of each episode, Chip and Joanna ask, “Are you ready to see your fixer upper?” as their clients eagerly await the first look at their newly-transformed home.  Now in their fourth season, Chip and Joanna have millions of viewers captivated by their playful rapport and signature modern, rustic style. 
    
In addition to raising four kids on a working farm and starring in a top-rated TV show, they run quite a few businesses in Waco, Texas. Their empire includes a real estate company, Magnolia Realty; a construction company, Magnolia Homes; a furniture line, Magnolia Home; another furniture line, Magnolia Home Furniture; a collaboration with Loloi rugs; a quarterly lifestyle magazine, Magnolia Journal; a bed and breakfast, The Magnolia House; a real estate subdivision, Magnolia Villas; their quarterly lifestyle magazine; and the Magnolia Market, a shopping and dining destination in downtown Waco. 

Jeffrey Pfeffer, Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time (Harper Business, 2015)

It’s been a while since I’ve written about a book that is actually about business, something I try to do from time to time (even though frequent readers know I trend toward historical fiction). Casting about for something to write about for this post, the perfect subject presented itself in a high-gloss alumni magazine that appears in my mailbox every other month. 

It seems a professor at Stanford Business School, Jeffrey Pfeffer, has written a somewhat iconoclastic analysis of the business leadership industry. Perfect. When it comes to business reading, my view (which I share with any number of our entrepreneurial clients) is this: The more iconoclastic, the better. The title—Leadership BS—makes it pretty clear whose ox is going to be gored. 

You Snooze, You Win

Did you get enough sleep last night?

Studies show that at least 40 percent of Americans are sleep deprived.  In Arianna Huffington’s new book, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, she asserts that we are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis. As a leader in the sleep revolution crusade, Huffington proclaims that the key to a more productive, joyful life is simply getting more sleep.

After collapsing from sleep deprivation and breaking her cheekbone on her desk, Huffington set out on a journey to study the sleep deprivation crisis. In The Sleep Revolution, Huffington explores the important role sleep plays in our lives, including the latest scientific studies and the history behind our dismissal of sleep. The scientific findings she includes are fascinating and provide a thorough explanation as to why sleep is vital to your health, creativity, productivity, and capacity to lead.  

What: Richard W. Moll, The Lure of the Law: Why People Become Lawyers, and What the Profession Does to Them (Penguin Books, 1991)

Why: A law degree is not a magic ticket to happiness (no surprise), but how you use it may be.

There’s something about the feel of a warm early-summer breeze as he contemplates a Canadian- fire-induced shimmering sunset that brings on a bout of navel-gazing in a lawyer approaching what should be his venerable years. Not that introspection is necessarily dependent on atmospheric conditions. After all, sociologists have long told us that lawyers, as a group, tend to be introverts. Some even go so far as to claim that this is a Good Thing.

Guilty as charged on the introversion thing, but as I look back, that’s not what led me to law school. My late father, whose advice over the years frequently pipes up at the back of my mind at opportune moments, would tell me that one could do almost anything with a law degree, a sort of general utility qualification for entrance into the professional classes. Dad was nothing if not practical, and I thought I detected a huge sigh of relief when I informed him that, when it came time to choose the fork in the road, I was turning toward law school and not graduate school in the liberal arts.

Gretchen Rubin’s Advice for Creatures of Habit

Do you have a bad habit that you want to change or a good habit that you want to develop? Most people want to change a habit related to the “essential seven”: eating healthier, exercising regularly, saving and spending wisely, relaxing better, accomplishing more, simplifying, and engaging more deeply in relationships.  Unfortunately, by the end of February, many of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions, because habits can be very difficult to change.  

In Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, Gretchen Rubin analyzes patterns of behavior and provides practical insights on how to make habits stick to improve your daily life.  Fans of The Happiness Project will recognize her signature style of self-help memoir with warm anecdotes and comprehensive research.