These questions were in preparation for next week's guest speaker.  The Concept - Find a business coach that would like to join MABE.  On occasion, MABE would pay this person to do a seminar.   This would be an added benefit to members and bringing people in.  It would also be a good use of the accumulated money in our account.  We would like to bring in 2 or 3 coaches as guests so we can determine a good fit for our group.

Main Discussion

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E-Mail:  curran134@cox.net

I'm saddened by a couple of things.  I got an email from a MABE member yesterday.  This member feels MABE has distanced itself from the original concept and become too leads-focused.  We no longer seem to share observations and feelings.  The group has become polarized for fear of members looking unsuccessful.  So today I am going to cut the b*#$*t and tell the truth.  I am going to tell you about my experiences, what I got out of them and hopefully you will get something out of them too.   

I was born in New York but moved to Detroit at 6 years old.  I entered into the for-profit world at 11.  I carried golf bags, worked for florist, spent a summer in an 18-wheeler...lot of odd jobs.  I lived in the suburbs of Detroit until 18.  I then went to live in a dorm at the University of Michigan.

I joined a fraternity my second year of college and began to develop my major...bar hopping and sleeping in.  I took lot of courses (calculus, accounting) that had right answers.  I did poorly that first year, gained 70 pounds and was miserable.  It became clear that I needed to get into courses where there were no right answers.  I started taking a bunch of arts courses.  I moved into another area of study, dropped weight, and got involved. 

I continued working odd jobs while going to college.  I worked in restaurants and went back to the golf ground crew.  I did some telecommunications which ended up being a great, great experience.  I learned how to talk on the phone.  All along the way I have met a variety of people.

After college I took a year off and spent 8 weeks in Europe.  I came back and made my parents proud by getting a job cutting grass.  I then went to Vail for ski season.   While their I got a job managing an ice arena.  I met some interesting people here too.  I probably haven't worked as hard since.  Vail was an expensive place to live.  I worked 60+ hours a week just to pay the bills. 

I started applying for law schools.  I was accepted to two.  ASU which cost $5000 per year and the Catholic University Law School, a top law school in Washington DC.  I chose ASU...sunny and cheap.  I don't regret the decision at all.  I love Arizona. 

I was exposed to many different areas of the law in school.  I thought I would set the world on fire.  But I found myself in community where everyone (law students) had done well.  After the first semester became quite clear I would not become employable based on my grades.  I took a step back and asked myself "what am I going to do?"  To secure future employment I started working right away.  I even worked in the insurance defense office with State of AZ.  I helped represent the state against prisoner's claims. 

I also had the opportunity to work with a firm that had high-end business clients.  I still think of them as some of the greatest lawyers I ever worked with.  I learned an awful lot from them but the main thing  was that there is almost nothing in the law you can't find a precedent for if you are creative enough and willing to do some research.  All I did was read the law for 3 years.  It helped me a lot for the rest of my career.

I was also exposure to criminal law.  I did jail visits.  I was around during a very ugly criminal matter which helped me realize the stakes were too high in this area of law.  I could not live with self if someone I knew was innocent lost their liberties due to my inability to convince jury.

Fast Forward...I graduated law school.  I had school debts coming due soon so I started interviewing for jobs.  I was asked the question, "why did I go to law school?"  (The real answer was that I was hiding from the real world.)  Did I want to work for faceless corporations or real people?  I wanted to work with real people.  I took an associate position for a firm where I learned a lot about personal injury law.  The firm eventually broke up.  I went with one of the attorneys but didn't get along with his wife.  On Christmas eve I was fired...which I deserved.  I decided to start own practice.  It was 10 years ago in January that I opened up with just a phone and chair and a handful of clients.

Over the course of the years I have had many ups and downs.  I mentioned people and jobs to show that I have been all over the country club. One thing I picked up was that wherever I've gone - high or low end - there have been good guys and bad guys, rich and poor, black and orange, etc.  My experiences have helped me an awful lot regarding the advocacy I do on behalf of clients.  I don't tug at heart strings anymore.  It is rarely affective.  I advocate along the lines of rules. 

There are high and lows of being in business for myself. I am currently being sued for money I don't have.  I closed a business that owes money.  My firm is in debt.  All my assets are down in value.  I have a partner that can't contribute at all. 

Why am telling you these things now?  I am trying to bring this speech full circle, back to the email I got from that MABE member yesterday.  We have heard it many times in this meeting, "these are tough economic times".  Nobody in this room hasn't been affected.  I have represented enough people with devastating injuries to know that any security we think we might have is nothing but an illusion.    But with all of these negative things said...I'm a relatively young man with a breath of experience. 

Hopeful you have been entertained, informed and maybe even inspired.