In the sprit of a tradition bestowed to my by my Tuskegee Airman, Freedom Fighter, College Professor Dad – Arthur C. Smith, who annually said,  “All Black People should be working TWICE as hard on MLK’s birthday…” I’m spending my at The Rainmaker Institute supporting attorneys in the development of their firms.

I can’t think of a more befitting form of self-expression of my admiration and commitment to humanity. Even as a very little girl, I remember my dad’s teachings and the sound of Martin Luther King’s voice resonating through our living room. I distincly recall how incredibly privileged I was to have a family around me who loved me so much.

Growing up, my parents made sure I had friends from across the globe from every imaginable faith, and ethnicity — yes, the little person in pink & gray is me!

Mom, Valerie Moultrie, reading to my nursery school class, at Oak Lane Day School in Blue Bell, PA - 1966

I quickly realized how strong and huge hearted my parents were and that they worked along with their friends and Martin Luther King to create our incredible United States as I know it. True – we have much work to do as humans in the realm of communication, compassion and cohesiveness. I am the last one to “sugar coat” anything!

I invite you to revisit Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech today — and allow yourself to be moved. I’ve no doubt his words will inspire you to continue manifest your dreams and serve those that matter most to you.

Our nation’s acknowledgement of Martin Luther King’s Birthday and the wonderful honor bestowed on The Tuskegee Airman — provides us all with an opportunity to remember the past and see how incredibly far we have come! Many, Many Blessings and Much Joy to you today as you celebrate human-kind!

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

My father, Arthur (Art) C. Smith passed away peacefully in early December, 2011.

Dad in Television Studio at Cheyney University

For the multitude of our family’s dear friends who are discovering about my dad’s passing for the first time as they read this,  I apologize for my delay relaying the news.  Our family wanted to make sure the memorial service held earlier this month was a quiet and personal family event.   The additional time gave me time to gather my thoughts and emotions, and present this article to you now.

My Step-Mom, Jan called me late one night to tell me dad had a stroke and I immediately flew back to Philadelphia.  I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be present for my dad’s return to consciousness for 2-days, eating and giving me a squeeze when I told him I loved him.

Dad holding my hand

Daddy died peacefully in his sleep about 5-days later.  Unfortunately, I was not able to return to Philadelphia for the beautiful memorial service on December 17, 2011 that Jan, my sister Lisa, Pam and Peter and Marcella put together for daddy.

However, as the media-mogul daughter that I am, I shot this video, which Peter graciously included in the video that showed throughout the service.  So, thank you to all of you for making sure I was “present”…

In the wake of Dad’s passing, I have been reunited with many of my family members who I hadn’t seen or spoken with in many years.  The link below goes to my cousin Kamau Smith’s photo album on Facebook containing photos from the memorial service.   (I had not spoken with him for more than 15-years!)

The gentlemen in blue jackets are Dad’s fellow Tuskegee Airmen who graciously came to honor Dad in style.

View photos of Arthur C. Smith’s memorial service on Facebook

Here is a far too brief overview of Art Smith’s life and accomplishments.

Art Smith attended Overbrook High School http://overbrookalumniassoc.org/ in Philadelphia, PA and was a member of the acclaimed Tuskegee Airmen.

He held a B.A. degree from Temple University and an M.A. in Fine Art from  Temple’s Tyler School of Art.

My sister Lisa and I followed in dad’s academic footsteps.  Me, with an M.A. in Media Studies and my sister Lisa, with an M.A. in Cross Cultural Education.

Dad taught at Fitz Simons Jr. High School in Philadelphia, where he was chair of the Arts Dept. for many years.   In 1968, Art accepted a position at Cheyney University.

He was greatly loved by his students at Cheyney and many of his students became lifelong friends, like Pam Gracy and Michael Bailey.

While there, he became the Director of the Educational Media Program and sponsor of the yearbook and the sponsor of the original models which groomed the students for the Miss Pennsylvania competition during his tenure at Cheyney.  Also he became the sponsor of the Cheyney University Video and Television Studios.

In 1988, Art retired from Cheyney after 20 years of dedicated service.  At age 9- Art won an art competition, and this motivated his interest in photography and art.  He was recognized as one of the most dynamic and creative artists of his time.

After retiring he became a docent at the African American Museum of Philadelphia.

He also donated photography and typography collections to the museum.  He was interested in history in general, and in the African American History in particular.

Dad was a member of the 1929 branch of the Association for the Study of African Life and History .  He was also the official photographer. photographer of Lewis Redding’s political campaign.

Long before the term, “thinking-out-of-the-box” was coined, Art thought out of the box.   His ideas and concepts were always a challenge to his family and friends.  Dad was sure to keep us laughing and on out toes one of his provocative jokes!

Art Smith’s intelligent wit always made you think.  Art was a familiar figure in the Germantown and Mt. Airy community.  He was the coordinator of Mt. Airy day for 2-years.  He was often seen riding his bike through the community and knew just about everyone.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Arthur C. Smith’s name to:
The Tuskegee Airman Scholarship Foundation
Greater Philadelphia Chapter

Arthur C. Smith  leaves behind a multi-generational legacy of fine artists, photographers, writers, and teachers. I could not be more proud to be my Daddy’s daughter.

Ashe –

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

The New York Times’ John Biggs has poseed an important question…

How much is a Tweet worth and how much does a Twtitter follower cost?

Noah Kravitz, a writer, worked for PhoneDog, a cell phone marketing company.  While there, he wrote for the company’s blog and acquired more than 17,000 Twitter followers. He left his job after 4-years and was intially told that he could keep his Twitter account and was requested to “tweet on their behalf from time to time and I said sure, as we were parting on good terms.”

twitter.com/phonedog_noah and the site Noah's last post directs you to have been "disconnected" for now...

I am among a fast growing number of marketing professionals who are building our reputations as online journalists via their blog and social media platforms.  In doing so, we are building our influence among our audience, and any employer interested in doing so for their company, will bring on professionals who are demonstrating their skills.

The “proof’s in the pudding” so to speak, and transparent actions speak much louder than words.  So, of course any savvy hiring manager will want to be on the lookout for the skill-set.

This being said, John’s statement below truly hit home…

… in a world where social media’s influence can mean the difference between a lucrative sale and another fruitless cold call, social media accounts at companies have taken on added significance.

The outcome of this case is going to set a precidence. Particularly, because more and more marketing and sales professionals are being hired because of their savvyness using Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms, and the number of followers they have acquired.

As employers, you’ll want to stay concious of what you’re paying your employees to do.  After all, if they’re being paid to sit in a seat and make calls, then their interactions on social media (and the followers they generate) — are personal.  They are not connected to the business you pay them to perform.

Transparency in business practices has never been more important.  So, specicifity in job descriptions and fair compensation from the outset will alleviate a multitude of problems later — not to mention the negative public relations impact a lawsuit against an ex-employee in good standing has on your company.

Similarly, if you are an employee of a firm and requested to blog and use social media as an addendum to the duties you were originally signed on to do, make sure the stipulations for doing so are in writing!! Expressing your professional opinion, ie: publicising your expertise on the company’s behalf, your writing skill, and the audience you attain, and the time it takes to create are all valuable skills that you should be compensated for.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Marketing and Small Business on Facebook

Social Media and MeetUps Keep Legal Marketers Connected

FourSquare – A Fun and Innovative Tool For Legal Marketers

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Facebook topped Google to become the most visited U.S. Web site, indicating a shift in how Americans are searching for content I talk to literally dozens of attorneys a week and they’re in one of two places when it comes to social media.  If you’re a lawyer or small business owner reading this, you’ll most likely find yourself in one of 3-places regarding your online platform:

1. You have a website and may even blog… when you have the time.  You already have Facebook and Linked In profile that you look at sporadically.
2. You have a website that either looks great or needs revamping, either way it is not enhancing your client intake or bottom line, and you’re “skeptically curious” about using social, so you haven’t set up any profiles.
3. You haven’t started developing an online presence yet.   But since the efforts and money that used to work when marketing your firm that used to work aren’t producing the return you’re looking for you’re curious and want to get started and aren’t sure how…

Here’s some “breaking news”, the entire world is using social media — so it’s very probable that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are viable resources for reaching viable consumers of your goods and services!

Infographic design by Nick Sigler

“Facebook is squarely at the center of this new universe, and much of what people do online these days starts there. But Facebook’s masterstroke has been to spread itself across the web and allow others to tap your network of friends. As a result, thousands of websites and apps have essentially become satellites that orbit around Facebook.”

Ready to jump in the pool, here are the steps to getting started:

Create Your Profile:
The first step to build your law firm or business presence on Facebook, is to create a personal profile.  Sign up for Facebook, upload a picture and add contact info in your profile. Once that’s done,  upload your existing contact database to see which of your contacts are already on Facebook and ask whichever ones you want to become your Friend.  This will get you up and running quickly rather than completely starting from scratch!

Create Your Company Page:
Once your  personal profile is set up, you can create a Company page for your law firm or business .   the best topics to fill your page with are, news, upcoming events, photos, etc., (Bear in mind that the most effective way to manage your social media platforms is with your blog as the master mind control panel!)
There are also applications that increase the functionality of the page.

If you already have a business website, having a business profile page on Facebook is still estremly important.  Your website is your storefront, your blog and social media are the doors and windows that enable people to find you, contact you and become clients and customers.   After all, you want to have a presence where your existing and prospective clients are spending their time online.

If you already know there’s tremendous potential of Return on your investment by using social to promote your business or legal practice and are looking for content management, relief and strategical maximization, call me at 917-856-5410.

Other articles you may be interested in:

A Great Legal Marketing Firm Tool to Optimize Twitter

Legal Marketers: Responding to social media inquiries is more important than you think

A Very Simple Twitter Formula for Generating Legal Marketing Business

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

September is my birth month, so it has always been a month of full of contemplation for me.  I was a New Yorker who, until the end of January, 2011,  worked on Wall Street for more than 15-years.  Thus, the occurrences of September 11th have made this time of remembrance all the more prevalent for me.

This year, the state-of-mind most prevalent for me is CHANGE and the manner in which I’ve implemented it over the last 10 years. So, this post is about honoring the people I’ve lost, not the sadness that I still feel over not having them in my life.  Instead, I’ve chosen to write about CHANGE.

For 10 years now, on September 11th, we’ve see an abundance of media images illustrating that day.  Personally, I avoid them.  Instead, I focus on my own good memories about the people I lost.

Today, I am in the midst of my annual thought processes, I am present to the changes I’ve put into place over the last 10-years.  I completed undergraduate and graduate school, started my own company, and recently relocated to Phoenix, Arizona and am working in the realm of one of my passions:  working with attorneys.

My vision for all of us feeling moved on this day is to bask in the memory of people we’ve lost by ‘riding the wake of their spirits’ and create, re-create, prosper & love each other fully.

Heather Morse over at the Legal Water Cooler made mention of CHANGE in her article “Best Quote Ever“.

Heather’s looking at the speed that we communicate now vs. only 7-years ago, and if legal marketers are ready take to take it on…

Honoring the memory of my friends and family who have passed,  and all those young spirits surrounding me, I’m going to shift this conversation into one about quality of life aka “business development and lifestyle”.

Heather’s right on point here…

I began educating attorneys about how social media works and the importance of it for their firm’s growth more than 3-years ago.  When I realized that what they needed was not only more information, it became obvious to me that I could not provide them with the services that supported their needs as a sole-proprietor.  This is why I implemented CHANGE, and began working as an Advisor at The Rainmaker Institute.

Keeping in mind this idea of a hyper-connected world, there are a few questions I think we need to ask ourselves:
*    Am I up to the challenge?
*    Am I willing to invest the time, money and resources to advance my practice/my business?
*    Am I willing to let the world continue to pass me by at hyper-speed?
*    If I do nothing different, what results will I achieve?

If you are an attorney or a marketing person working with a law group, your time is best spent practicing what you have mastery in, not talking on Facebook all day!  The Rainmaker Institute provides knowledge and Done-For-You services of Blogging and Social Media and Customized Newsletter Writing services that attorneys need.

Please give me a call at 480-648-2628 if you’re seriously ready to take on CHANGE.  I look forward to working with you on your firm growth goals and putting a plan into action!

If you’re an attorney struggling to build your practice, then you probably believe that the best way to use your time is by practicing law. The reality is, you are not in the business of practicing law. Your business is building relationships (also known as marketing) so that you can practice law.

This is the link to a powerful E-book written by Rainmaker Institute CEO, Stephen Fairley entitled, Top 10 Marketing Mistakes Attorneys Make & How to Avoid Them.

In this book you will learn specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too. The one thing you will NOT find within its pages is an ‘easy button’. Unfortunately, in the world of legal marketing there’s  simply no such thing! I can certainly attest to how much hard work, effort and money it takes to build a successful business and it will not happen overnight.

The great thing is, if you are willing to work we can help you make it happen!

As an advisor at The Rainmaker Institute, I work with solo and small firm legal practitioners to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy. In partnership with my clients, I support them to develop a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and empower them to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

Stephen Fairley, has helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice.

Echoing Stephen’s invitation, I invite you to download and print this e-book and read it with a pen and highlighter in hand. The specific strategies you’ll find within its pages, once applied, can make the kind of dramatic difference in your practice that lasts a lifetime.

If you are serious about implementing support services specifically designed for solo and small firm attorneys, please feel free to give me a call at 888-588-5891 Ext. 402 or send me an email at kara@therainmakerinstitute.com.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Kara Smith of Karasma Media Joins the Rainmaker Institute as a Rainmaker Advisor

Legal Marketers and Mid-Size Businesses – Let Your Commitments Do the Talking

The Amsterdam News Covers AALBC.com and Karasma Media Media Marketing Workshops

I looked up from my desk at The Rainmaker Institute yesterday afternoon, my attention drawn to the exclamations coming from two of my colleagues.

“Man, that was good!”,   It turns out that they had cheese steaks from Mike’s Burgers, Cheese Steaks and Ice Cream, located near our office in the Gilbert Town Center.  Now, our Director of Sales is a big guy, and he said, “At 6′6″ and 295 pounds, you know I’ve have a few cheese steaks, so for me to say this place is good…”

(I’m a Philly born & raised gal, so I’ll be taste testing this afternoon and updating this post a bit later!)

Mike’s Burgers, Cheese Steaks and Ice Cream has the look & feel of the malted shop on “Happy Days”, with the old-school warmth, hospitality and aromas of great food radiating.

Connect to Mike's Burgers on Facebook

His online platforms aren’t in full swing just yet, but do show him some love by Liking Him on Facebook .  (His page isn’t branded just yet — see, ol’ school goodness!!)

You can check out a really nice article about the restaurant’s re-launch in

The Arizona Republic.

Mike’s will be adding family special event nights, like family night where kids eat ree, two-for-one burgers, and $1 Scoop Wednesdays!

Owner, Mike Canzona impressed me so much when I met him, that talking with him got my creative muse in action.  I’ll be adding faves to my Phoenix Hot Spots page as I continue on my new adventure of life out west.  Stay tuned!

Kara works with  small to mid-size business and  legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy.  This new design provides a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

You may already realize that I relocated from New York City to Phoenix, Arizona and I am very proud to announce my new position as a Rainmaker Advisor with a remarkable legal marketing company, Stephen Fairley’s Rainmaker Institute.

Over the last 3 years, I’ve talked with literally hundreds of solo practitioners and partners in small law firms who were faced with the need to manage their firms as successful business enterprise.  Unfortunately, my do-it-yourself seminars were not products in high demand from lawyers who already worked 60-80 hour work-weeks.

One, cold Saturday evening in mid-January, after returning from an annual visit with my mother in Arizona, I was writing a press release in my apartment office. That was the moment I decided it was time for a dramatic change in my life.

So, I bought myself and my cat a plane ticket, started taking pictures of my belongings for Craig’s List and posted an announcement of my impending departure.

Shortly after I published my relocation announcement, I received this Direct Message from Stephen Fairley on Twitter.

In April of 2009, I wrote this article for Stephen’s magazine, The Rainmaker Advisor, “7 Essential Tools You Need to Manage Your Law Firm’s Online Reputation & Position Yourself as an Expert”, so I was acutely aware of The Rainmaker Institute’s dedication to excellence and integrity.

I am excited to say that going forward, all of the legal marketing business I conduct will be through The Rainmaker Institute in my position as a Rainmaker Advisor.

For the last 12 years, the programs Stephen developed have helped more than 7,000 attorneys create successful and sustainable law practices, with over 22 of the largest state and local bar associations having sponsored his live law firm marketing seminars & Rainmaker Retreats to their members.

This white paper on How to Market Your Articles is specifically for lawyers. It is a sample of the exemplary free information we make available on a regular basis, so be sure to connect!

Keep me posted on your accomplishments and let me know if I can help.

Kara works with  small to mid-size business and  legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy.  This new design provides a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had some fascinating conversations with J.R. Hunn and have grown very fond of him, which is why you’re hearing about him now…

We’re talking a great deal about finance, our fast shifting world economic status and managing debt.  No doubt you know that these conversations can be overwhelming for many of us to comprehend, let alone actually work with effectively on a personal level.

J.R. has the uncanny ability to give fresh perspective to all of these concepts and situations and provide solutions that are exceedingly easy to comprehend.

More importantly, he shares his knowledge empathetically and has a great sense of humor, which just makes life in general more manageable, and a heck of a lot more fun for those around him.

Growth & decay are constantly happening.  Expansion / Contraction — change is always happening. Some people benefit more than others from any given change.  Learning to benefit from change makes a difference.

The distinction is the magnitude of the changes that are happening now,  The growth is going to be bigger than the rise of the U.S. or Soviet Union.  Collapse is going to be bigger — A really big magnitude shift.

The economic distinction is the size of the shift.   Commitment to benefit from changes is one possible commitment.  Commitment to growth is another.

J.R. Hunn

We shot a very funny video together on the historical impact of oil and the strength of political systems.  Off-camera, this was my first time playing full out with J.R. and we had a ball!

It’s a marathon of jokes, and I literally fell off my chair from laughing so hard.  We’ll be fine tuning as we create more, so stay tuned.

A Brief History of Oil

J.R. consults people on creating financial shelters and prudently manages the assets within the shelters and settles & negotiates debt and prefers to work with people who shelter their finances before they settle their debts.

For some background on the term The DominOil Effect, see J.R’s 2004 article, “…The REAL US Deficit: Oil,” For his more recent research and analysis, see his blog, http://jrfibonacci.wordpress.com/.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Kara works with  small to mid-size business and  legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy.  This new design provides a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

I’ve attended several networking events since moving to Phoenix at the end of January.  Recently, I connected to the meet-up group Java & Justice
through my membership with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Alex & Gaxiola, Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys based in Phoenix, have a terrific marketing & internet services manager, Rhonda Robbins , who I’ve become great friends with.  Rhonda is an SEO queen, and is also creating some stimulating, “out-in-the-world events for her firm.

In speaking with Rhonda, she said that one of Andrew Alex’ primary concerns is his client’s quality of life.  He is also strongly committed to educating them in a way that that will protect them if or when the time comes.

The video linked below to the firm’s YouTube Channel is a terrific example of how an accident with a truck can change your entire life…

One of the primary business growth challenges for a accident attorneys is that their clients don’t need their services until something catastrophic happens.  Since chasing ambulances is unscrupulous at best, having relationships with potential clients, long before they require services is all the more important..

They’re doing a MeetUp Series called JAVA & JUSTICE.

These semi-weekly gatherings allow the firm’s attorneys to interact with their community hands on, providing them with a venue designed for face-to-face communication.

Do connect to  Alex & Gaxiola on Facebook and Twitter …

If you’re in the Phoenix Arizona area, stop by a MeetUp.  Either way, I encourage you to connect with the group so you can stay in the loop!

Join the Java & Justice Meet-Up in Phoenix

Kara works with  small to mid-size business and  legal marketers to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy.  This new design provides a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410