Blog
#2: Thursday Thoughts: How to put yourself out there
Let's keep it real---it is hard to put yourself out there. Maybe there's a book you want to write. Or a new job you want to apply for. Or a business you want to start. But, you can't get out of your own head long enough to actually take any steps forward. Many of us...
#1: Create a vision for your brand and business
In 2012, I was in New York when Hurricane Sandy landed in the state. Hurricane Sandy was one the deadliest, strongest, and most damaging hurricanes in the region that year. When all was said and done, more than 50 people died in New York alone because of the...
Grow a business and brand with social media: My plan
This article is going to be a little embarrassing for me, because I have to pull back the veil a bit. In this new year, one thing I definitely, definitely have to work on is my social media strategy. To grow my brand and my business, I have to improve my social media...
Build a website you’re proud of in 9 steps
So, you've decided that you need a website---Congrats! It is smart to have a corner of the internet that you control. With your own website, you can build your brand, provide value to others, and support your business. Your website is your 24 hour calling card, and...
3 tips to help you take more risks & put yourself out there
Putting yourself out there is hard! Assuming you find the courage to stake your claim in the ground with your expertise, knowledge and ideas, you also have to decide how to create a money-making structure, figure out how to start a business, and start...
What to do when you’re not ready to start your business
Starting a business was something that started for me slowly. I didn't have the Silicon Valley-esque 2000 mph journey of dropping out of college and toiling in a garage until raising a million dollars in VC funding. I thought about it, and thought about it, and...
Find time to start your business: Stop scrolling
One of the most common responses I get from people who want to start businesses is they do not have time to get everything done because they are too busy. If this is you, this article should help if one of your primary challenges is aimless scrolling on social media...
Conferences need women speakers like you
Nearly a decade ago, I went to a conference for people wanting to establish themselves as "experts" in their field. I was pretty excited because this particular conference was, and still is, a major event in the industry. There were probably 7,000 or so people...
The importance of going to conferences
I recently came to grips with the fact that I am about 90% an extroverted introvert. I did not know this kind of introvert existed, but once I did a little research, I realized that this is basically my tribe. I won't bore you with all the details, but extroverted...
Not getting everything done: Lessons from Shonda Rhimes
I don't know about you, but there have been many days where I wake up and before I know it the day is completely over. I'm amazed at how quickly the hours can go. Between a full time job, my company (which is another full time job, just on early mornings, nights and...
Finding time to start your business
"It's sooooo hard to find the time to do everything!!! I could start my business if I juuuuuuuuuust HAD MORE TIME! I'm too busy right now." Sound familiar? It certainly sounds like the old me after I got married, became a mother for the first time, and started my...
Create a vision for your life, brand & business
Brainstorming, envisioning, and refining a vision is one of the most important things you can do for your business. I quote Michael Gerber nearly every time I talk about the concept of a vision. In his book E-Myth (it's a great book about small business failure and...
Where to start with your personal brand
Early in my career as a law professor, I was struggling a bit with my professional identity. I knew I was smart. I knew I had dreams of "success" (wasn't clear on what that meant yet, but roll with me). I knew I wanted more than what I could see at that moment. But, I...
You can’t patent an idea, and other lessons from Arkansas
Last week, I was honored to give the keynote at the First Annual Patent Bootcamp for Women and Minorities in STEM at the University of Arkansas. Time for the Patent Bootcamp Keynote: “Diversifying Innovation: From a Seat at the Table to Inventing a New Table.” Happy...
Choosing a Business Structure
Starting a business requires making all kinds of decisions, and one of the most important is how you're going to operate and do business. You have to ask aaallllll kinds of questions about concepts that are pretty foreign to folks new to the game: Will you go start...
For Women: Finding a Patent Lawyer
Inventing stuff is fun and working with inventors is just as great. By and large, the practice of intellectual property law has been my favorite over the years because the clients are typically happy. Usually no one is fighting...
How to reset when you feel overwhelmed & out of control
As summer is making her exit, I've been trying to take full advantage of the last few weeks. I rarely watch television, but I binge-watched a few things recently. Two programs in particular got me thinking a lot about the importance of having a vision. One was Tiffany...
How to protect your invention in the U.S.
If you decide that you want to patent your invention, make sure you're wearing your I'll-be-patient hat because the entire process includes a number of steps that take a lot of time and energy. From the application drafting phase, through the back and forth with the...
What kinds of inventions can be patented?
I love inventions and innovation. Like, LOVE love. So much so that I actually own a set of inventor trading cards (I know, nerd much?). One of the reasons I settled on intellectual property law after law school was because of my affinity for innovation, ideas and...
What does it mean to “use” a trademark?
As I've written about elsewhere, the three requirements for trademark protection are use, distinctiveness, and non-functionality. The requirement of "use" seems easy enough, because "use" is a common word that everybody knows and understands, right? These...
How to get a tax ID number for your business
Once you've committed to creating your business, you'll have to decide whether to incorporate it with the appropriate Secretary of State's office. If you decide to file an application to incorporate (as I think the vast majority of people should), it shouldn't take...
#2: Thursday Thoughts: How to put yourself out there
Let's keep it real---it is hard to put yourself out there. Maybe there's a book you want to write. Or a new job you want to apply for. Or a business you want to start. But, you can't get out of your own head long enough to actually take any steps forward. Many of us...
#1: Create a vision for your brand and business
In 2012, I was in New York when Hurricane Sandy landed in the state. Hurricane Sandy was one the deadliest, strongest, and most damaging hurricanes in the region that year. When all was said and done, more than 50 people died in New York alone because of the...
Grow a business and brand with social media: My plan
This article is going to be a little embarrassing for me, because I have to pull back the veil a bit. In this new year, one thing I definitely, definitely have to work on is my social media strategy. To grow my brand and my business, I have to improve my social media...
Build a website you’re proud of in 9 steps
So, you've decided that you need a website---Congrats! It is smart to have a corner of the internet that you control. With your own website, you can build your brand, provide value to others, and support your business. Your website is your 24 hour calling card, and...
3 tips to help you take more risks & put yourself out there
Putting yourself out there is hard! Assuming you find the courage to stake your claim in the ground with your expertise, knowledge and ideas, you also have to decide how to create a money-making structure, figure out how to start a business, and start...
What to do when you’re not ready to start your business
Starting a business was something that started for me slowly. I didn't have the Silicon Valley-esque 2000 mph journey of dropping out of college and toiling in a garage until raising a million dollars in VC funding. I thought about it, and thought about it, and...
Find time to start your business: Stop scrolling
One of the most common responses I get from people who want to start businesses is they do not have time to get everything done because they are too busy. If this is you, this article should help if one of your primary challenges is aimless scrolling on social media...
Conferences need women speakers like you
Nearly a decade ago, I went to a conference for people wanting to establish themselves as "experts" in their field. I was pretty excited because this particular conference was, and still is, a major event in the industry. There were probably 7,000 or so people...
The importance of going to conferences
I recently came to grips with the fact that I am about 90% an extroverted introvert. I did not know this kind of introvert existed, but once I did a little research, I realized that this is basically my tribe. I won't bore you with all the details, but extroverted...
Not getting everything done: Lessons from Shonda Rhimes
I don't know about you, but there have been many days where I wake up and before I know it the day is completely over. I'm amazed at how quickly the hours can go. Between a full time job, my company (which is another full time job, just on early mornings, nights and...
Finding time to start your business
"It's sooooo hard to find the time to do everything!!! I could start my business if I juuuuuuuuuust HAD MORE TIME! I'm too busy right now." Sound familiar? It certainly sounds like the old me after I got married, became a mother for the first time, and started my...
Create a vision for your life, brand & business
Brainstorming, envisioning, and refining a vision is one of the most important things you can do for your business. I quote Michael Gerber nearly every time I talk about the concept of a vision. In his book E-Myth (it's a great book about small business failure and...
Where to start with your personal brand
Early in my career as a law professor, I was struggling a bit with my professional identity. I knew I was smart. I knew I had dreams of "success" (wasn't clear on what that meant yet, but roll with me). I knew I wanted more than what I could see at that moment. But, I...
You can’t patent an idea, and other lessons from Arkansas
Last week, I was honored to give the keynote at the First Annual Patent Bootcamp for Women and Minorities in STEM at the University of Arkansas. Time for the Patent Bootcamp Keynote: “Diversifying Innovation: From a Seat at the Table to Inventing a New Table.” Happy...
Choosing a Business Structure
Starting a business requires making all kinds of decisions, and one of the most important is how you're going to operate and do business. You have to ask aaallllll kinds of questions about concepts that are pretty foreign to folks new to the game: Will you go start...
For Women: Finding a Patent Lawyer
Inventing stuff is fun and working with inventors is just as great. By and large, the practice of intellectual property law has been my favorite over the years because the clients are typically happy. Usually no one is fighting...
How to reset when you feel overwhelmed & out of control
As summer is making her exit, I've been trying to take full advantage of the last few weeks. I rarely watch television, but I binge-watched a few things recently. Two programs in particular got me thinking a lot about the importance of having a vision. One was Tiffany...
How to protect your invention in the U.S.
If you decide that you want to patent your invention, make sure you're wearing your I'll-be-patient hat because the entire process includes a number of steps that take a lot of time and energy. From the application drafting phase, through the back and forth with the...
What kinds of inventions can be patented?
I love inventions and innovation. Like, LOVE love. So much so that I actually own a set of inventor trading cards (I know, nerd much?). One of the reasons I settled on intellectual property law after law school was because of my affinity for innovation, ideas and...
What does it mean to “use” a trademark?
As I've written about elsewhere, the three requirements for trademark protection are use, distinctiveness, and non-functionality. The requirement of "use" seems easy enough, because "use" is a common word that everybody knows and understands, right? These...
How to get a tax ID number for your business
Once you've committed to creating your business, you'll have to decide whether to incorporate it with the appropriate Secretary of State's office. If you decide to file an application to incorporate (as I think the vast majority of people should), it shouldn't take...