Name: Sabrina Thompson
Firm/Company: Foulston Siefkin LLP
Title: Business Development Specialist
Short Job Description: I represent Foulston in the community and provide business development support to our attorneys.
Many Legal Marketers are working remotely, what have been your challenges/successes?
Overall, working from home has been very successful for me, my team, and my firm. Video conference calls were standard practice since most of our meetings involved others from our Wichita and Topeka offices. The early days of COVID were personally challenging because I’m a creature of habit; routines are very comforting to me. Work was my constant for a while, it was the thing that changed the least during the first few weeks of quarantine. Helping my kids adapt to learning from home, grocery shopping from an app, and trying to maintain some normalcy was challenging at first, but we figured it out. The best decision we made was to adopted a little beagle named Paige. We focused our time and energy on training her and getting our other dog, Lucy, used to having a little sister.
How has the legal marketing industry changed since you got involved with it?
It’s only been two years, so I came in during a time when they legal industry as a whole is changing. Now there is the added burden of dealing with enormous modifications to the very way we live and do business. Even though our techniques and some of the mechanics have changed, the good news is that the principles of marketing, business development, and relationship cultivation don’t change.
How has LMA helped?
I still consider myself new to the industry, so I rely heavily on LMA’s Body of Knowledge, the LMA Library, and LMA webinars as my primary source of professional education. In March, LMA and the legal marketing community immediately banded together and began cutting through the noise by sharing information that was reliable and actionable. Everyone was candid, so helpful, and encouraging – it became a safe place to ride out the storm!
What activity do you enjoy when you have free time?
Last October, I started an Instagram page called @PrairieEarthandSky. One of the things I love so much about Kansas City are the breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, and cloudscapes in the sky. I live close to Kansas City International Airport, so I go up there to take pictures whenever I can. It’s been especially helpful during the last few months to have a place I can escape the craziness and focus on something that has not been impacted by COVID-19!
Do you have a personal goal you want to accomplish in the next year?
My goal is to take a photography course and also learn use my Nikon camera. I don’t intend to sell my work, but there’s one photo I took recently that would look great in my home if the resolution were high enough.
